The Secrets of Tae Kwon Do [Paperback]

J. Lawler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1998

Each year, thousands of people begin Tae Kwon Do training. In The Secrets of Tae Kwon Do, black belt instructor Jennifer Lawler presents beginning- to intermediate-level enthusiasts with everything they need to pursue the study of this martial art. Principles, techniques, and drills are illustrated with more than 600 informative photos. Whether you are learning on your own or through classes, this book is the essential resource for the serious student who intends to advanced in Tae Kwon Do. Jennifer Lawler holds a PhD and is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do in Lawrence, KS, under Master Donald Booth. She is the author of the acclaimed Martial Arts Encyclopedia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570282021
• ISBN-13: 978-1570282027
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 7.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,193,554 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jennifer Lawler, a writer and black belt martial artist, is the author or co-author of more than 25 non-fiction books in the how-to and self-help genres, including the popular and award-winning Dojo Wisdom series (Penguin). She is also the author of several novels.

The former editor of ATA World magazine, she has written for Family Circle, Oxygen and Cooking Light, mostly about issues related to martial arts, self defense, and personal growth. She has also written about writers' concerns for The Writer, Writer's Digest, American Writer, and others.

For the past several years, she has coached and mentored writers at various stages in their careers. She has taught many writing workshops throughout the United States, and teaches online classes for the University of California, San Diego and other organizations.

She earned a Ph.D in medieval literature from the University of Kansas and can still translate Old English if she thinks hard enough.

Her website is at www.jenniferlawler.com and her blog, Finding Your Voice, can be found at http://jenniferlawler.com/wordpress/

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great reference for new students of Tae Kwon Do, June 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Secrets of Tae Kwon Do (Paperback)

This book is very useful for those who want to develop a better understanding of the basic Tae Kwon Do moves, and for those who want to practice their stances, kicks and punches between classes.

While there are other books, notably "Tae Kwon Do: The State of the Art," which provide more insight into the martial art's philosophies and have more comprehensive coverage of the Tae Kwon Do forms, I found Lawler's book to be near-perfect for a beginner like me. There are many pictures and a detailed explanation for each move, making them easy to follow (but not necessarily easy to do!) The book's large size is a plus, as the pictures don't have to compete with the text on each page. And while the use of the word "Secrets" in the title is a bit misleading, Lawler does stock each section with useful tips that help the reader better understand the moves.

I'd prefer if the book were organized differently - I'd find it more useful if the basic moves (stances/punches/kicks) were grouped together, with the intermediate moves in their own group. Instead, Lawler follows basic moves with intermediate ones of the same type, which forces a lot of unnecessary page turning for beginners who want to get a firm grasp of the basics before tackling more advanced moves. She also puts flexibility drills in a separate chapter at the end of the book, though they would make much more sense as part of the warm-up/stretching chapter. I'm tempted to unbind the book and reorganize the pages in a three-ring binder!

Finally, it should be pointed out that not all students will study the form that she presents (Chon-ji), even though Lawler asserts that it is the first form that a TKD student learns. The form you learn will depend upon your school's associated governing body (WTF or ITF), and may be somewhat different from that presented here. Still, that's a small part of the book, and most of it will prove to be incredibly useful to the TKD newcomer. I'm sure that the basics presented in this book will help any TKD student progress well beyond white-belt level.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great investment for beginners. Lots of information!, March 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Secrets of Tae Kwon Do (Paperback)

This book is a great reference for beginners in Tae Kwon Do. It will also help intermediate students or anyone who wants to review the basics or get better at the basics. I teach Tae Kwon Do and am often asked to recommend books. This is one I would recommend to anyone, no matter what skill level. Not only does the book explain how to do different techniques (with good photos), it also gives special tips and advice for making the techniques as good as possible. Students may not need some of the advice right at first, but it's good for them to have when they're ready for it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great supplement for the beginner Tae Kwon Do student, December 23, 2004

By 

Flip (Springfield, Virginia United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secrets of Tae Kwon Do (Paperback)

I bought this book when I first started Tae Kwon Do and found it to be helpful in breaking down techniques step by step along with pictures. I practice Tae Kwon Do regularly and still occasionally look back at this book to review some of the small things in kicking techniques. This book includes sections on the history of Tae Kwon Do, the meaning of Tae Kwon Do (along with the meanings of the principles of Tae Kwon Do), kicking techniques, self defense, stretching, board breaking and more. I reviewed many other books before buying this one. I highly recommend this book for anyone new to Tae Kwon Do.