Recommended reading for the martial arts. This is my personal library list. I practice Okinawan Te or "Ryukyu Ti." My system is derived from two others, one being the main influence of Shorin-ryu and the second Goju-ryu. The branch under Shorin-ryu is Isshin-ryu as developed by Shimabuku Tatsuo Sensei.

I wanted to create a library reference blog where I can provide a listing of the books I have in my library, present and past (past in that some have been lost in transit over the years). I will provide a graphic, if available, a short description, if available, and the bibliography. When possible a link to Amazon will be provided.

"Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider..." - Francis Bacon


Reader's of this Blog

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Quiet


Bibliography:
Cain, Susan. "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking." Broadway. New York. 2013. 

Review: Reading this book led me to some things of interest for training and practice but more importantly the SD aspects. It deals with how we are programmed by both genes and environment. It deals with whether a person is either a high-reactive or low-reactive person. It deals with introversion and extroversion along with the amygdala storage and later influential abilities (lifetime of stored associations). 

It must be understood that these influences matter and that one can train themselves to overcome them but occasionally it does not work leaving you subject to those stored associations. What the ? am I talking about?

Well, you will have to study the material yourself to get the full picture and idea behind this post. I know instinctively that this matters and it may help sensei work with practitioners to achieve the best results possible in their training and practice toward self-defense. Knowing how this entire model works within those persons be they of an introverted or extroverted nature (and all levels in between) or of high-reactive or low-reactive nature will tell you how you can possible gear things toward greater understanding and ability in a SD situation. 

I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially those who teach be it martial arts or any life discipline. 

Thursday, April 11, 2013

The Power of Intuition


Bibliography:
Klein, Gary. "The Power of Intuition: How to Use Your Gut Feelings to Make Better Decisions at Work." Doubleday. New York. 2003.

Review: Awareness, one of the many fundamentals of self defense especially through the martial arts, classical or traditional. Intuition, subconscious, cues and patterns are but a few terms you will encounter in this excellent book. Highly recommended to read and use in reality based training and practice. 

I found this book most enlightening and discovered many ways to explain how we develop these traits to better serve in the combative and defensive arts.