Adele WestbrookBesprekingen

from preface

Tkhe Japanese experience in, and contrigution to, the theroy and practice, of individual combat, armed and unarmed, is certainly among the most ancient, sophisticated, and enduring evrer recorded.

The present work is a survey of the major specializations of the martial experience, known in feudal Japan as martial arts, or bujutsu. These arts are presented in terms of the persons directly or indirectly involved with, or subjected to, this systematic violence; the particular weapons and techniques which assigned to each martial art its position and relative importance within the body of bujutsu teachings, here termed the doctrine of bujutsu; the factors of inner control and power well as strategies and motivaitons, which, when compared to the above-mentioned elements, were considered by the ancients as being of equal (if not greater) significance, due to their importance in implementing the various combat methods.

Contents

Ascnowledgments
Preface
Introduction: The Martial Ethos
Definition of Bujutsu and Its Specializations
The Qualification 'Martial' (Bu) and the Exponents of Bujutsu
The Qualification 'Martial ' (Bu) and the Art of War
The Military Tradition in the History of Japan
Origins of Bujutsu
Part I Exponents of Bujutsu: The Bujin
1 The Bushi
The Rise of the Military Class
The Military Structure of Tokugawa Society: The Shogun
The Daimyo
The military REtainer: The Samurai
Education and Status of the Buke
The Samurai Woman
The Masterless Warrior: The Ronin
2 The Heimin
The Farmers
The Militant Clergy
Artisans and Merchants
The Police Forces and the Underworld
3 The Center of Martial Instruction
The Ryu
The Sensei
Part II Oiuter Factors of Bujutsu
Weapons and Techniques
4 Armed Bujutsu
The Armor-Evolution of Japanese Armor; Elements of Japanese Armor
The Major Martial Arts-The Art of Archery; The Art of Spear Fighting; The Art of Swordsmanship; The Art of Military Horsemanship; The Art of Swimming in Armor
The Minor Martial Arts-The Art of the War Fan; The Art of the Staff; The Art of the Jitte
The Collateral Methods of Combat-The Art of the Chain and Other Weapons; Ninjutsu
5 Unarmed Bkujutsu
Specializations, Instruments, and Techniques
The Art of Wrestling
The Military Specializations of Unarmed Bujutsu
The Schools of Jujutsu
The Schools of Aikijutsu
The Arts of Striking
The Art of Kiai
Part III Inner Factors of Bujutsu
The Invisible Range
6 Control and Power
The Foundation
The Concept of the Centre
The Concept of Intrinsic Energy
Applications of Haragei
Haragei in Ancient Specializations of Bujutsu-Kyujutsu; Kenjutsu; Sumo; Jujutsu; Kiaijutsu
Haragei in Modern Derivations of Bujutsu-Judo; Karate; Aikido
The Martial Synthesis
7 Strategic Principles
The Major Strategies
Principles of Application
The Bilateral Principle in Particular
The Attack and the Counterattack
The Defense
8 Morality of Bkujutsu
The Way of the Warrior
The Value of Zen in Bujutsu
Conclusion: The Evolution of Bujutsu
Bibliography
Index

from dust jacket

Aikido has ofter been referred to as the gentleman's fighting art. Though it is not an unfamiliar word, few outside the world of the martial arts can distinguish it from various other 'methods of self-defense.' Its trademark, however, lies partly in its sophisticatied style and particularly in its esential motivations.

Aikido is a method of self-defense which can be used against any form of attack and-at its highest levels-a Discipline of Coordination, a 'way' of harmonizing all of man's vital powers. There is no attack in aikido; i.e., its goal is merely to neutralize an aggression and render the attacker harmless, without causing him any serious injury if at all possible. To do this requires skill, but even more, it requires an ethical intention. The very word aikido, in fact, cotains the three elements which comrpise the art: (ai), harmony or coordination; (ki), spirit or energy; (do), the method, the 'way.'

A man who studies and practices aikido correctly desires only to defend himself without hurting others. To possess this attitude, one must achieve a very high level of integration of the powers of mind and body, the harmonious combination of physical means and ethical motives.

Adele Westbrook, who works for one of the largest advertising agencies in the world, studied philosophy at Columbia University at the same time co-author Oscar Tatti was doing graduate work in classical languages. They began to practice aikido together, and while studying under a variety of instructors in the United States and Europe, started the collection of notes and sketches which finally developed into this illustrated introduction to the art of aikido.

Oscar Ratti, now a commercial illustrator, received his degree in classical studies and law from the University of Naples where he was intercollegiate Greek-Roman wrestling champion and a member of the championship judo team. He later came to the United States and began to study aikido with Yasuo Ohara, one of the first instructors to teach in New York. In addition to being co-author of the book, Mr. Ratti provided all the excellent drawings that apear in this volume.

Miss Westbrook and Mr. Ratti also taught aikido in New York, working with youth groups at Centers affiliated with the Y.M.C.A.

Contents

Acknowledgments; Preface; List of Charts
I What is Aikido?-Defense in Aikido; The 'Centre' and 'Ki'; The Strategy of Neutralization; The Potential of Aikido
II The Foundation of Aikido-The Founder; Main Sources of Formation and Inspiration; The Martial Arts; The 'Ethics' of Defense
III Organization-The Hierarchy; Promotion; The Uniform; The Practice Hall ; The Mat; Etiquette and Classes
IV The Practice of Aikido-The Theory of Attack; Physical Factors; Dynamic Factors; Technical Factors; The Unified Power of Attack
V The Theory of Defense-The Process of Defense and Its Factors; The Inner Factors: the Role of the Mind; The Principle of Centralization; The Principle of Extension; The Principle of Leading Control; The Principle of Sphericity; Circuits of Neutralization; Spirals and Semi-Spirals of Neutralization; The Dynamic Sphere; Fusion and Special Exercises
VI The Physical Preparation-Preliminary Exercises: Suppleness; Basic Exercises: Coordination; Rolls and Somersaults
VII The Posture and mOtion of Defense-Stages and Unity of the Akido Process of Defense; The Posture; The Motion
VIII The Basic Techniques of Neutralization-General; Recommendatons; Immobilizations; Projections; Combinations
IX Advanced Practice-'Mat' or Kneeling Aikido; The Stave Exercises; The Techniques of Neutralization Applied Against an Armed Attack; The Techniques of Neutralization Applied Against a Multiple Attack; Free Style
X Conclusion
Glossary; Selected Bibliography; Index

Excellent illustrations and explanation of history. Every aikidoka should have this in their collection.

