Fighting Books

Great book, mostly about MMA/Vale Tudo fighting, a lot of positions are depending on strikes. Nevertheless a lot of moves can be used in submission grappling as well. One of the most complete books written up to now, shows a lot of variations, clear fotos, showing good angles. Highly recommended for wrestlers who want to enter the submission/NHB game as well as for ground and pounders to complete their ground game and get submssions from nearly every position instead of making the sport so bloody.

Overall, this was the best book I have read on the subject, hands down. I read Iverson's first book and the second edition is much improved. I appreciated the emphasis on stand up fighting including the many positions such as free striking, closing the distance and the clinch, to include muay thai, underam clinches, and the like. I also liked how much emphasis was placed on striking and how to incorporate it into every position like the rear mount, side control, etc. Making this book a truly complete one are the techniques for repositioning, defenses, and escapes. This book tells me how to do take downs, how to transition from those takedowns to a guard pass, how to secure a good ground control position, and then how to submit my opponent either with knees, elbows, and punches or a variety of submissions. Furthermore, I bought this book from one of the authorized dealers for only $20. What a good deal.

Get this book. The second edition of this book is outstanding. The pictures are easy to understand and follow. I have checked out many different books on submission fighting and this one actually delivers. Iverson knows his stuff and it shows in this book.

I felt that this book was a half way decent book. For one thing it will show very inexperienced beginners how to apply arm bars and chokes and various other techniques and also how to do it from many, many different angles & variations. One thing that I personally like to see in grappling books is the set up to the takedown, the physics of the takedown, and then the application of the grappling technique and how to increase the leverage, or generally improve the technique. This book has very basic takedowns (but sometimes the simplest way is the easiest)And the explanation of the physics of the hold are not the best I have ever seen. Also it does not show any clothing induced chokes, due to the fact that both combatants are in just shorts and shoes. All in all it is a great book for beginners to learn how to apply a hold and how to do it from many many many variations, and angles. But it has very little information on passing the gaurd, or drawing your opponent of his base.

I was let down by this book. everyone on this site thought it was great. however i found that it lacked alot of detail needed for a submission, and there was nothing about seting up submissions in this book. this book does have alot of submissions but many of them would be shut down by somone with less then a year in the sport. for the price of this book you can get something better that will give you more insight into the game of submission fighting.

If you're looking for a how-to manual on any particular martial art or set of martial arts, go elsewhere. If, on the other hand, you're interested in a succinct history of martial arts from the Far East, then you're in luck. This is an older book in martial arts circles, but I think, if anything, that helps it. It's able to deliver its message without all the politics that have influenced martial arts over the last 35 years. On the other hand, there's been quite a bit more sholarship that would help the book considerably.
The book is well written. The authors provide plenty of english translations of the terms they use, so you're never left in the dark. I think the section on Okinawa, rightly seperated from China & Japan, was a bit short. This, and a bit of over emphasis on styles that didn't seem adequately representative of the art under discussion.
It's informative and a good read. Hard to say much more good about a book.

A nice overview of various martial arts taught in obscure and less obscure places. I think I most enjoyed the accounts of Pakistani and Indian wrestlers like Gama. These seem to be forgotten martial artists. There was also some interesting information about the martial arts of Indochina.

I give it one less star than perfect, as these same authors have been known to at least tell some tall tales under a psuedonym ("John F. Gilbey" is one of the two). Since I am no scholar of the martial arts, but rather a sort of consumer of them, I can't really tell if they're pulling our legs anywhere in this book. Some of the Okinawan stuff (which I am actually familiar with the history and practise of) was a bit sketchy, or at least poorly explained. I suspect the farther afield these guys get with the arts covered, the more stuff you might find like that. Who is going to check?

I found this book through a memorial to Draeger printed on a martial arts group. I bought several of his books but I am the most impressed with this one. Draeger and Smith do a great job of tackling an intense project. There is an overview of martial arts from around the world. The research for this is amazing. One may have faults with some of their statements but this is still a book that I return to again and again. If you want the history of martial arts then this is perhaps the only real choice. A must for your martial arts library.

