Page 153 - Pat O'Keeffe Combat Kick Boxing

Recommended Reading

Nowadays the cross-training and the eclectic approach that he espoused is
described as cutting edge, which gives you some idea of how far in advance he
was of the rest of the field thirty years ago.
The techniques, ideas and explanations in this book inform, tantalise and reveal.
Many techniques and combinations translate to either the kick boxing ring or the
street with little or no adjustment. Page after page gives hard to find knowledge of
the where, how, why and when of fighting: where to strike; how to deliver power;
why range matters so much and timing, the art within the art. A ‘must have’ text.
Rating: 8/10

3) The Filipino Martial Arts
by Dan Inosanto
Published by Know How. Still in print.
Danny Inosanto could be described as the man who took up the baton when
Bruce Lee died. He was also a cross-trainer long before the word entered the
martial arts vocabulary. He built on Bruce Lee’s ideas and then took his own
direction, returning to his roots in the Filipino martial arts before branching out
into Thai boxing, penjak silat and many other styles besides.
This book specifically outlines the Filipino side of his search and therefore
contains information on unarmed combat and the combat use of the stick, knife
and sword. It starts with the basic use of the stick and then goes on to show that
the principles of both armed and unarmed fighting are the same.
By the end you are left in no doubt as to how deadly the Filipino arts are and
the book should, if nothing else, give you pause for thought when considering
facing an armed man.
Rating 7/10

4) Dogs Don’t Know Kung Fu
by Jamie O’Keefe
Published by New Breed. Still in print.
Jamie O’Keefe, no relation but a friend, is a firm advocate of applied martial
arts and has built a solid reputation as a consultant, teacher and researcher into
the realistic options available to women, doormen and the man in the street. He
has systematically stripped away the superfluous and dragged the theory under
the spotlight.
His book, Dogs Don’t Know Kung Fu, is primarily about women’s self-protection,
but much of what he has to say applies to men as well. He backs up his advice by
quoting from real life instances where people have suffered heavily for being in
the wrong place at the wrong time.
His words of caution about confronting a person on drugs and the description
of the effect of those drugs on an attacker are backed up by his many years as a
doorman where he has had to apply his hard-won knowledge.
Any of Jamie’s books are worth having on your shelf, but if you have to choose
just one, then make sure this is it.
Rating 8/10

153