Scale: ***** -- Buy this book!! **** -- Strongly recommend having. *** -- Good. Has research value. ** -- Interesting, but not worth buying. * -- Avoid.
Suino studied the Eishin Ryu iaido of Fukui Torao, the Ryu's officially recognized 21st headmaster (as opposed to other claimants such as Miura Takeyuki and Sekiguchi Komei who lead their own style of Eishin Ryu). This book is grudgingly acceptable only as a memory aid if one has previously studied the techniques. Suino presents the techniques out of sequence as they are recorded and practiced in the traditional pedagogy. In Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu the sequence is Shoden level seated forms (seiza no bu); Chuden level forms (raised knee); Okuden level suwari waza (also raised knee) followed by Okuden level tachiwaza (standing forms); and itomagoi (seated assassination forms). Suino's sequence is: seiza no bu (Shoden formal seated forms); Tatehiza no bu (Chuden raised knee forms); Tachiwaza (Okuden standing forms) in which he also includes the three Itomagoi (Okuden seated assassination forms); finally he presents the Okuden suwari waza last, removed from the proper sequence. Suino also breaks the traditional sequence by interjecting other sword techniques between kata chapters (e.g., after Seiza waza and before Tatehiza he has two sections covering drawing methods). Suino includes two other chapters with an "extra set" of secret (okuiai) forms and and five waza of the All Japan Iaido Federation. What is obvious in its absence is a section on "Tachiuchi no kurai" (also called "Kumitachi"), that is, the paired forms taught in traditional Eishin Ryu.
Suino tends to gloss over some of the true explanations of the waza-to be fair, it may not be his fault. His teachers may have told him that in Shoden waza number ten (Oikaze) you are attacking an enemy face-to-face; however, the truth of the matter is that you are striking him down from behind. The same is true of Okuden tachiwaza number seven, Sode Surigaeshi: one actually pushes through a gaggle of "innocent bystanders" to strike down the enemy from behind (this is "honorable" because you have Jo-uchi, orders from above). Another technique not explained is the original "chiburi" of the Shoden level form number eight, Tsukekomi. As taught today, after kneeling over the fallen enemy one wipes the blood from the blade with the thumb and forefinger while pulling the sword away and upward. The original technique was to kneel over the fallen enemy and thrust the blade downward into the enemy's throat. But that is too "violent" for today's citizenry.
The book has absolutely NO photographs; all techniques are computer-generated graphics. This book is best used if you have access to a Japanese reference (especially Mitani Yoshisato's Shoka Iai: Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu [A Detailed Explanation of Iaido: Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu], (Tokyo: Sukii Jorunaru [Ski Journal],1986)); if you cannot read Japanese, at least you can follow the sequence of events.
Not a book on Japanese martial arts, per se. An idealized, Christianized view (apology?) of Japanese culture. Comparrisons (rationalizations?) of Japanese culture with that of Greek and other ancients. The reader must remember that Nitobe wrote it in 1905 for a Western audience as an introduction to Japanese culture as interest was peaked due to Japan's defeat of Russia. Therefore, the appropriate cultural lenses must be worn (try bifocals!). I don't particularly like this book.
The logical continuation of Classical Bujutsu. Covers the transition of warfare techniques as they evolved into self-cultivation arts. Good book worth buying.
The original authoratative scholarly research work in English. Covers the combat effective forms of Japanese martial arts. Well worth buying.
The book is well done by David Chambers' publishing company and the photographs are clear and easy to follow. However, the techniques depicted do not represent any particular school. Which style is Obata representing? It's not Toyama Ryu, nor is it Nakamura Ryu. This book is a small compilation of techniques and waza he learned from Hayashi Kunishiro, a leading action coordinator for NHK television. This is probably showing Obata as he begins developing his own "style" called Shinkendo. If you have the choice between this book and Naked Blade, choose the later. Crimson Steel is out of print and probably only interesting to the followers of Obata, or those who once knew him.
Volume one covers iai-jutsu and bojutsu, volume two covers sword techniques, and volume three covers naginata and sojutsu. This is the definitive work on Katori Shinto Ryu written by the senior-ranking practicioner of the art (Otake sensei is the Shihan, but not the headmaster of the style). The bilingual text allows readers of Japanese to compare the translation and sometimes say excitedly, "Oh! THAT kanji...now I understand!" Very well done and worth the price!
