Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
22 used & new from £10.50

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Four Shades of Black: The Traditional Path to Building the Complete Fighter
 
 

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
Price: £14.00 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £6.00 (30%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Wednesday, July 15? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
17 new from £10.50 4 used from £11.25 1 collectible from £20.00

Frequently Bought Together

Four Shades of Black: The Traditional Path to Building the Complete Fighter + Waking Dragons: A Martial Artist Faces His Ultimate Test + Working with Warriors
Price For All Three: £26.98

Show availability and shipping details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Waking Dragons: A Martial Artist Faces His Ultimate Test

Waking Dragons: A Martial Artist Faces His Ultimate Test

by Goran Powell
5.0 out of 5 stars (27)  £6.99
Working with Warriors

Working with Warriors

by Dennis Martin
4.9 out of 5 stars (10)  £5.99
Heian Flow System: Effective Karate Kata Bunkai

Heian Flow System: Effective Karate Kata Bunkai

by John Titchen
4.5 out of 5 stars (6)  £18.95
Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training and Real World Violence

Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training and Real World Violence

by Sgt. Rory Miller
5.0 out of 5 stars (3)  £11.99
The Way of Sanchin Kata: The Application of Power

The Way of Sanchin Kata: The Application of Power

by Kris Wilder
5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £21.95
Explore similar items

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

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!

See all Product Description

Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt
Search inside this book:

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Four Shades of Black: The Traditional Path to Building the Complete Fighter
57% buy the item featured on this page:
Four Shades of Black: The Traditional Path to Building the Complete Fighter 5.0 out of 5 stars (13)
£14.00
Working with Warriors
15% buy
Working with Warriors 4.9 out of 5 stars (10)
£5.99
Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training and Real World Violence
14% buy
Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training and Real World Violence 5.0 out of 5 stars (3)
£11.99
Waking Dragons: A Martial Artist Faces His Ultimate Test
10% buy
Waking Dragons: A Martial Artist Faces His Ultimate Test 5.0 out of 5 stars (27)
£6.99

 

Customer Reviews

13 Reviews
5 star:
 (13)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
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.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
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
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
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.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
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

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]

   


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback


Health & Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

Elemis Resurface and Renew Skin Care Gift Set of 4 Products
From soap to shavers, massagers to mascara, stock up on your daily essentials or truly pamper yourself.

Discover Health & Beauty

 

Beauty without the Beast

Olay Regenerist Daily 3 Point Treatment Cream
From au naturel to party glam, we have all the best names in cosmetics and skincare.

Discover Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

 

A Close Shave

Philips Nivea Coolskin HS8060 Moisturizing Rotary Shaving System
For all types of hair removal, stay smooth with Amazon.co.uk.

Discover Shaving & Hair Removal

 

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

Learn more about Gift Certificates

 
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates