Rating: 
Summary: Martial arts require back-bone. A MUST read!
Review: Mr. Smith has with his latest book written an honest and clear view of some of the martial arts he has been involved in and several of the personalities he has met over the many years of experience in them. It is a very good read, thoroughly interesting as well as written in a very pleasant writing style, and it has been hard for me to put it down once having started reading it, as I believe many if not every reviewer before me and anyone who has read the book will agree. Having said this, however, it is also important to mention that not every opinion Mr. Smith shares with us in his book can remain free of scrutiny. The no-nonsense way of describing events that have taken place in his martial arts career is to Mr. Smith's credit and clearly shows his strong character, but in some parts I couldn't help but tilt my head a little and wonder why he should have done or said a thing like that. This probably being caused by lack of life-experience on my part, for I am many years junior to Mr. Smith, I won't go into any details here, but leave it up to the readers of the future to decide whether they feel the same upon stumbling on those parts of the book. However these last sentences may have sounded, 'Martial Musings' is most certainly a must read for every martial arts enthousiast. Do you consider yourself one of them? Then why not show some character and order your copy, NOW!
Rating: 
Summary: Some Martial Musings by R.W. Smith
Review: One of the great delights of being a magazine publisher is getting books like this for review. I've been a fan of R.W. Smith's writings for years, from his academic works like "Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts" with Donn Draeger, to his inspired lunacy as John Gilbey. For years now I've been calling for a good biography of Smith and his contemporaries, who through their writings, opened up the Asian martial arts to me and my generation of occidentals as a serious study.This book is what I've been asking for. I can't begin to describe how many "names" from the arts acquire "faces" through Smith's distinctive prose (think Philip Marlow in a judo-gi). If there's someone of influence in the post-war western movement of the Japanese or Chinese arts that Smith hasn't met, fought or drunk with I'd like to know who. For all those who pretend to know something about the history of the Asian martial arts in the West, this book had better be in your library. Kim Taylor Editor, Journal of Japanese Sword Arts, and Publisher, Electronic Journals of Martial Arts and Sciences.
Rating:
Summary: Some Martial Musings by R.W. Smith
Review: One of the great delights of being a magazine publisher is getting books like this for review. I've been a fan of R.W. Smith's writings for years, from his academic works like "Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts" with Donn Draeger, to his inspired lunacy as John Gilbey. For years now I've been calling for a good biography of Smith and his contemporaries, who through their writings, opened up the Asian martial arts to me and my generation of occidentals as a serious study. This book is what I've been asking for. I can't begin to describe how many "names" from the arts acquire "faces" through Smith's distinctive prose (think Philip Marlow in a judo-gi). If there's someone of influence in the post-war western movement of the Japanese or Chinese arts that Smith hasn't met, fought or drunk with I'd like to know who. For all those who pretend to know something about the history of the Asian martial arts in the West, this book had better be in your library. Kim Taylor Editor, Journal of Japanese Sword Arts, and Publisher, Electronic Journals of Martial Arts and Sciences.
Rating:
Summary: Delightfull musings
Review: Robert Smith has a delightfull writing style. He doesnt suffer fools gladly and is more than willing to put down others he sees as inferior or fraudulent. Sadly this is the case as the martial arts in the USA has become a great big joke. Fortunately the current spate of full contact contests (pancrase,ufc,k-1) as well as renewed interest in muay thai, savate and judo are helping to change that. Smiths background is IMPECABLE-a masters degree and CIA analyst who trained in Japan and Taiwain. His contemporaries were Draeger, Bluming and Geesink. Anyone who knows who these folks were knows that he was in mighty good company.
Rating:
Summary: Delightfull musings
Review: Robert Smith has a delightfull writing style. He doesnt suffer fools gladly and is more than willing to put down others he sees as inferior or fraudulent. Sadly this is the case as the martial arts in the USA has become a great big joke. Fortunately the current spate of full contact contests (pancrase,ufc,k-1) as well as renewed interest in muay thai, savate and judo are helping to change that. Smiths background is IMPECABLE-a masters degree and CIA analyst who trained in Japan and Taiwain. His contemporaries were Draeger, Bluming and Geesink. Anyone who knows who these folks were knows that he was in mighty good company.
