Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #797638 in Books
• Published on: 1987-10-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 129 pages

Synopsis
Traces the life of Morihei Ueshiba, describes his achievements in the martial arts, and discusses his personal philosophy.

Customer Reviews

Abundant peace
This was a really good biography of O sensei. It may be a little short, but you do get the feeling the author has done the best with what resources were available to him. I learnt many new things about O sensei's life, and clarified other areas I already knew of. There are plenty of pictures for interest and is written in a clear, uncluttered style. O sensei come across as a 'grumpy old man' at times, but maybe he was and it pays to remember he was only human after all. I'd say this is an excellent place to turn to for a deeper understanding of a great man, who founding an outstanding martial art.

Must have book for all Aikido students.
John Stevens, Aikido teacher, Professor of Buddhist studies, and author has put together the first full biography of the life of Morihei Ueshiba, Founder of Aikido. This book is an absolute must for any person wishing to understand the context in which Aikido was developed and see the art as the Founder himself saw it. The relationship O-Sensei had with his two primary teachers, Sokaku Takeda of Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu and Onisaburo Deguchi, of the Omotokyo religious movement is especially important. It shows how O-sensei in many ways embodied the characteristics of the ultimate warrior (Takeda) and the ulitmate mystic (Deguchi) in a combined form allowing him to create something completely unique in the practice of Aikido. The only caveat regarding the book is from its tendency to repeat uncritically some of the less believable, mythical stories about the Founder's martial accomplishments as if his true accomplishments needed some embellishment.

Good look at Aikido and it's founder.
This is a great book to all those who are interested in aikido. But not just the martial side. You will learn to appreciate how the style came to be, and the life of the man who brought it to be. The parts I realy enjoyed with this book was it went right back to the childhood days of O Sensi and showed right from the start where he begen his training and the resons why. After reading this book you can feel like you lived a lifetime with one of the greatest masters of our time.