Aikido: The Heavenly Road (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Japanese

Product Details

• Hardcover: 175 pages
• Publisher: Edition Q (September 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883695023
• ISBN-13: 978-1883695026
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 8.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #432,404 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful documentary of Tendokan Aikido, August 11, 2001

By	John Sing "[e-mail]" (Los Altos, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This large, well illustrated book is an excellent pictorial of Tendokan Aikido, taught by Kenji Shimizu. Tendokan Aikido is well known in parts of Europe (Germany) and Japan, but is little known elsewhere in the world.

Tendokan Aikido is characterized by large flowing movements, has some very interesting variations that are somewhat unique in my experience of Aikido over the past 9 years. Kenji Shimizu Sense was one of the last of the Aikido Hombu Dojo uchideshi, entering the Hombu Dojo in 1964. During this final phase of O'Sensei's life, Shimizu Sensei was known as O'Sensei's favorite uke. That alone makes this book worthwhile, as for students of Aikido, this book is a definitive documentary and entertaining pictoral of this important uchideshi's Aikido style and philsophy.

The book illustrates in large panoramic pictures, the basic Aikido techniques as practiced in Tendokan style. You'll be able to see some of the interesting stylistic variations that Shimizu Sensei's large circular powerful flowing movements produces.

For any practioner of Aikido, these variations will entertain you and give you additional ideas about what is possible in Aikido. The quality of the photos and print is of high quality and the sequences are easy to understand and follow from a reader's standpoint.

I was a student of Tendokan Aikido during my time in Hong Kong during 1996 and 1997 and wrote this review in thanks for my time there, and to point out Shimizu Sensei to those of us in the USA; at this point it seems unlikely that Shimizu Sensei has any students here in the USA who would ever bring him here to teach.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Aikido and the coffee-table, May 12, 1996

By A Customer

As an Aikido newcomer, I was delighted to come across Shimizu Kenji's "The Heavenly Road". This book uses a minimum of words and a maximum of clear photographs to illustrate the authors intent. Easy on the eye and inner-picture evoking, I not only recommend the book but look forward to my next training session with added enthusiasm. Iain White - Australia

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "The Heavenly Road" employs photographic detail, August 23, 1998

By A Customer

Kenji Shimizu's "The Heavely Road" utilizes detailed photographs shot at interesting angles to shed light on aikido's most dynamic techniques. The neophyte and the serious practitioner, alike, will continue learning about the many nuances of this most subtle martial art even after reviewing the same techninque, many times. Photographs taken from above are particularly useful. Several practitioners of aikido whom I shared this book with later bought their own copies. I highly recommend "The Heavenly Road." It is one of my two favorite books that deal with the art of aikido.