5 comments about Taekwondo: The State of the Art.

1. I gained the most from the poomsaes. They are broken down three different ways to suit different learning styles. Written, written with illustrations and illustrations. They really were the best resource available when I learned these taeguk poomaes.



2. This is my 'go-to' Taekwondo reference book for forms and history. I've trained at West Side Taekwondo in the past and find that their training and school is among the best. This book is easy to follow and very complete in it's content. I highly recommend it to any practicing martial artist in TKD.



3. Very well written and easy to read book. I love the pictures they provide. I also love that they provide all of the TG forms in the back of the book as picture only; so if you get stuck in the middle of a form, all you need to do is look in the back of the book for your form and you've got it! As a visual learner, these really help me. This book has helped me through 5 belt tests, particularly forms. Buy this book, you won't regret it.



4. This is a great book with easy to understand information. If you are new to TKD this book will give you great insight and the further along you get in the sport the more you will appreciate this book. The forms are shown in three different ways so everyone can find what works best for them. I recommend this to all new students and those looking to perfect their skills.



5. The most important thing in marital arts is to understand how to do a proper move. Drawings in this book are black and white, sharp, but too small.
   Sometimes hard to understand how to do moves.
   In fact it is not enough pictures and drawings.
   It should be colored pictures, like in Gracie's Jiu-Jitsu books. But price of this book is not bad, so overall it is good buy. But there are better books.
   Other thing. Taekwondo is not about belts and forms. It's about kicking and self defense. I don't care much about forms, so I wish to see more actual fighting moves and sparring situations that I can use for self defense.

5 comments about The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate: The Spiritual Legacy of the Master.

1. The founder of Shotokan Karate, Gichin Funakoshi, laid down these principles for all karate students to follow. This great book explains in detail each of the guiding principles so that students can better understand the basic philosophy of Budo. Master Funakoshi stressed that the ultimate aim of karate was not to fight, but to build character. In fact, the very first principle emphasizes this very point. "Do not forget that karate-Do begins and ends with rei." This means mutual courtesy and respect. This is why students bow to each other in karate classes. Master Funakoshi also emphasized that "Karate stands on the side of justice." All karate students, no matter what style, will benefit greatly from reading this text. As a lifetime student of Shotokan Karate, I believe the twenty principles of Karate taught by Master Funakoshi can serve as a guide to developing your character. Rating: 5 stars and highly recommended. Joseph J. Truncale



2. The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate: The Spiritual Legacy of the Master
   
   The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate is a slim, inspiring book that reaches into the rich history of Karate.
   
   From the choice of paper and binding through the beautifully chorographed use of Kanji and significant samples of very old principles, this is a great addition to every martial arts library.
   
   The only problem is there won't be any sequels available from this venerable master.
   
   Bill Eger



3. Makes an excellent gift for someone earning their black belt.
   The principles here are applicable to all martial arts, not just karate.
   If you fell like the latest MMA, extreme fighting trend is somehow barbarous and unmanly, this short but powerful book will give you a deeper understanding why you feel that way.



4. This book steps deeper into the meanings put forth by Master Funakoshi in his Twenty Guiding Principles of karate. It makes one think more about the spiritual side of Karate as it can be a guide for one's life. An enlightening and must have book for all martial artists



5. A must have for karate stylist. The author did a great job on explaining the meanings of the 20 Principles.

5 comments about Karate: The Complete Kata.

1. In short, this book features the detailed description of all Shotokan Karate Katas, made by Kencho Kanazawa. A must-have reference for all practitioners.



2. GOOD REFERENCE, BUT INCOMPLETE. THE AUTOR DID NOT INCLUDE KATA EMBUSEN OR LINE OF MOVEMENT DIAGRAM, DETAIL IMPORTANT FOR A KATA REFERENCE BOOK IN MY OPINION. ANYWAY THANKS TO THE MASTER FOR HIS LEGACY.



3. I studied Shotokan when I was 18 for 2 years and now in my 40s I wanted to get back into it, particularly kata practise so I bought this book just for that reason. Having just paged through it, it looks like I wasn't wrong in my purchase. Although the photos are B&W and a little old the book presents each kata in a clear and systematic manner. I am looking forward to reminding myself of the kata I learnt as a teenager and eventually moving on to the more advanced forms I didn't manage to get to. I believe this book will certainly allow me to do that. I think would have liked to have this by my side when I was a karate student way back when so would recommend it to any new students, particularly if you have a Sensei who expects you to know your latest kata just a day or two after passing your last grading, like I did....lol



4. Simply rewarding,valuable tool for the dedicated practioner of Karate-do, particular SHOTOKAN KARATEKAS.
   excerpt the financial coversion makes it very costly .



