The Tigers Eye, the Birds Fist: A Beginner's Guide to the Martial Arts

A fascinating introduction to the martial arts explores the true nature, history, and philosophy of martial arts, summarizing the legends and people who have contributed to the centuries-old traditions. Original.

Grade 5 Up. Although this book covers martial arts basics such as stances, self-defense, sparring, and belt ranks, its strong point is its exploration of the philosophy and history of these fighting styles. Rafkin offers background material on the origins of major styles from around the world. She uses anecdotes to illustrate the skills of ancient masters and highlights the talents of modern "warriors." There's information here on everyone from the Shaolin Temple monks to Bruce Lee, including women and young people. Anyone intrigued by karate movies, Hong Kong films, or the "Kung Fu" TV series will appreciate Rafkin's emphasis on thinking rather than punching. Throughout the narrative, violence is portrayed as something to avoid, and force something to be used only for self-defense. The bibliography is excellent; the only detriment to the presentation is the lackluster black-and-white illustrations. Along with Terrence Webster-Doyle's Facing the Double-Edged Sword (Atrium, 1988), this is one of the few martial arts books that emphasizes the mind over the fist.?Cathryn A. Camper, Minneapolis Public Library
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 4-7. For libraries with plenty of how-to books on various martial arts, this volume fills in the background with history, lore, legends, types, techniques, Eastern philosophical concepts, and biographical profiles. Divided into four sections (history, worldwide martial arts, training today, and "Martial Arts and You"), the book has a magazinelike combination of short articles and sidebars to present a variety of information in a lively way. Black-and-white photographs and drawings illustrate the book. Good supplemental information for martial arts students. Carolyn Phelan