Reviews (17)

Very Good
This book was definitely a good buy.Great sections on the theory of stretching and flexibility, and a good section on kinesiology.Lots of great stretches and it was great that they told you which stretches would benefit a certain muscle group.I was also really excited to find a section on improving kick height (the main reason I bought the book).Towards the end it gives lists of stretches the are good for certain kinds of martial arts (light-contact, full-contact, grappling, weapons, MMA, boxing, nd the author's favorites).Overall this book is very good.

Tae Kwon Do Flexibility
This is a geat book to improve your flexibility.Master Kim is a TKD master but the book would be great for any martial artist.I needed to improve my flexibility but too many of the book were too technical without a direct understanding of why and how.Kim does a good job of showing and explaining how things neeed to be done.I am not quite to the ground with my splits but am quickly getting there.

good but not great book
this was a good book, but many of the stretches are just basic stretching that we already know, but there are some that are new, and there are a lot of photos, which makes it very easy to see how to do certain things.good book for very beginners, but not that great if you are already doing stretching excercises, it is probably just a repeat of what you are already doing. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    2. Martial Arts - Tai Kwon Do    3. Martial arts    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Stretching exercises    7. Training    8. Oriental martial arts   

Editorial Review

To watch Bruce Lee on film is an amazing experience. Those who have read Read more

Reviews (142)

Good fighting concepts book
This book is great in terms of coming up with ideas for techniques and defense strategies.Bruce Lee was studying and practicing with many martial artists from multiple fighting systems.I think this book is written pretty well, and the very important and practical information is elaborated on more extensively.
tao of jeet kune do
the product of bruce lee's thoughts while he was blocked in bed for his back problems.
excellent
I love the book it has a wealth of enformation, I would recommend it to anyone who is studying Jeet kune do. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Jeet Kune Do    3. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Mind, body, spirit: disciplines & techniques    6. Oriental martial arts   

Reviews (202)

This Book is "Frigg'n Sweet!!!"
If ever there was a humorous side to hyper-active, neglected and attention-deficient children, Robert Hamburger has found it! From cover to cover, "The REAL Ultimate Power" is chock full of childish hilarity counter-pointed by a very poignant under-belly displaying a fictional child's attempt to cope with being different and neglected. Yes, it's still HILARIOUS! Hamburger writes this essentially "for Dummies" spoof from the perspective of a learned 10-year-old kid who's inability to deal with his reality (parents he perceives as neglectful, friends who aren't his friends, etc.) leads him to be overly passionate (he calls it "pumped") about ninjas. I couldn't stop laughing! Not only are 99.9% of Robert's views on ninjas completely off-base and unrealistic (ah, childhood!), most times they're crude, disgusting, absurd and hilarious. Did you know that the defining characteristic of a ninja is the ability to "flip out and kill people" without the slightest provocation? Or that a BONER is the ninja's most prized weapon? Or that ninjas can fly? I, for one, was shocked to learn that Benjamin Franklin not only killed a man, but in the same night, laid in "feigned passion" with a sea turtle! These are just a few of Robert's skewed ideas, and they only get worse (or "better" if you're one to appreciate the humor!)
Brain bending awesomness
This book is great the way it's told. The "Genius" spotlight review hit my thoughts exactly. Many people might not get all the subtle hints in the text and footnotes that tell the real story of a boy. That would be a shame. But if you liked the website, you'll like the book either way.

Really funny
One of the funniest books I've ever read. Had me laughing out loud like a fool during my commute. This book was AWESOME.
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Subjects:  1. General    2. Humor    3. Ninjutsu    4. Topic - Sports    5. Humor / General    6. Oriental martial arts   

Reviews (26)

Enlighting!
The ideas and training was really helpful, a good tool for training at home when you have no partner to train with.

