Reveals the origins and purpose of the art of shotokan. This book describes how karate was invented by the world's only unarmed bodyguards to protect the world's only unarmed king, the king of Okinawa, against Americans.

Introduction: My first book, Shotokan Myths, was published in 2010 and to my great pleasure it has received a lot of positive feedback from many readers. Some sent me emails and told me that this book gave them a different perspective to their training. One reader in Australia, Ms. Astrid Meid, called it her karate Bible which almost embarrassed me and here is what she wrote; "I have been using your book like a karate bible, I open any page and read from there, it has helped me to open my mind further as I try to understand and look beyond the meaning and continually question karate as such, in life, in spirit, and of course the techniques, I am find myself asking myself questions about technique applications and looking for any possible way to combat that technique, it is very good for me mentally. A great book, one of those that you can open any page, read just that page and then put the book down." Another reader from the UK, Ms. Moley Walsh, also gave me a very nice compliment; "I found this book to be the most educational karate book I have ever read. I found it extremely interesting and have learned so much more than I expected. I read this book in awe just by knowing that the information you have written must have taken you hundreds and hundreds of man hours to research to which you kindly decided to share with the rest of us karate-ka. It was a very enjoyable read and has given me plenty more to think about. All of your answers have turned into many more questions, but questions I never even thought about until now, and so this gives me even more to research. I thank you personally for the book and think that you have done an incredible job in putting all of this together. I do not have a bad thing to say about it. I was trying to see which chapter I enjoyed the most, but I don't have one, I simply could not put the book down." Those readers realized there were many "facts" and "truths" that were hidden or taken for granted and those subjects needed to be questioned. They said what I shared in the book made sense. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the readers who took time to read my first book as well as those who purchased this one which covers many other subjects that I could not put in my first book. My second book, Shotokan Mysteries, contains the following interesting subjects. Chapter 1. Funakoshi's New Techniques Chapter 2. The Mysteries of Heian Kata Chapter 3. Heian Bunkai Mysteries Chapter 4. Mikazuki Geri, An Extinct Kick? Chapter 5. Disparity Between Kata And Kumite Chapter 6. Why Uchi Uke? Chapter 7. Does Shotokan Lack Circular Techniques? Chapter 8. Straight Techniques in Circular Movements Chapter 9. Unstable Balance Chapter 10. Gravitation, Your Enemy? Chapter 11. Karate Master Chapter 12. Shu Ha Ri Chapter 13. Tenketsu Jutsu (Dim mak) Epilogue: The Last Samurai I cannot believe that three years have passed since the publication of Shotokan Myths. Many have been asking for my second book and I wanted to publish this much sooner but it took three years. Those were very busy years but also exciting and productive ones for me. Let me talk a little about myself and some of the experiences from my early days. During my early years of training I was like those readers who wrote and shared their karate lives with me. I was a diligent and blindly dedicated student who never questioned. When a sensei said jump", my response was "How high?" Of course, the only answer we could give to a sensei in Japan was "Osu". As I got older and had my own students, many questions came to mind. But I had no place to go or anyone knowledgeable to ask so I had to do my own investigation and research. For the first time I started to look into the history of Okinawan karate as well as the teaching of other styles. My interest expanded beyond Karate and my research went into Ki and various Chinese m

Shotokan Mysteries communicates Kousaku Yokota's work and research into the great, deep golden chest of our continued rediscovery of Shotokan karate in a positive and reflective approach. This book reaches out, openly guiding the reader into recognizing karate as a whole thing itself, paving the way to allow for questions and the subsequent answers to run side by side in a noncritical way, and transcending any misinterpretation or misunderstanding in practice and cultural relationships to the topics and chapters contained within its pages. As the title suggests, the aim of the book is to clear up and correct many collective myths about Shotokan karate. Of course, the author's work and research aren't just directed at the Shotokan community. They can be easily accessed and applied to all areas of training within the martial arts genre. He does this by simply describing that a lack of knowledge can be easily changed by challenging and changing your own personal understanding, taking down the boundaries of stuck thought and what is termed far too often as "right and wrong," and dispelling the myths which surround our shared art. The information, in whatever form the author puts it forward, transfers to the collective minds of those who share our common passion and is routinely communicated in such a straightforward way that it allows absolutely anyone from any culture or walk of life to understand better and at a higher level the martial art which they have chosen to do. This the author does with humility, displaying a continuous spirit and correctness reflected in his lifelong practice of karatedo.

Lean the techniques, strategies and history of Japanese Shotokan Karate with this illustrated martial arts guide. Generously illustrated with over 700 clear photos, The Secrets of Shotokan Karate offers an in-depth look at the world's most popular martial art, with strategies, techniques, and drills to guide new students to proficiency and to help established practitioners excel. Sixth-degree black belt Robin Rielly provides a comprehensive guide to the fundamentals and theory of Shotokan, interwoven with relevant philosophy and historical context. This book offers expert instruction and a greater understanding and appreciation of the art. Topics covered include: basic physiological-psychological principles principles of physical movement elements of fighting sparring drills strategy kata

Progression is a positive trait, as long as one keeps in touch with the past and has a staple backdrop to focus or fall back on. Although the Revised Expanded Third Edition contains all the wording and photographs that are reproduced in both the first edition, as well as this Revised and Expanded Second Edition, it comparatively represents a step into what was, for these latter two books, the future. The year 2019, in which I am writing this foreword, represents respectively 30 years and 20 years into the future since the publication of these two books, so I think this faithful reproduction of the Master Version by Q&I Publications is well timed. For some readers it might bring about nostalgia, for others it might be an eye-opener into a world that is not always truthfully represented, due to commercial or other reasons. For the teachers who I interviewed and have been embodied herein, I hope this Master Version will remain a testament into how they wished to be represented for time immemorial.

In this second volume of "Shotokan Legends", a repertoire of exclusive interviews with legendary figures of Shotokan Karate-do, such as Hiroyasu Fujishima, Kenneth Funakoshi, Randall Hassell, Dan Ivan, Les Safar, Nobuaki Kanazawa, Tom Muzila, Hiryoshi Okazaki, Henri Plee, Yasuyoshi Sato, amongst others, the many threads of traditional Shotokan karate learning, lore, and legend are woven together in a classic work. In this definitive book about the greatest Shotokan masters, old and new interviews have been gathered to present an integrated and complete view of the style and philosophy of the system developed by the late Grandmaster Gichin Funakoshi. This volume contains intriguing thoughts, fascinating personal details, hidden histories, and inspiring philosophies, as each master reveals his true love for the art and a deep understanding of every facet associated with the practice and spirit of Shotokan Karate-do as a way of life.