Customer Reviews

Martial Arts Madness: A User's Guide to the Esoteric Martial Arts

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The book has a pretty sizeable chapter on all sorts of "madness" (in the british sense) that might be associated with those who practice the martial arts (eg. My Martial Art is the SUPREME martial art in the world! syndrome). I am not really interested in the martial arts, but in the esoteric teachings - secrets are always begging for attention. This book has a couple of good meditations by one of Glenn's former students, and a lot of anecdotes from his and his students. I loved the previous two books, and I think this one is definitely worth the time (mostly for the bibliography), but maybe not as good.

Dr. Morris has written a very interesting collection of essays and exercises similar to his first two books and to top that off has included essays by students on their experiences. The inclusion of students is extremeley rare as they offer a proof that this wierdness is teachable and what is even more interesting he includes quotes from people who tried his meditation exercises out and got results but did not train with him. Very different.

Glenn Morris delivers a highly readable and entertaining treatment of the esoteric side of the martial arts. Whether discussing Qi, or the writings of obscure meditative sects, the book comes across as well researched, and well written. The high points are the author's ability to tie together concepts with references from a variety of disciplines, (both in and out of the martial arts), and the catalogue of martial arts stereotypes. This is a great blend of scholarship and practical experience. I highly recommend that martial artists, and scholars of internal traditions such as Qigong or Yoga, read this book.

I only wish the book was longer!! I provided me with a few hours of great reading material. I was especially pleased to see that it contained more meditation techniques and the letters written to Dr Morris were also very interesting to read. I can't wait untill he writes another book! If you haven't read Path Notes and Shadow Strategies wait no longer!

Whenever I heard of a new Glenn Morris book, I eagerly checked it out, bought it, and usually devoured it in a day or two. Some of the items within his books delve into the metaphysical, paranormal, and sometimes just plain weird. His martial arts insights are equally interesting and as an on-and-off student of Southern Shaolin kung fu, I can understand and appreciate the references to ninpo and Bujinkan ninjutsu.

One of the benefits of his previous books ("Path Notes" and "Shadow Strategies") was his ability to explain a process in which he obtained results- for example, his experience with Tien Tao chi kung in "Path Notes." This time around, he does explain a handful of things, but barely enough to whet the appetite for the true "meat and potatoes" of what he's trying to convey. I think by this point, Morris assumes many of the previous readers and fans know more or less where to go for the answers. If not, they know at least in which direction to look. That is the reason for the 4-star instead of 5 star rating.

I don't think that Mr. Morris is dabbling in BS when he explains the esoteric end of martial arts, or his more mystical results while meditating. For those who experience dynamic meditation, and know what that opens up within them, his experiences are interesting, obtainable, and absolutely worth experiencing. I'm almost disappointed in finishing this book as soon as I did.

On a side note, he has quite a reference and "suggested reading" list in the back of the book that is well worth checking out.

Dr. Morris opened up his third book to some of his students and colleagues to report some of their own findings as they tread through parts of the world they didn't know existed, and not just the ones available in a standard atlas. Dropping the 'American Ninja Master' sobriquet that may have confused some readers (and turned off others when the discovered that they would not learn how to 'do the ninja death touch' by reading either book), he changed the focus of the contents more to encourage a spirit of cautious and polite exploration in unknown lands. An entire chapter in the previous book of the series ("Shadow Strategies of an American Ninja Master") is devoted to the various misconceptions about what makes a 'good' ninja or what the purpose of ninjutsu actually is. The ultimate aim of these books, and the more worthwhile martial arts as a whole, is not so much to turn a person into the ultimate killing machine, but to turn a person into a more interesting person, capable of contributing to society in more meaningful ways than earning money, paying taxes, and the like.

Review of "Martial Arts Madness: A User's Guide To The Esoteric Martial Arts" by Glenn Morris. Martial Arts Madness is the third in a series of published books by practitioner Glenn Morris delving into the esoterica of Martial Arts. At the time of this review the book is >12 years old and is out of print. To obtain a copy you will most likely have to pay dear for it. I had read and enjoyed Morris' first volume "Path Notes of An American Ninja Master," Path Notes of an American Ninja Master as well as his second volume "Shadow Strategies of An American Ninja Master." Shadow Strategies of an American Ninja Master It only followed suit that I complete the series. It has been my experience that martial artists fall into two camps: Those that train and believe in the martial aspect for fighting/defense, and those that believe the mind can be conditioned to open doors or "pathways" to new thoughts and inner experiences and awareness in addition to the conditioning of the body. Dr. Morris obviously fell into the latter category. His "Martial Arts Madness" represents the culmination of his understanding that meditation (Kundalini, et. al.) is an inherent part of the martial arts experience. This is a unique book that covers the areas of "Esoteric Budo" to "Chi Sickness" and everything in- between. Although it can stand alone I suggest starting with "Path Notes" to see which side of the martial arts spectrum you fall into. If you have always believed that your martial arts training felt incomplete then chances are you will like this book and it's companions. Well done at ten stars with no reservations or hesitations.

This was a particularly interesting book by Glenn Morris keeping in line with the other books of this series. He touches on some interesting points about ego and "martial arts madness" a term coined by Hatsumi-soke which in part refers to inflated egos of many martial artists regarding their so called superior training or art. Also, he expands the readers awareness of certain meditations from his other books such as those on the micro-cosmic orbit. It is a useful read to martial artists or anyone seeking a path of inner enlightenment.

I could only rate this book 5-stars, because that is the max that the form allows. If you haven't read this Author's other works then you are missing out. If you have, then expect more great stuff from the Doc'. So what are you waiting for, Buy this book and/or suffer the consequences. ;-) Well... You know

This volume is nowhere near as good as Morris' other works. It starts out interesting enough but ends with nothing but letters of praise for how wonderful Dr. Morris' students think he is. Morris can do much better than this.