5. This is by far one of the best books on the subject I have read so far. The detailed explanations of necessary focus and speed provided via a consistent key - even for intermediate movements - makes this a great reference tool for even more advanced Shotokan practitioners. The background/history provided in the foreword to each kata also contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the kata itself. A foot-movement diagram as in some other books (eg - Best Karate series) might have been of help to a beginner, but the multiple photographs from various sides almost completely makes up for this.
   The inclusion of photographs of the author from various demonstrations tops off a book that would be a great addition to any Shotokan practitioner's library.

5 comments about The Legend of Sasquatch.

1. Make no mistake about it--this an EXCELLENT story! The main character, Clint "Buck Hannon," is a hero for the ages. The author develops Clint's character to the max, and although he's complicated and not completely "good," you just can't help but love the guy. Clint's supporting cast is also very appealing, particularly the barrel-chested narc, Hulk, and Clint's parent's, Doug and Lucy. Each character is well-developed and appealing in his or her own right, and the plot is very compelling. There's a lot of exciting and realistic action sequences, as well as an interesting interracial romance. (There is some adult content--not for children!) All things considered, this is probably the best, page-turning story I've read in the last ten years. Prince is an author to be reckoned with, and I absolutely can't wait to read his next book. I hope it's a sequel!



2. This is a great book, and you should read it. You won't be able to put it down. I would compare it in some respects to Ron McLarty's "The Memory of Running," and like McLarty's Smithy Ide, you won't be able to forget Prince's Clint Buchanan. This book is in my all-time Top Five, and I hope that Mr. Prince isn't a one-hit wonder. I want more!



3. Purchasing this book was a WINNER. With each turn of the page i found myself being drawn in. Simply put, i could not put it down. Fantastic Read!!!!



4. I began to read the book with trepidation -- I'd heard some parts were gritty, and gritty for gritty's sake isn't my thing. But to my delight, Clint's story was truly riveting. The author created a broad foundation of who Clint is, both as a sympathetic character and as a curiosity, given his size and propensity for perfection. It's what gives Clint's relationships and exploits the feeling of truth. How else could it have ended? I don't have an answer, but I expect a sequel and I'm looking forward to reading it.



5. This book has everything you are looking for!!! I can't wait for the 2nd book...

1 comments about Monkey - Journey to the West.

1. I really loved this book, it passed the time really fast and I liked the book so much I finished it in only 10 hours.

5 comments about Karate-Do: My Way of Life.

1. This is THE definative guide to how the study of Karate was first legalized and then popularized and how it can help improve one's life.



2. This is a great memoir of the life of one of Karate's most significant Masters of the Art.
   
   Funakoshi Sensi tells his story from his early school days and what circumstances led to his embrace of bushido. He describes in detail his early relationship with two seminal figures in the development of martial arts in Okinawa. This history begins with the Meiji Restoration in Japan in 1868, when Japan began to embrace Western standards by outlawing the ways of the ancient warrior code of Japan.
   
   In the unfolding story, Funakoshi Sensi tells of his relationship with two of Okinawa's living legends of the art of Karate who mentored Funakoshi at night - sometime all night long because of the banning of these martial traditions. This is perhaps the most fascinating explication in the book as biographical information on Master Azato and his friend and Martial Arts brother, Itosu, both men being the foremost experts living on Okinawa at the time.
   
   Besides the biographical information in the book, Funikoshi Sensi develops a worthwhile philosophy on the art of Kartae and on other martial arts contemporary to his moment in history; in this explication we learn what Kartae is and what is not. Karate is moving Zen, meant to develop the character of the practitioner. As such, every movement in kata begins with a defense and not a technique of attack. It is the character of the practitioner of utmost importance, and not his or her ability to fight.
   
   More importantly, in Funikoshi's later life, the Master was largely responsible for the spread of Kartae on the mainland of Japan. His important contribution ranks along side of the other great masters of marital arts.
   
   This book is one hell of a ride through the annals of the Martial Arts world and I highly recommend it.



3. A great book on his life. He sets alot of things straight on the real facts and philosophy of Karate-do.



4. As a 5th dan practitioner of Shotokan Karate for nearly 40 years I have been aware of Gichin Funakoshi as it's founder the whole of my life. For many years I questioned the practical relevance of many of the techniques and kata I have been taught and in turn passed on to my own students. As a student I began to think that the aesthetic appearence of Karate seemed to be important to my seniors than its actual use as the self-defence system that it claimed to be. I was taught Karate kumite as a sport for scoring points with techniques of nearly no relevance to real confrontation and kata as almost a dance routine to look good to the eye and impress judges in an over riding and all important quest to gain a medal or trophy.
   On studying closely Karate-do: My Way of Life by Gichin Funakoshi we learn that Karate has changed so much since its introduction to Japan, that if our great projanitors were to see it practiced today it would be unrecognisable to them as Karate. This superb book gives us a unique snapshot at the old masters: Sokon Matsumura, Itosu and Azato. These truly hard man practised karate as a close quarter combat system designed specifically to protect their king. Kata was not a meaningless succession of movements for physical exercise or performance but rather each kata was a recording of a complete and utterly devastating fighting system. Moreover we discover that Gichin Funakoshi was adamantly against the stylisation of the art and was dismayed at his Karate being named Shotokan!
   Karate Do My Way of Life is a superb book written by a genius of the art. Every karate practitioner should read it and enjoy it.... NO! STUDY IT AND LEARN. For it gives us all the clues on how we should be teaching this life-changing art and its not how the majority of schools do it today.
   
