The Fundamentals of Goju-Ryu Karate [Paperback]

Gosei Yamaguchi (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0967282101 | ISBN-13: 978-0967282107 | Publication Date: June 1972 0

For the first time, Gosei Yamaguchi details the basics of the most popular styles of Japanese karate. Containing more than 400 diagrams and photographs, this landmark volume introduces the concepts of the hard-soft system and show how to put them into practice. Gosei Yamaguchi is chief instructor of Goju-Kai Karate-Do, USA and the foremost authority on goju-ryu in the United States. He is son of the famed Cat Gogen Yamaguchi, founder of the International Goju-Kai.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Norimi Gosei Yamaguchi is the eldest son of Gogen Yamaguchi, President of the International Karate-Do Goju-Kai. The elder Yamaguchi was teaching karate at Ritsumeikan, Kyoto, Japan when Gosei was born on June 29, 1935, and Gosei began his study of goju karate from his father before he was five years old. When Gosei entered Takushoku University to major in commerce and Russian, he decided to broaden his knowledge of karate by studying another style, and joined the Shotokan Karate Club and trained under Masataka Nakayama along with Hirokazu Kanazawa, Masataka Mori, Yutaka Yaguchi, and Tetsuhiko Asai. They are all now well known Shotokan Karate masters.

After two years at Takushoku, Gosei Yamaguchi transfered to Meiji Gakuin University from which he received a B.A. degree in English Literature in 1956. After more than 60 years of studying goju karate he has achieved the level of ninth dan, with a teaching grade of Hanshi. When Gosei came to the United States in 1964, he assumed direction of the National Goju-Kai Karate-Do activity headquarters in San Francisco. He also has taught karate at San Francisco State University as a part of the Kinesiology curriculum since 1967.

Product Details

• Paperback: 173 pages
• Publisher: Goju-Kai Karate-Do USA Natl (June 1972)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967282101
• ISBN-13: 978-0967282107
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,258,986 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fundamentals of Goju-Ryu Karate, June 14, 2000

By 

Keith Halonen (Santa Rosa, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fundamentals of Goju-Ryu Karate (Paperback)

"Fundamentals" is the appropriate title for this manual. Authored by N. Gosei Yamaguchi, eldest son of Gogen "The Cat" Yamaguchi, cofounder of the Goju-Ryu system, this techniques guidebook is an accurate companion for any student of this major Japanese martial art.

It includes a preface by the author and a brief history of the style, and also an outline of the instructional programs in Goju-Ryu. Its primary focus is on the underlying techniques which form the foundation of the Goju (hard-soft) system, the first major synthesized martial art of the 20th Century. It culls from various Chinese styles the flowing, circular, "soft" or "internal" techniques and couples them with the more direct, straight-line "hard" or "external" styles typical of the powerful Okinawan and Japanese martial forms.

It covers the Standing Positions (which are the basis of the moving forms - "kihon"), the various Ceremonial, Functional, and Classical Forms of Posture, Striking Points and Target Areas, and the fundamental Blocks, Strikes, and Kicks.

There is also an outline of Kihon #1, the first of the "basics in motion" which incorporate the most basic strikes, kicks, and blocks. Kihon are integral intermediate exercises which deliver the student of karate from static postures into practical stepping and turning motions. These later evolve into the kinetic maneuvers of "kata", the dance-like forms which symbolize defence against multiple attackers. The whole idea of practicing these forms repetitiously is to ingrain them into the body's repertoire of autonomous responses.

The manual is profusely illustrated with clear photographs revealing nuances of the many hand and foot and body posture positions to facilitate an understanding of the underlying dynamics of each.

Serviceable for any student of karate (empty hand), this book is indispensable for those who are actually studying this particular style. Goju-Ryu has a large following of karatekas (practitioners) worldwide and maintains a number of dojos (schools) in the United States. Master Yamaguchi is President of Goju-Kai Karate-Do USA, headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Fundamentals of Goju-Ryu Karate by Gosei Yamaguchi, June 17, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Fundamentals of Goju-Ryu Karate (Paperback)

I bought this book as a reference to basic stances/techniques etc, and am very happy with the purchase.

It is an easy to read book with photos, diagrams and written descriptions. There is also a brief history to Goju-Ryu Karate which is of interest.

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good Picture Book, August 28, 2000

By 

"drdunwoody" (Crawfordville, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fundamentals of Goju-Ryu Karate (Paperback)

This is a good picture book and very technical. However, if you are interested in the philosophical foundations of Goju, it is not in this book. Since this was my prime interest, I was disappointed. Having said that, the pictures are very informative.