Karate Fighting Techniques: The Complete Kumite [Hardcover]

Hirokazu Kanazawa (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 9, 2004

Hirokazu Kanazawa is the renowned karate master in the world today, and a close disciple of Gichin Funakoshi, the father of modern karate and founder of the Shotokan School. Having earned his impressive reputation in Hawaii, the mainland United States, and Europe as an official trainer for the Japan Karate Association, Kanazawa founded Shotokan Karate-do International Federation in 1979. This association now has branches in more than 90 countries throughout the world.

This book is Kanazawa's first complete guide to kumite, or sparring. The karate training process comprises four areas: basics, kata (forms; prearranged movements and techniques), kumite, and competition. Kumite-"the art of grappling with opponents," as it might be called-is the application of kata, and is the key to success in karate tournaments.

Karate Fighting Techniques teaches all the various kumite techniques, and presents a systematic approach to applied kumite that is designed to provide essnetial information for match-style kumite and tournament kumite. The author also writes with great affection of his experiences with Master Gichin Funakoshi, and offers some insight into the true spirit and teachings of Shotokan karate.

With 700 photos of the author, his students, and some rare photos of the late Gichin Funakoshi and his famous disciple Masatoshi Nakayama (author of the popular Best Karate series), Karate Fighting Techniques is the first book of its kind to provide such a comprehensive guide to kumite and its role in Shotokan karate. It will be an indispensable resource for all karate practitioners.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

HIROKAZU KANAZAWA, president of Shotokan Karate-do International Federation, carries on the spirit and techniques of his teacher, Gichin Funakoshi. Born in 1931 in Iwate prefecture, Japan, Mr. Kanazawa began practicing karate as a student at Takushoku University and, after graduation, became an instructor for the Japan Karate Association. He has earned many titles in competition, winning first place in kumite at the first Japan Karate Championship in 1957, and taking top honors in both kumite and kata the following year at the second Japan Karate Championship. His long career as a chief instructor dates back to 1960, when he was invited to teach in Hawaii. He has also taught elsewhere in the United States and throughout Europe. In 1979, he founded Shotokan Karate-do International Federation, which now has branches in over 90 countries. Mr. Kanazawa is the author of Karate-My Life and several books in Japanese on karate.

RICHARD BERGER was born in Rochester, New York, in 1963 and began training in Shotokan karate in 1982 while attending university in Southern California. He moved to Tokyo in 1990 and has been training at SKIF headquarters since 1993.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha USA (April 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770028725
• ISBN-13: 978-4770028723
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 7.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #205,576 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kanazawa's Complete Kumite, May 5, 2004

By 

Jose E Muller (Fenton, MI USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Karate Fighting Techniques: The Complete Kumite (Hardcover)

This book details and organizes kumite from basic to advance practice. It includes what many karate books leave out: good photos, both in terms of the techniques themselves (as demonstrated by Kanazawa) and various poses.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tradition and Kumite ! Oss!, August 26, 2004

By 

K.H. - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Karate Fighting Techniques: The Complete Kumite (Hardcover)

Hirokazu Kanazawa, President of Shotokan Karate-do International Federation, has complied an outstanding book that balances history and tradition with the different forms of kumite. This book is not the normal primer. If one does not know at least the basic punches and kicks, do not get this book as a novice guide to learning karate. Kanazawa's approach assumes the person has these basic techniques down. If you are one of those people, still buy the book only if you plan on learning karate in the future when the opportunity arises.

In addition, while this book is primarily a Shotokan text, he does review the major Okinawa/Japanese karate styles, goes over terminology, and a particularly nice paragraph on p. 19 on the "verbal greeting `Oss'" The photos are of high quality, which is important in a text that demonstrates many sparring steps via pictures. The explanations are thorough enough to get the point a cross, but not unnecessarily tiresome and too detailed to loose the reader or make the book overly cumbersome.

A nice companion martial texts to a martial artist's library.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive reference for Shotokan stylists, January 10, 2007

By 

Mr. M. A. Bowles (Glasgow, Scotland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Karate Fighting Techniques: The Complete Kumite (Hardcover)

This is the definitive book for Kanzawa ryu stylists, you should need no urging to buy it immediately.

If you have not trained with Kanazawa much of the detail will be invisible - this is a reference book for those who have been taught the details of the movements. But it may encourage other Shotokan stylists to find out more, and that is a good thing; this man has got something useful to offer; believe me, he really does.