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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Karate
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
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About the Author
Randall G. Hassell, seventh-degree black belt, is a first-generation American to pioneer Shotokan Karate and Chief Instructor of the American Shotokan Karate Alliance. He has written, edited, or contributed to 28 books on karate and more than 100 magazine articles.
Edmond Otis, director of martial arts at Riverside and chairman of the American JKA Karate Association (AJKA), is a sixth-degree black belt and one of the permier American karate instructors of his generation.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This book is aimed at the beginner or novice student who wants to get a bit more out of karate. The author explains what to look for when finding a good karate school, the differences between real karate and street-fighting, and how the karate system works. There is a good section on the history of karate, and plenty of sidebars explaining technical terms (e.g. the ki-ai, or shout).
From the outset of this book, it is clear that the author is both an American and an exponent of Shotokan karate. Within the first twenty pages I counted at least five occurences of the phrase "kicking butt" and other such American-isms. Also, the photographs and descriptions of stances are all from the Shotokan style. For example, in Neko-ashi-dachi (cat stance), a Wado-Ryu student has their feet roughly the same distance apart as they do in Zenkutso-dachi (front stance). However, the book states that the cat stance position is almost square on to the opponent and feet very close together. A Wado-Ryu student would call this Mahami- Neko-ashi-dachi. So there are differences between styles, which the author did not go into.
All in all, not a bad book. It would certainly benefit a beginner, and be of use to a Shotokan student of any level. As a student of Wado-Ryu, I found roughly half of the book directly useful, and the other half an introduction to Shotokan.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
In addition to the other review here, this book is much more than what has been described. It would suit any Okinawan/Japanese style of karate not just Shotokan. It's a large book & isn't intended as an introduction (IMHO). Many hundreds of subjects are covered, some as deeply philosophical as Zanshin & Mushin etc. Although these subjects are covered very briefly, they are done so in such a concise way that you get the full meaning.
"An Idiot's Guide" is an unfortunate title as many Brown and Black Belt karate-ka would benefit from its HUGE & varied content.
As with all other "Idiot" series books, it is very well & interestingly laid out with lots of diagrams & photo's too.
Should Karate be introduced into the school curriculum, this ought to be the first reference book teachers should source. The authors are well established & highly respected in this field already.
This book puts many so-called "advanced" titles to shame - if the subjects were covered in any more depth, this book could be three times as thick.
"An Idiot's Guide" is an unfortunate title as many Brown and Black Belt karate-ka would benefit from its HUGE & varied content.
As with all other "Idiot" series books, it is very well & interestingly laid out with lots of diagrams & photo's too.
Should Karate be introduced into the school curriculum, this ought to be the first reference book teachers should source. The authors are well established & highly respected in this field already.
This book puts many so-called "advanced" titles to shame - if the subjects were covered in any more depth, this book could be three times as thick.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
18 reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
EXCELLENT ALL-AROUND KARATE PRIMER!
24 Jun 2001
Format:Mass Market Paperback
If you've ever been interested in learning about what karate is, why it is, what to do with it, or how it works, THIS IS THE FIRST BOOK YOU SHOULD PICK UP! Written by renowned karate historian Randall G. Hassell and Edmond Otis (a leading technical karate expert), this book is a very easy and FUN read that you'll refer back to for years to come. The authors have over 65 years of karate experience between them and it shows. No stone is left unturned, no punches are pulled (no pun intended!) and they don't talk down to you - every sentence compels you to read the next, and the next, and so on. Excellent photography and graphics help you visualize everything, from techniques to tying your belt, it's everything you need to get started in your karate training!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Better than I expected
1 Dec 2004
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This book is a holistic (though somewhat Shotokan-centric) basic primer on karate. The authors wax verbose at odd times and prattle off too many bad puns (e.g., "dressed to kill" re: uniforms) yet the information really is pretty good. It covers everything from finding a school to properly wearing the uniform to basic techniques (e.g., stances, punches, kicks). Succinctly covers topics such as ranking, terminology, weapon forms, self-defense, tournaments, and sparring as well. The illustrations are excellent yet the explanations are often too brief for those who would like to understand not only what, buy why. For example, the index on safety tips contains enough gems that it probably have been expanded into a whole chapter. The "Sensei Says" summaries and "Ouch" safety tips are colorful, well done, and facilitate absorption of essential knowledge. Overall I'd recommend this book for beginners and those considering karate training. If you've been doing this for a while it's probably too elementary.
Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction
Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Describes the Basics Clearly
24 Sep 2001
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This book not only covers what karate's history and traditions are, but how the basics are performed, and how they should be performed. The book also describes JKA shotokan requirements for each level up to shodan black belt. This book is a must for every traditonal japanese karate-do practioner.
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