What do you think?
Rate this book
Karate Technique & Spirit
Master the techniques and warrior spirit of karate with this illustrated martial arts guide.
The true essence of karate-do is integrated training of the body, mind, and spirit to achieve human potential fully. Karate: Technique and Spirit describes in detail all the steps necessary to attain this goal. It is a book of Karate technique, a guideline for training, and a patient exposition of moral philosophy. Kaicho (grandmaster) Nakamura takes us from the basics--warmups, punches, blocks, and kicks--to the advanced practice of traditional weapons and kumite (sparring), all the while grounding the physical expression of this martial art in its rich history and philosophy.
With over 700 photos, Karate: Technique and Spirit vividly conveys the essence of karate-do and how it can bring deeper meaning to our daily lives. Chapters include: Foundations of Karate; Basics of Karate-Do; Postures and Stances; Natural Weapons; Kata (Formal Exercises); Kumite (Fighting) and more!
The true essence of karate-do is integrated training of the body, mind, and spirit to achieve human potential fully. Karate: Technique and Spirit describes in detail all the steps necessary to attain this goal. It is a book of Karate technique, a guideline for training, and a patient exposition of moral philosophy. Kaicho (grandmaster) Nakamura takes us from the basics--warmups, punches, blocks, and kicks--to the advanced practice of traditional weapons and kumite (sparring), all the while grounding the physical expression of this martial art in its rich history and philosophy.
With over 700 photos, Karate: Technique and Spirit vividly conveys the essence of karate-do and how it can bring deeper meaning to our daily lives. Chapters include: Foundations of Karate; Basics of Karate-Do; Postures and Stances; Natural Weapons; Kata (Formal Exercises); Kumite (Fighting) and more!
- GenresMartial Arts
168 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1986
11 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 4, 2021
As its name indicates, this is the book and it motivates the reader's mind as well.
I strongly recommend it to all karate enthusiasts.
I strongly recommend it to all karate enthusiasts.
July 17, 2018
The style of karate known as Kyokushin was brought from Japan to the United States by Tadashi Nakamura in the 1960s. Nakamura developed a variant style of karate called Seido and in 1976, he established an organization of schools to teach Seido.
Bodhidharma (known as Daruma Daishi in Japan) was a Buddhist monk believed to have brought Buddhist ideas from India to China, where Chan Buddhism was established. Daruma is credited with the expression “Nana Korobi Ya Oki”: If you fall down seven times, get up eight times. Shaolin monks in China developed wushu, the Chinese martial arts, which is the most well-known type of kungfu. Chan Buddhism in China developed into Zen Buddhism in Japan.
Zen Buddhism includes the practice of zazen (seated meditation). Zen meditation is supposed to give insight into one’s true nature, or the emptiness of inherent existence, which opens the way to a liberated way of being. Cleaning the dojo floor on your hands and knees represents wiping away the delusion of ego from our minds.
Kara-te means empty hand. When we love freely, we give and share everything, hold on to nothing. Zazen frees us from our small selves (our ego). An empty hand clings to nothing. When you do karate, you exercise using only your own body, you discipline yourself to focus your attention on the technique you are practicing. Karate is a way to practice “moving zen” so we can live our daily lives with total involvement and enjoyment in the present moment. A practitioner of karate (a karate-ka) deals fully with the present moment. With practice, the way of karate becomes the way of everyday life.
Karate class begins with zazen. You sit in seiza and practice meditation or “mokuso.” The purpose is to clear your mind of everything except the practice of karate and focus all of your attention on karate. Ibuki breathing uses slow, full breaths that are centered in the tanden, aka the hara, the area four fingers below the naval, which is also a person’s center of gravity. When you exhale, you center your breath in the tanden, and this makes a noise (with a relaxed throat and windpipe). Expel as much air as you can and then expel the last trace of air with a small cough. Don’t think about making the spine straight; rather, think about making it as long as possible. Knees are shoulder width apart to make a stable (and respectful) tripod. The right instep is placed on top of the left instep. Fists are parallel to the ears on the hips, with elbows back (not akimbo) and shoulders back (but relaxed). Chin is tucked in and neck is stretched out. When you bow in seiza, you lower your body to a 30 degree angle with your head up slightly at a 45 degree angle. The body is raised from the lower limbs so that you do a small push up. This effort is a sign of respect.
