Posts Tagged ‘Martial Artists’
Budo: The Art of Killing
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Martial Arts Movie Review
Budo: The Art of Killing
Director: Masayoshi Nemoto
budo: (J, lit. martial way) The way of achieving insight or enlightenment through martial arts.
Budo: The Art of Killing
By now you’re probably getting the picture with regards to the tone and subject of this film. Budo is just about everything a serious Japanophile could want in a martial arts film, including demonstrations of the various budo by highly skilled native martial artists; a serious and fairly accurate treatment of the Japanese martial, cultural, and religious influences that have culminated in what we now know as the modern budo; and lots of anime (okay, that last one I threw in just to see if you’re paying attention).
A Quick Sidebar For A Little Budo History…
While the term “budo” is most often used in reference to the Japanese martial arts in general, I specifically chose the definition above because it most accurately describes the true origins of the term. In case you aren’t aware, the budo (referring to the modern Japanese martial arts, as such) came about as the result of there being a lot of professional warriors around with no one to kill after the total unification of Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate.
Lest all these deadly warriors sit around crying in their matcha until they committed mass seppuku, they began turning to religion to give their lives meaning and direction once more. Thus came about the marriage of the ideologies of Zen Buddhism and early bushido, the so-called warrior code… as well as the blending of Zen Bhuddism and the bujutsu, or “warrior arts” – the original pure fighting systems of Japanese warriors of the classical periods.
The result? Budo, as a moral philosophy, a pseudo-religion, and various expressions of martial art. In fact, this is likely where we actually derive the term “martial art,” since the goal of practicing these fighting arts at this point turned from pure and efficient killing into a physical ritual meant to bring inner peace and calm to the practitioner.
Now, Enough With the Martial Art History Lesson…
Enough history… let’s get on with explaining what makes this such a kick-ass DVD:
First off, this is vintage Fighting Black Kings-era Japanese martial arts. Personally, I have a tremendous amount of nostalgia for these 70’s-era martial arts film documentaries like The Warrior Within, Black Fighting Kings (a.k.a, The Strongest Karate – nearly impossible to find on DVD now), and Budo. These old films treat the martial arts with an air of mystery and respect that more recent television documentaries seem to lack. Indeed, there is a certain elegance about them that has been sorely lacking in the treatment of martial arts documentaries in recent decades…
Second, this is some of the most beautiful footage of Japanese martial arts I have ever seen. The cinematography is fantastic, the backdrops stunning… and honestly, when you watch this movie you are going to see some of the most elegant displays of martial skill you’ve ever witnessed. Also, these folks live it, and I mean LIVE IT. When you see the close up of the tonfa that have been chopped up by swords during practice with live blades, you sort of get this tightening feeling in your lower gut, and you can’t help but think, “Damn, these folks do not mess around!” Then you realize… this is what they mean when they say “budo.”
Finally, the transfer of the footage to this martial arts DVD version has been beautifully executed. To show as much of the original screen action as possible, the distributors chose to display the film in a window box format, which incidentally looks great on a large screen television. Sure, there is some artifact that is visible in the film now and again, which is something to be expected in a film of this age. However, in no way does it detract from the beauty and visual impact of the on-screen action. If anything, I believe it adds to the overall flavor of the film.
All-in-all, whether martial arts aficionado, practitioner, Japanophile, or all three… Budo: The Art of Killing
Click here to get your copy of Budo: The Art of Killing at Amazon…
The New Bible for Martial Arts Workouts?
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Martial Arts Book Review:
Fit to Fight
Author: Jason Ferruggia
I came across Jason Ferruggia’s Fit to Fight
Granted, martial artists need to be in shape – something Bruce Lee was way ahead of his time in pointing out. But it seems like lately everyone and their brother has been releasing martial arts conditioning books, training videos, online courses, membership websites, and on and on…
And to be frank, a lot of it simply covers the same stuff everyone else is doing. That wouldn’t be so bad if the material I’d seen had been written from a solid exercise science perspective (and readable by the average joe – nothing worse than trying to glean useful training information from a book that was written for grad school exercise physiology squints).
