Aikido Exercises for Teaching and Training

by C.M. Shifflett, George Simcox (Introduction)

This book is augmented by testing techniques, class demonstrations, and the underlying basics of physics, anatomy, and psychology. Included are a general introduction for beginners, common questions and observations, relationships between exercises and throws, an approach for safe mastery of rolling and ukemi skills, an anatomy of wristlocks, verbal self-defense, as well as exercises for individual off mat practice.

Genres: Martial Arts, Nonfiction

300 pages, Paperback

First published January 7, 1999

About the author

C. M. Shifflett is a non-fiction science and technology writer who has published on a variety of topics ranging from earth sciences and computer technology to martial arts
(Aikido Exercises for Teaching and Training) and health (Migraine Brains and Bodies).

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like CM Shifflett's writings on aikido and ki and wish there was more to read than this and "Ki in Aikido." But I'll take it. Seems that Ki Society flavored aikido has few books written about it, and Shifflett's are both instructive and entertaining.

[Brandon Bosworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best, most informative martial arts books I've ever read. And I don't even practice Aikido.

[Anne Beardsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has some of everything.

The whole thing is like listening to your erudite, rather bossy, good friend tell you everything she wished she knew about Aikido 25 years earlier. The author rambles happily from topic to topic. It's all interesting.

Bizarrely, I would say that this book is written for raw beginners and their teachers. It explains the basic principles of Aikido, with brilliant suggestions on different ways to teach them and notes on what can go wrong.

The rest of us in between starting and teaching can still benefit a great deal from the thought, experience, and perspective this author has compiled here.
I don't agree with everything she writes (with so many opinions, no one could) but when she presents facts they tend to look well researched. Everything made me think. I learned... so much.



It's an eclectic collection of odds and ends of everything. There's “Why Practice Aikido, Anyway?”, there's etiquette lessons, there's stretches (broken down into exact anatomical detail, with a trouble-shooter guide for what causes common Aikido-related pain and how to fix it), there's ways to teach troublesome concepts from shikko to ukemi to vocabulary to techniques, there's exercises to practice all by yourself. There's a section talking about how Aikido relates to gardening and a page that shows you how the kanji in Aikido evolved in ancient China. Pages on why ukemi can save your life, and how to do it better. A small section on why Aikido is like motorcycle driving. There's a few pages on Aikido physics and some on ways to help a partner test for stability and balance. I never knew where the book would go next.

I even learned how to massage a set of muscles in my neck that magically solve four years of dizziness during ukemi, thanks to her trouble-shooting ukemi guide! I can't tell you how much this means to me, to be able to just roll now.

I love the quotes littered throughout. Honestly, I would find it worth buying this book just for the quotes.

An enjoyable and educational meander that I will read again. Recommended.

[Andreas Michaelides · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book, step by step instructions of the exercises, covers a lot about why the exercises are done, I really loved it and I always have it on my side and always consult it.