Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)To let you know up front I've been asked by YMAA Publication Center to review this book. Check my other reviews if you are concerned about bias. Honestly it takes a lot to ask me to review a book, because I will tell you exactly what I think. I have trained in the martial arts for over 25 years now primarily in aikido, jujitsu and boxing of various sorts. I have never been a big fan of striking in real combat. The idea of taking the smallest bones in my body and matching them up against, say your skull, doesn't seem like a real good idea to me. Bust you hand sometime and you'll see what I mean. Even with that bias I have to admitt that Master Chun's book is very impressive. It contains a ton of information especially about some basic things that a lot of the TKD people I've met should have studied. The section on learning falls is pretty good and if you do TKD do yourself a favor and learn this if you are not being taught. What makes this book so big is a lot of the space is devoted to providing decent photos of what is taught. The draw back here is that for someone like myself who has seen enough moves I know what is trying to be taught so my mind fills in any blanks. But if you look at some of the content with a beginners mind you can see where confusion could very easily set in. This is a good lesson in what a book in the martial arts is suppose to do....reinforce what you are already learning from your mat experience, so I don't consider any lapses to be a problem.
I do have some concerns about some of the practical applications especially the weapon disarms. The knife and firearm disarms are great ways to get killed. Don't even think about them.This is where kata is going to get you hurt. There are safer and better applications so I wouldn't try these in real training or a conflict. Often there are kicks or punches employed where they are in my opinion, high risk and of questionable yield. BUT keep in mind that they are being performed by someone who has done these things for a lifetime. For Master Chun these are as second nature to him as breathing. I've worked with people who are at this level in their striking and they feel very comfortable with these types of moves. It becomes a matter of your own level of practice and comfort. To get to that level thought you have to spend a lifetime working at it.
If you are studying TKD for a sport application, kata, or breaking boards this book is an exhaustive source.
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Inside you will find everything you need to reach the rank of Black Belt in most Taekwondo schools. With over 1400 illustrations, this reissued edition preserves the quality of the critically acclaimed cloth edition used by thousands of students over the last 30 years.
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