3 comments about Julie Black Belt: The Kung Fu Chronicles.

1. Julie Black Belt is a delightful story which teaches children perseverance! Not to mention that the book gives them a great visual/textual introduction to the high-flying stylized world of martial arts kicks and jumps. I know there's a whole lot more to martial arts other than "spectacular physical moves", but that's perhaps another (philosophical) story, for another time.
   
   Through the character, Julie, children find out that there are no short cuts to success. She has to work very hard to earn each belt as she progresses through the various levels of Kung Fu (Kung Fu being a popular term that has become synonymous with Chinese martial arts. However, in Chinese, kung fu can be used in contexts completely unrelated to martial arts...but I guess that, also, is another story for another time).
   
   Of course, the captivating illustrations of this book are a total visual treat!! They are the illustrations of the award-winning, Toronto-based illustrator, Charlene Chua, who specializes in sleek vector artwork. The drawings/illustrations are bold, contemporary, and eye-catching -- and aptly complement the story from cover to cover.
   
   Dang, this makes me wish I was a kid when this book first appeared on the market...



2. Julie Black Belt: The Kung Fu Chronicles is a picturebook about a young girl who learns how to study martial arts. She dreams that learning kung fu will make her more like a movie star, but is surprised to find out how much hard work is involved! But her teacher encourages her; "A black belt is just a white belt that doesn't quit." Julie learns how to incorporate her martial arts practice into her daily life; when the day of her gold belt test comes, she's nervous but passes with flying colors, earning a special prize - an autographed photo of her favorite celebrity, Brandy Wu! The utterly exuberant artwork enhances this wonderful picturebook ideal for helping get young girls excited about the prospect of learning self-defense.



3. My six year old happens to be named Julie. She just earned her purple belt in Taekwondo. We were astonished and overjoyed to stumble over this book. It is wonderful for any young aspiring martial artist - especially for girls. Beautiful book !!!

1 comments about Taekwondo Kids: From White Belt to Yellow/Green Belt.

1. The most important thing in marital arts is to understand how to do a proper move. Pictures in this book are sharp. Explanations are easy to understand to beginner.
   I bought three Taekwondo books, and looked in the store 2 more. This is the best book for beginners!

5 comments about Hap Ki Do: The Korean Martian Art of Self Defence: Practical Hap Ki Do Textbook.

1. This is an excellent reference book for anyone starting in hapkido. The pictures are detailed and easy to do. I really enjoyed working through is book.



2. This is the book to start with for Hapkido. Master Choe's other book (Hap Ki Do - The Korean Art of Self Defense) focuses mainly on joint locks and takedows and how they can be varied from different grabs. This book however, shows a variety of striking techniques and counters in addition to the joint locks. Also, more realistic situations and the effective techniques are presented here. Although both books are lacking in text they are definitely worth getting as excellent references.



3. As a beginner in hapkido i would recommend this book for others that are also interested in starting hapkido. This book offers step by step pictures on how to execute kicks and basic self defense, and plus it is very short on words which makes it interesting and easy to learn techniques.



4. Looks a lot like his work. Good book. Should give credit where it is due however.



5. Excellent Hap Ki Do book. I'm a taekwondo'er and found this book very easy to understand with big clear pictures for illustration. I've purchased all three of Master Choe's HKD books and found a certain amount of redundancy in the techniques, but highly recommend all three any way. I originally found one of these in the library and realized right away that these books were the best I've found.

5 comments about Taekwondo: Ancient Wisdom for the Modern Warrior.

1. This book does not, nor was it ever intended to teach you, the reader, a single solitary physical Tae Kwon Do technique. This book is intended to broaden your mind and your martial spirit by providing you with a wealth of information on the history, philosophy, and etiquette involved in Tae Kwon Do. Although I must admit that this book does fall a little bit short in the history department, which is actually quite fine since it more than makes up for it in other areas.
   
   This absolutely wonderful book on the history, philosophy, and etiquette that flourishes in Tae Kwon Do is truly an outstanding work and the author should be very proud of his accomplishment. I hadn't heard of this book until very recently and decided to check it out, and boy was I pleasantly surprised at how well written it was and the quality of the information put forth by the author.
   
   One thing in particular that struck me was the author's brilliant way of comparing certain philosophies in Tae Kwon Do to everyday things that the average person would be knowledgeable about. For example; the author compared the rituals and significance of a black belt testing to a marriage. Although there are obviously a lot of differences, surprisingly there are also a lot of similarities. I also liked the way the author shared personal stories of his experiences in the art to help better explain the various points that he was trying to get across to the reader.
   
   I would strongly recommend that this book be required reading for ALL Tae Kwon Do students regardless of rank.
   
   Shawn Kovacich
   Martial Artist/Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.



2. I was given this book as a gift for my birthday from my grandparents. Having studied taekwondo under Grand Master Shin, this was an important gift to me. My grandparents are very intelligent and they thoughtfully chose this book for me. It is very well written, and covers many aspects of the Art of Taekwondo. I have read it through, but continually pick it up for reference and wisdom. I highly recommend this book.



3. I find the review by J. Greifenberger, (Aug, 2008), quite troubling, since he chose this forum to personally attack the author with his slanderous statements. Mr. Greifenberger apparently didn't read the book because he had nothing to say about the content. If he had read the book he would have learned about the art, philosophy and spirit of Taekwondo, something that is not often taught in more commercially driven dojangs.
   
   Mr. Cook, who is obviously passionate about Taekwondo, is highly respected for his teaching and literary contributions. He writes from a place of passion and deep respect for the art and shares, from the heart and with great humility, his knowledge gained from experience and research.
   
   Taekwondo is a multi-faceted art that is much more than kicking and punching. Mr. Cook does an excellent job of presenting the essence of the sport and introducing serious students to its philosophical side. This book is an excellent read and a motivator for deeper thought into viewing Tae Kwon Do from a holistic standpoint. An excellent addition to any martial artist's library.
   
   Someday, Mr. Greifenberger will have an epiphany with regards to his own relationship with Taekwondo. In the meantime, he needs to learn a lesson about respect, an element that appears to be missing from his training.



4. I started training in Taekwondo in July 08 (and I am writing this in September 08). this means that I am a total beginner and I have no way of evaluating the technical part of the book. Because I am enjoying TKD a lot, I decided to go a bit deeper into the subject and learn a bit of what is behind the art itself. So, I started with this one. It seemed to cover enough of history, philosophy and personal experience to make me appreciate the Art even more. And I was right. The book covers all these subjects quite thoroughly (again, this is the opinion of a beginner).
   What i enjoyed the most is the fact that each chapter is very manageable; the chapters are written very nicely with a mixture of personal anecdotes and history.
   What I really did not like is the absolute absence of footnotes: the author quotes a lot in this chapters but there is no way I can find that material. on the plus side, there is a bibliography in the back.
   Also, I am oddly amazed at the total lack of mention of other "schools" of TKD. It gives the impression that his is THE way of doing TKW and nothing else compares to it. Well.... it's odd.
   Whether an author likes or dislikes any other forms or schools, it is only right that at the very least he should mention them. I am training with ATA and I was amazed at the complete silence about the largest organization in USA.



5. The writer provides an understanding of how traditional Taekwondo is a 24/7 experience. As a result of what Master Cook teaches in this book, the reader will quickly forget minor aches and pains from training, and concentrate instead on leading a richer fuller life by making the traditions of Taekwondo a way of life. In addition the book provides a better understanding of the Korean people and their courage and determination in the face of years of adversity. This book is a must read for anyone serious about getting the FULL value of martial arts training.

1 comments about The Complete Tae Kwon Do Hyung, Vol. 2.

1. The three volumes of Hyung by Master Cho are an excellent reference set for the Chang Hon patterns. The pictures are clear and the descriptions are fairly good. Used in conjunction with the excellent videos that are available through Master Cho should provide you with everything you need to complement classroom instruction and forms review. (There are even cheaper packages available from Master Cho with all of the books and videos packaged together).
   
   The videos run through each form twice, once with Master Cho and a partner showing everything move by move and explaining it and the second with Master Cho doing it with "full speed and power". Seeing his intensity and focus will probably convnice you, as it did me, that these are the best videos out there for the patterns. The books and videos have a very few differences but not substantially.
   
   WORD OF WARNING: Master Cho does his forms "old-style", without sine wave and with a very solid/powerful Shotokan-esque hard expression of the patterns. He learned the forms quite some time ago and the order he does them is different. He only has 20 of the forms and does Ko-Dang instead of Juche. So, if you are an ITF school, you may want to check out the order and the differences in doing them before committing to them. Personally I love the books and videos both.

2 comments about Advancing in Tae Kwon Do, Revised and Updated Edition.

1. Richard Chun is a 9th Dan, making him one of the highest ranked masters of Taekwondo anywhere in the world. With "Advancing In Tae Kwon Do", Chun draws upon his more than fifty years of experience and expertise to introduce martial arts students to the history, philosophy, and meditation underpinnings of Taw Kwon Do, then goes on to provide profusely illustrated instructions on Tae Kwon Do hand and foot techniques, sparring techniques, self-defense techniques, breaking techniques, the nine Black Belt forms required for promotion by the World Taekwondo Federation and internationally sanctioned Taekwondo competitions, as well as the rules and regulations of the World Taekwondo Federation - including sparring and Poomsae (form) competitions. Authoritative, comprehensive, superbly organized, and thoroughly 'user friendly', "Advancing In Tae Kwon Do" is a core addition to any and all personal or professional martial arts instructional reference collections.



2. A must for all TKD students and instructors an invaluable resource , Richard Chun covers almost everything TKD

2 comments about Taekwondo for Kids (Martial Arts for Kids).

1. Fast and easy transaction. The book offers information that is exactly what we were hoping to get.



2. To learn all one can about the wonderful art of TKD all resources may be helpful. This book is a good resource for any Martial Artist interested in learning part of where TKD came from and how this art has survived, where it is today, etc., useful infromation for the TKD Artist of any age. An excellent book to give or read to your budding TKD Artist.
   Simple to read and great illustrations. I just like this book!!!