Still a classic of martial arts literature after many decades. One reason the book has held up at all to time is simply that both authors are great writers and researchers as well as being accomplished martial artists. The writing has an academic quality not usually found in the martial arts books and magazines, which are often aimed at the lesser lights among us. In fact, I am too embarressed to be seen reading a copy of Black belt magazine nowadays, unless I have it hidden inside a copy of Hustler perhaps.

Yet the book has not held up in all aspects. Since it was written, there have been whole worlds of knowledge opened up to martial arts practitioners. This book was written in the dark ages, when real knowledge was kept hidden and what was taught openly was worse than garbage. Not only have many masters brought their arts into the open, but new trends have developed, new paradigms set, myths destroyed and more.

Something of this scope and quality is sorely needed today. Draeger is dead. Smith hasn't publshed anything recently that I am aware of. It may be up to someone else to do an updated survey of the martial arts.

Still a classic and a necessary part of any MA library.

This long standing classic should be required reading for anyone who practices the Asian Fighting Arts. Both Draeger and Smith do an outstanding job in describing the cultures and the fighting arts that evolved from them. Well written, educational, and very informative this book provides a sound foundation for the Asian Fighting Arts practitioner.

If you are a fight fan, know a fight fan, or have any plans of being a fight fan, buy this book!

It has a lot of great stories and info about his experiences, and the author is obviously very knowledgeable and intimately involved in the fight game. The farther I read into the book, the more I kept saying to myself "I would LOVE to have a beer with this guy and just pick his brain".

After reading the book, I did a bit of research on the author. Check out Eugene's weekly radio show at www.combatmusicradio.com and click on his show Knuckle Up.

Here's a man that has too much time in his life. Good book and good advice. He is definitly full of himself. ( I hope I never have to fight him though!!!)
Well worth the money.

This book stands alone. There have been many books written about fighting and I have read close to 20 of them. This book is the only book that covers all aspects of hand to hand combat. From mixed martial artists, boxers, street fighters, special forces, to greco roman wrestlers and prison survivers. This is not only history and perspective but also how to, hands on information. This book makes other books look like bitches.

Reading this book one senses the writer probably has an endless cache of personal fight stories he chose not to include here, but the ones he does include are totally engrossing. Not being a fighter myself, nor in the least bit familiar with fighting as a sport, this was the perfect first book to read on the subject. After reading it I bought another copy for a friend and the Audio book for myself.

It dosen't matter if your a pacifist or dislike violence.
You could be a nun, a soccer mom, or a back-up singer for John Denver and still find lots of USEFUL knowlege in this read. Useful knowledge that is improtant, the way breathing is improtant. Or the ABILITY to walk away from a fight with your teeth still in your head if you choose to do so. It's always a good idea to fill your head with as much survival knowledge that you can get your hands on, because...you never know. Be prepared, thats' all. Why not?
What if someone were to attack an elderly person right in front of you? If you had your head right you might be able to circumvent that situation. Wouldn't you like to walk down the street with your mate knowing you could hanlde just about anything that could rear it's head at you(minus guns, drive bys, etc).

Robinson gives plenty of reference points for you to sink your teeth into as well. Myself not knowing very much of the pro. and extreme fight world can now at least have a conversation about them after reading this.
There's one or two "controvercial" chapters dealing with knives and someone loosing it and accidently killing another man. These are presented as case studies,as warnings of what could happen if your not thinking, not glorified. Very professional throughout.
Best book of the year.

Oh yeah, if you like the book you'll also want to give [...] a vist. The site has daily music and reporting webcasts from multiple hosts, including this books author Mr. Robinson. Knukle Up!!!

I don't need a book to win against a liberal. I was brought up with common sense and intelligence.

This is a really funny, enjoyable book. It has lots of great quizzes, lists, and do's and don'ts that make it easy to jump into at any point. And I loved all the quotes from Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Great stuff!

A good laugh is an excellent antidote to these times of strife in this post-9/11 world. I'd rather find a reason to laugh than to feel disgusted and enraged in re the current administration.

The contrasting light and trenchant humor is very effective and readers will undoubtedly come away with some new insights. I loved the categories of conservatives and the Hall of Shame was just too funny! While I readily admit that I am no fan of Bush (called the Commander in Thief by the local democrats, which is one of the gentler sobriquets he has earned), I enjoy good, political humor. In fairness, I enjoyed the book about winning fights with liberals. In short, I like political humor.

