Masutatsu Oyama

Originally published in Japan as What Is Karate?

The authoritative, illustrated guide by world-famous karate champion and teacher Masutatsu Oyama.

Masatatsu Oyama was born in Korea in 1923 and came to Japan in 1938. He first mastered Kodokan judo, then took kup karate, in which he progressed so rapidly that at seventeen he was a second dan (grade) and at twenty-two, fourth dan. In 1947 Oyama won the All-Japan Karate Championship and then retired to teh mountains where he lived alone practicing strict physical and psychological discipline. He came to the United States in 1952 to represent the karate world of Japan. While here he demonstrated the astounding power of karate to thousnds of people in exhibitions all over the country.

Contents

Preface
Foreword
Photographic Prelude
Part I Basics
1 Introduction
Ancient combat technques in the west
Combat technques in ancient India
Chnese Fithging techniques
Karate and Resistance movements
Okinawa-te
Japanese Jujutsu
2 Karate Weapons
Principle Weapons: Hands
Forefist; Inverted fist; Inner knife hand; Palm Heel; Wrist; thumb one-finger fist; Spear hand; Chicken' beak; Half-clenched fist; Elbow
Principle Weapons: Feet
Knife foot; Instep; Heel; Knee; Ball of the foot
Principle Weapons: Head
Head thrust
3. Thrusts
Forefist middle thrust
Right-left inverted strike
Forefist strike to the chin
Forefist roundhouse strike
Front inverted strike
Knife-hand strike to the face
Inverted-fist strike to the spleen
Upper elbow strike
Knife-hand strike to the collarbone
Rising elbow strike
Two-hand thrust
Chinese thrusting methods-double-arm upward thrust; Upper thurst; Parrying thurst; Forward thrust
4 Kicks
Front kick
Groin kick
Knee kick
Side kick
Side high kick
Ankle kick
Roundhouse kick
Roundhouse kick to the neck
Back kick
Heel kick
Jumping front kick
5 Blocks
Upper block
Middle outside block
Middle inside block
Lower parry
Palm-heel block
Cross block
Thigh block
6 Stances and breathing
Stance
Froward leaning stance
Back leaning stance
Sumo stance
Straddle stance
Sanchin stance
Cat stance
stable stance
Normal stance
Pigeon-toe stance
Open-toes stance
Parallel stance
Breathng-Ibuki; Nogare I; Nogare II; Nogare I and Nogare II
7 Daily training methods
Preparatory exercises-wrist exercisesp stomach exerscise; ankle exerscise; crotch stratch; finger joints exercise
Thrusts and kicks training
a Forefist; Dry-run thrust training; Padded-board training; sandbag training; punching-ball training
b Inverted fist-dry-run thrust training; padded-board training
c Knife hand-ddry-run thrust training; Padded-board training; sandbag training
d fist edge-straw-sheaf training
e elbow-dry-run strike; staw-sheaf training; sandbag training
f spear hand-thrusting into beans
g kicking methods-dry-run kick; padded-board trainng; sandbag training; punching-mit training
Part II Formal exercises
8 Formal exercises-Pinan II, III, IV; Yantsu; Pinan V; Saiha
9 Basic formal practice fighting
Basic formal practice fighting
Free-style practice fight postures-two-hand position; knife-hand two-hand position; double-layer two-hand position; two-hand swing position; spear-hand two-hand position
Part III Applications
10 Self-Defense techniques
Protection against a knife
Protection against a pistol
Other attitudes and positions
Self-Defense for women
Part IV Appendix
11 New directions in karate
Into the supernatural
Preserving the spirit of the martial arts
Unification of Karate schools
Women and karate
New match methods Asian combat techniques
Author's note
Index… (mer)

The world's greatest karate master reveals his philosophy and techniques for practicing one of the world's greatest martial arts!

Over 1,300 photos break down each movement and exercise, and the Mas Oyama himself describes every important aspect of karate-from the basic elements up through set combinations and sparring.

There's a technique to build strength, control, precision, and agility in every part of your body...

Make different types of fists, as well as hand-swords.
Try out preliminary exercises for the wrist, Achilles tendon, knees, and hips: get preparations for the roundhouse block and lunge kick; and perfect 16 different stances.
Master defensive moves and vary the fundamental techniques-lunges, thrusts, blocks, and fighting blows-by altering your position.
Become expert at the kata, karate's set combinations.
Get ready to do free sparring, or kumite, with five preparatory stances.
Sharpen your combat skills.
Train yourself on the discipline, focus,and force to do tameshiwari, the art of breaking wood and other matreials with your fist.

