(Part 2) Best martial arts books according to redditors

wow it is really really hard to say

> (description of linked book, "SHORTHAND EMPTY HAND") - In this brief text, Phil Elmore, publisher of The MartialistT: The Magazine For Those Who Fight Unfairly, outlines his curriculum for an "expedient system of stylized fighting." The program is presented as "self-defense for the average citizen."

holy shit this is solid gold

here, this is the description for "Street Sword"

> The sword has been a brutally effective weapon for thousands of years, but try to find instruction on using one for self-defense today and you're liable to find nothing but books written by dojo-dwelling, gi-wearing martial artists hung up on ancient traditions and picture-perfect stances.

PHIL AIN'T GOT TIME FOR STANCES

pls note that he is carrying a katana, a weapon notorious for requiring years of training because it will break if you don't swing it exactly right

> For the modern sword aficionado looking for real-world advice, author and pragmatic martial artist Phil Elmore wipes the slate clean with Street Sword. Despite attempts by elitists to romanticize, deify or otherwise elevate it into a mystical artifact, Elmore treats the sword like a tool for delivering force, period.

once again, he's not carrying a longsword or some other kind of sword actually capable of "delivering force"

> It is a mundane object that obeys the laws of physics, just like any other weapon. Street Sword will give you a framework in which to use the sword as a functional, practical weapon in today's violent world,

i'm very interested in seeing the part where he justifies the practicality of even carrying a sword

> quickly providing an understanding of the simple physics involved, as well as concepts like timing and distance.

"if he's about six feet away, you should swing. if he is about 20 feet away, you should not swing. NEXT CHAPTER:"

> Reading this book won't help you win a colored belt or an Olympic fencing medal, but it may be invaluable if a knife-wielding thug ever comes crawling through your bedroom window one dark night.

because you can throw it at the knife-wielding thug and he might get a nasty papercut

Here you go, video source

Forrest's books:

Got Fight?

Be Ready When the Sh*t Goes Down

Mark Hunt: Born to fight

Forrest Griffin: Got Fight?, Be Ready When the Sh*t Goes Down

John McCarthy: Let's Get It On!

Stich Duran: From the Fields to the Garden

Chuck Liddell: Iceman

John Kavanagh: Win or Learn

Brian Stann: Heart for the Fight

Chael Sonnen: The Voice of Reason

Bruce Buffer: It's Time!: My 360-Degree View of the UFC

GSP: The Way of the Fight

Jeremy Stephens: Who the fook is that guy?!

I prefer Short-hand Empty-hand. Really cuts to the meat of the subject.

I should update this at some point but anyway:

Here's an Abridged version of my book recommendation list.


Firstly, for Greco, I'd have to suggest Martell's Greco-Roman Wrestling

However, Martell is more suited for those who have a folkstyle background. For those who don't (and even those who do) I would recommend Randy Couture's The Natural Way as it builds up from wrestling basics into freestyle and, following that, into Greco.

For an interesting look at the transitional period between Catch and American Folkstyle I would recommend Leonard's A Handbook of Wrestling that can be found free here especially for those with a self-defense interest as it includes techniques now illegal in American Folkstyle while still teaching the positionally dominant wrestling basics. Some techniques are more a product of the times though.

For boxing I have to recommend two books, though they are more or less one book. Haislet's Boxing is one of the most comprehensive guides to the various aspects of Queensbury boxing without having a specific bias toward any one style. The U.S. Navy's boxing uses the text from Haislet in it's technical segments, but is more structured around teaching a large class, complete with lesson plans and coaching tips.

For specific ground-fighting tactics and techniques, Jackson's The Ground Game is probably the best overview of that phase, complete with both striking and submissions and used by the best in the world.

For a self-defense focus, I would suggest two boxing-related texts. The first is The art of Infighting by turn of the century era boxer Frank Klaus. The second is Banned from Boxing which is an academic and technical work on the use of grappling in Bareknuckle-era boxing, complete with hair pulling and even standing chokes. Both of these present great options for dealing with physicality in limited space and applying "dirty boxing."

Finally, for a very specific recommendation, B.J. Penn's MMA Book of Knowledge as it has a comprehensive guide to fighting against the cage, which also applies to fighting against walls and other barriers one might encounter in life. There are relatively few texts that do this in-depth, so if one is interested this is the book to get.

