On the Warrior's Path: Philosophy, Fighting, and Martial Arts Mythology

Rating:
Summary: Martial Living
Review: I just finished reading Daniele Bolelli's "On the Warrior's Path" and I am very excited. I had been practicing martial arts for several years, up to the time when I injured myself pretty badly and believed I had to give it up.
Just reading Bolelli's book made me feel again all the self-confidence, peace and alertness I used to feel at the time of my practice. It also convinced me that I neither need to be perfect in my forms, nor striving to be the best martial artist around. Now, I can't wait to go back to my kung fu and tai chi acts again. Bolelli's daring writing made me also realize how much more there is to martial arts than martial arts themselves. It is really a way of life. Giving it up for fear of other injuries or unsatisfied excessive perfectionism is too much of a price to pay. I will be doing my morning tai chi in the backyard with a soundtrack of Pearl Jam and Led Zeppelin on (my barking dog joining in, too), the Star Wars videotape in the VCR, and my surfboard waiting for me in my pickup truck, ready to ride the waves on my way to a not-so-exciting job.
Wow! What a great way to start a "common" day!"

Rating:
Summary: mixed martial worlds
Review: I never read before a book dedicated to martial arts where Bruce Lee is connected with Nietzsche, zen, Phil Jackson and Pearl Jam. Well, the young and italian author of this book put martial arts in a huge and fascinating world of philosophical connections and pop cultures. This is a book for martial artists but also for their girlfriends, for the warrior and the princess.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent and Relevant to All
Review: I purchased "On the Warrior's Path" because the philosophy behind it intrigued me. Having absolutely no experience with any form of martial arts ever, I was probably far outside the target audience for this book. Despite this, I found it to be one of the best books I have read in the past year.

I found "On the Warrior's Path" to be amusing, engaging, and thought-provoking. It is impossible to summarise the book in a way that captures all that it encompasses, because it covers so much. Read it.

The writing style is very down-to-earth and easy to follow, but does not sacrifice content or deeper ideas in the process. The author draws from many eclectic sources, but does so in a way that is relevant and interesting.

Most importantly, the author's message can be meaningful and relevant in anyone's life -- the warrior, the poet, man or woman, martial artist or not.

Rating:
Summary: Martial Soup
Review: If you liked Joe Hyams' "Zen in the Martial Arts" or Herman Kauz's "The Martial Spirit", then you're supposed to like "On the Warrior's Path". But you probably won't. What Hyams and Kauz do well -- i.e., convey something important about the martial arts beyond their self-defense or health considerations -- Mr. Bolleli does only in mediocre fashion. Certain chapters were well done, such as his categorization of martial arts systems. And Mr. Bolleli is an interested observer of and commentator on Ultimate Fighting. But most of the book seemed a mish-mash of essays on disparate subjects, with no central argument and few engaging insights. Travel on this warrior's path at your own risk.

Rating:
Summary: A very engaging book
Review: The author appears to be well educated in the tradition of the martial arts (i.e., providing an insider's view as a "practitioner")AND similarly well educated in the tradition of Academia (i.e., someone with an academic training writing within the best traditions of the University settings). This combination makes for an "insider's" view of the martial arts in its historical context without the blind belief in the system common among martial artists. Anyone who enjoys Donn Draeger's approach to describing the martial arts will definitely enjoy this book by Daniele Bolelli.

The first three fourths of the book describes various aspects of the martial arts with prose that is fully engaging and inspiring. However, the last two chapters of the book show the more mundane and "personal" views of the author that make one wonder if it is the same author. For example, his explanation for the wide opposition to "Ultimate Fighting Championship" gets side-tracked by his personal attack on a person that deserves more respect----having endured the tribulations of being a POW in Vietnam (even if I disagree with most of the policies espoused by this U.S. senator and his party).

At any rate, this book is a VERY GOOD book on the subject and I would rate this book along the lines of the movie, "Apocalypse Now", where it had a great beginning and middle portions but couldn't sustain its promise through to the end. I would rate the book a 5, but for the last two chapters. Thus, I give it 4 stars.

