First of all, the traditions of karate have no use for a "question and answer book". As Eugen Herrigel states in Zen and the Art of Archery, drawing information from books or getting "hints" from teachers is only cheating yourself, as true enlightenment comes from constant training. Although this book is an interesting read, many of the answers are incorrect or misleading; for example, the kata chart on page 27 contains many confusing statements about the composers of the katas. This is truly a book for a scholar or historian, to whom facts are more important than truths.

I like the way this book was set up. It's easy to read with little "quizes" all the way through. It's got great info on the origin of kata (names and creator), information on japanese martial arts terminology, and some interesting "general martial arts knowledge" info. For example, they say that a well executed martial arts punch can generate 600 foot/pounds of pressure and that bone has a structural strength greater than that of concrete. Are these stats true? I'm not sure, but it makes for an interesting read.

The author of this book knows nothing of taijiquan or chinese martial arts in general. Sophia Delza claims that taijiquan is NOT a fighting art. I've never heard anyone take that ridiculous position before, and I've read books by all of the leading taijiquan experts in the world. It's remarkable that Sophia Delza has learned nothing of taijiquan despite her years of training.

This is not a book for everyone and certainly not recommended for any beginning student of taijiquan. Sophia Delza learned under the famous Ma Yueh-liang in China and yet she seems to have gone off on her own in many ways. She was trained as a dancer and she interpreted taijiquan as an exercise for health. Many people practice it this way. She has also written some unique poetry about taijiquan, some of which is actually quite profound. Somehow she completely missed the boat on the fact that taijiquan is a true martial art--if one has learned the complete art and mastered it. Sadly, very few people including so-called "masters" can demonstrate this. I would probably only recommend this book to a Wu stylist who already has many years of experience and many other, better books on taijiquan. This is more of a curiosity to glance at every once in while, certainly not essential.

A must for anyone interested in Tai-Chi Chuan. It's for those who seek good health, peace of mind, and an aesthetic sense of movement. Sophia is a highly articulate spokeswoman. This brilliant book is filled with perceptive and thoroughly apt observations on Ta-Chi Chuan. Sophia Delza was a pioneer of Tai-Chi Chuan in the West and was able to connect the exercise with a philosophy for daily living. Her focus was on Tai-Chi Chuan as an exercise, and it seems she was on the right track as most practice it as such.