I don't like this book at all. I don't like the concept and I don't even like the title. Aikido and the dynamic line or aikido and the dynamic curve would have just the same meaning or lack of meaning and aikido is not necessarily based on a sphere. Probably a lot of the people who gave this book positive reviews don't do aikido.

The first problem is that the authors quite arbitrarily rename all the techniques with numbers so that for beginners it is incomprehensible. Literally incomprehensible. It's like for a book on tennis instead of saying forehand volley you say: do the number one stroke against the number three ball. And for anyone who is not a beginner it is superficial and of limited interest. So I've got no idea who the book is for.

One star because the illustrations are charming but if you want to learn aikido this book is worse than no book. Seriously. But Secrets of the Samurai by the same authors is quite interesting although again the title is misleading and poorly chosen.

a fine reference for any aikido practitioner or person interested in aikido technique

If you wish to learn the art of Aikido and could only have one book; this would be it. It is effectively illustrated, better than photos. From history and theory, dojo etiquette and fundamental techniques of defense...all is covered. This book will give you broad overview of the mental and spiritual underpinnings of Aikido as a whole.

Having studied Aikido in Guam for 4 years under Sensei Ben Galarpe I had some exposure to what the authors were saying before reading the book. This is a great introduction to Aikido and its background philosophy with the authors doing a good job of introducing the art to a broader audience. The illustrations also help tremendously.

Amazon: Reviewer: A reader
This is truly an impressive attempt to cover all of the martial skills that the feudal warriors of Japan studied. Unfortunately, their section on Aiki-jujitsu and Aikido has some serious errors. First, they claim that Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido was the only legitimate heir of the Daito Ryu school of aiki-jujitsu. This is incorrect. Tokumine Takeda, son of Sokaku Takeda (Ueshiba's Daito Ryu teacher for over a decade), was the heir of Daito Ryu. The current headmaster is Katsuyuki Kondo. There are also several other branches of Daito Ryu: Kodokai, Roppokai, and Takumakai, which were started by students of Takeda Sokaku who were actually senior to Ueshiba. Ratti and Westbrooke also stated that Daito Ryu no longer exists, and that we have no way of knowing today the techniques of the the Daito Ryu. Again, untrue. Daito Ryu is one of the most widely practiced traditional styles of martial arts (Koryu Budo) in Japan. Finally, they state with some authority that Daito Ryu descended from Prince Sadasumi. This cannot be verified, even by Daito Ryu practitioners. Like many oral tales, it is a history that people accept in the absence of confirming or contradicting evidence.

What is disturbing is that after twenty years, this information was never updated. Perhaps this was because Ratti and Westbrook did not use any original source, i.e. Japanese, material (at least I did not see any when I glanced through the glossary). Perhaps it was because they felt some need to promote aikido at the expense of Daito Ryu. It does not matter, really. Writing a traditional Japanese martial art out of any book that purports describe the history of Japanese martial arts is a gaffe that makes me wonder what else about the book they have gotten wrong.

I give the book three stars for effort, but let the buyer beware. When reading, don't believe anything until you verify, verify, verify.

Reviewer: Barbara Nostrand "drbarbaranostrand" (Geneseo, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
I am writing this review, because people are erroneously using this book as a source for research into pre-modern Japan. It should not be used for this purpose. It belongs to a genre which I call "gosh golly" books. I will proceed to comments relating to previous reviews.

1. The illustrations are modern and appear to have been drawn by a western artist. What it does not contain is reproductions of premodern woodblock prints, paintings, &c. or photographs of actual artifacts.

2. While it has a large bibliography, the works are pretty much exclusively in English and appear to be popular rather than scholarly publications.

3. This book contains descriptions of Japanese "martial arts" such as "tessenjutsu" which do not appear in reliable Japanese literature.

4. This book contains descriptions of highly improbable "martial arts" such as the supposed ability for a seated practitioner to kill an armed opponent by shouting at him.

5. The historical descriptions in the book betray a woeful ignorance. For example, chapter 1 includes a claim that Buddhism is "monotheistic". This makes me wonder how the authors managed to use the correct Japanese words for the military class and the court nobility. Saddly, the scattering of accurate information in this book makes it even less desireable as it lends credance to the book's fantasy elements.

6. One commentor recommended the books by Stephen Turnbull. If you are interested in more scholarly treatments of Japan's medieval period, I recommend consulting books by Marius B. Jansen, Paul Varley, John Witney Hall, William Wayne Farris, and Jeffrey P. Mass. Heavenly Warriors by Farris specifically deals with the origin of the buke class going beyond earlier work by Mass.

7. If what you are looking for is battle paintings, pictures of military artifacts, &c. then you should cosider ordering books from the Mook Series published by Gakken. These can be ordered online from amazon.co.jp. A representative title in this series can be found by entering the following ISBN number into their search engine: 4056042489.

In short. If you are seriously interested in Japan, please buy better books.

Excellent explanation of the theory behind Aikido

Japan/Feudal