The Art of Japanese Swordsmanship: A Manual of Eishin-Ryu Iaido

My husband and I just starting learning Iaido at a local dojo. The learning curve is steep! This manual helps tremendously and we are well on our way to being Jedi

As others have said, the diagrams are nearly impossible to follow. It was a good idea to include them, but it's impossible to tell which foot is where. I ended up going through each of the steps and wrote "R" or "L" on the diagrams to give me a better idea of what should be where. Another issue with the diagrams is that sometimes they don't match up with the corresponding paragraph describing what the diagram is showing. Quite simple, the text will be saying one thing, and the diagram will be showing something completely different. It is almost as if the diagrams were made first, then the descriptions, then the descriptions were edited to include or drop extra steps, which is fine, but the diagrams were never changed to reflect these changes. While it can be frustrating at times, on the flip side it does encourage you to pay closer attention. Just remember to go by the text and not the diagrams.Despite these problems, it's a good starting point. I have no teachers of this style anywhere near where I live currently, so I wanted to get at least the barest minimum instruction in advance of moving to a place where there is a reputable teacher.

Good book for someone who is already heavily into the Eishin Ryu Iaido school.Really wish there were Photographs instead of the little drawings of the sword moves.

Helpful overview of the arts. Reliable information for those practicing as well as those who are interested.

Studying Kendo wil take me a while and this book gives me the help I need.

I bought this book to learn more of the sword seeing my son and I practice some in aikido. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to practice the sword.

Outstanding manual in Iai! have read thru and practiced daily since i received it! will be looking for more from Nicklaus Suino for sure!

This is a very interesting read, good detail on the technique. And even explains the scenarios behind the technique. I am enjoying it.

Everything as expected, Excellent choice, great purchase.

Just the one for me

I was looking for a good reference covering if possible all waza our school has to offer. The book perfectly accomplishes this requirement. I find the abstract drawings of the forms progress specifically helpful and well thought out. Contrary to one other review I do not miss a sign of which leg goes in front. I do not even memorize which leg it is at a certain point for my training besides which one to start a waza with. Whenever you switch positions the front leg simply becomes "the other one".What I do not like is the fact that in the more philosophical sections the author falls for almost every cliché about budo that is present in the west (and partly in modern Japan) and that has finally been proven wrong by the work of people like Karl Friday or Dave Lowry, e.g. citing the Hagakure as a reference for the existence of "Bushido", connecting iai and kyudo with zen ...The back cover goes as far as naming the author a "sixth-degree black belt" in MJER. Oh well. My obi happens to be black, but my teacher's is grey. For beginners of the art: we simply do not wear coloured belts to designate rank as most gendai budo do.Fortunately all this is but a minor portion of an - as I said - otherwise fantastic reference volume that I can wholeheartedly recommend to any serious practitioner of the art who needs to refresh his memory from time to time.Patrick M. Hausen

Very. detailed Best to have a training partner. Good theory behind swordsmanship. Great addition in library of edged weapons

Zusammen mit Flushing Steel eine gute Gedächtnis Hinweis um Zusammen mit Praxis Eishin-Ryu zu lernen.Illustrationen Könnten etwas deutlicher; Da ist kein Unterschied zwischen linker und rechter Bein zu sehen.