Most of what are referred to as Korean martial art styles are actually derived from Japanese/Okinawan karate systems or find their roots in Chinese boxing. The Korean peninsula has existed as a fragile territory between China and Japan and thus shared many cultural elements from their neighbors. To what degree has the Japanese and Chinese arts influenced those practiced in Korea over the centuries? Can we distinguish any original Korean martial art style? Chapters in this anthology are derived from the Journal of Asian Martial Arts specifically in response to such questions as asked above. The authors provide great detail on the military/martial manuals that recorded both battlefield arts and personal combative arts and use these sources to give a picture of the martial traditions practiced in Korea for hundreds of years. In chapter one, Stanley Henning provides an excellent overview of martial arts in Korea since the earliest dynasties. These include bare-hand arts as well as those with weaponry. His overview illuminates the time and place of highly influential military manuals as discussed in the chapter by Manuel Adrogué. John Della Pia’s two chapters focus on a particular manual—the Muye Dobo Tongji (1790)—providing details of open-hand and weapons training, in particular with the unique Korean “native sword.” Two chapters provide the theory and practice of qigong methods for health and martial effectiveness. Dr. Patrick Massey et al. offer results on the use of breathing methods affecting lung capacity. Sean Bradley’s chapter goes deeply into the medical theories that parallel the practice of Sinmoo Hapkido’s qigong methods. The final two chapters focus on practical fighting applications from Hapkido. Marc Tedeschi’s chapter provides sound advice for self-defense against multiple opponents. In addition to detailing principles that give any defender a helpful advantage, Tedeschi shows nineteen examples of techniques against two, three, and four opponents that include pressure point striking, throws, arm bars, locks, and a variety of kicks. In the closing chapter, Sean Bradley discusses a few of his favorite techniques, where he learned them, and why they are memorable. Rich in historical details and practical advice, this anthology will prove to be a prized reference work to all interested in the Korean martial traditions.

A needle may draw a thread through printed pages to bind a book. In this little memoir, I feel like a needle that drew a common thread though a segment of martial art history. This book details three interrelated activities: (1) martial art studies, (2) involvement as founder of Via Media Publishing, producing a quarterly journal and books, and (3) teaching martial arts. Publishers, writers, researchers and serious martial art practitioners will benefit with the detailed overview of Via Media and its publications. Via Media produced the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, known for its high academic and aesthetic standards. Its contents reflect the history of two decades and provides rich information for practitioners and scholars, making The Best Fighta valuable reference work. In addition to reading, the primary way to learn a martial art is through instruction. In reading about my studies and teaching experience, readers can relate to their own involvement in martial arts. What is important here is the portrayal of my instructors, their teaching methods, and reasons for being involved in martial arts. Their accounts should offer insights and inspiration for others who study and practice any martial art.

The Complete Martial Arts Training Manual is a complete guide for anyone who has an interest in the martial arts. Having a broad knowledge of the various techniques of the martial arts gives a martial artist an expanded ability to counteract a variety of attacks and overwhelm an opponent's defenses. Author Ashley Martin shares with the reader his years of experience as a practitioner and teacher. He provides a catalog of the various martial arts being taught worldwide and their strengths and weaknesses. He then covers the basics of hand-to-hand techniques within each of those disciplines, from strikes to ground fighting. Finally, he offers information on the overall health and well being of the martial artist, including important nutritional information and stretching techniques. The Complete Martial Arts Training Manual is a solid foundation of martial arts for beginners and a key supplement for the veteran martial artist.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the historical, political, and technical evolution of taekwondo. Many of the supposedly ‘traditional’ and ‘ancient’ Korean cultural elements attached to taekwondo are, in fact, remnants of East Asia’s modernization drive, and largely inherited from the Japanese martial arts. The current historical portrayal has created an obstacle to a clear understanding of the history of taekwondo, and presents problems and contradictions in philosophy and training methodology. Using rich empirical data, including interviews with leading figures in the field, this book brings together martial arts philosophy with an analysis of the technical aspects and the development of taekwondo, and provides a detailed comparison of karate and taekwondo techniques. It debunks nationalistic mythology surrounding taekwondo to provide a reinterpretation of taekwondo’s evolution.

A step-by-step aooroiach to applying the Japanese warriors mind set to martial training and daily life.