Customer Reviews

The Fighting Arts Their Evolution from Secret Societies to Modern Times

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Rosenbaum's approach is far from a how to or how to do martial arts..Instead he explains in a very easy to understand manner just how the fighting arts evolved due to our cultural moors and traditions, not just Asian but other counties as well. From thisfoundation he then clear points out the differences between oldworld battlefield martial arts and their evolution and our modern quasi martial arts that consist of many things most not of a martial nature. It is well sourced and historically correct. He uses various systems and styles as examples of to explain his points, from Tae Kwon Do to JKD, UFC and others well known today. His views are at times blunt in their ascessments of todays fighting arts especially when compared to those practiced 100-200 years ago. All in all I really enjoyed it, found it refreshing,educational and even at times challenging compared to what I have been led to believe about the marital arts.

Imagine reading a freshman English 101 paper on the "fighting arts". Only it's 100 pages long (about [...] per page of main text). That's "The Fighting Arts". Utterly devoid of interesting insights, grasp of history or even enthusiasm for its subject, it reads like the contractually required 5th book in a 5 book deal. Would it interest you to know that Western knightly martial arts included systems of hand-to-hand combat and knowledge of a variety of joint locks? Me too. And now you know just about all this book has to say on the topic, because that's the level of detail offered. Are you vaguely aware that different cultures affect each other over time? If so, you may be over-qualified for this book already. Go to a Borders store, stand in the Martial Arts section and read any 15 page introduction to just about any martial arts book. You'll learn just about all this book has to say.

First off this is the only martial arts book that I've ever seen that has it's forward written by a pulitzer nominee. The approach the author takes is very unique in that he focuses on the development of the fighting arts from cultural perspectives, religon, ethics,warfare, geography, etc and points out how these played key roles in the development of martial arts both of Asian and European heritage. He breaks the book down into two major areas, classical systems and modern ones and then compares the two. If you think that your a fighter on par with the knights of old or the ancient samurai this book will bust your bubble and fast. Likewise if you think that just because you do karate you hold the same mindset as the military elites, Seals, Green Berets, Rangers you will also be in store for some shocks. The book is well sourced, over 100 footenotes and it covers not only civilian fighting arts but those of our modern day military as well giving insights into the differences between them and how they are used. The chapter on Terrorism and its relationship to martial arts was well put and his view of how the fighting arts fit into todays modern world is one well worth considering. At the price you can't beat it. No matter who you are or what you pracitce this book will stir your thoughts. But beware if you think Hollywood has the greatest martial artists that have ever lived, Bruce Lee included, then this book will be a cold slap in the face for you.

The author has good ideas and excellent sources to back up his work. I think it's a very enlightening look at what our modern martial arts truly are and what they are capable of. Those who consider their modern art to be identical in form and purpose to the systems practiced in the ancient past will be disappointed and will likely strongly disagree with Rosenbaum's points. I also appreciate his discussion of Western martial arts. Most people are unaware of the existence of true "martial arts" in Western history, so it is interesting to see some of that information presented as well.
While I enjoyed the book, I only gave it three stars because of the often glaring grammatical errors present throughout the text. Realizing that it is impossible to write a book without such errors, it still seems that a better job of editing would have greatly improved the presentation and polish of the book. I liked the points raised throughout, but I found myself repeatedly having to go back and reread a paragraph because of some the grammatical errors.
Overall, a very good book with some excellent points, but it suffers because of a lack of polish. Worth buying if you are interested in the history and evolution of martial arts rather than just learning new techniques.

It is a book which will make you stop and think about your training. The history he covers is not so long that you get bored with the read and his linking of modern military to ancient warrior traditions is a new trist I think in Martial Arts writing. The sources he quotes, Draeger, Ambrose, Shelby Foote and Keegan bring a depth to the book you normally wouldn't see. I do give it four stars though simply because I'm not so sure that I liked his attitude taken towards modern training. He seems at times overly critical, but still it is a book worth reading.

