Chapter 23: There Librarian

Martial arts and karate students should begin the moment they step into the dojo, actually long before because people who are taking up this discipline should have a body of knowledge before they start their search. Don’t rely on what you see in the various social media sources because some of that falls into the category of, “False News or False Facts.” There are a few books I would recommend right off the top:

Marc MacYoung’s series on “Writing Violence” series 1, 2 & 3.

Marc MacYoung’s book, “In the Name of Self-Defense.”

*Chris Wilder and Lawrence Kane, “Sensei, Mentor, Teacher, Coach.” 

*Rory Miller and Tim Brown, “Leading the Way: Maximize Your Potential as a Martial Arts Instructor”

Rory Miller and Lawrence Kane, “Scaling Force”

Rory Miller, “Force Decisions”

Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder, "The Way of Kata: A Comprehensive Guide to Deciphering Martial Applications."

Kris Wilder, "The Way of Sanchin Kata: The Application of Power."

*Dave Lowry, "In the Dojo: A Guide to the Rituals and Etiquette of the Japanese Martial Arts."

Lawrence Kane, "Martial Arts Instruction: Applying Educational Theory and Communication Techniques in the Dojo."

*Tristan Sutrisno, Marc MacYoung and Dianna Gordon, "Becoming a Complete Martial Artist: Error Detection in Self Defense and the Martial Arts."

Miller, Rory Sgt. "Meditations of Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence"

Miller, Rory Sgt. "Facing Violence: Preparing for the Unexpected."

These will provide those seeking out a martial art dojo, these guys are leaders in various professional ways that include martial arts of many systems to include karate. I put a star at the beginning of the three I feel should be first read. All of them have critical information that will allow a perspective martial artists see behind the screen, to remove the smoke and mirrors and to asses and select that very place that will best suit their needs. Add in this books information, derived from all these other books and people and more, to ensure you get the best bang for your bucks. 

Let these be the first in your library and make sure you continue to seek out more books and other publications, both paper and electronic, to build that library over your entire career or life as a martial artist. One last thing, the reason I advocate building a library because the academic is critically important to learning, understanding, teaching (if you so choose), and applying the skills and knowledge not just in defense-protection but in life.