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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Combat sports & self-defence > Oriental martial arts
Named one of TIME magazine's 100 Greatest Men of the Century, Bruce
Lee's impact and influence has only grown since his untimely death
in 1973. Part of the seven-volume Bruce Lee Library, this
installment of the famed martial artistAes private notebooks allows
his legions of fans to learn more about the man whose
groundbreaking action films sparked a worldwide interest in the
Asian martial arts. Bruce Lee Artist of Life explores the
development of Lee's thoughts about Gung Fu (Kung Fu), philosophy,
psychology, poetry, Jeet Kune Do, acting, and self-knowledge.
Edited by John Little, a leading authority on Lee's life and work,
the book includes a selection of letters that eloquently
demonstrate how Lee incorporated his thought into actions and
advice to others. Although Lee rose to stardom through his physical
prowess and practice of jeet kune do;the system of fighting he
founded;Lee was also a voracious and engaged reader who wrote
extensively, synthesizing Eastern and Western thought into a unique
personal philosophy of self-discovery. Martial arts practitioners
and fans alike eagerly anticipate each new volume of the Library
and its trove of rare letters, essays, and poems for the light it
sheds on this legendary figure.Bruce Lee was known as an amazing
martial artist, but he was also a profound thinker. He left behind
seven volumes of writing on everything from quantum physics to
philosophy. ; John Blake, CNN
The origins of Karate are shrouded in mythology and a book that
tells the art's complete history is both necessary and timely. The
art of Karate was developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom, now Okinawa,
over hundreds of years. Like many martial arts it was once designed
to main, disable or kill but has since become adapted into a way of
life and a sport that is seen in both the UFC and in 2020 makes its
Olympic debut. Author Simon Keegan is a 5th Dan black belt
recognised by some of Japan's oldest and most venerable sanctioning
bodies. In producing this unprecedented history he has been given
access to information, pictures and records from Japan, Okinawa and
the west that have never before been published. In his foreword to
the book, respected martial arts master and author Steve Rowe 9th
Dan writes: "Considering I have been at the centre of the Karate
universe for four decades there is much in this book that I have
never seen or heard. It's a must for any Karateka to read time and
time again to understand the origins of Karatedo and its structure,
and essential for the bookshelf of any serious martial artist." For
the first time the complete history of Karate can be told.
This Samurai history, filled with dozens of woodblock prints and
photographs, is an authoritative text on Japan's most fearsome
warriors. Through fascinating stories and full-color historical
images that show the samurai in mesmerizing detail, military
historian Stephen Turnbull provides an invaluable guide to an
enduring legacy. The earliest samurai warriors were actually
aristocratic mounted archers, not swordsmen. Only as the archer
gave way to the mounted spearman did swordsmanship come into play.
Turnbull details how the history and the legacy of the samurai
developed over centuries into a multifaceted, richly elaborate
tapestry of martial and societal traditions. From the first
recorded use of the word samurai in the eighth century to the final
wars waged in resistance to the Meiji government in the late
nineteenth century, this Japanese history book recounts the complex
history of these warriors and demonstrates why the samurai continue
to fascinate the world today.
One of the three major orthodox internal styles of Chinese martial
arts (along with Xing Yi Quan and Tai Ji Quan), Bagua Zhang (or Ba
Gua Zhang) is also one of the most ancient and revered. The first
volume in a series of two on the form," Liu Bin's Zhuang Gong Bagua
Zhang, Volume One, "is written from the perspective of a wise
master who gives equal attention to Bagua's historical evolution
and to the art and practice itself. A disciple of famous master Liu
Xing Han and one who honed his skills for over 20 years under the
same trees in Temple of Heaven Park as the originators of Bagua,
Professor Zhang Jie is ideally suited for the task. He presents the
fundamental theories of Bagua simply and clearly, in such a way
that they comprise both a martial arts manual and a guide for
everyday living. The idea of balance in all things is stressed
throughout, as is the ancient Chinese philosophy that underlies
Bagua. In addition to illustrations of the Bagua movements, the
book contains previously unpublished historical photographs.
Equally useful for novice and seasoned practitioners, as well as
students of Chinese culture and history," Liu Bin's Zhuang Gong
Bagua Zhang "immerses readers in all aspects of this important
martial art.
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