Martial Musings: A Portrayal of Martial Arts in the 20th Century

Martial Musings: A Portrayal of Martial Arts in the 20th Century PDF Author: Robert W. Smith
Publisher: Via Media Publishing
ISBN: 1893765008
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 519

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Book Description
In every century there are unique individuals whose fate makes them standing symbols of unique merit and accomplishment. Robert W. Smith's Martial Musings stands out as the sole literary work which offers readers a special perspective of martial arts as they evolved during the 20th century. Smith personally escorts the reader on a martial arts tour. He starts with his own initial involvement in the arts, then launches outward, across the nation, over to Asia, and eventually home again. Some of the topics covered in the book include martial arts theory and practice, portrayals of leading Asian instructors, profiles of Westerners who studied the arts and brought them back to their respective countries and an historical record of the evolution of fighting arts in the West. Martial Musings represents the fourteenth book Smith has written on the subject and is a broader, somewhat historical, semi-autobiographical commentary on martial arts in the 20th century. But, what makes this book such a joy to devour is the literary relish Smith stir-fries in with the books basic ingredients. He astutely couples combatives with literary panache, and a ready wit. In short, Martial Musings introduces the reader to the individuals who shaped martial arts in the 20th century. The hardbound book has 398 pages and over 300 illustrations with a full-color cover and two-color text pages.

Martial Musings: A Portrayal of Martial Arts in the 20th Century

Martial Musings: A Portrayal of Martial Arts in the 20th Century PDF Author: Robert W. Smith
Publisher: Via Media Publishing
ISBN: 1893765008
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 519

Get Book

Book Description
In every century there are unique individuals whose fate makes them standing symbols of unique merit and accomplishment. Robert W. Smith's Martial Musings stands out as the sole literary work which offers readers a special perspective of martial arts as they evolved during the 20th century. Smith personally escorts the reader on a martial arts tour. He starts with his own initial involvement in the arts, then launches outward, across the nation, over to Asia, and eventually home again. Some of the topics covered in the book include martial arts theory and practice, portrayals of leading Asian instructors, profiles of Westerners who studied the arts and brought them back to their respective countries and an historical record of the evolution of fighting arts in the West. Martial Musings represents the fourteenth book Smith has written on the subject and is a broader, somewhat historical, semi-autobiographical commentary on martial arts in the 20th century. But, what makes this book such a joy to devour is the literary relish Smith stir-fries in with the books basic ingredients. He astutely couples combatives with literary panache, and a ready wit. In short, Martial Musings introduces the reader to the individuals who shaped martial arts in the 20th century. The hardbound book has 398 pages and over 300 illustrations with a full-color cover and two-color text pages.

The Best Fight: A Memoir of a Martial Art Practitioner, Publisher, and Author

The Best Fight: A Memoir of a Martial Art Practitioner, Publisher, and Author PDF Author: Michael DeMarco
Publisher: Via Media Publishing
ISBN: 1893765520
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 202

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Book Description
A needle may draw a thread through printed pages to bind a book. In this little memoir, I feel like a needle that drew a common thread though a segment of martial art history. This book details three interrelated activities: (1) martial art studies, (2) involvement as founder of Via Media Publishing, producing a quarterly journal and books, and (3) teaching martial arts. Publishers, writers, researchers and serious martial art practitioners will benefit with the detailed overview of Via Media and its publications. Via Media produced the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, known for its high academic and aesthetic standards. Its contents reflect the history of two decades and provides rich information for practitioners and scholars, making The Best Fighta valuable reference work. In addition to reading, the primary way to learn a martial art is through instruction. In reading about my studies and teaching experience, readers can relate to their own involvement in martial arts. What is important here is the portrayal of my instructors, their teaching methods, and reasons for being involved in martial arts. Their accounts should offer insights and inspiration for others who study and practice any martial art.

