Fighting Books

The media has so saturated the public with Asian martial arts stories that the western heritage of combat has been forgotten by many people. Lessons From The Western Warriors provides a new perspective by taking the reader on an exploration of effective fighting moves and tactics used in the western world. The author Fred Neff, who is both a Kempo master and a lawyer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, provides a fascinating history of western fighting going back to the ancient Hebrews, Egyptians, Babylonians and Greeks. The author Fred Neff's explanation of the Greek art of pankration, which encompassed both striking and grappling was intriguing. Also, very interesting was the development of boxing and wresting throughout history as explained in the book. I really enjoyed the author's straight forward way of presenting little known history. Author Fred Neff's book is divided into chapters on Common Questions, Physical Conditing, Stance and Movement, Punching, Kicking, Dodges and Blocks, Combinations (of blows), Combining Boxing and Grappling, Strategy and Suggestions for Enhancing Training. Learning how to out think the adversary comes through loud and clear in this presentation. The strategy section helps provide guidelines for doing this that should be adaptable for anyone. I like the flexibility Fred Neff provides by teaching moves and tactics that can be adapted for use in a variety of different situations. From Fred Neff's narration to the safety guidelines for practice the book emphasizes the avoidance of excessive violence and respect for other people. The broad base of experience of author Fred Neff as a teacher, Kempo Master and accomplished Minneapolis, Minnesota, lawyer no doubt played a part in the new perspective provided in this unique work. Fred Neff has received many awards for his active community involvement including the City of St. Paul Citizen of the Month Award, a Commendation for Distinguished Service From the Sibley County Attorney's Office, and the Lamp of Knowledge Award from the Twin Cities Lawyer's Guild that are reflective of his interest in helping other people. Lessons From The Western Warriors is not only very interesting, but is helpful to readers in a number of ways. It provides a fresh historical perspective on the fighting arts, teaches the use of western fighting moves for self-defense and emphasizes the need to out-think the adversary rather than just rely on powerful or exotic moves. Just as a powerful swing of a bat in baseball does no good if it is not timed correctly, similarly a powerful or exotic blow is not effective unless it is tactically timed to hit the adversary. Lessons From The Western Warriors is a book that provides valuable information, methods and tactics in a straght forward and interesting manner, so it earns my unqualified recommendation.

This book is recommended by Ned Beaumont in a couple of his books. This book looks like it would be good for a kid dealing with bullies, like the other reviewer. The techniques aren't hard core and brutal, it's stuff that shouldn't get you in trouble with the law. It's got some pretty good basics, the grappling could have had a couple of joint locks added though. It should have been a little bigger and a little more detailed. I'm going to give it to my little brother, I think it'll help him. I ordered mine through amazon from Adsrus on a Saturday. It shipped on Monday from Iowa and arrived at my home in south east Texas on Thursday. The total cost was $6.42. It's definitely a good deal.

While browsing, I happened to find a truly unique and dynamic book entitled Lessons from the Western Warriors by Fred Neff. The self-defense techniques included in the book are from the western world as opposed to the usual rehash of Asiain fighting arts. As I looked through the book, I found it interesting to find reference to the ancient art of pankration that was practiced by the Greeks. I was fascinated to discover that people in the west had their own martial arts history. I ended up buying the book. Once I got into reading the text, looking at the photographs and practicing the techniques, I found that they were both effective and efficient. I think this book is simply terrific and heartily suggest that anyone with an interest in learning really effective self-defense and fighting techniques get a copy of the book.

This book on western fighting tactics is truly unique. After reading Lessons from the Western Warriors I could only conclude that this book is a very well thought out approach to showing the core fighting methods that has emerged over time from the western world. Many of the punching techniques were familiar to me based on my experience with boxing. I have personally used some of the same techniques shown in this book both in the boxing ring and in more than one fight outside the ring. From my experience, the fighting moves shown in the Lessons from the Western Warriors really work! I like this book by Fred Neff very much and give it my highest recommendation. (Even if all you are interested in is basic self-defense, this book is a must.)

