Sharp Spear, Crystal Mirror

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Hefting the Spear that has Been Offered Me

1    Taking Responsibility for Ourselves
2    The Oneness of All Things
3    A Question Larger than Resolving Conflict
4     Balance Doesn't Always Mean Being Cool
5    Something in the Movements was Like Coming Home
6    Defying the Limits of What the Body Can Do
7    You Just Have to Do It and Do It and Do It
8    Finding the Fighting Roots
9    I Have a Path, a Spiritual Path
10    A Martial Art Developed by a Woman for Women
11    The Difference for Me is that I Am Myself
12    Women Will Transform the Martial Arts
13    An Inner Sense of Freedom
14    Our Family has Always Done Weapons
15    What I Create Teaches Me
16    A Chinese Master
17    The More You Do the More Things Come Together
18    There's More to Fighting than Smashing Things
19    Sixty Years on the Mat
20    Talking to the Future

Epilogue: Reflections in the Mirror of My Practice

Glossary

Resources

Stephanie T. Hoppe coedited a two-volume anthology on women's relationships with animals and the natural world entitled With a Fly's Eye, Whale's Wit and Woman's Heart and And a Deer's Ear, Eagle's Song, and Bear's Grace. Her many stories and interviews have been widely published, and she has written several science fiction novels. She lives in Ukiah, California, where she teaches T'ai Chi Ch'uan at the White Cloud Women's T'ai Chi School.

"In interviews with women ages 12 to 83, we find these arts well integrated into a sustaining feminine identity and holistic spiritual outlook."

Publishers Weekly

"I see women coming to the martial arts as a young movement, a new growth in the martial arts that will transform it forever in a very deep way. The martial arts will never be the same again for this influence, and that's been what my life has been about, sitting right on that cusp and being engaged in that process."

Coleen Gragen, fifth-degree black belt Kajukenbo instructor

"In Sharp Spear, Crystal Mirror, seasoned writer Stephanie T. Hoppe conducts interviews with over 20 remarkable women who have not only excelled in martial arts but have adopted them (or been adopted by them) as a particular path to self-transformation. Sharing their experiences, we learn how martial arts can transform a person and how martial artists can begin to transform society through leadership and self-development training."

Brian Bruya, Amazon.com

"In simple terms, this book is about 'Women Warriors on the Integration of the Body, Mind and Spirit,' as stated by the author on the front cover. But it is much more. The interviewing technique-relevant questions appropriate to the person being interviewed, recorded on tape-give an immediacy to the chapters. The discussions seem very real, very pertinent. It is a valuable book for any woman who trains, to encourage thinking and feeling about that training."

Cassie Bosley, Women in the Martial Arts

MARTIAL ARTS / WOMEN'S STUDIES

“I see women coming to the martial arts as a young movement that will transform it forever in a very deep way. The martial arts will never be the same again for this influence, and that’s what my life is about, sitting right on that cusp and being engaged in that process.”
--Coleen Gragen, Fifth-degree black belt Kajukenbo instructor

Sharp Spear, Crystal Mirror explores in depth how, why, and to what effect women in considerable numbers are dedicating themselves to the martial arts. The twenty-four women interviewed here, aged twelve to eighty-three, discuss the physical and spiritual challenges of martial arts training and how it helps to bring meaning and purpose to their lives. Their disciplines range from T’ai Chi Ch’uan and Aikido to Judo, Capoeira, Jujutsu, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Wing Chun, Kajukenbo, and Kung Fu, and their backgrounds are equally diverse. Some were accomplished athletes before beginning, while others had never been comfortable with their physical bodies until discovering the martial arts. All have received deep spiritual nourishment through their practice.

Sharp Spear, Crystal Mirror is an inspiration for anyone concerned with enhancing the physical, spiritual, and social dimensions of life, as well as those interested in self-defense and physical safety. Students of women’s issues will find a wonderful collection of contemporary American women who speak articulately about the forces that have shaped their lives.

STEPHANIE T. HOPPE coedited a two-volume anthology on women’s relationships with animals and the natural world. Her many stories and interviews have appeared in anthologies and magazines, and she has also written several science fiction novels. She lives in Ukiah, California, where she teaches T’ai Chi Ch’uan at the White Cloud Women’s T’ai Chi School.