Advice n everyday techniques for fitness, special training exercises, and competiton karate will help you reach your pinnacle of strength!

Contents

Foreword
1 Fundamentals of karate
The hand and arm as weapons
1 Seiken (normal fist)
2 Uraken (back fist)
3 Tegatana (handsword)
4 Segatana (reverse handsword)
5 Nukite (piercing hand)
6 Variation of nukite
7 Ippon-nukite (one-finger piercing hand)
8 Nihn-nukite (two-finger piercing hand)
9 Keiko (chicken beak fist)
10 Oyayubi-ippon-ken (thumb fist)
11 Hitosashiyubii-ippon-ken (forefinger fist)
12 Nakayubi-ippon-ken (middle-finger fist)
13 Tettsui (iron hammer fist)
14 Shotei (palm heel thrust)
15 Toho (sword peak hand)
16 Heiken (flat fist)
17 Koken (arc fist)
18 Hiji (elbow)
19 Kote (forearm)
20 Additional upper body weapons
The leg as a weapon
1 Ashigatana (footsword)
2 Naka-ashi (ball of the foot)
3 Seashi (instep)
4 Soko-ashi (arch)
5 Kakato (heel)
6 Hiza-geri (knee kick)
Preliminary exercises
1 Wrist exercises
2 Exercise for teh aachilles tendon
3 Knee exercise
4 Heel and ankel exercise
5 Toe exercise
6 Hip exercise
7 Side exercise for roundhouse block
8 back exercise for roundhouse block
9 Push-ups
10 Leg-stetching exercise
11 Neck exercise
12 Back stratching exercise
13 Knee-bend exercise
14 Flexibility exercise
16 Chest-to-feet exercise
17 Shotei-zuke (hip exercise)
Stances
1 Heisoku-tachi (blocked foot stance)
2 Musubi-tachi (open foot stance
3 Heiko-tachi (parallel foot stance)
4 Zenkutsu-tachi (forward stance)
5 Kokutsu-tachi (back stance)
6 Fudo-tachi (ready stance)
7 Shiko-tachi (Sumo stance)
8 Kiba-tachi (horse stance)
9 Sansen-tachi (fighting stance)
10 Tsuru-ashi-tachi (crane stance)
11 Naka-hachiji-tachi (inner figure 8 stance)
12 Soto-hachiji-tachi (outer figure 8 stance)
13 Kake-ashi-tachi (hooked foot stance)
14 Futa-ashi-tachi (two-legged stance)
15 Neko-ashi-tachi (cat stance)
16 Shumoku-tachi or Tokboku-tachi (T-shaped stance)
Uke (Defense)
1 Defense against hand attacks
2 Defense against leg attacks
3 Applkying blockking techniques
2 Applications of fkundamental techniques
Oi-tsuki (Lunge punch)
1 Chudan-oi-tsuki (middle body lunge punch)
2 Turn after Chudan-oi-tsuki (middle body lunge punch)
3 Chudan-gyaku-oi-tsuki (middle body lunge punch from the reverse position)
4 Jodan-oi-gyaku-tsuki (upper body lunge punch from the reverse position)
5 Chudan-soto-uke (middle body block from the outside)
6 Chudan-gyaku-soto-uke (middle body block from the outside from teh revrse position)
7 Jodan-uke (upper body block)
8 Jodan-gyaku-uke (upper body block from teh reverse position)
9 Zenkutsu-hiji-age-uchi (forward elbow upper thrust)
10 Zenkutsu-gyaku-hiji-age-uchi (forward elbow upper thrust from the reverse position)
11 Hiji-soto-uchi (elbow thrust from the outside)
12 Hiji-gyaku-soto-uchi (elbow thrust from the outside from the reverse position)
13 Sansen-tsuki (fighting blow)
14 Sansen-gyaku-tsuki (fighting blow from the reverse position)
15 Turn afer Sansen-tsuki (fighting blow)
16 Tegatana-uke (handsword block)
17 Turn after Tegatana-uke (handsword block)
18 Shotei-uke (palm heel block)
19 Sotei-gyaku-uke (palm heel block from the reverse position)
20 Segatana-uke (reverse handsword block)
21 Koken-uke (arc fist block)
22 Kaiten-jun-tsuki (turn and thrust)
Oi-geri (Lunge kick)
1 Oi-mai-geri (front lunge kick)
2 Oi-mai-geri-age (front lunge upper kick)
3 Oi-yoko-geri-age (side lunge upper lick)
4 Oi-mawashi-geri (roundhouse lunge kick)
5 Oi-ashigatana (lnge footsword)
Breathing
1Ibuki
2 Front breathing
3 Back breathing
The point and circle
Mawashi-uke (Roundhouse block)
1 MIgi-mawashi-uke (right roundhouse block)
2 Hidari-mawashi-uke (left roundhouse block)
Enkei-gyaku-tsuki (Reverse thrust in a circular motion)
1 Hidari-enkei-gyaku-tsuki (left reverse thrust in a circular motion)
2 Migi-enkei-gyaku-tsuki (right reverse thrust in a circular motion)
Tegatana-uke (Handssword block)
1 Migi-tagatana-uke (right handsword block)
2 Hidari-tagatana-uke (left handsword block)
Rhythm in karate
3. Kata
Taikyoku 1
Taikyoku 3
Heian 4
Heian 5
Saiha
4 Kumite (Sparring)
Preparatory techniques for Jiyu-kumite (Free sparring)
1 Preparatory stance using Morote (both hands)
2 Preparatory stance using Enshin (center of the circle or pinwheel)
3 Preparatory stance using Ryuhen (moving dragon stance)
4 Preparatory stance using Maeba (front part iof the wing)
5 Praparatory stance using Birin (tail of dragon stance)
Ma-ai (Time and space relationship)
So-ou-ma-ai (one step)
Yudo-ma-ai (one and a half steps)
Gendo-ma-ai (two steps)
Sanbon-kumite (three form sparring)
1 Sanbon-kumite using only the arms and hands
2 Sanbon-kumite using legs as attacking weapons
Ippon-kumite (One form sparring)
Jiyu-kumite (Free sparring)
5 Tamishiwari
The dynamics of tameshiwari
1 Materials used
2 Body contact areas
3 Power and striking angle
4 Speed
5 Methods
Practicing tameshiwari
1 Tameshiwari using wood boards
2 Tameshiwari using tiles
3 Tameshiwari using bricks
4 Tameshiwari using stones
5 Tameshiwari using cinder blocks
6 Special applications of karate techniques
Everday techniques for self-defense
1 While shaking hands
2 While walking
3 While sitting
4 Self-defense technques for a woman walking
5 Self-defense techniques using umbrellas
6 Knife vs. karate
7 Practicing everyday self-defense techniques wearing Gi (traditional karate costume)
Fitness exercises
Importance of a proper diet
Daily physical and mental health care
1 Basic exercises
2 Exercises using chairs
3 Exercises using a towel
Special training exercises
1 Exercises using makiwara (karate striking board)
2 Exercises using the sandbag
3 Exercises using baseball mitts
4 Booshi-geri (kicking off a hat) and tabacco-geri
5 exercise using the Shishaku-bo (1.2-metre-long (4-foot long) rod)
6 Exercises using barbells
7 Exercises using Sashi (stone weights)
8 Exercises using Tetsugeta (iron sandals)
9 The bridge
10 Exercises for the handstand
11 The mysterious and amazing body
12 Tumbling
7 The new karate: Modernizing shiai (Competition karate)
Tameshiwari scoring
Glossary
Index… (mer)

