A young teacher Asya Kondrashova, by chance, ends up in a martial arts school. Life circumstances force her to stay there; she learns the art of combat, constantly interacting with the tough Teacher and his students. In a short time, Asya turns into a real fighter, and, as she thinks, she undeservedly achieves high status in this school. She faces a serious choice - to become a soulless part of the system, acting according to its rules, or to preserve her individuality, preferring to follow her own path. The search for answers is painful; she tries to comprehend the secret beauty of martial arts, but finds no support. So does a modern woman need to practice martial arts, or is it just for men? Do the acquired skills work in everyday life? And what is the other side of martial arts, still not understood by Western people? The author Irina Sotnikova tries to answer these and many other questions in the novel “Illusions of the Rock Garden”. Whether she succeeded or not is for the reader to judge.