What are the best books about shotokan

[ramymensa]

A few days ago I got Nakayama's Dynamic Karate from a friend. What a day !!!

 

Here in Romania it's kind of difficult to get this stuff, so imagine my joy.

[LeaF]

Karate-do my way of life by GICHIN FUNAKOSHI (founder of shotokan)

 

Submissive fighter suggested this book and I would like to agree with him and highly suggest it for any karate pratitoner (shotocan or otherwise), it is a great book.

 

Other karate-related books that I really enjoyed reading and would also recommend are: Classical Man by Richard Kim

 

Weaponless Warriors by Richard Kim

 

 

 

All great books that all karate pratitioners should read

[ZakariRu]

Funakoshis books are good for history, the technique is outdated

 

and he gets a bit senile from book to book espicially if you compare the earlier japanese versions of kyohan (ryu kyu kempo karate) to the english version.

 

also

 

dont read john van weeners book. one of my senpai was throwing it out and decided to give it to me instead. i should have let him throw it out.

 

(the mans basics are gross!)

 

Nakayamas books are very good for raw technique (no philosophy, this is good) Dynamic Karate is worth reading if you dont know much about body dynamics but is kinda of common sense if you have alot of exp in martial arts.

 

Edmond otis (AJKA chairman) and Randall hassel also wrote a book called "the complete idiots guide to karate" its about karate in general but most of the philosophy and technique are out of shotokan (it also has my friend Dean doing Heian Shodan) This is a phenominal book, probobly the best on karate/shotokan (I'm not saying this because i know literally everyone in the book.) hehehe

 

Sugiyama Sensei also has a book called "25 shotokan kata" best single volume kata book in existance. (He is in chicago, train with him if you get the chance). He has another book called "healing with Ki" not shotokan completely but worth reading.

 

Z

 

P.S. My reviews are right and everyone else is a shotokan zealot =)

 

P.S.S. Can get every shotokan book in existance on Amazon.com

[shotochem]

I agree the Funakosi & Nakayama are must haves for all shotokan people. I also have the Peter Ventresca book.

 

I also recommend Kanazawas Kata books vol 1 & 2 ( I havent got the kumite one yet). A good one for all is Sun Tzu " The Art of War" is a classic....

[hobbitbob]

Must add Elmar Schmeissar's books to the list of "great Shotokan Books."

[shotochem]

I forgot to mention Elmer. Thanx for adding it..

[Taikudo-ka]

Iain Abernathy's book is great, though a bit beyond beginners. It has some meat in it though, unlike many other "martial arts" books out there.

 

He has a new one called "Bunkai Jutsu" which extends the content of the first book. Although I haven't read it, I assume it would be better to get this over the first book.

 

Any good Goju-Ryu books out there?

[Mark Groenewold]

Elmar Schmeisser has written some excellent books on karate--one on advanced training (tough reading!) and another on kata application.

 

These texts are apparently getting very hard to access these days so if you see them available on e-bay you should snap them up.

 

As for other books to check out, I have several extensive reviews on my site, which you are most welcome to check out. Follow the link in my signature and take a look. A few of the articles have been written by some authoritative voices in the Shotokan world. More to be added as time marches on.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark Groenewold

 

Kanazawa, Japan

[chris]

The best books are the ones which help you find and make you understand better what you are looking for.

 

Generally speaking, any literature is good in itself as long as it raises your interest when reading it. In any sense of it, reading is good and helps your general culture evolve.

 

Labeling books by whom had written them is the same as labeling jeans by whom made them, for example. I have seen though better quality jeans made by little known companies and designers than Levi, or Wrangler. Selling in quantity does not point to quality products.

 

On the same token, not finding some books on the shelves it has to do with an argument between the publisher and the author, in some rare cases, but mostly, it has to do with the fact that the publisher does not find that selling more of that book is going to bring him a considerable profit. Amazon, for example, picks up books that no one sells anymore, at a cheap deal and then brings them back onto the market by selling them at a huge profit. Does that make the bokk worthwhile? In my opinion, not at all.

 

In better asessing your evaluations, you will go through a lot of garbage, but how you will make the difference, has more to do with more than just reading many books.

 

On the other hand, the more you read, the more you will become able to make that difference for yourself. Someone's opinion is someone's opinion, not necessarily yours.

 

Chris

[Mark Groenewold]

Excellent points.

 

Sometimes merely the name of the author does not carry the book. Much like music perhaps... anyone else remember Elvis Costello and Bill Frisells album... sheesh...

 

It is true that amazon picks up all kinds of books that are out of print.... and that there is some garbage in there.... but sometimes one man's trash is another man's treasure.

 

Nice post.