Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere: An Illustrated Introduction

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Summary: Best single volume on aikido to date
Review: I have read more than 10 books and read countless articles on the martial art of aikido, and this book was by far the best one. The philosophy of aikido clearly comes through and gives the reader more than just technical information on various techniques. Great illustrations too. While the drawings aren't as easy to follow as photos or video, they are profuse, with over 100 different techniques illustrated.

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Summary: Just an advice. BUY IT!!!
Review: I am a beginner in the art of aikido and I have to confess that I spend some money buying different books, all of them good but not even close to this one. I would have really appreciated if somebody recommend me this book before. Something else, English is not my native language and this book is definitely written to be understood by everyone.

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Summary: A must-buy for every budding Aikidoka
Review: Aikido is a great martial art, this book is the best introduction to it, period. The illustrations in the book are succint and clear in their depiction of Aikido moves and techniques. The language is concise and well thought-out and considering that one of the authors is an English teacher, (If I remember correctly :) that is no surprise. The introduction to Aikido "phase" of the book is one of the best I have seen and if you have enough money for only 1 Aikido book, I'd say this would be the one to get. The Aikido book to end all Aikido books.

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Summary: Amazing
Review: I have read many books on the martial Arts before and this is the best one so far. There has never been another book that goes into such detail on the style of aikido. The part that I liked the best about this book was the fact that it showed more to aikido than just the martial side. Aikido is a very deep art and this book has the ability to take you through the hole style. A prefect book for anyone who trains in Aikido no matter their rank.

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Summary: Definetly good
Review: As an Aikidoka I strongly advise anyone (despite the rank), to buy one. It is extremely well written and the images are clear and precise. A book for anyone who wants to progress in Aikido or in any other form of Budo.

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Summary: Exceptional!
Review: The definitive handbook for ALL aikidoists

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Summary: Dynamic Sphere
Review: This is perhaps best book for bringing the beginner up to speed when practicing Aikido. The many excellent illustrations make for particularly easy understanding of the movements that make up Aikido. This is an important book to have on hand in order to lessen the frustration of early practice and serves to answer some of the questions that the student may have, but may not be able to ask his or her teacher. This book sets itself apart from other works on Aikido in its approach to the philosophical side of Aikido. The western analytical approach is not ignored, and neither is the eastern/oriental. The authors have produced a synergy that makes sense from both an ancient martial arts tradition perspective and the perspective of the American or European student. Key concepts are appropriately highlighted throughout, and there is ample material for advanced practice. The fine illustrations make this an art book of the highest quality. This is a marvelously well rounded book and is highly recommended for both beginners and not-so beginning beginners.

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Summary: Aikido is much more than a physical art --amazing
Review: The world of martial arts can often be confusing. There is a spiritual aspect that is often hinted at, but when the practice invloves techniques for bone-breaking and face smashing....well.... Then there's Aikido. And the quality of this book in explaining the concepts of attack, the sphere of defense and the philosophical standpoint of Aikido is impressive. It goes beyond just Aikido and provides a deep understanding of what a martial art can be (not just crunchy-bones!). However, Aikido is obviously what it addresses and it does so amazingly well. It's worth the price for Part V alone! To boot...it has excellent inllustrations, and is printed on high-quality paper that smells good! ooooo----you should buy this book.

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Summary: A vidid illustration of aikido
Review: This book categorize attacks into 12 kinds of holds, 3 kinds of blows, and categorizes counters into 7 kinds of immobolizations and 28 kinds of projects. Then it sets up a matrix of which counter can be used on which kinds of attacks. It draws diagrams for each application. Very illustrative.
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Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Illustrations
Review: Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere is the first aikido book I acquired, and it served as my introduction to the art. It covers the subject well and provides insight into the principles (as opposed to techniques) of aikido that may be omitted in other, more technically-oriented works.

The language of the book is slightly stilted by the editorial choice to refer to "thows" as "projections" and "pins" as "immobilizations" -- if George Orwell had been an aikidoka, he'd roll over in his grave at the rejection of straighforward anglo/saxon-derived, but perfectly serviceable, words. Likewise, the decision to use numbers to designate throws and pins ("projection #3", "immobilization #2"), instead of more traditional Japanese terms ("shihonage", "nikkyo") also counts against the book, because it requires the development of some kind of translation mechanism to go from Ratti/Westbrook-ese to the dojo. I believe I understand the logic of the reasoning for these decisions, but I don't agree with the conclusion.

In spite of these minor criticisms, this is a solid book made better by Oscar Ratti's superlative illustrations. Nearly every page has a picture which enhances the text and pleases the eye.

I bought this book before I began practicing aikido. If I had not bought it then, I probably would buy it now.