A Goju Ryu Guidebook

<P>A Goju Ryu Guidebook: The Kogen Kan Manual for Karate gives the reader a tool to navigate the history exercises equipment techniques kata (forms) and kumite (sparring) of Okinawan Goju Ryu Karatedo. The purpose of this guidebook is to serve as a training aid in furthering the development of karate students and instructors from the Kogen Kan specifically and all karate students generally; however if it helps only one person then I will consider it a success.</P><P>Please keep in mind that much of this information is in notation form and may only make sense with proper instruction. This guidebook is only a tool to help in the retention of instruction and is not a substitute for it. Also please keep in mind that although others have assisted with this guidebook all errors are my own. This guidebook is formatted in such a way as to be the beginnings of a filing and retrieval system. As each student collects more information they can organize it by adding it to the notes area of the respective sections. It is hoped that all students will research collect and share material about karate. It is this type of systematic approach that brings science to the art.</P><P>It is also written so that a lesson plan can be developed quickly by choosing one or more activities from several sections. If more details are needed while teaching they can quickly referenced in the rest of the manual. Each chapter is given a table of contents to further hasten referencing. It has a spiral coil binding so it will lay flat for easy viewing during training. Large font also helps in referencing the information from a distance.</P><P>Much of this guidebook is written in Japanese. This is done for two reasons: first it is important to learn Japanese as it will help standardize everyone's martial arts training; and secondly this will help keep this information in the purview of the serious. It is a barrier which will hopefully weed out some who may not use the martial arts for purposes which they were intended namely the protection of self and others. </P><P>Thank you for reading this guidebook.</P><P>Michael P. Cogan MSE</P><P> </P>