The Complete Idiot's Guide to Martial Arts: 6

Given the dorky titles, I keep wanting to discover errors, omissions, or outright failings in the "Idiots" series of martial arts books yet continually find them well-written and very worthwhile once I get around to picking one up. This one is no exception. It is surprisingly well done given the considerable mass of content it tries to cover. It is obviously not real in-depth in any particular area, but it does do a pretty good job covering topics like the benefits of studying martial arts, the history of martial arts/combat sports (e.g., ancient arts of wrestling, boxing, pankration, gladiator training), nutrition, fitness/conditioning, strength training, myths and realities of martial arts, finding the right art to fill your needs, selecting a good school, choosing a good instructor, and what to expect once you begin your training. Arts highlighted in detail include ju jitsu, karate, judo, aikido, kobudo, tai chi chuan, Jeet Kun Do, and more. Notably absent are Filipino arts, iaido, savate, modern boxing, wrestling, and several other common forms. Overall, however, it's a darn good introduction to the subject. It's only an introduction though... Lawrence Kane Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction

This is an excellent book and one that has been needed for some time. It is co-written by one of the world's top martial artists who, in addition to an excellent knowledge of shotokan karate, has journeyed across many karate and martial arts styles. The authors share their experience of various martial art styles in an excellent summary

This book is very well written and organized for the beginner of the martial arts. It will help to establish a broad base of knowledge for one in the selection of a style or system of martial arts to begin their study. It is not a "How to Manual" about the martial arts or self-defense.The authors write about the majority of martial art styles and the foundation and history of them. Most of the styles are written about in an unbiased and informative fashion. This book will serve as a great primer to the beginner or to the experienced student who desires to expand his knowledge, outside of the dojo. I recommend the reading of this book to all my begginer martial art students. For self-defense books, may I refer you to my "listmania" selection.

I'm a Black belt in Tae Kwon Do I, wanted to try a new form of Martial Art. This book provides just about everything you need to pick the right Martial Art for you. It's got a easy to follow training guide. I highly recommend it,I give it a perfect 5-Star

I greatly enjoyed this book. It answered many questions that beginners may have as well as answered some of my questions about other Martial Arts besides the one I am a practitioner of. I am a black belt in Taekwondo and I still found this book entertaining and interesting as well as informative.