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Four Shades of Black: The Traditional Path to Building the Complete Fighter
 
 
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Four Shades of Black: The Traditional Path to Building the Complete Fighter (Paperback)

by Gavin Mulholland (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
RRP: £20.00
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Product details

  • Paperback: 192 pages
  • Publisher: Summersdale Publishers (7 April 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1840246502
  • ISBN-13: 978-1840246506
  • Product Dimensions: 24.2 x 18.8 x 2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 201,475 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #26 in  Books > Health, Family & Lifestyle > Fitness & Exercise > Martial Arts > Karate

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Product Description

Review
"'both valuable and long overdue' Geoff Thompson 'All karateka should read... this excellent book. There can be few people more qualified to write a book such as this' Iain Abernethy"

Iain Abernethy, fifth-degree black belt Author of Bunkai-Jutsu: The Practical Application of Karate Kata
Regardless of style, all karateka should read and digest the information contained within this excellent book. Gavin Mulholland is someone who fully understands the realities of combat and kata and if you wish to practise karate as the pragmatic fighting system it was intended to be, you should familiarise yourself with Gavin's work. This is a thorough and accessible explanation of everything you need to know to make sense of kata and become a complete fighter. Four Shades of Black is a must-read book that is certain to become a modern classic. Enjoy!

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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A "must have" book, 3 May 2008
By Doug (Poole) - See all my reviews
Whether you train in Goju or any other Martial Art , this book underlines the principles and mind set for a student as they progress through their training.
It's layout and classy use of black and white photos enhances the high standard of the information contained in this book.
Although not a "step by step" text book , as many books on Karate are , it gives many insights and ideas for training using bunkai , partner drills and padwork.Which all help to raise the skills of the students as they study the Kata.
I think this book is the best book on the first four Kata contained in the Goju Ryu system.
Here's hoping for another on the rest of the Goju Kata.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Brilliant!, 15 April 2008
By Iain Abernethy (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I have to say that has to be one of the best books on bunkai out there! Not only is the information superb, it's also the way the book is laid out that is so impressive (think "coffee table" quality).

I was privileged to be able to make a small contribution to the book by way of the foreword (Geoff Thompson wrote the preface) and hence I got to see the draft a few months ago. Brilliant information! The final book truly is something to behold and I can honestly say I don't think I've seen as stylish a martial arts book.

Can't recommend this one highly enough.

Iain Abernethy
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Training with purpose, 13 April 2008
I really enjoyed this book. Not only is it beautiful to look at, it is a pleasure to read. Clear, concise, eloquent sentence structure and very accessible. So valuable for the kyu grade in that it explains what you should be trying to achieve with your training at each level, but also for the dan grade to ensure that nothing has been overlooked.

It's not a 'how to' book at all really, more something to make you think about what you are doing and why. Its premise is to give you the underlying principles behind the training for each kata. Suggestions for the padwork, partnerwork and conditioning drills required to work on the necessary mindset. And as you progress through each kata, those skills are reinforced and built upon so that, by the time you get to black belt, you have accumulated an instinctive set of reactions to varying situations that will come to the fore when under pressure.

I loved the little snapshots of violence that introduced each kata and, by the end of the book, I wanted to be that student taking his first steps in the dojo.

I shall certainly be approaching my future training with a very different way of thinking.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars a simply brilliant book
Four Shades of Black: The Traditional Path to Building the Complete Fighter

I brought this book for my husband, he teaches goju karate and is a 4th dan black belt. Read more
Published 4 months ago by T. Langworthy

5.0 out of 5 stars A modern classic
I have collected through dint of much effort and investment of time quite a comprehensive martial arts library. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Basho

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique and interesting tome
Four Shades of Black is a feast for the eyes. Stark black pages with brilliant white text and lush monochrome photography worthy of any coffee table "art" volume aren't exactly... Read more
Published 11 months ago by L. A. Kane

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading
Anyone remotely serious about developing their knowledge and understanding of karate needs this book. I simply didn't realise how much I didn't know before I bought this book. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Mr. D. Mcdonnell

5.0 out of 5 stars Not jsut for Karate guys
A superb book that explains how to train a complete beginner to a competent fighter using traditional Karate methods; and it's not just for Karate guys either. Read more
Published 14 months ago by S. Jabbar

5.0 out of 5 stars powerful and elegant
Like the martial arts at there best this book is powerful and elegant.

The photography and artistry of the design add finesse to the powerful message that lies in... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Toban Taplin

5.0 out of 5 stars Glimpse of Brilliance
It's rare to find a publication that treads the fine line between authority and approachability but this book does both very well. Read more
Published 15 months ago by J. Shelby

5.0 out of 5 stars Ghost dances
The first thing that strikes you with this book, is that it is not like any other "wot kata's about" books. Read more
Published 15 months ago by G. Wendes

5.0 out of 5 stars Clears the path
As a karate student, I trained for years to learn traditional kata without ever fully understanding their meaning. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Gary Chamberlain

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully violent
Four Shades of Black looks like a sumptuous coffee-table book, but the writing packs a real punch and delivers arguments that no traditional martial artist can ignore. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Goran Powell

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