2024 the best physicist in the world review

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(as of Nov 06, 2024 14:52:11 UTC - Details)

An in-depth look into the physics behind martial arts.

Whether you are an experienced martial artist or a curious enthusiast, this book gives you an “unfair advantage” by unraveling the complex science of effective fighting techniques and examining the core principles that make them work. Did you know?

Momentum is for knocking people over Energy is for breaking bones and causing painA haymaker travels 3.14159 times farther than a jabYou are only an “object” when you are rigid

Fight Like a Physicist blends inquiry, skepticism, and irreverent humor—all while punching holes in myth and mysticism. Highlights include

Making physics your “unfair advantage,” in the ring and on the streetExamining center of mass, pi, levers, wedges, angular momentum, and linear momentum for martial artistsReducing traumatic brain injury in contact sportsExposing the illusion of safety provided by gloves and helmetsOverturning conventional wisdom on compliance during an assaultBusting up Hollywood action clichés

Fight Like a Physicist reads like a manifesto on the rational practice of martial arts. It’s intelligent, fun, and dangerous—and nothing short of iconoclastic.

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1594393389
Publisher ‏ : ‎ YMAA Publication Center; 1st edition (September 1, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 184 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781594393389
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1594393389
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.12 x 0.45 x 9.01 inches
Reviewer: LFoD-NH
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Excellent Overview of How and Why Martial Arts Techniques Work, or Don’t
Review: This is a really good book that covers basic application of physics to martial arts and self-defense techniques. The math is quite easy for anyone with high school algebra. The author also covers protective training equipment and protection against CTE, as well as a little psychology.I was introduced to this book by a physician friend of mine after I was explaining in class the tradeoff in energy transfer between a high velocity strike where the body mass is mostly not connected to the strike and a lower velocity strike with the body mass connected to it—energy increases linearly with mass, but with the square of the velocity. I’m an engineer and have been practicing martial arts for almost 30 years, most of the last 20 practicing Yin Style Baguazhang. As I was reading I was adding notes somewhat of the form, “Yes, this is exactly what we do in Bagua. For example, technique X...” In fact, I’ve become even more convinced of Bagua’s efficacy compared to other arts and I think the author would be astonished by how much Bagua techniques simultaneously combine many of these principles and I’d love to talk with him.While I completely agree with his view of some of the pseudoscience aspects of Qi, I would also say that there is something real here—not a “life force” or anything mystical. But, the human body and mind are complex with deeply entangled pathways and feedback loops. My own hypothesis is that the Eastern concept of Qi is, when stripped of the pseudoscience, one or more emergent phenomena involving circulation, breathing, neuromuscular coordination, tension, relaxation, body structure, and the like.One very minor disagreement I have is concerning the efficacy of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in developing real fighting skills because of the elimination of certain techniques allows full power sparring. While that does have advantages, the disadvantages are far greater. If you practice not to expect or use certain techniques because they’re dangerous, then you are not prepared for a real fight with no rules. Here is where I think the distinction between a fighting art, martial art, and sport is useful. A sport with rules is, by necessity, going to reduce the types of techniques permissible and train you to not expect certain things in a fight. A martial art is similar, but not as constraining, with ritual and tradition. A fighting art is exactly that—training to fight and is most pure in that respect. Many fighting arts evolve, over time, into martial arts, and then into sports. They lose a lot in this process. Today, Yin Style Baguazhang remains a fighting art that is still tested in no-rules challenge matches in mainland China.Overall, this is a great book that every serious martial arts practitioner, or someone training for self-defense, should read.

Reviewer: mark Moore
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great book for instructors
Review: Wonderful information to help understand things you know but don’t have the words for.

