Product Description
For the first time: an aikido book that focuses on the attack techniques! Although aikido is a purely defensive martial art, attack techniques need to be practiced in order for the training partners to exercise the defense against them. And for the aikido skills to increase, the attacking skills must improve accordingly.This book presents all the attacks practiced in aikido - grips as well as strikes, punches, and kicks. Also attacks with a sword, a stick, and a knife are included. Each of these attack techniques is examined in depth, with lots of advice and pointers for beginners as well as advanced aikido students. The book also contains commented lists of all possible combinations of attack and defense techniques. A dictionary of the aikido terminology is included, too.Stefan Stenudd is a 6 dan Aikikai aikido instructor, Vice Chairman of the International Aikido Federation, member of the Swedish Aikikai Grading Committee, and President of the Swedish Budo & Martial Arts Federation. He has practiced aikido since 1972. He is also a teacher of the sword art iaido. He has previously written the aikido books Aikido Principles and Aikibatto: Sword Exercises for Aikido Students. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

book on attacks in Aikido
I am very fond of this book indeed. It is just what the author said about it in preface. Nothing more, nothing less. A useful tool. I'd say it is particularly useful for people somewhat familiar with marital arts, especially the one of its subject. It would not reveal much to a newbie, because there are things to know to understand, what the author is talking about. On the other hand an expert marital artist would or at least should know the most of the material covered. Which leads us to Aikido student to gain the largest benefit out of it. Knowing principles of attacks really helps, that is.
Also people not that familiar to English should also have a fair chance of reading this book after adding a few new words to their vocabulary.

My thanks to author who gave the possibility to read a unique dense material free of non-related literal crap. There are times, you have to read some chapter twice or more to uncover all the detail. Thanks Stefan, it is a good book.

Until now, I didn't realise how much I missed this book....
This book pinpoint aspects of Aikido training that is in some dojos neglected, the attack and how to perform it properly. In Aikido, being a peaceful martial art, focus is on the defensive techniques how to correctly avoid and lead the "opponents" attack away. On this topic there are numerous publications, books, videos, and youtube-clips available. To my knowledge no or very few discus the attack form since that is not Aikido. But in my opinionAikido is a relation between the the "attacker" and the "defender". In order to perform the best Aikido both partners need to be at their best. However, I actually didn't realise that I missed a book on this topic before it landed in my mail box!

In a clear, concise and well structured way Stefan guide us through all common attack forms practiced in Aikido dojos, grips, strikes, kicks, and weapon attacks. The book is filled with detailed descriptions on how to perform the attacks, together with discussions on the origin and purpose of the attack with reference to other martial arts (e.g. kendo, karate). The thorough descriptions are accompanied by plenty of photo illustrations which ads on to the clarity and the understanding.

Independent on Aikido style, this book should be in the reference libary in any Aikido dojo.

If I was required to propose improvements to this book I would only have one, print it on glossy paper ;-) ... Read more

Product Description
Qi is the Chinese word for life energy, also spelled chi or ki. It is the essence used in acupuncture, qigong and taiji, as well as many other traditional arts in China and Japan. Its western counterpart is the spirit, or inspiration.This book explains how qi works, and presents several very easy exercises by which you can cultivate and increase it within yourself. It is not difficult at all, and the result will invigorate you beyond your expectations. So, give it a try.Stefan Stenudd is a high grade instructor of the peaceful and spiritual martial art aikido, since more than 35 years. Aikido, too, evolves around the life energy. But the exercises in this book can be done by anyone, with or without experience of Eastern traditions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

More than breath, more than will
Life energy is something so common to us, so prosaic, that most of us don't even realize that it has its name and lot more behind. Time from time we meet it, lacking the energy to fulfill our daily tasks, so we go and rest a while. But we can do much more. Life energy, called qi or ki is not something, that only weird martial artist can work with. It flows through our bodies, regardless the veins and organs - it has its own paths, our places of gathering. It is a key thing of all eastern medicine and the concept of self healing, a door to stimulating our bodies and souls, something that simply anybody could work with to feel better, or more. After a short and rational explanation of what ki is, where it comes from and to where it flows, author shows easy-for-anybody exercises. To get it work you have to do one single thing - practice it. Not many books like that, really! ... Read more

