Books By Ed Parker

[Casey_Sutherland]

I am very interested in the book "Secrets of Chinese Karate" For those of you who have read this book, how important is it in regards to the EPAK system? What aspectis of "traditional" karate does is analyze? Does it hold as important as the Infinite Insight series?

 

[Bode]

Secrets of Chinese Karate is a great book for anyone who is interested in martial arts. Though the book has the word "Karate" it is hardly a book about Japanese self defense, rather it is about Kung Fu (Gung Fu). Karate was a more commercial term so I can only imagine why the title was chosen over "Secrets of Chinese Kung Fu."

The book is a short read. Some history and opinions Mr. Parker had about the state of teachers and the Martial Arts. (Very accurate oppinions).
The merit of the book comes from the explanation of strikes, stances, kicks, etc... The book makes you realize how heavily influenced Kenpo is by the Chinese Arts. The beauty of ANY art is how interconnected they have all become. You can see the cultural influence. Mr. Parker's knowledge was built on a great foundation that went back thousands of years. "Secrets" simply takes prior knowledge (pre-Parker) and summarizes it for Americans who didn't (or still don't) have access.
I highly recommend it for any Martial Artist.