Also, Wikitenauer has been mentioned already, but I specifically recommend Auerswald's Treatise on Wrestling. Blades really aren't my field, but The Fellowship of Lichtenauer is my go-to source for dagger and short-blade fighting at least.


I've posted this a couple of times, but I can say that there are a number of quality pieces by fighters. However, despite many of them containing basic techniques, they are far more valuable to someone already proficient trying to pick up new tricks or strategic information than to the novice.

Like you, when I find something that interests me, I try and just soak up knowledge about it, which is how I ended up here actually. Anyway, on to the things I've found.

Youtube:

Ask a black belt:

It's what it sounds like. Guy asks various black belts questions, paired with some cool Jiu-jitsu footage. Episode 1 is where I became a Dave Camarillo fan. Also on this channel is one of my favorite highlight videos: Why I Train Jiu-Jitsu.

Roy Dean's Channel:

Roy Dean puts out some very artistic videos. If I'm ever trying to show someone what Jiu-Jitsu is, I'll probably pull up a Roy Dean video. Here are my favorites from the channel:

White to Black: Shift in Perspective

What Makes a Purple Belt

Spirals of Jiu-Jitsu

Dave Camarillo Black Belt Test

Roy Dean also films "demonstrations" done by his students who are advancing in belt rank. From what I understand, these demonstrations are optional, but most students go through with them. They're very much like a belt test you'd see in more traditional arts, but applied to Jiu-Jitsu. Here is the one done by the man himself. Cool to see Roy Harris roll in this one.

The Gracie Way:

The Gracie Way reminds of the travel channel, but with Jiu-Jitsu. I think there's like 15 episodes now. They're usually pretty entertaining if you're not put off by the Gracie Academie's marketing. I personally don't mind it too much, but they do lay it on a little thick at times.

Rolled Up:

I'm reminded of the travel channel again, but this a different flavor than the Gracie Way. The Gracie Way is more lifestyle focused, and Rolled Up is much more focused on Jiu-Jitsu. Basically, Budo Jake goes and trains with all kinds of coaches in the sport. It's a good way to get to know the celebrities of Jiu-Jitsu. You probably saw the recent Kurt Osiander episode, which in my opinion, is the best Rolled Up I've seen.

Stuart Cooper Films:

All these videos are great. Stuart Cooper is the man. Watch them all. As far as artistic BJJ videos, I have found no one better.

Also check out All Things BJJ, Want V.S Need, and Metamoris.

Books:

Don't Wear Your Gi to the Bar:

Get it free here. It'd be worth the money to pay for it though. It's a hilarious Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle book. Really embodies the culture of Jiu-Jitsu.

The Cauliflower Chronicles:

I admit, I haven't read this one yet. But Marshal D. Carper wrote some of Don't Wear Your Gi to the Bar and the writing in that book was top notch, and funny as well. I'm willing to bet that this book has the same kind of vibe to it, at least stylistically.

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Globetrotter:

Okay, I haven't read this one either, but I hear great things about it and it sounds awesome. I'll get around to it, but I have a backlog of books to read first. (Fucking George R.R. Martin)

Jiu-Jitsu on the Brain:

This one I have read. It's short, but sweet. Perfect for beginners. I say that because there's very little (if any) technical discussion. It's all about the broad concepts of Jiu-Jitsu, which, at this point, I find more helpful than techniques anyway. Mark Johnson is also an English teacher, which means he writes well, and like Marshal D. Carper, he's a funny guy who captures the spirit of the sport perfectly. Highly recommend this book.

Borrowing the Master's Bicycle:

This is Mark Johnson's second book. This one is slightly more technical than Jiu-Jitsu on the brain, but mainly, it delves deeper into Jiu-Jitsu philosophy. If you like Jiu-Jitsu on the Brain, and you want to see Mark delve deeper into some things he touches on in that book, pick this one up. Again, Mark writes well and he's got a great sense of humor. There's a chapter in this book where he talks about how badass Darth Vader would be at Jiu-Jitsu, which, for a Star Wars fan like me, was awesome.

