goran powell
  • PROFILE
  • LATEST
  • BOOKS
    • CHOJUN - A NOVEL
    • MATRYOSHKA
    • A SUDDEN DAWN
    • WAKING DRAGONS
    • EVERY WAKING MOMENT
  • PICS
  • LINKS
  • CONTACT

BOOKS

AWARD WINNING FICTION AND NON FICTION
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CHOJUN - KARATE FICTION

A typhoon brings the renowned karate master Chojun Miyagi into the life of young Kenichi Ota, who must prove himself before he can enter the master’s inner circle. As once-peaceful Okinawa prepares for war, master and student venture to China in search of the deepest meaning of karate.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the tides of war turn against Japan and an American invasion fleet approaches Okinawa. Kenichi is conscripted as a runner for the Japanese general staff and finds himself in the epicenter of the Battle of Okinawa. In the aftermath, he must fight again to rebuild the shattered hopes of his people and to preserve his master’s art of karate.
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Riveting… Very highly recommended!
Lawrence A. Kane

Remarkable, it’s that good!
Kris Wilder

Goran Powell has a marvelous way of capturing the tone of Asian storytelling
Loren W Christensen

Covers the relationship between student and Sensei beautifully
Nick Hughes

An exciting next-step in the evolution of how karate’s history is told
Mike Clarke

AWARDS


Shortlisted: Eric Hoffer Grand Award 2013
Silver: Historical Fiction, Benjamin Franklin, 2013
Bronze: eLit Awards 2013
Finalist: Book of the Year, ForeWord Magazine 2013
Finalist: International Book Award 2013​
AMAZON UK

MATRYOSHKA - COLD WAR THRILLER

The deadly arts of Soviet special forces are not lost, they have adapted to the new world order. Eva was once a soldier of the Cold War trained in seduction and espionage, a Matryoshka (Russian Doll). Today she is an art dealer in London but beneath the outer shell the Matryoshka is still at work.

When an operation goes wrong she is traced by a ghost from her past, her martial arts instructor Vasili Dimitriev. Dimitriev is hunting a traitor at large in Moscow. But the traitor has sent an Alpha team to silence them both. As British police and the CIA close in, Eva and Vasili must work together in the deadliest game of all, where trust is a weakness and love is a weapon.
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Spies, Soviets, London…fighting! Treat yourself, you will enjoy
Kris Wilder

The author’s knowledge of combat skills shines through
Gary Chamberlain

I can’t help feeling Goran must have lived (impossible) in all the cities and times he sets Matryoshka in to bring them to life the way he does
Stuart Williams
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The author’s intimate understanding of combat makes the scenes so vivid, it’s like watching a Hollywood action movie
Simon Clinch

The depth and intrigue of Homeland, and set with a Cold War background
​Tim Clark
 
An engrossing action thriller from cover to cover, I couldn’t put it down
Mike Thornton
AMAZON UK

A SUDDEN DAWN - THE JOURNEY OF BODHIDHARMA

The life of Bodhidharma has given rise to countless myths and legends, ‘A Sudden Dawn’ is one version of his story. Born to the warrior caste, he gives up a promising future as a soldier to become a monk and seek enlightenment. After many years of searching in vain, he becomes enlightened in a single moment. 

Bodhidharma accepts a mission to China to spread the Buddha's teachings. On the way he meets an unlikely disciple, a Chinese fugitive named Ko. Together they venture to Emperor’s palace in Nanjing and beyond to a temple in the mountains called Shaolin.  But there are powerful forces at work to destroy the Indian master, and Ko’s violent past catches up with him outside the temple gates, where a deadly reckoning takes place.
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The book martial artists have been waiting 2000 years for
Chris Crudelli 

Destined to become an epic tale of the warrior's journey
Patrick McCarthy

Inspirational, beautifully written, I loved it
Geoff Thompson 

Weaves fact and fiction to produce a powerhouse of a page turner
Iain Abernethy

You can feel the hot breath of battle on your neck and the cool
of the temple’s damp hallways on your legs

Kris Wilder  

As good as James Clavell’s Shogun
Lawrence Kane

Superbly crafted characters, surges with action
Loren W. Christensen

A delight to read, I was enthralled
Nick Hughes

Walk alongside one of mankind’s greatest legends, Bodhidharma
Gavin Mulholland
AMAZON UK
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AWARDS
Winner: USA Book News, Historical Fiction 2010 
Gold: eLit Awards 2011
Gold: IP LivingNow Awards 2011


WAKING DRAGONS - THE ULTIMATE TEST

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 thirty fighters, one after another, full contact, moving up the grades to face the strongest, most dangerous fighters last.

 Waking Dragons is a true account of Goran Powell's 30 Man Kumite and the lifetime of martial arts that led up to it. He covers the fitness training and mental preparations required for such a brutal test, talking openly of the conquest of fear and the spiritual growth that is at the heart of the traditional martial arts.
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It inspired me, and I know it will inspire you
Geoff Thompson

The author's journey is one in which we can find great wisdom
Lawrence Kane

Quite simply, this book is impossible to put down
Traditional Karate Magazine

One of those rare books you want to keep reading because it’s so good, 
but fear reaching the end because then it will be over
Richard Revell, Waterstones 



An exciting and tense read with lots of action  

Martial Arts Magazine



I only wish I'd written the damned thing myself
Nick Hughes

AMAZON UK

EVERY WAKING MOMENT

Since recording his own Thirty Man Kumite in his first book ‘Waking Dragons’ Goran has coached many fighters through DKK karate’s toughest test. Fighting as Fight Thirty at the end of the line, he also got a unique insight into the effectiveness of his methods.

​Every Waking Moment goes deep into the mental, physical and spiritual training required to face thirty hardened fighters, with chapters on advanced concepts like Chi, Yin, Yang and Tao, martial principles and strategy from The Art of War.

With a foreword by Gavin Mulholland and insights from successful fighters, Every Waking Moment reaches beyond the Thirty Man Kumite to all aspects of karate and life outside the dojo walls.
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 REVIEWS

I know of no other test that pushes people as far as the Thirty Man Kumite and I know of no other book that can prepare you to face such a test quite like this one.
Gavin Mulholland, Four Shades of Black

First you will realize that Goran Powell has taken the craft of writing and storytelling and made it art. This book is an easy read, engaging and utterly seamless.   And then it is not an easy read… realize that you will be challenged.
Kris Wilder, The Way of Kata
 
Exceeding the lofty standard set by Powell’s prior books, this is one of the finest tomes on karate available. Frankly it’s worth reading simply for the storytelling alone, but deep insight in to learning, teaching, and coaching karateka is invaluable regardless of what style you practice.
Lawrence A Kane, Dokkodo
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  • PROFILE
  • LATEST
  • BOOKS
    • CHOJUN - A NOVEL
    • MATRYOSHKA
    • A SUDDEN DAWN
    • WAKING DRAGONS
    • EVERY WAKING MOMENT
  • PICS
  • LINKS
  • CONTACT