During my senior year in high school, I hit upon a book at the library called Lessons from the Western Warriors by Fred Neff. I took it out and started to practice the techniques in it. A byproduct of my practice was that I started feeling stronger and more confident. After graduation, I was at a party where the "jock" who had the reputation of being the toughest guy at our school was, as ususal, picking on my friends. He was big and powerful with a very intimidating way about him. I always tried to avoid him, becuase of the beating he had delivered to people I knew. That night he added me to his list of potential victims, when he purposely bumped into me and ended up challenging me to a fight. Having studied and practiced from the Lessons from the Western Warriors book, I carefully sized up this tough guy and accepted his challenge. Despite my nervousness and to the surprise of everybody at the party, I won the fight. After that time, he never bothered me again. I credit the book on Lessons from the Western Warriors for that win. In April of this year, I came upon and bought this great book. Lessons from the Western Warriors shows realistic fighting techniques and strategy that can be used by anyone. The book provides tremendous lessons on fighting techniques and strategy that should be useful in mounting an effective defense against all types of antagonists. This book is really worth reading.

The photos are very useful for model builders with lots of technical specs and cut away views. I thought the development of the APC was very interesting starting with the half tracks of WW2. Also interesting was the logic behind development of the Calvary variant of the vehicle. Lots of Gulf War descriptions and photos show the vehicles in actual combat. Overall very good reference book for this outstanding vehicle.

If you are familiar with the At War series of books, you'll know what to expect. For those who have yet to check out this great series of books, be assured that this volume is well worth the cost. The authors start with an excellent account regarding the development of the APC. Just on this alone, the book is well worth the cost. Where it really differs with the other books is the well detailed accounts of the development of APC's leading to the Bradley. It certainly does gives insight to how the Industrial Military Complex/Pentagon operates! And then there's the amazing detail given as to the specs of the vehicles..... Is this legal????? Anyway, here's everything you've ever wanted to know about these APC's..... So why are you even hesitating?

A well written and comprehensive book about the M2/M3 series from development to current and possible future versions. The value of the book is the information in its text not pictures. Granted, it has some interesting shots of the Bradley, especially of the interiors, it is not a "photo" reference book. It is a comprehensive account of the Bradley in a very readable form, with detailed technical descriptions kept to an absolute minimum.

The chapters in the book were well laid out, text was detailed but easy to read, chapters flowed logically from one aspect of the Bradley to another. A joy to read if you are interested in armoured vehicles.

This is a very useful and up to date work on the Bradley IFV/CFV family. It begins with a useful summary of the development of armored infantry vehicles from the M3 half-tracks of WW2 to the M113 and the first failed attempts at an IFV. The developmental history of the Bradley and all its variants then runs in parallel with accounts of the Bradley's use in combat. Excellent photos illustrate the book throughout. Well worth the money.

The most interesting part of this book, and indeed, most of the "at war" series, for me at least, is the first portion which describes the developmental history of the vehicle, particularly also showing photographs of the various prototypes which preceeded the BFV. This is a part of the Bradley which is very rarely covered by easily available books, and is worth checking out on its own merits.

The rest of the book is written in plain English, with enough pictures to support the documentation and provide a visual reference to what one is reading. As a Bradley commander, I can pick out a few very small, niggling errors in the technical descriptions, but this does not detract from the general overview one would get as a reader with a more-than-passing interest in the vehicle but without getting to the level of being an operator's manual. Definitely recommended.

A very text book approach to sword play. Couple this with some excellent, though unrelated, videos on you tube and it is a great training reference.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 because it is a well illustrated, well written comprehensive description of a martial tradition of Medieval Germany.
they even had the original descriptions by Sigmund Ringeck in german.
the only thing i wouldve like more is if it had more sword and buckler;
but i am content with this book
awesome read for any martial artist or re-enactor. or just for fun.

I found this book is very useful for this student of fighting arts.
its very easy to understand and I learned new ways to to
apply my skills with weapons when fighting in armor
very well done

When we think of martial arts we too often focus on styles from Asia, but there is a highly developed and effective martial heritage originating in Europe. In Sigmund Ringeck's "Knightly Arts of Combat", David Lindholm and Peter Svard present a portion of our European Martial Arts heritage.

Knightly Arts of Combat offers instruction in:
> Sword and buckler fighting
> Wrestling, both while wearing armor, and while dressed in normal clothing
> Spear
> Sword against spear
> Openings on a man in armor

Knightly Arts of Combat includes the original German language text of Sigmund Ringeck as well as translation and extensive commentary by Lindholm and Svard.

