Martial Arts for Women

Although for centuries branded as "the weaker sex," in the 21st century the sports field and health club are no longer out of bounds for women. However, there are still differences in the activities that men and women do. Go to any sports club and you will see more men in the gym pumping iron and more women in the studio doing aerobics. The martial artr are no exception. When they became popular in the 1970s, they attracted primarily men because of their macho image. In the martial arts, however, size and strength are not the determining factor in who is going to win a bout. This book is both an introduction to the martial arts and a practical manual on how you can use martial arts techniques to get fit and defend yourself. Fully illustrated, it features techniques from the hard/external arts of karate and shaolin lohan, and from the soft/internal arts of t'ai chi, judo, anda aikido.

Amie Rose Rotruck - Children's Literature

Martial arts of interest to women are described in detail in this book from the "Martial and Fighting Arts" series. Chapter one, "Women's Health and Fitness" explains how, over the past few years, more women have begun to practice different martial arts. A brief history of women and the martial arts is also included. Chapter two, "Warm-Up and Preparation," explains the basic beginning movements before practicing martial arts. Chapter three, "Energy Work," describes exercises used in t'ai chi and qi gung. Chapter four, "Muscular Endurance," describes the stances used. Chapter five, "Strength and Stamina," explains different punches and kicks. Chapter six, "Self-Defense," explains how the martial arts can be used for protecting oneself. Chapter seven, "Deadly Weapons," describes how parts of the body can be used as weapons. Numerous diagrams and color photographs illustrate the movements clearly. A glossary and description of equipment is also included. This would be a good book for any student of self-defense. 2003, Mason Crest, Ages 10 up.