I picked up a copy of this book before taking a flight home for Thanksgiving. I come from an ultra-conservative family, and figured I could use a little ammunition just in case things turned ugly at the dinner table, like they usually do. I found some surprisingly useful tips, especially the chapter on how to detect logical fallacies. But most of all, the book made me laugh. My favorite parts were the dueling Liberal and Conservative Manifestos ("Conservatives believe in beautiful Hummers befouling spacious skies, amber waves of abstinent teens, and crowning thy good with estate tax cuts"). I'm planning to give out copies to a few friends whose families are even crazier than mine.

A friend gave me this book for Christmas this year because she knew how much I enjoyed ranting about politics. While it is not truly a self-help book, and I doubt anyone will win a fight with a conservative by following its directions, it is an enjoyable little diversion that made me laugh. Daniel Kurtzman is a good satirist and his jabs are hilarious. For instance, he divides the conservative movement into several cleverly named segments:
(1) Rapturfarians--Christian fundamentalists.
(2) Enron-omists--über capitalists.
(3) Big Brethren--militant authoritarians.
(4) Gunfederates--people with confederate flags and gun racks in their pickup trucks.
(5) Spongebob-ophobes--militant anti-gay activists.
(6) Crusadomasochists--imperialistic neoconservatives.
Clever names to be sure, but the descriptions are just as humorous. The rest of the book is just as much fun. I should mention that Daniel Kurtzman is an equal opportunity satirist; he also published in 2007 another guide, "How to Win a Fight with a Liberal," that takes aim at those on the left. It is just as humorous.

Tucker has put together a solidly researched and masterfully written history of not just Notre Dame and the Klan, but the innermost thoughts and manipulations of those who wielded the power of the KKK in its heyday. One does not have to have any association with Notre Dame to enjoy this book. Superbly done

Todd Tucker exploits one of the least known storys of the University of Notre Dame in a great way. He doesn't keep it boring, which i have found most other history books to be. It is a very easy read, but not in a bad way at all. I really enjoyed how he also brought in the history of Notre Dame, which i don't think i really would have known otherwise. Also how he talked about the beloved football team. I couldn't asked for anything less.

The true story of how the teams, faculty and student body
were able to fend off this attempt by the Klu Klux Clan to
destroy the university. An exciting one sit reading.

I am a Notre Dame graduate(class of 1959)and had heard of this clash between the ND student body and KKK, but I knew only the barest details. Therefore, this book was most welcome. It not only covers the 1924 confrontation in almost minute-by-minute detail but serves as a fascinating informal history of both the KKK, especially its post-"Birth of a Nation" spread in the North, and of the University itself from its 1842 founding date. The book should therefore be fascinating to any ND alum, including those of the subway variety, and would probably be of interest to a general readership was well.

Very interesting history of both Notre Dame and the Klan in Indiana, particularly relevant to anyone with an interest in either Notre Dane or the KKK. (We all might have guessed that a prominent member of Indiana society was a Klansman, but who knew that he kidnapped a girl and bit her to death?) Tucker's book is a little less sensational than that previous sentence implies, but this is a nonfiction book that reads with a lot of drama and excitement.

this book tells of history of different special operation forces. however it should go into more detail with each, but i guess this makes a good eye opener of what each group is and how they're different. there were some cool things about the air force, but i thought they could've removed the part about coast guard.

I'm on the chapter about the 10th Mountain Division and so far this book is a great read. I know a lot about SOF but this book tossed in a few things I didn't know. I've never known much about the 10th Mountain Division. And the Coast Guard spec ops guys aren't really special operations. They're Special Operations Capable. I think the Marin Force Recon is gonna be considered SOF now cause they committed a select few to SOCOM in 02. It's about timeis all I can say. The Navy didn't want SEALs under SOCOM's command but look where it's gotten them. Although they lost a lot of men at Patilla Airfield in Panama, they still accomplished the mission. This is definately a good read for anybody interested in U.S. SOF.

