The following highly recommended books may be purchased directly through Amazon.com. Just "double-click" on the title to order. Amazon.com can usually ship within 24 hours. Check with Amazon.com for their current prices.

If you'd like to read some great articles by respected martial artists, click Articles Worth Reading to go to the last section of this page.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.  Although this is not a martial arts book I highly recommend it because it establishes validity to the oriental concept of mushin. Through various validated "western" research, Dr. C, [as he is known to his students], presents a concept known as the "flow theory" which is identical to the concept of mushin. As with mushin, the flow theory can also be applied to your daily life.

Dan Carrison and Rod Walsh, Semper Fi, Business Leadership the Marine Corps Way, Amacom, NY, 1999, ISBN 0-8144-0413-8 $22.95. Want to develop sound leadership and solid loyalty? This book clears up many of the misconceptions of USMC training and brings the same form of positive supportive leadership into the civilian and business world. Leadership is more than just telling people what to do. Leadership is established by being in the front lines with all your "troops". It's you're willingness to get your shoes just as dirty as anyone else's while providing an example of being out in front and at the same time making sure that everyone is up there with you. You, the leader, are the example! It is extremely well-written and should be in any top sensei's book collection. Dan Carrison is one of my Black Belts. I recommend this book to all my black belts!

Thomas Cleary, Soul of the Samurai. This is one of three books I picked up as I was interested in Yagyu Munenori. It contains a slightly different translation of "The Killing Sword", "The Life-Giving Sword", and "No Sword". Why read different translations of the same writings? Because I think you get a more accurate interpretation  of a writer if you read different interpretations of his original writings. [Of course, if I could read Japanese then I could read the original writings by Yagyu Munenori.

Don Cunningham, Secret Weapons of Jujutsu. In his first book, Don Cunningham places considerable emphasis on the history and use of the jutte. It has lots of great pix of various jutte & other related weapons. This is an essential book for your library if you're into weapons.

Don Cunningham, Taiho-Jutsu: Law and Order in the Age of the Samurai. This is Don Cunningham's second book dealing with the jutte as well as other arrest techniques from the samurai of the Edo period in Japan. Cunningham sensei provides a great deal of insight into how life was conducted during the Edo period. This book is well written, has excellent drawings of jutte techniques, and is easy to read. Get yourself a copy and sit down for some enjoyable reading.

Tri Thong Dang, Beyond the Known: The Ultimate Goal of the Martial Arts,  Although the author presents the "ultimate goal" from his perspective, what author doesn't? This is worthwhile reading from a highly knowledgeable and experienced sensei

Taisen Deshimaru, The Zen Way to the Martial Arts. There are many good books dealing with Zen. I chose this one because it was straightforward and devoid of interpretations and examples which may limit your thinking because they give you a false sense of direction. It is well written and you can easily see how Zen can apply to your life and lifestyle.

Kensho Furuya, KODO: Ancient Ways, Lessons in the Spiritual Life of the Warrior/Martial Artist.  I had the privilege of meeting Rev. Kensho Furuya through the LAPD Civilian Martial Arts Advisory Panel, of which were both members. Furuya Sensei always impressed me as being soft-spoken and completely dedicated to his art and the martial art. KODO is extremely well written and thought provoking. That is what I believe he meant it to be. Furuya Senseis writing is easy to follow while causing a great deal of self-reflection at the same time. He makes good use of Japanese history and well-placed analogies to prove his point or that of other well-respected sensei. I think that it is the simplicity of what he says that brings clarity to complex western thought regarding the martial arts philosophy. KODO; Ancient Ways will be a welcome addition to my library of books on philosophy. I urge you to read this book. It will help you understand your art and your life. Does the teacup really reflect the moon?

Jay Gluck, Zen Combat [& the Secret Power Called Ki]: Personally Oriented. This is an interesting book for someone wanting a different overview of the martial arts. It's not always available - but it's a great book to get! 

Wally Jay, Small Circle Jujitsu. This is a "must have" book for anyone seriously interested in Ju-Jitsu. Prof. Jay presents his small circle theory which works on the concept of efficiency and minimal movement.

Stephen F. Kaufman, The Art of War.  Whether you're on the mat, on the street, or in the business world, you need to read and master the concepts of this book. Strategy, planning, knowledge of the opposition, and the efficient use of resources are a requirement for any form of success in the world.

Yagyu Munenori, The Way of the Living Sword: The Secret Teachings of Yagyu Munenori,  [trans. by D.E. Carver]. This is another translation of Munenori's writings.

Yagyu Munenori, The Life Giving Sword: The Secret Teachings from the House of the Shogun, [trans. by William S. Wilson], This is probably the most enjoyable translation of Yagyu Munenori's writings and the first one I read. Once I read Wilson's translation I was curious as to what other translations also said.

Miyamoto Mushashi, A Book of Five Rings.  The world flows along many pathways. This book presents a clear approach on how you can guide your life. Although it's a short book and is deceptively easy reading on the surface, its concepts lead to serious thinking and evaluation of what you've read. This is also another book you need to read for philosophical growth and success in your life.

Inazo Nitobe, Bushido The Warrior Code.

Peter Payne, Martial Arts: The Spiritual Dimension.
 

Steven Pearlman, The Book of Martial Power: The Universal Guide to the Combative Arts. When I first read this book it blew my mind. It seems that Steven and I were almost on the same page as when I wrote Advanced Jujitsu: The Science Behind the Gentle Art. In fact both of our books were published in 2006. Although my approach at dealing with universal concepts came from my background of ju-jitsu, Steven's approach evolved from the "hard" arts. What is absolutely amazing is that both books not only inherently support each other, but each book covers different aspects of the same issues. It's almost like we got together before writing our separate works and splitting up the task. I also believe, that as Steven said, both books are an unintentional reaction to the current MMA trend. Traditional martial artists recognize the need to start looking at universal concepts of how and why techniques work. It is the ability to present this information that will confirm the validity and strength of the traditional martial arts. It also shows how the same concepts are used by the MMA and may lend some sense of common structure to that area as well.
     The Book of Martial Power, much like Advanced Jujitsu, will take some time to read and understand. To get the total picture you've got to read both books.

Oscar Rattl & Adel Westbrook, Secrets of the Samurai: A Survey of the Martial Arts in Feudal Japan. If you want a good detailed history of the martial arts in Japan this is an excellent resource/ It gets bogged down in details at times [that are interesting] but it's still an excellent resource that includes insight into this period of Japanese history.

Katsusuke Serizawa. Tsubo: Vital Points for Oriental Therapy.  Believe it or not I actually found the hardback version of this book [now out of print] at the Japanese Pavilion in the EPCOT Center, Disneyworld, Florida. This is probably the best resource for pressure points that I have ever found. It is also a exceptional resource concerning Oriental pressure point therapy. If you can find this book BUY IT! The copies at Amazon are paperback only.

William S. Wilson [trans], Budoshoshinshu: The Warrior’s Primer . . . .