Anyway, that's about all I've got. The other answers on here are good as well. Especially the Stephan Kesting recommendations. For technique videos, I watch his almost exclusively.

https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Jiu-Jitsu-White-Blue/dp/1491023740

A good way to increase your knowledge base is reading. Here are some books I have read and would recommend.

A. Navy Seal Shooting by Chris Sajnog.

Probably the best book to learn about the fundamentals. Chris covers the mental mastery of shooting better than any other book I am aware of.

B. In The Gravest Extreme by Massad Ayoob.

If you own guns for self defense I would recommend this book. While this was written in the 1980's it is still relevant today. It is the definitive work on deadly use of force law in the United States.

C. Combat Shooting (Or any other book) by Massad Ayoob

Ayoob has established himself as perhaps the authority on defensive handgun use through his extensive use of case studies.

D. The Book of Two Guns by Tiger Mckee.

This was written primarily revolving around the AR-15 and 1911. However, It's principles are applicable to any fighting rifle or handgun.

My go to books other than Kodokan Judo are the Canon of Judo by Kuyozo Mifune and Judo Unleashed by Neil Ohlenkamp.

http://www.amazon.com/Kill-Without-Joy-Complete-Book/dp/0873646479

From Amazon: "This new and revised edition of the bestselling book contains previously unnamed sources and updated chapters."

https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Art-History-Updated-Revised/dp/1770413006

Kindle Edition is $9.99

https://www.amazon.com/Choque-Untold-Jiu-Jitsu-1856-1949-History-ebook/dp/B00JL3L44S

You should check this book out if you haven't already. It should provide some inspiration if nothing else. www.amazon.co.uk/Brazilian-Jitsu-Globetrotter-around---world/dp/1479104523/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405666394&sr=8-1&keywords=bjj+globetrotter

For entertainment value I recommend Don't Wear Your Gi To The Bar - interesting real world accounts & anecdotes especially good for the overzealous white belt

http://www.amazon.com/Brazilian-Jitsu-Globetrotter-around-world/dp/1479104523

Good book.

Go to youtube and look up judo instructional videos. They break down moves for you. Or just get a judo book. I suggest this one.

http://www.amazon.com/Kodokan-Judo-Essential-Founder-Jigoro/dp/4770017995/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319648450&sr=1-1

Jackson's MMA: The Stand Up Game

Jackson's MMA: The Ground Game

I have the Stand Up Game book, and the techniques are very well shot and explained. It includes striking, but also clinch work and takedowns. I imagine the Ground Game book would be of similar quality.

Marcello Garcia is one of the master's of X-guard. I would highly recommend his book "The X-Guard."

The X-Guard: Gi & No Gi Jiu-Jitsu

There is a really interesting book "A Killing Art:The Untold History of Taekwon-Do" (http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Art-Untold-History-Kwon/dp/1550228250) that has a section regarding Ko-Dang vs. Ju-Che (pg. 144). Summarizing, Ju-Che is the name of a (North) Korean Philosophy while Ko-Dang was a pseudonym of a former North Korean leader who was later imprisoned by the North (and was thus no longer in good standing in the north). Thus the ejection of Ko-Dang and adoption of Ju-Che.
"A Killing Art" is a great read, and I recommend it highly as it is one of the few books I've seen that even mention Gen. Choi.

Aside from the General's books the main two would be:

A Killing Art: The Untold History of Tae Kwon Do, Alex Gillis

From Creation to Unification: The Complete Histories of the Ch'ang Hon (ITF) Patterns, Stuart Anslow

http://www.amazon.com/Consummate-Secrets-Shaolin-Chinese-Kung-Fu/dp/7533504860 - 72 Shaolin techniques. Seems difficult to impossible to dedicate yourself to some/most of the techniques, but is a good and informative read nonetheless.

http://www.amazon.com/Bruce-Lees-Fighting-Method-Complete/dp/0897501705/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310025132&sr=1-3 - This is a fantastic book.

This may be a joke or you may be into it, but the Phil Elmore books are worth a look for the covers alone, Flashlight Fighting: How to Make Your Pocket Flashlight a Take-Anywhere Self-Defense Weapon, Street Sword: Practical Use of the Long Blade for Self-Defense, Short Hand Empty Hand, etc.

Good book for soft-weapon construction:

https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Gaming-New-American-Sport/dp/0984483403/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=david+graham+battlegaming&qid=1554827085&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spell

Focus on safety first!

