Japanese Sword Drawing : A Sourcebook [Paperback]

Don Zier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2001

Japanese Sword Drawing is a complete guide to this esoteric aspect of sword fighting. Written by a sword-drawing scholar, this volume describes the techniques and katas of Muso Shinden Ryu, one of iado's best-known schools. Many of the techniques and katas presented here have never before been available outside of the inner circle of the Muso Shinden Ryu school! Muso Shinden Ryu was founded by the great master Hayashi Jinsuke Shigenobu in the 16th century. Since that time, a succession of masters have guided the progress of the school, often adding katas and modifying techniques as their experiences dictated. Illustrated with nearly 800 photographs, this book records many iaido forms that thus far have only been orally transmitted. It documents the three styles of sword-drawing taught in the Muso Shinden Ryu system: shoden (first tradition), chuden (middle tradition) and okuden (interior tradition), each of which is actually a complete art of sword-drawing in itself. In addition, the sei tei kata (official forms) of the All-Japan Fencing Federation and the All-Japan Sword-Drawing Federation and described in detail. This volume is a must-have classic for practitioners of not only the Japanese sword arts, but sword arts the world over.

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Unique Publications; 1st edition (June 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865681627
• ISBN-13: 978-0865681620
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #761,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #55 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Fencing

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Japanese Sword Drawing- a critical overview, June 29, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Japanese Sword Drawing : A Sourcebook (Paperback)

I was very disappointed once I`d had the chance to examine my copy of Mr Zier`s offering.
To be fair, the manual is presented as a "source book for Iaido students" and not a "how to" book. Never the less I suspect that even longtime practitioners of these forms would be hard pressed to follow the fairly rudimentary instructions. Apart from making it almost impossible to re-enct the forms correctly (possibly intentional, a book is no substitute for a good teacher) it also fails to present a convincing picture of the art. Perhaps footwork diagrams would make it a little easier to follow the action.
The kata are variously performed by Mr Zier and 2 of his students, sadly the form displayed is less than perfect. Am I being overly critical? I don`t think so. I think it reasonable to expect anyone who is presented as "a noted master" to at least display decent posture and to ensure that his representatives do the same. After all if this is a source book then surely the material therin should be technically flawless. Anything less would simply lead to still further degeneration of the art.

Curiously, Mr Zier offers no details of his teachers and his own instruction in the art he now represents to us.

In the final analysis I don`t believe that this book would be of any real use to any practicing students of Iai who are fortunate to have access to a decent certified instructor.

Students of Iai looking for more indepth reading on their art might do well to locate a copy of "Japanese Swordsmanship" by Gordon Warner & Donn F. Draeger.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Cannot Recommend, September 29, 2008

By 

John N. Maisonneuve (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Japanese Sword Drawing : A Sourcebook (Paperback)

This is a quite poor Iaido book mainly because the photos illustrating the iaido kata movements are almost without exception wrong, incorrect and totally misleading. Anyone who is practicing Iaido under proper instruction (i.e., qualified instructor/sensei) and using this as a reference book will be disappointed and will be mislead. Anyone who is practicing on their own (actually they should not as they will always get it wrong) will not be able to learn properly.

3 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wealth of Iaido Information, May 5, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Japanese Sword Drawing : A Sourcebook (Paperback)

This book is probably the most in-depth book on Japanese swordsmanship I have ever read. There is enough information in this book to work on for years literally with time and patience. I have been involved in the martial arts for close to six years and have had exposure to numerous arts, and I have always supplemented my training with videos and book material. This book lives up to its claims in every way and is a huge step forward in the preservation of Japanese swordsmanship. I recomend it to any student of the Martial arts regardless of style.