This Via Media anthology gives the reader the experience of the explorers who went to foreign lands to discover and learn about a specific field of knowledge and skills: the Asian martial arts. The eight chapters included here share a common root in the pioneers' desire to travel far and wide in search for practical martial arts useful in the street as well as for commando units. The pioneers discussed in this Via Media anthology experienced lives submerged in foreign cultures, lives compounded by the difficulties of communicating in foreign languages, changing diets, and often being in...

A total of sixty-three chapters are conveniently compiled in this two-volume set. In addition to 1,780 illustrations, there are glossaries, maps, charts, and bibliographies. The variety of material in this anthology reflects in-depth scholarly research and the experience of master practitioners. It will be a valuable source for karate enthusiasts for future decades. By making this book available to individuals and libraries, we hope this rare material will greatly contribute to further research in this field and inspire many to learn karate with aspirations to mastery.