Customer Reviews

Best Karate, Vol.8: Gankaku, Jion

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book, and the entire "Best Karate" series, have the typical JKA (former JKA that is), high production values and painstaking attention to detail. With the exception of the first few kata books of this series, novice rank students may find it difficult to understand many of the nuances of the techniques presented, but in fact, the entire series is a virtual warehouse of infomation for the more advanced student, and is perfect as a reference source. The late Mr. Nakayama has always produced publications of high quality, and this series is no exception, even for students not aligned with the JKA or even Shotokan, for that matter.

It has been over twenty years since I was first introduced to this series of books and they remain timeless classics for anyone interested in Karate. After so many years, so many moves, so many changes, I had lost track of my Best Karate books. This year my son started training and I was thrilled to discover that Amazon.com has this book available.

The Best Karate Series are the definitive books for learning the art of Shotokan karate. They have been around for many years and still none have surpassed their excellence. They are very helpful for the beginner and the advanced student alike. I have read them all and have found that each book in the series is excellent. Although you can't learn a martial art from a book alone, these books are an excellent supplement to your training and are very helpful in learning the finer points of the art of Shotokan. Each book in this series sets the standard for books on Shotokan training. There are simply none better, at least none better that I have found, and I read a lot of martial arts books. I highly recommend these books for anyone who is interested in improving their karate or who is interested in Shotokan. They are simply the best! Highly recommended. 5 Stars.

Bohdi Sanders, Shotokan Blackbelt and author of Warrior Wisdom: The Warrior's Path

Nakayama Sensei's series of books have been a great addition to my twenty years of training in Shotokan. There are so many kata's in Shotokan it's easy to forget a single step that will stop you cold. This series of books explains each kata in numbered steps, each step broken down by a series of pictures showing how they should be performed including where the kiai's are. At the end of the step by step instructions are a series of pictures showing the application of the kata moves.

Nakayama founded the Japan Karate Association along with Gichin Funakoshi and was the head of JKA until his death in 1987.

It is extremely important to note that you cannot learn karate from a book. There are so many aspects to correct karate training you can easily develop bad habits. A qualified instructor can help you overcome those mistakes. But you will find the best instructors have a set of these books as well.

This is a fantastic series for any serious Karate students. Insofar as the Kata are concerned, the pictures, diagrams and descriptions are excellent and have really helped me with my Karate. Incidentally, if you are not a Karate student I would strongly recommend this as a sport for an individual of any age. The physical excercise and mental stress relief are unsurpassed by any other sport.

This whole series by Master Nakayama is superior to everything else out there in my humble opinion. All levels can benefit tremendously from every book. The kata described in these books are presented with outstanding camera work and superior foot work diagrams. The tempo of each kata is also demonstrated (usually at the front of the book) so that proper timing and speed can be taught. After each kata is a small (couple of pages) demonstration of a couple moves in the kata describing a particular use and common mistakes.

Brilliant!!!