I was suprised at how small this book was, but it's still a very good book on US Special Operations Units. It gives a brief history of each unit, describes the selection and training programs, and lists the missions each unit has taken part in. There is also a section on the equipment and weapons they use. This book and "America's Special Forces" by David Boher are probably the two best books on the subject.

I would recommend this book to people who do not have a very good understanding of US Special Forces. For those of us who have a deeper knowledge of the Special Forces that our country employs, I would not recommend this book.

The book reads well and includes chapters on the Army Rangers, Navy SEALs, Air Force Special Operations (Combat Controllers and Pararescue Jumpers), Army Special Forces (Green Berets), Delta Force, Marine Force Recon, Army Airborne, Army 10th Mountain Division, Coast Guard Special Operations, and CIA Paramilitary Forces.

The inclusion of the Coast Guard "Special Operations" is a bit suspect as a special operations group, but that chapter is enlightening and informative.

The book does not go into very much detail on any of the special operations forces so I would only recommend this book to someone who wants a very general overview.

One of the major gripes that I had with the book (besides being overly simplistic) is on page 188. In the chapter about the 10th Mountain Division, the book mentions how a "young Lieutenant Bob Dole was badly wounded. After a couple years in a hospital he would go on to be vice president of the United States..." Umm, am I missing something here or was I asleep when Bob Dole was the Vice President?

Anyway, if you are a stranger to the world of US Special Forces, this is a decent book to get started. However, if one already has a pretty decent grasp of the subject, I would recommend looking elsewhere.

I purchased this book just expecting a general overview and thats what I got. If just want to see an overview of all of America's special forces, this is the book for. If you're looking for lots of detail, find something else (recommend Tom Clancy's Special Forces, Airborne, and Marine)

This is a marvelous book, the picture are clear and the moves easy to follow. Truely a must for anyone interested in high medieval martial arts.

This is an excellent book. Grzegorz and Bart are to be commended for their fine work translating this important medieval fechtbuch. The book contains some of the most important material on medieval unarmed combat and is an absolute must for anyone working in that area. It also contains many plates on longsword, messer and a range of other weapons.

What this book is: An excellent translation of a significant and well illustrated medieval fechtbuch.

What this book isn't: It isn't a guide to medieval fencing. Wallerstein is primarily illustrations. With minimal text and no interpretation, it's up to you to work out what's being done in the plates. If you're like me, this is great. If you're beginner, expecting a book teaching you medieval swordsmanship, this is not that book.

I have been involved in Chinese martial arts for close to 35 years. One day I received a book, in German; Talhoffers to be exact. Many things in their reminded me of things I saw in Chinese arts, and that to my purchase of Codex Wallerstein.
The methods shown in that book, as well as Arte Gladitoria Dimicandi, and Flos Duellatorum are just as effective as any other arts I have been exposed to over the decades.

So much was my interest in these books, that I decided to
write a few articles on the methods I had read about, and these were well received by the medieval martial arts community worldwide. I even got into contact with Grzegorz Zabinski, when I saw, and decoded several of the strange glyphs, or doodles; as I called them, that are shown in the Codex.

This book is for experienced people, and those with an explorer's
mind. If you have previous martial arts skill, you will no doubt
figure out many of the fine methods illustrated within this book.

Be warned however that the explanations accompanying some of the
drawings might be inaccurate, as I have some understanding of medieval German, and a great ability with modern Hoch Deutsch, I found a few gaffs in the manual. When in doubt, look to the pictures!!!!

I give this book a hearty and well deserved thumbs up!!

Cool book on medieval swordsmanship. Nicely translated from an actual historical document. This is an accurate source for enthusiasts of the high Middle Ages. Good illustrations. As the title indicates it covers longsword, falchion, dagger, and wrestling techniques as they were taught in the 14th and 15th centuries. Could have been significantly improved with some more commentary and/or explanation.

Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction

One of the great challenges of studying medieval forms of the martial arts is the fact that there is no school anywhere that preserves the actual fighting techniques of this era intact. While some of the techniques have survived, the decline of the necessity for a gentleman post Renaissance to be a man of arms as well as letters and learning has resulted in much knowledge being misplaced, lost and forgotten. As a result, modern schools of medieval martial arts can, and will, teach you basic techniques, but, as opposed to some of the better preserved Renaissance arts with the epée or rapier, most of the material tends to be appropriate for and focused on purely theatrical fighting. As such, this fighting manual of the late medieval period is invaluable, particularly due to the accessibility of the techniques contained therein.

