No comments about Fundamentals of Goju-Ryu Karate.

No comments about Kyusho Secrets: The Modern Bubishi.

5 comments about Traditional Karate-Do: Okinawa Goju Ryu : Applications of the Kata.

1. The 5 volumes of Higaonna Sensei's traditional karate-do is the most extensive and well researched manual I've ever read. Each volume contains step by step bunkai of each kata as well as thoroughly researched history of Chojun Miyagi Sensei and of karate itself. Each move is described in japanese terminology plain and simple. Having just joined okinawan goju-ryu from Shotokan, and currently san kyu, this book is a must for any karate-ka. The detailed step by step kata pictures actually help you in your kata when you need to know certain moves or are learning new ones. I highly recommend these manuals.



2. I think this book is absolutely great. As someone new to karate (3 months practice),I find the series of pictures for each kata excellent. By viewing the pictures closely, you can observe the individual details of the stances and postures etc. as a kata is performed. I find I am forever reaching for the book as I practice the katas at home. Money well spent.

   Owen Evans, UK




3. A really excellent book that shows a beginner exactly what he needs to know in terms of stances, blocks, punching techniques etc. I bought this book after 2 or 3 lessons at my dojo. I felt confused by the blocking and strikes movements, my arms where all over the place. The book identifies eack block and strike in a series of pictures that help to pin point each step involved. This book is well worth the price.

   Owen Evans, UK




4. This is a description of the four-volume series by Goju Ryu Karate mavin Morio Higaonna. In it he details the complete Goju Ryu syllabus as passed down to his teachers, Ei'ichi Miyazato and Anichi Miyagi. Miyazato and A. Miyagi in turn learned directly from the founder of Goju Ryu Karate, Chojun Miyagi, a distinguished student of Kanryo Higaonna who learned martial arts in Fukien Province and also on Okinawa. This is simply the best series of books out there on Goju Ryu in any language! The photography is incredible, all techniques are shown with stop-motion photography, and there are many transitional photographs showing the complete execution of every technique. This series is the "bible" of Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate-do. I'm going to give you a break down by volume since all four seem to get put together here...
   
   Volume 1: Fundamental Techniques
   Higaonna demonstrates Miyagi's original Junbi Undo (warm up), completely goes over all topics such as stances, traditional exercise routine with the chiishi (stone weights) shown in 187 photographs, Nigiri Game (gripping Jars) shown in 109 photographs, how to train on the Makiwara, how to construct a Makiwara, training with the Ishisashi (stone padlocks) is a sequence shown in 118 photographs, also covered are tan (barbell), tetsu geta (iron sandals), tou (bamboo bundle), jari bako (sand training), and an implement unique to Goju Ryu, the kongo ken. The depth with which all of these are explained and covered is phenomenal!
   
   Next is the section on fundamental technique with complete coverage of stance work, striking and kicking. Then a treatis on Kore-ate (2 man forearm training). For those who believe that all karate is stiff and unbending, this book may change your mind. There is a section on tai-sabaki (movement, and a special treat in the last chapter--the COMPLETE SANCHIN as passed down from Kanryo Higaonna to Chojun Miyagi to Anichi Miyagi to Morio Higaonna. This is the original turning Sanchin Kanryo Higaonna brought back from Fukien Province in China. Researchers believe this particular sanchin came either from White Crane style, or from Fujian Tiger Gung Fu. Morio Higaonna demonstrates the complete for in the traditional (for men at least) shirtless manner. 162 photographs with complete description illustrate this Foundational form of the Goju Ryu Karate School.
   
   Volume 2: Performances of the Kata
   Higaonna goes over the charicteristics of Okinawan Goju-ryu, and then the demonstration of the first kata, the Chojun Miyagi Sanchin (different from the Kanryo Higaonna Sanchin in the first book). Included after this are in-depth renderings of kata Gekisai-dai Ichi, Gekisai-dai-ni, Saifa, Seiyunchin, Shisochin, and Sanseiru. Bunkai is shown separately in successive volumes....
   
   Volume 3: Applications of the Kata Part I
   Opens with an introductory note from Xing Yang-ling, Morio Higaonna on Bunkai, and then the remainder of the Goju Ryu Karate Kata syllabus: Sepai, Kururunfa, Sesan, Sanseiru, Suparinpei, and Miyagi's personal kata thought to have been influenced by Fukien Crane, Tensho Kata. This volume ends with the inclusion of the complete Bunkai (applications) for kata Gekisai-dai Ichi and Gekisai-dai Ni.
   
