Black belt reading list

Before Shodan:

Living the Martial Way, Forrest E. Morgan

Before Nidan:

Tao of Jeet Kune Do, Bruce Lee

This is Karate, Masutatsu Oyama

Okinawa Karate: Teachers, styles and secret techniques, Mark Bishop

Spirit of the Empty Hand, Stan Schmidt

Before Sandan

Judo Formal techniques A Complete guide to Kodokan Randori no Kata: Tadao Otaki and Donn F. Draeger

Classical Kata of Okinawan Karate, Pat McCarthy

Dynamic Aikido, Gozo Shioda

Moving Zen Karate as a way to Gentleness, C.W. Nicol

Before Yondan

Kama, Tekko, Tinbe and Surujin Ancient Martial Arts of the Ryukyu Islands, Motokatsu Inoue

Bo, Sai, Tonfa. Nunchaku Ancient Martial Arts of the ryukyu Islands, Motokatsu Inoue

Nunchaku and Sai Ancient Okinawan Martial Arts, Ryusho Sakagami

Black Medicine The Dark Art of Deather, N. Mashiro, Ph.D.

Before Renshi:

The Bible of Karate: Bubishi, Patrick McCarthy

The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi

The Wisdom of Kung Fu, Michael Minick

Purpose Driven Martial Art, Darrell Covington

Japanese Swordsmanship Technique and Practice, Gordon Warner and Donn F. Draeger

Before Godan:

Timeline of Karate History, Pre-History to 2000, by Hokama Tetsuhiro

 

Karate-do Kyohan, Gichin Funakoshi

Stick Fighting techniques of self defense, Masaaki Hatsumi and Quintin Chambers

Spike and Chain Japanese3 Fighting Arts, Charles V. Gruzanski

Iai The art of drawing the Sword, Darrell Craig

 

Before Rokudan:

Modern Bujutsu & Budo, Donn F. Draeger

Classical Bujutsu, DonDraeger

Classical Budo, Don Draeger

Shauntung Black Tiger, Tjoa Khek Kiong, Donn F. Draeger, and Quintin T.G. Chambers

The Secrets of Okinawan Karate Essence and Techniques, Kiyoshi Arakaki

Jo: Art of the Japanese Short Staff, Dave Lowry