Title: Aikido Weapons Techniques: The Wooden Sword, Sick and Knife of Aikido
Author: Phong Thong Dang and Lynn Seiser
Publisher: Tuttle
Published: 7/11/2017 (originally 2006)
Format: Softcover
Pages: 144
Cover Price: $12.95
Take Away: This is the perfect book to introduce the integration of aikido and the weapons practiced along with aikido. It should be on every aikidoka's shelf.
Back to my wheelhouse: aikido. I've read the other books by these authors, and have loved them. Somehow, though, I missed this one. I was excited by the chance to get a copy of this book. So excited that i read it in 1 day.
Content
This book is beautifully layed out in its simplicity. There is an introductory section which describes aikido, aikido training, and the concept of weapons use in aikido. Which at first may seem contradictory. Aikido is supposed to be this "peaceful, non-violent" martial art, yet a weapon's sole purpose is to hurt people right? The authors do a great job of showing how those conflicting philosophies can be blended to create a unique set of practices with weapons.After the introduction, each of the three weapons associated with aikido is given its own section. The wooden sword (bokken) is first, followed by the jo (4ft. staff) and finally the tanto (Japanese knife). Each section gives you a beginners look at the weapons including its history, how to hold it, and then delves into the basic practice techniques.
Pros
What I love about this book is its simplicity. There is no assumption of knowledge, yet doesn't come off as a lecture. It does a very good job of just presenting the information for your edification and enjoyment. Also, each of the sections have enough well done pictures to easily decipher what the authors are describing. The practices/techniques are easily mimiced from the description and the pictures if that's your goal for this book.Cons
I don't really have any complaint about the book. The book does exactly what it is designed to do; Introduce the weapons practices of aikido. It does this really well, and is easy to figure out how to practice on your own. Perhaps, it may be to basic? Or maybe, because I'm an aikidoka it seems that way to me? I don't know.
Conclusion
Overall, I enjoyed the book. After reading it, I immediately went to my home dojo and started practicing. Which I think anyone can do with this book. It makes aiki-weapons very accessible. For my rating, though I'm not going to give it a perfect score. I'm going to give it 4 out of 5 Ninja Stars for two reasons. One of my criteria for my rating system is 'how useful is it to ALL martial artists?' If you don't study aikido is this book useful? Yes, I think it can be if you are looking for basic aiki-weapons practices. If not, then maybe not so useful. Also, I know it's an introductory book, but I would have liked to see more in depth look at the weapons uses and practices. Maybe, that's for another book?
Ninja weapons are one of the most smartest Ninja Weapons of all times. Ninjas were smart and witty people and a single weapon of theirs would be used for lots of purposes. The most famous Ninja weapons are Ninja swords and throwing stars.
ReplyDeletethrowing stars are also known as Shurikens and are one of the smartest creations of the Ninjas. They were designed like stars and were generally made up of metal, however, historically, people used to make them out of coins.
ReplyDeleteI like your post. It is good to see you verbalize from the heart and clarity on this important subject can be easily observed... emotional release
ReplyDeleteThrowing stars are also known as Shurikens and are one of the smartest weapons ever designed by the Ninjas. The Ninjas were one of the smartest and cunning species ever to set foot on this entire planet. They used these throwing stars to evade their enemies or to carry out stealthy acts. The throwing stars come as three bladed, four bladed and five bladed as well.
ReplyDeleteAre you one of the thousands interested in how to become a ninja? If so, and that's a big "if," you're looking to learn about authentic Japanese ninjutsu training, not what you've seen in the movies, cartoons, or on television, then this article might be helpful to you. How to be a Ninja
ReplyDeleteninja weapons are the real weapons used by the ninja. These weapons include a ninja katana sword, kunai knife and shuriken, and many other weapons associated with the ninja.
ReplyDelete