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Reynosa, Larry -- A Beginner's Guide to Aikido

Reviews	Views	Date of last review
2	115493

Recommended By	Average Price	Average Rating
100% of reviewers	None indicated	8.0

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Description:	This is the original AIKIDO student guide, now available directly from the publisher. Chapter Topics Include: * About the Founder of AIKIDO * Japanese Language and Culture * Dojo and Etiquette * Attire and Weapons * Mat Survival Reference Section includes a Phonetic Glossary of Japanese Terms often used in the Dojo. Special sections authored by: * Shihan, Mitsunari Kanai * Shihan, Mitsugi Saotome * Shihan, Steven Seagal
Keywords:	reynosa beginners guide
ISBN:	0962526908

Author

AikiWeb System

Registered: April 2001
Posts: 1320

Review Date:

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 0

Pros:
Cons:

Author: Charles R. Roberts
E-Mail: Send E-mail to Charles R. Roberts

It seems that the custom of these book reviews is to state one's potential biases up front, so here are mine. I was a student of one of the authors, Larry Reynosa Sensei, for a few months in the early 80's. The other author, Joe Billingiere, was one of my practice partners in the 90's. When I expressed an interest in his book, he was kind enough to give me a copy as a gift. I think I can overcome these factors and provide an unbiased review of the book.

This book is accurately titled. It is an excellent guide for beginners. The topics covered range from "What do I call my teacher?" to how to sweep the mat. Helpful items include etiquette for all occasions, including testing. It's the only book I have ever seen with a genealogical chart of how the various aikido schools evolved. Not only is a glossary of Japanese terms included, but a pronunciation guide is part of the glossary. It even includes a suggestion that one wash one's gi from time to time.

Some of the chapters are written by famous names in aikido. Saotome Sensei checks in with three pages; Kanai Sensei with eight pages; and, in the form of questions and answers from Reynosa Sensei's teacher, Steven Seagal Sensei, some twenty-three pages. One could quibble about the fact that the testing guidelines are not universal, or other aspects of the book, but the bottom line is that it is valuable. After more than eight years of aikido, including a fair amount of reading, I find it helpful to focus my thoughts when I want to explain something about aikido to a beginner. The price could be a little less.

Charles R. Roberts

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m.kops

Registered: May 2006
Location: Northern California
Posts: 5

Review Date:

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Pros:	Simply wriiten with lots of important information for beginners.
Cons:

I got it from the library. I think it is a very good beginner book covering everything from brief history, philosophy, diagram of a dojo, dojo etiquette, and more. Page 47 is a very important discussion of training and your options. This has no pictures and is not a technique book. I liked the interview in the back with Segal Sensei. I was aware of him but have never been a \"fan\" of his movies. I found his discussion of Aikido interesting. The japanese phrases in the back are also useful.

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