The Book of Martial Power

Across the various martial arts, basic principals about the body in combat lead to different, often contradictory, philosophies and techniques. A practitioner of Judo might advocate grappling, reasoning that most fights converge into close range after a short time, making grappling the most effective technique for defeating an opponent; an advocate of Tae Kwon Do, however, would argue that one should strive to maintain a distance in an encounter that would allow one to use one’s most powerful weapons, the legs. Both are reasonable claims. As a lifelong student and teacher of multiple styles of martial arts, Steven Pearlman has sought to distill from these disciplines not a fusion of techniques, but rather a compilation of fundamental principles that can guide the individual martial artist to the ideal action. Through his exploration of a set of basic principles as physical as "spinal alignment," "the triangular guard," and "breathing," and as spiritual as "the void," "the body-mind," and "character," Pearlman arrives at a path to martial power open to all martial artists, a path that crosses the boundaries of style without bastardizing the techniques of the original disciplines. The Book of Martial Power will capture the minds of martial artists and anyone interested in finding a path to success that is not beholden to a specific form but is instead driven by fundamental principles. Read more