Written by health, fitness, and martial arts expert Linda Davis Kyle as a straightforward introduction to self-improvement through learning self-defense, Change Your Life With Martial Arts is a very thoroughly "reader friendly" guide to how martial arts can be employed to enhance daily life. This superbly presented, step-by-step instructional guide to finding the best martial arts school for oneself and one's family, how to guard against overtraining, and so much more, Change Your Life With Martial Arts is commended for providing a basic overview which is especially suited for newcomers to the exciting, physically and emotionally enhancing world of the martial arts.

An Essential Introduction to the Martial Arts
Reviewer: Billie A. Williams from Bayfield, CO, United States
The wealth of information in Change Your Life with Martial Arts is sure to guide readers in choosing a martial art most suited to them.

In chapter one, author Linda Davis Kyle highlights a generous sampling from the vast array of martial arts and their founders or grandmasters, gives tidbits of the origins of the arts and how they may relate to each other, and annotates the references for each. She also summarizes the goals of a selection of the various martial arts and the qualities that each attempts to instill in their dedicated practitioners.

In chapter two, the author tells the benefits and rewards of martial arts no matter which one you choose. She says that "The martial arts nurture a fine balance of body and mind that helps to create physical endurance and mental ruggedness" and stresses that the aggression and violence sometimes portrayed in martial arts movies veers far from the traditions of being humble, honorable, respectful, responsible, and ethical, which are the true goals of martial arts practitioners.

In chapter three, Kyle takes readers through the process of selecting a teacher and suggests qualities to look for in the instructor and the school itself.

With appendixes that glimpse into the topics of overtraining and the impact of exercise on children and a list of directories, federations, institutions, and organizations associated with the various martial arts and suppliers of equipment, Kyle has prepared a user-friendly manual to help interested learners to get onto the right track to begin the study and practice of these ancient arts. The book also may serve more advanced martial artists by placing at their fingertips more than 70 other useful resources.
This book is not only for those looking to begin training in one of the martial arts for better physical and mental health, but also I would highly recommend Change Your Life with Martial Arts to those seeking a higher consciousness and inner peace, for as the author says, "The influence of martial arts overflows into every aspect of the practitioner's life."