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The Martialist Reading List
A “Living Article” by Phil Elmore (with
thanks to Charles Lockhart)
When we stop learning, we start dying. One of the best
resources available to all students of self-defense is the the written word.
We are fortunate to live in a time when there are more great texts on
self-defense, weapons, and force than ever before. However, amidst all
the books out there, how does the martialist choose precisely which texts to
read? With limited time, it is necessary to prioritize.
This page will expand over time as I find more texts worthy of
inclusion (and as I find the time to synopsize them). This is not some
holy canon, but I do think you’ll find each of the books listed here worth
your time.
01. Jeff Cooper’s Principles of Personal Defense
Before you read anything else, read this text by “The Gunner’s
Guru.” Jeff Cooper, the legendary firearms instructor responsible for
brining “the modern technique of the pistol” to the masses, is a legend among
firearms advocates. The man is practically synonymous with the
1911-style .45 pistol and is well known for his wry, politically incorrect
views on self-defense and society.
Principles of Personal Defense sums up, 44 concise pages, the principles
that best embody martialism:
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Alertness
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Decisiveness
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Aggressiveness
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Speed
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Coolness
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Ruthlessness
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Surprise
Cooper’s writing style is both refreshing and amusing. He
speaks in language that is at once formal and informal, a tone I picture as
one of a tough-as-nails grandfather teaching his grandson how to beat the snot
out of a bully. Jeff Cooper knows what works and what doesn’t and
considers it a foregone conclusion that anyone who thinks differently is
naturally an imbecile.
“Violent crime,” writes Cooper, “is feasible only if its
victims are cowards. A victim who fights back makes the whole business
impractical. It is true that a victim who fights back may suffer for it,
but one who does not almost certainly will suffer for it.”
Cooper’s little book belongs on every martialist’s bookshelf.
02. The Book of Five Rings (aka The Book of Five Spheres)
Miyamoto Musashi, Japan’s most famous swordsman, wrote one of
the world’s most famous martial arts texts: The Book of Five Spheres.
Not so long ago it was very fashionable to use this text as some kind of
contemporary business self-help book, which I think is fairly silly.
Miyamoto Musashi’s words, however, hold a great deal of wisdom for
contemporary martialists wisdom that remains very relevant despite
intervening centuries.
The seven lessons I learned from The Book of Five Spheres
were the topic of an article I wrote on the
subject. They are:
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Be a pragmatist.
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Be a skeptic.
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Nothing worth doing is easy.
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Use all your tools.
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Don’t get attached to material things.
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Move like you walk.
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If you have to stop and think about it, you don’t know it well
enough.
Take a voyage to your local library or book store today.