Each style of Martial Arts has its own intended opponents and situations for which it was designed. Because of this, each style has its own strengths and weaknesses. The Ball and Tiger Style was imported to Japan from China over a thousand years ago. Much like AiKiDo and some of the Yang Tai Chi Chuan styles, it was intended to allow a small statured person to defend themselves against a committed larger attacker, as well as those carrying short (knives) or mid-length (swords or clubs) weapons, without killing the opponent. This makes it perfect for children and for women's self defense Having an easy learning curve and relatively low impact training, it's a good martial art to start with. With five element meditations to control mood and mental preparation exercises to prepare for conflicts, even some advanced martial artists may find this style helpful to round out their practice. This third edition has been revised to be easier to read with more pictures, more notes, the original Japanese text for reference, and more reader friendly translations