An ambitious undertaking which tries to include many tid-bits of martial art knowledge, and a source sorely needed; however, the book does have its fault: scope. It is too major an undertaking to be done as a first volume-a revised edition is desired which corrects many of the mistakes. I am listing the mistakes I found just thumbing through the book; with that said, one must wonder how many other mistakes are in the definitions.
All-in-all, I must say that I like the dictionary and feel it is a valuable addition to my collection.
Due to the enormous scope of effort there are numerous mistakes within:
Provides a good discription of martial arts, particularly jujutsu, as they were taught and perceived in the early Twentieth Century by a man who studied in Japan prior to 1930. Good insight to the meaning of budo.
This book presents Eishin Ryu in the lineage of Masaoka Kazumi (many believe he should have been named 18th headmaster instead of Hogiyama Namio). I prefer this book over Suino's Art of Japanese Swordsmanship because of its clear photographic sequences and the explanation of budo maxims (e.g., Heijoshin and Shu Ha Ri) and the photographs. However, I also dislike this book because of the photographs: Shimabukuro uses three untrained children as models for kamae and for tachiuchi no kurai (kumitachi) paired forms. The children's posture and gripping methods are incorrect and project an inaccurate portrayal of proper utilization of a sword. Like Suino, Shimabukuro disrupts the traditional sequence of waza, presenting it as Shoden seiza waza (formal kneeling); Chuden tatehiza waza (raised knee); Okuden tachiwaza (standing); Itomagoi (formal kneeling assassination forms); and finally Okuden suwari waza (raised knee). Shimabukuro does present the paired forms called Tachiuchi no kurai as well as the All Japan Kendo Federation's Standardized Iai Forms.
Shimabukuro is not afraid to say that some forms are not "fair" fights, that the enemy is to be taken from behind (Shoden waza number ten, Oikaze); or that the enemy is to be taken while he is bowing (Okuden waza Itomagoi one through three)-concepts which are not presented by Suino. However, Shimabukuro's teaching states that the enemy is expecting to be assasinated and tries to cut you while you are bowing. [I learned Itomagoi solely as a sneak attack--my Japanese sensei called it a "Pearl Harbor."] The photo sequences for Itomagoi are not well presented because the same four photographs are used; photos should show at which degree of the bow the sword is drawn, as it differs for each waza. Additionally, Shimabukuro's book is also valuable in its presentation of the school's promotion requirements and recommended tournament guidelines. Recommended reading with the above caveats in mind.
"To steal from one source is plagiarism; to steal from many sources is research." With this graduate school quip in mind, I suppose Craig's book may be classified as "Research." The book abounds with poorly executed sketches (freehand drawings taken from Kuniyoshi's blockprints depicting the 47 Ronin), down-right unattributed copying of other authors, and misrepresentations couched as speculation. In the unattributed section explaining Happo-no-kamae and Happo-giri [devised by Nakamura Taizaburo between 1944 and 1953], Craig speculates on page 113 about Miyamoto Musashi saying, "I don't know, but he had to be a master of the arts of Happo-no-Kamae and Happo-Giri." The unknowledgable reader would logically assume from Craig's statement that Happo-no-kamae and Happo-giri are ancient teachings which were available to Miyamoto!
The following plagiarisms should be highlighted:
Not a book about martial arts, however, germane to the topic of swordsmanship. Covers the Japanese military sword and includes many photographs and illustrations. Worth buying.
An expanded version of their Military Swords of Japan. Worth buying. If you have a choice of the two, this volume is the better; includes many of the same data as the former.
Most excellent, although the standardized waza presented have since changed. The book is very clear and has great photographs. A "must have" for the home or dojo library.
Disappointing. I had high hopes that this book would use Sasamori and Warner's This Is Kendo as a springboard; it failed to measure up. Alas, perhaps Sasamori and Warner's book is too high an ideal. Kiyota is a Buddhist scholar who is well read, and writes well; however, his treatment of kendo strikes me as being "too academic." Worth thumbing through or using for a citation or two, but not worth buying (IMHO).
Very good insight to the culture of kendo. Well worth reading. Chapter endnotes are stuffed with good information.
Ozawa's book is definitely the best book in English on kendo in the last 35 years, and successfully fills in where Sasamori and Warner's This Is Kendo left off. The book was originally published in Japanese for the kendo community and has the quality line drawings found in those types publications. The high quality line drawings illustrate waza, including the "kendo kata" (paired forms called "kumitachi" in other sword arts). The book focuses equally on waza as well as customs, which includes information possibly alien to the Western neophite such as "... cleaning the floor is part of keiko [practice]." $35 is a reasonable price for the book.
