The Oriental martial arts are complex scientific systems of self-defense and self-understanding. They enjoy a tradition whose origins are surrounded in myth, fantasy, superstition. There are endless stories of battles between animals, of horned beasts, of dream visions and nine-year meditations, of monks and soldiers and emperors.

The recent popularity of the art in western nations provides an opportunity for us to learn the science and the beautiful stories and, as we are doing so, to get a glimpse of the cultures that created them.

The fighting styles described in this book come from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Burma, India, Thailand, and Indonesia. The Oriental style of placing the surname before the Christian name has been used, and Japanese and Chinese pronunciation keys are in the Appendix. Words in italics are defined in this book.

To the person who has just joined a karate dojo, to the advanced student who wishes to have ready access to the common and uncommon terms used in the various arts, and to someone who has just seen a Bruce Lee movie and wants to know more, this book is dedicated.-Amy Shapiro