Best Karate, Vol.1: Comprehensive (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The weapons of karate-do are various parts of the human body..." (more)
Key Phrases: ippon kumite, lunge punch, forearm block (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

All the basic points of karate arranged systematically for effective learning, step by step--the parts of the body used as natural weapons, the stances, how to block, how to attack, introduction to the kata and to kumite.

The fundamentals as presented in this volume, briefly but accurately, are the distillation of the author's forty-six years' experience in this art of self-defense. As well as setting forth the basic rules that must be put into practice when performing kata or applying techniques in kumite, this volume pinpoints the underlying physical and physiological principles of karate: source and concentration of power; stance, form, stability and technique; movement in all directions; basic and comprehensive aspects of training.

Here is a list of all volumes in this series:
Vol. 1: Comprehensive
Vol. 2: Fundamentals
Vol. 3: Kumite 1
Vol. 4: Kumite 2
Vol. 5: Heian, Tekki
Vol. 6: Bassai, Kanku
Vol. 7: Jutte, Hangetsu, Empi
Vol. 8: Gankaku, Jion
Vol. 9: Bassai Sho, Kanku Sho, Chinte
Vol.10: Unsu, Sochin, Nijushiho
Vol. 11: Gojushiho Dai, Gojushiho Sho, Meikyo

About the Author

Masatoshi Nakayama carries on the tradition of his teacher, Gichin Funakoshl, the Father of Modern Karate. Long professor and director of physical education at Takushoku University, his alma mater (1937), he was chief instructor of the Japan Karate Association from 1955 until his death in 1987. A ninth degree black belt and a familiar face at tournaments, he was among the first to send instructors overseas and to encourage the development of karate along scientific lines.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha International; 1st edition (October 15, 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870113178
• ISBN-13: 978-0870113178
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #54,517 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 1 in The Best Karate Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent intro in Karate, January 8, 1998

By A Customer

The book is well illustrated, and gives an excellent introduction into the different stances and strikes found in Karate. More importantly, it is probably the only book that illustrates the "flow" of the moves, instead of just showing the ends of the move. Overall, the book is great for a Karate-ka who want to refine certain things in Karate. Finally, the price that Amazon sells it at is really hard to beat! Ron Przygodzki

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best karate book I've read, August 16, 2006

By	Ricardo Ortega (Boquete, CH Panama) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I studied from this book's spanish version. The precision with which Nakayama Sensei explained each technique is the closest thing to having a karate master teaching you the art. Even when nothing replaces the dojo experience, this series of books are the finest. Totally recommended

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Entire Series Is Nothing Short Of Phenomenal, October 28, 2008

By	Shawn Kovacich "Author of the Achieving Kicki... (The Greatest Little City in the World) - See all my reviews

This series is without-a-doubt, hands down, simply the best series of books ever written on the Japanese martial art of Shotokan Karate. The format and layout for this series of books is exceptional and the only negative thing I could possibly allude to is more of a selfish comment in the fact that I would have liked to have seen each book in the series be even longer and filled with even more solid information.

These books are well written and easy to learn from, although some of them do require a bit of previous knowledge in Shotokan Karate in order to get the benefits from it, but this should be obvious, hence the sequential volumes.

This particular volume explains and demonstrates a lot of the basic techniques of Shotokan Karate. I highly recommend this and any of the books in the series without reservation.

Shawn Kovacich
Martial Artist/Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.