Comprehensive Asian Fighting ArtsFighting 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. |
Common terms and phrases
action aikidō archery areas armed arnis atemi attack became bersilat bladed weapons body bōjutsu bow and arrow boxers Buddhism budō budō forms bugei bushi bushido century CH'EN ch'i CH’UAN China Chinese boxing combat form contests dance defeat defense developed dynasty effective enemy enemy's exercise expert famous fighters fighting arts fist Gama grappling grip hand Hong Kong hsing-i iai-jutsu Indian Indonesia Japan Japanese jōdō jūdō jujutsu jutsu karate kata Katori kendō kenjutsu kicking Korean kris kun-tao kyūdō mainland martial arts master methods military Minamoto modern monks movements Musō naginata ninja ninjutsu nunchaku Okinawan opponent pa-kua Peking pentjak-silat period PLATE popular postures practice reflex bow ryū shaft Shang Shanghai Shaolin Temple skills spear sport staff stick striking student style sumō sword T'ai-chi Boxing T'ai-chi Ch'uan T'ang tactics Taipei target Thai thrust Tokugawa traditional types Wang warrior wrestlers wrestling Yang Lu-ch'an