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Summary: Outstanding Reference Work
Review: Shojiro Sugiyama has produced one of the most useful reference books on shotokan karate available. Each kata movement is clearly described. The sketches are very helpful. This is a great book!
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Summary: If I was allowed to own only one book, this is it.
Review: Sugiyama has made available to us, a book that is beyond price. It contains enough karate information to occupy a person for a lifetime. To my knowledge, no one else has published this many of the Shotokan Katas.
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Summary: The best value Shotokan Kata Book hands down!
Review: Sugiyama Sensei has painstakingly crafted this step by step kata book for over 15 years, and I am aware of at least three iterations as he has refined it over the years. He worked closely with both top JKA international instructors and his own blackbelt students to ensure that each move in each kata is accurate. This is no mean feat considering the myriad of details in even the simplest kata and the variations found from club to club and instructor to instructor! In addition the text is written in English, Japanese and Spanish! The result is a kata book that is comprehensive, including key graphic information on direction and timing of each move, as well as important details such as hip rotation or hand or foot placement. I have seen instructors refer to it on the dojo floor for details of a particular move in an advanced kata as well as beginners use it as the first step to learning a new kata. Although there are several other good kata books available, you are not going to find one that comes close to this single volume in value for the price! Now Sensei... if you would please write a companion text showing some applications for each of the kata! David Kaneda JKA Blackbelt
Rating:
Summary: The best value Shotokan Kata Book hands down!
Review: Sugiyama Sensei has painstakingly crafted this step by step kata book for over 15 years, and I am aware of at least three iterations as he has refined it over the years. He worked closely with both top JKA international instructors and his own blackbelt students to ensure that each move in each kata is accurate. This is no mean feat considering the myriad of details in even the simplest kata and the variations found from club to club and instructor to instructor! In addition the text is written in English, Japanese and Spanish! The result is a kata book that is comprehensive, including key graphic information on direction and timing of each move, as well as important details such as hip rotation or hand or foot placement. I have seen instructors refer to it on the dojo floor for details of a particular move in an advanced kata as well as beginners use it as the first step to learning a new kata. Although there are several other good kata books available, you are not going to find one that comes close to this single volume in value for the price! Now Sensei... if you would please write a companion text showing some applications for each of the kata! David Kaneda JKA Blackbelt
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Summary: Sugiyama Sensei's 25 Shotokan Kata Book
Review: Sugiyama Sensei's 25 kata book is one of the most comprehensive book on Shotokan Katas on the market. It is very well illustrated and the explanations clear. This book definitely should be any student's library. No other book has all the system's katas in one text. Kimio Nelson, 5th Dan Shotokan
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Summary: The best source for Shotokan kata outside of the dojo
Review: Sugiyama sensei's book is currently the best, most informative, and easiest to understand source for learning and perfecting Shotokan kata outside of training under a competent instructor. The diagrams are clearly visible and every move and transition is plainly documented. It also crosses the language barrier by simultaneously being written in English, Spanish, and Japanese. This text should be the keystone of any serious Shotokan karateka's personal library. One word of advice to any Americanized Shotokan instructors without JKA or some other comparable organizations training--use this book to clean up your kata.
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Summary: A must have for learning Shotokan Kata!
Review: This book is very easy to understand. It presents the reader with the first steps to learning kata by providing the student with the sequence of moves as well as the timing of the moves. It also includes applications for some of the more intricate moves. Unlike other kata books which detail the moves via photographs, the line drawings allow the student to see how to transition from one move to the next. And the use of compass points makes it easy to keep track of where you are supposed to be going. This is a good book for beginner and advanced students as it includes the 25 traditional shotokan kata.
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Summary: BUY THIS BOOK NOW!!!
Review: This book, like others here said, is the best book of shotokan katas ever...better than Nakayama. Buy it, if you're a serious shotokan practitioner.
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Summary: Review by a Shotokan Shodan(1st degree Black belt)
Review: This is an excellent reference book. I practice kata at home much more after purchasing this book. The illustrations are easy to follow and the glossary is useful for new students.
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Summary: The Most Useful Karate Book I Have Seen
Review: This is an excellent reference book. I practice kata at home much more after purchasing this book. The illustrations are easy to follow and the glossary is useful for new students.
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