Product Description

Aikido is the peaceful martial art. There are no attacks in aikido, onlydefense, and this defense should be so gentle that even the attacker isdelighted by it. It is an art that takes a lifetime to learn, and it getsincreasingly fascinating by each year. This book presents the principles andfundamental concepts of aikido - deeply rooted in Eastern philosophy and therefined ideals of the samurai.

The first part of the book examines the aikido principles of how tofind the peaceful solution, and how to enjoy aikido practice to the fullest.The second part explains the Japanese concepts used in aikido, such as ki,life energy, tanden, the center, and many more. There is also a chapterabout kototama, the spiritual cosmology that was central to the founder ofaikido. The third part includes an aikido glossary.

Stefan Stenudd is a Swedish aikido instructor, 6 dan Aikikai, and member ofthe Swedish Grading Committee, the Swedish Budo Federation Board, and theDirecting Committee of the International Aikido Federation. He has practicedaikido since 1972. He is also a writer of both fiction and non-fiction.

Customer Reviews (5)

Very readable, great for, but certainly not limited to, beginners
What you will notice immediately when you start reading the book is how easy to read it is. Or perhaps you will not notice at all, only to find yourself in the middle of the book after what seemed like a short while.

After reading, or at least peeking into, several books about martial arts and eastern philosophy, I can tell that this alone is a remarkable achievement.

Some books about martial arts are filled with unexplained terms, some are terse or even enigmatic, some focus on more or less precisely describing techniques, etc. Based on what one expects from a book about aikido this additional burden on the reader may be justified, but it certainly does not mirror the experience of aikido training in practice. The spirit in which this book is written comes very close to this natural, immersive and fun experience, and this makes it a perfect book for an aikido beginner. It is not a manual, instead it focuses on the principles and basics and does it very well. I believe that anyone doing aikido, no matter how advanced, can enjoy it. It could also be a great book for someone wants to have an idea what aikido is about without or before practicing it.

Now you are probably wondering whether this book isn't just a watered down version of the other more technical books. It is not, it just focuses on different parts and is written to be read from cover to cover. There is a downside to this: I'm not sure whether I would really benefit from reading the whole book again and it also isn't very suitable for looking up specific bits of information. At times it also seemed a bit too repetitive, but that's alright, and even helpful, as long as you read it for the first time. That shouldn't stop you from buying the book.

That said, there are parts of the book that I will return to, to name at least two: for practical reasons-the glossary (about 18 pages) which covers more vocabulary than you will encounter in the main text and one chapter that stands out: Kototama - the soul of words. It makes for a wonderful ending and it made me curious to learn more about how aikido was developed, about kototama and Osensei.

I'm giving the book four out of five stars because: (1) I probably won't reread it (packing more information in the 200 pages wouldn't make sense, but I can imagine a bit longer version I would return to). (2) The quality of typography and print (especially the cover) doesn't make justice to the content, that's a shame.

I've been learning aikido for about two months and I feel that the book helped me to have a more complete picture and to know what to focus on during the training. At the same time it was fun to read. If you are in a similar situation, don't hesitate and buy it!

good to know
is a basic book like many ,buts still there is a difference
it at just a little more then ,end that is what make the book good.

