Our school is the USA Training Headquarters for Shorin-Ryu Karate Butokukan Association in Okinawa, Japan under grandmaster Sokuichi Gibu, Hanshi/10th degree black belt. Our Chief Instructor is John Spence, who is also a well-known school teacher here in Williamsburg.

“All good teachers are experts at borrowing information and ideas. It is not that they do this in order to reinvent the wheel in instruction but teachers want a better way to present information so that it is meaningful to their students and recycles spirit in their own training. Mr. Clarke’s newest book Shin Gi Tai is an excellent resource for the karate students as well as the dedicated instructor.

Shin Gi Tai  is a great book for beginning and intermediate students as it provides guidance for success in the early stages of training. In traditional dojo, it is expected that students “be seen, not heard” with the answers to questions to follow in time. In the West, this becomes increasingly difficult for students as we are moving through generations that must ask questions. Mr. Clarke’s book is excellent for students who desire to learn more about their art and provides insight to help them become more successful through a proper mindset. There is also excellent examples of training concepts, bunkai and yakusoku drills that not only allow the student of Goju Ryu to see focus points of their training but all Okinawan karate students can see parallels with their own system. 

For senior students and instructors, it departs from the usual scaffolding of Okinawan Karate books that regurgitate the same history and pictures that so many authors use to tell inaccurate facts that have only been learned from the same books before them. Mr. Clarke’s historical and training precepts are drawn from his own personal and training experiences with the karate masters in Okinawa, not from martial hearsay. As always, reading his honest reflections on his experiences on Okinawa with his teachers have always provided a more meaningful reading experience and allows the reader to evaluate their own path and where they would like it to go.

Michael Clarke has always inspired those who read his books and “Shin Gi Tai” is another milestone that will continue to help readers enjoy what they love so much about Okinawan Karate.

John Spence

6^th Dan/Okinawa Shorin-Ryu Butokukan

United States Shibu-Cho

Available at Amazon.com

Okinawa Kama

All new Kama with specialty woods, blades from Okinawa-designed for the serious kobudo practitioner