An instructive text on the etiquette, kata, stances and powerful techniques of the renowned goju-ryu system as practiced in Okinawa. Includes a detailed section on sanchin breathing and step-by-step photos with foot patterns.

A guide to goju-ryu fundamentals that narrates the author's personal history of Okinawan goju-ryu karate. It covers advanced kata, its evolution and its importance. It features step-by-step photographs that show the advanced techniques of shorei-kan karate, including stances, strikes, blocks, kicks and two-man training styles.

A personal, philosophical, and historical exploration of Okinawan Goju-Ryu karate written by an experienced master. In Wandering Along the Way of Okinawan Karate, Giles Hopkins draws on his fifty years of martial arts experience to take the reader on a journey through the meaning of kata (form) and bunkai (application) in Okinawan Goju-Ryu karate. Hopkins offers his personal reflections on the enigma of karate kata while explaining many of its little-understood applications. With skill and insight into kata's connection to nature, the book addresses key topics such as why some movements are done slowly while others are fast, the significance of steps and turns, and the role of tradition in karate. The purpose of kata solo patterns is to solidify specific self-defense techniques. Contrary to the commonly held belief that kata techniques can have multiple interpretations, Hopkins argues that kata embodies specific martial principles that must be followed rigorously for it to be truly effective. He also reveals the spiritual dimensions of martial arts by explaining its deep connection to nature. Providing new understanding of kata structure, themes, and martial art principles, Hopkins sheds light on the practitioner's journey.

This book is a resource for a deeper, more mature understanding of Okinawan Goju-ryu karate, including: information on the history of Oki¬nawa, the culture of Okinawa, the development of karate in Okinawa; and technical issues for Goju-ryu karate, the foundation of which is kata. Illustrated with over 1,000 technical and historical photos ¿ most never before seen ¿ this book is a ¿must have¿ for every practitioner of karate and historian of martial arts.Sensei Teruo Chinen was Miyazato¿s ¿uchi deshi¿ for several years and in 1959, Chinen followed his Sempai, Morio Higaonna, to Tokyo. At the famous Yoyogi Dojo, he took on the task of teaching ¿Gaijin,¿ or foreigners. Ten years later, Sensei Chinen moved to Spokane, Washington (USA), where he would spend the remaining 46 years of his life. This book is his ¿head stone.¿

""History and Stories of Goju-Ryu"" tells the history of Goju-Ryu Karate through biographies of its major historical figures. This book introduces for the first time, information on many prominent and lesser known historical figures of Goju-Ryu karate that was not previously available in English. The book is the result of intensive research by the author and translations of many notes, articles and pages from other books such as the Okinawan Karate Kobuo Jitten. This book covers all the major lineages of Goju-Ryu and it is one of the most complete and up to date accounts of Goju-Ryu history published up until now. This will surely be a ""must have"" for all serious practitioners of Goju-Ryu Karate and Okinawan Karate as a whole who are interested in learning more about the people that had a role in its teaching and propagation.