Karate Kata Applications
Aidan Trimble, P.M.V. Morris, Karate Kata Applications
Aidan Trimble, P.M.V. Morris
Publisher: Hutchinson
Binding:Paperback Pages: 224
Publication Date: 1995-07-06
Edition: New edition
ISBN: 009180938X
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11 Customer Reviews, Average Rating See reviews.

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Synopsis
  • The one constant feature of karate training, at all levels, is the Kata. These are formal, technical sequences which are the basis of all proper practice. This volume covers the first 13 Shotokan Kata, with each move fully illustrated and accompanied by an investigation of the Kata's application.

Customer Reviews
  • 4 Stars As Good as it Gets by Terry Tozer - Reading, Bracknell, Brighton & Hove, UK
  • On having re-visited this book after my first reading of it nearly ten years ago, I was surprised to see how much detail & accuracy I discovered in it. A fairly large book & for the karate-ka initiate, probably the only one they will need for the first three years of their training.

    I'm so glad that I did not review it all those years ago, as I may not have done it the justice it deserves.

    It covers the five Heian Kata, Tekki Shodan, Bassai Dai & Kanku Dai, Empi, Sochin, Jion, Hangetsu & Nijushiho. Admittedly not all of the Brown Belt kata are here, but there are more than enough to get one though to black belt (Shodan) easily & almost ready for 2nd degree Nidan.

    Don't be put off by some the negative reviews listed here. Always be wary of those anonymous reviewers who don't have the dignity & gall to put their name against their slating remarks. The pictures are good, clear & well labelled.

    The fact that this book is still in print and has been going strong for more than 14 years must stand as some sort of testament to its usefulness & popularity. The very fact that the authors are still teaching is another.

    The thing that caught my eye straight away & therefore proved its authenticity to me was the opening moves of some of the basic kata. There are not many books purporting to show kata moves that describe them as accurately as this one does. Trimble & Morris obviously paid a lot of attention to detail in the laying out the pictures for the kata. Take the first move of Heian Shodan e.g., the first picture shows Trimble looking to the left, in the next picture he is focusing his fists & arms & stepping out to the left & rear, finally in the next frame he correctly performs the downward block to the left & rotates the hips in a properly formed front stance. With all due sincere respect to the late Nakayama Sensei, this detail is omitted in his Best Karate: Heian, Tekki. Vol 5 (Best Karate) series of books.

    The kata applications (bunkai) are more advanced than any other I have seen in any other book & sadly there are not many books that show bunkai. To qualify that remark, I have every book there is on Shotokan Karate!

    I sincerely believe that you won't be disappointed with this book, unlike some other titles I could mention, you'll only need this one book to get you through to Black Belt for kata.

    It does not show any kihon or kumite, but then, you should be learning & practicing this down at your local dojo - shouldn't you!?
  • 0 people found this review helpful.
  • 2 Stars not very much about bunkai by  -
  • The book is filled with step-by-step walktroughs of the katas. Every kata begin with a good and thorough steptrough, then follows one or two applications for a few choosen techniques in the kata, and then a second steptrough with smaller pictures. And then on to the next kata.
    But the layout is very good, and the pictures first rate.

    Unfortunaly, what little bunkai (or applications to use english) there is, is also very unconvincing and unrealistic to say the least.

    I have heard that this book was written while the author was still a competitor (and competitors generaly dont have time to study what wont score them points in a competition -like applications), and that he since then has started to research deeper into kata and application. I hope so, because this book is close to a lowpoint in application presentation.

    I give it two stars, but that is because it is a good book if you need a steptrough of the katas.
    The bunkai part, which is why I originaly bought the book, only deserves a single star.

    To sum it up:
    If you are looking for a book that will introduce you to the world of kata applications. Keep looking -this is not it. If you need a guide to remember your katas, this book might be useful.

  • 10 people found this review helpful.
  • 3 Stars Supericial bunkai but nice photos by M. Broomfield - Essex, UK
  • If you were hoping to discover the deeper, hidden or historical intent of these kata, forget it - it's clear that the authors are just making it up as they go along! They have no more clue about the bunkai of these kata than any intermediate level student. They offer a few suggestions, but that's all they are, and at times there are glaring inconsistencies between their versions and the cryptic nature of the moves themselves - the opening moves of kanku dai for instance.

    However, as a photographic guide to learning the kata, this is as good a book as any I've ever seen with hundreds of clear and generally understandable photos.

  • 11 people found this review helpful.
  • 4 Stars Karate Kata Applications by Vince Morris and Aidan Trimble by  -
  • I have been been a karate-ka for an excess of 10 years on and off and now as Sempi find this book very useful not only to myself but also students.
    The student must have some understanding of kata to get the most out of this book as there are no explinations of the flow between one technique and another. Having said that if you have grasped the basics of kata and are wanting to move forward then this book is almost semnal text! I have returned to this book regularly and can always find inspiration from the well layed out kata.
    I hope you get as much out of this book as I do
  • 7 people found this review helpful.
  • 5 Stars A helpful book for all shotokan karate students by  -
  • This book is useful for all age and ability students of shotokan karate. Although no book can take the place of regular training sessions with a sensei, books such as this can be extremely useful when practising at home. This book has clear black and white photographs throughout and shows not only the complete kata but the applications and tecniques for each. It also has a short history of each kata.
  • 3 people found this review helpful.