Before anything can go right, though, everything goes wrong. In the dojo. At his new Japanese home. Even in front of a cute university student named Haruka. Does Sonny have the fighting spirit needed to survive Japan?

He'd better. Because real karate isn't for pretenders.

This the first volume in a new series written by longtime Japan resident Richard Mosdell (5th dan JKF Wadokai) and illustrated by Genshi Kamobayashi (3rd dan Shotokan and Japan's leading karate-manga artist). The story is a realistic portrayal of the karate scene in Japan, and explores the challenges foreign karate athletes encounter when choosing a dojo, making Japanese friends, working in Japan, living in a Japanese homestay, and navigating the intricate network of Japanese karate organizations.

If you've ever dreamed about pursuing your goals — karate or otherwise — in Japan, this book is for you!

(Volume 1 includes a bonus section featuring a directory of karate organizations in Japan, a glossary of translations of the Japanese sound effects in the book, and an essay on coaching high school karate in Japan.)

160 pages. 5 inches by 7 inches. Paperback.