Bokken Art of the Japanese Sword

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book good coverage of essential basics
Review: An impressive book as it gives a good exposure to the art with a slick introduction and historical background the book does well in illustrating the techniques of the art of Bokken. It is important to remember that books must be used as reference material and no video or text instruction can replace a teacher in any art form. Also, advanced instructions are really not 'book' material as they come from instructors and by the time one reaches a stage one is proficient enough to remember. The emphatic part of the book and the one I liked the most was the basics and important reminders which also illustrates possible mistakes that a student is likely to commit in the beginning and carry on with it as a bad habit later. For advanced budokas also it is a handy reference of check lists of what to do and what not to do to be proficient in the art. Worth having by your side at any stage.

Rating:
Summary: A good introduction...
Review: As an Aikido student I was looking for a reference guide for katas and exercises so that I could practise outside the dojo. This book does not provide complex single katas ( it only has two very basic ones )so I was disappointed in that respect, however I did find the various introductory articles very educational and certianly relevant to any martial art whether you are trainig with a sword, a staff, or are doing empty handed techniques. My advice is: buy the book ad keep in mind Mr. Lowry's advice at all times but don't expect a visual feast of amazing pictures ( they are just plain black and white ). If you take this book as an introduction you will like it and hopefully it will push you to train harder and find out more about Japanese swordsmanship.

Rating:
Summary: A good introductory book for bokken
Review: Bokken Art of the Japanese Sword is a good introductory book. It shows all of the basics of stance, movement, and the basic cutting moves. Good quality photographs accompany the movement sequences, similar to other martial arts books of this type. The only complaints would be that the book is a bit on the sparse side and does not have many combination moves, advanced moves, or kata to aid in training. For the relatively low price, it is still a good value for an introductory guide, but the reader will quickly want to move up to a more advanced text to accompany their training.

Rating:
Summary: A good introductory book for bokken
Review: Bokken Art of the Japanese Sword is a good introductory book. It shows all of the basics of stance, movement, and the basic cutting moves.Good quality photographs accompany the movement sequences, similar to other martial arts books of this type.The only complaints would be that the book is a bit on the sparse side and does nothave many combination moves, advancedmoves, or kata to aid in training.For the relatively low price, it is still a goodvalue for an introductory guide, but the readerwill quickly want to move up to a more advanced text to accompany their training.

Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT BASICS FOR THE NEWLY INITIATED
Review: BY THE TIME I READ LOWRY'S BOOK, I WAS A YEAR INTO MUSO SHINDEN RYU IAIDO, AND I FOUND SOME MINOR DESCREPANCIES IN THE HANDLING OF THE BOKUDO AND THE KATANA. MOST OF THE STANCES AND POSITIONS OR KAMAE VARY ONLY EVER SO SLIGHTLY. I FOUND "BOKKEN" TO BE VERY HELPFUL IN SOME AREAS AS IT IS FULL OF PHOTOGRAPHS SO THERE IS NO MISTAKING WHAT IS BEING DESCRIBED AS THE PROPER WAY TO HANDLE THE BOKKEN AND MOVE ABOUT.
IT'S AN A+ BOOK FOR THE ABSOLUTE BEGINNER!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent text from a humble budoka.
Review: Dave Lowry is a most humble budoka in his presentation of the bokken. Mr. Lowry presents a general history of the weapon and the basics to the path of the bokken. An introductory text - sure - but an excellent manual as little was available when it was published. A great primer for those considering the path of kendo, kenjutsu, iaido, iaijutsu or general knowledge in the bokken.

Rating:
Summary: Typical introductory fare
Review: For those who don't know what to do with a sword. It covers the very preliminary basics (of the Yagyu style) in pictures.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book for Beginers
Review: Having no formal martial arts training I found this book very informative and easy to use. It wasn't too complex for me to understand. The information is presented in a well balanced form of historical awareness and application of the techniques. Though there is no subsitute for true martial arts instruction, this book will help anyone interested in learning the art of Japanese swordmanship to get started.

Rating:
Summary: I would definately reccomend this to other sword enthusiasts
Review: I really enjoyed this book. The illustrations were well done, and the fact that some techniques were shown from different angles was also helpful. I also enjoyed the historical information and background this book had to offer. It is a must for sword enthusiasts.

Rating:
Summary: Organized, well written, good pictures
Review: It covers all the basics, with excellent pictures and step by step explanations. You can actually understand the graphic sequences of the movements (in most books you can't). Tries to cover most common errors and how to detect them and work on them. It has some single katas, and some Kumitache Katas (katas with a partner). It's definitely worth reading.