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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Martial Arts Paperback – December 1, 1998

by Cezar Borkowski (Author)

4.8 18 ratings

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An overview of karate, kung fu, tae kwon do, tai chi, judo, aikido, jiu-jitsu, and kobudo compares styles, offers advice on selecting a school, and discusses the benefits of martial arts training

Print length

352 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Alpha
Publication date

December 1, 1998
Dimensions

7.36 x 0.96 x 9.1 inches
ISBN-10

9780028629476
ISBN-13

978-0028629476
See all details

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0028629477
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Alpha; First Edition (December 1, 1998)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780028629476
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0028629476
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.48 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.36 x 0.96 x 9.1 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,899,583 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #7,840 in Martial Arts (Books)
- #40,143 in Exercise & Fitness (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.8 18 ratings

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4.8 out of 5

18 global ratings

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I really enjoyed reading this book

Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2016

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I really enjoyed reading this book. It had a good assortment of the different styles of Martial Arts and a brief history of them too. It's very easy and understandable to read.

Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2015

Great book.

Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2010

I picked up this book mostly as a curiousity into reading brief histories of other styles. I have a third degree black belt in Kenpo, but I was also interested in other styles.

This is an excellent book for anyone beginning or thinking of training in the martial arts. I found their different rankings of what a student could expect to be informative, in regards to kicks/punches/grappling.

I only wished there were more chapters in regards to other styles, but it's understandable since the styles they focused on were more likely to be found in North America.

Definitely worth picking up for new or experienced martial arts practitioners

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Surprisingly good (though not thorough)

Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2005

Given the dorky titles, I keep wanting to discover errors, omissions, or outright failings in the "Idiots" series of martial arts books yet continually find them well-written and very worthwhile once I get around to picking one up. This one is no exception. It is surprisingly well done given the considerable mass of content it tries to cover. It is obviously not real in-depth in any particular area, but it does do a pretty good job covering topics like the benefits of studying martial arts, the history of martial arts/combat sports (e.g., ancient arts of wrestling, boxing, pankration, gladiator training), nutrition, fitness/conditioning, strength training, myths and realities of martial arts, finding the right art to fill your needs, selecting a good school, choosing a good instructor, and what to expect once you begin your training. Arts highlighted in detail include ju jitsu, karate, judo, aikido, kobudo, tai chi chuan, Jeet Kun Do, and more. Notably absent are Filipino arts, iaido, savate, modern boxing, wrestling, and several other common forms. Overall, however, it's a darn good introduction to the subject. It's only an introduction though...

Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Anthony

An Excellent Introduction to the Arts

Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2003

This book is very well written and organized for the beginner of the martial arts. It will help to establish a broad base of knowledge for one in the selection of a style or system of martial arts to begin their study. It is not a "How to Manual" about the martial arts or self-defense.
The authors write about the majority of martial art styles and the foundation and history of them. Most of the styles are written about in an unbiased and informative fashion. This book will serve as a great primer to the beginner or to the experienced student who desires to expand his knowledge, outside of the dojo.
I recommend the reading of this book to all my begginer martial art students. For self-defense books, may I refer you to my "listmania" selection.

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

C. Martindill

good

Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2004

This book is a basic overview of all the main martial arts practiced in North America. The main purpose of the book is to tell people about a certian art so they can choose which one interests them and get in a class for it. Every art has about 10 pages in the book. If you are interested in only one art, don't buy this book.

On the bright side, the information it gives is great. I found out alot about many different arts. it talks about 13 different kinds of martial arts and how to train for them. The book is an entertaining read even if you aren't interested in martial arts. it is a good book.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

A good basic over-view guide to the martial arts.

Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2009

This book is a complete and detailed over-view of the martial arts. This text is for anyone who is interested in learning about the martial arts, whether beginner or expert. This volume is one of the very best on the market because it explains the basic principles of numerous popular martial art systems. Areas covered include Aikido, Hapikido, Jujitsu, Judo, Karate, Kickboxing and Kendo. The twenty four chapters are informative and detailed. In conclusion, this is a book that should be in every martial artist's library.

Rating: 4 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Monadnock Defensive Tactics (MDTS) System).

One person found this helpful

Helpful

H. Barca

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Martial Arts

Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2004

This is an excellent book and one that has been needed for some time. It is co-written by one of the world's top martial artists who, in addition to an excellent knowledge of shotokan karate, has journeyed across many karate and martial arts styles.
The authors share their experience of various martial art styles in an excellent summary

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Scottt

exactly what you'd expect

Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2003

This book is exactly what you'd expect it to be. A thorough yet easy to understand introduction to the world of martial arts. I have been studying tae kwon do for almost 2 years and I had a desire to step back and see where I and my school stand in the grand scheme of martial arts in general. This book helped me do that. I would recommend it for anyone wanting to find out more about martial arts before joining a particular school. You'll definetily know what your options are if you read this book.
I give this book 3 stars because I don't believe in giving every book you like the highest score. The "C" grade should indeed be the average.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

W. Han

Okay for the beginner...

Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2001

I've studied many martial arts ever since I was 5 starting with tae kwwon do, then wing chun kung fu, then tai chi followed by jeet kune do and I train in all the arts. This book advertises that it can find the right martial arts for you. That is an incorrect statement as there is no PERFECT martial art for every type of person but rather a mixture of all the arts. Learning just one art that was recommended by a book and seeding its advice is not a good idea as you techniques and such will be limited to the art. However, this book gives good information about each specific art and gives you an idea of which is a good art to start learning. As Bruce Lee said, don't be confined by arts or system, but rather try to learn the techniques from two or three arts mentioned in the book.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

adequate intro

Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2006

This book really butchers the history and foreign terms.

However, it does offer a good beginner's guide to choosing a style and finding a school. The 'nitty-gritty' section on that subject has a nice list of factors to consider when making a decision on a style/school. It is a bit dated tho, being written ~1998, and does not list internet resources.

One person found this helpful

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