To become an expert swordsman, one must pay close attention to detail, be highly self-critical, and practice diligently every day under the guidance of a good teacher. Unfortunately, contact time with a worthy mentor is limited for most. Practice Drills for Japanese Swordsmanship fills this obvious gap in the training of the modern swordsman by providing bokuto (wooden sword) drills to supplement the formal class activity of forms practice. Both single and two-person drills are presented, some common to iaido and kenjutsu, others extracted from iaido forms by the author and used to teach his own students the proper ways of drawing, parrying, and cutting. Each drill is illustrated with step-by-step drawings to help students hone their techniques; together they provide a comprehensive system of general skills development for anyone interested in using the Japanese sword.
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Extremely Useful Guide Comment: I have found this book to be a very useful tool in developing training drills and improving our basic techniques. The diagrams are easy to follow and textual information clear. Well worth having in the library. Customer Rating: Summary: Horrible Comment: Rather pointless book. The images provided are utterly useless, being a few cm in size, badly drawn and providing no information whatsoever. I utterly regret buying this book. For kendo kata in particular I would recommend 'Looking at a Far Mountain: A Study of Kendo Kata'. Customer Rating: Summary: Brilliant Comment: This book really helped my groundwork (seated and kneeling kata.) I really recommend this book for anyone who has just started any form of Iai or Ken. It really focuses on the details and core fundamentals of footwork, moving while kneeling and seated, and cutting with your entire body. It is as it's title suggests: a primer on practice drills. It answers all those questions you cant get answered in an hour and a half class. It is really aimed at the novice or someone who has been away from their art for a while. Either way, it is a good buy. Customer Rating: Summary: Only book of it's kind Comment: I love the way this book was written. The descriptions of the moves reflect mastery of the author. I appreciated the easy to follow diagrams and the instructions on how to read them. This is a definite buy for anyone interested in Iaido. Customer Rating: Summary: Drillion Dollar Book Comment: For Basics on the Martial arts this book is worth every penny!
