Michael Rosenbaum – författare

Finalist - 2004 Book of the Year Award by ForeWord Magazine All too frequently, martial arts practitioners study their art without truly understanding where it comes from, how it was developed, and why it was created in the first place. Indeed, many don't care - and if you feel this way, you should put this book down. For the rest of us, who have taken our art beyond tournaments, it is reasonable to expect that we want to uncover the past. We want to understand the where, why and how of martial art development. We are intellectually curious about our combative history. To study the combative arts is to understand the circumstances of their development and to gain insights into the views and ethics of the societies that created them. As we travel back in time, we see consistent evidence of martial systems being influenced by those that came before and/or invaded. We also see the use of 'pre-arranged' fighting patterns kata to transmit proven techniques from one generation to the next. It is this transmission of martial knowledge, through kata and other forms of communication, that this book will explore.The author will demonstrate that pre-arranged fighting techniques katas were used by ancient Greek, Egyptian, Asian, African and European societies. And that Poetry, Dance, and Song were also significant methods of preserving and transmitting battle-tested fighting tactics through the ages. The purpose of kata training is not to become bound by the form but to transcend the form itself - to evolve.

This book traces the evolution of the Fighting Arts from the 'old worlds' through today's modern societies. It divides it's contents into two parts. "The Early Development of Martial Arts" & "Our Modern Culture and Martial Arts". Part one explores ancient classical fighting arts and the cultural influenced that helped to shape them. Time is spent discussing the differences between civilian and military warfare along with the myths and legends of old. Part two focuses on the assimilation of these "ancient arts" into modern western societies. The segmentation of these arts for the western practitioner along with the role martial arts have in today's society is given prominent attention. A final section discusses the realities of terrorism yesterday and today. *Learn why there are so many martial art styles.*Understand why the military doesn't train "classical" martial arts.*For all styles and all levels of experience.