Martial Arts for Beginners (Writers and Readers Documentary Comic Book, 70) [Paperback]

Ron Sieh (Author), Terry Wilson (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Writers and Readers Documentary Comic Book, 70 | Publication Date: December 1995

Presenting an overview of the martial arts--their history, cultural importance, characteristics, and technique--this book discusses martial arts in general terms, especially the training and discipline which they all have in common, and the metamorphosis every martial artist must make, from the external to the internal. Covers T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Aikido, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Kempo, and more.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Martial Arts For Beginners is an overview of the martial arts of China, Okinowa, Japan, Indonesia, Korea, Thailand, the Phillipines, and Brazil. It surveys their history, mythology, and technique, along with their evolutions from life-and-death fighting arts to "sports". Martial Arts For Beginners is a unique in answering such questions as what all the martial arts have in common, what their differences are, what separates the so-called "hard style" and "soft style", the "internal" and "external". Martial Arts For Beginners also makes a distinction between martial arts for competition, spiritual development, and learning how to fight. It includes practical information like when an experienced martial artist can know it's time for a new teacher, and how to interview prospective instructors before committing to one. Martial Arts For Beginners shows how mind-skills for successful living are develop from the right kind of martial arts. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Paperback: 155 pages
• Publisher: Writers & Readers (December 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0863161715
• ISBN-13: 978-0863161711
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,496,375 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful Fundamentals, July 25, 2000

By 

Allie Kat "sarahphin" (Nunavut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Martial Arts for Beginners (Writers and Readers Documentary Comic Book, 70) (Paperback)

Presented in a humorous (all right, so the typos make it funnier than the writers intended) format, this book does explain the fundamentals for many of the martial arts styles, which can be hard to find without buying a lot of books. It's useful to examine the differences if you're considering taking one of the martial arts and aren't sure where to start, or if you are taking one and wondering what the other disciplines teach. It touches on the styles from various countries, some of the popular martial artists from the past and present, and it is quite funny and easy to read. Give it a look, and maybe you'll find a tidbit or two to impress your sifu.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great information with funny typos, August 3, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Martial Arts for Beginners (Writers and Readers Documentary Comic Book, 70) (Paperback)

The book has some great information spanning the wide world of martial arts, written in an informal manner and illustrated in the comic book style. It suffers from numerous spelling errors (the most commmon being "marital" instead of "martial") but this also adds to its charm, making it a sort cousin to all those poorly dubbed and subtitled kung fu movies. A nice book for anyone interested in martial arts history and its various types.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Useful insights, awful writing, June 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Martial Arts for Beginners (Writers and Readers Documentary Comic Book, 70) (Paperback)

Sieh has useful insights about martial arts but lacks the writing skills (or a decent editor) necessary to convey them clearly. I found that I had to re-read many of his sentences to get his meaning, and the cartoon illustrations often don't help. There are quite a few typos, my favorite on page 34: "It is a good idea to find a marital [sic] art suited to your stature. If you're big and strong, Judo or Aikido; if you're agile and quick, Escrima or T'ai Chi Ch'uan."