Bowing is a way of showing respect for tradition and the community of people who come to the dojo. When you forget about your small self, your ego, and focus on becoming one with others in the practice of karate, you are focused and fully present. Putting your hands together in front of your heart in gassho also represents unifying yourself with others. According to this book, daily zazen is an essential part of karate.
The book goes on to provide lots of detailed information, with photographs, on training, diet, warming up, stretching, postures, different parts of the body used in karate, hand techniques, foot techniques, breaking, kata, and weapons. I don’t think anyone could use this book to learn karate, but if you’ve already studied karate, there are lots of descriptions and photographs that would help you determine whether you’re doing the techniques correctly.
In addition to zazen, this book has a description of standing meditation (tachi zen), and walking meditation. Karate itself is described as moving meditation. Everyone knows that karate is a form of self-defense and martial art and can be used defeat an opponent in a fight. Many of us, however, will never get into a physical fight with another person. Karate also has benefits as a form of exercise. But this book points out that a dojo is a community, which is very different from a gym, where each person is usually exercising alone and does not necessarily have any relationship to the other members of the gym.
This book provides another interesting justification for doing karate. The sustained focus and discipline that is required to become part of a community of people who are able to perform all of the karate techniques, self-defenses, kata and sparring (kumite) takes the focus of your mind away from your “little self” as you practice “moving meditation.” This mindset can help you become present in your daily life, same as other forms of meditation.
This book made me think about some interesting connections between yoga, taichi, and karate. Yoga comes from India, which is where Buddhism comes from. Taichi comes from China, the birthplace of Taoism and Chan Buddhism. Karate comes from Japan, as does Zen Buddhism. Tibetans and people who practice yoga say namaste, I bow to you, as they put their hands in gassho. Like yoga and taichi, karate can be thought of as a meditative practice and a means to free yourself from your ego and to train your mind to be more present. Rather than filling your head with the static of distracting anxiety, worry, and rumination about what has happened in the past, what might happen in the future, and all the other stressors that are “on your mind,” you can train your mind to fully experience the present moment as it is happening. This is living your life, rather than letting life pass you by. Karate, like other forms of meditation, can help you do this during your daily life, even when you’re not actually doing karate. The word dojo means Tao place, and this book could have been called "The Tao of Karate."
The final chapter contains a bunch of short karate meditation lectures, which were interesting and thoughtful. This book is definitely worth reading, especially if you are learning Kyokushin, or more specifically, Seido-style, karate. Also, the cover of the book is very minecraft; the dude is punching a tree.
Bodhidharma (known as Daruma Daishi in Japan) was a Buddhist monk believed to have brought Buddhist ideas from India to China, where Chan Buddhism was established. Daruma is credited with the expression “Nana Korobi Ya Oki”: If you fall down seven times, get up eight times. Shaolin monks in China developed wushu, the Chinese martial arts, which is the most well-known type of kungfu. Chan Buddhism in China developed into Zen Buddhism in Japan.
Zen Buddhism includes the practice of zazen (seated meditation). Zen meditation is supposed to give insight into one’s true nature, or the emptiness of inherent existence, which opens the way to a liberated way of being. Cleaning the dojo floor on your hands and knees represents wiping away the delusion of ego from our minds.
Kara-te means empty hand. When we love freely, we give and share everything, hold on to nothing. Zazen frees us from our small selves (our ego). An empty hand clings to nothing. When you do karate, you exercise using only your own body, you discipline yourself to focus your attention on the technique you are practicing. Karate is a way to practice “moving zen” so we can live our daily lives with total involvement and enjoyment in the present moment. A practitioner of karate (a karate-ka) deals fully with the present moment. With practice, the way of karate becomes the way of everyday life.
