The Martial Arts Book by Laura Scandiffio

I was recently asked to recommend some good books on martial arts for kids. In the past, I was rather disappointed with most offerings. They were boring, commercial, talked down to kids and said nothing about ninjas. Clearly, not what the kids were looking for.

The Martial Arts Book, however, is just as comprehensive as its title suggests. It surveys the major styles of martial arts and their history, covering a lot of ground in a short, wonderful volume. Frequently martial arts books (especially those for children) have little information, are too sugar-coated, are too commercial, or are clearly biased towards one art over another. This book, however, presents all the different styles of martial arts in a fair and equal manner. The maps, pictures, and asides do an excellent job of untangling the often confusing history of martial arts. The authors do not make light of martial arts myths, either - they realize that martial arts history is as much legend as fact and that to ignore the legends is to ignore a rich history. The legends told in the book are some of the classic tales of martial arts.

Kids interested in martial arts will eat this book up. They will love seeing how how ninjas, monks, samurai, pirates and farmers gave rise to the martial arts of today. They will also love the colorful pictures and engaging layout. Parents will appreciate the emphasis on peace, compassion, and on growing internally as well as externally. Teachers will appreciate the accuracy of the information, the historical context it will give to their students, and the frank treatment of the "westernization" of martial arts.

I, personally, am impressed with how much information was packed into such a short volume in such an engaging manner.