Martial Arts Madness: A User's Guide to the Esoteric Martial Arts

By Glenn J. Morris

In a series of short, witty essays, jujitsu and chi kung teacher Glenn Morris looks at the vaulted self-importance and sense of indestructibility that the practice of martial arts can engender in its... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1883319773
• ISBN13: 9781883319779
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Frog Ltd
• Length: 178 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.8" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Field Research in the Realm of Esoterica

Dr. Morris opened up his third book to some of his students and colleagues to report some of their own findings as they tread through parts of the world they didn't know existed, and not just the ones available in a standard atlas. Dropping the 'American Ninja Master' sobriquet that may have confused some readers (and turned off others when the discovered that they would not learn how to 'do the ninja death touch' by reading either book), he changed the focus of the contents more to encourage a spirit of cautious and polite exploration in unknown lands. An entire chapter in the previous book of the series ("Shadow Strategies of an American Ninja Master") is devoted to the various misconceptions about what makes a 'good' ninja or what the purpose of ninjutsu actually is. The ultimate aim of these books, and the more worthwhile martial arts as a whole, is not so much to turn a person into the ultimate killing machine, but to turn a person into a more interesting person, capable of contributing to society in more meaningful ways than earning money, paying taxes, and the like.

Whats with the first two reviews?

Dr. Morris has written a very interesting collection of essays and exercises similar to his first two books and to top that off has included essays by students on their experiences. The inclusion of students is extremeley rare as they offer a proof that this wierdness is teachable and what is even more interesting he includes quotes from people who tried his meditation exercises out and got results but did not train with him. Very different.

Another Fantastic Book By Dr Morris

I only wish the book was longer!! I provided me with a few hours of great reading material. I was especially pleased to see that it contained more meditation techniques and the letters written to Dr Morris were also very interesting to read. I can't wait untill he writes another book! If you haven't read Path Notes and Shadow Strategies wait no longer!

A great addition to any martial arts collection.

Glenn Morris delivers a highly readable and entertaining treatment of the esoteric side of the martial arts. Whether discussing Qi, or the writings of obscure meditative sects, the book comes across as well researched, and well written. The high points are the author's ability to tie together concepts with references from a variety of disciplines, (both in and out of the martial arts), and the catalogue of martial arts stereotypes. This is a great blend of scholarship and practical experience. I highly recommend that martial artists, and scholars of internal traditions such as Qigong or Yoga, read this book.

A Work for True Warriors

I could only rate this book 5-stars, because that is the max that the form allows. If you haven't read this Author's other works then you are missing out. If you have, then expect more great stuff from the Doc'. So what are you waiting for, Buy this book and/or suffer the consequences. ;-) Well... You know