In one word: Simplygreatandyoushouldbuythisbook. The subject is well presented and the concepts transcend archery, being applicable to any other Japanese martial art. By far the "only" book on Japanese archery.
Classical warrior traditions of Japan presented with photos on one page and a thumbnail sketch narrative on the other. A good primer for those interested in real classical traditions. The Skosses lived and trained in Japan for many years and accumulated a wealth of practical knowledge-they also worked on the highly acclaimed magazine "Aikido Journal;" therefore, they know well of what they write. The downside to this book is its overly academic and (mostly) uninteresting thesis about Marishiten, a Buddhist patron deity of the Japanese warrior caste. The 30 or so pages, as well as Ellis Amdur's article entitled "Koryu Meets West" could have been better used to incorporate more classic ryu-ha descriptions, photographs of various dojo, mokuroku, etc. The book is a good first attempt; hopefully its sister volume will expand more on the extant schools, and less on "magazine articles."
A nice primer about Kashima Shinryu kenjutsu written by a university associate professor who possesses a PhD in history and Shihan Mokuroku license in Kashima Shinryu. Worth buying.
Covers the continuing evolution of Japanese martial arts into today's disciplines. Discusses the emergence of Japan and her road to war in the 1930s. Buy this book and keep it with its two companion volumes. One chapter is about Nakamura Taizaburo sensei.
Well defined photographs and clear line drawings. This is the only English source on Toyama Ryu iaido, and it is now out of print. The first part of the book introduces the novice to Nakamura Taizaburo sensei's Happo-no-kamae and Happo-giri (Eight Stances and Eight Directions of Cutting). This inclusion is only natural because Obata studied under Nakamura sensei, who is "godfather" of test cutting and the leader of one school of Toyama Ryu. The one fault with this book is that Obata, without permission, wrongfully incorporated the Omori Ryu "full circle" style of chiburi (blood throwing) in forms one and two. Instead, he should have used the correct Toyama Ryu chiburi. The book is out of print and unavailable; however, if you can obtain two copies, please give one to me.
A companion piece to Suino's The Art of Japanese Swordsmanship; same type of computer-generated graphics being unclear. A good basic primer for beginners, as well as a good reference for teachers who wish to systematize their training approach. The book is okay, but buy a used copy; I'd rather apply the $14.95 (plus tax and shipping) towards a purchase of Shimabukuro and Pellman's Flashing Steel, which also covers Eishin Ryu.
Clear photographs of Shinkage ryu kenjutsu. I am not familiar with Shinkage ryu, but when I asked long-time practitioner Meik Skoss about these volumes, he just rolled his eyes upward and said something to the effect, "Oh, that book?" I bought the books to round out my research library, but I definitely feel they are not worth $28 each!
Let me begin by saying that Stevens is well known in the Aikido world and is highly respected (he is a Buddhist priest, aikido teacher, and lecturer in a Japanese university); however, he is also known for "over translating" or "creative translation" when it comes to aikido founder Ueshiba Morihei (it's been laughingly said that to Stevens, Ueshiba's farts smell like perfume). Therefore, I do not know how to take Stevens' treatment of Yamaoka Tesshu, the subject of this book. Read this very interesting book with the above caveat in mind. The reproduction of Tesshu's calligraphy are well represented, as are the different signature stamps he used. Also worth reading is the section on Tesshu's writings-those that crypticaly state the essence of his school of swordsmanship. However, take with a grain of salt the "fables" of Tesshu, such as his walking 100 miles in one day just to win a bet (he returned with his geta flat because the support "heels" had been worn down-RIGHT!). The book is worth purchasing.
This book was the first in English which covered the subject of Japanese sport fencing in a comprehensive manner. One of the jewels to this book for the researcher is its bibliography (e.g. Nakayama Hakudo's Nippon Kendo to Seiyo Kengi [Japanese Fencing and Western Fencing], Shimbi Shoin, Tokyo, 1937). Well worth having in a reference library.
The subtitle is superfluous as the authors do not address the "paradox." That being said, the book is interesting because Chapter 6 is a ten page (or so) article about Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu. The other chapters dealing with Indian and Chinese fighting arts are interesting, but Donn Draeger and Robert Smith's work, Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts, is in greater depth and should not even be mentioned within the same paragraph. Not worth paying $23.95 (plus tax, shipping, etc) unless you have some disposable income; however, it is worth borrowing from the library.