   Volume 4: Applications of the Kata Part II
   Contains the complete bunkai of Goju-ryu karate founder Miyagi Chojun for the 8 main kata of Goju: Saifa, Seiunchin, Shisochin, Sanseiru, Sepai, Kururunfa, Sesan, Suparinpei. Also includes sections on Iri Kumite, Shiai Kumite, and Yakusoku Kumite. Finishes off with Historical accounts of Kanryu Higaonna and Chojun Miyagi.
   
   A phenomenal series, the Karate World and Goju folks everywhere NEED this to be back in print again. Higaonna's effort is really in a class by itself.



5. A great resource for those interested in Karate in general and Goju Ryu in particular!

No comments about A Goju Ryu Guidebook: The Kogen Kan Manual for Karate.

No comments about Goju Ryu Dictionary: Plus History of Goju History.

5 comments about Okinawan Goju-Ryu II: Advanced Techniques of Shorei-Kan Karate (Literary Links to the Orient) (v. 2).

1. 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. This is arguably the best written instruction book on Traditional Okinawan Goju Ryu ever! Toguchi Sensei once again shows us his brillance as an instructor with accurate historical information and technical information on kata and its Bunkai. This book is a must for all serious practioners of Goju Ryu and for any one interested in learning how to unlock the secrets of the applications hidden within the kata. If I may be so humble as to suggest that you also check out Javier Martinezs' book "Okinawan Karate, The Secret Art of Tuite". These two books are both worth the money and will not disappoint any one who knows any thing of the Martial Arts.



3. 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



4. 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. An excellent complement for the first book by S. Toguchi, this one includes more on the history of Goju-Ryu and the Shoreikan view. Besides some basic techniques, it includes Gekiha-dai-ichi and Saifa Kata with some applications (bunkai).

1 comments about Goju Ryu Karate Meibukan.

1. This is an excellent addition to any martial arts library. Not only is it the best presentation of Meibukan Goju Ryu in print but it is also one of the best books on Okinawan Goju Ryu in existence.
   
   The organization of material is presented very clearly and in the order of a curriculum. Starting with history, basics and then more advanced training and concepts. In this way the anatomy of the style is presented to the reader progressively. What sets it above the rest of books in the same genre is its attention to detail and the fact that Mr. Opdam is an avid reader of current research on the martial arts. Therefore, there is a good balance between the traditional history and more scientific views.
   
   To note particularly is his discussion of body mechanics and Qi comparing modern western physiological concepts with traditional ones. A discussion of Qi in a book on Karate is not often seen and is an important contribution. His exposition of the Kata Sanchin is also one of the most complete seen in the space he had.
   
   On a historical note Mr. Opdam is a student of Anthony Mirakian who learnt from Meitoku Yagi in the 50s while stationed in Okinawa, and so it is interesting to see how this curriculum differs from the one currently developed in the Meibukan. In this way it is also a kind of snap shot of the Karate of that time.
   
   I highly recommend it to any serious student of the martial arts and the Goju Ryu style in particular. A solid traditional martial arts book like this one is a welcomed addition in a publication world obsessed with violence and the next martial arts fad and gimmick. For this credit must also be given to the publishers.

1 comments about Orthodox Goju Ryu.

1. First of all YOU MUST HAVE THIS BOOK.
   All the teachings in here are step by step from beginner to black belt. With a lot of pictures showing a lot of things that many modern master sell as their mysterious secrets are at hand now. In this book we can see the original crest of GOJU that many master use in their gis. The most important thing for me about this book is that from now on few teacher will stop to promote them as "the succesor", "the most advanced", "the closest" or "the special student" of Miyagi Chojun.
   We, in Dominican republic, had this book in japanese since 1968. Is an excellent book with all tradition we knew from our sensei Sakamoto who translated for us orally in his teaching. All martial artist MUST have this book if they want real link with Miyagi sensei teachings. Takashi sensei Wrote another book in 1972 that also complete the first one.
   
   Takayoshi Alvarez

5 comments about Goju Ryu Karate Do Kyohan.

1. Product was in pretty good condition and arrived within a reasonable time. Overall quite satisfied with the purchase.



2. There are a lot of essential informations in this book, which are often left aside in karate classes. This book is of vital importance to those who really study Karate-do.
   However, the pictures in the book are of poor quality, and so appears to be the translation. The text is not fluent especially when compared to Funakoshi's Karate-do Kyohan.



