book recommendations?

[NeilT]

Hi

Anyone care to recommend some good reading material on Karate?

So far read Funakoshi's memoirs and just finished 'Moving Zen' - CW Nicol - both excellent.

I'm not looking for Karate manuals or 'how to's' more interested in the history of the art and other aspects

thanks

Neil

[Kieran-Lilith]

"Secrets of the Samurai: The Martial Arts of Feudal Japan" by Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook is a very, very good book to read. It's rather dry at some points...many points, actually, but it's incredibly informative. One of the best that I've read, actually.

Another one that is partially instruction manual/partially history and principles is "Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere" by the same authors.

Other good books are "The Book of Five Rings" by Musashi Miyamoto, "The Art of War" by Sun-Tzu (this has almost nothing to do with history, but is an excellent read for principles and strategies)....that should keep you busy for a little while, at least. Also, there's a thread about books somewhere else on this forum, very long thread, many good books.

[DWx]

Try looking here:

http://www.karateforums.com/martial-arts-research-library-vt8082.html

The very first post lists some Japanese history books.

[Fish]

Angry White Pyjamas by Robert Twigger

Waking the Dragon by Goran Powell

Not books on the history of the arts (Aikido and Karate respectively) but very interesting biographies of two students exploring their motivation.

[bushido_man96]

"Secrets of the Samurai: The Martial Arts of Feudal Japan" by Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook is a very, very good book to read. It's rather dry at some points...many points, actually, but it's incredibly informative. One of the best that I've read, actually.

Another one that is partially instruction manual/partially history and principles is "Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere" by the same authors.

Other good books are "The Book of Five Rings" by Musashi Miyamoto, "The Art of War" by Sun-Tzu (this has almost nothing to do with history, but is an excellent read for principles and strategies)....that should keep you busy for a little while, at least. Also, there's a thread about books somewhere else on this forum, very long thread, many good books.

These are good recommendations. I have read and enjoyed them all. Zen in the Martial Arts, by Joe Hyams, is also a good read. Not very historical, but very anecdotal, and enjoyable.

Here is a title to be on the lookout for: Karate Chronicles: The History of Okinawan and Japanese Karate, by Harry Cook, B.A. It is going to be a pricy book, at around $100, not counting the shipping, but it may be exactly what you are looking for. I saw the information in an add in Classical Fighting Arts magazine. The book is to be released in late 2007. There is a number you can call to reserve a copy, if it is what you want.

[RealWingChunKuen]

Hi

Anyone care to recommend some good reading material on Karate?

So far read Funakoshi's memoirs and just finished 'Moving Zen' - CW Nicol - both excellent.

I'm not looking for Karate manuals or 'how to's' more interested in the history of the art and other aspects

thanks

Neil

Here are a few excelletnt titles:

1)Karate do Kyohan, by Gichin Funakoshi.

2)This is Karate, by Masutatsu Oyama, plus any other book by him.

3)The Heart of Karate-do, by Shigery Egami

[sonofkanga]

This is a real must,explaining the philosophical foundations of Kyokushin Karate.

http:// http://budokarate.com/book.htm

[G95champ]

Sun Tzu - The Art of War

Don't get any better if your talking history of combat.

[AngelaG]

This is a review I wrote on another forum for "Sword and Brush by Dave Lowry".

The way of the sword, the way of the brush: one an encounter of harmony between brush and paper, the other a meeting of conflict between swords. The results of each are inevitable and immutable. For the calligrapher as for the warrior, reality is reduced to a single unique encounter of perfect clarity.

I love this book. It won't help you fight any better or improve your techniques but if you are interested in looking into your martial art on a deeper level this book is, in my opinion, a must have!

Within the book are 42 martial arts words, drawn by Lowry, and then accompanied by a detailed breakdown and explanation of each term. The essays describe the meaning of the term, and what it would have meant to the bugeisha of old, and how that translates into the martial arts of today.

What you will gain from this book is a deeper understanding of the Japanese terms we use, and what they mean to us as martial artists. For those that are interested in the "do" of karate-do, you will be fascinated by the meanings within meanings you will find within the simplest of the calligraphy.

I keep coming back to it again and again. I use it as a reference book and also I love the beauty contained within some of the drawn words, not just the form but the process of making up the word and how broken down we can reach so much more understanding. Bunkai of the written word!

If, on the other hand, all you are interested in is simply fighting or winning trophies you would probably find this a waste of your money.

Dave Lowry has a lot of other interesting books out too.