Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts

by Donn F. Draeger and Robert W. Smith

Book Overview

Fighting arts are as old as man himself and as varied as his languages. In Asia they developed to a degree of effectiveness probably unsurpassed elsewhere in the world. This book explains the relationships between fighting arts, assesses their strengths and weaknesses, and presents new material about hitherto unknown fighting methods. Written by two of the best-known and most widely published authorities in the field, it covers fighting methods and techniques found in eleven Asian countries-fighting techniques that range from the artful Chinese tai-chi and Burmese bando to Japanese jujutsu and the lethal pentjak-silat of Indonesia.

Documentation of these has been supplemented with a wealth of fascinating anecdotes. The reader learns of the daring exploits of the Japanese ninja, of Gama, perhaps the greatest of the great Indian wrestlers, of the Indonesian "trance" fighters-and hundreds of other tales that serve to illustrate some of the most deadly fighting systems that the world has known.

The volume is illustrated with over two hundred photographs and drawings, many of them depicting combat styles and techniques that have never been seen in the West.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0870114360
• ISBN13: 9780870114366
• Release Date: January 1981
• Publisher: Kodansha
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 1.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 10.1" x 7.2"

Customer Reviews

Outstanding

This long standing classic should be required reading for anyone who practices the Asian Fighting Arts. Both Draeger and Smith do an outstanding job in describing the cultures and the fighting arts that evolved from them. Well written, educational, and very informative this book provides a sound foundation for the Asian Fighting Arts practitioner.

An Outstanding Martial History

The late Donn Draeger and Robert Smith produced a classic text on the Asian martial arts and the many cultural influences that have spawned a following all over the world. The book was written in 1969 and therefore, most of the history on the arts is pre-mid 20th century.The different arts are catagorized by the countries from which they sprang. This approach is effective and enjoyed. Because of this approach, the reader enjoys the culture of the country and can betetr understand how the "arts" developed the way they did.Further, this book is unquie in that smaller countries which have contributed greatly to these fighting systems have chapters devoted to them. Countries like Burma and India are not overlooked as what so often happens in martial arts books.Passion and history are intertwined as we see the different forms of combat come alive on the written page and discover the unquie cultures in which they developed. A martial arts must.

Between an History book & a Encyclopedia, ...

"~... everything about Martial Arts ! the local arts, their history, the local weapons (with drawings...). A must in your library.

The Best book ever.

It is not one of those book that you just read once and then it is not interesting anymore.No,it is the opposite.I must have read it more than 4x and I still enjoy it!It very detail. You will not be disappointed. Goes over many great, historical fighting arts. I also recommand THe Original Martial Arts Encyclopsdia.

A great book!!!

One of the best books on the fighting arts of Asia, and the world. I enjoyed this book very much. It gave me a real understanding about the different styles of the combat arts. A must for every martial artist!!!