The Advanced Shotokan Karate Bible: Black Belt and Beyond Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Well I guess I should start off this review by informing the reader that this book is not an "Advanced Shotokan Karate Bible" as the title implies, it is primarily a book demonstrating the necessary katas or forms that one needs to learn to advance through the black belt ranks. Had the title been different, like say for example; Shotokan Karate: Advanced Forms for Black Belt and Beyond, that would have been a much better title and would have been more in-line with the actual content of the book.
There is really little more than a few pages of history and such at the beginning of this book and really could have been eliminated from the book and those pages used to make the kata section even that much better.
I really liked the fact that a lot of effort was used to have each movement in each form demonstrated so clearly with the background material from each photograph carefully removed to showcase the individual demonstrating each movement. This was well done and I give high regards for that. However, there were quite a few things lacking from the layout and format in this section.
There were no footwork or illustrations of overhead patterns used to show the direction of movement between moves and the explanations were very brief and could have used more detail. The author did show the applications of one or two moves in each kata at the end, but it would have been nice to have seen even more, which could have been done if the focus of this book would have been solely on the advanced katas.
This is an okay book and not horrible by any means, but it could have been so much better.
If you want to learn some advanced katas, I would recommend the following books as one of the best sources to do so.
Best Karate, Vol.6: Bassai, Kanku (Best Karate)
Best Karate, Vol.7: Jutte, Hangetsu, Empi (Best Karate)
Best Karate, Vol.8: Gankaku, Jion (Best Karate)
Best Karate, Vol.9: Bassai Sho, Kanku, Sho, Chinte (Best Karate)
Best Karate, Vol.10: Unsu, Sochin, Nijushiho (Best Karate)
Best Karate, Vol.11: Gojushiho Dai, Gojushiho Sho, Meikyo (Best Karate)
Shawn Kovacich
Martial Artist/Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.

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Easy-to-use guide on advanced levels of the world's most popular martial art.

The Advanced Shotokan Karate Bible is an authoritative, illustrated training guide and companion book to The Shotokan Karate Bible: Beginner to Black Belt. It concentrates on the black belt level and rankings beyond it, dispelling common misconceptions about earning a black belt.

More than 400 crisp color photographs plus concise text outline the author's advanced syllabus. Organized progressively by black belt degree, the book features:

Kata (sequencing) and kumite (sparring) -- shown step-by-step in double-page spreads
Outlines of the requirements for achieving each new level
Useful progress and technique summary tables
Tips on taking grading examinations, training and development
Etiquette and sparring safety tips.

The Advanced Shotokan Karate Bible is a brightly illustrated and clearly written guide that will attract and benefit the millions of students of the sport.

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The Road To Shodan: A Guide To Reaching First Degree Black Belt Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)When the author says that the "Japanese" meaning for Shodan is 1st degree, I should have know that this person doesn't know much about Japanese arts. 1st degree in Japanese is ikidan. Shodan means beginner grade, nidan means second grade and so on. Kyu means before graded, in this context, and that is why they count down. e.g. yonkyu is 4 tests before they are graded.
The reader would be better served by reading the idiots guide to martial arts or the idiots guide to karate along with Peter Urban's 'Karate dojo', or Jigoro Kano's 'Mind over Muscle'.
Many of the other Japanese words that he uses are wrong. When writing a book I would think that he would have done some research in this especially if he puts it in the index. He puts the Japanese word for 4 as Chi, which is quite different from what the Japanese use for the number 4. They use Shi or Yon. Also 8 is not sichi, it is shichi or Nana. Although it may sound like sichi when slured.
This book would have been better if the author knew what the title of his own book meant and he had done some research in to the information that he put in his index. the premise of the book is a good one, but he needs a lot more experience before writing a book about a journey that he is still tying to understand himself.

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This book covers the quest for black belt like no other book before. It is not about individual techniques or styles. Instead, it's about the common experiences that occur across all major styles of martial arts on the road to black belt. It is a concise manual of best practices that will help you to: - Understand your motives and goals for training - Progress faster and with deeper understanding - Identify your dominant method of learning - Develop physical discipline and mental strength - Be aware of important developmental milestones - Gain a deeper understanding of martial arts as a whole - Apply martial arts training to daily life - See past the allure of trophies and awards - Discover the ultimate goal of martial arts. The primary audience for this book is anyone interested in practicing a martial art who has not yet reached the rank of black belt. It can also be a valuable guide for advanced martial artists who are instructing others on their "Road to Shodan".

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