Masutatsu Oyama, who was bornin 1923, began studying kempo at the age of nine and had attained the first level of proficiency (shodan) by his second year in middle school. In 1928, while enrolled at the Yamanashi Youth Aviation Institiute, he began styding at the martial arts hall called the shotokan, which was headed by Gichin Funakoshi. At the age of seventeen, he had attained second dan. In 1941, he matriculated into Takushoku University and, in 1943, began studying with Sodeiju, a leading figure in the karate world of the time. By the age of twenty, he was fourth dan. In 1943, he volunteered for service in the perilous special attack corps of the Japanese army and was sent south, where the fighitng was taking place. But soon Wrolld War II ended.

In 1946, he isolated himself in a temple on Mount Minobu and trained in karate for a full year. After having taken first place in the initial postwar all-Japan championship tournament, he dediced to devote the rest of his life exclusively to this martial art. In 1948, he constructed a rude hut for himself on Mount Kiyozumi, in Chiba Prefecture, and once again trained strenuously, this time fro a year and eight months, during which he fed himself on grasses and berries. After coming down from the mountain, in 1949, in order to train in breaking horns from bulls, he took up residecne not far from a slaugher yard. During his stay there, he broke the horns from fifty bulls.

In 1952, together with Kokichi Endo, an outstanding judo expert, he traveled to the United States, where he gave 270 exhibition matches and appeared on television 7 times. Such things as his ability to break whiskey bottles with his bare hands surprised the Americans and earned him the nickname 'The Divine Fist.' He was challenged by two American professional boxers and one professional wrestler and beat them all. Since that time, he has traveled extensively teaching and giving lectures in America, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Today, as chairman of Kyokushin-kaikan, known the world over as the mightiest of all schools of karate, he operates branch training halls in fifty-five nations.