Karate class begins with zazen. You sit in seiza and practice meditation or “mokuso.” The purpose is to clear your mind of everything except the practice of karate and focus all of your attention on karate. Ibuki breathing uses slow, full breaths that are centered in the tanden, aka the hara, the area four fingers below the naval, which is also a person’s center of gravity. When you exhale, you center your breath in the tanden, and this makes a noise (with a relaxed throat and windpipe). Expel as much air as you can and then expel the last trace of air with a small cough. Don’t think about making the spine straight; rather, think about making it as long as possible. Knees are shoulder width apart to make a stable (and respectful) tripod. The right instep is placed on top of the left instep. Fists are parallel to the ears on the hips, with elbows back (not akimbo) and shoulders back (but relaxed). Chin is tucked in and neck is stretched out. When you bow in seiza, you lower your body to a 30 degree angle with your head up slightly at a 45 degree angle. The body is raised from the lower limbs so that you do a small push up. This effort is a sign of respect.
Bowing is a way of showing respect for tradition and the community of people who come to the dojo. When you forget about your small self, your ego, and focus on becoming one with others in the practice of karate, you are focused and fully present. Putting your hands together in front of your heart in gassho also represents unifying yourself with others. According to this book, daily zazen is an essential part of karate.
The book goes on to provide lots of detailed information, with photographs, on training, diet, warming up, stretching, postures, different parts of the body used in karate, hand techniques, foot techniques, breaking, kata, and weapons. I don’t think anyone could use this book to learn karate, but if you’ve already studied karate, there are lots of descriptions and photographs that would help you determine whether you’re doing the techniques correctly.
In addition to zazen, this book has a description of standing meditation (tachi zen), and walking meditation. Karate itself is described as moving meditation. Everyone knows that karate is a form of self-defense and martial art and can be used defeat an opponent in a fight. Many of us, however, will never get into a physical fight with another person. Karate also has benefits as a form of exercise. But this book points out that a dojo is a community, which is very different from a gym, where each person is usually exercising alone and does not necessarily have any relationship to the other members of the gym.
This book provides another interesting justification for doing karate. The sustained focus and discipline that is required to become part of a community of people who are able to perform all of the karate techniques, self-defenses, kata and sparring (kumite) takes the focus of your mind away from your “little self” as you practice “moving meditation.” This mindset can help you become present in your daily life, same as other forms of meditation.
This book made me think about some interesting connections between yoga, taichi, and karate. Yoga comes from India, which is where Buddhism comes from. Taichi comes from China, the birthplace of Taoism and Chan Buddhism. Karate comes from Japan, as does Zen Buddhism. Tibetans and people who practice yoga say namaste, I bow to you, as they put their hands in gassho. Like yoga and taichi, karate can be thought of as a meditative practice and a means to free yourself from your ego and to train your mind to be more present. Rather than filling your head with the static of distracting anxiety, worry, and rumination about what has happened in the past, what might happen in the future, and all the other stressors that are “on your mind,” you can train your mind to fully experience the present moment as it is happening. This is living your life, rather than letting life pass you by. Karate, like other forms of meditation, can help you do this during your daily life, even when you’re not actually doing karate. The word dojo means Tao place, and this book could have been called "The Tao of Karate."
The final chapter contains a bunch of short karate meditation lectures, which were interesting and thoughtful. This book is definitely worth reading, especially if you are learning Kyokushin, or more specifically, Seido-style, karate. Also, the cover of the book is very minecraft; the dude is punching a tree.
April 26, 2012
If you pactice Seido Karate, this book is your manual. If you practice Karate in general, this book is excellent at showing the basics such as stances and weapon formation, plus give a wonderful general overview of weapon use. Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura blends traditional Karate techniques with meditations on Karate, Karateka and the modern world. This is a great book.
November 23, 2015
This amazing and informative book is a must for all Siedo Karate students. It gives detailed step by step pictures and instructions for your katas. self defence and syllabus. I really enjoy reading how Karate came to be. I cant imagine my life with our Karate. next step Advanced green belt!
January 11, 2021
One of the oldest books on my shelf, I received this as a gift when I just started taking classes at the local YMCA. Karate is not only about physical fitness, but mental and spiritual peace. Reading this book has been a sure-shot technique for me to recentre myself consistently in the last 15 years.
Tadashi Nakamura's writing style makes you experience the book as a conversation. The photographs (pre-1986) take you on a journey through time.
Tadashi Nakamura's writing style makes you experience the book as a conversation. The photographs (pre-1986) take you on a journey through time.
January 12, 2024
Wooow
Want to read
December 23, 2013very good
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews