Karate Resources

Contents:

• The Gurkhas: Masters of the Kukri
• Cross Training and its Relevance for Sport
• Functional Training With Kettlebells For Karate’s Hojo Undo
• Structure and Function of a Knife: Knife as Weapon Series– Gavin Mullholland Interview
• Speed in Training
• Kyusho
• Ben Hockman Interview on Training in Urban Krav Maga
• It’s Hard to Fight When You Can’t See
• How Many Martial Artists Does it Take to Screw in a Light bulb?
• Martial Arts Scepticism: How Factual is Martial Arts TV
• Fighting Dirty: Karate/TKD’s/TSD’s Most Commonly used Technique
• Dead or Alive
• The Martial Arts Unanswered Question
• The Roundhouse Kick: Karate’s best Kick or a Threat to your Survival?
• Karate’s History

Contributors:

• Michael Rosenbaum
• Andrew Adams
• Chris Denwood
• Rev. Art Chenevey
• Michael Rosenbaum
• John Titchen
• Nikolai Faerne Skarby
• Lawrence Kane
• Eric Parsons
• Jamie Clubb
• Charlie Wildish
• Kris Mansfield
• Ron Briens
• Martin O’Malley
• Iain Abernethy

Contents:

• Martial Arts Scepticism: The Pornography of Reality-Based Self Defence
• Never Give Up
• Bouncer
• How to Win a Bar Fight
• Karate’s Holy Grail
• Whiter Shade of Pale
• Anatomy of Back Stance
• Flow in Modern Karate
• Oh S*it! Taking Chudan Uke to the next level
• Stav
• Karate Jutsu
• Bunkai and the Horseman
• The Innocent Walking Stick
• Dave Turton Interview
• Styles: Are They Killing Karate?
• Transitional Aspects of Karate (Part 2)
• Contact in Training (Part 2)

Contributors:

• Jamie Clubb
• Lawrence Kane
• Geoff Thompson
• Rev. Art Chenevey
• Michael Rosenbaum
• Dave Turton
• Andi Kidd
• Chris Littlefair
• Nikolai Faerne Skarby
• Eric Parsons
• Tony Brush
• Kris Mansfield
• Ron Briens
• Ernest Tuff
• Michael Rosenbaum
• Iain Abernethy
• Chris Denwood
• John Titchen

(affiliate link)

A friend passed me this book, and insisted I’d like it. I wasn’t so sure. I had just finished reading what seemed like the 500th book on violence, and was full of information on the risks of surviving violent encounters, and whatnot.

This same friend and I often have conversations hypothetical situations, and whether classmate A or B would be capable of performing in pressure cooker situations. The answer was more often that no, “No, I suspect he/she would freeze.”

I finally picked this book up off my table, and started reading it. My only regret is that I didn’t start reading the night I brought it home.

This is not a book of self defense techniques. This is not a book of admonishments against violent behavior. Instead, this book defines violence in a very simple, clear way, and then shows you how to decide when it’s okay to fight for your life (Hint: Any time your life is endangered).

If you fancy yourself a “martial artist,” you need to read this book. If you have even the slightest worry about your own physical safety, you need to read this book. Read this book.

(affiliate link)

While the cover of this book is similar to the one below (some might say “identical”) the content is very different.

The Karate Way is about why we train, not what we train. The reason I go to the dojo every evening is probably not the same reason you do. Is my reason better than yours? Who cares?

Every person who trains in karate for more than a few months is getting something positive out of the experience. It might be social, it might be physical, or it might be something else altogether. It’s really of no importance to me why the student to my left chose to come to class tonight, but sometimes I forget that

This book helped me rediscover why I train, and not worry so much about why you train.

(affiliate link)

The Way of Kata begins with a non-traditional history of karate, with much of the ancient “truth” debunked. It then explain the principles of karate kata using that more realistic backdrop.

It’s only been fairly recently that I’ve seen this kind of information published for the world at large. The concepts in this book overlap heavily with Abernethy’s, and in the places they don’t the concepts are complementary, not contradictory.

I particularly liked the illustrations used to describe motion. Highly recommended.

(affiliate link)

Every martial arts practitioner who trains for a significant amount of time is going to start to question the bizarre explanations for what katas represent. “Well, the guy runs up to tackle me, so I put my hand on my hip, pivot, and hit him in the temple with my elbow. Then the guy throws a…”

When I first came across Sensei Abernethy’s writings, my mind was wide open to a rational explanation of kata. This is the book that reassured me that questioning the standard explanations was perfectly okay!

Bunkai Jitsu is a must-read for any karate practitioner whose interpretation of a kata includes the phrase “…and then the guy throws a…”.

I speak highly of Iain’s books elsewhere, and his extensive line of DVDs expand upon and clarify the material in those books. I regularly train and teach the applications and principles shown in the Bunkai-Jutsu series, and I am looking forward to integrating the two-man drills taught in his new Pinan/Heian series.

The production quality on Iain’s DVDs is remarkable. No listening to muffled audio, or wondering just how many generations of VHS tape there were before transferring the material to DVD.

Recommended.

Buy Iain’s videos

Last Spring, I took an outstanding Defensive Tactics course from Russell, but found that the notes I took were missing substantial detail. I started buying related videos as a refresher for some of the seminar talking points.

The video quality varies greatly (apparently based on when they were originally shot), but even the worst quality can’t obscure the awesome instruction that’s on them.

The content is not magical: One viewing won’t make you an expert at the techniques. However, if you take the time to fold Russell’s techniques into your own karate and kata, you will eventually see great growth. I know I hit at least twice as hard as I used to.

If you plan to use these as a substitute for attending a seminar, make sure you pause at each “Now give that a try” to practice.

http://www.russellstutely.com (affiliate link)

Sensei Abernethy teaches applied karate, and his books have been motivational for me. Back in 2006 I received an Introductory Instructor grade from him.

http://www.iainabernethy.com/

This is the dojo I’ve trained in since moving to the east coast. Fabulous place. Fabulous people.

Academy of Traditional Karate