This introduction to karate teaches both the physical training and the mentalhilosophy necessary for karate mastery. The book also provides the completeistory of karate.

Linking the time when karate was a strictly Okinawan art of self-defense shrouded in the deepest secrecy and the present day, when it has become a martial art practiced throughout the world, is Gichin Funakoshi, the "Father of Karate-do." Out of modesty, he was reluctant to write this autobiography and did not do so until he was nearly ninety years of age. Trained in the Confucian classics, he was a schoolteacher early in life, but after decades of study under the foremost masters, he gave up his livelihood to devote the rest of his life to the propagation of the Way of Karate. Under his guidance, techniques and nomenclature were refined and modernized, the spiritual essence was brought to the fore, and karate evolved into a true martial art. Various forms of empty-hand techniques have been practiced in Okinawa for centuries, but due to the lack of historical records, fancy often masquerades as fact. In telling of his own famous teachers--and not only of their mastery of technique but of the way they acted in critical situations--the author reveals what true karate is. The stories he tells about himself are no less instructive: his determination to continue the art, after having started it to improve his health; his perseverance in the face of difficulties, even of poverty; his strict observance of the way of life of the samurai; and the spirit of self-reliance that he carried into an old age kept healthy by his practice of Karate-do.

The legendary 20 guiding principles of karate penned by Funakoshi have been circulating for years but have never been published until now. Accompanied by rare photos and original calligraphy, this long-awaited treatise is a provocative and long overdue read for martial arts enthusiasts and followers of karate.

"The first complete and most authoritative book on the technique of unarmed self-defense…A fully illustrated manual giving step-by-step explanations of all the fundamentals of karate. --Robert Klaverkamp, UPI"

Goju-Ryu Toudi Jutsu Nyumon is an introduction to Goju-Ryu Karate, one of the major styles of Karate in the world. It focuses on the Seiko Higa-Kanki Izumikawa lineage of Goju-Ryu. Many important topics are covered including: history of the art, biographies of key individuals, training methods, the bubishi and overviews of the kata. Other related styles such as Tou'on-Ryu, Ryuei-Ryu and Kojo-Ryu are discussed as well. The author introduces much new information which was not previously available to a wider audience. Several essays written by Chojun Miyagi along with other pieces of oral history are included at the back. The book is packed with historical photographs from the author's personal collection, some of which have never been made public before. This book is sure to be enjoyed by all enthusiasts of Karate.