The Way of the Warrior: Martial Arts and Fighting Styles from Around the World (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: hybrid martial art, ling lom, muay boran, Bruce Lee, World War, Hong Kong (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Drawing on the vast body of styles practiced around the world, including ancient and obscure styles from every continent on the planet, The Way of the Warrior is an indispensable, one-stop reference work for anyone interested in the martial-arts canon. The Way of the Warrior is divided into seven sections, with each section focusing on the indigenous and imported styles synonymous with a particular geographical region. Styles are listed chronologically by the date of their founding or first documented evidence, and feature signature moves, biographies of founders and famous exponents, guiding principles, and spiritual influences.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT; Ill edition (September 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756639751
• ISBN-13: 978-0756639754
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 10.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #148,976 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Pix; Historically Inaccurate, October 9, 2009

By	David Orman "Systema D." (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The photos that are included in this book may well worth the purchase. They are stunning and dramatic. Beautiful.

If you simply are looking at the book from this visual perspective, it is worth the purchase. However, there are so many inaccuracies noted that it would take another book to point them out or correct them. This is very disappointing since it really detracts from what could be a landmark book. It seems as it the author had the magnificent photos and simply did a quick cut & phase of historical information, disregarding the source and the seemingly countless inaccuracies. The author would have better served the public if he had a group of people who knew how to do research fill in the details of each art, checking for historical accuracy.

I wish these were corrected because it has the potential for a 5 star book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Reference Book On Martial Arts Around The World, October 20, 2008

By	Shawn Kovacich "Author of the Achieving Kicki... (The Greatest Little City in the World) - See all my reviews

Although the information provided in this book is very brief, it does do a terrific job on giving you a really good yet basic overview on pretty much every martial art known to man throughout the world. Now I am quite sure that not every martial art was included in this book, I would be hard pressed not to agree with the statement that at least 90+% of them were included in this book.

The author provides you with some pretty amazing color and black and white photographs on glossy paper to really enhance their effect. Although this may not be a book that you can learn a particular technique from, it is definitely a book that you can learn something from.

Shawn Kovacich
Martial Artist/Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Visual Smorgasbord of Martial Arts from Around the World, October 22, 2008

By	Alain B. Burrese "Author, Speaker, Mediator, ... (Missoula, MT) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

The first thing that stands out with Chris Crudelli's new book "The Way of the Warrior: Martial Arts and Fighting Styles From Around the World" is the stunning photographs throughout the entire volume of this coffee table sized visual smorgasbord of martial arts from around the world. It is fascinating to browse and marvel at the wonderful pictures that fill almost every page of this oversized 360 page tomb of martial art information and splendor.

This magnificent visual guide to the martial arts is divided into seven sections, with each section focusing on the indigenous and imported styles synonymous with a particular geographical region. These sections include: India and South Asia; China and East Asia; Southeast Asia and Oceania; Japan and Okinawa; Europe; Africa, Middle East and Central Asia; and finally The Americas. In these seven sections there are descriptions of more than 300 fighting styles. Included are the obvious well known martial arts such as Judo, Karate, Taekwondo, and Aikido. But also included are little know obscure arts like Aki Kiti, Ba Ji Quan, Mizongyi, Taekyon, Banshay, and many others. The book is truly a fascinating look at more martial art styles than most people ever realized existed. Pictures range from ancient drawings, old photographs, and modern photos of stunning displays of martial prowess with fascinating backdrops. There are action shots from competitions and martial art demonstrations as well as those from training sessions and ancient training halls and temples. I can't stress enough what a visual feast this book is for the martial art enthusiast.

The text includes descriptions of the various fighting styles as well as notes on key players in the arts history as well as modern masters. The book illustrates key weapons the various styles are known for and describes the main principles and theories behind the styles. Obviously, due to how the book is organized, the country and culture of each style is also provided. These descriptions are brief, but make for a very interesting overview of the arts to accompany the great photographs.

Scattered among the descriptions and colorful pictures are quotes that capture the spirit of the various arts and warriors who devised them and helped shape the styles into not only methods of fighting but for many a way of life. I was glad to see one of my favorite quotes from Karate Master Gichin Funakoshi, "The ultimate goal of karate lies not in victory or defeat but in the perfection of the character of its participants."

This book is truly a work of art and a wealth of information. It could easily take a place on the coffee table of any martial artist, or a professional lobby or school front for anyone who practices the arts. And it is definitely a marvelous addition to any martial art library. I sincerely thank Chris Crudelli for putting such a book together. I highly recommend this for all martial artists and those who follow the warrior's path.

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice.