Books on Aikido

[Disciple]

Does anyone know any books an Aikido, both philisophical and thoise that show techniques of Aikido?

[aikiMac]

There's already a thread on this. Look there.

Additional books:

For philosophy and spirituality, read William Gleason's "The Spiritual Foundations of Aikido," Saotome's "Aikido and the Harmony of Nature," and the several books by John Stevens.

For the connection to fencing, read Saotome's "Principles of Aikido."

[wisdom]

visit your local amazon site they give you a rating on the book az well as being very cheap good luck

[peacfulwarrior]

I am looking to get into Aikido and have looked a a few books and I don't think Aikido can be learned efficiently with books. I think that is the one martial arts where you need personal instruction becasue of it's complexity. This is just the way I see it someone who has more training may be able to elaborate more on this.




http://www.martialonline.net/download/gifs/images/combat_10.gif

[Amakasashi]

I think the books coupled with the class environment and your own personal time spent training is a good experience, especially on the philosophy, also maybe some background into the art as well. Books that I suggest are:

Philosophy oriented :

The Spirit of Aikido
The Spiritual foundations of Aikido
The Unfettered Mind
The Secrets of Aikido
Aikido and the Harmony of Nature

technique oriented:

Budo Teachings of the Founder of Aikido
Dynamic Aikido
(I don't suggest this as a main way to learn, kind of hard to learn via book, you have to train your body to do the movements.)

Background

Abundant Peace - bio of Morihei Ueshiba

Meditation

Principles of Meditation
Minding Mind

Hope this helps

[Disciple]

Thanks for that list! That is great! thanks.

[Amakasashi]

your welcome, any time if you have any other questions drop me a line

[Disciple]

When you posted the techniques are hard to learn via book, did you mean that book in particular or in general?

What techniques are in those books? Are there clssifications of techniques as basic ones and advanced ones as they are taught, and is there a basic pool of al moves?

I am going to guess, but do you practice Aikido? lol.

[Amakasashi]

its harder in general, in person you can see how you are supposed to move with respect to the person, the book can show you but a picture is 2d and there are only certain frames you can see. I suggest both due to the explanations with the pictures. Also from the books the pictures may be hard to see due to them being in black and white. The techniques are basic, but when you practice aikido even the basic techniques are not easy to get right, it takes dedicated practice with different types of people and that is something a book can't show you, a book can tell you and show you shots of what it is supposed to look like, also each technique is a little differently done with every person and you can learn more from other peoples aikido. Yes i practice aikido, just started a few months ago, but i love it and am hooked. Let me know if you want any other info.

[LilBunnyRabbit]

I think that is the one martial arts where you need personal instruction becasue of it's complexity. This is just the way I see it someone who has more training may be able to elaborate more on this.

No martial art should ever be learned through books, its just not a possibility.

[Disciple]

I disagree lilbunnyrabbit. I think it is quite possible for a martial art to be learned through a book, however, it is completely dependent on an individual's skills, familiarity with the type of techniques, and ability for insight and vision.

I have a very good time practicing and mimicing techniques, if I see it done enoughtimes at the right angle, I can get it. I have learned and remembered ju jitsu moves learn from video clips, if you practice, not that hard.

I practice Tang Soo Do, I don't think there are any problems I would have with joint manipulations or any strike, providing the explanation complete and thourough, merely b/c I understand that principles and basics. I don't think you could tell me that I can't learn a system of karate or Tae Kwon Do b/c I don't have an instructor.

With Aikido, I could understand the great difficulty. I wish I had the ability to see and instructor on that or on Judo, but I don't. I feel it will be a challenge to learn, and also a challenge to break the falls, I have basic trainig in Nak Paup, but I don't know if it applies to Uke breakfalling n the same way, I would have to compare and constrast Uke breakfalling to know.



Amakasashi, thanks again for the insight. How would you explain breakfalls, and how many ways have you learned to break falls (for you currently)?

