Assassin!

As a lifetime student of numerous martial and combat arts (Judo, Jujitsu, Karate-Do, Kenjutsu, Tanto-Jutsu, Krav Maga, American Combatives, Hanbo-Jutsu, and many others) earning black belt ranks in many of them I am always seeking books and other material on these subjects. I recently purchased this unusual and unique 191 page soft cover book (Assassin: The deadly art of the cult of the assassins by Dr. Ha-ha Lung) on Amazon for a bargain price.This book covers in detail the history of the assassin cult in the Far East and gives an overview of the techniques, methods, and philosophy this cult followed. One of the many things which makes this book an interesting read is that it also shows you with drawing illustrations the actual deadly techniques of this art.This unique volume is organized into two parts. Part one covers the brotherhood of the blood-lickers, grand masters and grand schemes, ploys and power plays, and the evolution of the assassins. Part two explains fist and fire, Janna: assassin unarmed combat, assassin blade techniques and strategy, movement patterns, targeting and anatomy, knife attack techniques, Jana self-defense awareness and the old ways.Even though this is not strictly a self-defense manual; nevertheless, it definitely shows numerous dangerous and deadly techniques that can be used to hurt and even kill an attacker enemy. The focus is on knife (blade) techniques and explains the difference between knife fighting and using a knife for assassination.If you are a student of the combat and warrior arts this is a must book to read.Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Tactical Principles of the most effective Combative Systems).

I got this from BookJingle for dirt cheap, and even with shipping it was only about half the price or less of a brand new one. The condition was superb. As far as the book contents, it is good if you're interested in this type of stuff. I have a lot of legit training under my belt and much more credible books on my shelf, but still I enjoy these. I have other books by this author so I knew what to expect. It's like most Ninja books, but with a Middle Eastern twist. I thought about getting this years ago, but didn't want to spend full price; when I saw it here I figured it would be worth it to throw in daypack and read a bit on downtime. There's always something you can get from just about any book, and if nothing else it's fun. Overall, I would say that: If you are really into Middle Eastern stuff then go ahead and get it; If you really like this author then go ahead and get it; If you want this information specifically then go ahead and get it; If you are in Special Ops or something and are constantly looking for anything of any value whatsoever no matter how miniscule even if just to possibly gain some info on your enemies tactics then go ahead and get it; If you have all the martial arts reference material that you need but want something else for the heck of it then go ahead and get it; If you were going to only have one book on martial arts I think you could do better and you could do worse; If you are a super critical and uptight martial artist that is not interested in anything but a formal traditional regimen then you may want to pass on this one, though not necessarily. Depending on how much training you have, and what type and quality that training is, this may or may not blow your mind. Probably not. But still, I won't slam it here. It's not bad for what it is... it's actually pretty good. For a younger person or beginner/intermediate martial artist it probably has a lot of fresh material. If you've been around a while there will be less for you. As for the Middle Eastern Assassin aspect, not many books discuss that so this is a good source if all the historical stuff is accurate. Anyways, I don't regret buying it, especially for a bargain price. You'll have to decide for yourself.

If you are familiar with Dr. Lung's other books, or books by Dirk Skinner or Ralf Dean Omar, then you should like this book. I say this because the one-star reviewers appear to have purchased this book expecting something like a traditional martial arts manual, which it is not. Dr. Lung's books are big on covert history and psychological techniques, and light on combat instruction.So, what do you get? The first 1/3 of the book is a breezy semi-accurate history of the Order of the Assassins and the Crusades, with Dr. Lung's conspiratorial view of history showing up mostly at the end, making a case for Assassin influence on secret societies and modern terror tactics.Now for the practical part of the book. It starts with meditation techniques and psychological techniques, such as exploiting an enemies appetites or habits. For the physical combat portion the author states that the Assassin was not a knife fighter or a boxer, but a murderer that used subterfuge to kill a target, so you need to keep that in mind. The martial techniques are described simply, and then used in a few demonstration scenarios. You will need some previous martial arts training and a training buddy to really get the most from this. Like I said, not a how to fight book, not at all.Like other books my Dr. Lung, his skewed view of history is entertaining, his martial techniques are good if you need some exercise, but it's the psychology of the Assassin that's the worthwhile part of the book.