While others may find this volume a bit advanced for the novice of medieval swordsmanship, I find the pictures and descriptions eminently understandable (and I'm certainly a novice). Frankly, learning any martial art through a book is a bit of a challenge, but, in this case, the manual is extremely easy to follow, which accounts in large part for its popularity in the 15th Century. The text focuses on the REAL art of the fighting man, centering on applications of the long sword, dagger, falchion and unarmed combat, and it's neither "chivalrous" in the modern sense of the word, nor pretty. The techniques within are designed for the professional fighting man, and the full emphasis is on surviving a fight, and not looking pretty while you do it. As such, in using the techniques, you will get cut, without a doubt - some of the holds, particularly in unarmed versus armed combat, and such put your bare skin on the edge of the opponents blade. However, they do increase the likelihood of being the one to walk (or stagger, or stumble) away from the encounter.

From the perspective of one only interested in the historical aspects, the book is fascinating in that it presents facsimiles of the original plates from the book, with a Latin alphabet version of the old German text on each plate, as well as modern German and English translations of the text. It's also fascinating, again, in that this was designed for the professional warrior, and the presumed context in which it would be read, and intent and value system of the reader of the day, is vastly different from what many hold as misconceptions of the period.

Highly recommended!

I'm really not sure about the other reviewers of this book: perhaps one or two of them were actually literate. As Harold Lamb's works go, this one solidly occupies the bottom of the barrel: it can't hold a candle to, say, "March of Muscovy." It is written as for a child, witness the following dialogue: "Genghis happened upon a strange youth. The strange youth was grooming a white horse. Genghis asked the strange youth about his stolen herd. The strange youth said he had seen it. Then, the strange youth mounted his white horse and rode off with Genghis." Mr. Lamb, you must be joking.

Not only that, but the history is doled out in bits and pieces that don't begin to do justice to the khan's biography, whether from a purely chronologic perspective or some other that hasn't yet occurred to me. The book is, in a word, empty. Readers would do much better to consult R. P. Lister, who offers a literate, highly readable, and fast-paced history that is based directly upon the "Secret History of the Mongols," one of the original 12th-century (13th?) source documents. I've also ordered the original Secret History, which should arrive soon, and hope to glean even more local color and authentic anecdote from that document. Time will tell.

I have written as above with my own hand.

Genghis Khan: Emperor of All Men is Harold Lamb's biography of the great Mongol conqueror. In the West, Genghis Khan doesn't seem to get half the attention that European conquerors like Napoleon and Alexander the Great did, even though Khan's accomplishments are much more impressive, both in the sheer area conquered as well as the duration of the empire.

Lamb does an excellent job painting Genghis Khan, the thirteenth century warlord, as a survivor, charismatic leader, and brilliant military strategist. The amount of land he took with the number of troops he had is virtually unbelievable. More impressive is that he left something of a dynasty: his sons and grandsons ruled after him without squabbling amongst themselves. Alexander the Great, by contrast, was scarcely in his grave before there was factional conflict.

Lamb's style is a bit dated (the book was originally published in the 1920s). His writing is lacking in punctuation. Many sentence fragments. And he doesn't always have a good flow to his narrative. He jumps around at times and doesn't satisfactorily flesh out certain things. More context would have been nice, as would have more and earlier background on the Mongol religion. But this is a short work, and on the whole, it's is a great introduction to a massive historical figure that is being forgotten by the West.

WOW! This book brings to life the achievements of a man who had his heart set to conquer! The next time you're driving on a highway on your daily commute to work, look forward into the distance and try to picture how it would've been for an entire army to cross the distance from China to Europe on foot, through deserts and mountains! Forget all about the quick conclusions about "the cruelty of the hordes." That may have been the norm for the dark ages and for times of war. Perhaps Temujin (Genghis Khan) was a greater soul than he is oftentimes portrayed to be. This book is about a leader. It depicts an extraordinary man who had vision, acted on his convictions, inspired his people and led them to victory.

