Customer Reviews

The Aiki News Encyclopedia of Aikido

5 star:		(2)
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3 star:		(1)
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Pranin has researched aikido as has no one else--American OR Japanese--and this book is a goldmine of information that's hard to get elsewhere. Whatever style of aikido you practice (and maybe jujutsu or the ken, too) this book will have information on it. A lot of the scuttlebut on the acrimony between the various teachers of harmony, too. Highly recommended.

There is NOBODY with more knowledge of the history and minutae of Aikido than Stanley Pranin. The research to put this text together was staggering. The only drawback is that the book is not being updated in print form (although it now exists in an online version on the Aikido Journal dot com website).

Author Stanley Pranin includes a huge variety of information in this encyclopedia on people in all different branches of Aikido and related arts, places of historical inretest, specific events, different styles of aikido and their founders, and styles related to Aikido. Unfortunately, this volume has been out of print for some time. Pranin does offer an updated CD-ROM version of the Encyclopedia through the online Aikido Journal (formerly Aiki News), but I myself prefer something I can physically handle and access without having to plug in!

Includes information about Ueshiba Morihei, Ueshiba Kisshomaru, Takeda Sokaku, Tohei Koichi, Saotome Mitsugi, Saito Morihiru, Tomiki, and many more. Japanese and non-Japanese instructors are covered, and Stanley Pranin has gone through the trouble of authenticating many of the anks held by prominent Aikido people. I hope someday we will see an updated version in print!

Good and forever readable also by foreign readers

It is very good, but information is same old