Reviewer: Martina Sprague
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Thank you for a good book on an intriguing subject.
Review: As the author of Fighting Science: The Laws of Physics for Martial Artists, I was naturally intrigued when I found this book and couldn’t wait to read it. Jason Thalken’s book is well-written and highly readable. Unfortunately, although I found the first half dealing with the physics of martial arts very interesting, I also found it somewhat slim and felt it did not really add anything significant to the material I have already discussed in Fighting Science. However, the second half of the book is exceptionally intriguing, particularly the discussion about diffuse axonal injury to the brain. I also enjoyed the part debunking common “incredible” martial arts feats, which reinforces similar discussions I have written about in Fighting Science. I further agree wholeheartedly with Thalken’s advice, at the very end of the book, about the need for skepticism, asking why rather than only how, and experimenting with failure in the martial arts to gain a deeper understanding of the extent to which both science and art benefit us in a chaotic situation. Perhaps Thalken should consider writing two separate books: One delving deeper into the physics of martial art techniques and one dealing particularly with the physics and physiology of brain injury in contact sports? In my view, Fight Like a Physicist, a relatively short book of only 145 pages, would have contributed more to martial arts and sports science had the two been separated and expanded upon. That said, I would like to thank the author for a good book on an intriguing subject! Martina Sprague, author of Fighting Science: The Laws of Physics for Martial Artists, and The Science of Takedowns, Throws & Grappling for Self-Defense.

Reviewer: M. O'HARA
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Useful intoduction to the physical principles of trhe martial arts
Review: Thalken has taken the time to show fellow martial artists how the formulas of physics translate into 'real world' implications for the way that martial arts works. The book is written in a very approachable manner, with the application of the formulas clearly explained. Of particular interest was the difference between generating momentum from a strike and generating kinetic energy, and the different ways of achieving that result. This book is recommended to martial artists who want to look below the surface of our arts and see how some of the underlying principles apply.

Reviewer: A. Michelson
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Interesting
Review: The physics and math are pretty rudimentary, which is reasonable since this book is not intended for mathematicians or physicists. Many good points, though fairly obvious to anyone who has trained for a few years or so. One problem to be aware of is that sometimes when you do the math things are simplified and are no longer based on reality - such as the statement that one can throw 8 punches in the time it takes to throw one haymaker. Not true. What is true is that a haymaker takes a bit longer than a straight punch, but again, that is obvious. Besides which, I doubt if any trained martial artist would throw a haymaker. A hook, yes. The discussion about falling is also a bit misleading: and vertical fall is indeed harder than a circular path, but ignores the situation where an accelerating force accompanies the circular path. A great deal is about what happens in competition, and a whole section on helmets or fist padding. For me this was interesting but irrelevant - I don't do sport fighting. I doubt if this book will actually change the way a sport fighter will fight, but I think the philosophy of challenging old truths is a good one. Just remember that sometimes knowledge handed down through generations of some very smart masters (a term too easily applied these days) is worth learning, understanding, and keeping.

Reviewer: Mr Wilder
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Do it. It's worth it.
Review: This book was an excellent buy. It covers a wide range of combat related issues from a scientific standpoint. The information is easy to follow and includes humor to keep you engaged. You are going to love the chapter on brain injuries.

Reviewer: Iram Gómez
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Es un buen libro para quienes gustan de las artes marciales y tienen un conocimiento limitado de ciencias. No compres este libro esperando encontrar los mil diagramas de cuerpo libre o aplicaciones de cálculo vectorial o un estudio profundo. Es un buen libro para aquellos que buscan por primera vez perspectiva científica en cuanto a las artes marciales y/o deportes de combate. Aunque aborda adecuadamente la inercia y la energía cinética, no hace suficiente énfasis en el análisis de las fuerzas (vectores, estática, etc.) y colisiones; hace casi nula mención de la presión. El manejo de la "estadística" y la "probabilidad" en los capítulos finales es descuidada, tal vez el autor intentó ser "objetivo", pero se presenta más bien como un análisis sesgado.

Reviewer: Simon Rüsenberg
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: This Book is just great. Not only did it tremendously help me with getting a better feeling certain techniques as well as what techniques are best suited for my body type; it also made me understand Physics for the first time.I‘m a biology student and never really liked Physics.In University I struggle quite a bit with it. In Physics I never really got the diffrence and the relations between Force, Momentum, Energy, how those things correlate with leveredge et cetera.Sure, I could throw the terms around and and could somewhat calculate, if I had to, but I never really understood.Now „Fight Like a Physicist“ helped me connect Physics with actual perceptions and daily life in a way that actually makes sense to me. It really helped me not only to know but also to understand.I can only recommend them to anyone who is struggling in a similar manner.

Reviewer: PB43
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Great book to understand the physics behind martial arts.

Reviewer: Awesomely wise
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Very informative

Reviewer: Rasmus Christiansen
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Well explained book, great examples, well written.A great read!