2 comments about Mixed Martial Arts Unleashed: Mastering the Most Effective Moves for Victory.

1. This is a terrific book with a unique approach to MMA strategy and training. It combines historical methods proven successful for warriors of the past with modern training techniques to create an outline for MMA success for the present day warrior.
   
   I've found a lot of great training tips and advice in this book for all phases of the game (standing striking, clinch, and ground), and think the fundamentals and fighting strategies are spot-on.
   
   If you want to excel in MMA, I think this is an important book to read!



2. Superb book written by a great team including MMA coach Mickey Dimic, UFC Champion Carlos Newton, BJJ whiz Mark Bocek and Britain's kickboxing/MMA star Gary Turner. This book is unique in that it actually explains WHY and HOW everything works. Excellent theory and practice book! Adds a lot of depth to your MMA! A big help in training!
   
   When I ordered this book, I didn't know what I was going to get, but it looked good: written by a combination of UFC champions, amateur MMA champions and grappling and striking specialists in pro MMA, some in UFC others in other leagues. However, besides Carlos Newton, I wasn't too familiar with who the others were, but this is probably more due to my interest in MMA being more in participating than in keeping stats on all the fighters. But, WOW, the book does impress! It takes the mystery and confusion out of the sport by starting with the building block techniques like strikes, takedowns, pins, guard work and subs, and then shows how you link them together, and then how to strategize and train to maximize your chances against an opponent. What I really like is how, unlike it seems every other book out there, they prioritize moves, showing which ones are most common and effective, and not just throwing out an unorganized mess of moves that the player has to experiment with to see what he finds better than what. One other thing I really like is that the book is written for amateur players too. There are more restrictions on amateur events, and this book helps you to navigate through them. The drills in the book are very useful and even fun, and opened my eyes to more efficient ways of training. Many of them are situational based, and the book describes the most "go for" moves from each, for both attacker and defender, and how to do them. The book even discusses about how to transition from a base art, like wrestling, BJJ or Muay Thai, to MMA and what your major holes are that you have to fill when making that transition. This book actually explains everything and doesn't just throw a bunch of moves at you to figure out. Excellent book.

5 comments about No Second Chance: A Reality-Based Guide to Self-Defense.

1. I am quite familiar with Mark Hatmaker's numerous works and I have written reviews on many of his books and videos over the years. I had looked forward to this book because my primary interest lately has primarily street combatives. In some ways I was a little disappointed in this volume, but in many ways I was pleased with the author's approach to reality based self-defense. The twenty eight chapters cover a lot of material. In fact, this book should be read and studied in order to master the techniques. The author's vast experience in the grappling and striking arts makes him highly qualified in what works and does not work on the street. His realistic approach to practical self-defense makes this a must book for not just seasoned martial artists but for anyone interested in reality based combatives. The only real flaw in this volume is the fact, that most of the photographs are too small. Even though there are captions under each photo; nevetheless, the size of the photographs do make it difficult to see the technique. This book would be great if used in conjunction with actual hands on training with a certified self-defense instructor. In conclusion, this book is highly recommended because when taken as a whole, (Four Stars) it is a text every martial artist and self-defense instructor will want to own. Joseph J. Truncale



2. I have a karate school and I was looking for a book to help me present a street level awareness of self-defense issues. I especially wanted to do this for the women in my karate class.
   
   This book presents a number of true stories of predators and what the did to their prey. Some of these stories are not suitable for the young... and may scare away some adults.
   
   If you can get your mind around what evil people do to their victims, then you have made the 1st step to either not being a victim, or surviving an assault.
   
   If you are a martial arts instructor, you owe it to your class to buy (and read) this book.
   
   If you are a husband, you owe it to your wife.
   
   If you are a parent, you owe it to your children.



3. Too many books and manuals addressing the issue of Self-Defense provide a manuscript ripe with all manner of technical applications countering physical violence without ever addressing the true need for understanding personal protection and safety, which is providing an in depth comprehensive view of the context of man's inhumane behavior inflicted upon others.
   
   This is where Mark Hatmaker's NO SECOND CHANCE begins--explaining and providing real-world examples of the human predatory nature of criminal violence. Throughout the book are examples of how horrifically violent human behaviors impact lives, such that the reader will come away with at least a fundamental understanding of the contextual trauma resulting from such activity.
   
