Karate: The Art of "Empty-Hand" Fighting is the definitive guide to Shotokan Karate-the most widely practiced style of Karate-and has inspired millions of Karate practitioners worldwide. Authored by one of the great masters of the art, Hidetaka Nishiyama, this book is a classic, groundbreaking work on the sport of Karate, and one of the first published in English. An Olympic sport, Karate is today practiced by over 100 million people worldwide.
Nishiyama began his training under the instruction of Gichin Funakoshi, the legendary founder of Shotokan Karate. He helped establish the Japan Karate Association and, as head of the JKA's instructors training program, was instrumental in bringing Karate to the U.S. and other Western countries. When he arrived, he proceeded to train the first great generation of Karate instructors spawning a whole new generation of martial artists. Highly accessible and richly illustrated with over 1,000 photographs, this book is a comprehensive manual with step-by-step instructions to all the basic movements and techniques of Karate.
Topics covered include:
- A brief history of Karate.
- Theories and principles of the martial art.
- Effective training and exercise methods.
- Karate techniques including stances, blocks and attacks.
- Defenses against weapons.
With a new foreword by Ray Dalke, who trained under Nishiyama and, at 8th Dan, is the highest ranking American in Shotokan Karate,
Karate: The Art of "Empty-Hand" Fighting provides analyses from the standpoint of physics, physiology, philosophy, and body dynamics. The book's techniques apply to all styles of the martial art and is a valuable reference for any Karateka-stressing Nishiyama's lesson that mastery of the basics is not the end but merely the beginning of a lifelong journey.
Industry Reviews
"As Nishiyama Sensei's first graduated U.S. Instructor, I am convinced that Karate: The Art of "Empty Hand" Fighting is an important tool for every student and instructor of karate and should be in the library of anyone interested in the art." -Lester Ingber, Japan Karate Association/All American Karate Federation Alumnus
"Karate: The Art of "Empty Hand" Fighting is a classic work from the man who brought true karate to the world. Always demanding perfection, it was an honor to train and learn from Nishiyama Sensei." -Ray Irving, Counties Shotokan Karate Association (NZ)
"The first complete and most authoritative book on the technique of unarmed self-defense...A fully illustrated manual giving step-by-step explanations of all the fundamentals of karate." -Robert Klaverkamp, UPI