Shotokan Myths

This is the third edition of this work. Although there has been a lot of history and information published and written about Shotokan karate, in many cases, it is incomplete and sometimes inaccurate. It is the author's belief that valuable information should be passed down accurately and compiled in one place for easy reference. In this book, Shotokan Myths, the author has extensively assembled a plethora of information relating to the historical, philosophical, technical, and fundamental aspects of Shotokan karate. He gives straightforward answers to questions that anyone interested in the Japanese martial arts would like to know as well as more thoughtful and thought-provoking answers to questions that are more insightful. The material covered in this book is simple and straightforward enough for beginners to understand yet diverse and comprehensive enough for experienced martial artists to enjoy. The covered topics provoke all martial artists to think about what they know and challenge them to further rethink or explore their understanding to increase their knowledge. The author has trained with many Shotokan karate masters of old. They had a profound impact on his karate training, and he brings with him this living history. By sharing his thoughts and opinions in this book, he hopes to pass on an accurate history, his own experience, and the knowledge that he gained through his many years of training and teaching to the next generation of karate/martial arts practitioners. The author believes that to study karate is not to merely practice its physical movements but also to understand and respect its history and philosophy as well as to continuously challenge oneself mentally and intellectually. He does not expect you to agree with everything he says but to have an open mind and not accept everything at face value. He expects you to look at things from an informed point of view and make your own decisions.