A brilliant recounting of the life of a dominating figure of the 13th century. I am very surprised that the events of the Genghis Khan are not thought in schools. Due to this disappointing fact, I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates large scale conquests and for those who like to study history.

Lamb's histories all read more like historical fiction. He piques your interest and keeps it from the opening page to the very end. Although not a scholarly study of the Great Khan, the book informs as well as entertains.

Christian Henry Tobler presents a lot of information in this work, which some have dubbed the 'german' version of "The Swordsman's Companion" by Guy Windsor. In my opinion, Windsor's work is the better of the two, containing more concise and clear descriptions of the techniques, but since it's about the Italian tradition, Tobler's book is a better choice for those interested in the Liechtenauer tradition.

There are a few bonuses in this book. Not only does he discuss fighting with the longsword, he also demonstrates spear-fighting, medieval grappling, with or without a sword, half-sword techniques, and fighting in armor.

Having bought both his book, and Windsor's, I favor "The Swordsman's Companion" perhaps because Windsor doesn't play dress up while he's teaching swordsmanship.

This is probably the best put together manual on longsword in the German style. If you are looking for a no nonsense approach to getting started with the German longsword, this is your book. Christian Tobler has written this book very clearly so that that someone with no prior knowledge can easily follow, yet it still sheds light on things every time I read it. I have read this book cover to cover at least ten times, and used it as a refrence countless times more. Although some of the techniques demonstrated have been changed or altered due to recent discoveries, this is a must read if you have any interest in learning the German longsword.

This book, or rather this manual makes me smile, and sigh, "at last."
Tobler, has constructed a fine tool to teach his students and a great aid to us.
The book is well laid out, with charts and corresponding photographs, it is however not a stand alone product.
I am quite sure one would think it goes with "Secrets of German Medieval Swordsmanship", and that would be correct. I would suggest however that it is used as a Companion to David Lindholm's "Sigmund Ringeck's Knightly Art of the Longsword", and Tobler's "Secrets" can be used as the source.
With these books most of the practicing WMA community's bookshelves are looking more Respectable, or at least one can tear them both apart and construct one's own drills and focused study.

If you're at all interested in fighting with the two-handed sword this book is THE book to get. Perhaps the best thing about this book is the flow chart for each Meisterhau (master blow). These flow charts explain what to do when your Meisterhau is countered and when your counter is countered (several layers of countering can be found). Once the student has a good foundation he or she can then go back to the original manuscripts (Talhofer's excellent fechtbuch can also be purchased through Amazon, for example) and try his hand at interpreting them (the originals were intentionally murky)

First, just like all the other reviewers, I hope to persuade you to buy this book. Buy it! I'd like to offer a bit more counsel, too, in addition. Another reviewer did make a very correct criticism about the graininess of the pictures, and hoped, he said, that the publisher would correct this solitary flaw. I don't know if it's the only flaw, but it really is a detraction from the author's phenomenal work (not to mention the contribution of his demonstration partner in uncountable hours of posing for shots). This is particularly sad in that this is quite simply the best book you'll find on the subject, and deserves perfect photo reproduction indeed. But, what do you do after you buy this book; do you just read it? Absolutely not! No, you need to buy one or preferably two swords, too, and go to work.

The Internet offers you scads of options, now, but I'd like to offer four for your consideration. I believe the highest quality swords in the world today are made by Albion Armourers, out of New Glarus, Wisconsin. If, however, as for many they are, you find these too pricey to get started, then your next and possibly, if these are your first swords, your very best bet is Craig Johnson at Arms and Armor out of Minneapolis. At a recent seminar of Mr. Tobler's (held in Annapolis, Maryland, and hosted by our local historical swordsmanship club, MASHS), Mr. Tobler and our leader Larry Tom demonstrated the majority of the contents of this book's guidance using Craig Johnson's amazing Fechterspiel swords, which they both proudly own. Craig's creation is still on the high end of practice swords, in price, but simply quite likely worth twice what he charges. If you're looking for aluminum - and there are great arguments for it over steel, by way of safety, lightness and cost, without sacrificing integrity of practice - Charles Jevons' Swordcraft Wasters of Toronto is, I believe, the best manufacturer you'll find. Mr. Jevons may be a bit hard to get a hold of at times, but it's more than worth the effort. But, what if you're interested in lowest cost, and wood instead of aluminum or steel? Carina Cirrincione of Raven Studios makes, to my recommendation, the highest quality, most realistic, best feeling and most reasonably priced wooden swords on the market. She isn't the cheapest at all, but I wouldn't want the cheapest sword, even of wood, myself. At less than $100 each, you'll be very happy with your purchase if you choose Raven.

