Customer Reviews

Aikido Principles & Techniques [VHS]

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I have been training in aikido for 14 years, including ten in Japan. I hold the rank of 4th degree black belt from the Aikikai World Headquarters Dojo. Watching aikido videos has always been helpful to me, and this is one of the best. It is not a technical video teaching where to put your hands and feet (better learned from a live instructor, I think) but a video where the instructor carefully and clearly explains difficult yet fundamental concepts in this art. Mary Heiny is well known for her spiritual emphasis and this video certainly reflects that. However, she teaches things that are essential to the martial side of aikido and all budo. You will learn about finding an opponent's openings as well as closing your own, proper angles of attack and defense, as well as correct body movement. This teacher's style is clearly based on striking as opposed to grappling. The depth of the teaching and the clarity of explanation/demonstration makes it appropriate to students of all levels, including students of other arts. The preliminary biographical section is inspiring and sets the stage for the viewer to understand that what Mary teaches is based on what she learned from Michio Hikitsuchi, whose style differs in some ways from the Aikikai Hombu style. I got this video a good while back and have probably watched it a hundred times.

Buying this video is a waste of money. After seeing it once I have placed it on a high shelf. Basically the author tells us how aikido changed her life and transformed her from a shy introverted person to one brimming with self confidence. Good for her but no reason to have people pay money to find that out.
The half of the tape where she demonstrates techniques is lacklustre. For the novice, the expert, or the historian this is not the video for you; or as they say in aikido jargon TESABAKI get out of the way!