On here you’ll find various recommended books, articles, grading syllabuses and videos about Karate. All of the recommended material on this page is here to assist people in understanding the history, culture and principles of Karate.
Kata Videos
Please feel free to use the Kata videos as a training aid and refer to the grading syllabuses as and when you require.
Heian Shodan
Heian Nidan
Heian Sandan
Heian Yondan
Heian Godan
Tekki Shodan
Bassai Dai
Enpi
Jion
Hangetsu
Kanku Dai
Books and reference texts
Below are a selection of great books, click on the book cover to go to the Amazon page for the book.
Gichin Funakoshi – My Way of Life
The founder of Shotokan Karate’s autobiography. The book describes how Funakoshi came about Karate, how he trained and how he went on to change Karate and how Shotokan came about. It’s well worth a read, especially for those interested in the history of Karate.
Gichin Funakoshi – Karate-do Kyohan
This is Funakoshi’s master text Karate. This book has loads of information/photos about Karate and it’s techniques. The book also shows the Kata’s and describes the principles used in Karate.
Gichin Funakoshi – Karate’s 20 Guiding Principles
This book outlines 20 principles regarding Karate that can be applied in and out of the Dojo. Each principle is one of two sentences that are then elaborated on and explained, the most infamous of which is “there is no first strike in Karate.”
Hirokazu Kanazawa – Karate; The Complete Kata
This is a step-by-step guide of the Shotokan Kata’s demonstrated by Kanazawa. Kanazawa is arguably the most influential Karate-ka alive today and there is no one better to demostrate Kata. (See the videos below for Kanazawa performing Katas.)
Iain Abernethy – Bunkai Jutsu
This is Abernethy’s guide to Karate Bunkai (Kata application). Abernethy has written a few books about Karate that are all worth studying. Abernethy’s website (iainabernethy.com) is one of the best Karate resources on the web. See the links page for more information and check out Abernethy’s website.
Dave Lowry – The Karate Way; Discovering the Spirit of Practice
Lowry has written a few books on the Martial Ways of Japan and the culture/history that surrounds them. For those who want to understand the culture/history of Karate you need look no further than Lowry’s books.
Goran Powell – Chojun
A Karate novel about Okinawan Karate in the early 1900s. The book is about master Chojun Miyagi who was a real Karate teacher in Okinawa and was the inspiration for “Mr Miyagi” in the Karate Kid films. (One for the holiday.)
Mark Law – The Pyjama Game
Another one for the holiday. A book about a Law’s journey through Judo. Even though it’s not “Karate” it’s a really entertaining read and has lot’s of historical and cultural references that apply to Karate.
Jigaro Kano – Mind Over Muscle
Kano is the founder of Judo. This book describes the principles of Judo and the Martial Ways (Budo). The book also explores teaching and training methods both for the Martial Ways and life in general. Despite being written in the early 1900s it is still used by students and teachers to this day as a reference on self-development and teaching etc.
BUBISHI: THE CLASSIC MANUAL OF COMBAT
Treasured for centuries by karate’s top masters, the “Bubishi” is a classic Chinese work on philosophy, strategy, medicine, and technique as they relate to the martial arts.