Dojo Dilemmas: Or Karate with an Unreliable Narrator

by Joseph Henry Cucci

Absurd, melancholic, and with a dose of dark humor


“Where’s your loyalty?” By the time Nolan was twenty-three he had given over a decade of his life to the martial arts. He exists in a world where he is forced to grapple with the day-to-day trials of moving from adolescence to adulthood and his certifiable karate instructor, who looks to control his life both inside and outside the dojo.

In his debut novel, Dojo Dilemmas, Joseph Cucci dispenses an up-tempo, direct style prose that provides the reader with a potent look inside the martial arts world, one that is both comedic and tragic. His investigation focuses little on the glory and more on the farcical elements found within the community itself, exploring themes of religion, self-discovery, and loss of innocence.

304 pages, Paperback

Published October 21, 2024

Reviews

[Daniel Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A meandering work that is at times difficult to read not because it is bad - it is excellent prose - but in the same way that our worst failures as teenagers are difficult to remember, or the way the natural death of an animal in the wild is difficult to watch. Snappy, witty, and darkly tragic, Dojo Dilemmas examines what happens when a well-meaning soul is raised in an environment where every adult consistently fails them.

The story of a young person caught in a web of toxicity that surrounds the most important authority figure in their life will resonate with many, sometimes painfully so. The martial arts community has seen far too many real-life Master Paggets, and as our narrator finds, nobody who becomes entangled with such a person emerges unscathed.

[James Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, easy read

A funny story about a kids journey navigating life into adulthood. Touches on the different emotions and awkward scenarios most of us experience.. and some that you only hear about.
Relatable, laughable, entertaining.

[Brielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Come for the karate, stay for the existential crisis

Dojo Dilemmas is one of those books that sneaks up on you. At first, it reads like a goofy satire of suburban martial arts culture. But as you dig in, you realize the author is doing something much deeper. Beneath all the awkward belt ceremonies, passive-aggressive sparring sessions, and dojo politics, there’s a surprisingly emotional core.

Nolan is a bit of a lovable loser but he’s painfully self-aware and full of these wild, spiraling thoughts that make even the most mundane interactions feel electric (and occasionally soul-crushing) some of the dojo characters are absurd on purpose, but most of them have some kind of hidden sadness or humanity. Would highly recommend!

[Les · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s something here. I can’t explain it. The prose is so quick, sharp it doesn’t even attempt to be purple and in that way it doesn’t attempt to be pretentious. Raw, honest and hilarious Dojo Dilemmas is a really interesting coming of age story framed by a world of martial arts. Ending I didn’t expect but it worked well.

[Gethin Down · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a real turn pager. The short, sharp, direct prose makes it easy to engage with and easy to read very quickly. As someone who's practiced martial arts for many years, I recognised many of the character tropes, but I don't think a history of martial arts practice is needed to appreciate the themes explored in this novel.

However, I found the ending hurried, and more than a little disappointing.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We’re only patient when destroying ourselves”
Dojo Dilemmas is more than an absurd comedy it is an essay on adolescence. It is so funny yet there is this soft sadness that underpins everything. I loved it. I have to admit I didn’t see the ending coming but I was kind of glad it went there.