Karate-Do Kyohan: The Master Text

Rating:
Summary: What else can you say after The Master Text
Review: This is clearly the master text. If you study Shotokan and wish to understand the teachings of Funakoshi, this is the book. An excellent reference for both teacher to refine his skills and student to assure they have learned properly.

Rating:
Summary: Best karate book ever
Review: This is the seminal book on traditional Okinawan karate. It is vey well-written and the pictures are plentiful and first-class quality. Funakoshi is the father of modern karate but never strayed from the belief that this is a way of life and a combination of the physical and spiritual.

Funakoshi has no time for "point-fighting" and superflous moves. His martials arts comes from the tradition of hard training where you only fought if you had no choice and then you fought to the end.

Case-in-point, the diagram at the end of the book emphasizes strike points that can disable or kill an opponent. This is not for your average "rent-a-dojo" or "kid's karate" system.

Bottom-line: this is THE book for those interested in the real thing.

Rating:
Summary: Funakoshi as fighter
Review: Those who doubt Funakoshi's (or Shotokan's) abilities in a real fight should read this book. The author's comments on throwing, bunkai, self-defense, etc. are profound. Of course, you have to read between the lines for some of the truly devastating stuff, but Funakoshi as a true scholar-warrior understood that a "Master Text" had to appeal to both beginners on a surface level and to advanced students on a more introspective one. This is not the book for "Super-Soke 10th Dan Kempo Master X", it is a great book for those truly interested in traditional karate-do.

Rating:
Summary: This is The Book
Review: With so many Karate and Martial Arts books out there, it has become more difficult to separate true value from superficial writing in an attempt to an easy "buck".
If you are looking for originality and traditional values, this book is IT!
Beginner or advanced, if you just went beyond the white belt, this book is a must to your martial art collection. IT is the fundamental book of techniques.
No much history, no many words, just pure technique from the master and the founder of modern Karate.
If you don't have this book, you are not really into martial arts, you are not a true student of the art.

Rating:
Summary: This is The Book
Review: With so many Karate and Martial Arts books out there, it has become more difficult to separate true value from superficial writing in an attempt to an easy "buck".
If you are looking for originality and traditional values, this book is IT!
Beginner or advanced, if you just went beyond the white belt, this book is a must to your martial art collection. IT is the fundamental book of techniques.
No much history, no many words, just pure technique from the master and the founder of modern Karate.
If you don't have this book, you are not really into martial arts, you are not a true student of the art.