Lessons in the Art of War: Martial Strategies for the Successful Fighter - Hardcover

"A scholarly yet approachable tome, Lessons in the Art of War ought to be on every serious martial artist's bookshelf. Using the principles of Sun Tzu and von Clausewitz, Sprague demonstrates that the underlying philosophies of Eastern and Western combat as reflected by the martial arts truly aren't all that different." -Lawrence Kane, author of The Little Black Book of Violence "This book is an indispensable resource for any martial artist interested in knowing what factors lead to success in combat, how one can mitigate against the element of chance, and the mindset necessary to overcome." -Jennifer Lawler, author of the Dojo Wisdom series "Martina Sprague has written a thought provoking book that examines the well-known works of Sun Tzu (The Art of War) and the lesser known but nonetheless powerful 19th century military strategist von Clausewitz that is at once scholarly and highly readable. Every student of the martial arts as well as every student of war needs to read this book." -Loren Christensen, 8th dan, coauthor of On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace "This well-researched book is packed full of information about military strategy from thinkers as diverse as Sun Tzu and Clausewitz. It offers readers many lessons on how to apply these strategies to their own martial arts practice." -Jennifer Lawler, author of the Dojo Wisdom series "In general, this is an enlightening read for any martial artist." -City Book Review

Become a Better Martial Artist by Applying Lessons from the World's Greatest Military Strategists from Sun Tzu to Von Clausewitz Lessons in the Art of War investigates the theories and philosophies of the most prominent military thinkers in Asia and Europe and examines the combat roots of a variety of fighting styles from traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean martial arts to the fighting arts of the ancient Greeks and modern Israelis. It also demonstrates how the martial arts, whether Asian or Western in origin, were historically about brutal fighting, often to the death, and how ancient attitudes and beliefs can be adapted for success in today's MMA steel cage, judo or karate tournament as they were in ancient armies. Including an introduction to Asian and Western military thought, chapters include: The Nature and Conduct of Combat What is Combat? Preparing for Battle Elements of Tactics and Strategy Imposing Your Will Destroying the Enemy Force Strength of the Defensive Position Failure Moral Quality of Courage Securing Victory