Enter Ferruggia’s book. As I sat down to glance through it while nursing a dark roast in a comfortable corner of the cafe, I quickly flipped to the table of contents. “What’s this? ‘Injury prevention’… now there’s something you don’t see in most MMA conditioning guides. ‘Nutrition’ – there’s another rare find in a martial arts workout guide. ‘Supplements: Substance and the Scams’ – okay, now I’ve got to read this thing.”
Fifteen minutes later, I was headed to the checkout with a new addition to my martial arts training library. Just the chapters on supplements and recovery would have made the book worth it (and I paid $20 for mine, but you can get it on Amazon now for $8). But of course, the book is supposed to be about martial arts workouts, right? So let’s talk about Ferruggia’s treatment of that topic… here’s what you’re going to get in this book:
- Info on bodyweight exercises
- Interval and sprint training
- Sandbag training
- Keg training
- Sledgehammer training
- Sled training
- Using rope training for conditioning and fitness
- Tire flips
- Traditional weight training exercises for fight conditioning
- Chins, pull-ups, and straps
- Plyo training…
Should I go on? The book is pretty freakin’ complete as far as what’s covered. And, Jason gives you tables with complete martial art workout routines to follow that put it all together. For $8, you can’t go wrong with this book.
Click here to get Fit to Fight for $8 at Amazon…
- M. Massie
Oh, and another thing… Jason also has a course called Muscle Gaining Secrets that’s all about putting on muscle so you look jacked. He has some pretty dang impressive testimonials on his site, but I can’t personally say whether or not the course is worth the price. But, considering the amount of info he put in his $20 (’er, $8) book, I’d guess that the $77 course he sells on his site is probably worth the cash if you’re a hard gainer.
The Art of Expressing The Human Body
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Book Review: “The Art of Expressing The Human Body”
Author: Bruce Lee (compiled and edited by John Little)
The Art of Expressing the Human Body by Bruce Lee compiled and edited by John Little
Among martial artists, perhaps none is more talked about, argued over, worshiped, and idolized than the late Bruce Lee. Thankfully, he left copious notes and documentation upon his early and untimely death; so much so that his widow appointed author and all-around Bruce Lee aficionado John Little to compile and edit his works into a new book series on the life and work of the Little Dragon.
The Art of Expressing The Human Body
It bears discussion that any book post-posthumously published will garner both praise and scorn from fans and critics alike. While I am the last person willing to enter the street fight that is jeet kune do politics, Little’s detractors should be reminded that the first such book was Lee’s
Tao of Jeet Kune Do
Bruce Lee heads will find this book to be both fascinating and illuminating for all the insight it provides into Lee’s personal daily workouts. Martial arts fitness buffs will certainly enjoy reading the many anecdotes and stories regarding Bruce Lee’s legendary physique and abilities, as well as seeing the actual workouts he did to develop those attributes. And, jeet kune do practitioners of every lineage will find this book to be a valuable addition to their JKD libraries.
Personally, I was skeptical that this work would mostly be derivative of Bruce Lee’s notes, and not substantially of his notes; I was wrong. The book is full of his actual notes and journal entries, interspersed with brief but insightful commentaries by Mr. Little that offer additional insights into the mind and training process of Lee Jun Fan.
I greatly enjoyed reading this book. As a martial artist who was weaned on both The Tao of Jeet Kune Do and Bruce Lee’s Fighting Method, I have a special nostalgia for the works and writings of Lee Jun Fan. Reading his works takes me back to the days when I would spend hours reading, studying, and recreating his workouts in the basement and backyard of my dad’s house in central Missouri.
Now, thanks to Mr. Little’s work in bringing more of Bruce Lee’s notes to the public, I have a whole new collection of Lee’s workouts to experiment with and emulate… and my wife will have ample opportunity to gripe about all the “new” workout equipment I’ll be buying on Craigslist and eBay as well.
- M. Massie