   And while Mark Hatmaker does a splendid job portraying the reality of the context of violent criminal behavior humans perpetrate against their own kind, he also offers specific drills one can practice to enhance individual awareness and avoidance attributes so needed in off-setting the ramifications of attempted criminal violence. In my system of beliefs, when it comes to DEFENSIVE applications for personal protection, the awareness and avoidance skills are the primary factors needed. This is stressed in the text.
   
   At least half of this book is dedicated to providing real examples, accurate information about and basics ways and means for the full comprehension of the existing criminal violence affecting our society.
   
   The other half of the manual is dedicated to simple, direct and pragmatic motor skills one can use to negate physical violence which has digressed away from our ability to de-escalate and/or avoid. The large majority of the physical applications are nothing new and novel. On the contrary, for those truly familiar with old military combatives, much of what is demonstrated will be quite familiar. Tried, true, effective and efficient, one cannot argue with what works and has been working for sometime.
   
   I am not aware of whether or not this was Mark's intent when he chose the techniques he chose to demonstrate. What I do know about Hatmaker's technical essence is that what he does mechanically--motor skills--is steeped in a rich Old-Time, Western Martial Tradition of scientifically based boxing and wrestling. It is from this identical source of fighting skills that the vast majority of old military combatives drew its technical applications. So it stands to reason, that with Mark's expertise in this Western Fighting Tradition, the majority of what is shown, technically, resembles the old military combatives. Like I said, it's hard to argue continued combative successes...
   
   I really liked this manual. Some will argue that the photographic representations are two small. I don't see a problem with the artistic lay-out of this manual. I had no problems in understanding what was being explained and demonstrated. The instructional aspect of this book is precise and concise and information rich with valid, reliable data.
   
   If one possesses no background whatsoever in what is required for personal protection and safety within a violent context, a book ALONE is not going to prepare said individual for such an experience. However, with a truly competent instructor who possesses such attributes of personal experience and professional training for managing human criminal violence, this manual will provide a great basic teaching and learning aid for such a beginning student.
   
   For those with experience and professional training in handling criminal violence, this manuscript will be a helpful addition in our own continued practice, and it will assist us as a teaching aid if we care to instruct others to the familiarity training needed for violence-management.
   
   For those who are searching for magic bullets for handling violence, this book has none--just cold, brutal facts. For those searching for an encyclopedia of techniques--this book has none. It merely offers basic, applicable and workable realistic training paradigms, tactics, strategies and movements against a variety of potential assault cues and out right attacks. He also offers a well-thought out sequence for learning said tactics, strategies and movements in a way which will mimic the potential environment where such assaults will occur.
   
   Mark Hatmaker also stresses the need for physical fitness, which I fully endorse. Those who are fit will always possess an advantage for survival over those who are NOT physical fit.
   
   This particular volume does not provide technical applications or movements which specifically address the problem of weapons' use and/or counter weapons' use. According to this book, other volumes will address those situations, specifically. He does, however, address the reality of our situation that we are always armed in some fashion with the various devices that surround us in our daily lives, and then gives examples of what may be used as improvised weaponry.
   
   Mark Hatmaker and TRACKS publishing has done an exceptionally fine job in offering a comprehensive view of what is fundamentally needed to properly prepare oneself against human criminal violence in a realistic manner.
   
   Rev. Arthur Bodhi Chenevey, RM, DD
   Hikaze Learning Corner/Two Pines Training Facility
   Home of Diversified Combat Arts & Sciences Curriculum



4. Having most of No Holds Barred books I was a little disappointed about the picture quality and sizes. Dont get me wrong this book is packed great information and reality based situations where there is "no second chance." If you want a good self defense READ this is it, if you want a good self defense TRAINING GUIDE this is not it. Look at one of the other No Holds Barred books. Unlike the other books this one is mainly text and the pictures are extremely small and lack detail.
   
   Im a big follower of Mark Hatmaker and his books but they could have added more pages and made the small amount of pictures better.
   
   Still a great book to add to your collection.



5. Having spent ten years in a traditional Asian martial art discipline with occasional smatterings of more reality based approaches, I find the author's reasoning clear and realistic. My only criticism is that I wish some of the photos were larger and clearer.

2 comments about The Inner Smile: Increasing Chi through the Cultivation of Joy.