[mike-IHF]

reply,

The best book I would recommend, and I'm suprised noone else mentioned it is Aikido And The Dynamic Sphere. This gives good history, philosophy, and great illustrations of techniques. It is by far the best I have read concerning Aikido. "namaste"

[aikiwolfie]

I would also recommend Aikido And The Dynamic Sphere, however I would not recommend trying to learn Aikido or any martial art from a book.

To learn properly you require constructive criticism from an experienced practitioner ... ie. a teacher.

[aikiMac]

Originally posted by mike-IHF
The best book I would recommend, and I'm suprised noone else mentioned it is Aikido And The Dynamic Sphere.
(It was mentioned in the other thread to which I referred.)

[Amakasashi]

I am still new to aikido and haven't really grasped breakfalls yet to know how to do them, I had to do one by mistake, well a half assed sort of break fall, The person did shiho nage to me, but was too far from my body so I kicked my legs up and went sideways in the air a bit to go with his technique, however someone tumbled underneath me when I was airborn and was starting to stand up, but had his one knee out and still kneeling and I landed on his knee with my ribs, they are still a bit sore a week later. to tell the truth i do not know much about break falls, I will later I am sure, I take it one day at a time, I am a slow learner butI take in as much as I can each day. It is definately an art and from what I have seen so far, learning from being uke is easier than I thought. Give it a shot, its a great art, I am not saying its better than anything else because its not, it is just different from anything else and should be tried a dojo. If you have anything else let me know

[aikiwolfie]

Your ribs landed on someones knee? Sounds nasty. You'll be pleased to learn ribs take agies to heal, so they'll be sore next week too. Sorry.

[Amakasashi]

haha great, its getting better slowly, i am taking it easy for a few days.

[aikiwolfie]

Taking it easy? Noooooo the best cure for pain is more pain ..... pain overload then you either feel no pain or pass out for a month. Beer helps too.

[Disciple]

Lol.. pain for more pain, bruised ribs to punctured lungs, what could be better?.... anyway, bad sarcasm.. lol..


So how do you learn as you prgress through aikido, I was had the conception that you often were not thrown much until you learned to fall, is this wrongly thought?

[Amakasashi]

na I agree, but I need time to rest from this week, no sleep and catch up on school work that I should have done during the week instead of doing nothing related to school lol, ribs are sore but I have been practicing on them anyway, just have to land a little differently. falling isn't tough to learn it is pretty easy, I don't know how to do a break fall or get thrown well yet, I can if the person is really skilled like the sensei's i have practiced with because I don't get hurt with them, I have to take it slow, but you learn to fall right as you go at least in the dojo that I am mainly going too, it fits really well I think. I don't know how other dojos are though.

[aikiwolfie]

In the dojo I practice at ukime (did i spell that right) or break falls are taught from the start to begginers by a high grade. Well as soon as they are insured that is (can't have anybody sueing us now can we).

Techniquies and throws are applied faster and with more power by nage as uki progresses and becomes more profcient.

Techniquies and throws are also applied with less and less physical presence and more of a softer but more powerful ki presence. Which confuses the hell out of people (as intended muhahahahaaaaa).

But um to answer the question ... it depends on the style and particular dojo.

[Disciple]

So the first thing you have learned , aikiwolfie , is Ukemi? How did you learn, I mean, were there certain breakfalls for certain throws or projections, or were there general breakfalls that were to be applied?

[aikiwolfie]

To the best of my knowledge there are no Ukemis specific to any particular technique. That is to say, how you escape danger depends entirly on the power applied to the technique rather than the type of technique.

There are however loads of basic ukemis that you can learn. One of the most basic being "rolling-to-standing". You basicaly sit down roll back and then roll forward and stand straight up again. I realise that probably sounds cumbersome but done properly like everything else in Aikido it's a fluid single motion.

Unfortunatly for beginners the only real way to learn is to get a high grade to show you, help you and then practice.

[aikiwolfie]

Oh yeah I forgot to say, never shy away from asking a high grade a question. If you don't know the answer then to you it's not a dumb question. Most high grades will be only too happy to help.

[Disciple]

So if you know how to break falls correctly, there shouldn't be a hard transistion in to breakfalling for Aikido? Is that right?

Thanks for the help!

