Customer Reviews

Dynamic Karate (Bushido--The Way of the Warrior)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book includes detailed description of almost every Shotokan Hand and Foot techniques. The techniques are executed by Nakayama Sensei himself and by such great assistant as Kanazawa Sensei, Enoeda Sensei, Ochi Sensei ... So to be short, the very best JKA Karate specialists demonstrate all the techniques of Shotokan Karate-Do with great detail and explanations. One point : there's NO katas in this book, but what the helle, there arae a lot of other books dealing with them specifically (have a look at the Best Karate Series also by Nakayama Sensei). Get this book and you won't regret it, for the beginner, the advanaced student and also the instructor.

This is an excellent reference material for anyone who studies karate.

It covers kicking, punching, striking, blocking, countering moves, and even some training methods. Every page is full of pictures which show the technique "frame by frame." Each technique is fully documented and tips and training methods are provided.

As always, this book is not a "Learn Karate in Ten Easy Steps," nor does it contain unrealistic self-defense techniques (i.e. "What to do if you're attacked in a bathroom from behind by a female wearing a dress while the moon is full.") It is simply an extremely in-depth yet easy to understand guide to the basic moves of karate.

The book is flexible, in that it does not pertain to one style of karate in particular, and is helpful to a student of any rank. I don't study Shotokan, and some of the names were different than the ones I use (Japanese names are given also), but I could easily identify the moves by the pictures.

Although we call them "basics", basics often require the most practice and proper technique. I highly recommend this book to any martial artist who wants to master the fundamentals of karate.

This book is now 35 years old and is still the best handbook you can get on Karate. Nakayama has excellent photos and detailed descriptions of all the techniques. This book and Oyama's "This is Karate" and "Advanced Karate" are the three greatest manuals ever written on the subject.

The book contains no forms, so it is all techniques. But that's okay, as learning the forms from a book is just about impossible, unless you've had a lot of previous training or already know them and just need to remind yourself about a forgotten move. Nakayama's other books have the Shotokan forms, if you want them, and Oyama's books contain most of the Kyokushin Kai Goju forms.

This book is an odd one. It doesn't have much on the spiritual aspects of karate, which some readers find unhealthy. It doesn't have any kata, although some practice steps are shown in the back in a way that suggests kata. Some readers find this lack of kata to be a minus. Other reviewers find the book, well, boring. I have books on my shelf by Hee Il Cho, Bruce Lee, Joe Lewis, etc and they are certainly more photogenic than the author of Dynamic Karate. However...I keep coming back again and again to this book because it is a gold mine of traditional karate. Just about every technique, move, stance, etc you can imagine is somewhere in this book. It has the air of authority because of the author and who trained him. In these pages live and breathe, if you stare at the pictures long enough, the Real Thing. The Real Thing is the karate that was distilled for generations into what Funakoshi taught. I find myself studying the pictures because I know that the techniques portrayed cannot be done any better than by Nakayama. The real central core of Japanese karate is in these pictures and in these pages. I believe that this book is better for people that have studied for awhile rather than for the novice. There are better books for novices than this tome. However, if you want to really see a master, and see what that master believed was THE way to do almost any of your favorite techniques, then get this book.

In a skillful conceived layout, Masatoshi Nakayama's book, Dynamic Karate lacks nothing in providing teachers and students with the smallest of details needed to master Karate.

The author's credentials for presenting the basics for a wide variety of Karate techniques include being a student of master Funakoshi Gichin who took the foundations of "Chinese Hand Techniques" and built Karate-do (empty hand ways), which is the style presented in this book.

The first part of this enlightening book, which deals with the fundamentals in great detail, devotes considerable text and images to assure the reader understands the importance of stance and balance. The section on using the hands and feet as weapons, which shows alternate techniques as well as the currently preferred technique, is clearly written and diagramed. The fifty chapter, which is devoted to punching techniques, provides insight on theory and practice. This is followed by a related chapter on the theory and practice of striking techniques. Chapter 7, which is devoted to kicking techniques, includes some fantastic images of kicking dynamics. Placed as almost an after thought, Chapter 8 provides great text and images of blocking techniques. In this chapter, considerable effort is made to make the reader aware of the differences between proper and improper form.

In the final part of the book, the reader is treated to the applications of the techniques describe in all the previous chapters. The book ends with chapters on basic training, calisthenics and exercises. Note that there are no chapters on forms; Nakayama presents forms in separate publications.

There are other great books on Karate (Tae Kwon Do by Richard Chun) but there are none better than this. If I could only afford to buy one book on Karate, this would be my choice.

I began in 1957. I obtained my first copy of Dynamic Karate in 1966. After almost 50 years of practicing karate I have not found a better book. The book explains and illustrates proper form, proper techniques, proper stances and proper torque to achive maximum impact. All Karateka should read it. It is a must for instructors. I am no great fan of Shoto-kan. However,the application of the basics is universal and timeless. This book will help any karate student attain proper form... and form is power...regardless of the type of karate studied. This is important in an age were there are so many bogus teachers that have no concept of form, body dynamics and real fighting. You'll stop falling on your front kick after you read it!

This is the best, most detailed book pertaining to karate basics ever written. New students should study it diligently and instructors should refer to it often. A Classic!

This must be considered as a master text of traditional karate. It is a bible for any serious practicioner. The presentation and explanation of principles and techniques leads one down a quick learning path. More than just show and describe, the author provides indepth theory behind the movements. The book goes from the basics to more advanced techniques in a smooth and logical flow. For the purist, this is a work of art.

This book not only shows you examples of how to correctly perform techniques, but also shows you examples of how techniques performed poorly can leave openings for your opponent. This is an excellant book for all levels of Shotokan Karateka.

I'm a relatively new karate student (yellow belt), and this is the first karate book I've read. It had exactly what I was looking for; information to help me fine tune the techniques I've been learning. The information on the back of the book says it includes "the fundamentals plus the fine points", and it really does, including pictures, written descriptions and Japanese karate vocabulary as well as general tips and information on the history of karate. The price is good,too. I did not buy it from Amazon, and I paid a discounted price of $25.20.