1. The Inner Smile is a book entirely devoted to the inner smile meditation technique developed by Mantak Chia. Chia discusses some of the basics of chi and Taoist energy work and then proceeds to describe how the inner smile technique works. His perspective is that using the inner smile can be used to bring emotional happiness to the internal organs of the body.
   
   While I think this is a good book, my main problem with it is that pretty much all of the material can be found in his more advanced books. While he does seem to go into a bit more depth about the inner smile meditation technique in this book, it doesn't, in my opinion, justify a completely new book to explain the practice. It feels like he's trying to milk these topics for everything he can get, when he might better serve his readers by combining some of the related topics into a larger book. The consistency of how much he repeats his other works diminishes the value of this book and his other writing.
   
   I'd recommend this book for someone who's just learning about Taoist breathing and energetic techniques and wants a light introduction to it. However, I can't really recommend it to anyone else, because the majority of the information is available in all of his other books.



2. On the positive side, this book is a great introduction to the world of qigong and I highly recommend it for beginners and those wanting a little more information about the subject. I made the mistake of purchasing this book along with a few other Mantak Chia's qigong manuals only to find out it had a lot of repeated material from the other books. Don't bother buying this book if you already own Chia's "Healing Light of the Tao" or "Awaken Healing Energy Through Tao".

5 comments about Bouncer's Guide To Barroom Brawling: Dealing With The Sucker Puncher, Streetfighter, And Ambusher.

1. Okay, I know it seems odd to talk about wisdom in connection with a book about fighting.
   
   But the first eighteen pages of the book are well worth the price of admission.
   
   That's because our friend here, like Lofty Wisman, SAS hand to hand instructor, has been in a fair number of fights and has reached the conclusion that being in fights is a bad idea if you can avoid it. Ditto Gichen Funakoshi. Ditto Marc "Animal" MacYoung.
   
   This is a wonderful book for a beginner or an experienced martial artist. If you're a beginner, the book will give you insight into real physical conflicts and what they are like, as opposed to sparring matches with referees.
   
   If you're an experienced marital artist, this is about as entertaining as a book can be; Peyton Quinn has a dry sense of humor and an eye for the sublime and the funky, and the mixture is just plain funny.
   
   Note that his language is pretty salty, which will help convince teen-agers that he knows what he's talking about. The rest of us can tell that he knows what he's talking about just because of the quality of the advice he gives.
   
   The particular self-defense and fighting techniques he favors most aren't the important part of the book. A lot of different sorts of techniques work well for different people. His choices are just that, his choices. Fairbairn made different choices, and those are also good. But it's clear that both men agree that having some techniques that you a very, very good at is much better than being okay at a whole lot of techniques. Both men agree as well that pre-emptive striking is a good idea if a fight can't be avoided.
   
   In my view, the greatest value of this book is its portrait of an ambush attacker; Quinn points out that even though such an attacker may have little in the way of formal martial training, he may still be very effective because of his (unknowing) embrace of Musashi's approach to fighting.
   
   Frankly, Quinn is a Musashi-quoting, Harley-riding bouncer who is the real-life incarnation of the bouncer in the movie "Road House", complete with philosophical musings about the broader implications of fighting and avoiding fights, including his stay out of prison plan.
   
   And that makes for a darned entertaining read.



2. Not that I've read them all, or even a lot of them. However, this tome is a practical, no frills affair that attempts to impart important *principles*. There are plenty of useful tactics, methods, etc., and I suggest you read the other reviews for more details-- but just the description of "the interview" and what to expect thereafter is worth the price of the book. The admonishment that "there are no guarantees in a fight," and the warnings about medical and legal consequences are very refreshing, and the author would rather flee than fight. Shouting "Get away from me -- I don't need your macho b.s." and leaving the scene of potential conflict is something that everyone should take to heart. The only drawback here, IMHO, is a shortage of photos and diagrams.



