Karate-Do Kyohan: The Master Text

If Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of modern Karate says that you can learn Karate from a book without any other teacher, then you can. No one can argue with him, since he founded modern Karate. This book and no one else, is my teacher for Karate.I learned the katas and basic movements from his book, and I drill them in my basement, most of them, most days of the week. It is fantastic exercise, it's an interesting memory challenge, which keeps the memory sharp (that ever so important skill in life - our memory!) each kata tells a little story, which makes for a fun little pantomimic tale-telling, has history and improves our fighting skills too.I am actually a judo (mainly) and kickboxing guy, and I do MMA and BJJ competitions also. The Karate katas provide an interesting and fun exercise alternate to running and skipping, and they also provide lots of helpful elements for wrestling and striking. Karate is actually a hybrid grappling-striking art, since nearly every striking technique is combined with a grip and pull on the opponent, called HIKITE. This makes almost every Karate technique illegal in kickboxing, but useful in judo or other grappling sports.The katas train you to keep your centre of balance lower at all times, including when moving about, making you harder to throw and putting you in a better position to hit your adversary very hard indeed!They give you a variety of blocks which turn into grips, since Karate is at least 90% grips, that dazzle and confuse your adversary, not letting him know how you will block his attack even if he throws the same one again.They also give you some interesting on-guards or "covers" when advancing in on your adversary and you don't know what he will hit you with. An example of this kind of cover is the two-handed block, like in Heian Nidan.Many of the kata arm flailing movements act as distractions to set up kicks or grips.The katas train your legs to handle being flexed at all times, so you can keep your wind for longer.They root you down more on your legs so you don't get pushed or jostled off balance as much, and you can keep your composure and retaliate quicker - critical elements for using the HIKITE skill of pulling yourself into your opponent by first grabbing him in some way (usually at the wrist's sleeve.)They make you feel more consciously aware of what is going on in a fight and more calm during it, so time seems to slow down and you can play more strategically as opposed to reflexively/instinctively.All you need is a room that is mostly cleared out so that you have about 15 by 15 feet or 3 by 3 metres approximately of floor. The katas are mostly in I or T shapes within this space.Funakoshi starts off with the basic katas that pace along an I shaped line with the most critical, most used Karate techniques, and then leads you through the increasingly involved and interesting Katas. My heart rate goes up a lot doing these katas and I sweat quite a bit, proving that they're great for health reasons. They don't bang your knees the way running and skipping do, so they're gentler on you than these activities, yet still keep your cardio-vascular system in top condition. Of course, they also, and I am sure of it, equip you with very solid, deliberate, fighting moves, including those of the most brutal character, like the groin rip-off and throw behind the back, and the chop to the side of the neck where the blood vessels supply the brain!We are lucky he wrote the book! I'm having a great deal of fun with it at least! I highly recommend it to all those intelligent enough and driven enough to use it!After a few years of training this way I've learned that not only is it fun and useful to perform the entire kata in one go, but I am noticing myself spending the bulk of my private training time cutting the katas up and drilling little sections of the katas over and over again - something Funakoshi tells us to do in the book. It is drilling these little sections of the kata, which are individual set combination techniques, where you develop the real skill with these individual combined movements. Many of these involve turning about repeatedly - which is very important to do in order to be aware and ready in all directions. We see this principle in Japanese sword arts too, where we have the "Eight Direction Cut" and other similar drills where you cut in all directions around you. This drilling of sections of the kata reminds me of "uchikomi" training in judo, where we repeatedly enter into and then exit out of attacking movements. The repeated drilling strengthens muscles and stamina of course, but also trains the mind to master the movements with courage and deliberate intent. Not only these, but it also is a lot easier on your memory and less stress on your mind to repeat much simpler, shorter movements over again a number of times rather than having to cycle through an entire 60 second or so kata repeatedly all through your training.

This book has clear pictures and the pictures are bigger then in most other text books. The book is commonly used in older karate schools; school that may have only tradition belt structures. The older karate school may only offer three belts. The belts are white, brown and black. Some katas are a little different from JKA. This book is base on SKA katas as Ohshima Sensei would have taught it. Empi kata is different in its back stands from JKA to SKA. SKA uses Kokutsu dachi in Empi. Bassai is a liitle different in step 40 page 101. In Jion SKA uses Zenkutsu dachi in step 43-45. This has been changed to Kiba dachi. JKA uses Kiba dachi in step 43-45 in Jion. I really do enjoy going and flying out to different dojo and doing katas with them when I arrive. As we often talk about the small differences in stands and techniques in the katas as we practice them. Shotokan is an extended family to me. It is great to see students practice and build life long friendships with their peers. I would like to thank all my instructor and peers that I have work with through out the years. They have shown me how Karate is a way of life and not just a kick and punch thing. Thanks to all that has enter the journey and may it bring many fun days and lasting memories to you and your friends. Special Thanks to Sensei Reno Morales for the introduction to Shotokan. Grandmaster Reno I thought it was just a karate class; how wrong was I to just think it was just a karate class... Special Thanks to Elias Cortez from the BSKC (Bronx Shotokan Karate Club) in Bulter Pennsylvania. I have enjoy the many year of training with you and katas we have done through out the years. Thanks Sensei Elias for inviting me to your dojo in Butler Pennsylvania. Special Thanks to Rico Guy of U.S. Bushido at 14th street (NYC) Thank you Grandmaster Rico for your invite to your dojo floor. Special Thanks to Omar Vera from the Funakoshi Shotokan Dojo in Puerto Rico. Thank you Sensei Omar for inviting me to your dojo floor. Special Thanks to Errol Bennett and Armando Bennett from The Bronx Dojo. Thank you Sensei Bennett for the father and son time I had in your dojo. My son and I love every minute of training. From your Shotokan friend Jeff Maldonado (NYC).JKA - Japanese Karate Association and SKA - Shotokan Karate of America.

Outstanding text for foundation of Shotokan Karate by the first JKA instructor in the US

This book is great for new apprentice and advanced karate-ka all over the world, should give it a try!

If you're practicing Shotokan karate, then this is a critical manual for you!For everyone else, this is still a great resource by one of the early masters. Some of the material will seem dated to current students since it was written in the 1950s, and translated into English in 1972. Despite any oddness from the date of the material and translation, this is well worth reading by anyone serious about learning what Master Funakoshi had to teach.

This is the 2nd and newer translation by Harumi Suzuki-Johnston. I have both. The older translation by Tsutomu Ohshima has better, more complete, and modern photographs plus thorough verbal descriptions of the kata. However this newer [2004 c.,2012 - 2nd edition] has additional material not included in Ohshima's 1973 c. [1980 7th printing] translation. It is worth having both. This newer translation has the older original photographs of Funakoshi doing the kata, which do not include every movement nor step/transition in the kata. This translation includes additional/different valuable detail on prearranged Kumite forms in Section 4, and Women's Self Defense in Section 5, but not the detail the prior translation has on Ten No Kata Omote.

I love the simplicity of this text, and the emphasis on Kihon (fundamentals). The historical perspective cannot be denied

Even if Funakoshi's art is not your own there is plenty to glean from this book. Moreso if you are a seasoned martial artist.