Karate Science: Dynamic Movement
4.9
11
5
1
Paperback
USD
17.06
$17.06
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781594394591 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Ymaa Publication Center |
| Publication date: | 03/04/2017 |
| Series: | Martial Science Series |
| Pages: | 248 |
| Sales rank: | 519,928 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d) |
About the Author
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Karate Science: Dynamic Movement
4.9 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
11 reviews.
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Karate Science by J. D. Swanson, PHD
Dr. Swanson spells out in easy to understand and an applicable format. Even though I do not train in the author’s style of Shotokan, I found that I agreed with the science. It is amazing that if we teach our arts with the idea of coming from a scientific background, we find that our arts are more alike than different. I would hope that through science we would come together instead of splintering into factions. This book is required reading for my adult students.
By
John Bain
Kancho
Go Hou Kan Kenpo
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I have found this book to be a great addition to my karate library which would have been a great resource for me when writing my instructor training reports. This book is a great resource in that it provides a concise and clear explanation of the techniques and principles of Shotokan karate with descriptions of the body parts (including muscles and joints) needed to properly execute them. Additionally, the technical principles that are of utmost importance in executing the techniques are explained in a clear and understandable way. A couple of things I personally find notable are that the author covers Shiko dachi, virtually unused in Shotokan, and the excellent illustrations that clearly depict what is in the textual descriptions. I recommend this book for both students and instructors alike.
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I found this book to be a resource not unlike Masatoshi Nakayama’s Dynamic Karate, in that it is very dense and detail oriented. It explains how to use the body in karate and the feelings as you execute each move. I read this book on the commuter train and found myself putting it down every few minutes to examine how my elbow is connected to my arms or how clinching a fist effects different muscle groups and so forth. It is very transportive writing. This book succeeds at creating a body awareness of how to do karate. As a practitioner karate for almost 20 years and a relatively new teacher, this is a valuable resource to reference again and again. For instructors, this book is an invaluable for lesson planning while still remaining accessible for all levels of training. If you are a practitioner of traditional karate, I highly recommend this book.
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A thorough scientific walk through the core karate curriculum. I recommend it to new and experienced karate-ka.
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A great compliment to traditional training. The author provides a good foundation in physics, kinesiology and biomechanics that is ideal for the lay-person. He couples this scientific foundation with the concepts and techniques of traditional Karate to better explain the nuances of the art and to shed some light on details that may be missed or misunderstood. Applicable to Japanese, Okinawan as well as Korean styles, the information contained here is invaluable to traditional students of all levels.
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This probably is the first encyclopedia of martial art techniques and principles. The author took times to dissect each basic posture from the stances to the fighting aspects in clear and concise explanations. Even though this book is focused on Karate, the information can be applied to martial artists of other styles of fighting to have deeper understanding. It will help them to understand the "why" in each move.
I highly recommend this book.
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Karate Science is a great read for karate practitioners and those interested in biomechanics alike! The text is well written and easy to understand. Coupled with beautiful illustrations, the content in the book will be sure to help karate practitioners improve their techniques. Even those who don't practice karate can appreciate the well researched scientific explanations for why karate should be performed a certain way. This book truly helps you to see the science behind karate and just how approachable karate is.
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This is a book that any serious martial artist needs to read and read again. Instead of the usual outward positions and movements described in many karate books, the internal feel and bio-mechanics are presented with detailed descriptions, beautiful illustrations, and splashes of humor (who knew how often I said "diarrhea" in Japanese without realizing it?). Although Dr. Swanson is an advanced instructor in Shotokan, his Dan-level background in other martial arts shows through as he is able to connect the fundamental principles of physics and anatomy in a way that gets to the heart of all martial arts. No matter which art you are studying, physics and the body are universal, and this book shows you how to take full advantage of that fact.
The author is no keyboard budo-ka: I have trained with Dr. Swanson and the themes he addresses in "Karate Science" are always present in his seminars. Not only in his explanations, but also in his demonstrations... my ribs can attest that he is the real deal. By using the principles of momentum, energy transfer, efficient movement, and timing of muscle tension, the author is able both to explain in his book how to improve your martial arts and show in real life how different ways of contacting a person has different effect.
