Customer Reviews

Aiki Toolbox

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book has some of the best Aikido photos available anywhere! It also breaks down otherwise difficult techniques and makes them accessible to beginners and black belts alike! Must Have Book for Any Martial Artist.

The "soft" and "circular" self-defense Arts seem to be full of unintentional and intentional "mystery". This seems very much so for the Aiki Arts. Some of this may be due to the "esoteric" Medieval Japanese origin of these Arts, some of this may be due to transilation challenges across space, time and culture gaps, some of this may be due some inherent mystery of Aiki -- and therefore some of this may be due to individual mentor and student challenges in teaching and learning Aiki. BUT, this slim work, "Aiki Toolbox" -- shows just what may be possible to offer about Aiki in a fluid, clear and sharp way -- via the very clever idea of presenting primary Aiki ideas via a few ideal "tools" and their inherent virtues. So out of the Artisan's Toolobox we have Compass, Level, Plumb Bob, Square, Clamp & Pliers, Hammer and Saw -- and their precise application via some primary Yoshinkan Aikido techniques. Yoshinkan Aikido is a great linkage from "old school" Daito-ryu Aikijutsu into "new school" Aikido -- retaining and extending the Medieval Samurai survival ways into modern self-defense. So the forms and names of the techniques are "old" but the presentation is "new" via the "Aiki Toolbox". The authors do not deny Aiki "mystery" -- as shown by the very subtitle of this slim work -- "Exploring the Magic of Aikido" +++

This is a great book for any level of martial artist -- from beginner to experienced sensei. The authors break down key martial arts principles into easy-to-understand, tool-related concepts. And the illustrations and action photography are outstanding. This book is a great addition to my "toolbox" of martial arts books.

This book had nothing of use to me. I'm a beginner at aikido and knew more than this book could give. It has almost no useful information. i flipped through it and put it away.