Gonna be some different opinions concerning which are the eight best Martial Arts books, but I would begin with Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere. Written by A Westbrook and O Ratt, the writing is vivid, and the illustrations are possibly the best martial arts graphics ever drawn. A thick book, it covers the art to ten layers, and one gets the feel of how energy actually swirls in the practice of the art.

The title of this work is Uechi Ryu Karate Kung Fu. It seems like it is never in print, but it was one of the first martial arts books in the United States. It describes the entire system of Uechi Ryu, and is rich with anecdotes, in fact, you’ll see where some of the martial arts legends actually came from in this book.

Tai Chi Touchstones: Yang Family Secret Transmissions, by Douglas Wile, presents some great images of old Master Yang himself. The real joy of this masterpiece is in the many songs and poems. These works of poetry are rich with and accurately convey the motions and strategies of this ultimate form of Kung Fu.

The Master Instructor Course is one of the great secrets of the Martial Arts, it seems like nobody has ever heard of this one. Penned by A Case, it is actually a CD/DVD course, and the author doesn’t sell the paper version by itself anymore. You blink your eyes when the author claims to have the secrets of perfect form and perfect technique, but by the time you finish you’ll realize that he does!

The 25 Shotokan Kata is a great book which describes kata in geometric clarity. Every move is drawn in precise detail, and it makes it very easy to study any of the great katas in it. The only drawback is that some of the forms are done with classical lines, and not functional lines of working energy, but this is of small concern if one has read The Master Instructor Course.

Zen Flesh Zen Bones has been around forever, and it is a collection of zen sayings and stories. These stories give the flavor of a culture and an art, and of the true fighting spirit of the martial arts. Reading this book while practicing the martial arts one can actually feel the spirit of zen sink into one’s very bones.

No list would be complete without the pivotal work by Miyamoto Musashi. This book can be taken on a man to man combat level, or on the grand strategic level of whole armies. It provides a philosophy which changes lives, and it is used by people in all walks of life to make their lives really work.

The Art of War is the bible of all war books. No army has ever won a battle, let alone a war, without following the exact principles described here. Anybody who has ever changed himself by reading this ultimate epistle knows that now is the time to end this list of the Best Martial Arts books ever written.

If you like learning from martial arts books you should drop by 25 Martial Arts Books for $10. 1

Tags: Self Defence