3. this is probably one of the most sensible books written for learning how to get out of fights and end fights on your terms. Quinn speaks from experience and training. His anecdotes on his real life experience dealing with nut jobs serve as a reality check for every hot blooded teenager itching to get into a fight at the street corner. the techniques are well grounded and sure to work in the hands of a reasonably skilled and alert person.
   There are 2 reasons for giving this 4 stars in place of 5
   1. Too few pictures. Some of the blocks are best explained using pictures, remember the old adage - a picture speaks ........
   2. Sometimes too critical of asian martial art systems. In all fairness though, Mr.Quinn himself does state pretty early on the benefits of his grounding in the eastern systems HOWEVER it is very easy to infer from his book that eastern systems dont work at all. Thats not true. Eastern systems prepare the mind as much as the body for "effortless action" and "relentless attack". the "one mind" concept is a spinnoff of the zen philosophy(in turn derived from the indian concept of "shunya" meaning Nill or "nought"). this philosophical background to eastern martial systems makes it look archaic and burdensome. However, its worth learning and thereby respecting.
   Overall, a great book and a sure guide to survival for the average joe on the street.



4. Text provides interesting insights into barroom fighting. practical advice and thorough explanation of the various and likely attacks in a barroom fight. also good explanation of the various types of attackers. a good read for anyone who wants knowledge of street fighting, without picking fights in a bar.



5. Too much text. Great information, but text exceeds by far the amount of pictures, so it will take a long time to get a real idea of the instruction.

5 comments about The Secret Art of Boabom: Awakening Inner Power Through Defense-Meditation from Ancient Tibet.

1. Some mildly interesting new age story interleaved with really lame martial arts moves borrowed badly from Chinese kung fu.
   As for the hype - a 10,000 year old art ! Really ! Archeological evidence points to Tibetan having stone age culture 4000-5000 years ago. Unlikely that "Boabom" or "Seamm Jasani" were created then let alone earlier - equally unlikely that any such art would survive to this day. More likely someone thought it better marketing to link what they're selling to "ancient Tibet". Too bad - if it was really worthwhile, such a marketing ploy would be unnecessary.



2. A truly life changing book. The Art of Boabom was described in a very precise way and is therefore great even for beginners as myself. I am recommending this book to anyone who is willing to look into oneself to find true strength, power, health and so much more.



3. This is one of the best books. The combination of the story and the real exercises which every one can follow is very good.
   I have tried many martial arts in my life but when I found this one I was surprised how much is there.
   
   I'm taking Boabom classes several years and this book is a great source of information for anybody who wants to take care of the body and mind.
   
   Everybody can find what he is looking for in this Art: meditation and relaxation, and at the same time strong workout; concentration and focus and exercises for mind.
   
   
   This is a priceless book.



4. I bought this book in 2006 and was immediately satisfied with the exercises. The exercises are laid out in a weekly program that gradually introduces the more difficult exercises. The first 19 or so exercises (The Art of Awakening) are excellent and a wonderful way to start the day. Some of the remaining exercises are of interest and feel great and some of them seem to be more presentational than useful as exercise (bordering on crappy interpretive dance moves).
   
   I don't believe for one minute that Boabom is an ancient Tibetan martial art. I believe there would be a substantial amount of information available aside from the author's (Asanaro) books. Still, I think the first 19 or so exercises are great and I like to incorporate them into a warm up for running and other aerobic exercises.
   
   The best aspect of this book (and this is what attracted me in the first place) is that all of the exercises are very nicely diagrammed. I can look at the pictures and know what the exercise is. It is really nice to do these exercises in my apartment and not have to go to a group exercise class, as I am shy about that sort of thing.



5. I went through a real funk last year. It was a very very stressful year for me and I ended up with TMJ problems, low energy, skin disorders and a lack of ambition. At the beginning of 2010, I made the decision that enough was enough and resolved to put my health first. Even though I have had the boabom book for a year, I decided to actually try it and see if it would make some sort of difference in my health and energy levels. And oh my, has it made a difference. My energy levels have gone through the roof, so much so that I have started practising meditation to calm myself down. Also I am more outspoken now, tend to speak my mind and to do so, confidently. My TMJ problem has also reduced dramatically. I look forward to other amazing benefits as I continue my practice and I am very sure they will come. So all in all I give this book 5 marks. It is a great system of exercise regardless of whether you believe it was created 10,000 years ago or 30 years ago. It works and for me, that is all that matters. Leave the history work to the anthropologists and get well.

3 comments about The Six Healing Sounds: Taoist Techniques for Balancing Chi.

1. Es buena la publicacion de manuales sobre estos temas esotericos¡ Existen otros maestros que ya han realizado trabajos exhaustivos sobre el tema de este libro (Jingshan Tang, Sat Hon,Bingkun Hu y el extraordinario trabajo de Jesse Tsao.
   
