best aikido book

Anybody bought "Best Aikido": Kisshomaru, Moriteru Ueshiba

I can't find reviews on it anywhere. I've been looking for a good book that really details the underlying mechanics of aikido (rather than techniques or spiritual waffle). Total Aikido (Shioda) is the closest I've seen, but even then there could be so much more said. Why aren't these types of books out there; we go on about aikido being more than just techniques yet half the books on aikido are just techniques (and often poorly done!). Sometimes I wish sports scientists would grab a group of Shihan, stick them in a room and force them to write a book about the mechanics and psychology of aikido. Are these things too difficult to put down on paper?

Here's a link to the reviews for your book:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846

I'm a Dynamic Sphere man myself. Do you mean physiological rather than psychological ?

you can find a review of this and several other books on www.aikido-chch.co.nz

the book has a small section on the ideas behind aikido but 98% of the book deals with techniques and doesn't go too much into the mechanics.

aikido & the dynamic sphere would seem to be the book of choice - highly recommended by many people i've asked - even though it is a little 'dated'

regards, colin

dont buy books - train

i got loads of books. i dont know why i buy them but 2 hours of training = 10 books read (if you read them at all)

Try the Takemusu Aikido series by the late Morihiro Saito Sensei. They're available from http://www.aikidojournal.com/ .

They are very methodical in their presentation of the Iwama kihonwaza.

Best Regards,

Best Aikido is a good book if you are looking for kihon waza as used in the Aikikai curriculem. It offers a nice and clear view and the basics.

Best aikido has about 10 pages of explination about aikido and aikido related stuff, mostly in the form of a FAQ. The rest, 148 pages, show pictures of kihon waza by the doshu.

I like Best Aikido, its not really a good sit down and read book. Its what I call a "toilet read". You dont really need to try to hard to read it, just sit and enjoy it. Its a great book for techniques, just to browse over after lessons.

Aikido the Fundmentals is better I think.

Hi folks,

Please do support AikiWeb by posting your book and video reviews. I'd personally appreciate it...

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-- Jun

Ian said:

> I've been looking for a good book that really details the underlying mechanics of aikido (rather than techniques or spiritual waffle).

I couldn't find one, so I wrote a couple. (See the book reviews in AikiWeb, or check out http://hometown.aol.com/spitzpublishing/).

> Why aren't these types of books out there;

Because they are hard to write.

> Sometimes I wish sports scientists would grab a group of Shihan, stick them in a room and force them to write a book about the mechanics and psychology of aikido.

Me too. I'm just a rocket scientist and not yet a shihan.

> Are these things too difficult to put down on paper?

The mechanics are not too difficult, though to do it right you need good instrumentation. The psych is more difficult because it is hard to measure.

Alan

My favorite book about the "inner art" of Aikido is "Principles, Analysis, and Application of Effective Combat Throws", by Tim Cartmell. I happened on this book browsing in a bookstore one day. Mr. Cartmell, a student of Chinese arts, presents the inner dynamics of martial movement in a deep, clear manner. Physical and mental components of effective technique are included.

Highly recommended! Still in print. Unique Publications, ISBN 0865681767.

Sharon

I like Dynamic Sphere for a good beginning book although, it may be outdated somewhat.

For technical, I like most of Saito's work due to the step by step approach.

I have ordered Best Aikido so I don't know about it yet.

Thnaks for the replies.

I bought dynamic sphere about 10 years ago, but in my mind it is over analytical rather than technical i.e. the diagrams of UPA seemed like a waste of space - much of the start of this book could have been condensed to 1 page.

I'd also agree about training rather than reading; I've got dozens of books. However I wouldn't say that they are useless; they often make me think more about how I train.

I'll consider the book you suggested Sharon - unfortunately many of my insights into aikido are often from reading non-aikido books (possibly because most aikido books seem to be written for people with 0-3 years experience) - Jun, if you are reading, I wonder if you would have a seperate review section on non-aikido books which have relevance to self-defence or aikido.

Ian

Ian Dodkins (ian) wrote: Jun, if you are reading, I wonder if you would have a seperate review section on non-aikido books which have relevance to self-defence or aikido.

No, not really. I'd rather keep things on this site as focused as I can on aikido. Otherwise its maintenance would spiral out of control, I fear...

-- Jun

Hi all:

i dont really think the dynamic sphere is outdated. this book has information for a lifetime. also, thanks alan for writing your two books! at least the one i read, the second (aikido moving on), and i assume the first as well, is one of the first books to really look at the mechanistic principles behind technique. as a scientist myself, i immensly enjoyd the reading, i recommend it highly.

martin

Ian Dodkins (ian) wrote: Anybody bought "Best Aikido": Kisshomaru, Moriteru Ueshiba I can't find reviews on it anywhere. I've been looking for a good book that really details the underlying mechanics of aikido (rather than techniques or spiritual waffle). Total Aikido (Shioda) is the closest I've seen, but even then there could be so much more said. Why aren't these types of books out there; we go on about aikido being more than just techniques yet half the books on aikido are just techniques (and often poorly done!). Sometimes I wish sports scientists would grab a group of Shihan, stick them in a room and force them to write a book about the mechanics and psychology of aikido. Are these things too difficult to put down on paper?

"Best Aikido" is an English translation (by John Stevens) of a Japanese manual called 規範合気道基本編 Kihan Aikido Kihon Hen = Standard Aikido: Basics Volume. The English translation omits some of the introductory material, which is a pity in my opinion.

There is another volume (called 応用編 oyo hen = Applied Volume) and this is good for the fairly wide range of techniques illustrated.

I have used both volumes (in Japanese) in training courses I have given in Holland and, to my surprise, a number of participants bought both volumes.

A set of 7 tapes has been published to go with the books. The tapes (3 for the Basics volume and 4 for the Applied volume) cost 7,000 yen each.

As for books on the physics / mechanics of aikido, a number have been published in Japanese and the subject is studied in some depth in places like the International Budo University, in Katsuura, which holds a seminar every year. Personally, I did not find the presentations on the subjuect at this seminar of much value.

It is also a fact (fortunate or unfortunate: you can take your choice) that most aikido shihan did not have time to study the physics and mechanics of aikido. If at all, they learned this as a practical side effect of training.

Best regards,

Ian Dodkins (ian) wrote: Sometimes I wish sports scientists would grab a group of Shihan, stick them in a room and force them to write a book about the mechanics and psychology of aikido. Are these things too difficult to put down on paper?

The closest I ever found to something like this was a couple of papers I discovered when doing research for my sports medicine rotation. The papers are:

Seitz F, Olson G. A martial arts exploration of elbow anatomy: ikkyo (aikido's first teaching). Percept Mot Skills 1991; 73:1227-34.

Eckert J, Lee T. The anatomy of nikyo (aikido's second teaching). Percep Mot Skills 1993; 77:123-131.

Olson G, Seitz F. An examination of aikido's fourth teaching: an anatomical study of the tissues of the forearm. Percept Mot Skills 1990;71:1059-1066.

Avery