Complete Shotokan Karate is actually two books in one: a thorough history of Japanese karate in Asia and the United States, and an instructional manual for students of the Shotokan method. Part One outlines the history of karate from its probable origins in India and its transmission from China through Okinawa to Japan. Part Two, profusely illustrated with over 600 clear, black and white photographs and 20 line drawings, outlines instruction for kumite (sparring drills), as well as nine kata (forms), two of which, sochin and nijushiho, are rarely seen in print in English.