The "empty hands" or the "flowery hands" was a science, an art, a philosophy. It was practiced by monks who were devout believers in nonviolence more than 1500 years ago. Today we call it "Karate" and in our young country we think of it as something new! Putting things first, Dr. Simon opens his book with a through and fascinating history of Karate through India, China, Japan, Korea, Okinawa, and every where that it has spread. He stresses always its values to the enlightenment of the mind as well as the body. Then, graphically he moves to the actual practice. He lists and explains the many stances, stepping and turning, the "weapons" (hands, feet, and head), balance, blocking, breathing, kicking, the breaking of holds. This book contains over 300 illustrations of the stances, stepping, turning- in fact, all of the positions.