George Alexander and Shorin Ryu

[bigfootsquatch]

Hi, what do you guy know about him? I've found some mixed feelings on other sites. I'm considering getting his mastering karate series, but don't want to buy a set of junk =D. How does his karate compare to others? Thanks everyone

 

[cstanley]

Alexander is probably not your best source. I enjoyed his book, "Okinawa: Island of Karate," but there are better sources than Alexander for Okinawan karate out there. A book everyone should have is Nagamine's, "The Essence of Okinawan Karate." His book, "Tales of the Great Okinawan Masters" is also good. Remember, books should only be supplementary. Training hard and regularly with a good sensei is how you learn.

 

[twendkata71]

I met Mr. Alexander a few years ago. He seems like a good enough guy. I have not seen his tapes, I do like his books. And Stanley is correct in that the Book by Nagamine is one of the best in my collection.

 

[stoneheart]

If you are a matsubayashi shorin-ryu guy, I recommend the DVD with all the matsubayashi kata perform by Eihachi Ota Sensei. Some of his students also recently published a kata book that is also well done. It contains some helpful hints on performing the kata and when paired up with Ota's DVD, you have a fine resource to help supplement your class training.

 

[Brandon Fisher]

I have met Hanshi Alexander and seen him perform kata and I think its really solid. his DVD's are informative but there are not chapters in them so it makes it hard to watch. I agree that there are better sources and agree on Nagamine's book I have it as well but Alexander's is not one of those thats not worth getting. I think they are quite good. His video on Hakutsuru with Ken Penland is good. But remember video and books only go so far training face to face with someone is the best option.

 

[kal]

Isn't he the same guy who released some DVDs claiming to teach Niten Ichi Ryu Kenjutsu?

 

[cstanley]

Isn't he the same guy who released some DVDs claiming to teach Niten Ichi Ryu Kenjutsu?

Yeah, he has also been sued for plagiarism. Just stick with his book, "Okinawa: Island of Karate." Alexander has some problems.

Another good book is by Mark Bishop, "Okinawan Karate." It is a fairly thorough history with a lot of direct quotes and conversations with some of the old guys and lots of lineage charts.

Morio Higaonna's history of Goju ryu is good, but Higaonna only cares about Goju.

 

[searcher]

Depending on style: Nagamine's book is great and I really enjoyed the "Best Karate" series. I love taking some of their forms to "add" to the ones I already practice. I have been kicking around getting Patrick McCarthy's book, but I am still undecided.

 

[Brandon Fisher]

Jon,
The best karate series was probably one of the best most detailed book series on any style of karate I have ever seen. I think its a must have for any shotokan stylist and any karate enthuiast of any style.

 

[chinto]

I met Mr. Alexander a few years ago. He seems like a good enough guy. I have not seen his tapes, I do like his books. And Stanley is correct in that the Book by Nagamine is one of the best in my collection.

I would sugest as far as history and overveiw of karate at least the book "Okinawan Karate" by Mark Bishop. I have it and it is very very dense in the amount of information on each and every page.

 

[chinto]

Yeah, he has also been sued for plagiarism. Just stick with his book, "Okinawa: Island of Karate." Alexander has some problems.

Another good book is by Mark Bishop, "Okinawan Karate." It is a fairly thorough history with a lot of direct quotes and conversations with some of the old guys and lots of lineage charts.

Morio Higaonna's history of Goju ryu is good, but Higaonna only cares about Goju.

yes have to agree.

 

[Victor Smith]

Works on Okinawan Karate of Note:

1.Funakoshi Ginchin’s 1922/1925 Karate Jutsu
2.Mabuni Kenwa’s various books in the 1930’s, demonstrating Sanchin, Seiunchin, Seiapi, and parts of the Busihi in two 1932/33 publications as well as Sochin Kata in Nakasone’s 1938 ‘Encyclopedia of Karate’
3.Mutsu’s ‘Karate Kempo’ in 1933, the most complete early karate text with ½ of the book showing the full range of karate applications. This book defined most of the kata later adopted by the JKA.
4. The Bubishi (McCarthy version, Penland/Alexander version, Habsetszer version in French and various Japanese versions)
5. English works:
a. Alexander –Okinawa Island of Karate
b. Bishop’s books on Okinawan Karate and Kobudo
c. John Sells – Unante and Unante II – the most authoritative work to date
6. Okinawan works:
a. Nagamine’s Book on his Matsubayshi Ryu
b. Nagamine’s ‘Tales of the Great Okinawan masters’
c. Shimabuku Ezio’s work on the stories of the older masters – liberally borrowed by Richard Kim (with no acknowledgemenet) in his ‘Weaponless Warriors’
7. There are literally dozens of other works of merit published in Japan and Okinawa over the past 7 decades.

The ultimate work is currently being prepared on Okinawa by the Senior Instructors preparing their own Encyclopedia of Okinawan Karate.

Note: this is a personal view of the available material.

Victor Smith
bushi no te isshinryu

 

[Chizikunbo]

I would sugest as far as history and overveiw of karate at least the book "Okinawan Karate" by Mark Bishop. I have it and it is very very dense in the amount of information on each and every page.

Yes, this book is simply one of the very best on the market in that regard. It has some very interesting pictures as well.
I would also highly recommend Ryu Te No Michi...it is by far, the best book on Okinawan Karate that IMHO has ever been published, it is by Seiyu Oyata, Taika...It used to run about $65 but now its down to around $40...I paid the $65 for my copy and would have paid twice that for it. The complexity and depth, and various levels that exist in this text make it worth reading time after time...www.ryu-te-supplies.com
--Josh