While the techniques of sword and buckler, and the techniques of the spear are not particularly useful for defense in the modern world, these techniques do develop speed, strength and dexterity. The wrestling techniques taught in the Knightly Arts of Combat, however, are clearly applicable to self-defense on the streets of today's cities.

I enjoyed Knightly Arts of Combat both from its historical perspective, and because I was able to learn new techniques of combat and personal self-defense. Knightly Arts of Combat is highly recommended both to the student of European history and the student of martial arts.

The work gives a generally broad and encompassing overview of Western "Knights Arts of Combat". The work does not focus tremendously on the use of the Longsword in unarmored combat, so may not be best for those just beginning, but is a very valuable asset to any collection simply for the detail and knowledge within. The information is well presented and clearly explained.

This is another great book by Royce Gracie. Unlike some other books written by the Gracie family this book focuses on knowledge and technique to be good at grappling and not just on strength. The book is full of hundreds of great techniques that really work quite well. I go to jujitsu class every day with a new technique and I keep frustrating my fellow classmates with my new knowledge. This book, and Royce's first book, are a must have for anyone that wants to increase their skill in grappling without having to hit the gym five days a week in the hopes of being strong enough to using some "fancy looking" move. On a scale of 10, I would give this book a 9.5!

This book follows the pattern of the first volume. It is a great reference tool for the bottom position. About the second half of the book are moves from the guard while the first half is a mix of the other bottom positions. Its a great book!

This is a sport jiu-jitsu book;which means about one in every four techniques can be used in mma competition.
I try to only buy sport bjj books when they are written by a former UFC/Pride champion.
This book is for the total begginner.
It's broken down as follows;
1)Rear Mount techniques-10 moves.
2)Mount techniques-20 moves.
3)Side Control techniques-22 moves.
4)Guard techniques-68 moves.
Overall,this is an excellent book as Royce also links moves together.

If you want to improve your jiu-jitsu game through the use of books, there are three you should read. The first is Ultimate Fighting Techniques Volume 1 - a book that details the basics such as clinching and fighting from the top. The second is Gracie Submission Essentials by Helio and Royler Gracie - a book that is completely focused on submissions from almost every imaginable position. The third is this book, and I have found it to be the most useful for improving my skills.

_Ultimate Fighting Techniques Volume 2: Fighting from the Bottom_ reveals what you should do when you are fighting from positions that are considered "disadvantaged" - that is, positions where your back is generally on the mat. If you intend to compete in a grappling tournament, you WILL find yourself in these positions eventually. The knowledge in this book could very well be the difference between you having to submit to an opponent and you being able to reverse positions and submit them. Do you know how to escape the side mount without being choked out or submitted via kimura? Can you break the mounted choke? Can you do a half-guard sweep? If the answer to any of these questions is NO, then you need to study this book.

This book contains 304 pages. All of the "disadvantaged" positions are covered in this book; however, the primary focus is on the back, mounted, side control, and guard positions. The techniques are broken down step-by-step and include numerous photographs to make learn them on your own relatively easy.

Note: While this book is titled _Ultimate Fighting Techniques_, it is primarily Gi-Brazilian Jiu-jitsu focused. Most of the techniques will translate to MMA/UFC-style fighting (and there are some MMA-specific techniques included), but that is not the focus of the work. For a more-specific MMA texts, try B.J. Penn's _Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge_ or _Bas Rutten's Big Book of Combat_.

This book is extremely good. IMO it is even better than the first one. Definitely it is more advanced than Royler and Renzo's BJJ Theory and Technique, which is a good book and a complete guide of techniques. This book has a lot of stuff which other books are missing such as defenses and several options for each defense, which I find to be priceless. On the theory portion of the book, it is too brief and almost the same things as the first book, so there's nothing new to it, but regarding the techniques shown, they are excellent. The explanations are very clear and very articulated, something which is extremely important for anyone learning BJJ.

I consider myself a moderate in social issues and conservative on economic issues. This is a very relevant book. The author really understands how our government, at all levels, occasionally anoints itself with greater power than provided by the Constitution, to the detriment of regular citizens. It seems that this occurs more regularly in the West, where government controlled land abounds and political power falls below that of both coasts. The author, and the Foundation he heads, appear to have both the skills and mindset to stand up to the government and champion the rights of the rest of us. Good for them. Read and learn, and spread the word.

