“The Shōtōkan Stylistic System”
This book focuses on the history of the Karate kata is not only a valuable guide for the Shōtōkan, but also for the styles Shōtōkai, Wadō-ryū, Shitō-ryū, Shōrin-ryū, and partly for the Gōju-ryū.
This text, full of useful information and of the result of an investigation lasting almost 20 years, reveals the original names, the remote origins and main characteristics of many Karate kata developed in Okinawa in addition to the historical and iconographic significance of the Chinese Martial Arts from which they come.
Believed by some experts a verutable encyclopedia, this volume is the first successful theoretical and technical support for those who must submit a dissertation on the occasion of the qualifying exams for Trainer, Instructor or Karate Master regardless of the federation of belonging.
Index
SPECIFICATIONS
over 800 images color
over 20 graphs including the original lineages of kata
2 synoptic table (all the kata Shōtōkan and Shitō-ryū)
5 appendices
2 glossaries
CONTENTS
hardcover
pages: 620
paper: matte coated 115 gr (4 oz)
size: 30 x 23 cm (11 x 9 in)
weight: 2,5 kg (5,5 lb)
Foreword of the Maestro Paolo Bolaffio
Kata investigated in this book
All Karate kata listed below were the subject of an in-depth study, so as to create an entire chapter for each of them and for the first time gathered in a single book (names changed from Gichin Funakoshi are in parentheses):
Always inside of the dōjō Shōtōkan, apart from the Karate kata, some Kobudō kata were studied, and those coded and presented in this volume are:
Chinese figthing styles connected to the Shōtōkan kata described in this book:
Once having found the original name and investigated the origins of many Karate kata citied, I discovered from which Chinese boxing methods they originated, and then I summarized the main features of the following styles (the original name is in parentheses):
Special Investigation:
To better understand the historical context in which these Chinese fighting styles transformed into the current Karate kata, I added a special historical-philosophical section, performed a study on the symbolism of these styles and provided an extensive list of the kata version investigated.
Therefore, to build a solid bridge between the kata of Japanese Karate and the tàolù of Chinese Wǔshù from which they originate, I connected the cited kata with the following topics:
