A SELECTED MARTIAL ARTS READING LIST
The materials listed here are offered to those who would like to know a little more about the history, philosophy, and practical application of a number of the different martial arts. You are encouraged to read them critically. For the most part these are works that I have purchased over the years at numerous used bookshops during my travels across the United States.
Almeida, Bira. Capoeira: A Brazilian Art Form. 1st Ed. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic, 1986.
Bassett, Randall. Zen Karate. 1st Ed. New York: Warner, 1975.
Brooks, Jeffrey M. Rhinoceros Zen; Zen Martial Arts and the Path to Freedom. Bronx, NY: Fighting Arts, 2005.
Cook, Harry. Samurai: The Story of a Warrior Tradition. 1st Ed. New York: Sterling, 1993.
Cook, Harry. Shotokan Karate; A Precise History. Privately Published, 2001.
Corcoran, John and Farkas, Emil. Martial Arts: Traditions, History People. 1st Ed. New York: Gallery Books, 1983.
Demura, Fumio. Shito-Ryu Karate. 1st Ed. Burbank, CA: Ohara Publications, 1971.
Deshimaru, Taisen. The Zen Way to the Martial Arts. 1st Ed. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1982.
Draeger, Donn F. and Smith, Robert W. Asian Fighting Arts. 1st Ed. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1969.
Enoeda, Keinosuke. Shotokan Advanced Kata. Vol. 1 of first Ed. 3 vols. Thousand Oaks, CA: Dragon Books, 1983.
Farkas, Emil and Corcoran, John. The Dictionary of Martial Arts. 1st Ed. New York: Overlook Press, 1983.
Fraguas, Jose M. Karate Masters. Burbank, CA: Unique Publications, 2001.
Funakoshi, Gichin. Karate-Do Kyohan. Trans. Tsutomu Ohshima. 1st Ed. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1973.
Funakoshi, Gichin. Karate-Do: My Way of Life. 1st Ed. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1975.
Funakoshi, Gichin. Karate-Do Nyumon. Trans. John Teramoto. 1st Ed. Tokyo: Kodansha International, 1988.
Goodbody, John, Editor. The Japanese Fighting Arts. South Brunswick, NJ: A.S. Barnes and Company, 1967.
Haines, Bruce A. Karate’s History and Traditions, Revised Edition. Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle, 1995.
Hatsumi, Masaaki. Ninjitsu: History and Tradition. 1st Ed. Hollywood, CA: Unique Publications, 1981.
Heckler, Richard Strozzi. In Search of the Warrior Spirit. 1st Ed. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic, 1990.
Hyams, Joe. Zen in the Martial Arts. 1st Ed. Los Angeles: J. P. Tarcher, 1979.
Kanazawa, Hirokazu. Karate Fighting Techniques. Tokyo: Kodansha International, 2004.
Kane, Lawrence A. and Wilder, Kris. The Way of Kata. Boston: YMAA Publication Center, 2005.
Kauz, Herman. The Martial Spirit. 1st Ed. Woodstock, NY: Overlook Press, 1977.
Lee, Joo Bang. The Ancient Martial Art of Hwarang Do. Burbank, CA: Ohara Publications, 1978.
Morris, Vince. Zanshin: Meditation and the Mind in Modern Martial Arts. 1st Ed. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 1992.
Musashi, Miyamoto. Go Rin No Sho (A Book of Five Rings). Trans. Victor Harris. 1st Ed. Woodstock, NY: Overlook Press, 1974 Ed.
Nakayama, Masatoshi. Dynamic Karate. Trans. Herman Kauz. 1st Ed. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1966.
Nicol, C. W. Moving Zen. New York: Morrow, 1975.
Nishiyama, Hidetaka and Brown, Richard C. Karate: The Art of "empty hand" fighting. 1st Ed. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle, 1959.
Nitobe, Inazo. Bushido: The Soul of Japan. 1st Ed. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle, 1969.
Offstein, Jerrold N. Self-Defense for Women. Palo Alto, CA: National Press Books, 1972.
Okazaki, Teruyuki and Stricevic, Milorad V. The Textbook of Modern Karate. Tokyo: Kodansha International, 1984.
Oyama, Masutatsu. This is Karate. Trans. Richard L. Gage. 1st Ed. Tokyo: Japan Publications Trading Co, 1965.
Payne, Peter. Martial Arts: The Spiritual Dimension. 1st Ed. London: Thames and Hudson, 1981.
Rielly, Robin L. The Secrets of Shotokan Karate. Boston: Tuttle Publishing, 2000.
Shaw, Scott. The Tao of Self-Defense. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 2000.
Stevens, John. Aikido: The Way of Harmony. Boston: Shambala, 1984.
Tohei, Koichi. Book of Ki: Co-ordinating Mind and Body in Daily Life. Tokyo: Japan Publications Inc, 1976.
Tzu, Sun. The Art of War. Trans. Samuel B. Griffith. 1st Ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1963 Ed.
Urban, Peter. The Karate Dojo. 1st Ed. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle, 1967.
Wiley, Carol A., Ed. Women in the Martial Arts. 1st Ed. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 1992.