Rating:
Summary: A very engaging book
Review: The author appears to be well educated in the tradition of the martial arts (i.e., providing an insider's view as a "practitioner")AND similarly well educated in the tradition of Academia (i.e., someone with an academic training writing within the best traditions of the University settings). This combination makes for an "insider's" view of the martial arts in its historical context without the blind belief in the system common among martial artists. Anyone who enjoys Donn Draeger's approach to describing the martial arts will definitely enjoy this book by Daniele Bolelli.

The first three fourths of the book describes various aspects of the martial arts with prose that is fully engaging and inspiring. However, the last two chapters of the book show the more mundane and "personal" views of the author that make one wonder if it is the same author. For example, his explanation for the wide opposition to "Ultimate Fighting Championship" gets side-tracked by his personal attack on a person that deserves more respect----having endured the tribulations of being a POW in Vietnam (even if I disagree with most of the policies espoused by this U.S. senator and his party).

At any rate, this book is a VERY GOOD book on the subject and I would rate this book along the lines of the movie, "Apocalypse Now", where it had a great beginning and middle portions but couldn't sustain its promise through to the end. I would rate the book a 5, but for the last two chapters. Thus, I give it 4 stars.

Rating:
Summary: A Book for Warriors
Review: The author takes you down the Warrior's Path. He quotes many philosophers from Nietzsche to Lao Tzu. He explains the Samurai concept of Bushido. He lists warrior archetypes. His books ends with a synopsis of Bruce Lee's methodology.

Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite books of the year!
Review: This is not only one of the most original books I have read about martial arts in general, or philosophy and martial arts more specifically. This is one of the most original books I have read, period. How often does it happen do run into an author who can dance around from Nietzsche to the Pearl Jam, from Ultimate Fighting Championship to environmentalism? But above all, my favorite aspect of the book is the excellent writing style. It reminds me of Tom Robbins (if I remember correctly he mentions Tom Robbins in the acknowledgments so they may actually know each other).
The book is a collection of essays on a variety of topics related to philosophy and the martial arts. Some chapters are downright brilliant (The Body as a Temple, The Warrior as Bodhisatva, and Epistemological Anarchism: the philosophy of JKD). A couple are a bit weaker. But overall, this book is a work of genius. This should be required reading for all martial artists. Specialists in the field of martial arts are going to see how their practice can be tied to a much wider world. And people who do not care for martial arts, may find some unlikely inspiration here. Truly amazing. I look forward to whatever this author has in store next.

Rating:
Summary: A rare piece of magic and insight!!
Review: This is one fantastic book!! I am very new to the world of martial arts and was looking for something to give me a sort of intro. "On the Warrior's Path" not only gave me a wonderful overview of martial arts in general, but the incredible insights on the philosophy of martial arts as a lifestyle inspired me in the way no other book has before!
Mr. Bolelli is obviously very well versed in martial arts as well as many other subjects. He finds ways to connect Nietzche to Bruce Lee, and Taoism to Star Wars. Best of all, he connects them all to the central theme of martial arts. His writing style is light, fun, and entertaining, and yet his ideas are deep, impressive, and very informative.
This book is not just for martial artist's, but for their friends, family, and for anyone interested in looking at life from a different angle. I highly recommend it, and I guarantee I will read any other books I find by Mr. Bolelli!!

Rating:
Summary: A rare piece of magic and insight!!
Review: This is one fantastic book!! I am very new to the world of martial arts and was looking for something to give me a sort of intro. "On the Warrior's Path" not only gave me a wonderful overview of martial arts in general, but the incredible insights on the philosophy of martial arts as a lifestyle inspired me in the way no other book has before!
Mr. Bolelli is obviously very well versed in martial arts as well as many other subjects. He finds ways to connect Nietzche to Bruce Lee, and Taoism to Star Wars. Best of all, he connects them all to the central theme of martial arts. His writing style is light, fun, and entertaining, and yet his ideas are deep, impressive, and very informative.
This book is not just for martial artist's, but for their friends, family, and for anyone interested in looking at life from a different angle. I highly recommend it, and I guarantee I will read any other books I find by Mr. Bolelli!!