http://www.amazon.com/Parting-Clouds-Science of the Martial Arts
The way of Aikido is one that is dominated by locks and throws, the unbalancing of an opponent and leverage. The way of karate and taekwondo encompassed such techniques but is more orientated towards high impact strikes such as kicks and punches. In the book Parting the Clouds the author concentrates on the scientific principles involved in making these strikes effective. It is the most technical piece of work ever seen. As an example, it shows the equations and calculations needed to determine how much energy is needed to break a wooden board and then shows how to calculate if a person can achieve this. There are parts of the book that could be read in a Physics classroom – there are parts that are for use for self defense on the streets. Grenville Harrop, the author, is a high grade (4th degree black belt) fighter and a Master of Science. The link above is provided for convenience – the site shows the table of contents of the book.