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Aikido
and Aiki-Books and Resources, Part 2 Note: (J) denotes the book is written in Japanese. Furyu the Budo Journal and all material on this site are copyright © 2001 by Tengu Press and Wayne Muromoto. All US and international copyright laws hold. Anyone interested in using any material of the site must contact Wayne Muromoto at wmuromoto@hotmail.com or at Tengu Press Hawaii, PO Box 61637, Honolulu, Hawaii 96839 USA. |
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Moving
Toward Harmony
by Eric Oberg. Far Eastern Press, Seattle, Washington. c. 2000. 72 pages
paperback. $14.95 US. ISBN 0-9678842-0-9.
I really wanted to like this book, since I try to find the good in any well-meaning attempt at popularizing the martial arts as a worthwhile discipline and pastime. To its credit, it does have nice big pictures and is well designed. But when I found I didn't really "get it," I gave it to an aikido practitioner for his opinion, thinking that I may have become a bit of a koryu crank in my old age. He gave it back to me saying he didn't want it. This is a kind of "feel good" aikido book that is not about an exposition of techniques. Oberg is portrayed demonstrating throws in large, one-page photographs. On the facing pages are poems I assume he wrote about aikido. This is, I guess, a homage to the poetry of the founder of aikido, Ueshiba Morihei, and perhaps to the way some people have waxed poetically about aikido, such as the sensei Roy Suenaka and John Stevens, perhaps. So there is not enough for anyone to learn technique, if one wanted to. But that's not the point of the book, sure. However, the pictures, while well shot, display to my and the aikido student's eyes sometimes poor technique (poor spinal alignment and body positioning), and the poetry do not express concepts that hit me like how Ueshiba's poetry struck me: as both nonsensical and deeply mysterious. The poems about training and martial arts are just...well, sort of cute. It's a well-meaning book, and for someone looking to see how poetry and aikido can go together, one might pick this up...But better yet one should pick up the book Budo by Ueshiba Morihei or one of John Stevens' books and really get perplexed in a big (as in profound) way.
The Secrets
of Aikido
by John Stevens. Shambhala Publications, Inc. Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetets
Ave., Boston, Massachusetts 02115. ISBN 1-57062-006-7. $27 hardcover, 150 pages.
John Stevens has got to be one of the most prolific writers on aikido today. In this lavishly produced book, Stevens attempts to explain Ueshiba Morihei's mystical beliefs. The founder of aikido was deeply involved in the Omoto-kyo "new" religion before World War II, and it is from that syncretic sect that many of his baffling and esoteric ideas stemmed. Stevens, a Buddhist scholar, discusses the esoteric Shinto-derived concepts of Ueshiba, based on relevent Omoto-kyo and other religious notions, with profuse and rare potographs of Ueshiba, his calligraphy, and so on. To try to explain some of Ueshiba's concepts, Stevens also attempts to draw on Western philosopical concepts that echo Ueshiba's ideas, as well as popular Japanese culture, woodblocks, etc. I cannot say that after reading it I was "enlightened" to the secrets of aikido, but I did gain a greater insight into how Ueshiba's mind might have worked. Although there are photographs of some techniques, this is not a technical manual per se, but a wonderful and at times insightful attempt to explain Ueshiba's personal philosophy in regards to aikido.
To quote:
"Just as a mountain echo embraces any sound, in any language, in whatever
manner it is projected, Aikido techniques, executed on the highest level, enable
one to respond to, embrace, and turn back any challenge regardless of the circumstances."
The Shambhala
Guide to Aikido
by John Stevens. Shambhala Publications, Boston, Massachusetts. 132 pages, paperback.
ISBN 1-57062-170-5.$12 US
This is a little book that looks like author John Stevens banged out in a relatively short while. That's not to say it's not a good book. It short, sweet and to the point. It's an excellent, low-priced introduction to aikido for the beginning student and has a wide range and lots of pictures, from techniques to aiki artwork to photos of Ueshiba Morihei, aikido founder, and Shirata Rinjiro, Stevens' aikido teacher. It starts with the near mythic story of Ueshiba, discusses the art and philosophy of aikido, and the different schools and styles. Great photos, to the point and clear writing. What more can you want from an introductory text?
The Spirit
of Aikido
by Ueshiba Kisshomaru. Kodansha America, Inc., New York, New York. C. 1984.
126 pages, paperback, $8.00US. ISBN# 0-87011-850-1.
This is a small book; but one worth looking at if you can obtain it if it's still available. Written by the son of the founder of aikido, Ueshiba Kisshomaru, it focuses mainly on his own aikido philosophy. Chapter titles give a hint as to the theoretical and philosophical aspects of this book: "The Ki of the Universe and Individual Ki," "Entering and Spherical Rotation," "Mastering Mind, Cultivating Technique," and so on. There are also a couple of very interesting pictures of the late Kisshomaru doing techniques, and of the founder, Ueshiba Morihei.
To quote:
"...If we grasp it merely as a spiritual reality, we may become doctrinaire
and fall into abstraction. If we see it only as a matter of techniques and physical
prowess, then we become satisfied with a simplistic explanation of motor movements.
The essence encompasses both the spiritual and physical, and ultimately we must
realize it as the budo unifying ki-mind-body from a philosophical and religious
point of view..."
The Structure
of Aikido
by Gaku Homma. V. 1. Kenjutsu and Taijutsu. Translated by Emily Busch. Frog,
Ltd., Berkeley, California. c. 1997. ISBN# 1-883319-55-2. 186 pages, paperback,
$18.95.
A very good technical book on aikido methods, based on unarmed (taijutsu) and sword (kenjutsu) of aikido. Homma sensei and his translator lay out instructions clearly, and the layouts are clean, with ample step-by-step photographs. Quite a good read, and a pleasure for its quality and good layout. One nice touch is that Homma has included helpful hints, "practice points" that will help the reader understand the illustrated techniques better.
Takemusu
Aikido, V.1 Background & Basics
by Morihiro Saito, with Stanley A. Pranin. Aiki News, Tamagawa Gakuen 5-11-25-204
Machida-shi, Tokyo-to 194, Japan. c. 1994. ISBN# 4-900586-16-1. 180 pages, paperback.
$25.95.
This is one of an excellent series of technical manuals on Takemusu Aikido by ninth dan master instructor Morihiro Saito. Saito instructs at the Iwama aikido dojo, the former private countryside dojo of aikido founder Ueshiba Morihei, and is the caretaker of the Aiki Shrine. Saito gives a concise history of aikido, discusses his own experiences training with Osensei, and then displays a series of "basic" techniques, from exercises to ikkyo, nikyo, sankyo and yonkyo variations. Saito sensei is a respected and highly regarded master technician, and the sequential photographs likewise are clean and reliable.