For the sake of trainees all over the world, in 1958, he wrote What Is Karate? (which has sold 120 thousand copies); in 1964, This Is Karate (which sold 60 thousand copies in 2 years, and in 1970 Advanced Karate.

In November, 1975, he sponsored the first World Open Karate Championship Tournament, which proved conclusively that karate is the most powerful of the martial arts and that Kyokushin-kai karate is the most powerful kind of karate.

Contents

Preface
Aspirations
Diligence
Courage
Success demands courtesy
Parents
Reasons for fighting
Karate and zen
Breath control and mind control
Love and marriage
Keeping money in its place
Liberation, the ultimate truth
Significance today… (mer)

The world's greatest karate master reveals his philosophy and techniques for practicing one of the wrold's greatest martial arts!

Over 1,300 photos break down each movement and exercise, and teh Mas Oyama himslef describes every important aspect of karate-from the basic elements up through sset combinations and sparring.

There's a technique to build strength, control, precision, and agility in every part of your body...

Make different types of fists, as well as hand-swords.
Try out preliminary exercises for the wrist, Achilles tendon, knees, and hips; get preparations for the roundhouse block and lunge kick; and perfect 16 different stances.
Master defensive moves and vary the fundamental techniques-lunges, thrusts, blocks, and fighing blows-by altering your position.
Become expert at the kata, karate's set combinations.
Get ready to do free sparring, or kuite, with five preparatory stances.
Sharpen your combat skills.
Train yourself on the discipline, focus, and force to do tameshiwari, the art of breaking wood and other materials with your fist.

Advice on everyday techniques for fitness, special training exercises, and competition karate will help you reach your pinnacle of strength!

