Hi folks, I recently picked up my copy of Go Rin No Sho (translated by Thomas Cleary). It was probably the first proper martial arts text I read. definitely the first I brought. I've read it more times than I can remember. Anyways with my fire for Karate fully rekindled and me back to training and coaching I've started reading a lot more material related to Karate and want to build a good library of materials. I ended up grabbing a copy of Pat McCarthy's Bubishi and The Art of Hojo Undo by Michael Clarke. Two fantastic books that I cannot recommend enough for Karateka. I've read a lot of books before but I don't actually own that many and am now wanting to really build a collection (not just to look at but to really eat into and absorb). So from all you folks at MAP, I'm looking to expand my mind and broaden my horizons on the literary front. Do you folks have any recommendations on books that are worth going out and adding to my collection? I'm particularly interested in Karate related works, technical, historical and cultural. But really any martial arts related works would be great. I'd love to know about not just individual martial arts but also their histories and cultures. Maybe even works related to weapon creation (I have a layman knowledge of Japanese smithing but would love to learn more and maybe even other methods from around the world) or how weapons and fighting systems have evolved to present day. So hit me with your best shots guys. I am a bookshelf shaped sponge ready to soak up some written works.