Striking Beauty

Striking Beauty PDF Author: Barry Allen
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231539347
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 269

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Book Description
The first book to focus on the intersection of Western philosophy and the Asian martial arts, Striking Beauty comparatively studies the historical and philosophical traditions of martial arts practice and their ethical value in the modern world. Expanding Western philosophy's global outlook, the book forces a theoretical reckoning with the concerns of Chinese philosophy and the aesthetic and technical dimensions of martial arts practice. Striking Beauty explains the relationship between Asian martial arts and the Chinese philosophical traditions of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, in addition to Sunzi's Art of War. It connects martial arts practice to the Western concepts of mind-body dualism and materialism, sports aesthetics, and the ethics of violence. The work ameliorates Western philosophy's hostility toward the body, emphasizing the pleasure of watching and engaging in martial arts, along with their beauty and the ethical problem of their violence.

Musings of a Budo Bum

Musings of a Budo Bum PDF Author: Peter Boylan
Publisher: Bookbaby
ISBN: 9781483598680
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
"The techniques are really a vessel for carrying all the things that are budo..." Most books about martial arts (budo) focus on techniques, although some tell the history, and a few wax philosophical. It is rare indeed to discover a book that so fluently combines all this within the broader context of culture and lifestyle, and does so in such a humble, engaging, and accessible way. "Budo Bum Anthology" is a book that answers not so much "how" or "what" as it does "why?" Why call budo teachers "sensei"? Why do we bow? Why kata? Why keep training? Peter Boylan, aka the Budo Bum, has achieved high rank in several martial arts -- judo, iaido, jodo, and more--spending decades immersed within budo, straddling the worlds and cultures of Japan and America, and translating between them. In these essays, the reader is invited to walk alongside a quiet man who thinks deeply about the worlds in which budo was created and is practiced, and who brings the meaning of "all the things that are budo" into our daily lives. CONTENTS Introduction Getting Started Do you have to study in Japan to understand budo? Etiquette: Form and sincerity in budo Sensei, Kyoshi, Hanshi, and Shihan: budo titles and how (not) to use them Different ranks in martial arts? Zanshin Budo Do versus Jutsu ( ) What kata isn't Trust in the dojo Training Training, motivation, and counting training time in decades instead of years The most effective martial art The dojo as the world: learning to deal with violence and power Budo and responsibility Investing in failure The spirit of learning Training hard and training well are not the same thing When it comes to training, fast is slow and slow is fast Getting out of the comfort zone There are no advanced techniques Essentials The most essential principles in budo: Structure The most essential principles in budo: Spacing The most essential principles in budo: Timing Philosophy The only things I teach are how to walk and how to breathe Budo expectations and realities: understanding the limits of what we study Will budo training make me a better person? Budo as a "professional skill" and professionalism in budo Budo training and budo philosophy How to adapt an art form to fit you Is kata too rigid and mechanical?

Martial Arts of the World [2 volumes]

Martial Arts of the World [2 volumes] PDF Author: Thomas A. Green
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1598842447
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 807

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Book Description
This book is the most comprehensive and authoritative reference ever published on the wide range of martial arts disciplines practiced in cultures around the world. ABC-CLIO's Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation is the most authoritative reference ever published on combat disciplines from around the world and across history. Coverage includes Shaolin monks, jousting knights, Roman gladiators, Westerner gunfighters, samurai warriors, and heavyweight boxers. These iconic figures and many more are featured in this title, as well as representatives of less well known but no less fascinating systems, all vividly characterized by expert contributors from around the world who are themselves martial arts practitioners. Martial Arts of the World comprises 120 entries in two volumes. The first volume is organized geographically to explore the historic development of martial arts styles in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The second volume looks at martial arts thematically, with coverage of belief systems, modern martial arts competitions, and a wide range of such topics as folklore, women in martial arts, martial arts and the military, and martial arts and the media.