Contents

Foreword
1 Fundamentals of karate
The hand and arm as weapons
1 seiken (normal fist)
2 Uraken (back fist)
3 Tegatana (handsword)
4 Segatana (reverse handsword)
5 Nukite (piercing hand)
6 Variation of nukite
7 Ippon-nukite (one-finger piercing hand)
8 Nihn-nukite (two-finger piercing hand)
9 Keiko (chicken beak fist)
10 Oyayubi-ippon-ken (thumb fist)
11 Hitosashiyubii-ippon-ken (forefinger fist)
12 Nakayubi-ippon-ken (middle-finger fist)
13 Tettsui (iron hammer fist)
14 Shotei (palm heel thrust)
15 Toho (sword peak hand)
16 Heiken (flat fist)
17 Koken (arc fist)
18 Hiji (elbow)
19 Kote (forearm)
20 Additional upper body weapons
The leg as a weapon
1 Ashigatana (footsword)
2 Naka-ashi (ball of the foot)
3 Seashi (instep)
4 Soko-ashi (arch)
5 Kakato (heel)
6 Hiza-geri (knee kick)
Preliminary exercises
1 Wrist exercises
2 Exercise for teh aachilles tendon
3 Knee exercise
4 Heel and ankel exercise
5 Toe exercise
6 Hip exercise
7 Side exercise for roundhouse block
8 back exercise for roundhouse block
9 Push-ups
10 Leg-stetching exercise
11 Neck exercise
12 Back stratching exercise
13 Knee-bend exercise
14 Flexibility exercise
16 Chest-to-feet exercise
17 Shotei-zuke (hip exercise)
Stances
1 Heisoku-tachi (blocked foot stance)
2 Musubi-tachi (open foot stance
3 Heiko-tachi (parallel foot stance)
4 Zenkutsu-tachi (forward stance)
5 Kokutsu-tachi (back stance)
6 Fudo-tachi (ready stance)
7 Shiko-tachi (Sumo stance)
8 Kiba-tachi (horse stance)
9 Sansen-tachi (fighting stance)
10 Tsuru-ashi-tachi (crane stance)
11 Naka-hachiji-tachi (inner figure 8 stance)
12 Soto-hachiji-tachi (outer figure 8 stance)
13 Kake-ashi-tachi (hooked foot stance)
14 Futa-ashi-tachi (two-legged stance)
15 Neko-ashi-tachi (cat stance)
16 Shumoku-tachi or Tokboku-tachi (T-shaped stance)
Uke (Defense)
1 Defense against hand attacks
2 Defense against leg attacks
3 Applkying blockking techniques
2 Applications of fkundamental techniques
Oi-tsuki (Lunge punch)
1 Chudan-oi-tsuki (middle body lunge punch)
2 Turn after Chudan-oi-tsuki (middle body lunge punch)
3 Chudan-gyaku-oi-tsuki (middle body lunge punch from the reverse position)
4 Jodan-oi-gyaku-tsuki (upper body lunge punch from the reverse position)
5 Chudan-soto-uke (middle body block from the outside)
6 Chudan-gyaku-soto-uke (middle body block from the outside from teh revrse position)
7 Jodan-uke (upper body block)
8 Jodan-gyaku-uke (upper body block from teh reverse position)
9 Zenkutsu-hiji-age-uchi (forward elbow upper thrust)
10 Zenkutsu-gyaku-hiji-age-uchi (forward elbow upper thrust from the reverse position)
11 Hiji-soto-uchi (elbow thrust from the outside)
12 Hiji-gyaku-soto-uchi (elbow thrust from the outside from the reverse position)
13 Sansen-tsuki (fighting blow)
14 Sansen-gyaku-tsuki (fighting blow from the reverse position)
15 Turn afer Sansen-tsuki (fighting blow)
16 Tegatana-uke (handsword block)
17 Turn after Tegatana-uke (handsword block)
18 Shotei-uke (palm heel block)
19 Sotei-gyaku-uke (palm heel block from the reverse position)
20 Segatana-uke (reverse handsword block)
21 Koken-uke (arc fist block)
22 Kaiten-jun-tsuki (turn and thrust)
Oi-geri (Lunge kick)
1 Oi-mai-geri (front lunge kick)
2 Oi-mai-geri-age (front lunge upper kick)
3 Oi-yoko-geri-age (side lunge upper lick)
4 Oi-mawashi-geri (roundhouse lunge kick)
5 Oi-ashigatana (lnge footsword)
Breathing
1Ibuki
2 Front breathing
3 Back breathing
The point and circle
Mawashi-uke (Roundhouse block)
1 MIgi-mawashi-uke (right roundhouse block)
2 Hidari-mawashi-uke (left roundhouse block)
Enkei-gyaku-tsuki (Reverse thrust in a circular motion)
1 Hidari-enkei-gyaku-tsuki (left reverse thrust in a circular motion)
2 Migi-enkei-gyaku-tsuki (right reverse thrust in a circular motion)
Tegatana-uke (Handssword block)
1 Migi-tagatana-uke (right handsword block)
2 Hidari-tagatana-uke (left handsword block)
Rhythm in karate
3. Kata
Taikyoku 1
Taikyoku 3
Heian 4
Heian 5
Saiha
4 Kumite (Sparring)
Preparatory techniques for Jiyu-kumite (Free sparring)
1 Preparatory stance using Morote (both hands)
2 Preparatory stance using Enshin (center of the circle or pinwheel)
3 Preparatory stance using Ryuhen (moving dragon stance)
4 Preparatory stance using Maeba (front part iof the wing)
5 Praparatory stance using Birin (tail of dragon stance)
Ma-ai (Time and space relationship)
So-ou-ma-ai (one step)
Yudo-ma-ai (one and a half steps)
Gendo-ma-ai (two steps)
Sanbon-kumite (three form sparring)
1 Sanbon-kumite using only the arms and hands
2 Sanbon-kumite using legs as attacking weapons
Ippon-kumite (One form sparring)
Jiyu-kumite (Free sparring)
5 Tamishiwari
The dynamics of tameshiwari
1 Materials used
2 Body contact areas
3 Power and striking angle
4 Speed
5 Methods
Practicing tameshiwari
1 Tameshiwari using wood boards
2 Tameshiwari using tiles
3 Tameshiwari using bricks
4 Temeshiwari using stones
5 Tameshiwari using cinder blocks
6 Special applications of karate techniques
Everday techniques for self-defense
1 While shaking hands
2 While walking
3 While sitting
4 Self-defense technques for a woman walking
5 Self-defense techniques using umbrellas
6 Knife vs. karate
7 Practicing everyday self-defense techniques wearing Gi (traditional karate costume)
Fitness exercises
Importance of a proper diet
Daily physical and mental health care
1 Basic exercises
2 Exercises using chairs
3 Exercises using a towel
Special training exercises
1 Exercises using makiwara (karate striking board)
2 Exercises using the sandbag
3 Exercises using baseball mitts
4 Booshi-geri (kicking off a hat) and tabacco-geri
5 exercise using the Shishaku-bo (1.2-metre-long (4-foot long) rod)
6 Exercises using barbells
7 Exercises using Sashi (stone weights)
8 Exercises using Tetsugeta (iron sandals)
9 The bridge
10 Exercises for the handstand
11 The mysterious and amazing body
12 Tumbling
7 The new karate: Modernizing shiai (Competition karate)
Tameshiwari scoring
Glossary
Index… (mer)