Your Opponent Unwittingly Guides Your Way to Unification of Self
Stefan Stenudd's "Aikido: The Peaceful Martial Art" is patently clear--more so than any other Aikido books, DVD's, and/or articles which I have studied and to which I have been privy to benefit from their tutelage--about the imperative truth of the CENTER as the source and the ultimate return destination of all Aikido movements, after they have traversed their elliptical and spiral-configured paths.This abiding awareness itself is what makes Stefan Stenudd's insights golden.The reader then is able easily to fit into the otherwise confusing dynamic context of the pragmatic art of Aikido the over-arching principle of CENTER.When this is done by the reader's holding the concept of CENTER uppermost in his/her mind, the art and practice of Aikido congeal into a fusion that brings you to the realization that it is your opponent who unwittingly guides your way to the unification of self at your CENTER.

The inner part of aikido
Nowadays there are many books available on the subject of aikido. The greater part of them is more technical, with lots of pictures showing the visible part of aikido. But aikido (all martial arts) has also the invisible part, inner elements, difficult to catch when only watching and that is what this book is about. It definitely belong to the smaller group of aikido books, which try to deal with subjects like Ki, Ai, Do, Tanden and lot more - that what may call the very principles of the art. I am not afraid to say, that author was quite successful thanks to being both - profound martial artist and writer.

Welcome Addition
Aikido: The Peaceful Martial Art has long been a popular title in Sweden, so I was pleased when it was recently released in English.Both of my sons also own a copy of this title.It provides an excellent foundation for the beginner as well as insight for the more experienced practitioner.What makes this book unique, and sets it apart from other titles on the topic, is the very personal narrative from the author of his own journey of discovery. ... Read more

Product Description
In every part of the world, already thousands of years ago, humans have speculated about some kind of life force. In China it is called qi (also spelled chi), in India prana, in ancient Greece pneuma, in Latin spiritus, and in Hebrew ruach. There are hundreds of life energy beliefs, which have many similarities.This encyclopedia presents and explains them all. In the introduction, distant origins of human thought are traced, examining how spiritual beliefs and life force ideas emerged, and how they were developed through time.Stefan Stenudd is an author and historian of ideas, who researches the thought patterns of myth in general and creation myths in particular. He is also a high-grade instructor of the peaceful and spiritual martial art aikido, since more than 30 years. Aikido, too, evolved from ideas of a life energy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Well done introduction for further study of life force theories
I have first edition of the book, which a have bought almost a year ago.

First part (mine edition has cca 30 pages, the new one has 24 more) of the book - Introduction - describes the evolution of mankind's approach to life energy from the ancient times of paleolith, rise of agriculture, entry of great world religions, to the Alchymism, Era of Enlightenment and the scientific theories of 20th century. Pity is that the introduction is brief, since there is lot of information mentioned, but on the other hand it is an introduction.

The second part of the book is Encyclopedia with entries from A to Z.

After reading it, I have to say, that the book is perfect introduction, when you are willing to study the life energy theories in depth - it has a lot of hints and pointers. What I would like to see in its second edition, is some more information from the non-writing cultures, such as Native Americans, Oceania etc. - if there are any, of course. What may also help is bibliography part, which was not attached in my edition.

The book does not cover exhaustively the subject, but opens horizons. But what is the best way to study life force, a book or the life?

Misleading
Although this book has the word encyclopedia in it's title, I expected more than the A to Z it gave.

For those interested in this subject, _all_ of it's content can very easily be found in Wikipedia (and without spending a dime!).

I expected more from it and more from a teacher of Aikido.Not worth buying. ... Read more

Product Description
Christian joins with a supernova, which has developed a personality after passing through a psychoplasma cloud, and together they travel all across the universe in search of a world good enough to stay in without remorse, on the way unknowingly initiating the return of the Messiah, who meets the fate that can be expected, while Christian moves on through time and the fifth dimension he is the one to discover... ... Read more

Product Description
Stefan Stenudd is a Swedish author, artist, historian of ideas, and instructor in the peaceful martial art aikido. In this book, he lets his thoughts wander through questions about life, death, and the meaning of it all. ... Read more