   Andy O'Brien 5th Dan Shotokan & Author of The Little Bubishi: A History of Karate for Children



5. Having practiced karate for just under two years, I thought this book would help me better to understand the true meaning of karate. I knew that commitment, respect, endurance, strength, etc. were all values, but after reading this book about the life of Gichin Funakoshi, it has really opened my eyes to what karate really is.
   
   First and foremost, this is an autobiography. It isn't an action book full of stories of fighting and taking down the bad guys. It's a foray into his life, how he feels about karate, and what it has meant to him and his family. He tells of his successes and failures, tips for healthy living and longevity, and most of all, what karate means to him.
   
   Gichin Funakoshi was responsible for bringing karate to mainland Japan, which allowed it to spread throughout the world following World War II. In this book, he brings new meaning to all of those sayings and phrases that you see pasted throughout dojos all over the country, like spirit, tranquility, and respect.
   
   I think anyone involved in any martial art, especially karate, should read this book. I'm glad I did, and it is definitely something I'll read again in the future.

2 comments about The Essence of Karate.

1. This book has, quite naughtily, been promoted as previously unpublished works by some retailers, which it certainly is not. Nevertheless, the Karate enthusiast, historians and geeks should glean a lot of joy and some new snippets of knowledge and insight from the Master of Karate and the man Shotokan was named after, Gichin Funakoshi. Many of the stories have been produced before in works by Funakoshi and others, yet there is something so engrossing and comforting about this gentle man's life that make his words, repetetive or not, completely tireless.
   
   Fundamentally, a small collection of memories, short anecdotes and words of wisdom from the great man; this book is quite the little gem. I read it in little under an hour, so don't buy it as holiday read unless you intend to study it carefully, then take a note book with you aswell and you'll stretch it to a day two.
   
   There are, as always with Funakoshi's works, glimpses and clues as to the true nature of Karate-do, in particular for me the line, and excuse me as I'm paraphrasing here, "the true nature of Karate can never be reproduced in the sporting arena" is particularly telling. With these few words Funakoshi is clearly informing us that the true nature of Karate as the most effective self-protection system ever devised, is so brutal and dangerous that it's techniques, used as they were intended could never be re-produced as a sport. Funakoshi then reveals what most pragmatic karateka already knew but many others choose to deny, that "kata is the essence of karate" for within each kata are held complete fighting systems waiting to be unlocked and revealed.
   
   The Essence of Karate give us wonderful insights into Funakoshi himself but also much more than I've ever read before about his great masters, Itosu and Azato, their similarities and differences and the effect of their fighting styles upon unfortunate opponents.
   
   The forward by Sensei Kanazawa is quite interesting in itself but the afterword by Gisho Funakoshi, his nephew is filled with warmth, respect and awe for an uncle he briefly knew but left an ever lasting impression.
   
   The Essence of Karate by Gichin Funakoshi is an absolute must for any Karate enthusiast.



2. This is another useful little book on Funakoshi's ideas and we should be greatful to the translators and publishers for keeping the price low. Too much of the translated martial arts literature is far too expensive. But I wish those with an interest in translating early pieces on karate would focus on others besides Funakoshi, such as Mabuni, Nakasone Genwa, Motobu and others. There is still much to be done, and what is available is often ridiculously expensive.

3 comments about The Karate Mouse (Geronimo Stilton, No. 40).

1. The kids in our elementary school library love this series. They are so cleverly done with the fun and different fonts included in the text. I can't buy them fast enough.



2. My soon to be 7 year-old loves this series and especially The Karate Mouse. He has a large amount of books in this series but continues to read this over and over. The story is about Geronimo and the Karate Championship. There is a good moral to this story



3. Three of my five grand children have this one in the read column and my quizzing of their read tells me they enjoyed it as much or more than others in this series. They are in the 8-10 year old range and may be getting out of this offering shortly. We'll see as I still anticipate having to buy the latest for them. If your grand children are not reading this series, they may be missing some real pleasure and a nice exercise to improve their skills.

5 comments about Vital Point Strikes: The Art and Science of Striking Vital Targets for Self-defense and Combat Sports.

