This is a good book for introducing an individual to karate. It is filled with good adivce and 1000 photos. The book is broken up into two main sections: Self-defense and sport karate. I found the self-defense section to be very useful. In his so called sport karate section he shows kata and two man routines per belt level. Tegner looks stiff in these photos. I do not recognize the style.

This book tells you about basic stick fighting skills you can use.The book contains European and Asian type of stick fighting.It shows how to use use everyday items in combat such as umbrellas and walking sticks.But younger people dont go around with these items so it might be no use to them.It also has batton tricks for security guards and tricks for the disabled.An allround good book.

Perhaps for the 1960'S this might be considered good; however I think the technique leaves much to be desired. Many of the low kicks are terrible (incorrect distance,lean and/or bending of support leg). The boxing is sloppy in terms of guard and stance (looks like modified karate).
Even Tegners earlier Savate book has similar problems (especially concerning distance control and extension in kicking).
Savate is a very efficient art - assuming its performed corectly.
However a good book for the price. You can even learn from a bad book.

Bruce Tegner had an older version of this book, where he actually demonstrated the techniques, and it even had tips on defending against a knife. Although there are better books on the subject, I would try to find the out of print version, rather than waste time on this. This book was just watered down karate.

When this book first came out in the 60's, it was the first book on Savate published in the U.S. There are still only a few that have ever been published on the subject, and although I'm aware that there are now better books on it, I credit Tegner for coming out with the first useful book on the art.

As a karate and TKD man, the most important thing I got from this book was how different the "chambering" or delivery methods are for the basic kicks vs. karate. I am pretty big and tall, and I find that several of my kicks are actually delivered more like the Savate version rather than the classical karate version, which is sort of interesting. The high back stabbing kick from a quasi-layout position is also a kick I have worked to perfect as there is nothing quite like it in either karate or tae kwon do, and it's something I have occasionally used to good effect in sparring, since they're not accustomed to seeing this sort of oddly delivered kick.

If you are interested in more reading on Savate, there is a good section in Donald Gilbey's Secret Fighting Arts of the World, where he meets the great Savate master, Baron Fegnier. Fegnier was a ferocious kicker and incredibly fast, who had been in numerous street fights and never lost. One of the interesting things I came away with from this interview was Fegnier's emphasis on precise interval, rather than focus, in a kick. This is interesting since he is correct that even being slightly off in your interval or distancing will nullify most of your focus. Although Gilbey is probably Robert W. Smith, and many of these stories are no doubt apocryphal, the "Baron's" advice is still cogent and relevant.

Anyway, Tegner's book is still a useful introduction to this fascinating and obscure martial art, which almost completely died out after World War I, as many of the Savate masters were killed in the Great War, although I understand the art is now making a long-delayed but much deserved comeback.

This book is mainly intended for physical educators and those who are interested in Chinese Wushu (martial arts) as an interesting hobby. Little or no real in depth information. The Tai Chi form presented is a modified version of the Yang Long form. The Kung fu forms are rudimentary and resemble Japanese Karate more than Chinese martial arts. Nonetheless this is a good introduction for those who don't want to delve deep into philosophy and are simply seeking an exercise form.

This guy knows NOTHING about the effectiveness of the martial art of Aikido, he says in this book that Aikido doesn't work as self defense, i've been practising Aikido for about 2 years and i know very well that Aikido is a VERY effective art for self-defense and NOT for show. If you want to know about Aikido DO NOT buy this book i recomend Total Aikido by Gozo Shioda.

In this book, Bruce states that Aikido should not be used for self defence and only observed as an "art" and for "excercise." In this, I believe that the source of Bruce's studies have perverted the art to something other than what it was intended to be. Aikido is not meant for anything other than self defence. As any "martial art" it should remain pragmatic in it's approach to instruction. If this is not done, then the "martial" is taken out of the art. For any support of this, I offer Ueshiba's track record in combat, or failing this, the very dead would-be killer of a young and innocent Aikidoka in O.K.C. who killed his attacker in self defense while under the instruction of the Windsong Aikido dojo which teaches Fugakukai Aikido. The killer did not die of too much excercise or art, but rather the natural reaction the body has to suddenly and forcefully impacting against pavement in a manner that ruptures the frontal lobe of the brain pan.

This is not meant as an advertisement or as saying it is easy be a killer in 12 easy lessons. What I am saying, is that if an instructor tells you that this can't be used as self defense, then go somewhere were the Aikido is. If you are looking for a passtime, you will find a passtime; if you are looking to learn a martial discipline, then, by all means, learn a martial discipline.

I first bought this book long before I learned any Aikido, and it made little to no sense what so ever. Now I am an Aikido-ka and I find this book a very good study aid. In short this book is not a self-contained guide to Aikido merely a study guide for student. If you're looking to learn Aikido from a book...this is not the book.