Not very useful for me
I agree, solo practice is very important. If you have no clue what you could practice alone, are training karate / tkd / krav maga, and fairly novice, there might be some good drills for you.
Excelent for beginers, and for Fitness
This is a very good book. Don't look into it though if your a black belt or higher, won't offer too much. This book offers great basic intruction, although it does detail on form, I'd listen to my instructor over this book. It comes from a karate point of view, but the drill are good for all martial art forms. No, there's no great training secrets or anything like that in this book. Any book or person that claims to know a secret of training is lying anyway. These bread and butter (basic) moves and drills will help you become faster and stronger when practiced regualrly. I increased my kicked height and speed, as well as my punching power and speed by using this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    3. Martial arts    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Training    7. Combat sports & self-defence   

Reviews (4)

Written with love.
Hi,very well written.Most techniques down to very fine detail.Excellent insights, tips, and good instruction of combinations.Only gripe is that there were not good enough pictures to match excellent writing.Always rereading bits to help with my training.As always, a book is no substitute for practise.Cheers

Worth Every Penny
As said before me this book lives up to its title. It is very complete, the author talks extensivly not only on every aspect of kickboxing I've ever heard of, but also of many I haven't. The book is easy to understand and the author has a unique style of writing and organization that keeps you interested. This is one of the best martial art books I've ever owned.

A well-rounded compilation of facts
The collaborative work of martial arts experts Martina Sprague (kickboxing, modern freestyle, Kenpo karate) and Keith Livingston (kickboxing, Tae Kwon-Do, Kenpo Karate, boxing, Aikido, Ju-Jitsu, and former I.K.A. light heavyweight Rock Mountain champion), Complete Kickboxing is a "martial arts student friendly" instructional guide and reference for kickboxing techniques, concepts, sparring exercises and competition strategies. Beginning with the fundamentals of movement, stance, punching and kicking, and progressing to instructions on more advanced jump kicks and sweeps, strategies for short and long range fighting, outsmarting one's opponent, and the business mechanics of competition in the professional ring, Complete Kickboxing is an indispensible resource for novice and career kickboxers alike. A well-rounded compilation of facts, advice, and insight efficiently organized for improving one's skill and strengthening weaknesses.
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Subjects:  1. Boxing    2. General    3. Kickboxing    4. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Combat sports & self-defence   

Editorial Review

To learn a Japanese martial art is to learn Zen, and although you can't do so simply by reading a book, it sure does help--especially if that book is Read more

Reviews (103)

A study of conflict
This book is great for anyone interested in personal development.It is a guide in focused self-discipline.It is also a guide to successful navigation of conflict.
GREAT 17th CENTURAY SAMURAI SWORDSMAN'S ADVICE ON STRATEGY
Based on my readings, Musashi's motive in writing his Book of Five Rings had been to correct misrepresentations of his views on swordsmanship by his contemporaries. Having become a legend in his own time, Musashi's reputation was being exploited by ambitious rivals claiming to have adopted the master's martial techniques and philosophies. Thus Book of Five Rings was intended by its author to establish his point of view for correcting misconceptions.
An excellent treatise on swordsmanship.....and life
Admittedly, I do not own this edition, but I bought it as a Christmas gift for a friend.This Musashi classic explains about the necessary fundamentals of samurai swordsmanship.While written centuries ago, the book also has strategic applications for handling life.This edition is good for simplicity and the lay reader. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business Life - General    3. Early works to 1800    4. Management - General    5. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    6. Military    7. Military Science    8. Military art and science    9. Personal Growth - Success    10. Strategic Planning    11. Swordplay    12. Self-Help / General    13. Sale Books   

Reviews (28)

Excellent supplement to Dojo training
I was once told by a Tai Chi Chuan master "you can learn forms from a book, but a master can teach you to learn them well."With that in mind, the same line of thinking applies to this book.Some martial arts books are so well-made its possible to learn forms and Katas solely from those books.Not as well as from a good teacher mind you, but it is possible.This is not one of those books.One should pick this up only if 1) You have had prior Karate experience and know what a kata should look like or 2) You are currently training at some dojo.
Best book on Shotokan kata
It is not obvious from the product description, but a major feature of this book is that it not only illustrates each technique of the Shotokan kata, but also describes how fast each technique should be executed and how long to pause between each movement. I am not aware of any other book that tells you this, a real help when learning.
A great step-by-step kata guide
This book is either an outstanding tome or a mediocre one, depending on what you're looking for. It's a thorough step-by-step description of the various Shotokan kata, an invaluable resource for karateka who are looking to remember the sequences of these various forms. It falls seriously short, however, if you're looking for insight into bunkai (applications) for the kata. In other words, you see all the motions but do not get any description of practical street-worthy applications from them (there's only so much you can pack into one book anyway; it's already ~ 300 pages). Soooo, as long as your expectations are clear and you just want documentation of the steps, it's well worth owning.
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Subjects:  1. Handbooks & Manuals    2. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Karate   

Reviews (14)

Great supplemant for any martial artist!
What a great book! As a student of a traditional martial art, I have access to in depth information concerning kata, application of kata, the history of my art, the spiritual concepts important to my art, etc.What I do not always have access to is information about how to train, excercises and stretches that I can use to supplemant my training, and nutritional information that will facilitate my training.While this book does place a certain emphasis on training for tournaments and competition, it is excellent overall, and should be helpful to any martial artist.It is easy to read, and the authors interject humour and personal anctedotes throughout the writing.

Good basic book
OK, since my job involves researching obesity I may have erred on buying this book.It is very good, at laying out the basics of nutrition and training.A lot of the training tips should be coming from your teacher, but nobody knows everything and this can help fill in the gaps.As for the nutrition, it may have helped to provide a little more in the way of practical application, but overall it is solid and the underlying principles are well set.Using this book will likely help the majority of people who are serious about training in martial arts as athletes to achieve their goal. Think of it as a mens health guide to martial arts training

WISHY WASHY is all this book talks about.
This book is ok. Through out the whole book they talk about how their opinions are wishy-washy. They never give a clear answer and are very unsure about giving you a definite answer. They leave out important formulas about calories and many other things. Not a terrible book but not a good one either. Maybe very confusing for some and lacks any backbone or definite answers. Some of the stuff in this book has been proven bad or even good for you, but they say the opposite. There is no fight preparation diet plans or any true relevance to Fighting. Would not recommend you buy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Diet/Nutrition    2. Diets - Better Health    3. Health aspects    4. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    5. Martial artists    6. Martial arts    7. Nutrition    8. Physical fitness    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Fitness & diet    11. Oriental martial arts   

Reviews (6)

Highly recommend....
I am grateful for this qigong training course. I have tried a couple of other videos for qigong practice but this IS THE course to have if you are to have one. I'm using the techniques in concert with the treatment I have received for rheumatoid arthritis and have been pleasantly suprised by the results. This has been noted by the accupuncturist as well. Treatments in the western medicine are expensive and I am happy to note that I have been having far better results with the practice of qigong complimenting my treatments.

Significant contribution to Qigong Education
Many of us cannot always get to places in California, the West Coast or the North Eastern US to meet and train with skilled Qigong Teachers. This kit addresses both personal graduated training and depth of style. Where it is most important is the ability to target the 100 days by a skilled weekly program where progress is obvious. Too many Qigong media detail exercises or procedures in books or video that show the "completed" forms and do not graduate these for new learners. Beginners like myself find this approach difficult to follow. Starting Qigong disciplines is like learning to ride a horse and has to be learned in stages. Ken Cohen has achieved this in a most inexpensive manner. Keep up the good work!.

Outstanding!
Qigong has become a little fashionable of late, but the fact is that it is demonstrably effective for maintaining health, and there is a growing body of decent research indicating that it may also be a useful adjunctive treatment for an array of illnesses.
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Subjects:  1. Body, Mind & Spirit    2. Healing - Energy (Chi Kung, Reiki, Polarity)    3. New Age    4. New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit    5. Oriental martial arts   

Editorial Review

So many books have been written about the meditation side of Zen and the everyday, chop wood/carry water side of Zen. But few books have approached Zen the way that most Japanese actually do--through ritualized arts of discipline and beauty--and perhaps that is why Eugen Herrigel's Read more

Reviews (53)

Awonderful account of Herrigel's spiritual journey/5 stars
As a Zen Buddhist--unlike a few of the reviewers who
rich catalyst for our life journey
masterpiece. even the way it is written brings the reader on a journey so that he himself can learn and experience what the author intends to convey. not by explicitly writing what he wants the reader to 'learn', but rather by guiding the reader through a path- that is the only way to truly gain.

hitting the bull's-eye blindfolded
There is the Zen of no mind in which you eat when hungry, rest when tired, and stop when finished.There is also the Zen known through the ritualized arts of discipline and beauty such as archery, swordsmanship, brush-and-ink, the tea ceremony, or flower arranging. This book is Herrigel's story of striking the target bull's-eye blindfolded. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Archery    2. Archery And Target Shooting    3. Eastern - General    4. Eastern - Zen    5. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    6. Philosophy    7. Zen Buddhism    8. Religion / Eastern   

Reviews (65)

The Art of Expressing the Human Body
There was a time that I was skeptical that a 145 lb., 5'7", individual could have anything to offer as far as offering instruction on building tremendous physical strength and acheiving combat skills that are rivaled by few. This book deals with the first point...that of building tremendous physical strength which would be utilized for acheiving excelling combat skills. Great insight into the mind of a man who I once doubted could acheive such greatness.

