Rating: Summary: A NEAT INTRODUCTION TO STICK FIGHTING Review: "FIGHTING WITH STICKS" is a great little, no-nonsense book full of interesting information. It is not meant to be the be-all and end-all of stick fighting books, just a basic introduction to the concept, and it does this well. The single-stick information is good. Overall, a fascinating read.
Rating: Summary: A NEAT INTRODUCTION TO STICK FIGHTING Review: "FIGHTING WITH STICKS" is a great little, no-nonsense book full of interesting information. It is not meant to be the be-all and end-all of stick fighting books, just a basic introduction to the concept, and it does this well. The single-stick information is good. Overall, a fascinating read.
Rating: Summary: very basic, repetitive, summary of weapon use. Review: As a long time student and coach of Fencing, I have found this book to be a disappointment. It seemed that regard for law suites in today's society forced omission of more instruction in actual weapon use. The historical sections were interesting and worth reading.
Rating: Summary: A nice bit of anthropology masquading as a martial arts Review: Aside from the martial value of this book, Nick Evanelista has put together a nice anthropological overview of man's use of wooden weapons. A good reference for anthropology students.
Rating: Summary: Good stuff yet again Review: Building on his chapters on stick fighting, singlestick, la canne etc. from his Encyclopedia of the Sword, Evangelista provides a broad historic exposition on the different western (and, more generally, global) stick fighting arts. Very appropriately, he segments his descriptive chapters into Games‹which reflect the different singlestick traditions of singlestick in 19th-century Britain. Game I being the contained system described in Hughes¹ Tom Brown¹s School Days, updated to avoid the aggravating bleeding head wounds that terminated early Victorian bouts. A second large practical chapter is based on R.G. Allanson-Winn and C. Phillipps Wolleys Broadsword and Singlestick (1920), reflecting the continental and military traditions of the singlestick as the training weapon for broadsword and saber. To squeeze the book into the more marketable category of self defense, a quickie chapter is devoted to the use of the stick against thugs. The publisher supplied the appropriate ‹yet oddly out-of-place‹drawings of grim, muscular bogey men in need of a shave and a haircut, and how you can stop them from evildoing by a quick thrust into their aviator glasses. Other chapters deal with how you can make cheap, durable weapons yourself‹just in case your local wickerwork store does not supply singlestick hilts. (Nick uses plastic buckets made to look deceptively similar to the old basket-hilts...) Like his previous titles, Nick Evangelista combines hands-on expertise with his personal touch of down-to-earth philosophy‹and produced a book that is very enjoyable to read. Highly recommended.
Rating: Summary: Good stuff yet again Review: Building on his chapters on stick fighting, singlestick, la canne etc. from his Encyclopedia of the Sword, Evangelista provides a broad historic exposition on the different western (and, more generally, global) stick fighting arts. Very appropriately, he segments his descriptive chapters into Games‹which reflect the different singlestick traditions of singlestick in 19th-century Britain. Game I being the contained system described in Hughes¹ Tom Brown¹s School Days, updated to avoid the aggravating bleeding head wounds that terminated early Victorian bouts. A second large practical chapter is based on R.G. Allanson-Winn and C. Phillipps Wolleys Broadsword and Singlestick (1920), reflecting the continental and military traditions of the singlestick as the training weapon for broadsword and saber. To squeeze the book into the more marketable category of self defense, a quickie chapter is devoted to the use of the stick against thugs. The publisher supplied the appropriate ‹yet oddly out-of-place‹drawings of grim, muscular bogey men in need of a shave and a haircut, and how you can stop them from evildoing by a quick thrust into their aviator glasses. Other chapters deal with how you can make cheap, durable weapons yourself‹just in case your local wickerwork store does not supply singlestick hilts. (Nick uses plastic buckets made to look deceptively similar to the old basket-hilts...) Like his previous titles, Nick Evangelista combines hands-on expertise with his personal touch of down-to-earth philosophy‹and produced a book that is very enjoyable to read. Highly recommended.
Rating: Summary: Wonderful Book! Review: Fighting With Sticks.Nick Evangelista has written another book, called "Fighting With Sticks". This book gives you a look at a short history of fighting with sticks. It tells about Singlestick, cane fighting, staff fighting, and even shows how to make Singlesticks and Staves. There is also a section in the book dealing with self-defence. This might be a perfect book for Y2k.
Rating: Summary: A Very Interesting Book Review: I just think this is a neat, little book. It is so full of wonderful bits of information, it is a joy to read. You don't have to go the stick fighting route to enjoy it. I don't understand the criticism of "Fighting With Sticks." I can only imagine the reviewers who come on negatively are working out their own agendas -- whatever they might be. For me, I think "Fighting With Sticks" is just fine. Recommended.
Rating: Summary: NO BIG STICK HERE Review: I was disappointed in this book. Most of the chapters were extremely short; it seemed like it had been thrown together and padded out to "book" length. This would have been much better as a pamphlet. Most of what should have been the interesting chapters actually tell you to look at some other book, or join a dojo!
Rating: Summary: Disappointing Review: I was disappointed in this book. Most of the chapters were extremely short; it seemed like it had been thrown together and padded out to "book" length. This would have been much better as a pamphlet. Most of what should have been the interesting chapters actually tell you to look at some other book, or join a dojo!
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