The Gentleman's Steel Reader

By James Albert Keating - 2006 - 98 Pages

Book Review by Lily Gold, LMT

I just finished James A. Keating's (JAK's) book The Gentleman's Steel Reader and WOW, it is just filled with gems of wisdom.  At a first glance, it may look like a quick read – and it is; however the material contained within it will give you enough stuff to keep you busy for years.  Whether you're a beginner or advanced on the warrior path – you will gain from studying this book and working through the concepts and suggested exercises.

It's outside of the box thinking from JAK that we've all come to expect.  Step into another world – expand your thinking with JAK as a guide.  It's all about improving YOU as a martial artist, a rare thing – especially these days when so many want to impress you with their skills – the ultimate zenful or tough guy – not Jim, though.  He's a true teacher – sharing his experience, knowledge and insights on the arts to advance you on your path.

The book is written in a style that is very conversational, you feel like Jim’s sitting there with you sharing his knowledge.  Humor is interjected throughout to keep the reading fun and easy flowing – but the seriousness of the topics is also stressed.

Jim talks about many subjects, some are straightforward – "try this out" items and others are concept based – giving you something to ponder and a path to explore on your own.

Here are a few highlights:

“Understanding Geometry of Combat” is a chapter you will want to read several times, ponder and study.  It seems obvious, but how often do people see the geometry in their art?  Gaining this insight will really advance you – everything will come together, you will begin to see the connections and the similarities in the movements you do and the environment around you.

The chapter “The Figure Eight” was an eye opener for me.  Here’s a topic that most people think is simple and feel that they ‘know’ everything about it.  Jim gives you an expanded view on the ‘simple’ figure eight and several exercises to experiment with.  Again, it’s all geometry.

“The Secrets of the Close Interval Knife Combat” is loaded with exceptional information – mental and physical training ideas and exercises.  There’s a section on the mental exercise of X-ing (there’s more to it than you probably know), scarf training for attribute development, secondarys (backups) and gaining knife control through paper cutting and a few games that are really fun!

Check it out, you will be pleased and your skills will be better for doing so.

I’m off to try some stuff – maybe figure eights today!

“Training for ability should be your goal, not to join a cult, a club or a congress. Train serious, train regular, and train sincerely” from: Gentleman’s Steel Reader by James Albert Keating.

The Gentleman's Steel Reader Is Available Directly From James A Keating