3. The tale of the foundations of the fighting style known as Goju-Ryu, and the efforts of those who spread this unique and effective fighting system around the world. From its roots, to the man known infamously as "the cat" and up through the ages to where it is now, this book has it all!



4. An easy to read and a fundamental book to all seeking to learn Japanese Goju-Ryu.



5. This is a great book, BUT, I think it takes some previous training and not a white belt level to comprehend the hidden golden nuggets that Yamaguchi Sensei hid in here...
   It's all there as if he wrote a letter to you and had it handed down the line to you.
   For a Goju person , this is a MUST buy ! I study Okinawan Goju, but to get lessons from a MASTER like Yamaguchi Sensei,...so worth it !
   Do yourself the favor and just pull the trigger and buy it !
   Thank you Yamaguchi Sensei for leaving such a treasure behind for us ! And thank you to the publisher for making it available so economically !

5 comments about Okinawan Goju-Ryu: Fundamentals of Shorei-Kan Karate (Japanese Arts).

1. This is one of the first books to deal with Goju Ryu published in the United States. ALthough it is not a volume that deals in depth with Okinawan Karates history it does provide the reader with a lot of information on the subject. It's real wealth is the pictures showing how the kata are executed, particularly Sanchin. This alone will give the karate-ka who does not practice Goju-ryu an educated view from which they can make a comparison between their execution of Karate kata and the Goju ryu way. Like Richard Kims Weaponless Warriors this is an older book one still of value for today's karate-ka.



2. Invaluable for newer Goju Ryu practitioners, this outstanding book covers the basic stances, punches, kicks and blocks required learn hookiyu kata and gekisai kata (including how to formally begin and end the forms). While you cannot learn any martial art solely from a book, the kata, bunkai oyo, and basic kumite are clearly illustrated and adequately described for beginners. For more advanced students the sanchin kata write-up is excellent, integrating movement, breathing and technique in a way that illuminates some of the more difficult aspects of that essential form. There is also an interesting yet brief history of Goju Ryu, including biographical information about Kanryo Higashionna (the founder of Naha Te) and Chojun Miyagi (the founder of Goju Ryu karate). Seikichi Toguchi, a direct student of Miyagi's, 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



3. This is a good book for basic Goju techniques. If could have had more on kata.



4. I found very useful to complement my karate training from the master himself. Since karate is transfered from master to student, each one adds their own variation and over the years diverts from the source. Having a book true to it is very useful to understand many things we practice over and over.
   
   The book is very clear and easy to follow, helping to correct style and stances.



5. I purchased this book to supplement my Urban Gojudo karate classes. When you start karate for the first time in your mid-40's, it's a bit embarrassing when you can't keep up with the kids :-) My hope was to use my "superior experience" to do a bit of home supplementation, and this book has been an enormous help.
   
   Seikichi Toguchi relies on diagrams and pictures to convey the proper method of performing the moves. Each individual component of a move is broken down step-by-step and shows both a photograph of a teacher demonstrating the posture -and- a foot-diagram showing the proper way to place your feet. If you are learning a kata, there is a picture showing both how to perform each kata alone -and- opposite a sparring partner (very helpful in visualizing the end-purpose of learning the kata). At the start of all kata and kumite series, there is also an "enbusen line" diagram (diagram that shows how the moves are made, i.e., "I" shaped, figure 8, starburst, etc.) The enbusen lines can be the most difficult part to "get" when you're learning a kata for the first time in class, so they are enormously helpful.
   
   My only criticism of the book is that, with an average of 4 pictures/diagrams on each 5x7 page, sometimes you have to squint to see the finer details such as the exact angle of the fist or the position of each finger. However, the book would be 4 times longer (and 4 times more expensive) if this problem was rectified, so in my opinion the tradeoff for the bargain price is acceptable. Despite this minor flaw, I anticipate purchasing the next book in this series as a supplement once I move up a belt.
   
   Note that Okinawan Goju-Ryu (Shorei-Kan) is a slightly different variant of karate than American Goju. There are few differences in how the basic moves are executed, but one of the katas Seikichi Toguchi teaches is different than the katas you will be expected to learn in Urban Gojudo. However, because the grand masters shared the same teacher and both styles evolved with an emphasis on "unarmed street fighting," the basic moves at this level (fundamentals) are essentially the same. After using this book to master numerous basic moves and two katas, I have yet to notice any significant differences. However, if you are studying Japanese Shotokan karate, whose basic moves are exaggerated to have an emphasis on the eventual use of weaponry, be aware that the differences may be greater than either Shorei-Kan or Gojudo karate.