Technique is wisdom.To train is power.
What an outlandishly brilliant collection of Bruce Lee's personal training regimine.This is utterly priceless for its detail and stark showing of Bruce's true grit.It was a fight at a local dojo instigated by a rival martial arts group in China Town, San Francisco (actually they disapproved, as many did, Bruce's teaching such high quality lessons to Americans - really can't blame them) that spurred Bruce on to investigate and finally put to practice the lessons of bodybuilding and strength training.Extreme conditoning also - i.e. lots of cardio (2-6 mile jogs; 45 minute stationary biking; interval training, where you sprint several hundred yards then jog, then sprint, then jog and so on).
Dont' bother
I was very disappointed in this book. It's not quite sure what it's supposed to be, and so, ends up being nothing. There are endless lists of workout routines that Bruce Lee supposedly used. But, they usually have little or no explanation, so are useless. There is no, repeat no, nutritional info that you can't find in a free booklet in any supermarket. There are weight training guidelines for rank beginners, but nothing that hasn't been done better by weight training or martial arts magazines.
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Subjects:  1. 1940-1973    2. Bodybuilding    3. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    4. Consumer Health    5. Exercise    6. General    7. Health/Fitness    8. Lee, Bruce,    9. Physical fitness    10. Sports & Recreation    11. Training    12. Biography: general    13. Exercise & workout books    14. Lee, Bruce    15. Oriental martial arts   

Subjects:  1. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    2. Martial arts    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Sports & Recreation / Martial Arts & Self-Defense    6. Training    7. Combat sports & self-defence   

Subjects:  1. Alternative Therapies    2. General    3. Healing - Energy (Chi Kung, Reiki, Polarity)    4. Health & Fitness    5. Health/Fitness    6. Martial Arts    7. Martial Arts - Taichi    8. Medicine    9. Medicine, Chinese    10. New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit    11. New Age / Parapsychology    12. Personal Health    13. Qi gong    14. Religious aspects    15. Tai chi    16. Exercise & workout books    17. Health & Fitness / Alternative Therapies    18. Oriental martial arts   

Subjects:  1. Karate    2. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    3. Sports & Recreation    4. Oriental martial arts   

Subjects:  1. Buddhism    2. Eastern - Taoism    3. Exercise    4. General    5. Health aspects    6. Medicine, Chinese    7. Philosophy    8. Qi gong    9. Reference    10. Religion - Socialissues    11. Sports & Recreation / Martial Arts & Self-Defense    12. Taoism    13. Chi kung    14. Martial Arts    15. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    16. Sports    17. Sports & Recreation   

Reviews (9)

So good I bought a copy for my SiFu
As a student of Shaolin, I believe this book to be an excellant study guide.I told my SiFu about and even bought him a copy.

Great book!
This is an excellent book, not only for the beginer, but also for those who have been studying Shaolin for many years! It is very informative about the history, phylosophy, and tecnique of Shaolin kung fu. It's a great book for doing cross-refrence on different training and also has many inspiring stories in it. I'd recomend this book to ANYONE interested in Shaolin!

Comprehensive
The book was indeed true to its title.The program it lays out covers everything! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Health/Fitness    2. Martial Arts    3. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    4. Religion / Zen Buddhism    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Sports & Recreation / Martial Arts & Self-Defense    8. Buddhism - Zen    9. China    10. Hand-to-hand fighting, Oriental    11. Health & Fitness / General    12. Kung fu    13. Mind, body, spirit: disciplines & techniques    14. Oriental martial arts    15. Religion   

Reviews (68)

Great book on Aikido, but....
A lot of good things have been said about this book by many others, and I basically agree with them.So, I'm not going to repeat any of them here.However, the one thing that I don't like about this book is that, instead of using the common terminology used by aikidoka around the world, the authors use algebraic terms like "attack #1" neutralised by "immobilization #2".Why can't they just use the proper terms such as "shomen-uchi" and "nikyo"?Give me a break.This is like calling "slamdunk" a "scoring technique #5".

