by Tim Cartmell
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Product Description
Tim explains throwing techniques which, when performed correctly, do not require the use of great power, force or effort. Copiously illustrated.
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Superb!, 2008-06-28
Level: Beginner to Advanced
I've spent quite a bit of time reading, re-reading, and practicing the techniques and principles of Tim Cartmell's excellent book. The techniques work, the principles are superb, and the insights quite eye-opening.
Cartmell is another young championship-calibre martial artist who basically makes things real. In a martial arts world where there is so much mysticism and legend clouding the picture (qi, qigong, breathing, auras, whatnot), it's great to hear from someone who has had success, and puts things in verbiage that make it understandable to the everyday Westerner. I am struck by the fact that in our school we have two students who work as Chinese interpreter/translator types. They are fluent in Chinese. But contextually, when the great Master from China gives us a seminar, there is so much that is unique to the Chinese martial arts-- history/legend/context-- that they cannot interpret for us. Interesting no? The analogy I use is this-- how would a medieval Chinese peasant/martial artist/monk explain to you how to learn to ride a bicycle? Today we have terms like center of gravity and equilibrium. Back then... nope.
So Cartmell keeps it real. Principles, physics and body mechanics, mental attitude. The throws are examples, certainly. 14 techniques total-- with so much explanation and analysis it's almost overkill. The throws are illustrative of the four main categories of throws. In each throw, Cartmell talks about the category, the lever arm, the key structural elements, the approach, and applications to self-defense situations. It's quite good... like I said almost redundant, but necessary especially if one reads only about one technique without reading the rest of the book, for example.
The pictures ARE poor. Especially by today's standards. But good enough to understand what's going on. I would have been more pleased if the publisher had recommended twice as many pictures, of better quality, with about 1/3rd less text.
Before/after the techniques are descriptions of principles, exercises to develop balance, breathing, mental attitude, and body awareness useful in these techniques. Cartmell discusses his opinions on body mechanics, etcetera, including pelvic positioning. The afterward essay relating these issues to martial arts "myths" is also a bit redundant-- basically stating the same thing but relating it more to traditional Chinese martial arts training.
I really think that conceptually, this is an essential book for any martial artist... not just throwing arts. The principles are prudent to striking arts, as well. It allows one to see more clearly openings and possibilities-- one sees/feels the body with a different completeness that's nice. In fact, that's how I'd explain it-- instead of just feeling the opponent's center-- as is somewhat more typical-- Cartmell helps us see it, as well.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 An excellent book on theory that can really help your throws, 2008-02-18
I have taught both Shaolin Kung Fu and Aikido for many years and have run across many books that are a collection of throwing techniques. In this book, the author outlines a new way of categorizing throws in terms of how they affect the opponent's body and details the principals that go with these categories, then gives a number of effective throwing techniques as examples. He takes as the starting point some of the key things that many students only start to understand after doing a technique many many times. If you practice Judo, Aikido, Shuai Jiao, or just about any other throwing art you're almost certain to get something out of this book, even if it's just a new way of looking at and understanding the different classes of throws you use. If you're just starting out, you can get a lot out of this book that will help you along, provided you've got the instruction and mat time to go with it.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
 the dark side, 2007-05-19
Cartmell knows a lot about martial arts,,,,,but he does seem to know much about photography. He has both tori and uke wearing grey t-shirts and black pants. Furthermore nobody taught the photographer to open up the lens aperature to let a little light into the camera. All the photos are too dark. So the result is in most of the pictures, there is a mass of black where four legs ought to be, and some arms and hands, but you can't really tell which arms belong to whom.
The book needs to reprinted on good paper, hire a photographer and make the book something to showcase Mr. Cartmells' vast knowledge. As it is, it's a good read, but the last 2/3 of the book are really pretty useless.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Principals, 2007-05-12
This book gives you a clear set of principals that you can really use. The later half of the book gives you illustrations of those principals. It's that simple.
If you want to improve your martial art; get this. Throws/ takedowns are in pretty much most martial arts and so, things like leverage, dead-angles etc need to be ingrained. And here's the key; A principal led guide will get you using throws and takedowns faster and easier as you're not -mid fight/spar- spending your time wondering whether to use an osotogari, an outer-reap or a repulsive monkey!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
A martial arts classic, 2005-07-25
The first 50 pages of this book, which I think many readers may skip over, are absolute gold. Most Westerners, myself included for a long time, don't get, buy into, or even care about 'qi', that internal force that predominates in certain martial arts. Tim Cartmell writes wonderfully about the mechanical principles of combat throws and body usage in order to obtain smooth, fluid power, all the while using your opponents force to your benefit. In the end, you will have 'qi', even though the author never once told you that's what he was doing. Pretty slick and effective if you ask me...which you didn't...so there you are.
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