I was wondering if anyone had a good reading list for any of this stuff, especially Muay Thai because it seems like it’s getting rarer and rarer to find schools teaching traditional Muay Thai, and more and more it’s being treated as a base for the stand-up component of MMA.
Anyways, I know there’s a ton of JUNK to read of all three of these, but I’m sure there’s also some really good theory/technical instruction/analysis out there.
Please share.
Every time someone wants reading material, I tell them to start with “The Tao of Jeet Kune Do.” The basics there are applicable to most styles, and Bruce was a big fan of “what works for you, and only what works for you” instead of “because that’s how we do it.”
-A Book of Five Rings
Grips- By Neil Adams
It’s a book written by a judoka aimed at judoka, but I’ve noticed that one area judo excels over bjj is in stand-up gripping skills. There is some real solid stuff in there and the series of books it’s from are pretty cheap.
I’m partial to completely traditional MT because adding boxing into MT works fairly well when you make the proper adjustments.
The Tao of Jeet Kune Do i agree is a great MMA primer its like the original MMA theory book, bruce just passed away before MMA came to reality.
i also made a blog for stuff like this that just host videos for people who are looking for more info. http://www.mmagrindhouse.com
if your into more abstract stuff, read “art of war” those theories are timeless and can be applied not just for armies by for one on one fights as well.
I’m really interested in some traditional MT stuff as well.
Like I said, with MMA being so popular, it seems like it’s getting hard to get information and training on traditional MT.
We had a guy transfer from another school in town who’d thought he’d been doing Muay Thai for four years, and this was the first time he realized he’d been taught some version of a MMA stance, and had never even learned a traditional stance.
you need a coach
[quote]admbaum wrote:
you need a coach[/quote]
I’m guessing you think theory is useless.
No one really does traditional MT any more, not even the Thais. They have almost all switch over to the Dutch style, more squared stance, more movement, more hands.
I have been to a traditional school, kept getting told to change my stance, throw more kick, ect. It sucked, set my game back months.
[quote]Spartiates wrote:
[quote]admbaum wrote:
you need a coach[/quote]
I’m guessing you think theory is useless.[/quote]
I didn’t say that.
Its better that a coach SHOWS you theory than it is to interpret what you read.
[quote]admbaum wrote:
[quote]Spartiates wrote:
[quote]admbaum wrote:
you need a coach[/quote]
I’m guessing you think theory is useless.[/quote]
I didn’t say that.
Its better that a coach SHOWS you theory than it is to interpret what you read.[/quote]
i actually agree with that, theory is great when its in partnership with application. I mean theres tons of times i think of just recording a video opposed to writing a response because showing is much easier then text about theory.
Theory is important but only when its used with consistent application to get better.
It’s not one or the other.
You can only train so many hours a day. Unless you’re doing this for a living, you only have access to a coach so many hours a week.
You can read theory wherever, whenever you have a free moment.
oh for sure, problem is i think people fear when its a one sided affair we see sometimes with people.
im trying to think of more books other then stated, but all i got is the tao of jeet kune do and art of war… as in breakdowns of how to do things, i found videos to be much more effective. However, I think if it was easy they would never create kata’s.
Kata’s existed for the reason pictures and words werent successful in transfering information in a pre-photograph and video world. It was the old worlds ways of breaking down levels of moves and movements and even strategies, down from one generation to another.
Submissions101.com has a lot of short videos about techniques from most positions. Mostly from Ari Bolden, Keith Owens, and Eddie Bravo
Hi Spartiates: Just an answer to your MT question
Here is a good book for Muay Thai that I own, its got a lot of the basic moves to more complex ones. Its great having the Pictures, but its actually practicising them in practical situations is slow going.
My advice for any aspiring Muay Thai enthusiaste that wants pure Muay Thai untainted by western adaptions would be, Watch Pure Muay Thai that the Thais watch on their Sports channels. In Thailand there are 3 thai sports channels and they have Muay Thai fights screened live just about everyday of the week. There you have the up and coming fighters, fighting against the best fighters in thailand. You can get them from your local Thai DVD shop. Most thai communities that stay abroad are pretty tight, and they love watching Muay Thai. So they get them sent over. My fighters and Myself watch nothing but fights that come from Thailand, I dont like watching western fighters unless they have the muay thai flavor, or if one of my boys are fighting them. Most western fighters (Not All) are still kick boxers, dont like grappling, limited clinch vocabulary and prefer fight on the outside. Might as well watch kick boxing (Yawn)
So my friend to fight muay thai, watch muay thai,look,imitate,adapt,apply to your sparring,refine what works,disgard what doesnt. You will learn so much more watching and doing. Have fun
Joe
Great. Thanks Joe.
Who’s the author/editor/publisher… whomever. Image you uploaded isn’t getting big enough for me to see.
Edit:
This looks like it:
Yep thats the one, funny thing is you can buy it in just about every book shop in Bangkok airport. Here is another good one. Author Christopher Delph
another book of interst, although it is primarily for training: Drill to win by Andre Galvao…not theroy, but not a mindless book on MMA, either.