As a karate-ka with nearly 30 years of training, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about his or her martial arts. There are so many take-aways that one can continue refining the concepts contained in "Karate Science" for a lifetime.
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Class after class instructors direct you to punch this way, kick that way, stand like this, and block over here. Sometimes there are explanations on the physical dynamics and how energy is developed and delivered; but those explanations, in my experience, are rare. The lack of guidance on body mechanics in much of martial arts teaching can be remedied by the new 240 paperback "Karate Science: Dynamic Movement" produced by Dr. J.D. Swanson, Associate professor in the Department of Biology and Biomedical Sciences at Salve Regina University, Newport, RI, and fifth dan with the International Shotokan Karate Federation. This fine manual has in mind both the newest and the more seasoned karateka, and is helpfully enhanced by the artful illustrations of Sam Nigro.
In a nutshell "Karate Science" is the application of Swanson's scientific background in physiology and kinesiology to the four martial arts fundamentals of "posture, structural alignment, body mechanics, and practical functionality" (12). The author covers hitting surfaces, stances, thrusting, kicking, striking, blocking and breaking balance. He also spends considerable time explaining how joints and muscles work, maintaining balance, and ways to hit with force and power. Finally, he ties his subject down with instruction on the hip vibration, using body shift and rotation to generate power, breathing and how to manipulate reaction force.
The material in the book is fairly scientific in giving the whys and wherefores, but it is simple enough that is doesn't lose the non-technical reader. Since the author is trained in Shotokan, the nomenclature of techniques derives from that tradition, but there is enough information that those from a different martial art stream will still be able to comfortably track with the author. The margin space in the book is plentiful enough that a reader can make notes on the pages for later recall and reference. The one item that would strengthen the book is if there were more directional illustrations showing the precise technique being described.
All told, "Karate Science" is a manageable read for anyone who has taken up one of the martial arts. If the reader will take pen-in-hand, mark it and scratch out notes on the page edges, they will have a valuable, usable resource that they can profitably return to for years to come. The cash spent on obtaining a copy will be easily repaid in the help gained. I highly recommend this volume!
Thanks to YMAA for providing, upon my request, the free copy of “Karate Science” used for this review. The assessments are mine given without restrictions or requirements (as per Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255).
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Excellent reference guide for instructors, peer-coaches, or anyone with a good foundation in martial arts. Not for beginners and not a technique book. Though designed for the karateka, other martial artists (like me...) can get a lot of value from this book; you just have to work a bit to translate karate terminology into something more familiar. The author hits it on the head early when he notes that Western students have a lot of questions and need more details than they often get from traditional Eastern teaching methods. This book helps to fill that gap. The first section is a nice primer on karate fundamentals (all of which have parallels in other styles). The second section is a very good analysis of physiology and biomechanics that brings it all together. I'm sure there are areas where you could argue for more depth and detail, but this is already a very content rich survey and you'll wear out the pages rereading and referencing it.
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My review is in the context of being a practitioner of Shotokan karate for over 30 years, and a research biologist in the fields of neuroscience and physiology. This is superb book - a very valuable contribution to a scientific understanding of karate. The principles behind our traditional movements, and the correct biomechanics needed to optimize them for efficiency, power, and joint health are explained clearly and concisely. The illustrations are excellent and really help the reader understand what is being taught. This book will appeal to both beginners and experts - there's something here for everyone, both for intellectual stimulation and practical on-the-floor training. Overall, the application of critical analysis and modern knowledge about physics and physiology to traditional martial arts is necessary for our art to thrive and evolve. The author is an expert in this area, both an extremely talented practitioner and a scientist who has given these topics very deep attention. His own performance illustrates the remarkable benefits of training intelligently, with a focus on valid (not merely traditional) mechanical principles, all of which are laid out in this book. I recommend it most highly - if you care about understanding Karate and about improving your performance and that of your students, this book belongs on your shelf.
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