Bullshido doesn’t often do endorsements of, well, anything, as you guys know. But when the opportunity comes around for us to help promote something by a member or a friend of the site, AND that thing helps to make the world a little less stupid, we jump at the chance.
PHD Physicist Jason Thalken, whose last name sounds like a character from Street Fighter 27, wrote this book to add some actual Science to the Martial Arts world. Whereas a lot of people like to throw around that word, virtually none of them have the credentials to actually back it up.
You can get his new book here, and then go review it, because a.) it’ll help offset the sheer volume of garbage out there published about fighting, and b.) because we take care of our own.
Just ordered a copy from my local bookstore, the preview I read is excellent.
I had laugh when I read one of the reviews. It was by a lady who also wrote a book about physics and martial arts (and who I won’t name here because damned if she deserves any publicity) and complained that Dr Thalken wasn’t covering any ground she hadn’t already covered. I laughed because while Thalken is shining the light of a PHD on the subject, she walked back asswards into it with claims like splaying your limbs in a push-up will alleviate pressure and make the exercise easier. Or that the physical concept of conservation of energy refers to saving your stamina in a long fight. That she would then try and tell a physics PHD not to bother because she got this bro left me floored by the sheer stupidity of some people (which I didn’t think was possible anymore).
Here, I grabbed a quote from her:
Unfortunately, although I found the first half dealing with the physics of martial arts very interesting, I also found it somewhat slim and felt it did not really add anything significant to the material I have already discussed in SHIT BOOK TITLE REDACTED.
Well obviously she feels it doesn’t add anything to the subject, she has no goddamned clue what the subject is to begin with.
[QUOTE=The Cap;2868362]Just ordered a copy from my local bookstore, the preview I read is excellent.
I had laugh when I read one of the reviews. It was by a lady who also wrote a book about physics and martial arts (and who I won’t name here because damned if she deserves any publicity) and complained that Dr Thalken wasn’t covering any ground she hadn’t already covered. I laughed because while Thalken is shining the light of a PHD on the subject, she walked back asswards into it with claims like splaying your limbs in a push-up will alleviate pressure and make the exercise easier. Or that the physical concept of conservation of energy refers to saving your stamina in a long fight. That she would then try and tell a physics PHD not to bother because she got this bro left me floored by the sheer stupidity of some people (which I didn’t think was possible anymore).
Here, I grabbed a quote from her:
Well obviously she feels it doesn’t add anything to the subject, she has no goddamned clue what the subject is to begin with.[/QUOTE]
You know who Martina Sprague is, right? She may not have Dr. Thalken beaten in the realm of physics, but she knows her martial arts and definitely isn’t stupid.
She and Jason should actually have lunch and chat, that would be a Great Conjunction. She could teach him (you,me) almost anything about martial everything, he could teach her how the universe works.
If they ever wrote a book together, it would be one of the greatest martial arts tomes of the modern age.
[QUOTE=W. Rabbit;2870276]You know who Martina Sprague is, right? She may not have Dr. Thalken beaten in the realm of physics, but she knows her martial arts and definitely isn’t stupid.
She and Jason should actually have lunch and chat, that would be a Great Conjunction. She could teach him (you,me) almost anything about martial everything, he could teach her how the universe works.
If they ever wrote a book together, it would be one of the greatest martial arts tomes of the modern age.
[QUOTE=BKR;2870277]Ed, that was a monument to sarcasm on your part, I salute you…
How did she get to be such an expert at knife defense/fighting since 1987?[/QUOTE]
Sorry, no sarcasm.
In fact we are fellow alumni and almost anything she has to say on matters of fighting, weapons, and war will probably be correct. I’ll give her a pass on the physics. Nobody’s perfect.
I don’t know what her skills with knives are. I’m sure she could school us both on a thousand weapons, at least in theory. She explored many different H2H arts as well.
Also wasn’t kidding about her and Jason meeting up. Hell, I would offer to try to make it happen, if it’s possible.
I think they would get along like peanut butter and jelly.
[QUOTE=BKR;2870277]
How did she get to be such an expert at knife defense/fighting since 1987?[/QUOTE]
Kukris and Gurkhas: Nepalese Kukri Combat Knives and the Men Who Wield Them (Knives, Swords, and Bayonets: A World History of Edged Weapon Warfare) Paperback – May 13, 2013
by Martina Sprague
The Martial Arts Book of Physics: How To Maximize Your Power, Speed and Endurance Using The Natural Laws of Motion. Paperback – January 1, 2001
by Gene LeBell (Foreword), Martina Sprague (Editor), Stuart Sobel (Editor),
Complete Kickboxing: The Fighter’s Ultimate Guide to Techniques, Concepts, and Strategy for Sparring and Competition Paperback – April 1, 2004
by Martina Sprague (Author), Keith Livingston (Author)
[QUOTE=W. Rabbit;2870281]The Martial Arts Book of Physics: How To Maximize Your Power, Speed and Endurance Using The Natural Laws of Motion. Paperback – January 1, 2001
by Gene LeBell (Foreword), Martina Sprague (Editor), Stuart Sobel (Editor),
Complete Kickboxing: The Fighter’s Ultimate Guide to Techniques, Concepts, and Strategy for Sparring and Competition Paperback – April 1, 2004
by Martina Sprague (Author), Keith Livingston (Author)
In fact we are fellow alumni and almost anything she has to say on matters of fighting, weapons, and war will probably be correct. I’ll give her a pass on the physics. Nobody’s perfect.
I don’t know what her skills with knives are. I’m sure she could school us both on a thousand weapons, at least in theory. She explored many different H2H arts as well.
Also wasn’t kidding about her and Jason meeting up. Hell, I would offer to try to make it happen, if it’s possible.
I think they would get along like peanut butter and jelly.[/QUOTE]
Maybe I thought all those books on knife technique were hers, when they were just visual spam… If that’s the case, I stand corrected.
She’s written a shitload of books on knife fighting and the use of knives in warfare.
I can’t think of a more prolific military historian kickboxer in terms of written material produced. AND her physics well, could use Jason’s input. Probably not her wheel house as they say.
[QUOTE=Permalost;2870289]I’d like to hear more about this book. The last time I saw science and martial arts mesh was Fight Science, and that was terrible.[/QUOTE]