   En realidad, el DVD de este ultimo maestro, es muy superior en enseñanza y didactica al de Chia, pues muestra (en el caso de Jingshan) COMO se debe realizar el movimiento, mientras se pronuncian los sonidos y PORQUE.
   Este libro, a pesar del CD es insuficiente para los tiempos actuales, no asi el trabajo de Jesse Tsao que incorpora imagen, sonido y movimientos.



2. I haven't used any of the techniques so far in the book because the book itself recommends that "Readers should not undertake them without receiving personal transmission and training from a certified instructor of the Universal Tao, since certain of the these practices, if done improperly, may cause injury or result in health problems. This book is intended to supplement individual training by the Universal Tao and to serve as a reference guide for these practices. Anyone who undertakes these practices on the basis of this book alone, does entirely at his or her own risk." If I had known this I would not have purchased the book. I would have found an instructor first. I couldn't rate the book accurately because I haven't used it.



3. six healing sounds; a basic practice for mantak's teaching; the idea that sound is a part of healing and a part of the tao. took a long time for me to realize this when reading mantak's stuff. essential knowledge for advanced practice

5 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Kickboxing.

1. This book is outstanding. I have 13 years experience in different martial arts (tae kwon do, kickboxing, Brazilian Jujitsu) and think that this is a very complete resource. I was impressed by the explanations and photos of techniques related to kickboxing and training, but what makes this so wonderful are these added features.

   1. actual self defense techniques using palm hand strikes instead of a closed fist

   2. advice on ground fighting (using striking techniques)

   3. advice for young children on self defense

   In addition, the training routines presented and pad drills are first rate. They even work with Thai boxing's elbow and knee strikes.




2. I really thought this book was a 3, but after some thought I gave it a 3.5. The main reason I gave it the higher score is because, as many other reviewers point out, it is a very complete reference. It's loaded with information. The author is clearly very experienced.
   
   Unfortunately, as a beginner, this book came up short in several key areas. First of all, the pictures and diagrams were simply not clear enough. While not true of all books in this series, I find this issue does crop up from time to time. The pictures are dark and dated, and it's very difficult to clearly see the poses. The publisher should have sprung for new pictures for this book.
   
   The book's other shortcoming is in the area of organization. The information is dropped on you as if you were reading a dictionary. It's very difficult to learn something new by going through so much information. The book could have been better layed out, starting with some basic exercises and then delving into the more complex.
   
   In my opinion, these changes would make this a tremendously better book.



3. Brillant book on Kickboxing for both beginner & advanced student. Lots of interesting compination. Excellent to compliment your training in Kickboxing Karate or Tae Kwon Do.



4. This is the first martial arts book I have read that is written with women in mind. Don't get me wrong, it's not all about women kickboxers. It's just the first time I've read any martial arts book with specific paragraphs for and about women in martial arts. This is a good book for beginners or someone just trying to decide if they want to try kickboxing. It includes techniques, conditioning and theory. This book needs more pictures explaining the moves, positions and combinations. This book seems like it would be inspirational for women.



5. Though I dislike the series titles(Complete Idiot's guide)of these books, they do have a formula which makes the guides very detailed and informative. This is one of the best books on kickboxing. The material is organized to make the learning of the material simple and efficient. The twenty chapters are divided into six parts, which covers every aspect of kickboxing. In conclusion, if you are seeking an excellent guide to kickboxing, you will want to get a copy of this book. Rating: 4 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Samurai Aerobics, Monadnock Defensive Tactics (MDTS) System, Use of the Monadnock Straight baton, Police Yawara Stick Techniques, PR-24 Police Baton Advanced Techniques, Martial Art Myths).

1 comments about Cheng Tzu's Thirteen Treatises on T'ai Chi Ch'uan.

1. Indispensable for any practitioner of the Simplifed Yang Style form...yet, the writing is complex, criptic and even mystical at time. Not at all easily understood upon a shallow examination. So, as its been said "heed it well".)
   Definitely for an advanced practiotioner. Although, it could be interesting to a beginner, from the standpoint of "getting there".

5 comments about Mastering the Samurai Sword: A Full-Color, Step-by-Step Guide.

