Customer Reviews

Woman's Guide to Martial Arts: How to Choose Discipline and Get Started

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I looked through a copy of this book in a local store and wish I had had it back in February when I was searching for a martial art. She assumes a woman (or even a man) knows absolutely nothing about the types of martial arts and divides them in nine categories - ie: judo, kung fu, tae kwon do, jiu jitsu, aikido, hapkido..and gives a very general description of the syles such as aikido does a lot of throwing, judo does pressure points and throwing, tae kwon do is a lot of kicks and punches instead of mostly throws, kung fu is a low stance with punches...when I joined my martial art all I knew is that I didn't want to be slammed into the floor and that I was very unathletic and scared of martial arts in general..after reading the chapter on choosing an instructor I realized I got very lucky in the one that I chose. He answered questions I didn't even know to ask (which the author covers in the book). Although it's too late for me to use this book to choose a martial art I am glad I saw it because I now know I am completely satisfied with the art I chose and the instructor I have because nearly every bit of advice the author gives in the book fits what I have...both men and women work together and are both encouraged to do their best...individual help is given...instructor's rates are average, the length of time to black belt falls in the 3-5 yr range the author says it should take, he gives a 2 month trial period w/ no contract...these are questions I never thought to ask but should have been had my instructor not beat me to it! This author pretty much covers everything a complete novice would need to know to feel comfortable searching for a martial art. I especially like how she mentions that the 9 types she lists are not the only types but how most will fall in one of the 9 categories..my instructor told me that our art was similar to tae kwon do, so if I'd had this book and knew what that was I'd know what I'd be looking at. Overall, this is a great book and I'm seriously thinking of purchasing a copy anyways just to have in my personal library in case someone I know needs it for reference!

This is an excellent book with great advice on what general types of martial arts exist, how to choose a discipline that fits with your interests, and how to select a good instructor. It's easy to read and understand (no technical terms). I wish I'd had this book when I first started martial arts, since the first instructor I had was not very good. Unfortunately, since I didn't know what I should be looking for, it took me a little while to realize that I was not getting as good of a learning experience as I could. Once I read this book, it confirmed my suspicions and gave me the incentive to find an excellent instructor. I've recommended this book to several people already; anyone, man or woman, who is interested in the martial arts, or who is thinking of enrolling their children in martial arts, would benefit from the advice in this book. Highly recommended.

There were some very good parts to this book. I appreciated the nice overview of several different martial arts, and I liked the explanations on working to your particular strengths.

However, I was really bothered by the author's apparent assumption that "all" women will have the same concerns. For example, I think anyone considering martial arts knows that the majority of them do involve at least some person-to-person contact. What bothered me was her assertion that because you are a woman, you will not like this. You will not like throwing/being thrown, you will not like any hard contact, etc.

I fully accept the premise that many women will not like roughness (for lack of a better word). I will even accept that this will be a problem for the average woman more than for the average man. I am also quite aware that in general, a woman is not physiologically capable of the same strength as a man. However, the way this is presented makes it discouraging to the reader to even consider more aggressive aspects of martial arts.

I strongly feel that instead of being discouraging to women, it would have been better to express this as "things to think about." It is certainly valid to point out that women in general may not choose hard contact, and to point out that this should be a consideration in choosing your art. It should not, however, be stated as an absolute: "You are a woman so you won't like this." I think a more positive approach would include a "pros and cons" approach for the average woman when it came to each discipline. For example, women are typically more flexible than the average man, and that would be a particular asset in some arts.

Women aren't better or worse than men, we are just different! We think differently, we like different things, and we are built differently. Differences like these aren't good or bad, they just need to be considered and addressed!