Kickboxing

April 1, 2012

Gr 5-7-These selections show the variety of martial arts, from Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian form that combines music, dancing, and acrobatics, to Tae Kwon Do, which is internationally the most popular form and is an Olympic sport. The action-oriented images and comic-book lettering on the covers will draw readers in, and the texts will keep them interested in the history, expectations for students, and basic moves of each sport. Aikido, which is particularly strong, demonstrates the author's personal familiarity with the art. On the other end of the spectrum, Kickboxing overreaches its scope, and rather than providing a detailed history of the modern incarnation, it goes back to ancient Greece and is unconvincing at drawing connections between kickboxing's various historical influences. Additionally, Mack attempts to describe the basic moves and offers just enough information so that unsupervised readers could hurt themselves-or their friends-by trying them out. The other four books stress the importance of learning from professionals. Capoeira also does a nice job of balancing discussion of the martial-art aspect of the sport with the musical aspect, detailing the instruments used with as much care as the various techniques. Tae Kwon Do has a ready-made audience, and the historical discussion of Korea's efforts in unifying a national fighting style brings new perspective to the international sport. Judo shows Ellis's usual style in creating an approachable narrative for those with no background in the subject. Attractive but additional offerings for collections in which martial arts are popular.-Alana Joli Abbott, formerly at James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT

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