The Kids' Karate Book

What a kick! American kids are crazy for karate. One of the fastest-growing kids' sports in the country, karate is taught to 2.5 million boys and girls in over 17,000 licensed karate schools, and the enrollment is increasing 20% a year. Now comes the first-ever book-and-belt set that teaches all the right moves for beginning and intermediate students.

Written by Michael J. Dunphy, a sixth-degree black belt and USA Karate Federation hall-of-famer, The Kids' Karate Book features clear, safe, basic instruction in karate and tae kwon do. Here are the stances, the blocks, the punches -- including backfist, hammerfist, swordhand, and ridgehand. And the kicks -- front kick, side kick, flying kick, hook, wheel, and axe. There are breathing exercises, drills, even a section on the four "c's" -- courage, commitment, courtesy, and confidence. Black-and-white, step-by-step photographs clearly break down each move and are shot by Joe Smithberger, a photographer and black belt, using real karate students as models.

Included with the book is a classic white cotton beginner's belt -- an obi to loop around the waist twice. Put it on and begin to feel not just the power, but the grace, discipline, fitness, and, irrepressible enthusiasm of karate kids.