Martial

Author: William Fitzgerald
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226252566
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 269

Book Description
In this age of the sound bite, what sort of author could be more relevant than a master of the epigram? Martial, the most influential epigrammatist of classical antiquity, was just such a virtuoso of the form, but despite his pertinence to today’s culture, his work has been largely neglected in contemporary scholarship. Arguing that Martial is a major author who deserves more sustained attention, William Fitzgerald provides an insightful tour of his works, shedding new and much-needed light on the Roman poet’s world—and how it might speak to our own. Writing in the late first century CE—when the epigram was firmly embedded in the social life of the Roman elite—Martial published his poems in a series of books that were widely read and enjoyed. Exploring what it means to read such a collection of epigrams, Fitzgerald examines the paradoxical relationship between the self-enclosed epigram and the book of poems that is more than the sum of its parts. And he goes on to show how Martial, by imagining these books being displayed in shops and shipped across the empire to admiring readers, prophetically behaved like a modern author. Chock-full of epigrams itself—in both Latin and English versions—Fitzgerald’s study will delight classicists, literary scholars, and anyone who appreciates an ingenious witticism.

Musashi's Book of Five Rings

Author: Stephen F. Kaufman
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN: 1462906362
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 130

Book Description
This classic interpretation of Miyamoto Musashi's famous Book of Five Rings is intended specifically for the martial artist--as Miyamoto Musashi originally intended. It explains the underlying truths necessary for a full understanding of Musashi's message for warriors. The result is an enthralling book on martial strategy that combines the instincts of the warrior with the philosophies of Zen Buddhism, Shintoism, Confucianism and Taoism. It is a crucial book for every martial artist to read and understand. Like the original, this classic book of strategy is divided into five sections. The Book of Earth lays the groundwork for anyone wishing to understand Musashi's teachings; the Book of Water explains the warrior's approach to strategy; the Book of Fire teaches fundamental fighting techniques based on the Earth and Water principles; the Book of Wind describes differences between Musashi's own martial style and the styles of other fighting schools; while the Book of No-thing describes the "way of nature" as understood through an "unthinking" existing preconception. Famed martial artist and bestselling author Stephen Kaufman has translated this classic without the usual academic or commercial bias, driving straight into the heart of Musashi's martial teachings and interpreting them for his fellow martial artists. The result is an enthralling combination of warrior wisdom and philosophical truths that Musashi offered to other warriors who wished to master the martial way of bushido.

Martial, Book IV

Author: Rosario Moreno Soldevila
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9047409892
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 636

Book Description
This volume is the first comprehensive commentary on the fourth book of Martial's epigrams. The introduction discusses its date of publication, major themes (Domitian, literature, death), the arrangement and form of the epigrams, and some issues concerning the transmission of the text. Of special note is the author’s study of the structure of the book. The commentary, preceded by the Latin critical text and an English translation, aims to provide readers with as much pertinent information as possible to enable them to fully comprehend the epigrams. Attention is paid to style and literary tradition, as well as to realia. Both each individual epigram and the book as a whole are studied as finely accomplished works of art.

Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks

Author: Marc De Bremaeker
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN: 1462905587
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 674

Book Description
A well-placed kick can mean the difference between victory and defeat in a fight! This illustrated guide to martial arts kicks provides the reader with a wealth of information on 89 different types of kicks from various styles. This martial arts book features kicks from Karate, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, Kung Fu, Kempo, Capoeira, Jeet Kune Do, and more. In a self-defense situation, there is no room for defeat. Readers will learn how to unleash a devastating barrage of kicks to throw their opponents off guard and leave every match in victory. The Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks has one purpose: to help readers hone their kicking proficiency so that they can readily deploy the most powerful tool in the fighter's repertoire. It contains thousands of photos and diagrams to show readers exactly how to perform all of the 89 kicks inside this book. Packed with full-color photos, detailed diagrams and a companion DVD featuring 50 of the most powerful kicks, this book is required reading for every martial artist who wants to sharpen and expand their kicking skills. You'll learn all about: Front Kicks Side Kicks Roundhouse Kicks Back Kicks Hook Kicks Crescent Kicks And many more!

