Synopsis "The Good Fight: The Virtues and Value of the Martial Arts"
In a culture of commercialized, trivialized martial arts, The Good Fight is essential reading."Eloquent and thought-provoking..." -Mark Tankosich, Hiroshima University of Economics; Dan Rank Sho-ha Shorin Ryu and Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei Jodo"Such deep thoughts about martial arts are very rare! ...Excellent..." -Prof. Christof Paar, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany; Kishaba Juku"Thank you for this great book..." -Sensei Jerry Figgiani, President Shorin Ryu Karate Do InternationalPeople make great claims for martial arts: Prevail against deadly threats. Be a champion. Be a hero. Overcome the tangled emptiness of our world. Fulfill the highest aspirations of human life.We have seen those claims in a hundred books, heard them in classes, at seminars, in the movies. How real are they? Are these writers and teachers deceiving themselves?Every serious practitioner will need to come face to face with the reality of what we are doing. Under threat: we do what we need to do. In our life of practice we cannot accept convenient half-truths. We need to know, for sure, how our art works, what we can do with it, and how far can we take it.The Good Fight is a thoroughly researched work of advanced intelligence in martial arts.Insightful and passionate, it restores the missing pieces that were lost as martial arts disseminated through the modern world. Revealing Deep Technique: Principles of Form, Power and Application in Kata and KumiteThe Good Fight gives all martial artists fresh insight into advanced use of body, and full integration of body and mind, which made karate vital, devastating and practical.Accessing new research and deep, first-hand experience, The Good Fight explores the relationship between the three distinct worlds of Zen, Buddhism and east Asian martial arts - revealing how they have interacted, and how they have been alloyed and confused, in the past and in our own time.The Good Fight takes a refreshing look at the origin myths of martial styles.The virtues and value of the warrior spirit have been central to human cultures, ancient and modern. The Good Fight shows how we can use the treasures our ancestors discovered, which are as urgent today as ever, and which are in danger of being lost.In The Good Fight these are not separate issues or realms of experience. Taken together they form the arena of action in which we operate.There has never been a martial arts book with this range and depth. The Good Fight synthesizes technical application, advanced integration of body and mind, combatives, and the legacy of genius - drawing from the cutting edge of science, scholarship, the arts, dojo life, real-world street combatives, and from the great streams that flowed through Asia, Europe, Africa and beyond.The Good Fight is brilliant and passionate. In a culture of commercialized, trivialized martial arts, The Good Fight is an urgent reminder of the virtues and value of authentic martial arts. About the Author: Jeffrey Brooks is a lifetime practitioner of Shorin Ryu karate, and is among the most influential writers on martial arts today.He taught karate to thousands of people at his dojo, while collaborating with martial artists in the US and abroad to restore defensive application and advanced movement to kata. He was influenced by Shoshin Nagamine, Shinzato Katsuhiko of Kishaba Juku, Sakiyama Sogen, Roshi, and others. He teaches at Mountain Karate in western NC.Jeff Brooks served for 20 years in law enforcement, as a police officer, homicide detective, federal task force officer and as a state certified law enforcement instructor in defensive tactics and firearms.He holds an MFA from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, worked on numerous documentary film projects and was a communications consultant for leaders, influencers and public figures in government, business, media and the arts.
