Published: Correction of Several Errors in HIPS
 

I have added a link to a small pdf that rewrites several passages in the first edition of Hidden in Plain Sight, thereby correcting several errors in the text. They will, of course, be correctly incorporated in the next print run. You will find this, entitled Hidden in Plain Sight: Errata about halfway down the page. I am indebted to several people who caught my use of an erroneous translation in my discussion of a passage in the Kojiki, and I am particularly indebted to Josh Reyer for illuminating the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu certificate that Ueshiba received from Takeda Sokaku.

Re: Published: Correction of Several Errors in HIPS
 

Hi, Mr. Amdur. Is there a good way to get your works in Japan (specifically, Kyoto) without having them sent from overseas?

Re: Published: Correction of Several Errors in HIPS
 

I do not know of any alternative at this time -

And:
Both Old School and Dueling with Osensei are out of print (well, actually, there are three copies of Dueling left). I've written 2nd editions, each with five+ new chapters, and others extensively rewritten. They will be released by Freelance Academy Press in early 2014. They may release digital versions as well, but I do not know yet.
Hidden in Plain Sight is still available. There is only the book version at this time. I'm looking at IBook (with most of the other digital versions, they are either too easy to hack and in the case of Kindle, the photo reproductions are not all that good). But it's rather low on a list of projects right now.

Best
Ellis Amdur

Re: Published: Correction of Several Errors in HIPS
 

After some further consultation with Yagyu Shinkage-ryu practitioners, Josh Reyer and Dave Lowry, I've made some further corrections in the text, the link being on this page.

In the process, I've compared films of the YSR kata in question and Ueshiba Morihei's sword work in the Asahi Shinbun film of 1935. There are no apparently elements of YSR sword in what Ueshiba is doing there. In Ueshiba's oft-quoted, "In aiki we do it this way. . ." statement, I believe that it is clear that, in many cases, he merely saw a form or movement he liked, and used it as a "container" for his own ideas. In many cases (excepting Daito-ryu), his study of other martial arts was almost certainly superficial, like a pinch of herbs in a large pot of stew.

Ellis Amdur

Re: Published: Correction of Several Errors in HIPS
 

Hi Ellis,

The Kojiki paragraphs you transcribed are from Miekichi Suzuki's Kojiki Monogatari, translated by J. Gardner, not from B. H. Chamberlain translation.

OTOH, I'm not sure which translations Mr. Lowry is pointing to, for both in the Suzuki and Chamberlain versions Takeminakata begs for his life ("I will obey. Slay me not" in Chamberlain's).

Regards.

Re: Published: Correction of Several Errors in HIPS
 

Miekichi Suzuki is known for presenting the myths in a simplified form, suitable for children. The translation that appears in the Errata note is an elaboration of the Japanese text. So J Gardner's translation is a translation of a translation. The best rendering of the kanbun text (on p. 123) is the edition of Kurano and Takeda in the Iwanami Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei collection of texts. The relevant Japanese text reads: 「我をな殺したまひそ。」 I discuss this passage in some detail in TIE 25.