A thought provoking and revealing study on some of most significant and successful legal challenges to the Federal Government's ever-expanding reach into the lives and land uses of those uniquely American Westerner.
Who better than William Perry Pendly, a true "western warrior" in every sense of the phrase, to bring us these inspiring stories of the men and women he has led and the court battles they have waged in their noble yet unsung effort to preserve true Republican ideals and the Western way of living.

The United States is fortunate to have Perry Pendley and his Mountain State Legal Foundation. Pendley's most recent book, Warriors for the West, is one of those accounts that law students should read as Introduction to Legal Reality 101 and internalize as illustrating some of the problems that an ordinary citizen can encounter.

It is not that the federal government is deliberately malicious in dealing with its citizens; to so think would be paranoia. It is more that vast bureaucracies have their rules and guidelines, and for the well-meaning innocent caught up in the process, it often appears that even with the best of good will, the citizen will be wrong/wrong/wrong. And, if (s)he has the temerity to suggest the USG is wrong, it will be a painfully expensive and humiliating experience--and "common sense" is highly unlikely to be part of that process.

Pendley illustrates this reality in a series of highly readable case studies ranging from the grisly fate of those who encounter grizzly bears to why racecar driver Bobby Unser is a criminal. These stories would be funny, if they were not so infuriating. Over and over in the reading, one cries out for the official who would say, "Wait a minute; this is really too silly to continue." But you end with the impression that stopping the grinding mill before you are finely ground, is more a matter of luck (and good lawyers) than not. We need more Perry Pendleys; it is not only the West that requires warriors.

This is a book that goes to the heart of the struggle for America as the founding fathers envisioned it. This book attacks the lies that radical left wing groups have been using for over a generation to scare the American people into inaction. This book shows us the real story behind the hype and media attention on environmental policy, affirmative action and public use. Mountain States Legal Foundation is the voice of the silent majority in America today.

This book is filled with interesting but very disturbing true stories of westerners (and others) who must fight in the courtroom to protect their liberties and rights guaranteed by federal law. Although the author is an attorney, he writes for lay audiences and makes a very compelling case that government is much too big and powerful and its lawyers do not care about justice. The willingness of ordinary Americans to go to court for years and years is inspiring. All of the book is very well documented. I recommend it most highly!

Absolutely Five Stars (don't know why it shows up as 4 out of 5). Donn Draeger's "Weapons and Fighting Arts of Indonesia" is the definitive Western work on Indonesian fighting arts, and is "must" reading for anyone interested in Indonesia's martial history and culture.

This book is excellent,you will find allot of information in it.I think it might need to be updated,it's missing a few weapons and many styles of pencak silat.Many styles are not even known about outside some families.You know,keep it in the family!Some styles are not that old in terms of how long silat has been in Indonesia.I also wish they had more about inner power.I have seen it with my own eyes.But their is nothing close to this book out there.I stayed in Bandung for about 3 years.

Draeger offers a relatively detailed overview of the martial arts of Indonesia. An invaluable starting point for anyone with an interest in Silat or Kuntao.

This book was out of print for years and thankfully it has been reprinted. If you have any interest in SE Asian martial arts this book is essential reading. It is very wordy and does not, by its own admission, cover all of Indonesia, but it is very thorough and covers so much more than just the Tjimande and Harimau based styles that we see in the west. The chapters are by island and are broken up into sections on silat, kuntao and any other odds and ends. There are some wonderful black and white photos. The style is a little dated but there is no other book of its kind in existence.

this is the best book of it's type.this book is the most in-depth book on the Indonesian fighting arts I have seen.it's an excellent source for the armed/un-armed fighting arts of this region,as well as a resource for the history and culture/anthropology of Indonesia.some of the descriptions of the people in this book are rather outdated and ideo-syncratic. there are tons of photos and illustrations in this book.there are also great descriptions of how some of these things are made such as boobie traps,poisons,clubs with fish bone edges,etc. if you are an avid collector,beginning collector(especially),practicioner,or someone with an interest in the country and people of this region this is a must.

