On 2010-01-31 S. Cantwell, Roseville, CA USA wrote: Whether one can learn well enough from books to acheive ´Black Belt´ level knowledge and skills is very debateable, to be sure. A lot I think depends on the person, how perceptive they are, how much previous training/experience in martial arts they might of had, and so on (even black belt practitioners from a school can vary a lot in quality). Generally, I feel the best use of books like this is as a reference and aid to one who is in a class already, or to one who is looking for a good overview of Shotokan Karate. This book will serve as an authoritative depiction of what is the ´kihon,´ or individual techniques of Shotokan (punches, kicks, blocks, etc.), along with a few kata (forms), an introduction to basic kumite (sparring), and an overview of some training techniques, etc. Thus, all by itself this book will not provide all the knowledge one needs as a ´black belt´ practitioner. One will also need a lot more in the way of kata and kumite. These latter two can be aquired in Kanazawas other two titles, ´Karate: The Complete Kata,´ and ´Karate Fighting Techniques.´ Also, it´s really important to see the techniques in motion, either live (preferable) and/or in video (try Youtube) to get an accurate idea of how the techniques work dynamically. Then it´s important to take all the information you have acquired and to practice, practice, practice in a very conscientious way. A teacher can be very important to give objective feedback, but whether one has a teacher or not, there is no substitute for ones own careful attention to detail and diligent practice.
I wanted to note also, that although the title says that this book is an ´intensive course,´ one must be careful not to progress through the material too quickly. In the real world most people need to be very patient with themselves, and should not rush their training; it very important to give oneself the amount of time one needs to build a strong foundation before one progresses further. Failure to do this will result in injury and poor quality technique. Thus, one should not take this book too literally as a do-it-yourself guide to black belt in a year. Keeping this in mind, I feel that this book can be very useful as an overview and an aid in ones overall effort to acquire mastery in Karate-do; that is, if one does not rely on it exclusively.. And summed up by saying Great as an overview and training reference. Currently Black Belt Karate: The Intensive Course has an overall rating of 8 over 10.
Black Belt Karate: The Intensive Course can also be found in the following searches:
Kodansha America claimed In Black Belt Karate, Hirokazu Kanazawa, the most respected figure in the karate world, offers a systematic approach to basic karate, and provides an intensive training course. Karate is a martial art that can be practiced by anyone, regardless of age or gender, and can be undertaken at any time during a persons life. The training system employed in karate comprises three main areas: kihon (basics), kumite (sparring), and kata (forms). Using meticulously detailed explanations and illustrative photos, Kanazawa provides readers with an intensive self-study training course designed to be accessible to beginners, as well as to those already at an intermediate level. If practiced continuously and diligently over the course of a year, a practitioner will be able to attain black-belt-level proficiency. Praise for Black Belt Karate: ´By following each and every page of this book as if receiving instruction directly from Mr. Kanazawa, I believe that over time, with careful practice, gaining proficiency is all but guaranteed. For anyone setting out to master karate-do, you hold in your hands a fine book indeed.The late Masatoshi Nakayama, former chief instructor of the Japan Karate Association and author of Kodansha´s Best Karate series
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