Karate : A Step-by-Step Guide to Shotokan Karate

Rating:
Summary: Excellent !!!
Review: Excellent book for beginners .Beautifully illustrated !... Really good explanations... If you want to buy only 2 books about karate-do,here's my recommendation :

1- "25 Shoto-kan Katas"
2- "Karate : A Step-by-Step Guide to Shotokan Karate"

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully Illustrated
Review: I thought the book was beautifully illustrated. The author skillfully demostrated the stances, blocks, kicks, and punches of Shotokan step by step. Mr Healy tells the reader the book should not replace the training of an experienced instructor. For an individual thinking about learning karate, I thought the author did an excellent job introducing the basics of Shotokan karate. The book includes an Heidan kata illustration. The illustrations are very beautiful and artifully take advantage of contrast. The precision in technique and perciseness in posture demonstrates Mr Healy's master of the art. Sometimes a picture can say a thousand words.

Rating:
Summary: Looks great, but lacks content
Review: This book seems to be the same story you hear from every American that has ever studied any Okinawan martial arts system. Its part "how to" (which in my opinion is the worst type of martial arts book), part history (not much more than you could find in any encyclopedia), and part "my story". Who cares? Who are you Kevin Healy? If you are writing about Okinawan Karate and your name isn't Chojun, Funakoshi, Chotoku, Sakugawa, Odo, Nakamura, or Maehara we don't care what you have to say.