Old fashioned karate ?

[Karatefighter]

The nearest karate club is 4 hours away. Many small towns do not have martial art clubs of any kind. I am trying to find a job and re-locate to the big city then I will be able to join a karate club and compete in full contact karate tournaments as well practicing war karate at home for self defense.

[bushido_man96]

Are you speaking of this book ?

http://mmabooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Karate

I found this MMA blog and the karate section is pretty thin. The book by Funakoshi is pretty good. I need to go to the Barnes & Nobles store to buy the book, after Christmas when I get caught up on the bills.

Any more early karate texts I should buy also karate techniques and tactic books I should buy also, What books are a must in any good karate library ?

That's the book I was mentioning. There is another set of books called the Best Karate series, and it has been pretty good, info wise as well. Several other old masters have put out books, as well, and if you google their names, then you should turn up some titles by them.

[tallgeese]

Some books I consider a must in any ma library are:

Secrets of the Samurai

Living the Martial Way

Tao of Jeet Kune Do

Bushido: The Soul of Japan

Karate Do: My Way of Life

Some other ones that are worth contmeplation:

Code of the Samurai

Book of Five Rings

On Combat (or on Killling, Combat is an easier read)

There some other good ideas on a couple of other threads around here that would be good as well.

[the beast]

Some books I consider a must in any ma library are:

Secrets of the Samurai

Living the Martial Way

Tao of Jeet Kune Do

Bushido: The Soul of Japan

Karate Do: My Way of Life

Some other ones that are worth contmeplation:

Code of the Samurai

Book of Five Rings

On Combat (or on Killling, Combat is an easier read)

There some other good ideas on a couple of other threads around here that would be good as well.

Those are great books Tallgeese I also recomend

Hagakuri

Karate Do Kyohan

Way of Kata

just to name a few.

[Karatefighter]

Thank you men for the book recommendations.

I am going to add these to my personal library.

Which karate atemi waza wall chart is the most accurate and very visual that I should buy ? Thank you.

[Karatefighter]

Asking the question again. Please answer if you know ...

Which karate atemi waza wall chart is the most accurate and very visual that I should buy ? Thank you.

[Karatefighter]

I tried looking online for a good visual karate atemi waza chat. I may be looking in the wrong places. If you know of any excellent wall charts besides these two. Please post them.

http://www.karate.butsu.net/hpage23.html

http://www.bartelby.net/107/

Perhaps, Karateforums should make their own karate atemi waza chart and one that is very visual and accurately says what each effect that blow will do in real life. It could come non-framed and framed in a laminated wall chart ?

[ShoriKid]

If your looking for older sources, try here.

http://www.amazon.com/Karate-Jutsu-Original-Teachings-Funakoshi/dp/4770026811/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229217070&sr=8-3

Karate-jutsu is Funakoshi's earlier book.

http://www.amazon.com/Okinawan-Kempo-Choki-Motobu/dp/092012917X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229218056&sr=8-1

Motobu is early half of the 20th Century. It's a relatively short book with some history by McCarthy. The photos are of poor quality, but they work as illustrations of the technique if you read the descriptions carefully. It's old hard knocks karate.

The Bubishi

[NightOwl]

Some good books-

Shotokan Karate: Its origins and Techniques

Karate-do, my Way of Life by Gichin Funakoshi

Both of the books go over the transition from traditional karate to Japanese karate, the latter by the man who imported karate to Japan himself.

From what I have read from books like these and others, traditional karate definitely has differences from what you see today. There were no ranks, belts, or uniforms. These were all adopted (mostly) from judo to help promote karate in Japan by making it more 'Japanese'. Similarly the strict hierarchy and formality of karate seems to be absent as well. Karate was never a battlefield art- that can be seen in its emphasis on unarmed techniques as well as its choice of weaponry (from staffs to rowing oars). It was a martial art of the people, as opposed to the samurai arts of Japan. As far as if you can actually find a place that still teaches in the old style, especially in the US, I am not sure.

[kcconnor]

Karatefighter:

Rarely is there a community completely devoid of an experienced martial artist.

I don't mean to suggest that there is a martial arts school just down the street from city hall that you've been failing to see... But there is probably a black belt of some traditional art in your town. It might be possible to locate such a person.

A lot of WWII, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans studied Karate. A lot. I can't emphasize that enough. The history of martial arts in America owes much to veterans of those wars on all sides of those conflicts.

If you are intent on a private study of traditional karate or other available martial art, I would suggest finding your local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post, Elks Club, Rotary Club or Masonic Fraternity. The VFW would by far be the best place to start.

The WWII vets are getting quite old to be instructing anyone in Karate, and the Korean war vets are also getting up there as well. But they may be able to direct you to other veterans who have been stationed in Japan or Okinawa during peacetime, who have made their own study of Karate or other arts.

If you find someone willing to train you, you most likely won't be able to test for rank... but it doesn't sound like you're concerned with that.

But it might get you started down the road you want to travel.