Ellis Amdur is a renowned martial arts researcher, an instructor in two different surviving koryū and a former aikidō enthusiast. His books on aikidō and Japanese martial traditions are considered unique in that he uses his own experiences, often hair-raising or outrageous, as illustrations of the principles about which he writes. His opinions are also backed by solid research and boots-on-the-ground experience. The Phenomenologist is no exception to that.
This book, a distillation of Ellis Amdur’s thoughts, insights and opinions on aikidō and martial arts practice in general, has achieved considerable success in its Italian version, also published by Aikido Italia Network Publishing. Read about Amdur’s point of view on aikidō and its debt to Daitō-ryū, discover the differences between past and present at the Aikikai Headquarters Dojo, relive the tragic figure of Yoshio Kuroiwa, see what he has to say about any attempt at politicizing martial arts training and much more.
Table of Contents
- Discovering Aikidō
- Father and Son
- Aikikai Headquarters Dojo Past and Present
- Kuroiwa Yoshio vs Yamaguchi Seigo
- Ukemi and Misogi
- The Dawn of “Harmony light” in Aikidō
- “Oh, I Don’t Need Any Power To Do That!”
- The Cross-Training Dilemma
- Ueshiba Morihei and Daitō-ryū
- Filming Aiki
- Performance Problems
- Extending Ki
- The “Big Equalizer”
