Progressive Aikido: The Essential Elements

Description

A practical guide - written by the grandson of the founder of Aikido - for those seeking greater understanding of both the basic forms and advanced techniques. Aikido was developed by Morihei Ueshiba, who drew on Japan's rich history of martial arts to develop an entirely new system that preserves the classical tradition within a contemporary context. In Progressive Aikido, Moriteru Ueshiba, the grandson of the founder and the third Doshu (living symbol and embodiment of the spirit of Aikido), focuses on the most fundamental principle of Aikido- proper movement. Using hundreds of photographs and readily accessible explanations, Ueshiba shows how this crucial technique is the basis for all training, whether as a beginner or as a senior instructor. The book is based on a systematic, step-by-step approach that emphasizes proper movement to train in a range of Aikido techniques, from basic to advanced.

MORITERU UESHIBA was born in 1951 in Tokyo, the grandson of Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, and son of the late Kisshomaru Ueshiba, the second Doshu. He graduated from Meiji Gakuin University in 1976, became master of the Aikido World Headquarters in 1986, and in 1996 was named chairman of the Aikikai Foundation. In 1999 he became Aikido Doshu after his father's death, and the permanent chairman of the International Aikido Federation. He holds several important posts related to the martial arts and is a trustee of the Nippon Budokan, the "hall of martial arts" located in central Tokyo.

"The book is presented in much the same way that our dojo eventually ended up teaching our own beginners, and as such, is a very good book for instructors to own. ...the book will be most useful for those who are, or want to practice since it's about 90 percent text and photos presenting technique. There is very little in the way of any other writing for the idle browser. But as usual in books like this, for the long time student of Aikido the good stuff is in the introduction... and as usual I suspect most will simply skip to the pictures. Do yourself a favor and go down to the local bookstore, pick it up and read it. It's short, it's worth it." -EJMAS "It's a very nice format, and brings the text closer to providing the pointers one might actually receive in the dojo from the instructor. ... the book is an easy read, and there is a lot of beneficial material, presented in an excellent format. This book would make a good addition to any Aikido library, regardless of your particular style." -AikiWeb