The Martial Arts: Swordsmanship, Kendo, Aikido, Judo, Karate

[Review written Jun 2005] It's a shame that this book is out of print, because it offers a nice overview (along with some engrossing photos) of many different martial arts: Swordsmanship (Kendo/Iaiado), Aikido, Judo, Karate, Ninjitsu, Kyudo, etc. The author does a fair job of leading the reader though the major historical branches of the martial arts ... although (if I recall) with a strong page count bias towards the Japanese branches. The material that's there is still fairly current, but recent developments pertaining to things like the "Unlimited Fighting Championships" {aka 'MMA'}, and various big budget Hollywood movies (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, recent movies by Jet Li and Jackie Chan, etc.) have had a noticeable effect on the martial arts landscape in recent years ... causing interest to peak in areas like Brazilian JuJitsu and various sub-styles of Chinese Kung Fu. In any case, it's still recommended, if you can find it ... particularly if you're on a journey of self discovery in the hobby, and you're looking for philosophical signposts and various stylistic spoor to help guide you on your way (in the direction of additional research and exploration). Case in point - I originally started out dabbling in hard styles, like Kenpo (and others), but after several years, I gravitated towards the "softer" styles styles, like Aikido and Tai Chi. They were a better fit for me, both physically, and spiritually. Everyone is different, and to each their own ... but that's what worked for me. Anyway, it's a good book, if you can find it.