Customer Reviews

Facing the Double Edged Sword: The Art of Karate for Young People (Martial Arts for Peace)

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We got this book for our 4 year old son who was beginning to study karate. He has thoroughly enjoyed it and continues to refer to it as he is now a 7 year old studying tae kwon do. It's a great book for ANY child who is curious about martial arts and their true purpose in modern society. The author enumerates ways to avoid fights, gives examples of people who make the wrong choice in choosing to fight, and more. As a parent I embrace the philosophy of Webster-Doyle who values peace -- and the self discipline to achieve it -- above all. For this reason it's a good read for adults, too. I highly recommend it for young martial artists.

My book (Facing the Double-Edged Sword) is not what I was expecting. I thought it would have been about high intense karate situations, but it was really about stopping a fight non-violently. This book gives information on different ways of stopping fights, like walking away. This book also talks about Zen, a method of finding inner peace, a way of relaxing your mind and clearning it of thoughts. Facing the Double-Edged Sword is trying to teach people that karate is not all violence. It teaches self-control, and stamina. Facing the Double-Edged Sword means that either way the sword is facing you will get cut.

Chris (Age 14)

I really enjoyed reading this book! I liked the way this book outlined different situations I might encounter in my daily life as a young kid. It showed me through examples, how to react in a positive manner to the various situations, such as bullying. From reading the book I can better understand what reactions are best when a bully is picking on me. This book discusses good manners and bad manners which is good to know. The book gave me lots of information on the origins of different types of karate. It also gave you suggestions on how to pick out the correct karate school for you. The meanings and translations of various words such as karate (empty hands) was very interesting to me, because even though you may hear the words, you may not always understand the exact meaning. I read this book quite quickly because it held my attention. It is quite different from the regular books I would read, which most often are novels and therefore have amin characters. I did like reading this fact-filled book and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in karate or who may be encountering any kind of bullying.

This was sent as a Christmas gift. As far as we know, she liked the book.

I really enjoyed reading this book! I liked the way this book outlined different situations I might encounter in my daily life as a young kid. It showed me through examples, how to react in a positive manner to the various situations, such as bullying. From reading the book I can better understand what reactions are best when a bully is picking on me. This book discusses good manners and bad manners which is good to know. The book gave me lots of information on the origins of different types of karate. It also gave you suggestions on how to pick out the correct karate school for you. The meanings and translations of various words such as karate (empty hands) was very interesting to me, because even though you may hear the words, you may not always understand the exact meaning. I read this book quite quickly because it held my attention. It is quite different from the regular books I would read, which most often are novels and therefore have amin characters. I did like reading this fact-filled book and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in karate or who may be encountering any kind of bullying.

I want to share with you other reviews that I feel proud of. It's not me who is important but the information young people need to have to understand and resolve conflict peacefully.

* Endorsed by:
* National PTA
* Scouting Magazine - Boy and Girl Scouts or America
* NEA - National Education Association
* Sports Illustrated for Kids
* Mothering Magazine - to name only a few

*"The books of Dr. Webster-Doyle are the first attempt I have seen to explain to young people and adults the concept of martial arts as a peaceful, nonviolent 'way of life' and to give students the tools to accomplish this goal." - Linda Lee Cadwell

* Dr. Webster-Doyle winner of the Martial Arts Industry Association Distinguished Service Award

* Awarded the Robert Burns Medal for literature by Austria's Albert Schweitzer Society, for "outstanding merits in the field of peace-promotion"

* Selected by the International Association of Educators for World Peace for their Central American peace education project in Panama and El Salvador

* Acclaimed at the Soviet Peace Fund Conference in Moscow and published in Russia by Moscow's Library of Foreign Literature and Magistr Publications

* On permanent display at the International Museum of Peace and Solidarity in Samarkind, Uzbekistan, the Commonwealth of Independent States.