Court-Martial: How Military Justice Has Shaped America from the Revolution to 9/11 and Beyond

Author: Chris Bray
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393243419
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 300

Book Description
A timely, provocative account of how military justice has shaped American society since the nation’s beginnings. Historian and former soldier Chris Bray tells the sweeping story of military justice from the earliest days of the republic to contemporary arguments over using military courts to try foreign terrorists or soldiers accused of sexual assault. Stretching from the American Revolution to 9/11, Court-Martial recounts the stories of famous American court-martials, including those involving President Andrew Jackson, General William Tecumseh Sherman, Lieutenant Jackie Robinson, and Private Eddie Slovik. Bray explores how encounters of freed slaves with the military justice system during the Civil War anticipated the civil rights movement, and he explains how the Uniform Code of Military Justice came about after World War II. With a great eye for narrative, Bray hones in on the human elements of these stories, from Revolutionary-era militiamen demanding the right to participate in political speech as citizens, to black soldiers risking their lives during the Civil War to demand fair pay, to the struggles over the court-martial of Lieutenant William Calley and the events of My Lai during the Vietnam War. Throughout, Bray presents readers with these unvarnished voices and his own perceptive commentary. Military justice may be separate from civilian justice, but it is thoroughly entwined with American society. As Bray reminds us, the history of American military justice is inextricably the history of America, and Court-Martial powerfully documents the many ways that the separate justice system of the armed forces has served as a proxy for America’s ongoing arguments over equality, privacy, discrimination, security, and liberty.

The Martial Arts Almanac

Author: Ngo Vinh-Hoi
Publisher: Contemporary Books
ISBN: 9781565658226
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 92

Book Description
From Bruce Lee and Benny Urquidez to the latest Jackie Chan blockbuster film, this updated edition of The Martial Arts Almanac is the first-ever comprehensive look into the exotic world of martial arts. Young martial arts fans can read all about aikido, tae kwon do, kung fu, karate, and a host of other styles, as well as the great masters who made them famous. -- Dozens of photographs, illustrations, and sidebars -- Index and glossary for help with foreign terms -- Interview with a real martial arts master

The Ultimate Book of Martial Arts

Author: Fay Goodman
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781859677780
Category : Aikido
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
The ancient martial arts disciplines are used not only for self-defense; they also contribute to a person's sense of harmony and well-being. Featuring specially commissioned photographs drawing on the expertise of highly qualified practitioners, this book examines in detail the history and philosophy behind the martial arts and the etiquette and techniques of primary and more advanced moves. 700+ color photos.

Chinese Martial Arts Training Manuals

Author: Brian Kennedy
Publisher: Blue Snake Books
ISBN: 9781583941942
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 352

Book Description
Secret training manuals, magic swords, and flying kung fu masters—these are staples of Chinese martial arts movies and novels, but only secret manuals have a basis in reality. Chinese martial arts masters of the past did indeed write such works, along with manuals for the general public. This collection introduces Western readers to the rich and diverse tradition of these influential texts, rarely available to the English-speaking reader. Authors Brian Kennedy and Elizabeth Guo, who coauthor a regular column for Classical Fighting Arts magazine, showcase illustrated manuals from the Ming Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty, and the Republican period. Aimed at fans, students, and practitioners, the book explains the principles, techniques, and forms of each system while also placing them in the wider cultural context of Chinese martial arts. Individual chapters cover the history of the manuals, Taiwanese martial arts, the lives and livelihoods of the masters, the Imperial military exams, the significance of the Shaolin Temple, and more. Featuring a wealth of rare photographs of great masters as well as original drawings depicting the intended forms of each discipline, this book offers a multifaceted portrait of Chinese martial arts and their place in Chinese culture.

Naval Courts Martial, 1793-1815

Author: John D. Byrn
Publisher: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
ISBN: 9780754667810
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 820

Book Description
This collection of naval court martial transcripts and related documents from the time of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars contributes not only to our understanding of military jurisprudence in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries but also to our knowledge of Georgian and Regency criminal law in general.These transcripts are presented in their entirety and offer a unique window to the social conditions and behaviour aboard the King's ships at the time.

Martial Races

Author: Heather Streets
Publisher: Manchester University Press
ISBN: 9780719069628
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 258

Book Description
This book explores how and why Scottish Highlanders, Punjabi Sikhs, and Nepalese Gurkhas became identified as the British Empire's fiercest soldiers in nineteenth century discourse. As "martial races" these men were believed to possess a biological or cultural disposition to the racial and masculine qualities necessary for the arts of war. Because of this, they were used as icons to promote recruitment in British and Indian armies--a phenomenon with important social and political effects in India, in Britain, and in the armies of the Empire.