Tom has done an incredible job portraying the day-to-day adventures/misadventures of today's service members. I couldn't help but draw the similarities between SGT Hurley and a young Holden Caulfield. Tom's book is a must read for anyone considering a stint or career in the U.S. Armed Services or anyone looking to gain a deeper appreciation of the life in uniform.

The most accurate portrayal of contemporary military life. Thomas Hurley has done what has become a rarity in todays culture. The author has shyed away from the "Hollywood" renditions of the common military, This brings the soldiers home and depicts the honest truth about the kids that protect this country. He brings to his readers the honest in the dirt truth about the average kid who decides to enlist in the US Army. Funny, honest, Controversial as well exciting. Guaranteed excellent Buy, and a great gift for both military and civilian consumers.

Reviewed by Joe Graham for Reader Views (5/06)

Thomas Hurley is a young man who enlisted in the Army in February of 1997 when he was 18 years old. He completed his basic training in South Carolina and then completed his AIT (Advanced Individual Training) at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. His MOS (Military Occupation Specialty) was to be a 13 Papa, Fire Direction Specialist for the Multiple Launch Rocket System. At the time he completed his book, he was 26 years and his record of his eight years of military service will appeal to anyone who has ever served in the Army.

For those who have served in the Army, or any other branch of the service, they can quickly relate to Hurley's experiences. Veterans of military service will find themselves thinking back on their own experiences in the service and it does not matter when the veteran served - World War II, Korea, Vietnam or Desert Storm - they will find Hurley's experiences will jog memories of their own.

Any former serviceman or woman can quickly relate to the endless drills, the hurry ups and wait, and the long, lonely hours on duty away from home; and the enjoying of alcohol and partying as they attempted to fill the long hours as Hurley did.

One of the best anecdotes by Hurley is when he tells about playing Rock-Paper-Scissors with a group of Korean children. He shows the way a serviceman looks for ways to connect with the familiar when they are far away from home trying to adapt to a different culture.

The author states his purpose early in the book. "All the book is about is a bunch of normal everyday kids from all over the place all thrown together with an extraordinary, sometimes overlooked and unappreciated mission: Defending the United States of America."

The book will best be enjoyed by someone who is currently serving in the military or who has served previously. A general reader might be put off by all the military acronyms from NTC (National Training Center) to MILES (Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System). To the nonmilitary, all those acronyms can make the reader's head spin. At times Sgt. Hurley has a habit of listing everyone in his unit and keeping all the names straight and remembering who he is talking about can be challenging. At times, I found myself wishing that he had tightened up his chapters so that events seemed to flow in a more logical fashion instead of jumping back and forth in time.

American's Fighting Force creates a picture of the current American fighting man and woman that any veteran can relate to. Even though, the equipment and technology has changed over the years, the challenges of dealing with the mission, training and down time as portrayed by Sgt. Hurley, is a story that any military man or woman can relate to.

This is one of the best books I have read in a while. He hit the nail on the head talking about life in the military revolving around cars, music, partying and chasing women. I couldn't put it down after I bought, only breaking for sleep and food. This book is hilarious and a must read if you were/are in the military. I guarantee you will be able to relate to something in this book.

In addition to The Art of Throwing, I have bought other books by Mr. Tedeschi: The Art of Holding, The Art of Striking and The Art of Ground Fighting. In my opinion, all of these texts are excellent. The layout of the books are logical and the plethora of photographs are clear. The author's specialty is the eclectic Korean martial art of Hapkido. One of the first things the author does in the overview of his book is show the similarities of techniques between the different arts. For example, in The Art of Throwing the author takes clips from other books to demonstrate how a Hapkido hip throw is executed compared to one in Judo, Jiu-jitsu, Aikido, Chinese Wrestling, Kuk Sool Won and Hwa Ran Do. Of course, the conclusion is that while there are many subtle differences, physics is physics, leverage is leverage etc. The human body only acts and moves in certain ways; therefore, it is no surprise that the founders of the different styles came to similar conclusions about throwing.

