# Reading material on ashihara karate?



## Jakob Sievers (Oct 24, 2019)

Hi there

I recently took up Ashihara karate and while I enjoy the lessons I also would like to understand some of these things and practice them at home. I find the lessons to be a torrent of new information and I'd love to be able to do a bit more homework both in terms of understanding the japanese terms and practicing kata etc. 

But I find it difficult to locate any reading material on ashihara karate. Most of what I can find seems to be related to other branches and so I wonder: 
Do you have any recommendations for such learning material which would also be useful to a rookie ashihara karate trainee? It is not clear to me whether there is any overlap between, say, the kata of shotokan and ashihara for instance, and whether books on shotokan would benefit me or just add to the confusion of new inputs 

Thanks in advance! 
Jakob


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## Flying Crane (Oct 24, 2019)

Hi Jakob,

I am going to recommend that you stick with the lessons you are getting from your instructor.  Stick to the pace at which he is teaching you and don’t try to work ahead by using books or videos.  Those things can be useful supplemental materials, but probably are more useful later on after you have developed a solid foundation.  Also, not all materials will be appropriate because there can be differences in lineages that change the material, even within the same system.  Consistency is important.

Instead, take notes on what you learn in each lesson, and work on that material at home, between lessons.  That will give you the most solid approach and best way to progress.  If you need to, ask your instructor to give you some guidance on how to approach your practice at home.


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## Jakob Sievers (Oct 24, 2019)

Flying Crane said:


> Hi Jakob,
> 
> I am going to recommend that you stick with the lessons you are getting from your instructor.  Stick to the pace at which he is teaching you and don’t try to work ahead by using books or videos.  Those things can be useful supplemental materials, but probably are more useful later on after you have developed a solid foundation.  Also, not all materials will be appropriate because there can be differences in lineages that change the material, even within the same system.  Consistency is important.
> 
> Instead, take notes on what you learn in each lesson, and work on that material at home, between lessons.  That will give you the most solid approach and best way to progress.  If you need to, ask your instructor to give you some guidance on how to approach your practice at home.


Yeah you are probably right. I think I will try to ask my instructor for recommendations that will fit with his program  
Thanks for your advice!


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## JR 137 (Oct 25, 2019)

Jakob Sievers said:


> Yeah you are probably right. I think I will try to ask my instructor for recommendations that will fit with his program
> Thanks for your advice!


That’s the way to go. Ask your instructor what to work on at home rather than trying to practice stuff you read in books and/or see in videos. 

As far as stuff from other systems like Shotokan, there is very little overlap. Ashihara doesn’t do traditional kata that I know of; rather, they do kata that was developed by Ashihara himself. His kata are pretty intriguing, looking more like shadow kickboxing than the typical traditional kata.

Ashihara is rooted in Kyokushin karate, as Ashihara was a top Kyokushin instructor when he left to go out on his own. His teaching and fighting credentials were impeccable. He was truly a legend in the knockdown karate world. I have no personal experience with his it due to there not being any Ashihara schools anywhere near me. If there was, I’d definitely check it out. 

There might be a biographical book or two on Hideyuki Ashihara out there. Amazon is probably your best bet to search. Your teacher will be the best resource to point you in the right direction for stuff like that and for what you should practice.


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## Jakob Sievers (Oct 25, 2019)

JR 137 said:


> That’s the way to go. Ask your instructor what to work on at home rather than trying to practice stuff you read in books and/or see in videos.
> 
> As far as stuff from other systems like Shotokan, there is very little overlap. Ashihara doesn’t do traditional kata that I know of; rather, they do kata that was developed by Ashihara himself. His kata are pretty intriguing, looking more like shadow kickboxing than the typical traditional kata.
> 
> ...


Thank you for your thoughts. I guess the challenge for me in general is that I am very "cerebral" and tend to devour books on stuff to learn. It is an interesting (albeit very challenging) change of pace to learn Karate for sure. I'll have a chat with my instructor 
Thanks again


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