authoritative, profusely illustrated introduction to a martial defense system, written by the son of its founder.
The principles of Aikido state that force and technique, alone, are inadequate. The practitioner must enter into the domain of the spirit to develop himself and his thought. This book gives the basic knowledge needed to master the art of Aikido. It shows basic preparatory exercises that can be done alone or in pairs. There are chapters on techniques, a history of the system, and a memoir by the Founder. Kisshomaru Ueshiba is permanent president of the International Aikido Federation.
I bought this book in 1991, just after I started training in Aikido, mainly because I wanted a reference book to study for the exams. The simple straightforward explanations in this book are an excellent reference. For those wish to read more about the philosophical side of Aikido I recommend The Spirit of Aikido.
An amazing book, with awesome illustrations of the various techniques of the martial art of Aikido. Kisshoumaru Ueshiba one of the sons of Morihei Ueshiba the founder of Aikido shows with great simplicity and accuracy the different positions and tehniques and must have book. I learned a lot from it and it really helps me get into the meaning of the art.