5 comments about Tae Kwon Do Basics, Techniques and Forms: The Indomitable Martial Art of Korea.

1. This book co-authored by Taekwondo Hall of Famer GM Dong Keun Park
   offers much for both the beginning and advanced student. The photos and
   explanation of techniques are clear and crisp. Highly recommended!
   
   Gerard Robbins,
   3 Times National Taekwondo Champion
   Competitor / 2nd World Taekwondo Championships



2. I bought this book for my Grandson and he just loves it! He said it was the best Christmas Gift ever! He loved all the color photos and the description was so easy to understand I could follow it too! Can't wait until GrandMaster Park's next book comes out!!!



3. I really enjoyed learning from this book. There are so many Martial Arts books out these days, it's hard to find one that is really good. After looking at many books, I found that the author is the most qualified teacher in the TaeKwonDo world. Grandmaster Park is the best by far! Great Book!!!



4. Tae Kwon Do Basics, Techniques and Forms: The Indomitable Martial Art of Korea
   
   This book was a long time coming and I'm proud that our father's technique is being shared in this book. The hope is that many would be able to learn from this book and instill confidence, self-discipline and self-respect in those that choose to practice it.
   
   Congratulations and Happy New Year!



5. This is the only taekwondo book I own and it has served me very well. The section on stretching is wonderful. The photos, in general, are great. I refer to it regularly, especially the chapter covering the poomsae. I feel that this book has the right balance for anyone in their first year of taekwondo: clear instruction, great photos, and enough depth to give a feel for the subject.

5 comments about Tae Kwon Do! (Step into Reading).

1. I gave this book out to the children at my son's 4th birthday at a Karate studio. They all loved it. It has catchy rhymes and it is a beginning reading book. The pictures are adorable and perfect for girls and boys.



2. We bought this book as a gift for the daughter of our TaeKwondo instructor. She is 3 and learning to read and this was such a delightful book for a young child to read. The typical TaeKwondo class is shown in the text and pictures are fun and accurate. A great book for any child in or thinking about learning TaeKwondo



3. I thought this book would be a good one for my 5 year old reluctant reader however the text was very low level and not engaging. I would pass if I were you.



4. This book is a ready to read book which is for preschool to kindergarten children. The books have picture clues, rhyming text and easy word in big type. A brother and sister go to their Tae Kwon Do class. The class is filled with multi-cultural children and show them doing kicks, chops, falling and floping.
   
   The book is well illustrated by Todd Bonita. I like how he illustrated children from all different races. A very cute book for a child who loves Tae Kwon Do and is a beginner reader.



5. I recently got this book to read with my nephew (recently turned 6) who has been taking Tae Kwon Do for the past few months. The reading difficulty level was a little bit on the basic side for him, but that was appropriate for the advertised difficulty of the book, since we typically go with stage 2 books from this series for him now.
   
   The drawings are very cute and the overall depiction of a Tae Kwon Do class is about as accurate as you could hope for when the author has to write to as basic a level as this book is intended to be. Considering the age range of the audience and the kids in the pictures, one thing I would have liked to see is at least one or two kids in the class being in the white or yellow belts.
   
   Still, it was a nice book. I had my nephew read it to me, and then he started asking me to read it to him, and wandered off to get his grandmother to read it to him as well. I'd say it was a hit and it seemed to me as if most little kids with any interest at all in martial arts would enjoy it.

5 comments about Taekwondo: The State of the Art.

1. I gained the most from the poomsaes. They are broken down three different ways to suit different learning styles. Written, written with illustrations and illustrations. They really were the best resource available when I learned these taeguk poomaes.



2. This is my 'go-to' Taekwondo reference book for forms and history. I've trained at West Side Taekwondo in the past and find that their training and school is among the best. This book is easy to follow and very complete in it's content. I highly recommend it to any practicing martial artist in TKD.



3. Very well written and easy to read book. I love the pictures they provide. I also love that they provide all of the TG forms in the back of the book as picture only; so if you get stuck in the middle of a form, all you need to do is look in the back of the book for your form and you've got it! As a visual learner, these really help me. This book has helped me through 5 belt tests, particularly forms. Buy this book, you won't regret it.



4. This is a great book with easy to understand information. If you are new to TKD this book will give you great insight and the further along you get in the sport the more you will appreciate this book. The forms are shown in three different ways so everyone can find what works best for them. I recommend this to all new students and those looking to perfect their skills.



5. The most important thing in marital arts is to understand how to do a proper move. Drawings in this book are black and white, sharp, but too small.
   Sometimes hard to understand how to do moves.
   In fact it is not enough pictures and drawings.
   It should be colored pictures, like in Gracie's Jiu-Jitsu books. But price of this book is not bad, so overall it is good buy. But there are better books.
   Other thing. Taekwondo is not about belts and forms. It's about kicking and self defense. I don't care much about forms, so I wish to see more actual fighting moves and sparring situations that I can use for self defense.