BEST Book on Aikido
It was my first book that I bought on Aikido, and although I bought quite a few more in the 9 years that I practise Aikido now, I haven't found another one that gives one such a comprehensive view on this martial art. It covers the history, the philosophy, the basic ideas and techniques, some guidance and hints for training. And, best of all, the graphics, by their simplicity are vastly more instructive than the standard series of photographs.

Aikido for every type of situation
This book provide a very clear teaching about the art of aikido.The technical background is useful for the martial artist who want to practice street combat without dhe demaging the assailant and provide also a full spiritual guide on budo and the ki power.Very good one ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aikido    2. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    3. Martial Arts - Aikido    4. Self-defense    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Oriental martial arts   

Reviews (8)

Turn the autopilot off
Yes.. that's basically the main message of this book. Don't fight blindly.
A guide for intermediate to advanced martial artists
Timing in the Fighting Arts is a guide for intermediate to advanced martial artists, from boxing professionals to ordinary men and women honing their skills for self-defense. Written by two expert martial artists, both with extensive experience in police work, Timing in the Fighting Arts covers everything from Hick's Law (that reaction time increases the more choices one has - therefore it's faster and more effective to have one simple defense than a dozen complex ones) to improving one's posture to approaching a potentially dangerous person and timing a grab, to "need-to-know" information - and debunked myths - about translating sport fighting to a street situation. A wealth of recommended drills and exercises for physical self-improvement round out this valuable supplementary self-defense resource.
A guide for intermediate to advanced martial artists
Timing in the Fighting Arts is a guide for intermediate to advanced martial artists, from boxing professionals to ordinary men and women honing their skills for self-defense. Written by two expert martial artists, both with extensive experience in police work, Timing in the Fighting Arts covers everything from Hick's Law (that reaction time increases the more choices one has - therefore it's faster and more effective to have one simple defense than a dozen complex ones) to improving one's posture to approaching a potentially dangerous person and timing a grab, to "need-to-know" information - and debunked myths - about translating sport fighting to a street situation. A wealth of recommended drills and exercises for physical self-improvement round out this valuable supplementary self-defense resource.
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Subjects:  1. General    2. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    3. Martial Arts - Karate    4. Martial arts    5. Speed    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Training    9. Combat sports & self-defence   

Reviews (15)

A guide to understanding Japanese Culture, Business, and History
"Bushido: The Way of the Samurai" is an easy to read text based on Hagakure. Hagakure privides the ideal Samurai's code of conduct, according to the original author Tunetomo Yamamoto (1659).
There are better translations, but
I loved ths book. I've read the art of war, but this is more of a life style book. I beleive this should be required reading for all teenage children in the US. really I think the entire country could benefit from it. In my opinion anyway.

Good
The author does a very nice job explaining many of the priciples of Bushido, and applying it to today's circumstances. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bushido    2. Early works to 1800    3. Eastern - General    4. Ethics & Moral Philosophy    5. Japanese Philosophy    6. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    7. Mind & Body    8. Philosophy    9. Asian / Middle Eastern history    10. Japan    11. Special & elite forces   

Reviews (5)

A Resource Not To Be Missed
After reading Rodrigo's The Path to the Blackbelt, I have adopted it as one of the primary curriculum resources for my school of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts.
Excellent Book
"The Path to Black Belt" is the best Jiu-Jitsu book on the market and is a must for anyone who wants to become a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu.The typical instructional book reads like an encyclopedia of technqiues, but this approach only gives the reader a cursory idea of how to master the art.In Jiu-Jitsu, knowing dozens of techniques is only the first step in becoming proficient.The coveted jiu-jitsu black belt only comes after years of smart training.Being consistent, avoiding injuries and understanding how to develop a complete game over several years are the factors that will separate a black belt from an aspiring black belt.Rodrigo's book covers all of these areas, articulating the fundamental concepts in Jiu-Jitsu in a way that only a life-long practiioner and ADCC champion can do.
I have seen them all, and this is the BEST of the BEST!!!
WOW, I am amazed by this books instruction level. VERY VERY detailed, and great detail is spent to give a view from the instructors viewpoint. Rodrigo has left me in shock with this one - absolutely essential, especially if you are an instructor looking for a GREAT reference book for your class.
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Subjects:  1. Judo    2. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Sports & Recreation / Martial Arts & Self-Defense