Top Ten Martial Arts Novels

Here is a list of some of the best Martial Arts fiction that I have ever read.

I have been a student of oriental martial arts for over three decades, and have trained in both Chinese and Japanese fighting systems.

Additionally, I have also been a shameless fan of martial arts related fiction.

Here is a list of some of the best that I have come across.

I hope other enthusiasts will enjoy the reads as much as I have.


Click on the cover images to buy from Amazon.com

1.	The Best Seller by Arunabha Sengupta By quite some distance best of the lot. I am a connoisseur of Martial Arts fiction, and never have I read a better one. Unlike any other martial arts novel. The hero is a struggling author who is also a taichi instructor and a Karate student specifically interested in the martial chin na applications. This is very real, has contemporary themes like the  financial crisis and the effects of the internet, is set in colorful Amsterdam, and has exceptional humor. The story line is extraordinarily vast and edge of the seat interesting without taking recourse of unnatural action as so common in other martial arts novels. The characters are from normal walks of life – corporate environment, writers, journalists and not spies, ninjas or assassins. The satirical social commentary throughout and the insights into contemporary culture are extraordinary. The text is also full of delightful poetry and haikus. The best part of the book is that without becoming didactic and making esoteric gods of the instructors. The underlying philosophy of tai chi and the wisdom of the east are exceptionally handled and used to arrive at many of the decisions in the novel.
2.	Shibumi by Trevanian A well crafted thriller, it does have a very good writing style as well as a very mysterious quality. There is a lot of social commentary. The action scenes are well described. There is an interesting setting, with mysterious, beautiful characters and their exotic pursuits. The handling of certain mystical threads in the storyline is also very well executed. To add to the martial arts, the game of go is also a major theme in the novel. Don’t be put off by the first chapter which reads like a very ordinary cold war spy thriller. What follows more than makes up for it.
3.	Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa Very popular historical novel based on the life of Myamoto Musashi. Yoshikawa blends well known facts, romance and martial art fiction in proper portions to produce a great novel. The action scenes are excellent. One can almost feel the sights and sounds of medieval Japan when one reads the book. The characters of Musashi, Takuan and Yagyu are skilfully woven together. One put off is the translation where something as exotic as a katana  is presented to the reader as lance. However, this aside, it is a rollicking read.
4.	Big Apple 2 Bites:  A novel of 9/11, Love and Aikido by Arunabha Sengupta Yet another masterpiece by Sengupta, very close to The Best Seller. The martial art dealt with in this book is Aikido, and as is characteristic of a Sengupta novel, we find real characters with very real problems with Aikido blending into the novel in a seamless way. Set in the days just before and just after 9/11, it deals with complex problems of outsourcing, globalization, truth and deception – while a lot of the action takes place in the dojo of New York Aikikai. The author being a shodan himself produces some excellent description of techniques and training. Real life legends Yamada and Sugano appear in the novel. The principles of Aikido ultimately allows the hero to make sense of an otherwise senseless world.
5.	Angry White Pyjamas by Robert Twigger Although more of a travelogue than a novel, there is excellent description of Yoshinkan Aikido of Gozo Shioda. An Oxford poet and two of his friends take up Aikido in the Yoshinkan dojo and go through the rigorous sessions for a year. In parts it is laced with fresh irreverence for the art generally considered sublime.  Some of the episodes are hilarious. Especially when the trio celebrate the death of the Kancho –which offers them a few days of rest during the back breaking training regimen. There is also some informative analysis of Japan as a country.
6.	Sensei by John Donahue A martial arts thriller, it suffers from the contrived world of convoluted martial arts rivalry and esoteric Japanese instructors in a Manhattan setting. However, there are some very good insights into bushido and also into Japanese culture. The storyline is a bit thin sometimes, but I would take it any day ahead of Eric Lustbader tripe.
7.	Rain Fall by Barry Eisler Eisler's hero, a half Japanese/half American assassin named John Rain, is one of the most compelling series characters of the day. The book is set in a modern Japan filled with smokey whiskey bars, corrupt politicians, insane gangsters, beautiful jazz singers, plot twists and of course, martial arts. Good, if you don’t insist on being bound by the perimeter of reality.
8.	Taiko by Eiji Yoshikawa Another Yoshikawa classic dealing with bushido in the sixteenth century. The premise is even more interesting as Western ideas are slowly infiltrating into medieval Japan and the thought process changing in the midst of civil strife. Yoshikawa provides insights into Japanese history as few writers of occidental origin can, and mixes it up with the lore of samurais, clashing katanas and horses galloping through the wild east.
9.	Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben When we talk of Harlan Coben, we think well crafted thrillers with suspense and excellent use of language and some subtle social commentary. However, Myron Bolitair, the ex-basketball star, sports agent and private investigator is a black belt in TaeKwando as well. Some of the action is very well described. This is one of my favourites from the Bolitair mysteries.
10.	Darkest Fear by Harlan Coben Another of the Myron Bolitair series. As usual Coben is at the top of his form and the plot chills the marrow.

Happy reading.