Best Karate, Vol.11: Gojushiho Dai, Gojushiho Sho, Meikyo (Best Karate Series)

I am in the middle of completing the entire set with Amazon’s help that will be possible great set.

I cannot sing enough praises to this series of books. Together with the title Dynamic Karate, they form a foundation upon which to advance your karate with rock solid kihon information.I started to practice karate at the age of 16. After a long period of medical school and residency training during which practicing karate was out of the question, I got back to it at the age of 38. In my comeback I found out that the spirit of karate had changed. When I started, the emphasis was on learning good kihon and good kata, so that your kumite skills would have a strong foundation. It was also on the moral values of karate. Now, I feel that much of that is being lost and kumite and competition is all many karateka think of.This series of books presents karate in the light of an era of change. Sensei Nakayama lived in a generation marked by the transition of the karate as taught by Funakoshi, who believed it was unsuitable for competition, to an era where competition, if not the single purpose, has become one of the main goals of karate practitioners.When you read Funakoshi's books, it is easy to grasp how he viewed karate: a martial art meant to discipline ones body, improve ones health and lifespan, rein in ones violent impulses, and promote the sense of respect and politeness towards others, especially ones would be opponents. In summary, karate was to span a persons whole being and attitude, both inside the dojo as well as outside. Maybe especially outside.Sensei Nakayama clearly inherited that way of thinking and added to it a scientific view of body mechanics and systematic organization of techniques and concepts. He also presents excerpts of famous tactical experts of the past, many of whom where not karateka, but swordsman or strategists as they were called. Those excerpts represent the concept that all martial arts are the same in terms of rational, only the methods and weapons vary. The need for strategy, for constant training and for the understanding of the spirit is of paramount importance.While learning Karate-do from a book is impossible, complementing what we learn at our dojo with technical information provided by this series of books is certainly very desirable. I dare say it is desirable regardless of your karate style. I hail from Kenyu-Ryu karate, which tends to use karate stances that are higher. But still, I feel that 100% of the books still apply.

The late Masatoshi Nakayama wrote these "Best Karate" series so that all Shotokan students could better understand the role kata played in the art. This volume includes three advanced black belt katas. They include Gojushio Dai, Gojushio Sho and Meikyo. In the Shotokan curriculum these katas are usually not learned until the student has many years of practice. They are challenging katas even for advanced students. Like all the books in this series, the photographs are clear and the techniques shown are done by advanced black belts. It should be emphasized, that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to learn how to perform these katas from the book alone. The value of this book can be best appreciated when it is used in conjunction with actual practice with a Shotokan instructor. Rating: 4 Stars. Very good book. Joseph J. Truncale (Bushi Satori Ryu-Author: Samurai Aerobics, Wakizashi Jutsu)

This is a good supplement to live training. I do not recommend it to those starting to learn the forms for the first time.

Great books on Shotokan karate. Well explained, lots of pictures.

Step by step movements of the katas. Hard to beat for the price especially by Nakatama Sensei.

the best

great!

This is a good series of karate books for a student to learn the history and details of the art.

A replacement to an important part of my karate library

Mi maestro que lleva muchos años entrenando y dando clases lo ha recomendado para entender una de las formas más pulidas de las técnicas en dichas katas. Es una guía que nosotros como artistas marciales debemos leer y releer para descubrir nuevas cosas que nos hagan crecer cada vez más. Es una fortuna haberse compilado información valiosa de un gran maestro de karate Shotokan. Se lo recomiendo a todo aquél karateca que esté buscando cada día mejorar en el entendimiento de las katas y de sus propias técnicas.

Zu diesen Büchern muss man nichts sagen, außer, einfach genial ! Seit über 33 Jahren benutze ich schon die älteren Bücher von Kodansha (bis mir zwei verloren gingen) - ich bin froh diese wieder (in diesen Ausgaben) gefunden zu haben. Andere deutsche Herausgeber (außer die alten Falken Sport- Ausgaben, die in Lizenz gedruckt wurden) bringen leider nicht diese Qualität der Darstellung.

Great Book, fast delivery!