Jared Miracle

This book reads like a very long essay, so if you're not used to reading that style of writing, this book is not for you!

In this book, there is history of martial arts, tidbits of what people think martial arts is and the history of fighting in general. I like how the author explains what some foreign words mean and how it builds upon that particular martial arts.
For example: Bushido, Jared explains the word, how the word is viewed in present time (from the movie The Last Samurai for example), how it the original word actually should be used in a cultural sense,etc.

One thing about this that I didn't like too much was that it focuses alot about the Japanese martial art; not saying that they did not contribute much to America, in fact it was presented very well in the book, but the cover of the book is kung-fu, so I expected a bit more about kung-fu and the chinese influence instead.… (mais)

It would be understandable, if inaccurate, to assume from its title and description that Miracle's Now with Kung Fu Grip! is a work of popular history. I personally found the subject matter to be interesting and learned quite a bit, however the book is difficult to recommend to a casual reader. While Miracle's style of writing isn't overly academic, it is incredibly dense and as a whole the volume seems unfocused. Most people will do well to simply read the book's conclusion which provides an adequate summary, foregoing the rest of the content unless more explicit detail is desired. The cover image, taken from the Chinese martial arts film Fearless, is somewhat misleading as well as the book is almost exclusively devoted to Japanese martial arts and the ways in which they've been incorporated into American culture. Now with Kung Fu Grip! is less about martial arts themselves and more about their social and historical contexts and the mythologies and stories that practitioners construct around them. In particular, Miracle ties the evolution of Japanese martial arts traditions in America to their commercialization and to the changing interpretations and expectations of idealized American masculinity over time.… (mais)

This book was definitely not what I expected. It is incredibly dry to read and quite honestly meanders around for a while before any kind of narrative is remotely presented. The author regurgitates fact after historical tidbit after fact without really giving the reader any idea what the point of the book is for quite some time. The title appealed to me, but was more misleading than anything in a way. I wish I could have a better opinion of this book, as I was truly interested in the concept, but in the end I couldn't even finish it.

I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.… (mais)