Lily Chou is uniquely qualified to give us a guide to yoga specifically for martial arts. Her ten years of experience include cross training in Yongmudo, Taekwondo and over four years in Hatha yoga, coupled with her skills in editing numerous health and fitness books and participation in the UC Martial Arts Program is an exceptional combination for an author. Lily has divided her book not by the typical yoga poses, but by their application to specific martial arts skills. Thus, we find chapters on grappling and throws with the poses she and her co-author Kathe Rothacher (a yoga practitioner for over 30 years) see as most appropriate. The book is well illustrated with photographs of every position (including martial arts examples) and cross-referenced to other pertinent sections so that the reader may quickly move back and forth from the benefits of yoga to the details of each pose. While hardcore yoga practitioners may find the book too elementary, this is exactly the kind of guide practicing martial artists need to get them motivated to attempt something that is both beneficial and out of our comfort zone.

While I'm not convinced by these materials that yoga was the genesis of all martial arts, the author does make a compelling case that yoga techniques can complement martial training. The routines described herein can help improve body control, balance, flexibility, and strength. Not surprising since many of these techniques are already found in most traditional martial arts training.

There's really nothing earth shattering in here, but there is some good stuff that can help you become a better martial artist if you add it to your daily routine. It's pretty well written and easy to follow, an interesting and creative blending of concepts not generally associated with each other. On the other hand, I certainly would not consider it a "must read" by any means.

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