While looking through some books and trying to decide on what should be the first book that i should review and talk about, it was not hard to see which one should be first on my list. Reading is an essential part of your martial arts path, as i have already informed you in a previous post. The book that i talk about today is a very influential book, and has been used for over centuries upon centuries by generals. It is a very famous book that a lot of martial art masters know of and use. That book is:
- The Art of War by Sun Tzu
This is a great book that talks about tactics and strategy. Of course he uses it for the more “glorious” purpose of war, but it can be viewed as a martial arts book as well. It was written in the 6th century B.C. by a man by the name of Sun Tzu who was a heroic General in China. He was very successful in battle and even though he is still debated over of being a real historical figure or not, we can learn that he was an excellent strategist nonetheless. We can tell that he was one of the best generals at the time just by reading his book, and can understand how we was able to win wars during his time. Now though, in this modern era, we are able to apply his tactics and strategies to a new playing field.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_War#Quotations
The book “Art of War” is supposed to give the reader an analytical stance on how to fight or spar with an opponent tactically. One main example of this is from his book were he talks about when to attack your opponent. Sun Tzu says that you should strike your opponent either before or after their attack. They are most vulnerable when they are concentrating on their attack and when they are on their retreat from an attack, so you should take advantage of this and proceed to make your advancement.
Also in the Art of War Sun Tzu also describes the use of information. He says that you should know your enemy as much as you know yourself. If you can know his every weakness, strength, and ability, you are able to overcome him easily. This works the same with martial arts in the sense where if you know your attackers weakness, and strengths, you are able to understand how to manipulate your opponent and exploit his weakness to your advantage. This book is very interesting and I encourage anyone to pick it up and read it. It can become a useful tool for your martial arts training and can help you overcome your opponent in the ring with ancient old strategies.
This is not only ancient old strategies, but a mindset as well. You are able to understand how he arranged his soldiers on the field of battle and how he was able to successfully overcome his foes. You are now able to do the same, but in a more modern sense. This book has passed down through generations, a teaching that has lived on through many legacies. Even though its reader has changed and the context into which it was meant for, those fundamental values and teachings still remain. So I hope you pick up this book and give it a read and learn something from it as I did.
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