Rating: 
Summary: The Legend of Echanis
Review: Echanis is a Legend in the Martial Arts world and many other Martial Artist are very, very, jealous of him even though he has been dead since 1978. While doing CIA Black Bag Ops he was killed in a airplane over Nigaragua by a planted Terrorist bomb on the plane.The reason so many are jealous of Bruce Lee is because of his "Hollywood" connections and the reason so many were and still are jealous of Echanis is because of his "real", "Military" connections. I have read all of his books including the infamous "Black Book" Knife Fighting and Knife Throwing for Combat which I use to read over and over again before my Martial Arts classes. O'Hara Publications took that book off the market because it was too detail and graphic. Political Correctness kills another great book, it is the best out of all Echanis books. Echanis was a great Martial Artist and Basic Stick Fighting for Combat is a Great book!
Rating: 
Summary: Believe the title!
Review: Echanis isn't kidding when he calls it basic. He opens with a brief history and overview of stick fighting, then divides the rest of the book into four sections by weapon, one each for the baton, short stick, snapping short stick, and cane. He gives one to two pages of text about each weapon, and the rest of each chapter is just photos of stances, drills, and moves, presented without any comment. If you're looking for a very simple outline-like primer, this is your book, but if you want a detailed resource, move on.
Rating:
Summary: Believe the title!
Review: Echanis isn't kidding when he calls it basic. He opens with a brief history and overview of stick fighting, then divides the rest of the book into four sections by weapon, one each for the baton, short stick, snapping short stick, and cane. He gives one to two pages of text about each weapon, and the rest of each chapter is just photos of stances, drills, and moves, presented without any comment. If you're looking for a very simple outline-like primer, this is your book, but if you want a detailed resource, move on.
Rating: 
Summary: Good book ( learn to use a cane as a weapon too)
Review: IN MEMORY OF MARIO PONTILLO
Since the late 1970's, I have studied Mr. Lee's "Way of the Intercepting fist." I have the original of this book from 1978, I have not read it in over 20 years. This too, was also Mario's book. Good book that shows using various small sticks (and canes). cool book. Please don't hesitate to check out my book that I published while in the U.S. Navy in 2003:
"Under the Rose: Poetry of Tragedy, Essence, and Romance"
Rating:
Summary: use it or loose it
Review: In this book it shows both hands gripping the stick at once that ties up your free hand which goes against arnis ,escrima principle ,the free hand should stay near your heart/chest or free hand could counter and return. If one does use both hands the one will hold the strick the other grips with a c clamp with opening toward opponent for stick will have an open path to target. If free hand remains out unprotected one may loose it.
Rating:
Summary: Get on the Stick!
Review: It's 1:00 in the morning and you're walking back to a pay phone after your car broke down in the city. Before you get to the phone, a couple of young punks come out of the shadows and want your wallet. Do you have what it takes to survive? When it comes to dealing with real world life and death situations, no one can compare to the late Michael Echanis. This book, part of a series he intended to release, deals with using conventional short and long sticks. Mr. Echanis covers both offensive and defensive tactics. This book gives a brief history of the particular Korean martial art that Michael perfected, and a dedication to his instructor. The rest of the book is profusely illustrated with actual photographs showing the tactics and moves. Michael Echanis was a serious instructer who would often put students in the hospital if they didn't practice what he taught. This same philosophy carries over into his books. Mr. Echanis's philosophy is that when it comes to self defense, nothing works as good as a great offense. No trying to intimidate or bluff your way out of trouble; rather "go for the throat" to cripple or kill your opponent before he does it to you. Not for the faint hearted.
Rating:
Summary: Get on the Stick!
Review: It's 1:00 in the morning and you're walking back to a pay phone after your car broke down in the city. Before you get to the phone, a couple of young punks come out of the shadows and want your wallet. Do you have what it takes to survive? When it comes to dealing with real world life and death situations, no one can compare to the late Michael Echanis. This book, part of a series he intended to release, deals with using conventional short and long sticks. Mr. Echanis covers both offensive and defensive tactics. This book gives a brief history of the particular Korean martial art that Michael perfected, and a dedication to his instructor. The rest of the book is profusely illustrated with actual photographs showing the tactics and moves. Michael Echanis was a serious instructer who would often put students in the hospital if they didn't practice what he taught. This same philosophy carries over into his books. Mr. Echanis's philosophy is that when it comes to self defense, nothing works as good as a great offense. No trying to intimidate or bluff your way out of trouble; rather "go for the throat" to cripple or kill your opponent before he does it to you. Not for the faint hearted.
Rating: 
Summary: Ye gods and little children
Review: Leaving aside the fact that the author lied through his teeth (e.g. he never actually studied Hwa Rang Do - he offered the Lee brothers some ink and they gave him a faked history) this stuff is about as inefficient as any stick fighting book I've ever seen. Try Marinas' Panandata, Mark Wiley, the Presas brothers, Leo Giron or Ray Galang for stick stuff. You'll be much better off.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book!
Review: Mike Echanis was the living,breathing definition of a warrior.I
wish that he had lived longer so I could have studied stick and
knife combat under him.His books are the next best thing,and I
feel that this text on sticks is a must have for anyone who has
an interest in stick fighting.His techniques are simple to learn,
but deadly effective.Why anyone would put down his work is beyond
me.
Rating:
Summary: An Unfinished Classic
Review: This book was one of the first of the post-Vietnam era "military martial arts" books. It is the third (and last) in a proposed series of nine books presenting Echanis' Special Forces applications of Hwarangdo. The author died while the book was in production, and it shows. The text is not nearly so detailed as in his first two books, and two sections were photographed using other people (one with his instructor, one with one of his training partners). Still, this book sports some excellent combat applications using various lengths of sticks. As in most Ohara books, the photos are of good quality. While many books have dealt with the topic of stick fighting in greater depth since this one was published, this book is a fine addition to the library of anyone who is interested in martial arts for combat.
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