Customer Rating:  
Summary: adequate intro
Comment: 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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly good (though not thorough)
Comment: 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
Customer Rating:
Summary: good
Comment: 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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Martial Arts
Comment: 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
Customer Rating:
Summary: exactly what you'd expect
Comment: 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.
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