Here you’ll find my reviews of martial arts books. If you’d like me to review your martial arts books then please get in touch.
Note on review policy: My reviews have always been, and always will be 100% independent. This is not paid-for content or ‘advertorial’. Books can be returned after the review period if required.
REVIEW: Why We Fight: One Man’s Search for Meaning Inside the Ring by Josh Rosenblatt
When Josh Robenblatt got to the age of 32 and realised he wanted to fight in an MMA match, he had to confront a lot of physical problems as well as inner demons before he set foot inside the cage. While the physicality of fighting is explored, this book is mostly about Josh’s internal struggles as a lifelong pacifist coming to terms with the casual approach to violence that MMA engenders. Read full review
Dragon Body, Tiger Spirit: A translation and explanation of the classic texts of Xingyi Quan, by Byron Jacobs
Xing Yi is one of the oldest Chinese martial arts that is still practised today, and so naturally it has attracted a large variety of writings over the hundreds of years of its existence. These various writings can be found scattered about in different lineages and books, but now Byron Jacobs has collected them together in one weighty tome – Dragon Body, Tiger Spirit – and included not only the original Chinese texts, but also his own English translation and commentary on them. Read the full review.
Martial Art Essays from Beijing, 1760, by Michael A. DeMarco, MA
Martial Art Essays from Beijing, 1760, presents 64 essays written by Yang Mingbin, a painter in the Royal court of the Ching dynasty. Or does it? As well as being a painter, Yang was also a martial artist and the papers are his notes on his martial practice, except that Yang Mingbin never actually existed, and the work is entirely a fictional piece of writing by the modern author, Michael A. DeMarco. Read the full review.
Chen Taijiquan Illustrated, by David Gaffney & Davidine Siaw-Voon Sim
Chen Taijiquan Illustrated is an exploration of pretty much everything that makes up Chen Taijiquan, from principles, and body methods to practical usage and philosophy. But the most notable thing about this Taijiquan book, and the place where we should probably start, are the illustrations, because they are what really separates this book from others of its ilk. Read the review.
Yang Short form: A beginners guide to Taiji Chuan by Leo Ming and Caroline Addenbrooke
Yang Short Form: A beginners guide to Taiji Chuan, is a beautifully made, hardback coffee-table Tai Chi book, containing a brief section on history and principles of the art, over 200 colour photos mainly for showing you the form, a few verses from the Tao Te Ching to act as inspirational quotes and more. Read the review.
American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China
Matthew Polly’s down to earth and inspiring account of his year spent training with the Shaolin monks at Shaolin village in the 1990s. Read the review.
Nonstop Jiu-Jitsu, by Stephan Kesting and Brandon Mullins
A rare and welcome return to dead tree media for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fans everywhere. Nonstop Jiu-Jitsu is the first new book about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to buck the trend and feature photos and step-by-step techniques, released in years. Stephan Kesting and Brandon Mullins show you some great jiujitsu techniques here. Read the full review.
Introduction to Baguazhang by Kent Howard
Baguazhang has always been the most curious of the three big internal arts, but while its origins are shrouded in mystery, it’s applications non-trivial and its purpose often obscure, it’s actual practice has always been something that is accessible to anybody who can put one foot in front of the other and walk in a circle. Read the full review.
Chen Style Taijiquan Collected Masterworks, by Mark Chen
This excellent book contains translations of selected texts from Chen Zhaopi’s “Chen shi taijiquan hui zong” (“Chen family taijiquan selected masterworks“), published in 1935. Read the full review.
Mythologies of Martial arts by Paul Bowman.
What do martial arts signify today? What do they mean for East-West cross cultural exchanges? How does the representation of martial arts in popular culture impact on the wide world? What is authentic practice? What does it all mean? Read full review.
Xing Yi Quan – A study of Tai and Tuo Xing
The focus of this book is on two of Xing Yi’s 12 animals: Tai and Tuo, but it also covers an awful lot of general Xing Yi theory, featuring translations of the Xing Yi classics as well as a look at how to generate internal power in the martial art of Xing Yi. Tai is a flycatching bird, and Tuo is the Chinese alligator. Their fighting strategies are explored in full. Read full review.
Hidden in Plain Sight by Ellis Amdur
This book by Ellis Amdur offers a thorough investigation of the internal power displayed by Morihei Ueshiba and also contains a massive amount of research into the origins of Aikido. If you’re interested in either subject, then this is a tour de force of investigative journalism. Read full review.
Internal Body Mechanics for Tai Chi, Bagua and Xingyi by Ken Gullette
Anybody who has attempted to learn Tai Chi in any depth instantly realises that the choreography of a form is just that – choreography – and that the devil is in the details. Internal Body Mechanics is all about the details: How you move, what you move and where you move it to. Read full review.
Strikes – Soul meets Body – Vladimir Vasiliev & Scott Meredith
The new book on Systema by one of the modern gatekeepers of the art. Written by Vladimir and Scott Meredith, this book explores the striking methods of the Russian martial art of Systema, but also looks at the breathing methods and concepts of relaxation that the art is so famous for. Read the full review.
Possible Origins, Scott Park Phillips – a review part 1
A look at how Chinese theatre, religion, and martial arts are all part of the same puzzle. This is a fascinating book and I’d recommend it for all students of Chinese martial arts. Read the full review.
The Taijiquan & Qi Gong Dictionary by Angelika Frtiz
A handy dictionary of all the terms commonly associated with Taijiquan and Qigong. Read the full review.
Notorious The Life and Fights of Conor McGregor by Jack Slack
MMA enthusiast Jack Slack breaks down all of Conor McGregor’s fights up to and including his rematch with Nate Diaz. Read the full review.
The Tai Chi Notebook 