Best Aikido: The Fundamentals

Rating:
Summary: Honbu Dojo Practice
Review: An excellent book, for beginners and experienced practitioners alike. The Authors are of highest grade as is their book; there is simply no contest. A review of all the "Fundamentals" an aikidoka needs to know and "daily practice". Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Good information and fundamentals
Review: I found this book to be a good overview of the fundamentals. It covers what most other aikido books do as fas as techniques but I especially liked the Basics and Warmups section at the beginning, as well as the philosophy. They actually expressed that aikido is not a rigid curriculum(which is how many schools are run) but that it is up to the practitioner to explore the art.

As for the techniques, you could see the same thing in a book by Kisshomaru Ueshiba back in 1985(Aikido). So this book to me is just another publishing of the same techniques. I was hoping for better pictures, but I would rate them the same as the 1985 book. Kind of pixely B&W's. There are some good inserts to show detail, which was not in his previous book.

I guess I'll wait for the 2nd book to come out in December 2003. Looks like it will cover more details. But nothing compares to actual hands-on. I'd say that both books would be good for beginners.

Rating:
Summary: Best Book on the Basics of Aikido
Review: I have 4 other titles on Aikido and have browsed through quite a few others. I must say this is by far the best on the basics of Aikido. The pictures are reasonably clear and the descriptions are reasonably detailed. However, I would have liked all the techniques executed (and pictures taken) without the hakama on so that the readers can have a good look at the footwork as well.

Rating:
Summary: Best Book on the Basics of Aikido
Review: I have 4 other titles on Aikido and have browsed through quite a few others. I must say this is by far the best on the basics of Aikido. The pictures are reasonably clear and the descriptions are reasonably detailed. However, I would have liked all the techniques executed (and pictures taken) without the hakama on so that the readers can have a good look at the footwork as well.

Rating:
Summary: Great textbook on teaching fundamentals
Review: This is probably the defacto textbook on Aikido fundamentals. Rcommendeded for anyone who wants to learn Aikido.

Rating:
Summary: Great textbook on teaching fundamentals
Review: This is probably the defacto textbook on Aikido fundamentals. Rcommendeded for anyone who wants to learn Aikido.

Rating:
Summary: The Fundamentals, from the second Doshu
Review: _Best Aikido_ is a fine translation of the original Japanese textbook by the noted scholar of Buddhism and aikido, Dr John Stevens.

_Best Aikido_ could probably be considered one of the essential cornerstones of an aikido practitioners library. It contains waza patterns for all of the fundamentals of aikido techniques: the major pins (including gokyo) and throwing techniques (excluding koshi-nage) from basic attacks. Helpfully, omotoe and ura variations are included. _Best Aikido 2_ covers more intensive and advanced practice, including weapons disarming, multiple attacks, and more intricate applications of the fundamentals.

This book will not teach you aikido. No book can teach you aikido. IMO, aikido can only be learned as fostered in the environment that O-sensei developed in his sublime martial arts pedagogy. Aikido is learned through regular practice, in a dojo, in partnered co-operation with a variety of people, of various shapes and sizes.

_Best Aikido_ is meant to be a supplementary resource textbook, to be consulted after class or in preparation for exams. As prepared by the second Doshu (gaurdian of the Way), O-Sensei's son, the terminology and techniques in this book are compatible with Aikikai Aikido.

The introductory Q&A section is helpful, interesting, but is the only presence of philosophical discussion in this book. _Best Aikido_ is a direct presentation of the techniques, with only a limited amount of commentary. There are only a few helpful 'close-up' pictures, unfortunately, which give practical examination of the various grips and positions necessary for good aikido. While, again I must say, I don't think these things can be taught except through direct experience, I think yoshinkan grandmaster Shioda-sensei in _Aikido: The Master Course_ gives excellent photographic examination of the finer details, from a variety of angles, various techniques. I especially like his 'common mistakes' section, which gives exceedingly useful corrections for mistakes almost all beginners make.

The only weakness, and it shouldn't deter an aikikai practitioner from buying these books, are the grainy and distant B&W photography, with awkward 'freeze frame' moments. This is only meant to be a consultative textbook, so the student really should be able to fill in the rest of the movements through personal practice. However, I still did find moments where more intimate detailing might have helped. The third Doshu, who authored _Best Aikido 2_ - the companion to this book - has written excellent books in Japanese with extensive close-up photography, in colour. None of these books have been translated into English, but, if you can't read Japanese, the pictures are still useful for reference.

This is an important work for personal consultation. It will be of good service for study after classes. As a manual for Aikikai Aikido, this book, and its companion volume, provide all of the essential waza necessary for examinations and dojo practice.

The best books on aikido are still, of course, in Japanese. This is one of the better books to cross over into English. As a 2 vol. set, consider it a primary encyclopaedia of the repetoire of aikido kata/waza.