Tracing the Origins is a book in three parts. The first is a personal history of the author as it relates to martial arts. The second is an ethnographical study of the authors martial lineage and more importantly the ways in which lineage functions. Lastly are the transcriptions of the interviews the author conducted in pursuit of this work. Tracing the Origins should prove especially interesting to those interested in the field of ethnography as it relates to martial arts and lineage.