Black Belt Karate: The Intensive Course [Hardcover]

Hirokazu Kanazawa (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 23, 2006

In Black Belt Karate, Hirokazu Kanazawa, the most respected figure in the karate world, offers a systematic approach to basic karate, and provides an intensive training course. Karate is a martial art that can be practiced by anyone, regardless of age or gender, and can be undertaken at any time during a persons life. The training system employed in karate comprises three main areas: kihon (basics), kumite (sparring), and kata (forms). Using meticulously detailed explanations and illustrative photos, Kanazawa provides readers with an intensive self-study training course designed to be accessible to beginners, as well as to those already at an intermediate level. If practiced continuously and diligently over the course of a year, a practitioner will be able to attain black-belt-level proficiency. Praise for Black Belt Karate: "By following each and every page of this book as if receiving instruction directly from Mr. Kanazawa, I believe that over time, with careful practice, gaining proficiency is all but guaranteed. For anyone setting out to master karate-do, you hold in your hands a fine book indeed.The late Masatoshi Nakayama, former chief instructor of the Japan Karate Association and author of Kodansha's Best Karate series

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A thoroughly "student friendly" and enthusiastically recommended addition to any personal or dojo martial arts reference collection." -The Midwest Book Review

About the Author

Hirokazu Kanazawa is the most respected figure in the karate world today, and a close disciple of Gichin Funakoshi, the father of modern karate and founder of the Shotokan school. Kanazawa founded the Shotokan Karate-do International Federation in 1979, after gaining his impressive reputation in Hawaii, the U.S. mainland, and Europe as an official trainer for the Japan Karate Association. The Shotokan Karate-do International Federation now has branches in more than 90 countries throughout the world. Kanazawa is the author of Karate Fighting Techniques published by Kodansha.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha America (June 23, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770027753
• ISBN-13: 978-4770027757
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #262,919 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The finest Karate, February 15, 2007

By 

Odin Guirado Marcelo (Montevideo, Uruguay) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black Belt Karate: The Intensive Course (Hardcover)

It is impossible to learn karate from a book. However, the finer points of basic techniques are much easier to grasp when you are not sweating at the dojo, but carfully perusing photographs of talented karateka performing those techniques.

Beside the wonderful pictures, one of the things I found most useful were the diagrams of the position of the hips and how to rotate them while executing the tecniques.

This book is a reprint of a previous book (originally published in 1978). This explains how the prologue could be written by late Masatoshi Nakayama, who passed away years ago.

I feel really proud of practicing Karate-do in the tradition of such great people as Gichin Funakoshi, Masatoshi Nakayama and Hirokazu Kanazawa. And I also feel thankful.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Loud Kia of Approval, January 4, 2007

By 

T. Pray - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Black Belt Karate: The Intensive Course (Hardcover)

Having trained for twenty years in Karate I will have to say that this book is a must have for any serouse Karateka's library. It will help define good technique and training methods for all from white to Black Belt.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great as an overview and training reference, January 30, 2010

By 

S. Cantwell (Roseville, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Black Belt Karate: The Intensive Course (Hardcover)

Whether one can learn well enough from books to acheive "Black Belt" level knowledge and skills is very debateable, to be sure. A lot I think depends on the person, how perceptive they are, how much previous training/experience in martial arts they might of had, and so on (even black belt practitioners from a school can vary a lot in quality). Generally, I feel the best use of books like this is as a reference and aid to one who is in a class already, or to one who is looking for a good overview of Shotokan Karate. This book will serve as an authoritative depiction of what is the "kihon," or individual techniques of Shotokan (punches, kicks, blocks, etc.), along with a few kata (forms), an introduction to basic kumite (sparring), and an overview of some training techniques, etc. Thus, all by itself this book will not provide all the knowledge one needs as a "black belt" practitioner. One will also need a lot more in the way of kata and kumite. These latter two can be aquired in Kanazawas other two titles, "Karate: The Complete Kata," and "Karate Fighting Techniques." Also, it's really important to see the techniques in motion, either live (preferable) and/or in video (try Youtube) to get an accurate idea of how the techniques work dynamically. Then it's important to take all the information you have acquired and to practice, practice, practice in a very conscientious way. A teacher can be very important to give objective feedback, but whether one has a teacher or not, there is no substitute for ones own careful attention to detail and diligent practice.

I wanted to note also, that although the title says that this book is an "intensive course," one must be careful not to progress through the material too quickly. In the real world most people need to be very patient with themselves, and should not rush their training; it very important to give oneself the amount of time one needs to build a strong foundation before one progresses further. Failure to do this will result in injury and poor quality technique. Thus, one should not take this book too literally as a do-it-yourself guide to black belt in a year. Keeping this in mind, I feel that this book can be very useful as an overview and an aid in ones overall effort to acquire mastery in Karate-do; that is, if one does not rely on it exclusively.