Select Page

Below are a few well-known books on martial arts for amateurs, professionals, and enthusiasts.

Shogun

The story, which takes place in 1600, centers on an English pilot whose ship blows ashore in Japan. There, he meets two characters who will forever alter his life. The first is a warlord with a personal quest for power. The second is his stunning interpreter and love interest. The novel beautifully explains the torment between two competing ways of fulfilling lives.

The Book of Five Rings

The Real Art of Japanese Management is the subtitle of the Miyamoto Musashi edition. It is rich in knowledge. Not only is Book of Five Rings for fans of Japanese swords and sword techniques. Everyone on the martial road may benefit from Miyamoto Musashi’s advice.

Kelly McCann’s Combatives Self-Defense Course

Technically not a book, this streaming-video course is an unrivaled source of pure self-defense goodness. It’s not about martial arts per se; it’s about the art of surviving. There’s nothing better when it comes to prevailing in personal combat.

The Secret of Shotokan

The author Bruce D. Clayton, Ph.D., came to the Black Belt headquarters to present the project idea. The enlarged edition is the revised version of The Hidden Truth Behind Karate’s Fighting Origins. Unfortunately, Shotokan’s Secret is now out of print. However, you can find it secondhand on Amazon or eBay. 

Karate-Do: My Way of Life

Gichin Funakoshi, the creator of Shotokan karate, wrote this book discussing history, philosophy, and personal experience. Because of this, it is a book you can read for pleasure instead of just looking up terminology. 

Tao of Jeet Kune Do

Experts agree that everyone should get the paperback edition of this timeless Bruce Lee masterpiece. It is not uncommon to fill the margins with copious notes. The reader gains insight into what Bruce Lee is trying to say. The electronic version of Tao of Jeet Kune Do mentions Bruce Lee’s “sidekick.”

Kodo: Ancient Ways

The author of this book was an aikido practitioner and a devoted Buddhist. Although the book is out of print, you can get a secondhand copy on Amazon or eBay. Finding purpose in your martial arts training and using it to enhance your quality of life is central to the Kodo philosophy. It gives Kensho Furuya’s understanding of the ideals that the whole dojo aspires to.

Bruise Lee’s Flexibility

There is a right way to stretch. According to current studies, static stretching lessens a muscle’s ability to spring, which reduces your ability to run, sprint, and leap quickly and explosively. Bruce Lee stated that a martial artist must be flexible. It is unquestionably necessary for kicking. This book explores Bruce Lee’s flexibility regimen and his five main arguments for why it should be a part of a daily routine.