The Book of Speed for Martial Artists: Everything That You've Never Been Taught About How To Develop Dominating Speed

I've been a martial artist for many years. This book taught me a lot about speed that I had never thought about before. This guy has thought about just about everything that we do as martial artists and tells you the fastest way to do it. It's a combination of detail and skills. You're probably going to find out that you've got a lot of bad habits to fix. While a lot of it is different than what I've always done it all makes sense. The only bad part is that now I'm going to have to change a lot of my training.As for the book itself it's an easy read but there is a lot of info. It gets detailed at times but everything is written so that you can use it. It's the kind of book that you can pick up and just turn to a page and get something you can use instead of having a bunch of filler. One of the best things is that it's got “Making It Happen” sections after most of the detailed parts that tell you how to start using what you just read. There is an obvious focus on getting you to use the info.I've read a lot of martial art books before but at the end I usually don't have a lot that I can actually use. This book is all about using what it's teaching and most of it is pretty easy to get done. But there is a lot of it. If I have to complain about something it's that there are a couple of points that get repeated. I don't want to give anything away but you're going to get the point that he thinks that conscious thought is slow.

Most of these reviews are from martial artists of various forms; mine is sword - and business. Now, for the martial artist, the technique here is one mainly of the mind. I wish I had had this book for my fencing students and myself way back when, but this book crosses all platforms and disciplines. Like the Tao of Jeet Kune Do, there is much that is new in a discipline that is centuries old, and that bears real study. I'm sure there are those who will huff and puff and write in all caps about their distain for anything so cerebral, but I remember that they did that to Lee as well. Here's my point: everyone can benefit from this book: beginner to instructor. This is the edge you've been looking for.For the men and women of business, who like me embrace Nido Qubein's precept that speed of Implementation is a crucial part of business success, here the book rises to the level of Sun Tzu's The Art of War. Concepts like "Believe, whether you believe or not" is Think and Grow Rich from a different angle, and the book is filled with these gems. Read this book with an open mind and a business mindset, and you wil consider it some of the best dollars you have ever spent.I would urge the author to develop business programs using this book as a cornerstone, because getting there faster with more power reflexively is how businesses survive and thrive in today's increasingly rapid marketplace. I bought a second copy for a business partner.Well done.

If you really want to learn how to achieve "the impossible" kind of speed, you'll love this book for many practical insights, techniques and tricks designed to train not only your body but also your senses. And here is why training the body and the senses simultaneously is the secret...Before purchasing this book, I have already learned about the importance of having a fine-tuned bodily or kinesthetic intelligence -- or kinesthetic sense -- that is the secret behind not only the speed and fluidity of movement but also fast learning.My point: kinesthetic or bodily intelligence is the kind of intelligence that you can learn through whole-body movements characteristic of martial arts, yoga and similar ancient mind-body practices. Kinesthesia, also referred to as proprioception, is the sense of self-movement and body position. In this book the author discusses proprioception as the key to firing up your body awareness -- the kind of awareness through which your body "thinks" and acts intelligently and independently of your mind. Once you have your mind completely switched off, you will naturally enter that desired flow state or the zone where you are able to achieve "the impossible" with no thinking at all.

Any martial artist knows that speed is one of the essential ingredients in both sport and self-defense fighting. It is the difference between winning and losing . . . and sometimes it may mean the difference between life and death. Developing reliable speed, however, is certainly a more difficult process than simply recognizing its importance. In The Book of Speed for Martial Artists, Mr. Howell carefully builds the framework about how the process of increasing speed works, while giving you suggestions and activities that help you establish a personal speed building program. I think that whether you are a beginner or seasoned Martial Artist, The Book of Speed has ideas and practical information for you. It is written in a casual and engaging manner which makes for easy reading but the topics discussed are serious. I found the chapter about balance to be particularly of note since many students err when they attempt to increase kicking or punching speed while leaning or falling over. This book is well worth a first read, and then a second read. It has earned a place in my permanent library.

This is beyond the classroom. Why has my instructor not taken the time to teach me these techniques. Granted, I have learned some self defense skills, proper form and disciplines in the classroom setting, but not this. We can all pay our dues, attend classes regularly and receive group "basics". What this book did for me was to enhance those basics, improve skills and utilize my inner self to reach a whole new dimension I didn't know was in me. Howell's book have given me a new confidence, helped me to dissect my technique, hone skills and build speed. This book is of more value to me at this point (3 years of training) than my last year in the classroom. If you find yourself feeling the stagnation of a week after week instruction that leaves you yearning for more you need this book. Don't drop your class.....enhance it! You will be pleased with your progress, so will your peers. Be sure to tell them to buy a copy.

Need more practical methods

Great book.