I would definitely recommend "A Killing Art: The Untold History of Tae Kwon Do" by Alex Gillis
http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Art-Untold-History-Kwon/dp/1550228250

Not being a dick, but how many fuckin books do you think Forrest Griffin has written?

The answer... two. And one of them is a "Suvival Guide to the Apocalypse" so I think you can guess which one it was. Lol :)

Edit: ok since that might have been a tad dickish I'll answer your question as well. The book is called Got Fight, 50 Zen principles of hand to face combat. Coauthored by Erich Krauss

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0061721727/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awd_d_pO3jxb049PJ2A

Those are good suggestions.

Also, Nidai Doshu's book is under $3 used.

For de-escalation in general: Verbal Judo is a great starting point. I also likedthis book by Mark Macyoung for more "broad strokes" of situational awareness and de-escalation.

In terms of if it's too late and you're being mugged: Ramsey Dewey gave pretty good advice for this during his "MMA fighters try out women's self defense techniques" videos. He lived in Argentina for a while and said he was robbed at gunpoint 6 times. The important thing to remember is that a simple mugging (no second location, etc) is basically a transaction-- you give them what they want (wallet), they give you your safety. Ramsey's answer was to keep your hands high, move slowly and do as you're told. Sudden movements or attempting to resist will get you shot.

>I wish the host had followed up but apparently only I think about this stuff.

Read Choque, that has looooong lists of which academy fought which at many, many comps. Including plenty that had zero connection to the Gracies in terms of lineage (e.g., the Ono brothers).

The Book Of Two Guns

The structure of Amtgard is known as "Battle Game". Amtgard was included in the book "Battle Gaming: The New American Sport" by David W Graham due to it's origin and founding. I haven't reread Lizzie Starks book "Leaving Mundania" in a couple years, but I believe there it is also classified as a Battle Game. I'm in the process of checking. The larpwiki entry classifies Amtgard as both a larp and a battlegame.

Don't feel down. People are gonna improve at different rates. Some people come onto the mats already equipped to learn BJJ, some have to build the learning framework from scratch.

Here's a short little book that I found quite useful https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Jiu-Jitsu-White-Blue/dp/1491023740 for getting up to speed and developing a solid learning framework for BJJ.

You might like this: The Book of Two Guns

I fear the man with two guns who knows how to use them more than the man with 20 who never shoots them.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/ol/0977731502/ref=olp_tab_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

$92 is the cheapest

Here is the mobile version of your link

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004ZLYX3A?ie=UTF8&redirectFromSS=1&pc_redir=T1&noEncodingTag=1&fp=1

Good read, though I've heard some of the facts are somewhat suspect

https://www.amazon.com/Jacksons-Mixed-Martial-Arts-Ground/dp/0982565801 was recommended here a while ago, I think.

I highly recommend Choque.

Most people don't, because it's been almost completely gone from the art for a very long time. I don't know if it ever even made it over to the western world. If you're a TKD fan, you should 100% read this book - https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Art-Untold-History-Kwon/dp/1550228250

The author took the role of a TKD historian, read old documents, interviewed key figures, and ultimately learned quite a bit about the origins of TKD. It's super interesting. That said, it is far more focused on ITF style TKD than other branches.... That said, this is where most of the practical stuff came from. I came from a mixed school of ITF, WTF, ATA, and Chung Do Kwan (masters/ black belts from each rotated teaching).

Athletic tape is always a good choice for jiu jitsu. Also Rash guards (long sleeve) would be a good option if they told you a shirt size. Since they like intellectual interesting people maybe they would enjoy a book?

Hope this helps! Good luck!

Looked for the pdf but could not find it. This is the book https://www.amazon.com/Consummate-Secrets-Shaolin-Chinese-Kung-Fu/dp/7533504860

For anyone curious, I have read his first book Got Fight?: The 50 Zen Principles of Hand-to-Face Combat and it was unsurprisingly fantastic. Just pure Forrest through and through. But I need to check out Be Ready When the Sh*t GOes Down: A Survival Guide to the Apocalypse. Christmas list, boom.