The Fighting Arts was a very good informational book. I enjoyed being able to go thru and see the oranges of and different stiles form around the world. As I really started my Martial Arts career I gave a speech on martial arts mostly out of what I had learned form that book and some form my Teachers. If you are interested in learning were they came form or you don't know what you want to take you may start by reading this book. As much as you can learn from books, to truly understand it you still need to go out there and try it out under a good Teacher.

How did the martial arts begin? In this insightful and information book, author and martial artist Michael Rosenbaum traces the development of the fighting arts from their ancient warrior beginnings in different cultures, Asian and European, to their practice in modern times. He addresses their evolution, their place in the modern society of the handgun, their use in contemporary sports and their internal spirituality. A special note about terrorism. Clear, concise writing and informative content from a lifelong practitioner of the martial arts and a former member of the 82nd Airborne are among the author's qualifications. Excellent notes, bibliography and index.

Michael Rosenbaum's "The Fighting Arts" is a great little primer on the subject. Just over a hundred pages, the book lays out the development of martial warfare, both Eastern and Western, with an introductory examination into the complexities and nuances involving politics, religious rites, and modern developments. He handles these items with flare and simplicity, making this book a great introductory read; however, as with any primer, it cannot be considered the last word on the subject nor does it really explore the cause, successes and failure so certain campaigns. Of course, it is not the books purpose, but it is a noted problem.

He also shows how fighting systems become transactional, transplanting form one culture to another. For such a heavy subject, he does a nice job in simplifying it for the reader. Interesting notes are also from society to individual martial adaptations and emphasis. He touches briefly on things such as myth and rites of passages.

A special note is that he addresses the new cultural myths of what and who are a superior martial artists and systems. He uses Bruce Lee as a main focus since so much has been written and said about him. After all, Bruce is a cultural icon that did popularly promote the martial arts through film. While is critique of the Bruce lee phenomena is brief and could have been a little more developed, his over all points about the overstatements of Bruce Lee are appropriate. It brings a balance to the Bruce Lee cult status so many have bestowed upon him (and I say this as Bruce Lee fan).

His further critique that modern mass media have created one dimensional heroes and myths is also well worth noting and very accurate. It is a sad fact that the further we have come along, the less sophisticated our stories have become.

He is influenced greatly by Bando, which is noticable when discussing martial artists and he does cite some of the same resources extremely often, which suggests he did not investigate some items further. All in all, as a primer, it holds up pretty well.

The Fighting Arts: Their Evolution From Secret Societies To Modern Times by Bando, Judo, and Boxing expert Michael Rosenbaum, provides the interested reading with a fascinating and informative survey tour of martial arts from the depths of history down to the modern day. From the ancient cultures that first helped shape these personal combat arts to their assimilation into contemporary Western society, The Fighting Arts covers the changes in the styles, the reasons why the modern military doesn't train in "classical" martial arts, and so much more. The Fighting Arts is a wealth of information and reason, and confidently recommended for anyone looking to learn more about how these martial arts came to be what they are today.

It seems that this book picks up with the same theme as his last:Okinawas Complete Karate System Isshinryu. Except in this book (Fighting Arts) he explores not only the foundations on which Asian fighting arts were laid but European ones as well. He clearly points out that the long held belief of the KNights and Samurai being Honerable and noble men who fought only for good is a big myth. His examination of the modern military and its hand to hand combat systems is very enlightening. The author makes no qualms about stating up front that your Ranger Marine or Paratrooper will shoot first, and go hand to hand only as a last resort. Likewise his examination of the role played by modern day systems points out that much of what we do would have little or no place on the battlefield be it either during pre 20th century times or even todays. His approach is very inclusive covering not only karate, but Judo, Tai Chi, Bando, Silat and the UFC stuff as well. I'd buy the book just for the bibliography alone. It's one that will definately make you stop and think about what your training is for.