1. Mr. Nemerof presents us with a very thorough guidebook to the Japanese katana sword.
   I have limited experience with this weapon, from previous martial-arts instruction. This book does truly serve a purpose as a reference for those of us who would like to learn more about Kenjutsu, but can not get access to a school that teaches the skill.
   
   Throughout the years of practicing Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Jujutsu, Judo, and other arts, I am hard pressed to think of any fellow student who was NOT interested in learning swordsmanship of some sort, ESPECIALLY those sword-arts which originate in Japan. With such a potential demand, it is puzzling as to why more schools of Bujutsu are not more common outside Japan. These ancient skills SURVIVE with new students! There is simply no substitute for actually attending an actual martial art school, ideally one that is in Japan. In the mean time, this fine text and DVD will certainly be an asset in giving the beginner an idea of what to expect before he or she can participate in such a school.
   
   Some reality-based issues to consider:
   
   In this day and age, some people will ask, "Why bother to learn swordsmanship? Why don't you just get a gun?"
   
   Medieval weapons ARE NOT obsolete!
   
   A gun IS NOT a be-all, end-all weapon. Read accounts of gun-fights. You will see that in many cases, even when police-officers or military personnel were armed with high-power pistols or rifles, the assailant STILL had plenty of fight in him, even when several rounds of ammunition completely passed through him! There are many instances in which police-officers have emptied their pistol into one violent criminal, ...and a close-quarters fight still occurred! Sometimes the criminal was chased several blocks before they found him dead, ...or nearly dead. This occurred even when high-powered ammunition was used, such as .45 ACP, .357 magnum, or .44 caliber. This has even occurred with rifle ammunition, in various battlefield incidents. Of course, this IS NOT always the case, ...but it DOES happen.
   
   You can not always safely use a gun, in some environments. An apartment building or a densely populated urban neighborhood are prime examples. Even the rather low-powered 9mm pistol round will probably pass through not only the aggressor, but several walls, before it finally stops. Hopefully it will not stop in your neighbor. The last thing you want is to kill or injure an innocent bystander next door.
   
   I am in fact an ADVOCATE of law-abiding citizens keeping and using firearms. I'm just emphasizing that sometimes they are not always the best solution to a home-defense scenario. You make the call.
   
   As of this writing, a heroic chemistry-student in Baltimore, Maryland, has successfully defended himself from a violent repeat-offender criminal. The student confronted a burglar in his garage, and told him to leave. The burglar attacked the student, who used a katana-style sword to defend himself. That burglar left the scene in an ambulance, with a sheet over his face.
   
   Ultimately, is that not why we learn martial-arts?
   
   Having lived and worked in some very bad places, I will learn anything that gives me more skills to defend my family, my friends, my co-workers, and myself.



2. This is a great quality book printed on heavy paper and well illustrated. It however appears that Mr. Nemeroff has not yet acheived even first degree Blackbelt level in Iaido and most likely created his own style, Fukasa Ryu. Nemeroff claims to be a 10th Dan but lacks the gray hair to be of an age where that rank would be awarded. You can see more of this fraud for free on YouTube where he demonstrates several very poorly performed kata at a book signing. It looks like the author at one time attended a few Iaido classes and left before he could learn anything. Before wasting your money web search fukasa-ryu Iaijutsu and then watch the YouTube vids of this loser. There are many other truly useful books available the likes of Flashing Steel or even Aikido Toho Iai. If you want to see what real Iaido looks like there is a great Muso Shinden Ryu video on You Tube of a Japanese gentleman doing Iaido the way it should be done. The man in the video is very very good and I'm he sure never claimed to be 10th dan like the great Gary Nemeroff.



3. I have read this book and let me explain where I'm coming from: I'm a rank holder in traditional Iaijutsu. Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu to be exact (the art is over 450 years old). If you want to "Play" with a sword then this book is for you. If you want to learn an authentic budo style then it is not. The book looks great and presents the information in a nice fashion. However, the devil is in the details. I know of no styles of Iai or Ken that wears a karate obi over thier hakama's. Colored belts are a moderen invention by Jiguro kano the founder of Judo. As for techniques, to me they seem to be missing some key concepts. But hey it is not what everyone wants. But ... Buyer Beware!



4. This book was written by someone who is not proficient with the katana. Go on YouTube and look at his demonstration. It's awful, just plain awful. I haven't seen anything this bad in years. It only goes to show that anyone can write a book.



