7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good martial arts book that everyone should own!, March 19, 2007
This review is from: Bruce Lee's Fighting Method, Vol. 3 (Paperback)
Being the author of several books on the martial arts and fighting, I am always looking for books of exceptional quality to add to my library. If I have a book in my library, it's definitely worth owning. One such book is Bruce Lee's and M. Uyehara's, "Bruce Lee's Fighting Method; Volume 3: Skill in Techniques." This book is a direct continuation of the previous volume and will continue where that one left off.
As is stated in the introduction to this and the other three volumes in the series, Bruce Lee never intended for these books to be published. However, since his untimely passing, his wife Linda decided that she would allow them to be published. Something we should all be thankful for.
What I will attempt to do in this review is to give you a well-rounded grasp of what Bruce has written and demonstrated for you in this series of books. Although nothing can replace the value of a qualified and competent instructor, a well written book can still provide you with a wealth of knowledge if you know how to realize it and obtain it.
6. Skill in Movement:
a. Basic principles involved in obtaining and keeping your preferred distance away from your opponent.
b. The 3 fighting distances and what the preferred techniques are for each one.
c. Footwork and how to use it to maintain your preferred distance from your attacker.
d. Don't telegraph your intentions or your movements to your opponent.
e. How to Side-step your attacker.
f. How to effectively duck in order to avoid a blow.
7. Skill in Hand Techniques:
a. How to use your entire body correctly when punching.
b. How to utilize strategy when punching.
c. How to effectively utilize countering techniques.
d. Avoiding bad habits such as; opening your mouth, dropping your hands, etc.
8. Skill in Kicking:
a. The basic principles behind kicking are discussed.
b. How to utilize the Lead leg Side Kick.
c. How to utilize the Slide Forward Side Kick.
d. How to utilize the Roundhouse (Hook) Kick.
e. How to utilize the Turning Back (Spin) Kick.
f. How to utilize the Turning Wheel or Hook (Sweep) Kick.
9. Parrying:
a. Parrying a blow is preferable to blocking a blow.
b. Basic principles involved with parrying.
c. Several various types of parries are demonstrated.
d. Utilizing parrying and counters against punches.
e. Utilizing parrying and counters against kicking.
10. Targets:
a. Discusses the two primary targets you should try and strike during a fight.
b. Fighting is not a sport.
c. A martial art that is primarily sport oriented is weaker than a traditional martial art.
d. A description of various other targets that you can strike as well as the two primary ones.
e. It is better to strike the correct vulnerable spot once, than the incorrect one many times.
11. Sparring:
a. Contact sparring is preferable to non-contact sparring.
b. Various techniques to use when sparring with protective gear.
c. How to use feints, fakes, counters, slipping, and bobbing & weaving.
Like any well written book, as much as you can learn from this book by reading it, you can learn just as much if not more by reading between the lines. I particularly enjoyed the simplicity of what Bruce was trying to relay throughout this and pretty much all of his books. What may work well for one person, may not work at all for another. Therefore, you as an individual needs to research the techniques that are out there and find those that work best for you and use them. Remember, there are no superior martial arts, only superior martial artists.
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