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A concise yet comprehensive history of traditional Okinawan and Japanese karate, with biographies of the great karate masters This concise-yet-comprehensive history of traditional Okinawan and Japanese karate includes authoritative biographies of the great karate masters of the past and the philosophical issues they faced as karate changed and evolved. Bringing a fresh understanding to the study of the martial arts, Mark I. Cramer dispels many of the often-repeated martial-arts myths as he details the lineages of the modern styles of karate and describes the social, cultural, and political events that influenced them. While most books focus on a single style of karate or the biography of just one of the great teachers, this book offers a well-researched and detailed overview. By bringing all of this knowledge together in one volume, Cramer—an award-winning inductee into the USA Karate Federation’s Hall of Fame—fills a crucial gap.
Karate is not just a sport or a hobby—it’s a lifetime study toward perfection of character. Here, Dave Lowry, one of the best-known writers on the Japanese martial arts, illuminates the complete path of karate including practice, philosophy, and culture. He covers myriad subjects of interest to karate practitioners of all ages and levels, including: • The relationship between students and teachers • Cultivating the correct attitude during practice • The differences between karate in the East and West • Whether a karate student really needs to study in Japan to perfect the art • The meaning of rank and the black belt • Detailed descriptions of kicks, punches, evasions, and techniques and the philosophical concepts that they manifest • What practice means and looks like as one ages • How the practice of karate aims toward cultivating character and spiritual development After forty years studying karate and the budo arts, Lowry is an informative and reliable guide, highlighting aspects of the karate path that will surprise, entertain, and enlighten.
Explains the history, steps, and training of karate.
Grounded in a comprehensive overview of the philosophical and spiritual foundations that underlie karate, The Art of Killing emphasizes its original purpose: to kill an attacker swiftly and brutally. Prior to 1900, karate-dō was exclusively an art of unarmed self-defense. Its practice was designed for life-or-death situations--effectively, an art of killing. Here, authors Leonard Pellman and the late Masayuki Shimabukuro restore karate to its original intent. They move karate away from its popular modern-day sporting applications back to its deadly origins---and to the restraining philosophy of peace, self-sacrifice, compassion, and service to others that necessarily accompanied it. With ch...
One of the most demanding martial arts, karate combines physical fitness with mental and spiritual training. More and more people are now taking up the challenge, and this book is an essential companion to enhance any student's study of Shotokan karate. In this user-friendly approach, all the basics are presented in easy-to-follow lessons. Each move is broken down into stages, using step-by-step photography together with clear, concise instructions. And there are foot-position diagrams, so you can make sure you are getting it exactly right. Handy hints and tips throughout help you avoid common pitfalls, and there is advice on taking your training further, once your karate is more advanced. Lessons include: Warm-up Stances Punching Striking Blocking Kicking Combination work Sparring Karate: A Step-by-Step Guide to Shotokan Karate: Features clear step-by-step color photographs that illustrate all of the techniques Covers all the basics, from dojo (training hall) etiquette and grading, to the basic training itself Includes advice on performing kata--set sequences designed to develop particular areas of training Is perfect for both new students and those already in training
JINDOKAI KARATE-DO EDITION. Karate Basics for Kids and Adults with your personal Karate Journal and Learning Planner . Introduction to most common basic techniques, related vocabulary, and Dojo etiquette with clear illustrations and explanations. This booklet will make the start of your Karate journey a little bit easier and make you feel more at home at the Dojo from the start. All, and much more that you need to know to start your journey. This book and its content have been compiled in collaboration and under supervision of qualified Karate teachers with an appropriate expertise and experience following the pathway from ancient Okinawa through modern Japan to the World. The purpose of thi...
In the practice of karate, throughout the world and all levels, there is one sure constant - the Kata. These formal sequences of karate techniques form the basis of all proper practice, and their range in degree of difficulty means that they can be taught throughout a student's career. This new edition, which first appeared as two separate volumes, covers the first thirteen Shotokan Kata: Heian Shodan, Heian Nidan, Heian Sandan, Heian Yondan, Heian Godan, Tekki Shodan, Bassai-Dai, Empi, Sochin, Jion, Hangetsu and Nijushiho. Fully illustrated with photographs of each move, the accompanying text explains each sequence fully and clearly with a thorough investigation of the Kata's 'bunkai' or application. The authors concentrate not only on physical conditioning, but also on the correct mental and spiritual attitude. Complete with an exploration of the historical background and development of the Kata, this book will prove indispensable to all students of karate.
Karate Basics for Kids and Adults. Introduction to basic techniques, related vocabulary, and Dojo etiquette with clear illustrations and explinations. This booklet will make the start of your Karate journey a little bit easier and make you feel more at home at the Dojo from the start. All, and much more you need to know to start and keep record of your journey. This book and its content have been compiled in collaboration and under supervision of qualified Karate teachers with an appropriate expertise and experience following the pathway from ancient Okinawa through modern Japan to the World. The purpose of this book is to familiarise you with the techniques and support your learning at the ...
This book is aimed at both the experienced Karate student and those just starting up in finding their way through the theoretical and historical background of Karate and in the practice of the so-called "secret techniques". In reading the book it becomes easy to see Karate's relationship to other Asian Martial Arts systems. Its content includes Basic Techniques, Tuite (Lever) Techniques, Chin Na-Techniques (Hold and Control), Nage Waza (Throws), Shime Waza (Strangling Techniques) and Kyusho (weak points) Techniques. In this book we have tried to analyze Tuite and Kyusho Techniques from a modern anatomical point of view and to this aim have put together a new type of graphic illustration. At its hub is the Karate Kata, which contains all of the techniques mentioned above and which is invaluable for daily training once the various levels of the Bunkai (application) have been understood. The depth of these levels of understanding is layered according to the Omote (obvious interpretation) for the beginner and the Chuden Techniques (middle level) for the more advanced. The hidden, or secret, techniques open themselves up to the higher Master levels, which are described as Okuden.
The strategy of karate is based on principle, what practitioners do to prepare for contact with an adversary, while tactics are what we do during the heat of battle. Practicing a martial art from tactics upward to principles creates a house of cards that will collapse from a gentle breeze, whereas working downward from principles into tactics builds a formidable foundation that can weather near any storm. These ten principles are style agnostic, all about ending fights immediately. They define how to best apply your skills and training in the real world. Those who work with these principles will find swiftness, clarity, and victory in so doing. What you will learn in the ultimate guide to st...