But, why all that about swords? Because, to read Mr. Tobler's book without a sword in hand verges upon sin. I've had his book for about a year now, and there is no book in my entire adult life I've studied so much, so frequently and with so much benefit. In school, I was the kind of student who loved to try to show up the teacher by finding any error, no matter how tiny. Yes, I was often hated. And, as a reader I find I suffer the same ego-driven weaknesses. (You'll find most self-proclaimed swordsmen suffer some version of this character flaw; we're a self-enamored lot, we are. Mr. Tobler, by the way, may demonstrate less of this than the rest of us, his students do.) And so, in studying Mr. Tobler's book, I've tried and tried to find its weaknesses. My pride hates to admit I've failed. This book is solid. Its structure actually lays a foundation and then builds upon it. Mr. Tobler makes frequent reference, in later sections, to earlier passages. Through many hours of analysis, I've discovered that I simply have to turn back, every time he does this, and re-read the previous section. Not only is every page filled with carefully considered, meticulously worked out detail and technically and tactically precise guidance, the method of skill building, one leading to the next is simply strategically and yes theoretically beautiful. This is a lovely art form presented by the man who may be its greatest student and therefore master, himself.

Two other names you'll soon encounter, once you begin your studies, are Dr. Jeffrey Forgeng, of Higgins Armory, and Guy Windsor of Helsinki, Finland. Dr. Forgeng comes to the greater than 200-year history of German Longsword from the other end, its grand finale in Joachim Meyer's 1570 treatise. Mr. Tobler, here in Fighting with the German Longsword, while covering the entire body of historical guides in his studies, focuses more heavily on the early period, and most especially the von Danzig treatise of 1450. I can't speak to the Meyer guidance, as I've not studied it yet. But, I feel very comfortable building my foundation with Tobler's guide and look forward greatly, as I gain in practice, to the transition to Dr. Forgeng's work on down the road (I'm guessing, if not in 2007, then in 2008, in all likelihood, at my current pace of study.) Don't get me wrong, Mr. Tobler is surely very familiar with Meyer, and surely could teach from that perspective and does give many references in this book to Meyer's grand opus. But, you'll find, if you care at this level, that Mr. Tobler's great love is the von Danzig Fechtbuch. Again though, let me be clear, what you'll find in this book is Mr. Tobler's step-by-step analysis of the system covered by the entire greater than 200-year history of the Liechtenauer tradition. (In case you don't know, the German Longsword is built up from the teachings of one Johannes Liechtenauer, which forms the basis not only of our first such manual, the Hanko Dobringer Fechtbuch [`Fechtbuch' is simply the German term for `Fight Book'] of 1389.) When speaking, Mr. Tobler often refers to "his beloved 15th Century". I doubt many professional historians, which Mr. Tobler is not, could surpass his passion. But, getting back to swordsmanship itself, Mr. Tobler has synthesized a complete theory and method of instruction whereby each tactic he teaches builds upon the previous tactics, growing up to a strategic whole. So, although he may lean a bit toward the earlier manuals, what you'll be learning is his incredible assimilation and recreation of the entire tradition.

I'll go one more step in praise. In studying his book and attempting to implement it, day by day, and especially when I participated in his hands-on seminar, I felt as though I had a level of instruction that may have been superior to anything available to anyone other than those who studied under the Great Master Liechtenauer himself. And, it is even possible, since all those who followed benefited and many may well have advanced the art, that Mr. Tobler's instruction is even better than the original master's was. I'm certain Mr. Tobler will bristle, raging at me for saying this. His respect for the tradition is perfect; and I'm certain he'd never bless such hubris or modern era self-confidence. But, I'm his fan, not his minion, so I get to say what I feel. Take that, Mr. Tobler!