As one would suspect, the book also covers breakfalls, footwork, stances, grips (including pressure point targets for gripping) and the throws themselves, broken down into the sub-categories of: shoulder throws, hip throws, hand throws, sacrifice throws, kick-counter throws combinations of throws and defence against throws. In all, over eighty throws are demonstrated. When you have this number of techniques, there is a bit of, "Well, that would difficult to execute" or "Why not do such and such - it's less complicated" but these are minor points. The fact of matter is that the vast majority of techniques appear quite practical. As a Judo practitioner and policeman I have successfully used many similar moves myself in competition and on the job. For all of you Judoka out there: if you want to learn to make your throws more street-lethal (e.g. in a justifiable self-defence situation), you'll be very interested in the Hapkido method of throwing as many techniques incorporate a strike or lock in their execution (much like jui-jitsu).Is the book worth the money? Unequivocally, yes. To use a cliché, I believe this book has a place of every martial artist's bookshelf. With so much garbage out there on the market, it is refreshing to see a book of this quality being produced. Mr. Tedeschi is on a roll, I hope he continues to write.

If you already have Mark Tedeschi's Huge 1136-page Hapkido book, you're probably wondering what makes this volume on throwing techniques any different. The main difference is this: The big Hapkido book ~does~ include every technique shown here. However the detail in this volume is much more exact--the big Hapkido book was so inclusive that the author was limited to showing 2-3 photos to illustrate a hold or throw. This volume on Throws uses an average of 5-9 photographs per technique, including close-ups. The descriptive narrative is also more specific in this volume. So if you would like a volume which is incredibly specific on the subject of throwing techniques, this book is the thing! If you already have the big book, and don't really need the extra detail, then this volume will probably be redundant.

Tedeschi has grouped the techniqes into six major categories: shoulder Throws (12 techniques), hip throws (14 techniques), Leg throws (12 techniques), Hand Throws (26 techniques), Sacrefice Throws (10 techniques)Kick-counter throws (16). Also a set of 20 combinations (throw to lock), and a vital section on Defenses against throws (24 defenses shown). You might also be wondering whether the techniques shown in this book are too specific to Hapkido to be of any use to you if you practice say, judo or another martial art. The nice thing about Tedeschi's books is that he has studied a variety of grappling arts--and come to the same realization the rest of us have over the years. An inside shoulder throw is still an inside shoulder throw--whether you call it that in Japanese, Korean, Chinese, or English. Tedeschi's 4-volume series makes no distinction as to language or culture--every technique in this book is referred to by it's English name.

I should add that I am pleased with the quality of the volumes put out by the publisher, Weatherhill. Clear photographs are printed on slick acid-resistant paper, and the boards of these volumes are covered with a laminated paper that will resist picking up sweat (or any other of those wonderful things we get on our books while taking them on the mat or discussing techniques after practice). Tedeschi has gone the extra mile in making ALL of his books as specific as possible. Most of the techniques shown include extra photographs and diagrams of bones, muscles, and pressure points as they apply to the specific technique. This is the first technical martial arts book by any author where I've seen this sort of exacting detail on virtually every technique. And to think, he doesn't call himself Grandmaster or wear anything but a plain black belt.

Bought this along with "Art of Holding" by same author (see my review for more info). Both are very well done and are excellent books with lots of insight. Looking forward to his other books.

I don't generally leave reviews but this book is so great that I had to say something. Clear pictures and small detailed pictures and tons of clean throws. Exactly what I wanted. It makes me want to check out his other books.

Dr Painter is an excellent writer and teacher and his books are very helpful in understanding this art, which is Jiulong Baguazhang specifically. Internal martial arts rocks!

This book and the second book by John Painter are the first books that I have seen that have the primary goal of teaching Baguazhang as a modern day self defense system.
Other books seem to be more focused on the cultural or personal experience aspects. In these books, Dr. Painter combines the effective historical Baguazhang with more recent discoveries in training. And presents them in a very well explained and easy to understand manner.

The books are very well written with lot of pictures and drawings to illustrate the contents.
I also recommend getting the 6 DVDs that Painter made, along with the two books. As good as the books are, it is helpful to watch the techniques demonstrated. Both the books and DVDs are published by Unique Publications and there is more information on the DVDs at Artemis Seminars.

I highly recommend Dr. Painter's Books and DVDs for anyone that wants to learn Baguazang as a modern day self defense martial art.

Dr. John Painter has finally put down some of the most well written information out there on Baguazhang in general and his system of Jiulong Baguazhang in specifics.

The material in both volume one & two is is presented with no fluff, and none of the mystical mumbo jumbo like mishmash that you see from other people who have written books in the past.