Asian Martial Arts

Asian Martial Arts PDF Author: Michael DeMarco
Publisher: Via Media Publishing
ISBN: 080484870X
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 343

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Book Description
Asian Martial Arts: Constructive Thoughts & Practical Applications represents an international gathering of friends who happen to be highly qualified martial art scholars and practitioners. This martial arts book is a collection of articles from practitioners who have come together in celebration of the 20-plus years that Journal of Asian Martial Arts has inspired scholarship to higher academic standards while encouraging all aspects of responsible practice. Each article was written specifically for Asian Martial Arts, with topics representing the rich variety found in the Asian martial traditions.

Academic Approaches to Martial Arts Research, Vol. 2

Academic Approaches to Martial Arts Research, Vol. 2 PDF Author: Michael DeMarco
Publisher: Via Media Publishing
ISBN:
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 204

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Book Description
This two-volume anthology conveniently contains useful academic tools for studying the combative arts. Each chapter will prove special to all interested in the intellectual side to the martial arts. Some chapters provide fine details for categorizing the variety of what we commonly refer to as "martial arts." Other chapters focus on the martial arts as living culture and social implications. The quality of instruction can either encourage negative traits such as violence or allow a practitioner to experience a self-transformation that improves character. NOTE: print edition is a single volume.

A Brief History of the Martial Arts

A Brief History of the Martial Arts PDF Author: Jonathan Clements
Publisher: Robinson
ISBN: 1472136470
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
Folk tales of the Shaolin Temple depict warrior monks with superhuman abilities. Today, dozens of East Asian fighting styles trace their roots back to the Buddhist brawlers of Shaolin, although any quest for the true story soon wanders into a labyrinth of forgeries, secret texts and modern retellings. This new study approaches the martial arts from their origins in military exercises and callisthenics. It examines a rich folklore from old wuxia tales of crime-fighting heroes to modern kung fu movies. Centre stage is given to the stories that martial artists tell themselves about themselves, with accounts (both factual and fictional) of famous practitioners including China's Yim Wing-chun, Wong Fei-hong, and Ip Man, as well as Japanese counterparts such as Kano Jigoro, Itosu Anko and So Doshin. The history of martial arts encompasses secret societies and religious rebels, with intimate glimpses of the histories of China, Korea and Japan, their conflicts and transformations. The book also charts the migration of martial arts to the United States and beyond. Special attention is paid to the turmoil of the twentieth century, the cross-cultural influence of Japanese colonies in Asia, and the post-war rise of martial arts in sport and entertainment - including the legacy of Bruce Lee, the dilemma of the ninja and the global audience for martial arts in fiction.

Martial Arts as Embodied Knowledge

Martial Arts as Embodied Knowledge PDF Author: D. S. Farrer
Publisher: State University of New York Press
ISBN: 1438439687
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 265

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Book Description
This landmark work provides a wide-ranging scholarly consideration of the traditional Asian martial arts. Most of the contributors to the volume are practitioners of the martial arts, and all are keenly aware that these traditions now exist in a transnational context. The book's cutting-edge research includes ethnography and approaches from film, literature, performance, and theater studies. Three central aspects emerge from this book: martial arts as embodied fantasy, as a culturally embedded form of self-cultivation, and as a continuous process of identity formation. Contributors explore several popular and highbrow cultural considerations, including the career of Bruce Lee, Chinese wuxia films, and Don DeLillo's novel Running Dog. Ethnographies explored describe how the social body trains in martial arts and how martial arts are constructed in transnational training. Ultimately, this academic study of martial arts offers a focal point for new understandings of cultural and social beliefs and of practice and agency.

Martial Arts Biographies

Martial Arts Biographies PDF Author: Rob Jacob
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 0595348610
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 108

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Book Description
Martial Arts Biographies: An Annotated Bibliography lists hundreds of martial arts related biographies and autobiographies. Most of the entries are annotated, giving a synopsis of the relevant material in the book. Included are listings for martial artists of Karate, Kung Fu, Aikido, Judo, Jiu Jitsu, Tae Kwon Do, Ninjutsu, Tai Chi, and many other styles. Appendices list productive sources for new and used books, and contact information for major publishers of martial arts books. Martial Arts Biographies: An Annotated Bibliography is a useful resource for martial arts researchers, readers, book collectors, and libraries.