Recommended Reading List - Part 1

Greetings!

While we are practicing social distancing, we’re still hard at work.  While Kyoshi Susalka is filming drills and lessons, I thought I would start a list of books on the martial arts which I recommend. A subject so steeped in history as the martial arts would obviously has a vast array of good books on the subject.   I thought I’d start off with three; a book accessible to elementary school students, one to teens and adults, and one which is a near “textbook” level deep dive.  Without further ado, and in order of depth:

The Martial Arts, by Susan Ribner and Dr. Richard Chin: In the 1980s O-Sensei recommended this book so highly that we actually sold it through the school. This book is an excellent overview of the martial arts in general. It’s written with an eye towards kids being able to read it, but the information is accurate and poignant. Sadly it’s out of print, but Amazon.com typically has at least a few used books for sale. It’s a great introduction to the art, and I recommend letting anyone old enough to read on their own to give it a try.

Karate-Do: My Way of Life, by Gichin Funakoshi: This is an autobiography that most of the senior black belts have read numerous times. Gichen Funakoshi is one of the people responsible for the propagation of martial arts to the world at large. While our own style of Kenpo takes a different path, the contributions that Gichen Funakoshi has made are a major component to the karate school. It’s an excellent historical perspective on the life and mores of the culture that formed our vision of the martial arts.

Martial Arts: Traditions, History, People, by Emil Farkas and John Cocoran: This is really an encyclopedia, and not a book for casual reading. It’s extremely well done and contains hundreds of quality pictures of martial arts of all kinds. It features history, style dossiers, and biographies. We have a copy in the office at the Nashua dojo when we get back! It’s worth flipping through if for no other reason than looking at the vast array of pictures. It’s a hefty book, but you can buy it from Amazon.com used. This is the first book the senior black belts tend to go to when looking something up.

These books are only the first of a long list, so keep an eye out for future recommendations.  Meanwhile, remember that a dojo is where you make it. I went through 1-5 pinian in the backyard.  Stay in touch and keep an eye out for updates on Facebook and Instagram.

Yours In Kenpo,

Hanshi Marsh