What you get is a straight forward approach to how this system of Chinese martial arts is trained from the very first stages to advanced levels.

You will learn how to sit and quiet the mind.

Learn how to stand correctly for health and combat effectiveness.

Study skills that will lead you to better understanding of yourself, your body, your mind and the reality of combat.

I cannot recommend these two books enough.

Sincerely,

Dale Dugas

This is an excellent book for either the beginning student of Baguazhang such as myself, or an advanced player as well. Dr. Painter's writing is clear and concise. He tackles a wide range of subjects, from the basic stretching and warming up you first learn to more advanced topics such as power generation and combat principles. There is a ton of information in this book and Dr. Painter is widely known and respected both as a martial arts teacher as well as a Law Enforcement trainer.

The best part about this book is that there is no mystical or esoteric material. Jiulong and Dr. Painter's methods are scientific and to-the-point. I think there are alot of misinterpretations with the "internal martial arts" that they are mysitcal and hard to understand. Dare I say this is a revolution from that misconception. This book is based on science, body mechanics and physiology.

A great read for anyone interested in martial arts in general. People from all styles can benefit from these *principles* and teachings. Thank you Dr. Painter for bringing this material to light!

I enjoyed this account of Al Ettinger's travels with the 69th infantry during WWI. It's interesting to find that he held so much detail in his mind so many years after the events, and after many years of not talking about it- finally opens up and recounts everything in such great specificity. I also appreciated that the accounts were checked out by his son in such detail to verify specifics before publishing- after all, no one's memory is perfect. The book is interleaved with historical maps and summaries of allied strategy, giving the reader a yardstick as to where the events fit in history. I really got a good feel for the deep sense of camaraderie that Ettinger developed with the people there in the ranks, and his heroes, especially concerning Father Patrick Duffy, a guy anyone would want to know in whatever place in history that he or she was born in. The only shortcoming of the book (and it is slight) is that it leaves out the outcome of Lt. Quirt (a pseudonym) in the epilogue. Great reading.

"It is enthralling and difficult to put down before completion." --Military Images

"A vivid portrait if a colorful outfit, DOUGHBOY places its emphasis on the human factor ... an invaluable and entertaining firsthand portrait of leadership, loyalty and morale -- the soul of any U.S. Army regiment." --Military History Magazine

"This well organized book becomes one of those rare war memoirs that has been back-checked for facts, that has such meticulous evidence of accuracy, it transcends the normal colorful remembrance to become a true work of history." --Gannett News Service

"Don't let 'A Doughboy With the Fighting 69th' escape you. It is destined to be a classic." --Irish Edition, Phila.

"An eye- witness account of World War I doughboy experience from a less than model soldier...a lively, personal account of both courage and realistic Army life." --The Bookwatch

"Although I have read many autobiographical accounts of famous generals and their bloody campaigns, few have touched me with the same effect as this story of one of America's true doughboy heros." --Ronnie Shimron, Curator, Jewish War Veterans

"It is enthralling and difficult to put down before completion. Afterward it is to be savored." --Military Images/ "A vivid portrait of a colorful outfit...an invaluable and entertaining firsthand portrait of leadership, loyalty and morale ... --Military History/ "This well organized book becomes one of those rare war memoirs that has been back-checked for facts, that has such meticulous evidence of accuracy, it transcends the normal colorful remembrance to become a true work of history." --Gannett News Service (John Hanchette)/ "Don't let [Doughboy] escape you. It is destined to be a classic." --Irish Edition (Philadelphia)/ "... a lively, personal account of both courage and and realistic Army life." --The Bookwatch

Private Ettinger, in his brief military career, managed to experience the battle of the Argonne Forest, survive four close shell bursts, a personal strafing by a German pilot, and some spectacular crashes on his dispatch-rider motorcycle, to provide us with one of the most engaging memoirs of the American Expiditionary Forces.
His very readable and entertaining reminiscences, augmented by some first-rate research by his son, are enhanced by rare photos, interesting appendices, and details of organization of a unit with some of the most colorful characters in American military history, such as "Wild Bill" Donovan, Father Duffy, Joyce Kilmer, and Douglas Macarthur (who personally delivered the author from incarceration).
Ettinger's story is highly recommended as a vivid window into the world of the doughboy, and a fine unit history as well.

(The "score" rating is an unfortunately ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.)