Martial Arts After 40 by Sang H. Kim
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Book Reviews of Martial Arts After 40
Book Review: Somebody get this guy a copyeditor!
Summary: 3 Stars
This book had its moments, but the writing needs a lot of cleaning up. In particular, the consistent misuse of "it's" was very distracting to me. Also, one of the pages repeated the last few lines from the previous page.
I think that the author's advice is all right, but it's biased towards complete beginners and non-contact martial arts.
Book Review: Good book for a novice martial artist
Summary: 3 Stars
This book would be good for a new martial artist. If you have been doing martial arts for any time, you can skip to about page 200 or find a different book. However, as with any martial arts writer worth their salt, there are some insightful nuggets here, if you are willing theo sift through the basic stuff.Book Review: good for beginners, less so if you've been at it for a while
Summary: 3 Stars
This has a lot of information for the over-40 person who's considering martial arts training, but if you're already involved, the book may have limited value.I found more details on the physical effects of ageing (what I was looking for) in Ted Weimann's Warrior Speed.
Book Review: Save your money
Summary: 2 Stars
This book is too generic and full of platitudes, plus poor grammar and typos. The sloppy editing gets worse at the end of the book. For anyone over 40 who has ever done martial arts, there is nothing new here. For anyone who is just beginning in their 40s or later, it is okay but not great. If you are into fitness or are even aware of your body and have anything resembling an active lifestyle, you will be disappointed.
The first four chapters are a waste of space - why fitness is good; the fact that exercise, diet, and mental attitude contribute to health; that most people over 40 resist exercise because it is work and can hurt; etc. Most of the rest of the book discusses the changes in fitness you can expect when you are older, and tells you to keep your chin up and not give up even if tempted. There is also not nearly enough specific information on how to compensate for various physical limitations due to injury, etc. that prevent a full range of motion for many older martial artists.
The only thing I found of value was Chapter 19 Sparring: a few recommendations on how to modify sparring technique to compensate for a loss of power, speed, flexibility, and agility for the older martial artist. Most of it was fairly obvious (circle away from your opponent to avoid being hit!), but there was some good info about disrupting the fight rhythm and using a few simple techniques that you know well and that work for your particular body.
The book finishes with some guidance on meditation and mind/body connection. A good final chapter would have been how to know when to call it quits and stop training for good, or at least change styles to something easier on the body like tai chi.
If I had glanced through this at Barnes and Noble, I would not have bought it. You can have mine.
Book Review: Unfortunately, not of much use
Summary: 1 Stars
I rarely write a negative review. But, I decided that I had to for this book. I bought it based on the over-all very positive reviews. I'll be giving it away and not to another martial artist, probably to a second hand store. This book covered very basic concepts (e.g., how to do strength training or speed training) in far too much detail, and even with pictures depicting sit-ups and head stands (really, head stands at 40+??). If we are over 40, we either already know this type of information, know we should not be doing some of it, or we should be going to a teacher/trainer to learn what we should be trying to do at this stage in our active lives. What I found most disappointing was that the book persisted in talking about competitions, trying to hit each other, etc. At 40, most of us who train in a martial art are not interested in competitions. I was hoping to find a book that would talk about the many aspects of martial arts that go beyond competition and medals. Maybe I can write one...