* "Why is Everybody Always Picking on Us? explores the roots of prejudice. I don't think I've seen another book like it. How wonderful if this book could be used in social studies classrooms! I have learned where prejudice begins, how it is created, how it is perpetuated, and how it can be resolved. This book looks at stereotypes, bigotry, discrimination, scapegoating, racism, and more. It is a wonderfully comprehensive manual for young people and adults alike on understanding our conditioning and the root of prejudice."
American Pride Through Education

*"Webster-Doyle's insight is that by recognizing, understanding, and accepting our violent tendencies, we can avoid acting them out. These new books . . . are good for teachers and parents of elementary school children who need appropriate language and activities to help children deal with their feelings and the violence-provoking parts of the environment. To this reviewer, they are realistic and practical." --Young Children - Magazine of the National Association for the Education of Young Children

* "The book excels at impelling children to understand how conflict works within themselves. Tug of War offers engaging exercises that enhance a child's ability to understand the world. These exercises inspire self-observation, and the drawings of award-winning illustrator Rod Cameron enliven the book." Forum ¬- Newsletter of Educators for Social Responsibility

* Fighting the Invisible Enemy and Tug of War recommended by the Elementary School Library Collection as "fine contributions to materials for children"; both books also chosen by the British Commonwealth Collection - A Selection of Books and Journals on Nonviolence and Social Change

*"Every publication from the pen of this author should make a significant contribution to peace within and without. Highly recommended!" -- New Age Publishers and Retailers Alliance Trade Journal

*Why Is Everybody Always Picking On Me? -- cited by the Omega New Age Directory as one of the Ten Best Books, for its "atmosphere of universal benevolence and practical application"

* Dr. Lawrence Shapiro of the Center for Applied Psychology described Dr. Webster-Doyle as an "eloquent leader of the movement to combine principles of education, psychology, and the martial arts to teach young people to resolve conflict peacefully."

* Selected by the National PTA as a recommended resource for parents.

*"We use his books and thoroughly endorse the usefulness of his methods which have high potential in schools." - Stewart W. Twemlow, M.D. Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis, Menninger Clinic

* Endorsed by Scouting Magazine and Sports Illustrated for Kids

* Endorsed by Mothering Magazine

* Nine time Winner of the Benjamin Franklin Awards for Excellence in Independent Publishing - in six consecutive years

*Selected by the American Booksellers Association for its resource listing of "Children's Books About Peace"

*"These topics are excellent and highly relevant."
--Dr. Charles Mercieca, Executive Vice President
International Association of Educators for World Peace
NGO, United Nations (ECOSOC), UNICEF & UNESCO

*"Helps young people deal with conflict and violence by describing practical skills for peace." --Holistic Education Review

*"I realize Why Is Everybody Always Picking On Me? urgency for every child and adult . . . My daughter couldn't stop reading it!"
--Marina Dubrovskaya, Assistant Director
Dept. of Sociology, Lenin Library, Moscow, Russia

* "Your book (Why Is Everybody Always Picking On Me?) has really helped me ignore the bullies and in a way stop bullying others." - 4th grader

* Presented the National Conference on Peacemaking & Conflict Resolution

*"The materials were very helpful to the facilitators who conducted the workshop on bullying strategies." - New Jersey State Bar Foundation

* Endorsed by the New York City Board of Education

...To name only a few

My children, who have been training in the martial arts for varying lengths of time (4 to 6 years) thought this was the worst and silliest martial arts book they have read. The only thing that didn't make it a complete waste of time is that it has provided much fodder for comedy.

They are enormously grateful that they do not train in the sort of "ridiculous dojo" featured in this story.

I think that few children would want to wade through this tedious and insipid book. It only provides a comedic element to those who are training in real martial arts, as opposed to fluff and nonsense.

Updated in January 2008:

Martial arts, it should go without saying, are martial. One can argue whether or not it is really appropriate for children to train in them. However, if one is going to call some sort of consciousness-raising and peace advocacy "martial arts", it seems to be somewhat misleading.

This book is really not about martial arts; it only claims to be. I have nothing against advocating for peace; that is wonderful. I also believe that the martial arts, at least as I understand them, can be a wonderful means of character development.

But to describe a sparring match where no one moved nor struck each other, and to claim this is martial arts rather than mere baloney --- well, that's the sort of thing that makes this book downright silly.

Those who have trained hard in a real martial art will find much reason to laugh at this book. Those whose training has not included blood, sweat, and tears will probably like this book and wish all martial arts dojos were this gentle and...dare I say it?...this wimpy.