5. The cover of this book caught my eye at a bookstore... I found myself reading through the pages not realizing that almost an hour had passed by. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this was not a book about Iaido... It was about Iai-Jutsu and Ken-Jutsu the original, ancient Sword arts of the Samurai. There are very few books written on this subject, most books that are available are about Iaido. Iaido is a martial way that contains some elements of authentic Samurai Sword martial arts techniques however it is oriented toward aesthetics and self-enlightenment, rather than the Sword's practical side. I ended up buying this book and this is what I found:
   
   This is a well-written, complete text with picture and video footage that you can really learn from. It goes into just about every detail that one would need to know to wield the Samurai Sword the way the Samurai once did.
   
   I've been in the martial arts for a long time and have always been disappointed by the competitiveness between practitioners of different martial arts and styles. It's quite ironic, the martial arts are supposed to teach things like tolerance, open-mindedness and inner peace. However, some of the reviews about this book clearly indicate that things like jealousness and enviousness run rampant throughout the martial arts world.
   
   With a little real research (away from the internet), you could find out that the author's teacher is the founder of Combat Ki and is a master martial artist who had been featured on Ripley's Believe it or not, the Discovery Channel and most recently Fox Sports Science (to name just a few). His master-level ranks were bestowed by S. Toma, Soke of Okinawa and M. Hatsumi of Japan... Two very accomplished masters with amazing martial arts lineages. It's baffling that some of the non-Asian martial arts community refuses to acknowledge this.
   
   I'm now buying another copy of this book as a holiday gift for someone else.

5 comments about Iron Body Ninja: The Secrets of Superior Strength.

1. I don't know if he is authentic ninja or not but the book brings together rare knowledge from the chinese martial arts. Lets not forget the original ninja were the Lin Kuen from China, during the early unification of the 3 states period many peoples fled to Japan. The Japanese generally killed any foreigner so it is not to far a stretch that many survived in a strange land as ninja. See my review of Ninja Mind control.



2. Let me make one thing clear: This book is not authentic ninjutsu. In fact, it is closer to being shaolin qiqong than ninjutsu (the Da Mo series, for example). It even has sections with yoga in it (sun salute)!
   This book is divided into many different sections, each of which are not necessarily originated from the same art (and definitely not from ninjutsu). This doesn't stop the book from being good, however, but it does impede readability for the reader who knows something on the subject already.
   I would recommend this book for intermediate qiqong practicioners that are looking for ways to improve their qiqong, but I would NOT recommend this book to anyone trying to learn more about ninjutsu.
   Also, the last section of this book (on iron body) is really dangerous, even for someone who knows what they are doing, and although the author stresses precaution, anyone without years of preliminary training will get hurt if they try and practice the exercises described.



3. Ashida Kim came to South Africa in about 1988/1989 and I briefly met him. At that stage I was learning ninjutsu under Brin Morgan. Brin Morgan is a personal student of Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi and is one of the most highly qualified ninjutsu practitioners in the Western World.

   To cut a long story short, Ashida Kim's real name is Radfid Davies (not sure of the spelling) and he is not an authority on ninjutsu. The ninjutsu fraternity is very aware of his shortcomings but leave him to his own devices in the knowledge that the true seekers on ninjutsu will unravel the truth.

   Stephen Hayes is one of the few legitimate authors of ninjutsu. He speaks Japanese fluently, is married to a Japanese woman and is a personal student and friend of Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi. Books written by Stephen Hayes are based on information gained from Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi who is the present grandmaster of ninjutsu and therefore the undisputed authority on ninjutsu. Hopefully this snippet of truth shall set you free.

   May the force be with you in your quest to seek out the truth.




4. Just try Mr Kim's techniques in real life situations and you will end up in the grave.

   Stay away from the books of this "Grandliar". He is not a "Grandmaster" as he claims to be.




5. As previous reviewers have noted, this man has no knowledge of ninjutsu as taught by Hatsumi sensei, or Mr Morgan, who I have had the pleasure of training with very briefly, and AK is not recognised by ANY reliable source for the dissemination of Ninjutsu.It`s fair to say, after reading this book, he is a bad writer too.I understand his name is Chris Hunter, and he is from New York.Only a complete fool would attempt any of the nonsense in this book. If you genuinley seek training, google is your friend.