Product Description
Aikibatto is a system of sword and staff exercises for aikido students, as well as for anyone interested in the Japanese martial arts. This book presents the basics and principles of the sophisticated sword arts developed by the Japanese warrior aristocracy, the samurai.Although the aikibatto exercises are primarily developed for aikido students, they contain much of the normal curriculum of traditional iaido and kenjutsu. Anyone interested in the arts of the katana, the formidable Japanese sword, will find much of value in this book.Stefan Stenudd is a 6 dan Aikikai Swedish aikido instructor, member of the Swedish Aikikai Grading Committee, President of the Swedish Budo & Martial Arts Federation, and Vice Chairman of the International Aikido Federation. He has studied aikido and iaido since the early 1970's. He is also a writer of both fiction and non-fiction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Creative...
I've been a student of aikido and Toyama Ryu Iaido for over 6 years, almost as soon as I had seen this book offered I bought it thinking it would be a valuable training resource.I was unfortunately very mistaken in the hasty decision.

I found this book to be rather shallow and uninsightful, instead of exercises the reader is presented with a new set of kata.This would be great for someone in an aikido school where the sword is de-emphasised, however I did not appreciate being mislead.

If you're looking for sword drills, look up Suino, if you're looking for aikido, the Ueshiba books are great, as are Shioda-sensei's.This unfortunately was a waste of time and money.

questionable
Despite his supposed knowledge and supposed years of teaching experience, this is one of the worst presented and empty works on the theachings of weapons in aikido that I have ever had the misfortune to have purchased.

He leaves out the basis eight kata for the boken, does not deal with footwork (the very reason such is practiced), proper manner in hodling the boken, etc.

I do not recommned this work.

namaste

Overall Good Quality
Good basic sword book that covers a lot of beginner ground and is well illustrated in b/w.Typical of books like this, a lot of transition motion is missing between the images which may be a problem for some.Book presents a series of bokken and jo techniques, all rather basic but good quality instruction none the less.

As I often do, I take issue with Stenudd's method of breathing, which cover a whole 2.5 pages but deserve significantly more. In fact, if more teachers actually knew how to breath and if practitioners spent more time training breath, skills would improve radically.The author describes controlling the breath with the abdomen.In a sense this is correct, but not as he describes it.

The author says, "Most budo techniques are done with exhalation, where you are the strongest."Really?That's like saying I only punch with my right hand even though I have 2, because my right is strongest.That's very limited.A stronger approach is to synchronize the breath with rising and falling and be able to flow both with Qi and the cut.

For example, using Tachi Iaido Kesagiri Bunki, or any type of say draw that employs a rising diagonal cut, done correctly an inhalation is stronger than blowing all your energy out, and, it sets up a fast second downward strike with the exhale.However this author tells me to "forget my inhales and only focus on exhales".Kind of like only focus yang and ignore yin; its just wrong.

He then tells me to "extend exhales and let inhalations be done by body reflex that will be short and sufficient."Again this is wrong.If breath is not even, smooth and rhythmic, the body gets out of sync and heavy breathing is the result.Very poor technique, but Stenudd says, "this decreases the risk of getting out of breath".No, it doesn't.

I think this is the most important training in the whole book, and unfortunately it is both too short, and incorrect.Leaving the breath aside, if you can, the rest of the book is rather good for what it is.