Rating: 
Summary: Martial musings by an old curmudgeon
Review: Robert Smith has written some great work and has done a lot for the martial arts. He is quite knowledgeable about the internal Chinese arts and judo, and has led a very interesting life. For the martial arts enthusiast, his experiences and the training opportunities he's had are quite enviable. Nevertheless, in this book, he comes across as a cantankerous old man who constantly whines about how much better everything was "back in my day." Thus, boxers like Muhammad Ali aren't fit to lick the boots of old timers like Joe Louis -- and let's not even talk about Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis or Evander Holyfield; movies today, especially kung fu flicks, have no redeeming social value (yes, that last bit was a BIG SHOCK to me too); and society is crass and shallow and worthless. I half expected him to start telling me how weak, worthless, and evil we all are because we didn't walk 25 miles in bare feet in the snow to go to school every day, and only after plowing a 200-acre farm and saving 40 orphans from starving and how nothing written after Shakespeare died has been worth anything other than toilet paper. He is also a little too sure that he has seen everything there is that is worth seeing, and bought into the party line given by his teachers, who, while great martial artists, cannot be described as without bias. His northern-style and internal arts teachers told him that the northern Chinese styles and the internal styles are the greatest and the southern Chinese styles and harder more external styles are useless. Thus, it must be true, according to Smith. The fact is, most martial artists think their style is the greatest, and they can't all be right. Smith also unfairly denigrates a lot of people who have put in a lot of dedication and done much for the martial arts. Bruce Lee's skill as compared to the great martial artists of the 20th century is debatable, but his positive influence cannot be disputed. Likewise for the Gracies, who, whatever you might say about their style, have the guts to repeatedly put it all on the line for everyone to see. Smith also takes a mean-spirited swipe at Jackie Chan's martial arts skills and his movies, despite the fact that Jackie is, from all reports, a really nice guy who has always freely admitted that he doesn't consider himself a martial arts master, and despite the fact that his movies have made millions smile. So don't take Smith's ramblings in this book as the gospel, but treat it as an interesting set of memoirs and anecdotes from a life well lived.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting but harsh
Review: Smiths previous works rank much better than this one. Yes, he does expand on his 50 years of training but in other areas he is very critical where he need not be. It seems almost as if Smith is trying to degrade others who were either better fighters, or better Martial Arts authors then he is. His description of chi borders on mystical and you can tell that he has a fasination with all things Asian. So much so that any other practitioner who dosen't hold the same viewpoint is slammed by Smith. Likewise there is a "do as I say not as I do" attitude put forth. Smith passes poor judgement on a Tai Chi practition
er for not spending many years under Smiths tutelage but, fail's to tell the reader his own study of the martial arts was at times very limited due to his job and schooling. I will give him credit where credit is due and that is he does sound like a very dedicated family man in his book. All in all this could have been a great book due to his back ground and experience had he stayed away from all the negative remarks. It is not a book for beginners.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting but harsh
Review: Smiths previous works rank much better than this one. Yes, he does expand on his 50 years of training but in other areas he is very critical where he need not be. It seems almost as if Smith is trying to degrade others who were either better fighters, or better Martial Arts authors then he is. His description of chi borders on mystical and you can tell that he has a fasination with all things Asian. So much so that any other practitioner who dosen't hold the same viewpoint is slammed by Smith. Likewise there is a "do as I say not as I do" attitude put forth. Smith passes poor judgement on a Tai Chi practition
er for not spending many years under Smiths tutelage but, fail's to tell the reader his own study of the martial arts was at times very limited due to his job and schooling. I will give him credit where credit is due and that is he does sound like a very dedicated family man in his book. All in all this could have been a great book due to his back ground and experience had he stayed away from all the negative remarks. It is not a book for beginners.
Rating: 
Summary: Mean Spirited
Review: Smiths writing and insight are tops as his past works have shown however. In this book it seems as if Mr. Smith was giving a blank check to write anything he felt about anyone whom he has had a disagreement with over the course of the past 50 years. The book starts off well enough with insights into how he got started in his training and some very colorfull stories of early Judo both in the United States and Japan. But, from mid way on Smith takes the opportunity to degrade many who deserve better. It also seems as if Mr. Smith has a fixation with Chinese Tai Chi players and anyone not in this camp is secondary at best. Yes, some of his observations are true but many others seem as if he is simply trying to settle old scores without any means of defense from those to whom his comments are directed. Over all it would have been a great read if it focused more on the history he experienced. Sadly enough though it dosen't. I give it a one star because of this.
Rating:
Summary: On Martial Musings
Review: The title of the long awaited magnus opus by R.W. Smith says it all, the musings of a martial arts practioner and pioneer that span nearly the whole of the 20th century. Smith seems to say "been there, done that" and when he says it, he means it! Smith draws the reader in with stories of the giants in the world of boxing, early Judo and Chinese martial arts, all in his own inimitable and familiar style. Readers new to Smith's work will be captivated by his tales of the personalities he has met along the way, and those familiar with the man from his earlier work, especially Chinese Boxing, Masters and Methods, will find new tales and more detail on those familiar Chinese boxers he studied with during his several years on Taiwan. Smith pulls no punches, and tells it as he sees it. You may not agree with everything he says, but you sure will enjoy the telling of it!
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