This book is an excellent student guide if you are just starting to learn Ryuhoryu, or if you are an experienced martial artist and are interested in expanding your horizons to incorporate a more traditional Okinawan system with heavy Chinese influence into your training. This book covers the bulk of the material that is required through the Black Belt level, as well as providing valuable insight into the lore of the system, history, key individuals in the lineage, and heritage which make Ryuhoryu a truly unique art.

A Cultural History of Japanese Buddhism offers a comprehensive, nuanced, and chronological account of the evolution of Buddhist religion in Japan from the sixth century to the present day. Traces each period of Japanese history to reveal the complex and often controversial histories of Japanese Buddhists and their unfolding narratives Examines relevant social, political, and transcultural contexts, and places an emphasis on Japanese Buddhist discourses and material culture Addresses the increasing competition between Buddhist, Shinto, and Neo-Confucian world-views through to the mid-nineteenth century Informed by the most recent research, including the latest Japanese and Western scholarship Illustrates the richness and complexity of Japanese Buddhism as a lived religion, offering readers a glimpse into the development of this complex and often misunderstood tradition

Heavenly Bridge follows the story of a karate practitioner as she navigated the culture and karate community of Okinawa. This autobiographical account of experiences with her teachers and mentors includes detailed documentation of karate corrections, received from all with whom she trained, and step-by-step instructions for each kata. From her journey emerged a new style and namesake for the book, Tiida-ryū, based on all that she learned throughout her martial art career. As an accompaniment, this book also contains summary sections on Ryūkyū Culture and Karate Masters.

A translation of an early book on Okinawan Karate. Reprints the Japanese book with an English translation and notes on the opposite page. Also includes a translation of The Ten Articles of Karate by Anko Itosu as well as a poem on Karate by Funakoshi Gichin.

Challenging timeworn conventions of karate training and revealing the original intent of classical kata—or forms—through detailed descriptions of self-defense applications known as bunkai, this is a crucial addition to any martial-arts library. Containing more than 265 photos, the book is divided into chapters that illuminate each of the ten classical kata of Goju-ryu. Drawing on more than forty years of experience in the martial arts, Giles Hopkins Sensei takes us on a journey into the Goju-ryu karate system, providing a principles-based method for analysis of kata practice. Arguing against the commonly held notion that kata techniques can have multiple interpretations, he insists that a kata cannot simply mean what the user wants it to mean, but contains specific martial principles that must be followed for it to work effectively. The step-by-step descriptions of the receiving, controlling or bridging, and finishing techniques contain in-depth analysis of commonly misunderstood aspects of kata. Each chapter concludes with an engaging anecdote from the author’s time in Okinawa, the birthplace of Goju-ryu, connecting it with the kata under discussion. Equally useful for the novice and for more advanced karate practitioners looking to deepen their understanding of kata and bunkai.

From the author of "Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body" comes a book that introduces martial arts practitioners to three "internal" arts and their subtle powers. Inner martial arts rely on internal energy for power rather than on muscles or tension. 15 photos.

Get ready for another exciting new series from best-selling manga creators, CLAMP (Chobits, Clover, Cardcaptor Sakura)! Chikahito Takamoto has always read about the beauty and mystique of Japan''s ancient capital city, Kyoto. Now, two years into high school, he''s finally visiting there for real. But wandering the grounds of Kyoto''s legendary Shinto shrine of Kita no Tenmangu, he chances upon a mystery that his guidebooks didn''t prepare him for - two handsome men and an attractive woman, all strangely-garbed, wielding powers...and fighting monsters!

The story describes the journey of one man through 30 years of martial arts training. From the first karate class with a newly arrived Japanese instructor in 1971, he goes on to study with eminent martial artist of today. Among them are, Toyotaro Miyazaki, the nationally rated competitor of the 60’s and 70’s described by Chuck Norris as one of his toughest opponents, and Ken Ogawa one of the toughest fighters to come out of Morio Higaonna’s Yoyogi dojo. The other instructors are Kiyoshi Yamazaki, trainer and choreographer for Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Conan movies and Joko Ninomiya, All Japan Kyokushin Champion and creator of the Sabaki Challenge tournament. Memorable moments depict meetings at the AAU Nationals with notables as Billy Blanks, Mr. Tae Bo, and Chuck Merriman. As a young student in the traditional Shotokan system, this narrative chronicles the transition to the eclectic modern training methods. This evolution the result of hard-earned lessons in real life encounters while working as a Miami Police Officer on the mid-night shift.

Now available for the first time in English, Tales of Okinawa's Great Masters, the late Shoshin Nagamine's groundbreaking work, recounts the legacy and life histories of Okinawa's greatest martial artists. In addition to profiles of the legendary tegumi wrestlers, Nagamine-sensei features many of the world's great karate masters, including the founder of the core styles from which modern karate sprang. Tales of Okinawa's Great Masters corrects historical inaccuracies surrounding Okinawan martial arts and brings alive the greatest of the great masters. In this seminal martial arts history and biography, Nagamine-sensei presents the martial legacy of the Okinawan people and, to complement and emphasize what is of greatest importance in these tales and life histories, concludes with detailed instructions for the practice of zazen (sitting meditation). Already a classic in the Japanese edition, Tales of Okinawa's Great Masters is a must-read for all karate and tegumi enthusiasts, practitioners and researchers alike.