Oh, but what about Mr. Windsor? Well, I also have not studied his book yet, and so I'm not qualified to judge it. Everyone who reviews it praises it greatly. What I can share is that, as opposed to the German Tradition following Master Liechtenauer, Mr. Windsor presents work that attempts to recreate the Italian Longsword tradition, reaching back to 1409 and stemming from the Incomparable Master, Fiore Dei Liberi. When you listen to adherents of the Italian Tradition, they start sounding like they're talking about Michelangelo's Pieta or David. They compare Italian Longsword to Ferraris and German Longsword to, if not Volkswagens, then mere Porsches. I have to confess I'm not able to cooberate or disagree with such claims. There is speculation that Master Liberi may have been a student, at one point, of Master Liechtenauer's, and surely such is quite possible. For my part, I've found the totality, not only of the German Tradition, but also of Mr. Tobler's brilliant synthesis to be such a perfect foundation that I haven't felt ready to tackle the Italian approach, quite yet. I hope to, one day. But, that leads me to my final point. If you buy this book, I'll bet you'll have, like me, at least two year's worth of intense study before you can begin to claim you've plumbed its depths. When I crossed the line into this art, I realized I was making a commitment for the rest of my life. At this point in life, with a little luck, I should have a good strong several decades left to me. In that time, I hope to go past Mr. Tobler's introduction here and through the German Tradition and, when I get there, to turn to the Italian Tradition of Longsword, then. But, if I never get any further than this one book I believe I'll still be able to claim that I am, in fact, a trained swordsman. Now, that's saying something, isn't it? So, I repeat, buy this book. Now.

It is a sad fact that those who should read this book are the least likly to read it. Well written, well researched - excellent.

This is a handy reference for the quick riposte, particularly against the zealot who believes this is a Christian country founded by Christian framers on similarly Christian principles. Considering how early American history is taught in most highschools, there are millions of these folks living in ignorance who are not necessarily fundamentalist in their belief. It's the latter, however, who threaten to turn their ignorance into a jihad against the nation's separation of church and state. Unable to compete with the scientific method, these literalists are working to turn government into an arm of the church, forcing the rest of us into second-class citizenship, at best. If you think this an exaggeration, scope out some of the quotes in Chapter 7 from some of the more prominent spokespeople for the American Taliban.

There's a strong feminist subtext to the booklet. That's understandable since these same anti-separationists are usually the first seeking to herd women back into the kitchen and the maternity ward minus any other options. In that same vein, I'm glad Morgan points out the historical nexus between Hitler's Third Reich and the German churches, both Catholic and protestant (with exceptions), one of whose provisions was to restrict women's rights by law. Needless to say, this is another embarrassing reality that somehow gets left out of highschool history books.

Don't expect too much from this slender volume. It doesn't pretend to depth, but does furnish bibliographical notes for further research. The full texts of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are included. At first, I thought these were unnecessary. But then I changed my mind, considering how remote these provisions are from most of us (myself included). Anyhow, it's time for separationists to start returning fire against these Medievalists whose real goal, I suspect, is repeal of the Enlightenment itself. Morgan has furnished a handy little ammunition belt for defending our Constitutional legacy.

There is no difference between Robin Morgan and right wing pundits- they are simply at different ends of the spectrum. I've read this book twice- and for every quote and writing by our Founding fathers quasi- affirming a separation between church and state, there are 10 which articulate a fundamental and essential role for the Judeo-Christian heritage and faith within American politics and government (Frankly, I am surprised Morgan referenced men at all). These aspects are never shown in the book, only further illustrating the biased appraoch of Morgan.

One is better off reading balanced books which have actual and unbiased discussion points concerning the role of Christian faith within American government than they are reading banterings from burnt-out radicals from the 60's.

I purchased this book because it has all the words in the important documents that made our country so I would have a reference for the separation of church and state and what the founding fathers felt about religion. It's not an in depth book on the subject, but it is helpful to have all the documents like the Constitution in one place for quick reference.

This is an excellent book to counter the thiest who say this country was founded on religious values and beliefs. Our founding fathers were very adament that religion should not be a part of the government. George Washington even passed a law clearly stating just that very thing. I hightly recomment this book to amy American.