read any good books lately?

[StarBoy]

Here's the situation, I'm returning an xmas gift to amazon.com so I'm going to get a bunch of credit (probably somewhere from $50-75). Of course, my first instinct is to spend on anything that can help me with my wushu. As of now, I've had (some) training in Long Fist Kung Fu, Zhaobao He style Tai Chi, though in the future I hope to expand into other styles of Kung Fu, Tai Chi, as well as learn about Ba Qua.

When it comes to nutrition, I have pretty good basic knowledge. Junkfood bad, complex carbs good, and so on. The same goes with weight training. I'm not expert, but I know more than someone who works at Ballys.

When it comes to the art itself, I'm not sure what I can learn from a book. Obviously classroom instruction is much more beneficial than learning on your own from a book.

So I was wondering, what books (or anything that is sold on amazon.com) would be beneficial to a martial artist with my goals. Thanks.

[StarBoy]

Thanks for the tip, but somehow I don't think that'll help...

[Godzilla]

I read the Torah, Bible and Koran.

Very scary.

[Laughing Cow]

Get books about the "basics & principles" of the styles that you are interested in.

Don't waste money on Books that teach forms and the like.

The 3 Books in the "Warrior of stillness" series or similar are a good start.

[StarBoy]

I read the Torah, Bible and Koran.

Very scary.


The Bible was kinda disappointing. Lousy ending, no room for a sequel...



Get books about the "basics & principles" of the styles that you are interested in.


I wasn't sure how much these would help. I mean, I'll have a sifu teaching me all this. I just have this credit at amazon.com, and I want to spend it on my training if I can.

[Chang Style Novice]

Have I read any good books lately? Yes. Yes I have. One of the best I've ever read, actually. It's called "The Society of the Spectacle" and it was written by Guy DeBord, a intellectual of the Situationist International movement, back in the 60s. The book is a critique of modern society, and how the citizenry at large is made into passive observers by media and government power structures. DeBord points out that consuming products has become an end in and of itself, and that work has become merely the creation of consumables. We are mediated from our own lives by a constant barrage of input that we have little to no control over and that eventually, because it is so overwhelming and omnipresent becomes a form of mind control. He goes on to point out many other insights about the numbing, distancing nature of the modern world.

It may not help you fight better, but it definitely belongs on your shelf with the Tao Te Ching and the Chuan Tzu.

[Laughing Cow]

Starboy.

It will still help.

I study Chen TJQ and got a few Books about my style at home and maybe around 300 bookmarks to related sites.

BTW, can't wait for the new one to be published, got a few sample pages from the guy that did the translation, lets hope he can find a publisher soon.

Anyhuh, the books will help you understand the basics and principles and how to apply them.

Take at look at "Warriors of stillness", each of the Books deals with one of the 3 internal Arts and explains their basics and principles.

A good read by a non-mainstream MA.

If your Sifu has a book out, than get those over others.

[Laughing Cow]

Forgot to metnion one thing.

Some really good MA Books you will not be able to buy via Amazon.

Some of the best MA Books I got I needed to order from a small shop somewhere else on this globe.

;)

[Budokan]

The "Lone Wolf and Cub" books are being reprinted and they're fantastic.

[Chang Style Novice]

They sure are, Budokan. I want to be able to draw swordfights that exciting.

[Serpent]

Yeah man, I'm loving those Lone Wolf books at the moment. I'm up to about #15 or 16.

They only go up to #28, then the dude (writer I think) went and died! So inconsiderate.

[Laughing Cow]

I am currently reading the re-issue of Kenji (Child of the Fist), on Book 7 of 12.

Originally I think it was also 28 volumes, but the re-issue is in a smaller more compact format.

;) :)

[Serpent]

Originally posted by Chang Style Novice
It may not help you fight better, but it definitely belongs on your shelf with the Tao Te Ching and the Chuan Tzu.

Hey, CSN. What version of Chuang Tzu have you read? I'm reading a translation by Herbert A Giles at the moment. The translation is very good, but the commentary inserted into the text is often bloody annoying.

[Chang Style Novice]

Actually, I don't own one. I read various versions I've found posted on the internet, and don't remember who did the translations. Praise the Public Domain!

Offtopic, but hey, I'm here.

I checked a bunch of Bartok CDs from the library today. I'm prepared to say that he's the greatest thing since stinky cheese.

[Serpent]

Cool man.

What makes Bartok so special then?

[Leimeng]

Number One book is the BIBLE!

I hand out a lot of books for people to read though.

"Leadership and Self-Deception" ~ I would reccommend this to anyone interested in learning to deal with people. Could perhaps stop a fight and increase some self-esteem at the same time.

"How to Win Friends and Influence People" ~ Ditto

"Les Miserables" Victor Hugo

"Ceasars Gallic Wars"

"Heros of the Marsh" ~Chinese Classic

"The Prince" Machiavelli

"Odessy" Homer

That is a good starting point to helping yourself learn to learn and think.

Hope it helps.

Peace,

Sin Loi

Yi Beng Kan Xue

[Chang Style Novice]

Hard to say, serp. Much as I love classical music, I lack the vocabulary and knowledge to really describe what it is I like about a particular style or work.

He's just, you know, like keen and *****in' and hep and fly and tubular and stuff.

[Serpent]

Originally posted by Leimeng
Number One book is the BIBLE!


Yep. The best selling work of fiction in history.

(Ooh, controversial!)

[Serpent]

Originally posted by Chang Style Novice
Hard to say, serp. Much as I love classical music, I lack the vocabulary and knowledge to really describe what it is I like about a particular style or work.

He's just, you know, like keen and *****in' and hep and fly and tubular and stuff.

Sweet, dude. I'll have to check some out.

[quiet man]

Originally posted by Serpent


Yep. The best selling work of fiction in history.

(Ooh, controversial!)

WARNING!!! SPOILER ALERT!!!
WARNING!!! SPOILER ALERT!!!



Yeah, I read it. The Devil did it.

[dezhen2001]

Quran is different coz ur not meant to actually make any profit from selling it... so its hardly a bestseller :p

dawood

[dezhen2001]

the version of dao de jing i have is an old one - older than me! its cool as it has a good translation and also the chinese calligraphy written on the other side of the page too. Also some artsy photography showing nature and stuff which is cool :)

anything on confucious is also good as a lot makes sense and some of it is weird :D

if u want actual novels not MA handbooks then the classics like: journey to the west and outlaws of the marsh, or 7 taoist masters are good reads :)

dawood

[FatherDog]

Originally posted by Serpent


Yep. The best selling work of fiction in history.

(Ooh, controversial!)


SPOILER ALERT













He dies at the end.













:D

[Colin]

You have gotta get a copy of this.

"The Tibetan Art of Living" by Christopher Hansard.

This guy is a fully trained Tibetan "Bon" practitioner.
His explanation of ancient Tibetan philosophy (pre-Buddism) and medicine is facinating.

cheers
Colin........

[GeneChing]

I'm reading Yue Fei and By the Sword now. I started Don Quixote - a friend gave me the edition illustrated by Dali - but I shelved it and went for the other two. Yue Fei is a typical Chinese classic read, with that funky storyteller style of doing chapters. By the Sword is more entertaining then I thought it would be so far - a little lofty, as fencers can be sometimes, but it's an interesting approach to history.

[FatherDog]

Originally posted by GeneChing
I started Don Quixote - a friend gave me the edition illustrated by Dali

There's an edition illustrated by Dali?! ****, I've got to get my hands on that.

Have you ever sat down and watched "Man of La Mancha"?