KTJWmark

A critical read for your paper would be Randall Hassell's excellent, and I mean EXCELLENT book called Shotokan Karate: Its History and Evolution. Granted there are many other places where karate has sprung up in America, but this book is quite a valuable starting point. I reviewed it on my site and still refer to it often: http://www.karatethejapaneseway.com/books/hassell_history.html Mark G

Lots of advice, and most of it based on good stuff about focussing on basics. Truer words are seldom spoken. But one thing to keep in mind as well is to maintain a healthy dose of skepticism as you go along. The martial arts are fraught with guys spouting off on topics they have little experience or education. Be wary of zen-a-holics, people in love with Japan yet who have never lived there, or with unfair club practices (hidden fees, pressure to participate in functions you have neither the time or interest for etc.). Ask yourself a few questions about the instructors as well. Are they "normal"? Can you talk to them like a normal person? Are they truly teaching you a subject in the way a music teacher or sports coach may instruct you? Is your class safe? Are you already sparring? Is it reckless? How do students deal with injuries? Is is "Ok" by your teacher's standards to be injured and not train? Common sense ought to prevail. But sometimes, because the environment is so different to other areas of life in which we have greater commonality, there is room for wrong information, abuse, and at worst, exploitation. Of course you should enjoy your new sport/hobby. And of course it is good to throw yourself into it with great abandon. Just don't abandon your natural good sense of what is right and wrong along the way. Good luck! Mark G

Good thread, and an important topic. If I may be so bold to suggest a text you may wish to procure, I would recommend that you find your way to: http://www.karatethejapaneseway.com/ and then click on Elmar Schmeisser's excellent new book in the top right corner: Channan: Heart of the Heians. The book has been produced by Usagi Press Japan and it is our great pleasure to have this book available to bunkai-minded karate students and instructors. I have mentioned this book elsewhere on these forums, as well as the forums at KTJW. Everyone who has picked it up has raved. You can get a little bit of a sense of the book by looking around the site. Of course if you have any questions, feel free to let us know. Mark G.

Yes, that is truly an unhappy event that 24FC forums came to an end. But many of the regular members have regrouped at forums here: http://www.karatethejapaneseway.com/karate_underground/ Not that there are anywhere near as many members there as there are here, just some die-hards. Feel free to drop by and browse around there too, if you are so inclined. As for getting into the details of Dr. Schmeisser's new book, I shall leave it to you to pick up a copy for yourself. The author's reputation as a serious karate researcher and scholar speaks for itself so I will just leave it at that. Best regards, Mark

I think that once you have a chance to closely examine the book, and read the material that explains the kata origins, you will see how the Channan kata are inextricably linked to the Heian kata that come after. I should introduce myself for a moment here... My name is Mark Groenewold and I am the head of Usagi Press Japan, the publisher of Dr. Schmeisser's newest book. Working on this book, and really getting into the text and photos provided in Channan was very helpful for my own understanding of kata. It was a delight, and continues to challenge a lot of my own approach to kata. Hello again, Patrick. We have not been in touch for a little while. I forgot my old password so I created a new ID. Sorry about that. Anyway, if you would like to take a closer peek at the Channan PR material it is on my site. You can see the cover of Channan at http://www.karatethejapaneseway.com . Click on the information under the cover and you can see a bit more on the "side-car" site we whipped up for this book. Many thanks, Mark