Litsy

The Art of Prophecy: A Novel | Wesley Chu

Sword and sorcery fantasy which turns prophecy on its head. Interesting but I probably won't continue the series. I'm just not in the mood for sword and sorcery at the moment.

32 likes

BookishRedhead

Bruce Lee: The Celebrated Life of the Golden Dragon | John Little

pick

Closest thing we will ever get to an autobiography written by Bruce himself.

1 like

jen_the_scribe

The Art of Prophecy: A Novel | Wesley Chu

bailed

Pretty sure this was a me problem. I think this is one I‘d be better off with reading the physical book, but listening to it just could not grab my attention.

19 likes

jen_the_scribe

The Art of Prophecy: A Novel | Wesley Chu

Next listen is fiction, and it‘s been in my library for a while…

19 likes1 stack add

ReadingOver50

Breath of the Dragon: Breathmarked | Fonda Lee, Shannon Lee

pick

In the beginning Jun is impulsive and selfish. We watch as he gains maturity.

I enjoyed the descriptions of the tournament. This book doesn't shy away from violence and death. Some of the scenes are pretty graphic. I found the first few chapters a little slow, but the action soon picked up. I thought the breathmarked was a very interesting and creative idea. It will be interesting to see where the 2nd book goes.

61 likes

ShaaM

The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance | Josh Waitzkin

so-so

Okayish

2 likes

TrishB

The Art of Prophecy: A Novel | Wesley Chu

Finally getting to this one @julesG

TheLudicReader So pretty. 10mo

julesG 🎉🎉🎉🎉 10mo

Crazeedi What a gorgeous book 10mo

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LeahBergen Pretty! 10mo

Ruthiella Beautiful! 😍 10mo

CarolynM Spectacular!😍 10mo

69 likes6 comments

GingerAntics

Solo Training: The Martial Artist's Home Training Guide | Loren W. Christensen

bailed

I just can‘t with this book anymore. If you are into martial arts for the sport, the exercise, the community - if you‘re more into forms than sparring - this book is absolutely NOT written for you. If you‘re into martial arts to win fist fights (street fights is Christensen‘s preferred term), to beat people up, to find new, unique, inventive, and technical ways to hurt people…
👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

GingerAntics then this is just the book you need to do all those things better than ever before! 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 10mo

GingerAntics He repeatedly and at length waxes poetic about all the fist fights he got into as a police officer, even advocating dealing with a person who is upset by elbowing them repeatedly in the face (complete with pictures). 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 10mo

GingerAntics This is like a manual on everything that is wrong with police officers and everything that makes good and decent cops look like monsters. It‘s also a manual on all the negative stereotypes about martial arts and martial artists and how to make them seem like a reality. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 10mo

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GingerAntics Some of the drills assume you have martial arts equipment in your home that smaller martial arts schools don‘t even always have. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 10mo

GingerAntics Some of the exercises and/or techniques make no sense as they are described (how do you do a front kick starting with your knee facing the ground, your foot “as close to your rear as you can get it,” pointing at your target but still a FRONT kick - this isn‘t even physically possible unless you‘ve dislocated your hips and can somehow kick through your body?) 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 10mo

GingerAntics and they have no photos (but we get photos of him elbowing a person who is upset - good choice). To make this entire thing even more nonsensical, no videos are available of these techniques even in the vast world of YouTube, so are they really that great? YouTube has dozens (hundreds, thousands, innumerable) tutorials on every move ever used in an MMA fight, but it doesn‘t have a single video of an “upside down front kick” or a “cobra kick.” 👇🏻 10mo

GingerAntics MAKE IT MAKE SENSE!!! 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 10mo

GingerAntics This book is a total waste of time and money for any real martial artist. Ask for home drills from your instructors or from martial artists online. This book is a nightmare for any real martial artist. 10mo

GingerAntics #SoloTraining #LorenWChristensen #policebrutality #fistfighter #fakemartialarts 10mo

Dilara Oh dear! That sounds awful. 10mo

Bookwomble Oh! 😱 Sounds like everything that's wrong with martial arts. Thank goodness the author's no longer a police officer. 10mo

GingerAntics @Bookwomble that‘s the thing, that‘s NOT martial arts. Every teacher I‘ve ever had has been very clear that they will not tolerate people with this mentality in their schools. They would kick out an adult like this, and they would never allow a kid becoming this to belt test until they stopped doing this. This is all of the stereotypes that aren‘t even true. This doesn‘t match the tenants of any martial art. 10mo

GingerAntics @Dilara this guy is a piece of work 10mo

quietlycuriouskate Ugh, that sounds beyond terrible! Re your comment, MAKE IT MAKE SENSE: seconded, as an all-purpose principle. 10mo

Bookwomble I get it: he's Cobra Kai! 🐍 10mo

GingerAntics @Bookwomble I haven‘t seen that show. I don‘t get it. Is that just people beating up other people for the sake of beating them up? He‘s supposedly this greatly respected martial arts instructor, if YouTube and articles about him can be believed. I‘m just glad he‘s not a cop anymore. Police brutality much? 10mo

GingerAntics @quietlycuriouskate right? None of it makes sense. This is not how martial arts is taught, nor should it be. 9mo

GingerAntics @Bookwomble he claims it‘s from kajukenbo… of which I can find nothing of this kick anywhere. It‘s a combination of karate, judo, kendo, and boxing, none of which have this kick. Karate has a cobra kick, but it‘s a type of side kick, not a front kick. I swear, he‘s just making this 💩 up as he goes. 🙄 9mo

Bookwomble Less "Mr Miyagi", more "Mr My Arse"! ? 9mo

GingerAntics @Bookwomble that is a perfect description… I think that would be my one sentence review of this book. 8mo

9 likes20 comments

GingerAntics

Solo Training: The Martial Artist's Home Training Guide | Loren W. Christensen

Anyone else see a problem here? This guy goes on and on about how he was a cop and all the fist fights he got into. A motorist is angry, so your response is to elbow him in the face repeatedly? This guy is straight up obsessed with beating people up. He doesn‘t give a crap about sport, his in it to beat people up. I don‘t feel like this is what martial arts are supposed to be about these days.
#SoloTraining #LorenWChristensen

GingerAntics #PoliceBrutality anyone? 10mo

kspenmoll 🤬🤬 10mo

GingerAntics @kspenmoll yeah, I haven‘t read any more of this one. I think it‘s going to be my first DNF of 2024! 10mo

11 likes3 comments