That aside, whenever I see something posted about Forrest, I can't help but stop and take a moment for what Forrest was both able to do in the sport, and for the sport. He is not only a member of the original TUF cast, not only part of the fight that launched UFC mainstream, but he's the one who win's the fight and comes out on top of it all. He then goes on to prove low legit the competitors from that show were by winning the god-damned UFC belt from Rampage, after submitting Shogun Rua to get his shot.

He was never the most-skilled or the most-technical, but god-damned did that dude put his heart on the line every time he got in that cage and that proved to be enough to win him the belt. One of my favorite fighters of all time and a true American bad-ass.

Might be a little bit late on this one, but the books are generally very entertaining. The humor can be admittedly a little juvenile, but he has a kind of sarcastic self-deprecating humor that I found funny. You get a pretty good feel for his sense of humor from the video. This is the book I liked best personally.

Yeah, Amazon would never sell anything like that.

Acora: Sounds like you want to enjoy the sport of Medieval Combat Sports without the overhead the roleplaying. When you say you are looking for a durable product and have been looking at Edhellen (now known as Forged Foam), I am assuming you are looking at their full contact weapon line. These weapons are designed for full combat battle gaming such as Belegart, and Dagorhir. These battle gaming groups have LARP aspects but tend to focus more on the medieval combat sport.

I recommend for sizing your sword that you want a weapon that when you swing your arm down it will not strike the ground. This way you can make low sweeping movements as part of your swordsmanship. I am a bit shorter than you and personally favor a LB-S-2608 (which they actually do not market anymore). I might suggest you try the LB-S-2806 (Long Broad Sword).

As for using the swords, you can swing freely with them but I recommend only touch thrusting. They are pretty stiff on the ends. As for learning different basic attacks, I suggest the book Battle Gaming: The New American Sport”. It has a good outline of basic fighting styles with this type of weapon.

In addition to Judo Formal Techniques mentioned by 3w3, try Kodokan Judo. It has some of the kata in there as well, and is what we use for the goshin jutsu and go no sen.

Also echoing 3w3, it is shocking to me your instructor doesn't know the nage no kata. If there is one kata to know, it seems like that is the one.

This is a good book if you're considering weapons scenarios.

What You Don't Know Can Kill You.

A book about martial arts would work if they are into that sort of thing. Two books I can think of:

A Killing Art: The Untold History of Tae Kwon Do A history of taekwondo and its unfortunate association with Korean politics.

Living the Martial Way About eastern philosophy and the martial arts. Taekwondo was Forest E. Morgan's first art.

Once that you've decided on a killing
First you make a stone of your heart
And if you find that your hands are still willing
Then you can turn a murder into art

There really isn't any need for bloodshed
You just do it with a little more finesse
If you can slip a tablet into someone's coffee
Then it avoids an awful lot of mess

And forget Dexter as a reference.... this is the reference book on the subject

http://www.amazon.com/Kill-Without-Joy-Complete-Book/dp/0873646479/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1302201579&sr=8-2

https://www.amazon.com/Illustrated-Japanese-Classics-Kisshomaru-Ueshiba/dp/0870406299

https://www.amazon.com/Aikido-Tradition-Tomiki-Fighting-Method/dp/0865681449/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1473421136&sr=1-5&keywords=aikido+tomiki

I'd also recommend his other book "A Fighter's Mind" to everyone:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Fighters-Mind-Inside-Mental/dp/B005CDUL6I

Some really good information that you can pick up to prepare you mentally for a fight or sparring.

Two books I can recommend

[Got Fight?: The 50 Zen Principles of Hand-to-Face Combat](Got Fight?: The 50 Zen Principles of Hand-to-Face Combat https://www.amazon.com/dp/0061721727/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_UjMpxb8VRN544) by Forrest Griffin.

[The Professor in the Cage: Why Men Fight and Why We Like to Watch](The Professor in the Cage: Why Men Fight and Why We Like to Watch https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594205639/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_JmMpxbQ5QWJGF)

I’m about a month in and came across this book on Amazon: Zen Jiu Jitsu - White to Blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/1491023740/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ECiHAbXSQ3XX0

Has anyone read this or a similar book as a supplement to training? Was it helpful? Thanks!

THIS;
https://www.amazon.com/Brazilian-Jitsu-Globetrotter-around-world/dp/1479104523