Eden, Karen & Keith Yates

New York: Alpha Books, 298 pages (1998)
ISBN: 0-02-862389-4

Recommended w/reservation

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Tae Kwon Do by Karen Eden and Keith Yates is a comprehensive introduction for beginners or the parents of beginners. Beginners meaning those who have not yet even found a school to train at, which is outlined in part two. The farther one is in their training the less useful the books becomes. It is a practical guide written in a conversational tone with a positive attitude towoard Tae Kwon Do; Karen Eden and Keith Yates want you to do the Do. They don't affiliate with any style in the guide and mention each one. The layout is similar to a textbook with bullets outlining and reviewing each chapter, boxes of insight in the margin, lots of pictures, and a few cartoons. Both authors use their personal experiences in their explinations. Karen Eden emphasizes women in Tae Kwon Do. The description of techniques starts with a good foundation and than goes far beyond a beginner's capacity.

What will you find in this book? Part one answers the question, "Why do Tae Kwon Do?" and provides an introduction. Part 2 helps you to start training including finding a good instructor and prepares you for the first class. Part 3 previews the techniques of Tae Kwon Do, and Part 4 gives the applications of the techniques. Part 5 covers the difference ranks and testing for promotion. The last part, 6, covers competition.

Annotated by: Mark Wolf (April 1999)

Martial Arts: Taekwondo |

Topics: competition/sparring | forms | training/exercise science |