Description
Book Synopsis''If I had to pick a single general martial arts history book in English, I would recommend A Brief History of the Martial Arts by Dr Jonathan Clements''
RICHARD BEITLICH, Martial History Team blog
From Shaolin warrior monks to the movies of Bruce Lee, a new history of the evolution of East Asian styles of unarmed combat, from Kung Fu to Ninjutsu
Folk tales of the Shaolin Temple depict warrior monks with superhuman abilities. Today, dozens of East Asian fighting styles trace their roots back to the Buddhist brawlers of Shaolin, although any quest for the true story soon wanders into a labyrinth of forgeries, secret texts and modern retellings.
This new study approaches the martial arts from their origins in military exercises and callisthenics. It examines a rich folklore from old wuxia tales of crime-fighting heroes to modern kung fu movies. Centre stage is given to the stories that martial artists tell themselves about t
Trade Review
I defy anyone to come away from this book without a deeper knowledge of all martial arts. * http://blog.alltheanime.com/books-a-brief-history-of-the-martial-arts/ *
[Clements'] final conclusions surprise . . . leaving the reader satisfied as well as educated. -- Hugh David * MyM magazine *
A detailed study of the interaction between folklore, nationalism, religion and politics in the east Asian martial arts . . . refreshingly frank. * NEO magazine *
This is the book I recommend if you want a single volume on martial arts history based on sound evidence and sourced research. I highlighted so many sentences in my Kindle edition that I ran over Amazon's limit! . . . it's an absolute steal and would make a great gift for any martial artist. -- Richard Bejtlich, Martial History Team blog * Martial History Team blog *
