An entertaining journey of self-discovery in the martial arts where author Brian Preston travels around the globe and meets some very interesting characters, as Lesley Jackson discovers.
The frequency of the martial arts travelogue is starting to increase and enter the mainstream publishing market, the most recent example being this one by martial arts novice, Brian Preston. This Canadian writer and self confessed ‘spineless wuss’ sets out on a mission, given to him by his publisher to, ‘spend a year getting a black belt, (and) tell us what you learn from it.’ Of course, any martial artist will tell you that it takes about four or five years to get your black belt from a reputable school but Preston spends a year tasting and travelling the world to find out some interesting facts and insights into vastly differing martial arts.
He starts out by taking up kung fu at a local school with his teacher ‘sifu Bob’ and discovers the realities of training in a martial art; that it takes time and it is generally very difficult. In a few short pages, we learn about Preston’s immersion into the world of martial arts and his new found enthusiasm when “a wimpy forty-something wuss, with the heartfelt zealousness and sincere vigour of the newly converted, takes up the study of kung fu.” One of the most interesting sections in the first part of this book is Sifu Bob and Preston’s examination of the cult of Bruce Lee, whereby they admire his physical prowess but point out his weaknesses as a human being. One thing that Preston does show throughout his martial arts journey is his constant background reading on the subject, with him frequently stating the book he has read as research for his next subject. This could have been made into a bibliography at the end, as well as the websites he found most useful as this would have made a good reference for those wishing to read further.
The rest of the book is mostly concerned with Preston’s travels around the world. He manages to meet the famous Brazillian Jujitsu champion Royce Gracie and an extended trip to China to visit the ever commercialised Shaolin and Wudang kung fu enterprises. Preston presents us with a modern and cynical take on modern China where he notices that “the Buddhist monks are making a killing.” We are also given an interesting and sharply witty take on the world of mixed martial arts as he follows Jeff Monson on his quest for a professional bout in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Preston observes the practise session in ground work and comments “to me grappling looks pretty much like two guys intent on buggering the other without being buggered in return.”
In the end, Preston seems to choose Tai Chi as his martial art of choice. However, as interesting and funny as his journey in the martial arts is, his goals are not always made clear. Is his book about his own learning of a martial art or a travelogue observing other martial arts? This starts to become confusing, particularly during his journey through China. Nonetheless, a light-hearted and entertaining read for anyone on a long train or plane journey.
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