From Publishers Weekly
Although there is some useful information ("the misleading term 'kung-fu' is in fact a Cantonese word meaning 'an acquired skill.' It can refer equally to knitting or cookery as it can to the martial arts.") in this disjointed mishmash of definitions and historical anecdotes, Finn ( Police Arrest Techniques ) has attempted to cover too much material in too little space. A repetitive, disorganized text offers the reader a superficial military and philosophic history of China and Japan, an examination of the evolution of Eastern weaponry and an introduction to a number of "styles" of martial artsjujutsu, karate, judo, aikido, etc. There are also chapters on the code and significance of the samurai, the "giants of sumo," the arsenal of the ninja and the martial traditions of other Eastern countriesa paragraph each on the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Korea and, in tenuous comparison, "the proud Zulu race," whose defeat Finn likens to that of the Boxer rebels. The photographs are of poor quality and do not always relate to the text.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
In this lavishly illustrated book, Finn presents a concise and readable overview of the martial arts, from their beginnings in China and India through development in Japan to worldwide popularity today. The author discusses styles, weapons, traditions, and philosophies, mainly of Ninja, Jujutsu, and Sumo wrestling. The book's weakness is that only one chapter is devoted to martial arts traditions outside Japan. Finn draws on 50 years of martial arts experience to discuss some of the myths and controversies surrounding this sport. Recommended for public libraries, in conjunction with Richard Chun's Tae Kwan Do: The Korean Martial Art ( LJ 12/1/75) and John Corcoran and Emil Farkas's Martial Arts: Traditions, History, and People ( LJ 2/1/84).
- Ron Chepesiuk, Winthrop Coll. Lib., Rock Hill, S.C.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Ron Chepesiuk, Winthrop Coll. Lib., Rock Hill, S.C.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
