Okinawan Goju-Ryu II: Advanced Techniques of Shorei-Kan Karate (Literary Links to the Orient) (v. 2) [Paperback]

Seikichi Toguchi (Author)

Book Description

Series: Literary Links to the Orient | Publication Date: January 1, 2001

In this highly anticipated sequel to his classic 1976 guide to goju-ryu fundamentals, the author recounts his personal history of Okinawan goju-ryu karate and provides readers with a profile of his teacher, Chojun Miyagi, and Miyagi's assistant, Seko Higa. "Okinawan Goju-Ryu" covers advanced kata, its evolution and its importance. Step-by-step photographs throughout the book show the advanced techniques of shorei-kan karate, including stances, strikes, blocks, kicks and two-man training styles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 173 pages
• Publisher: Black Belt Communications (January 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897501403
• ISBN-13: 978-0897501408
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #790,914 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction, but incomplete, May 13, 2005

By 

DMS - See all my reviews

This review is from: Okinawan Goju-Ryu II: Advanced Techniques of Shorei-Kan Karate (Literary Links to the Orient) (v. 2) (Paperback)

I was of a mixed mind on this book. In some respects it has very positive aspects, in others, it seems very incomplete.

The book details two karate kata or forms and their analysis by Goju Ryu karate master the late Seiki Toguchi. One, kata gekiha, was created by Master Toguchi. The other, Saifa, is a traditional kata of the Goju ryu system

On the positive, this book is very useful for many schools that train kata without ever examining their original purpose. Many schools practice kata or forms as standalone objects without ever practicing the techniques in the kata with an opponent, or perhaps even realizing that the techniques exist. The book explains application of the kata which is essential to the understanding and practice of traditional karate. After mastering the kata, the intense drilling of the techniques with a partner is core to traditional karate training and is the only way to enable one to actually use these techniques in a real situation. In this respect, the book is very good as it gives a starting point for making use of these techniques with many simple principles that can be applied to the kata or forms of any style.

If, however, one is well familiar with the kata in these books, the analysis presented seems to be incomplete at best. I can not comment on kata gekiha because it was created by Master Toguchi originally. However, in regards to kata saifa, techniques are treated as though they were put in the kata in a random manner, with no explanation as to why certain movements were put together or follow one another. There is no in-depth information as to why stepping is used in the kata and there is no explanation of why certain stances are used.


Instead of looking at a series of movements as part of a larger technique, the individual movements are broken down and looked at as though independent, unrelated and random. There is one point in the kata where one steps while both arms move simultaneously and one lifts one's knee. In the book, one partner does a block with one arm, then the other partner does a block with the other, then the other partner switches back and does a kick, as though these movements are unrelated. It misses the wider point of why these moves are all done together. One common interpretation is that the four movements work in conjunction as a larger technique. One is simultaneously moving to avoid an attack while trapping with one hand and using the other to pull one's opponent into a strike with the knee...not as a series of unrelated movements.

The significance of stepping in the kata is almost completely ignored. On the contrary, the book states that the stepping was just put there for symmetry and so that the kata returns to its starting point at the end. No use of the angles in the kata, or the avoidance inherent in the stepping is mentioned. All techniques are treated as though one is facing one's opponent straight on which leaves out some of the most effective parts of the tecnique. One technique demonstrated has one doing an overhead strike against one's opponent while facing them head on. One would never do this in a defensive situation as it simply would not work. If, however, one does the technique after moving beside or even around one's opponent to avoid their strike while grabbing them and then striking to the side or back of the head, the technique works perfectly. This is exactly how the movement goes in the kata, but this stepping is completely ignored in the book.

Lastly, there is no explanation of why certain stances are used or why one uses certain positions. There is one point in the kata where one does a hammer strike about a foot from the ground while one is in a long stance. The application in the book instead has the two opponents standing straight up with one doing the strike to the side of the head about six feet off of the ground. If one examines why it was put in the kata, the techniques leading up to this point have one throwing ones opponent and putting their head directly in position to do the strike down low. However, as movements are treated as unrelated, and no examination of the usage of stances is given, this is not shown.

To start using kata and actually training their techniques, this book is very useful and many schools may find it eye opening. However, for those who have been training kata technique who were hoping for a deeper understanding it comes across as very incomplete

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE CLASSICAL THEORIES OF KATA AND KAISAI, June 4, 2002

By 

GUSTAVO ALBEAR (Dunlap, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Okinawan Goju-Ryu II: Advanced Techniques of Shorei-Kan Karate (Literary Links to the Orient) (v. 2) (Paperback)

THIS WORK BY TOGUCHI SENSEI, AND EDITED BY TWO OF HIS TOP STUDENTS, DEMONSTRATE THE KAISAI THEORIES THAT ALLOW ONE TO IN A SENSE OPEN THE "SECRETS" OF THE KATAS. IN ESSENCE THESE ARE KEYS THAT WERE NEVER DISCUSSED BEFORE IN PUBLIC RELATING TO THE MEANINGS OF THE FORMS. THE BOOK ALLOWS ONE TO TRULY SEE THE COMBATIVE ESSENCE OF THE KATAS AS TWO MAN SETS THAT TEACH CONTINUITY, AND DEVELOP THE KAISAI CONCEPTS. THEREFORE THE BOOK IS A CONTINUAL SYSTEM IN WHICH THE THEORY OF KAISAI IS DEMONSTRATED THROUGH BOTH THE GEKI-HA AND SAIFA TWO MAN SETS. IT IS A GREAT EXTENSION OF TOGUCHI SENSEI'S ORIGINAL BOOK. ITS HISTORY SECTION IS FIRST RATE, IT SHOWS WHAT A GREAT PART HIGA SEKO SENSEI PLAYED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOGUCHI SENSEI AS WELL AS THE SHOREI KAN.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for Goju Ryu Practitioners, November 14, 2004

By 

L. A. Kane (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Okinawan Goju-Ryu II: Advanced Techniques of Shorei-Kan Karate (Literary Links to the Orient) (v. 2) (Paperback)

Demonstrates intermediate concepts with clarity and detail. I particularly like the coverage of saifa kata and bunkai. Though not every school teaches gekiha kata, it is covered as well. This excellent tome offers a terrific introduction to Kaisai No Genri, the method of identifying hidden application from kata, which is apllicable to most martial arts systems. The personal history of Goju Ryu is interesting and illuminating. Seikichi Toguchi, a direct student of Chojun Miyagi (the system's founder), was an inspirational leader of the Goju community whose teaching will be sorely missed. Both his books are essential reading for Goju Ryu practitioners.

Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction