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I
've been fortunate enough to see a fair few Karate videos in my time
but there are few that compare to these. It is not that they are well
produced, filmed, have useful commentary, cover a whole range of topics
useful to all karateka and so on, they have all of these in abundance,
however their main asset is Kawasoe Sensei.
As
it says in the introduction to the tapes, the late Master Nakayama said
of Kawasoe Sensei: "through his mastery of kihon (basics) he has come
to a level few achieve. His technique inspires all who see it to strive
to the highest ideals of Shotokan Karate"- high praise indeed. He is
a slight man but his size and physical presence belay the power that
clearly flows from him as he performs karate of a breathtaking technical
level.
There
are four tapes in the series. The first is devoted to basics and should
be the first one that anyone buys (including all Dan grades !) For the
beginner you couldn't want a better introduction to karate. The first
is a structured guide through basic karate. The higher grade should
watch for all of the detail that is not pointed out in the commentary.
You can learn so much by watching Kawasoe Sensei just standing in back
stance for example or the way he steps in front stance. His back stance
is much shorter than that generally seen in Europe but is clearly very
correct. When he steps in front stance his heel does not leave the floor
at all, the movement is smooth and a delight to behold The method for
Gyaku zuki is interesting. The punch is clearly extremely powerful and
method of using pushing power from the back leg in addition to the hip
twist appears to be gaining in popularity as more people see videos
such as this.
Watching
Kawasoe Sensei's kicks is awe inspiring. There is no trick photography
here, he really does move that slowly placing the technique for you
to see exactly how it is done. Then at a stupendous speed to show you
how it should be performed.
Kihon
Kata (Taikyoku shodan) is presented and the method for moving is described
in detail. "Bend the front knee fully when moving forward", "when turning
behind make sure the hip on the back leg is pulled back before turning",
"many western students hurry their kata, each movement must be finished",
"there must be no body movement prior to the technique being performed".
Volume
Two focuses mainly on the Heian katas (Nidan to Godan). The main thing
to stand out here is the speed of the kata It is much slower than normally
seen in western dojos. Strictly speaking slower is not the correct way
to express it. The techniques are lightening fast but the pauses between
them are much greater. This makes the kata so much better. The student
has more time to think about what he is doing. The kata looks much better
and more solid and more importantly it just feels right.
Tape
3 is for the more advanced student, at or close to brown belt level.
Again good kihon is emphasized but the student is encouraged to further
his study. Timing, balance and form are presented as one and the same.
Ushiro geri is introduced and kata Tekki Shodan and Bassai dai are covered
in detail.
You
will gasp and stare in wonder as you see Sensei Kawasoe perform ushiro
geri. I cannot say any more about this technique, you will just have
to buy the tapes to see what I am talking about. Jiyu ippon kumite essentials
are presented and Kawasoe Sensei is shown instructing a group of Dan
grades. This is very useful because Sensei picked them up on some standard
errors (scripted I'm sure) so that the viewer may learn from them.
Tekki
and Bassai are performed slowly and then at correct speed. Then with
commentary outlining common mistakes. Again, if you really want to improve
your karate you should pay careful attention to everything that is said.
The
4th tape covers the brown belt katas in depth (Jion, Kanku dai, Empi
and Hangetsu). Also stretching is covered, watch and dream that you
may one day be that supple, have such balance and coordination. Along
with the stretching, basic points are covered emphasizing that senior
grades must practice their kihon diligently.
Like
the previous tape each kata is performed slowly and then at correct
speed. Sensei Kawasoe's movement is so crisp and precise. If you really
want to improve your karate whether you are a beginner or a senior dan
grade you should get these tapes as soon as possible and study them
in as much detail as you can and then come back and study them again.
The
advert for the videos says "The most outstanding series of instructional
karate videos ever made", it ain't Iying. Buy these videos as soon as
you can. It would be impossible not to learn a great deal from them.
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