Customer Rating: 
Summary: A book that every Goju Blackbelt should know ....
Comment: This is a book that I show to all my blackbelts, a must read book. This is a book I show them of what "not to do". I am sure if you are a traditional Goju Ryu, you will find the basics and katas are full of mistakes and faults. I used this book to ask my students taking blackbelt test of "Tell me what is wrong with this Sanchin Kata"? The very fundamental concept of elbow never leaves the body is not even followed. Looking at the Sanchin kata, as a Goju practitioner, I am embarrassed. Don't waste your money on this book, or the second volume. Spend it on a solid Goju Master like Morio Higaonna instead. If you learn your form from this book, you are NOT learning Goju.
Customer Rating:
Summary: No-nonsense Affordable guide to Goju Ryu Karate Do
Comment: Author Don Warrener's first book specifically about Goju Ryu Karate-do focuses mainly upon kata. Illustrated are the five basic kata (forms) unique to Gogen Yamaguchi's line of Goju-Ryu Karate-do (Taikyoku 1-5), as well as the first 10 kata found in all traditional Goju Ryu schools: Gekisai Dai Ichi, Gekisai Dai Ni, Sanchin, Tensho, Saifa, Seiunchin, Sanseirui, Shisochin, Seisan, and Seipai. This takes the practitioner to about the 2nd or 3rd dan black belt level, depending upon your school of practice. Some of Warrener's kata renditions differ somewhat from those of "orthodox" Goju schools--for instance, the ending on Saifa shown in this book includes a technique I haven't seen practiced by other Yamaguchi-line students (see page 144). Nevertheless, I appreciate the fact that this volume doesn't try to drown the reader in basic drill after basic drill to the point of monotony and questionable usefullness.Includes a chapter on Goju Ryu Karate founder Miyagi Chojun's tenents of Goju Ryu, and a section on history describing the development of Goju from Miyagi's early days with Master Higashionna to Yamaguchi's study of Goju which commenced during Miyagi's trip to Japan, and basic techniques (basics coverage is minimal--this volume assumes the student is receiving some sort of person-to-person instruction). There is even a photo of Warrener with Gogen Yamaguchi, and famed Canadian Sifu Frank Lee.
While this volume in my opinion doesn't approach the technical detail of Morio Higaonna's precise four volume "Traditional Karate-Do: Okinawan Goju Ryu" (I haven't found any books on Karate which have!), it is the most inclusive of the lower-priced guides on this style. Warrener's succeeding book, "Advanced Traditional Goju Ryu Karate" follows up where this one leaves off. Warrener was a well-known kata and kumite competitor during the 1960's and '70s. He originally learned Goju Ryu Karate from Bob Dalgleish, and later advanced under the guidance of karate men such as Richard Kim and Morio Higaonna.