Simple but efficient tool for practicing sword basics
Sword practice is a great tool for all budoka to advance, to get more precise, more sharp in his art. Aikibatto, brought to life by Stefan Stenudd, is a set of simple practices for both self and pair practice, which covers elementary moves, attacks, and other parts of sword work. Author, who served also as chairman of Swedish kendo, studied the sword with Ichimura Toshikazu and Nishio Shoji, which makes the book even more trustworthy. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Stefan Stenudd, Toshikazu Ichimura, Jan Hermansson, Takeji Tomita, Ulf Evenås. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 18. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Stefan Stenudd (born 1954) is one of the most prominent aikido teachers in Sweden, and also active as writer, astrologist and freelance journalist. He holds 6th dan in the aikido organisation Aikikai, a rank he acquired in 2003, and 4th dan in Shoji Nishios own iaido system, aikido toho. Stenudd holds positions in several aikido organisations, both national and international. Stenudd started his aikido training in the Stockholm suburb Järfälla in 1972. Stenudd along with many others was close to the resident Japanese aikido teacher Toshikazu Ichimura but also had conflicts with him, which was part of the reasons for him starting his first own dojo in 1978, in the Stockholm suburb Brandbergen in Haninge. In 1991 he moved to Malmö in southern Sweden, and started aikido there in the big sports and martial arts club Enighet. Beside his Enighet dojo, he also teaches regularly at several other dojos in the region and teaches seminars in Germany and the Czech Republic. His technical main influences are the Japanese teachers Ichimura and Nishio, although his style in many respect is his own. To accompany his aikido he has created his own weapons exercises, among these a series of iaido-inspired sword work called aikibatto. He is a member of the grading committee of Aikikai in Sweden, and on the boards of the International Aikido Federation (IAF) and the Swedish federation for budo and martial arts (Svenska Budo- och Kampsportsförbundet). He also was the chairman of Swedish aikido for a couple of years. As a novelist, Stenudd made his debut in 1979 with the novel Om om. After that he has published a series of novels as well as books ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=4907342 ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Forest Products Journal, published by Forest Products Society on June 1, 2004. The length of the article is 4859 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Color response in silver birch during kiln-drying.
Author: Stefan Stenudd
Publication: Forest Products Journal (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 2004
Publisher: Forest Products Society
Volume: 54Issue: 6Page: 31(6)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
The Greek philosophers lived in a time when the gods and the myths about them were very much alive, and there was no scientific evidence dismissing them. This book explores to what extent the Greeks were able to question their own mythology. This is done by examining the cosmology of their philosophers, and what roles they allowed therein for the gods.Stefan Stenudd is a Swedish author and historian of ideas, who studies the patterns of thought in creation myths. ... Read more

Product Description
Aikido is the peaceful martial art. Its defense techniques should be so gentle that even the attacker is delighted. There's no competition, since each participant should be a winner. It's an art that lasts a lifetime, getting increasingly fascinating by each year.This book presents the principles and fundamental concepts of aikido, deeply rooted in Eastern philosophy and the refined ideals of the samurai. It explores all the Japanese traditions and martial art essentials at work in aikido practice.The first part of the book examines the aikido principles for how to find the peaceful solution, and how to enjoy aikido practice to the fullest. The second part explains the Japanese concepts used in aikido, such as do, the way, ki, life energy, tanden, the center, and many more. There is also a chapter about kototama, the spiritual cosmology that was essential to Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of aikido. The third part includes Osensei's Rules for Training, the Budo Charter, and an aikido glossary.The book was previously published as Aikido: The Peaceful Martial Art.Stefan Stenudd is a 6 dan Aikikai aikido instructor, Vice Chairman of the International Aikido Federation, member of the Swedish Aikikai Grading Committee and the Swedish Budo Federation Board, who has practiced aikido since 1972. He is also a writer of both fiction and non-fiction. ... Read more

Product Description
Please, do not trust this book more than your doctor! The ancient tradition of astrology is another way of looking at ourselves than the methods developed by modern natural science. It cannot substitute science any more than science can incorporate astrology. The best use you can have of this introduction to medical astrology is as an alternative perspective on your health. By examining your horoscope you shed light on the complexity of living your life in ways that agree with you the most. Learn how your health is described by the Zodiac signs, the movements of the planets, their aspects, and the astrological Houses. This book contains all the basics you need to get started on that exploration.Stefan Stenudd is a Swedish author who has written several bestselling books about astrology since the 1970's. He has also written books about myth, life energy concepts, Ancient Greek cosmology, and the Japanese martial arts. His fiction, too, deals with cosmological and existential themes. ... Read more