Karate hour is starting now.
Dressed and belted, we all bow.

Karate class begins, and students come together to practice their blocks and stances--from crescent kicks to front kicks to tuck-roll-stands. They wear colored belts that show their ranks, and they recite the training pact they've made with their teacher.

Readers will enjoy the rhythmic text and the dramatic drawings in varying perspectives that highlight karate as a defensive yet graceful discipline. They will learn about karate's origins and the meaning of the colored belts. Self-esteem, respect for others, and nonviolent behavior--these are some of the values that karate strives to develop in each individual.