Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere: An Illustrated Introduction

In another life, long ago, I was a pretty diligent Aikido student The whys and wherefores of my abandonment of that art are for another post Suffice it to say that when I did study it, I read this book, and found it very valuable More recently, while digging through some things at my parents house and stumbled across it I remembered it being a well written book, and start reading through it And, lo and behold, my memory hadn t deceived me This is a good book Actually, it s a GREAT book, IF you r [...]

Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere is excellent as far as martial arts books go at least the ones I ve seen it provides you with a little history, a little philosophy behind the art, and a lot of discussion of technique application Interestingly, the line drawings used throughout the book to illustrate techniques work better than photographs here, because the minimalist presentation allows you to see the line of attack, irimi tenkan, etc which are usually integrated with the drawing Photographs also [...]

As I continue with my AIkido Summer Reading List for 2012, this is the first book I can say that I flat out NEED for my library No other book on aikido has offered so comprehensive, or so orderly and logical, a compilation of aikido s techniques, and how they go together In fact, I was never really able to summarize aikido s techniques UNTIL I read this book This is taken together with a concise account of aikido s philosophy, neatly and tastefully worked into the text throughout this book makes [...]

A required text for the shelf of any serious martial artist, this book excels in several areas.As pointed out in several reviews, the philosophy and technical analysis are equally valuable.What I don t recall reading is that one strength of this book is in the simplified illustrations, in dorect contrast to the sometimes vague or even misleading an Aikido pun pictures in many Aikido texts.More than anything else, I return to this book for the clarity of it s ability to distill a technique down t [...]

ATF Aikido book excellent overview of techniques with very clear and now classic illustrations Try to get one of the original editions that were printed in Japan and have a slip cover

In addition to the amazing illustrations, which have been endless copied by aikidoists worldwide, this is a remarkably clear and organized description of aikido technique.

This is by far the best Aikido book ever written I highly recommend it The illustrations are amazing.

One of the book that is very hard to read if you have no interest I skim through a few pages but the idea and they way of thinking is worth picking up

Excellent drawings They are complex enough to demonstrate the trajectory of both nage and uke and the details of the techniques Besides, when I looked at them, I instantly remembered each movement, its name, how it is completed, even who I had trained it with, who had taught a particular movement to me and so on the process brought up nice memories The text underlying the image seemed to me actually a bit unnecessary when compared with the drawings and the kinetic memory imprints they ignited It [...]

In another life, long ago, I was a pretty diligent Aikido student The whys and wherefores of my abandonment of that art are for another post Suffice it to say that when I did study it, I read this book, and found it very valuable More recently, while digging through some things at my parents house and stumbled across it I remembered it being a well written book, and start reading through it And, lo and behold, my memory hadn t deceived me This is a good book Actually, it s a GREAT book, IF you r [...]

I haven t practised aikido in years, and I think it has some flaws in its modes of practise, but I m going to try to differentiate here between the art and this book about the art.I think, quite simply, that this is the best book about aikido I ve seen by some distance It s about as comprehensive a guide as you can get to the techniques of the art, and it incorporates long sections explaining some of its core principles in terms that make perfect sense without drifting off into the mindlessly my [...]

This book, while clearly a classic in the genre, is unfortunately an example of why very junior martial arts practitioners should never write a technical manual on the art I can t imagine a 1st year medical student writing a medical textbook and expecting doctors to take it seriously.The best thing about this book is the illustrations They are so beautiful that they have become almost the defacto Aikido illustrations used far and wide both online and in dojo paraphernalia Unfortunately, the text [...]

This is a very complex but essential book for students of Aikido The concept of circularity is very well defined and puts the discipline into a perspective that is visual and fascinating I was immediately able to identify similar phenomena in other sports requiring circular motions, such as Tennis and golf Some of the philosophical messages are though provoking and also have applications in other areas of life Technical terms in Aikido are well explained The only gripe I have is the overly verbo [...]

As not a student of Aikido, I picked this book as it seemed well reviewed as an introductory approach to the martial art.It is well written, the description of concepts is well done and with plenty of material for those starting or reviewing their time in Aikido practice However, and the reason for a 2 star review, is that I found many concepts to be esoteric, which for me did not push my interest or viewpoint.So it s a good book if you accept those concepts, but if you don t relate to some it w [...]

A bit too much background for my taste I didn t like the writing style with the authors always referencing themselves as the authors It felt like reading a german text and I prefer english texts because they are usually easier to read than the german ones.Also practicing Jiu Jitsu myself, some techniques are very arty when I saw the graphic showing tori running towards uke s knife I almost stopped reading right there I know that Aikido is about the art and less about self defense but why would y [...]

This is an excellent book on the martial art style of aikido While many question the efficacy of aikido as an effective martial art or style of self defense, this book highlights the benefits of aikido as a system of exercise and as a means of improving general coordination, timing, and body movement Definitely worth reading if you are considering the study of aikido or if you simply wish to learn about the basic concepts of aikido This is not a book about fighting.

This book is very good It is well written and well illustrated I have a number of books on Aikido and the use of illustrations rather than photos make it easier to understand what is required Perhaps other martial arts books will use well drawn illustrations It isn t a book to read form cover to cover but to dip into from time to time.

I read this book fairly obsessively when I was just starting out in Aikido at Tenshinkan It did help me memorize a lot of the terminology Of course the technical descriptions had that aura of then a miracle occurs for me then in origami a miracle occurs somewhere between step three and five of the instructions Most beautiful illustrations.

Understanding Aikido from the perspective of physics and maths, with methodist approach Great for Aikidoka beginner and anyone who want to reach deep undertanding about this unique martial arts Reading this book is just like learning physics maths in the sopho year in real and practical application.

Ini buku terbaik yang pernah saya temukan Pembahasannya mencakup nilai nilai filosofis Aikido, lengkap dengan ilustrasi yang sangat membantu Penting sekali untuk dibaca, baik bagi mereka yang sekedar ingin mengenal bela diri, pengamat, atau yang sedang mempertimbangkan untuk mempelajari Aikido secara serius.

Though I m not yet practicing aikido, this guide gives me a fabulous introductory feel for the martial art, and seems like it would serve as an excellent reference for the beginner or intermediate aikido student that wants to add a little practice time outside of the dojo Clear, concise explanations and equally instructive illustrations.

A little outdated The terminology used nowadays by Hombu Dojo differs quite a bit But as a view on the way Aikido developed in the last couple of decades quite interesting And of course, it s a complete classic with the wonderful drawn images.

I am into krav maga now than Aikido I still think Aikido can be valid, but I think the training methodology lacks realism needed to inculcate practitioners against real world threats and stress Still, this is a great book for any Aikido practitioner.

This book is Musty through and through, despite its having an updated version available It is a MUST have, a MUST dogear, a MUST read, a MUST re read, a MUST review, a MUST reference for EVERY Aikidoka.

I read a lot of books about Aikido, but this book I think in my humble opinion covers Aikido from all angles It s perfect both for the beginner and also for the advanced student.It s a must book for everyone that is fortunate enough to add Aikido in his her life.Highly recommended.

Great narratives and superb illustrations Covers from basic to advance techniques.

Fantastic book Insightfull.

classic text

Very suseful in developing movement and spatial awareness.

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