Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Revolutionary thoughts of kata bunkai, 11 May 2001
A must for every good shotokan karateka. The classic bunkai which is taught these days in most dojos suffers from "label disease". A block is a block and a punch a punch. With this (wrong) thinking, many sequences in kata can't be interpreted- they seem to have no immideate or practical use. Schmeisser goes a step further. Labels for individual techniques are discarded and the movements themselves are explored for alternative uses as to their effects. Punches can become throws, blocks can become strikes or joint locking techniques, and steps can become kicks or stamping attacks. "In all these analysis, there are a few basic principles that should be followed: Each movement must do something useful..", "..no opponent must be left in a condition to continue or resume an attack..". Suddenly with Schmeissers interpretation the whole kata makes sense. It is revolutionary and again so easy- you will wonder, that no one else has interpretated kata ever before like that.Shotokan is an ineffective martial art, compared to others? Everyone, who says that should read this book and reconsider his statement. Why not 5 stars? As I live in Germany (known for fantastic high quality publishing), I am used to very high standards. This book is published awful! The paper is bad, the pictures are with low resolution, the paperback is really made from paper :-). In Germany you will get for the same money a high quality hardcover. Nevertheless the content is superb and I don't regret my buy at all. I unconditionally recommend this book to every serious karateka and can't wait until Schmeisser releases the next book in mid 2001: "Bunkai: Secrets of Karate Kata Vol 2: Channan - The Heart of the Heians".
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A true breakthrough in martial arts publishing, 17 Feb 2007
Hidden secrets of karate techniques are revealed in easy-to-understand, clearly explained and illustrated sequences. Utilizing over 330 photographs, Bunkai (kata moves application), for the first time in publishing history, allows a continuous visualization of an opponent during an entire kata, without missing or overlapping motions in the kata sequence. The author, a 6th degree black belt and Renshi of the International Society of Okinawan/Japanese Karate-do, is a renowned pioneer in the analysis and application of karate kata. In this book, he brings the Tekki kata of the Shotokan style to life as they have never been seen before! I can't wait for more of his books to appear.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Revolutionary thoughts of kata bunkai, 11 May 2001
A must for every good shotokan karateka. The classic bunkai which is taught these days in most dojos suffers from "label disease". A block is a block and a punch a punch. With this (wrong) thinking, many sequences in kata can't be interpreted- they seem to have no immideate or practical use. Schmeisser goes a step further. Labels for individual techniques are discarded and the movements themselves are explored for alternative uses as to their effects. Punches can become throws, blocks can become strikes or joint locking techniques, and steps can become kicks or stamping attacks. "In all these analysis, there are a few basic principles that should be followed: Each movement must do something useful..", "..no opponent must be left in a condition to continue or resume an attack..". Suddenly with Schmeissers interpretation the whole kata makes sense. It is revolutionary and again so easy- you will wonder, that no one else has interpretated kata ever before like that.Shotokan is an ineffective martial art, compared to others? Everyone, who says that should read this book and reconsider his statement. Why not 5 stars? As I live in Germany (known for fantastic high quality publishing), I am used to very high standards. This book is published awful! The paper is bad, the pictures are with low resolution, the paperback is really made from paper :-). In Germany you will get for the same money a high quality hardcover. Nevertheless the content is superb and I don't regret my buy at all. I unconditionally recommend this book to every serious karateka..
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by Musatoshi Nakayama
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