1. I purchased the Kindle version of this. It's a good book and highly recommend it for advanced karate students. I purchased the Kindle version however, and the graphics were hard to see. Buy it in paper instead.



2. This is an excellent book! I highly recommend it! Sang H. Kim is an in depth teacher, very thorough! Totally worth the small price to pay for this expert knowledge. I will be buying more of his books!



3. First things first, this book is excellent. Sang H. Kim has no equal in his art, and I have nothing but full respect for him. Pressure points were a specialty of mine when I was still active in competitive martial arts, and while my outlook on fighting has changed over the years, it's best to end a fight quickly, and going for the vitals is the surefire way to do that. The presentation of this book is very well-organized, has many useful pictures, charts and photos showing every single pressure point [except two I know of that are best kept out of books to the public] and how to apply the strikes in real life situations. This isn't your standard martial arts book that shows you to 'do this if this happens', but it thoroughly explains everything and why you're doing it. My only gripe is with the photos and that they aren't in color, but black and white, so -sometimes- it's hard to see certain things, but usually everything's very clear.
   
   But my main criticism is that this book is extremely dangerous, and I don't think it should've been released with this much information. Any martial artist of any rank can get it, read a few pages, think they're a killing machine, and then will either hurt someone else very seriously, or do something wrong and get hurt them self. Please, if you're interested in getting this book and have martial arts experience, ask your master about it if they know anything. As someone who was on the receiving end of a pressure point strike over 10 years ago, I still haven't recovered from a hit on my inner elbow, and can't hold my arm still without continuous shaking. But if you're using this book for reference and to know what points to keep more protected, that'd be the best reason to get this.
   
   Again, the book itself is an excellent resource, and I wish it had been out when I was younger. Seeing just how many pressure points there are on the human body is incredible, and knowing that you're doing acupuncture in reverse with the knowledge on these pages isn't something to take lightly. Please use the utmost care if you plan on actually using the techniques in this book.



4. Vital Point Strikes by Sang H. Kim is a thorough book on the vulnerable spots of the human body. It has sections on both Western and Eastern views on vital areas. It talks of the nervous system of Western anatomy and the body's meridians of Eastern medicine, and shows a correlation between the two. It is well illustrated with many anatomical drawings, and it has many photos illustrating striking methods and other self-defense scenarios such as disarming assailants with weapons. One should, however, be aware of the disclaimer that the techniques are not to be misused, and that it is written simply to inform. Also it has a disclaimer that there may be a few inaccuracies in it. But all in all I find it an excellent book for the studies of the martial artist of any style.



5. AN excellently detailed exposition of vulnerable 'Vital' points from both a Western and Eastern perspective, plus some applications based on the points and the authors general drills.
   
   NO doubt a lot of other people worked on this with the author and a lot of other references have been heavily used but the result justifies all that.
   
   It may be too detailed in fact for a number of people who would rather a somewhat smaller number of very effective techniques. However it's probably a great thing if a reader who may want to use such information innapropriately is put off by the effort it might take to go throught this book as that is always a worry when such information is made freely available as it seems to increasingly be these days.

5 comments about Bruce Lee's Fighting Method: The Complete Edition.

1. I have skimmed through the book and the material is awesome. From exercises to stances which are accompanied by photos I must say this is a must for every martial art practitioner!



2. 
   THIS BOOK IS ALL ABOUT FIGHTING AND BEING REDY FOR IT; ITS A MUST HAVE FOR ANY MARTIAL ARTIST,REGARDLESS OF STYLE OR AFILIATION,GENDER OR CREED.
   BRUCE AT IT'S BEST IN PRIME PHISICAL CONDITION,YOU WILL NEVER GET TYRED OF IT.
   GOOD TRAINING GOOD HEALTH,ENJOY LIVING
   REGARDS H.FONSECA



3. This volume is great, to get all of Bruces fighting Method in one book is simply awsome.



4. A very good book for inteligent or thinking martial artists who want to improove their fighting skills or learn something new. I have been a National Champion in my country at sanda, and won silver and broze at muaythai and kickboxing. This book has some detailes that only an advanced fighter would know. And by knowing I dont mean hearing about it but actually experiencing them. One example would be the hook punch. Everyone knows how to throw a hook...But if you are very good at throwing hooks later you should be able to throw then from a jab. I mean you throw a jab and halfway to your target you change it in to a hook. Floyd Mayweather does this often but you have to be in the buisness to see it. To most people it's only a hook. Just like this book is for some only a book. This book opens your mind and for its price...its a bargain.



5. Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do is explained here. Insightful and completely illustrated with photographs on how to fight off assailants from different positions. Pictures of Bruce Lee stopping a knife attacker, or any other mugger, are descriptive enough even if it contained no accompanying text. A worthy choice if you are interested in this legend or protecting yourself.