Martial Arts Fantasy Review: Clash of the Clans: Shinobi 7 Companion Book #1 by L. Benitez

Clash of the Clans: Shinobi 7 Companion Book #1 by L. Benitez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lighthearted and funny...Highly recommended

This companion story for Shinobi 7 is a quick jump over to an alternate timeline where war never erupts, but Sector 7 still forms and the characters are essentially the same. With the war out of the picture, the story focuses on another kind of conflict, a tournament of the clans. Having read Shinobi 7, I loved being back in the world and experiencing it in such a purely enjoyable fashion.

As someone who practices Karate, I found both the tournament and the crazy way things play out delightful. Not only is the event entertaining, it's also a rather accurate representation of a martial arts tournament. I also enjoyed picking out the Japanese terms that are worked into the story. There's just enough context to make them easy to work out, but not enough to make them seem instructional.

As for the characters, I love, absolutely love, Luna. So cute and hyper, her childish logic is infallible even under the stern watch of the judges. And Kuroi, as gruff as ever, yet still facing a challenge that makes him doubt himself. These two are my favorite, but each point of view is interesting. I also liked some of the main villains of Shinobi 7 make an appearance as judges.

I honestly can't think of anything I didn't like, though I did wonder what might have motivated everyone to join the Kitsune Clan without the tragedies spawned by the war. Some of it matches up to Shinobi 7, but the split in the timeline is mostly vague. Still, I didn't worry much about it. In fact, as a standalone, the back story is fine.

Overall, I loved this story. The characters are wonderful and the story kept me smiling and, at times, outright laughing. I so wish I could write about my favorite part, but that would spoil it. I highly recommend Clash of the Clans to anyone who likes martial arts, youthful exuberance, and a bit of fantasy. This is a quick read and won't spoil Shinobi 7 if you haven't read it yet.

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.


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Nonfiction Review: The Weaponless Warriors by Richard Kim

The Weaponless Warriors by Richard Kim
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love this! I've been practicing karate for a few years and know some of the related history, but this book really brings it to life. It's a mix of history and anecdotal stories of those who contributed to karate as we know it today.

Also included are photographs of several of the more recent masters and of students performing various katas (forms). Although it was interesting to look through these, I didn't find the kata photos easy to follow. They weren't numbered or captioned, and without already knowing them, I couldn't figure out what order the moves would be performed in.

I spent considerable time looking for Tatsuo Shimabuku in the geneologies, but I think they linked him in with his brother. He is the founder of Isshinryu Karate, the style that I follow, and his teachers are mentioned in the book and in a couple of cases, Choki Motobu and Miyagi Chojun, have chapters devoted to them. I also saw an Angi Uesu listed. In the binder my sensei gave me there is an Angi Uezu, and I wonder if it is the same person. If so, it's pretty cool, because he was at one point my teacher's teacher. Reading back through the geneologies and following the stories and legends all the way down to names I recognize is one of the things that I enjoyed most. It makes me feel a part of something bigger than myself.

Besides the historical value, though, the stories themselves are fantastic. The ones featuring Bushi Matsumura are larger than life, especially the one about how he earned the title Bushi, but the story about how he tried to determine whether he was a better fighter than his wife was also amusing. So, basically, this isn't just history and facts. There is entertainment value as well.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to people who practice Karate, who enjoy historical stories and legends, or who are interested in martial arts in general. I was happy to receive this book on loan from my sensei and now that I've written my review I will reluctantly return it.


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