Honour and Integrity
I only post reviews of items I feel I can honestly recommend and have personally purchased.
The Latest One
The Spy and the Rodeo Clown by Maija Soderholm.
Swordplay and the third game.
It is slightly premature of me to review this latest offering from Maija, as I am currently only halfway through it. I will post a full review in a few weeks. So far, it has been a great read and an excellent addition to the trinity of books by Maija. I hope all my students and future sparring partners read this book and we can play at a higher level.
The Three
The Collection
The Liar, the Cheat, and the thief.
The Hustler.
The Spy and the Rodeo Clown.
So far, Maija has produced three volumes on swordplay that take a refreshing and clear view of how to prepare and train for sword fighting and martial arts. The clarity of thought and how Maija conveys her expertise are helpful and enjoyable. Further down this blog, you will find my review of The Hustler.
The Fundamental Five
I think These five books are must-haves for students in martial arts, in the order I recommend you read them.
The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi is a great starting point for understanding the mind of someone who successfully engages in combat. My translation is by William Scott Wilson. It is ultra-useful for martial artists, teachers, and businesses, with many crossovers. Business is a form of warfare with slightly fewer direct casualties.
The collection above from Maija Soderholm will show you how to set your goals, train, and play the game successfully. It will produce a more competent fighter and martial artist and has many crossovers to all arts, including empty hands and combat sports like MMA.
For me, Kalis Ilustrisimo, The Archived System of Antonio “Tatang” Ilustrisimo, by Romeo Macapagal, is the master textbook on sword fighting and application. It is highly recommended, even for non-Ilustrisimo practitioners and other martial artists. Everything I know is in this volume, and some of the unknown stuff I did not know has been found and confirmed this year. There is a direct crossover with the Spanish Arts and Culture as well.
Reading is a relaxing activity that helps quench my thirst for knowledge and continued performance improvement. The fundamental five are books I reread each year, some I am always reading, and I am consistently applying new concepts that I took from them in live sparring and life.
I hope you find a similar benefit and enjoy the journey.
Killick Off Road Arts 