In Martial Maneuvers, Phillip Starr demonstrates that while the internal martial arts—Taijiquan, Bagua Zhang, and Xingyi Quan—might be considered ineffective for practical self-defense, they in fact have a long history of combat use. Starr argues that most teachers and practitioners of the internal arts have forgotten their rich martial heritage, focusing instead on their applicability for health or spiritual practices. Starr returns to the roots of the three major internal arts, demonstrating the combative principles upon which they were originally based.

Martial Maneuvers often takes a lighthearted and humorous approach to what can often be challenging material, and provides training routines in easy-to-understand language. Numerous photos demonstrate the step-by-step implementation of fighting techniques, teaching readers how to apply them to their own chosen martial disciplines. While designed primarily for the internal martial artist, the techniques demonstrated in Martial Maneuvers can also benefit and enrich the training of a student of any discipline, including karate and kung fu.