Product Description

"In the third fight, I got caught in a clinch and made a half-hearted attempt at a throw, hoping to conserve my energy. I got thrown instead. This was going to be so much harder than I had imagined." "...I looked at the huge line of fighters still to come. It coiled around three sides of the mat, like some great white dragon waiting to devour me, and suddenly the task seemed impossible". The 30 Man Kumite is one of Karate's toughest tests, reserved for senior black belts with years of experience. One person fights a line up of 30 fighters, one after another, full contact, moving up the grades and facing the strongest, most dangerous fighters last. This is a true account of one man's 30 Man Kumite and the lifetime of Martial Arts that led to it. Charting the development of mind, body and spirit over many years, it offers a rare insight into the true purpose of the Martial Arts.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #106786 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 254 pages

Martial Arts Magazine, August 2007
'An exciting and tense read with lots of action and interest'

Review
"What I love about this book (apart from the fact that it is written beautifully - rare in a martial arts book) is the fact that it is about me. And it is about you. It is about all of us. Don't be fooled by the title of the book - this is about much more than match-fighting thirty fresh opponents, this is much more than looking into the belly of karate, this book is about facing the inner opponent, it is about going into the belly of fear itself... ...It inspired me, and I know it will inspire you."

Review
"On the surface, training to face 30 fighters, each one fresh, one after the other, in full contact combat might be viewed as a purely physical endeavour. Indeed most, if not all, who set out on this incredible journey view it this way, at least at first. It's also true that some complete the task simply on a physical level. However, the greater benefits of this unique test are readily available to those who choose to fully accept the challenge and immerse themselves totally in the task. Goran Powell is one such fighter and in this book, he has openly and skillfully articulated what others may have felt, but were unable to put into words."

Customer Reviews

Inspiring and thought-provoking
Goran Powell combines insight and authority born of years of experience with a down-to-earth and humorous style. I know there have been some reviews of this book by people who have themselves performed the Thirty Man Kumite - this is from the other end of the spectrum, from someone just a couple of years into that journey. The parts of the book I appreciated most were the reflections on how we learn - how periods of struggling with an idea, or drilling something without feeling comfortable with it, are interspersed with moments of enlightenment when it suddenly makes sense - and on the nature of fear.

Goran describes the fear he encountered at various points in his training, and explains how he accepted it and harnessed it as a positive force - with some interesting thoughts on how professional fighters have dealt with the same problem.

The book isn't just about the build-up to the ultimate challenge (after all, for most of his martial arts career he didn't know he would one day do the Thirty Man) but about all the challenges along the way, and that's something anyone can learn from whatever the specific nature of the challenges they face.

An "honest" martial arts book
I have been an avid collector of martial art books for many years and there are not too many that I would recommend. However, in my opinion, Goran Powell's work should be in every martial artist's library. This is not a "how-to-do-it" book, but a how to "feel" it one. Mr. Powell has pulled no punches with his honest appraisal of what some martial artists go through. His truthful approach has shown him to possess the martial virtue of humility. Well done!
Albie O'Connor

Not just a book for Martial Artists
What I really liked about this book was the author's honesty. His journey in the Martial Artists contains universal truths that will be familiar to us all. If you have a faced any kind of adversity in your life (real or imagined) the doubts and fears the author expresses so eloquently in this book will be familiar. His choice to confront these doubts and fears head on is truly inspiring. And it was a choice, he could have just as easily hidden from them (superficially it would have been the easier option) instead he chose to put himself in the `hard path' to self discovery.

One final thing this book is extremely well written, the author is a professional writer and it shows.