[aikiwolfie]

Yeah if you can already do break falls then you shouldn't find Aikido break falls that hard to pick up.

[Budd]

If you most read books to get your aikido technique, then stay away from those that talk about spirituality and get books that focus on the performance of technique.

[aikiwolfie]

Actualy I think books are a waste of time for learning techniques. We have a shodan at our club who's constantly reading books and watching videos and then trying out the techniques and never once have I seen him perform a single technique from a book or a video correctly.

[Dave Humm]

IMHO Books and videos cannot be used effectively as a means of learning Aikido.

Yes they are great at providing a reference point for remembering things you've already learned but, they shouldn't be used a source to try 'new' things.. Well not in my Dojo anyway.

DaveH

[aikiwolfie]

Yeah well every other dan grade tells him the same thing but he seems determind to keep reading and trying. Unfortunatly even in good dojos there are people who insist on learning the hard way.

[Disciple]

I can understand it when there is no avaliability for a person to goto a Dojo, id est there is not one around them.
]
]But he is learning techniques from a book he could learn from someone he trains with? Is that what you are saying?

[korutsuki]

It would be better for all to learn aikido via books,after u get the proper basics of aikido,because aikido basics are the most vulnerable one !! or having no martial art background but learning aikido by books would be giving aikido bye bye or would I say practicing bye-kido!!:D

[aikiwolfie]

Yeah he reads books and watches videos then comes into the dojo and trys out the techniques. They never work, or only work when he uses his best mate as uke. Nuff said I think.

[Disciple]

So you do not know anyone that has successfully learned any technique from a book then?

[aikiwolfie]

Nope not a single person.

Books are good for background info and publishing ideas. The trouble is a book can only show stages of a technique. It can't show how to get from stage 1 to stage 2.

The problem with most of the videos is that they tend to be made by people who over rate their own ability. The techniques in general are executed so badly they are painful to watch and I realy do fear for the development of anybody who thinks they can learn from that.

I saw a Tomiki Aikido video once by some Dr person. She also held a 6th dan in aido (spelling?) and a 5th dan in something else. The techniques looked so clumsy and bad it realy was embarasing. They were also done so slow as well there just didn't seem to be any flow. And then they were shown in slow motion. Just incase you missed it.

The worst part of the video was the tanto part though. I couldn't stop laughing when she was attacked by the deadly big black rubber dildo. At no point did she look like she had control of the attacker. And again it was so bad.

I'll try and find the name of the video and post it later.

Appart from the O Sensei clips I've seen. I haven't ever seen a decent video produce for the sole purpose of teaching.

[Disciple]

Thanks for the thoughts.... I can only imagine how sickening watching bad akido techniques can be, I know when I see a bad strikeing technique or joint technique, I am like, ew... lol.

What would you say the number one book on Aikido Philosphy is?

[Amakasashi]

I picked up a vcd of Mitsugi Saotome sensei that I felt was pretty good, you may want to look into one with him, he knows his stuff :-). I am not sure about the book on philosophy, I haven't read much as of yet, but have a bunch, I am sure someone else can point you in a good direction.

[korutsuki]

U can watch the aikido to get some inspriation, like the stuff does works, when watching a aikido video never try to imitate it!! it will never work!! try to watch the flow and focus on footwork , aikido have to be learned by heart, have to feel the ki, so try to get spirit, and never imitate!! feel it!!

[aikiwolfie]

I've only read a few Aikido books and the best was definately "Aikido And The Dynamic Sphere" by A. Westbrook and O. Ratti.

The reason I like it so much is it does such a good job of relating the philosophy to the actual movments in Aikido. A part of that is the excelent illustrations that go along with the text.

[aikiMac]

#1 philosophy book? My vote is "The Secrets of Aikido" by John Stevens. Excellent. But Saotome, William Gleason, and O-Sensei's son Kisshomaru have also written aikido philosophy/religion books.

My personal favorite is also "Dynamic Sphere" by Ratti and Westbrook. If I could only have one aikido book, I would choose this one.

Hey Amakasashi, what was the Saotome video you liked? He's coming to my town for a three-day seminar next week.