Four Shades of Black by Gavin Mulholland
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The Traditional Path to Building the Complete Fighter
The masters of old were not remiss when they catalogued their findings for contemporary masters to re-discover. Gavin Mulholland fully understands the realities |
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The secrets of karate are contained in the kata. So said the masters of old, but what did they mean? Today kata is often treated as a collection of unrelated techniques, a performance art or an enjoyable way to improve health and fitness. Yet the masters were clearly implying a complete and devastating martial system was contained in the kata. There must be more to kata than the martial-dance they have become. There is. Gavin Mulholland explores four kata from Goju Ryu, covering performance, bunkai and all the additional training needed to fulfill the spirit of each kata and bring it to life: padwork, partner-drills, sparring and conditioning exercises with modern and traditional equipment. The kata in Four Shades of Black build in a logical progression through all areas of combat, from destructive striking to trapping, escapes and no-holds-barred grappling - following the traditional path created by the masters of old to train the martial artist from beginner to black belt and beyond. |
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