Book: Total Aikido or Ultimate Aikido?

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[Quique]

I just began attending Aikido classes a few days ago. I believe having a book would help me to remember the Japanese names of the techniques I learn in the dojo, how they are performed, and to avoid common pitfalls.

After searching a bit, I'm undecided between Total Aikido by Gozo Shioda and Ultimate Aikido by Yoshimitsu Yamada.

Apart from being from different schools (Yoshinkan and Aikikai), how do these two books compare? Thanks.

[Ron Tisdale]

I can't answer how they compare, as I haven't read Yamada Sensei's book. If I were you though, I would pick the one closest to the style studied in the dojo where I train.

Best,
Ron (or better yet, ask your teacher what they would recommend...I'm sure they'd give a more appropriate recommendation than anyone on this site)

[dps]

I just began attending Aikido classes a few days ago. I believe having a book would help me to remember the Japanese names of the techniques I learn in the dojo, how they are performed, and to avoid common pitfalls.

After searching a bit, I'm undecided between Total Aikido by Gozo Shioda and Ultimate Aikido by Yoshimitsu Yamada.

Apart from being from different schools (Yoshinkan and Aikikai), how do these two books compare? Thanks.

The Yoshinkan names of the techniques are different than the Aikikai names.

Ultimate Aikido by Yoshimitsu Yamada would be a better pick for you if you are Aikikai ( http://www.aikidoteruel.org/).

Also Yamada Sensei has a video series called "Aikido: The Power and The Basics".http://www.nyaikikai.com/videos.asp

They can be purchased here. http://marketplace.aikidoonline.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=31



David

[gregstec]

There really is no comparison between the books since they represent different systems that are very widely spaced on the Aikido spectrum. However, with that said, I have found Total Aikido to have much more detail and depth than Ultimate Aikido. But as Ron stated, you should get a book that is based on the style you are studying or with the organization you are in.

Good luck

Greg

[Ron Tisdale]

Hi Greg, just saw your web page. Sounds like you guys have a good thing going. Hope to meet you at Dan's sometime.

Best,
Ron

[Quique]

Thank you all for your helpful replies. :)

The Yoshinkan names of the techniques are different than the Aikikai names.
Oh! I didn't know that. I guess I'll better off with Yamada's book then.
Although apparently I could use Carol M. Shifflett's Aikido Exercises for Teaching and Training to fill that gap.

There really is no comparison between the books since they represent different systems that are very widely spaced on the Aikido spectrum. However, with that said, I have found Total Aikido to have much more detail and depth than Ultimate Aikido.
I had read in Aikiweb's Total Aikido review (http://www.aikiweb.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=92) and in this forum that Shioda's book is so good that is also useful and illustrative for people training in other aikido styles.
I've also read that Aikikai is not really a style but some kind of loose conglomeration of styles.
Therefore I thought that this book could be a good pick, but if the nomenclature is different, I'm not sure it would work for me at this point.

[Flintstone]

Yo iría a por el de Shioda Sensei. ¡Mucho más detallado!

[CitoMaramba]

I would get both... in fact, I did!

[Flintstone]

I would get both... in fact, I did!
This is the wisest advice!

[Shadowfax]

I have Ultimate Aikido and practice the Aikiki style. The book has been very helpful to me especially in the earliest days of training an trying to identify what I had been working on in class that day.

[CitoMaramba]

"Ultimate Aikido" taught me a very valuable lesson... which is, "Never lend your Aikido books to anyone"... I lent it one day to a dojo mate and never saw it again.. which is why I'll never let anyone borrow my copy of "Total Aikido"....

[gregstec]

Hi Greg, just saw your web page. Sounds like you guys have a good thing going. Hope to meet you at Dan's sometime.

Best,
Ron

Hi Ron,

Since you are close by, we are having a special IS session with a couple of Dan's other students in Dec. If you are interested, PM me for details.

(Sorry to all for the off topic post - just seemed natural to respond to Ron at the point of comment...)

Greg

[Suru]

I might be missing out on excellent Aikido books, but I never bought those because their titles are such turn-offs to me.

Drew

[Flintstone]

I might be missing out on excellent Aikido books, but I never bought those because their titles are such turn-offs to me.

Drew
Never judge a book from its cover. Or so they say... ;)

[Suru]

Never judge a book from its cover. Or so they say... ;)

I am totally on board with you and this cliche. Cliches may be overused terms, but they are overused because they usually carry a lot of truth.

I recall the cover art of Total Aikido, but not the other. It's really not the cover on a whole that irks me. Rather, the titles are misleading, sort of persuading a potential buyer to believe that all of Aikido is encapsulated in the book. Without really thinking through it, I might see the book on a store shelf and think, *oh that's all I need to totally master Aikido.* This is light years from the truth.

I have a feeling they are - in fact - both excellent reads, and there is a chance I will pick them up someday.

Drew

[crbateman]

Book titles are subjective, and are often composed more with marketing in mind than with content. There is also need to differentiate from titles of other books. Don't let the title put you off about the content. How you feel about any book should not be determined until you read at least some of it.

[Flintstone]

Sorry, I missed this one.

Although apparently I could use Carol M. Shifflett's Aikido Exercises for Teaching and Training to fill that gap.
And this, Carol's book is about "Ki Aikido". Ahhh, the diversity...!

Therefore I thought that this book could be a good pick, but if the nomenclature is different, I'm not sure it would work for me at this point.
Actually, the nomenclature is not that different. Like ikkajo instead of ikkyo, nikajo instead of nikyo and so on... Don't let that small change in nomenclature draw your attention from this great book!

[Suru]

Book titles are subjective, and are often composed more with marketing in mind than with content. There is also need to differentiate from titles of other books. Don't let the title put you off about the content. How you feel about any book should not be determined until you read at least some of it.

I took two marketing prerequisites for finance in college. In one of them, I was neutral about what I was learning but had an excellent professor. The more advanced marketing class I took disgusted me. Almost every class, the professor would mention his own company, actually using the class to market to his students and our parents. He came across as such a nice guy, but to quote the 108 year old gypsy in Stephen King's "Thinner," I wanted to walk up to him, sniff his face, and say, "Your dreams smell bad to me. THEY STINK!"

Advertising prints of one of my paintings was quite unpleasant. Some people have to be salesmen for a living, and these are important jobs to our contemporary economy. When trying to sell prints of my painting, I was straightforward. I said the truth about the prints in their deserved positive light. I didn't try to sell them for $99.95 so people would think they cost double-digits instead of a hundred.

Book titles should be attractive. I concur that these book titles are marketing ploys, but they are *legally* over-the-top misleading and deceptive.

Drew