Karate: The Art of Empty Hand Fighting (9780804851220)

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.


About the Author:
Hidetaka Nishiyama is an important figure in the history of karate in the U.S. He was a student of Gichin Funakoshi, the legendary founder of Shotokan Karate, and was instrumental in bringing Karate to America and other Western countries. He helped establish the Japan Karate Association (JKA) in the U.S. and trained the organization's first American instructors. He was the founder of the All American Karate Federation (AAKF) and International Traditional Karate Federation (ITKF). Among his notable students were All-Japan Karate champions Hiroshi Shirai and Takeshi Oishi. He received many honors including a posthumous award to the rank of 10th Dan.

Richard C. Brown is a senior American member of the Japan Karate Association (JKA).

Ray Dalke is a former student of Hidetaka Nishiyama and holds the rank of 8th Dan making him the highest ranking American in Shotokan Karate. He worked at the University of California, Riverside for 30 years where he coached the Shotokan Karate team to five National Championships.