Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great food for thought on this very important topic!, April 21, 2007
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 Paul Maslak's, "Strategy in Unarmed Combat."
Two particular items that really impressed me in this book were the way the author presented various concepts and principles to consider when faced with a confrontational situation. Although they are not things that are permanently written in stone, they are very useful and a lot of them will need to be modified and adapted a bit to fit each individual person. The second thing that I was very impressed with is the author's belief (and mine as well, to a point) that it is more important to know how to apply a given technique rather than knowing how to execute a given technique.
To a certain extent I understand what he was trying to get across, but I think a better way of looking at it is that the correct execution of a technique and the correct application of that same technique are two side of the same coin. Neither one is complete without the other. Here are the following headings which the author presents his very useful information.
1. The Wisdom:
This section covers such non-esoteric principles as; Yin & Yang, principles of harmony which include the principles of flowing with and redirecting your opponent's force back onto himself. Inner strength which in my opinion seems to be one of the most overlooked principles, is discussed with particular attention being given to learning how to develop ki through breathing and meditation.
2. Position:
This section takes a look at several different principles such as; hit but don't get hit, a fairly good yet brief section on vulnerable points as well as acupressure points, meridians of energy, and ending with a brief discussion on dim mak. I really found the portion of this section dedicated to positional advantage quite interesting and very educational.
3. Generalship:
This section provides you with four basic battle plans to consider for the particular body type that you fall under. The author presents these four body types for your consideration. They are as follows:
a. Longer and Stronger
b. Longer and Weaker
c. Shorter and Stronger
d. Shorter and Weaker
The basic battle plans for each body type is pretty sound although they are not written in stone. They are meant to be basic in nature and then developed according to the needs of each individual person. This is really some good solid information to work with and develop for the individual.
4. Strategics:
This section is absolutely phenomenal and gives some great examples of various strategies and principles to implement in your own martial arts or self-defense program. Here are some of the topics that are covered here.
a. Scientific Boxing
b. Angle Attacks
c. Attacking the Front
d. Attacking the Flanks
e. Attacking the Rear
f. Balance Attacks
g. Surprise Attacks
h. Various types of distractions, etc.
This book ends with an outstanding section on timing and the use of notations such as those you would use in sheet music to improve your fighting ability.
If you seriously read and follow the information presented in this book and its companion book, "What the Masters Know" you can literally see a dramatic improvement in your fighting ability overnight. These books have been in my library for a good number of years and I still refer back to them on a regular basis. Buy them; they're well worth the investment.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great food for thought on this very important topic!, April 21, 2007
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 Paul Maslak's, "Strategy in Unarmed Combat."
Two particular items that really impressed me in this book were the way the author presented various concepts and principles to consider when faced with a confrontational situation. Although they are not things that are permanently written in stone, they are very useful and a lot of them will need to be modified and adapted a bit to fit each individual person. The second thing that I was very impressed with is the author's belief (and mine as well, to a point) that it is more important to know how to apply a given technique rather than knowing how to execute a given technique.
To a certain extent I understand what he was trying to get across, but I think a better way of looking at it is that the correct execution of a technique and the correct application of that same technique are two side of the same coin. Neither one is complete without the other. Here are the following headings which the author presents his very useful information.
1. The Wisdom:
This section covers such non-esoteric principles as; Yin & Yang, principles of harmony which include the principles of flowing with and redirecting your opponent's force back onto himself. Inner strength which in my opinion seems to be one of the most overlooked principles, is discussed with particular attention being given to learning how to develop ki through breathing and meditation.
2. Position:
This section takes a look at several different principles such as; hit but don't get hit, a fairly good yet brief section on vulnerable points as well as acupressure points, meridians of energy, and ending with a brief discussion on dim mak. I really found the portion of this section dedicated to positional advantage quite interesting and very educational.
3. Generalship:
This section provides you with four basic battle plans to consider for the particular body type that you fall under. The author presents these four body types for your consideration. They are as follows:
a. Longer and Stronger
b. Longer and Weaker
c. Shorter and Stronger
d. Shorter and Weaker
The basic battle plans for each body type is pretty sound although they are not written in stone. They are meant to be basic in nature and then developed according to the needs of each individual person. This is really some good solid information to work with and develop for the individual.
4. Strategics:
This section is absolutely phenomenal and gives some great examples of various strategies and principles to implement in your own martial arts or self-defense program. Here are some of the topics that are covered here.
a. Scientific Boxing
b. Angle Attacks
c. Attacking the Front
d. Attacking the Flanks
e. Attacking the Rear
f. Balance Attacks
g. Surprise Attacks
h. Various types of distractions, etc.
This book ends with an outstanding section on timing and the use of notations such as those you would use in sheet music to improve your fighting ability.
If you seriously read and follow the information presented in this book and its companion book, "What the Masters Know" you can literally see a dramatic improvement in your fighting ability overnight. These books have been in my library for a good number of years and I still refer back to them on a regular basis. Buy them; they're well worth the investment.
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by Bruce Lee
by Loren W. Christensen
