Aikido
Shugyo, by Gozo Shioda, was originally released in
Japanese in 1991. Throughout this important and insightful
work, Shioda Sensei relates many stories about the time
he spent training directly with the founder of Aikido,
Morihei Ueshiba Sensei, about his war-time experiences
and about his years as the Headmaster of the Yoshinkan.
He also uses countless anecdotes to convey important insights
into the functioning and application of Aikido techniques.
Aikido Shugyo will inspire anyone interested in traditional
martial arts with its lessons, its history, and its straight-forward
approach to the application of Aikido techniques.
Aikido
Shugyo is a rare insight from one of the leading and
most well-known martial artists of his time. Already a
“classic” in Japanese, it is a required text
for every martial arts library. This first ever English
publication is a faithful and complete presentation of
the original Japanese text and includes a Foreword by Kyoichi
Inoue Sensei, 9th Dan, Dojo-cho of the Yoshinkan Headquarters
in Tokyo, Japan.
| The
publication of Aikido Shugyo in the
English language is a watershed event for
aikido enthusiasts everywhere. Gozo Shioda,
one of the most talented students of the art's
founder Morihei Ueshiba, is the author of
this fascinating tome that recounts his career
and philosophy as an aikido teacher. Besides
describing the events of his exciting life
as an early pupil of Ueshiba in the 1930s
and his wartime and postwar experiences, Shioda
offers a host of insights into the psychology
of the fighting arts and survival in a world
of conflict.
This
translation by two advanced practitioners
of Yoshinkan Aikido is first-rate and this
book will be an essential addition to the
collection of any martial arts practitioner.
Stanley
Pranin
Editor, Aikido
Journal |
|
Gozo
Shioda was one
of the most prominent Aikido Masters of the latter half
of the 20th Century. He began his study of Aikido
at the age of 17 directly under the supervision of the
Founder, Morihei Ueshiba Sensei. For some 8 years,
he undertook severe training as an uchideshi - a live-in
student.
After
the war, Shioda Sensei spent a brief period in Iwama
where he resumed his formal training under Ueshiba Sensei.
It was during this time, in 1951, that Ueshiba Sensei
awarded him the rank of 9th dan. Shortly after this Shioda
Sensei returned to Tokyo where, in 1954, after the lifting
of the ban on martial arts training imposed by General
MacArthur, the Nippon Sogo Budo Yaitai (Life Extension
Association) sponsored the first post-war martial arts
demonstration. Shioda Sensei participated in front
of some 15,000 on-lookers and was awarded the Grand Prize
for best performance. Shortly thereafter, in 1955,
he established his own independent school - the Yoshinkan.
The
translators, Jacques Payet and Christopher Johnston,
have worked closely with the Yoshinkan Headquarters in
Tokyo, Japan, to present the definitive English translation
of Shioda Sensei's exciting and thought provoking book.
|
To
download page samples and enjoy a short passage
from this book, click on the link at the left.
To view these pages, you will need to have the free
Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. If you do
not currently have this utility, click the button
on the right to download it directly from Adobe. |
 |
|
