subject: The Ultimate Eight Martial Arts Books On The Planet! [print this page] . Authored by A Westbrook and O Ratt, the writing is perfect, and the illustrations are possibly the best martial arts graphics ever inked. A hefty book, it covers the art from skin to heart, and one gets the feel of how energy actually swirls in the practice of the art.
The title of this work is Uechi Ryu Karate Kung Fu. It seems like it is never in print, but it was one of the first martial arts books in the United States. It describes the entire system of Uechi Ryu, and is rich with anecdotes, in fact, you'll see where some of the martial arts legends actually came from in this book.
Tai Chi Touchstones, by Douglas Wile, presents some great images of old Master Yang himself. The real joy of this epistle is in the many songs and poems. These works of poetry are rich with and accurately convey the motions and strategies of the Grand Ultimate Fist.
When it comes to Martial Arts books, The Master Instructor Course is one of the great secrets, it seems like nobody has ever heard of this one. Authored by A Case, it is actually a CD/DVD course, and the author doesn't sell the paper version anymore. You may blink when the author claims to have discovered the secrets of perfect form and perfect technique, but by the time you finish you'll realize that he does!
The 25 Shotokan Kata is a great book which describes kata in geometric clarity. Every move is drawn in precise detail, and it makes it very easy to study any of the great katas in it. The only drawback is that some of the forms are done with classical lines, and not functional lines of working energy, but this is of small concern if one has read The Master Instructor Course.
Zen Flesh Zen Bones is one of those works of art which has been around forever, and it is a collection of essential zen sayings and anecdotes. These tales impart the flavor of a culture, and of the true spirit behind the martial arts. Reading this book while studying the combative arts one can actually feel the spirit of zen work its way into one's very bones.
No list would be complete without the pivotal work by Miyamoto Musashi. This book can be taken on a man to man combat level, or on the grand strategic level of whole armies. It provides a philosophy which changes lives, and it is used by people in all walks of life to make their lives really work.
The Art of War is the bible, when is comes to war. No army has ever won a battle, let alone a war, without following the exact principles laid out in this ultimate guidebook. Anybody who has ever delved into this ultimate epistle knows that now is the time to end this list the best Martial Arts books on the planet.
