Customer Rating: 
Summary: The original, and still one of the best books on Shorinjiryu
Comment: Hanshi Masayuki Kukan Hisataka wrote this book originally in 1976. It is a complete work covering the unique Shorinjiryu Kenkokan style of karatedo - an Okinawan/Chinese/Japanese hybrid martial art founded in 1945.The book contains full description of historical aspects, physical principles, techniques, kata, kumite, and weapons. It is a detailed work, with hundreds of pictures.
I think it is one of, if not the, outstanding books on karate. It still takes pride of place in my collection.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Understanding karate in it's entirety
Comment: There are so many different karate schools and texts on karate, a very popular oriental martial art, and so, it makes it difficult for the individual enthusiast to know what approach is best and which books to select. But the problem is simplified when the question is asked: "What must a karate system do?". The logical answer is that a karate system ought to offer a scientific analysis of standard techniques and clear, well-founded explanations of all the basic karate rules.Scientific Karatedo, by Masayuki Kukan Hisataka, provides exactly this kind of treatment in detailed scientific explanations, unlike anything ever published before. Furthermore, this book is more inclusive than other works on the subject. Including warm up exercises, basic techniques demonstrated in multi-photo sequences, prearranged forms, prearranged partner training, self defence, a special section on self defence for women, and it contains little known armed techniques.
In general, karate is interpreted as a way of combat involving no weapons. However, in the early stages of it's development, karate called for the conversion of simple articles of daily use and certain agricultural tools into weapons for the peasantry to employ in protective combat.
The immense amount of material contained in this text, makes this book essential to all people who want to understand karate in it's entirety.
