This book contains solid overviews of karate, aikido, tai kwon do, judo, kung fu, iaido, kendo, jujitsu, and shinto ryu. It has pretty good illustrations but not a lot of depth. But hey, what do you realistically expect when the author tries to cover every major art in one 250 page volume? I find it a solid reference for those interested in martial arts but uncertain about what style might be the right one to pursue.

In reviewing this tome you'll probably notice that there are only a limited number of vital areas on the body that can be manipulated, struck, or otherwise damaged by a martial practitioner. Similarly, there are only a limited number of ways that each joint in the body can move. Although every martial art has features that differentiate it from other styles, they all share certain common components (e.g., punching, kicking, grappling, and throwing). The fundamentals of fitness are universal too. Emphasis and strategies of each art form differ, of course, but techniques almost always overlap (though weapons forms are pretty divergent from empty-hand arts).

Because of these similarities, I have discovered that most practitioners find that the teacher is more important to effective learning than the style being taught. New students should choose the art they wish to pursue in large part by choosing the person who will be teaching it. No one should feel forced to learn from an instructor who does not fulfill his or her needs just because they are the only local source of whatever style you have set your heart on. That's not to say that the information contained herein is not useful. It's just a friendly caution not to get too wrapped up in the style while forgetting about who you'll be learning it from.

Lawrence Kane
Author of 'The Way of Kata' and 'Martial Arts Instruction'