Training with the Master: Lessons with Morihei Ueshiba, Founder of Aikido [Hardcover]

John Stevens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 26, 1999

Through an extraordinary collection of photographs, Training with the Master depicts the training methods and daily life of Morihei Ueshiba, the Founder of the martial art known as Aikido, or "the way of harmony." The photographs presented here were all taken in 1967 when Morihei was eighty four—at the summit of his career as a spiritual seeker and when the flower of his teaching was in full bloom. Most of these photographs are being made available to students for the first time. The first part of the book, "On the Mat with the Master," is a detailed photographic record of Morihei instructing his students. These photographs offer a precious opportunity for readers to see what it would have been like to train with the Master himself. The photographs in part two, "The Master Teaches the Way," depict Morihei in everyday life—entering a room, sitting in a relaxed yet dignified manner, chatting easily and joking with students, making a serious point, taking refreshment—manifesting the Way of Harmony naturally in all his actions. Part three, "The Art of Peace," contains the essence of Morihei's philosophy distilled from his collected talks. Also included is a short biography of Morihei as well as a section of suggestions for further reading for those who wish to have more detailed information on Morihei's life and teaching.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An intimate photographic portrait of the training methods and daily life of one of the greatest martial artists ever."— Martial Arts Illustrated --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Walther v. Krenner studied at Morihei Ueshiba's training center in Japan when the Founder was still alive. He owns and operates the Sandokan Aikido school in Kalispell, Montana, where he lives.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala; 1st edition (January 26, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570623228
• ISBN-13: 978-1570623226
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #625,996 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very nice coffeetable book to describe Aikido and O Sensei, April 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Training with the Master: Lessons with Morihei Ueshiba, Founder of Aikido (Hardcover)

The book is basically a big collection of photos taken by Walther V. Krenner with John Stevens' "Art of Peace" included at the end.
Unlike other collection of photos of O Sensei, these are connected and are telling a story. Kinda like 'A day in the life of O sensei'.
The only thing I didn't like about it was John Stevens' way of describing O Sensei though Indian mysticism and Yoga.
I regard it as a very nice coffee table book and a very nice way to describe Aikido and O sensei to people.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of pictures of O'Sensei!, May 16, 2000

By 

Tim Warneka "Leadership Expert, Keynote Speak... (Cleveland, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Training with the Master: Lessons with Morihei Ueshiba, Founder of Aikido (Hardcover)

.... ...to tell the truth - when I picked it up, that's what I thoughtit was [just another book on him.] The pictures in this book make it much more than that. After reading it, I can say that the pictures are wonderful, and the text compliments them well. It is not a heavy-reading book - more of a coffee-table book, but wonderful none the less. Anyone who has visited an Aikido dojo has probably seen pictures of a serious O'Sensei staring out at them from the shrine. This book has wonderful pictures of O'Sensei late in his life, "at the summit of his career as a spiritual seeker." as the book describes him. The pictures showed me a side of O'Sensei's spirit that I hadn't experienced before in other books. In these pictures, O'Sensei seems to glow, looking at time like a Taoist sage, and at other times like a playful imp (this written with the utmost respect for O'Sensei). The pictures of him smiling are a delight to see. I would encourage anyone interested in Aikido to look at this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A treasure of personal images of the founder of Aikido, February 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Training with the Master: Lessons with Morihei Ueshiba, Founder of Aikido (Hardcover)

This book is a treasure for those studying or just interested in deepening their understanding of Aikido, the art of peace. The photographs draw you into the heart of the great master and founder of aikido and reveal his true nature through this visual journey.