An Illustrated Introduction.
Aikido has often been referred to as the gentleman's fighting art. Though it is not an unfamiliar word, few outside the world of the martial arts can distinguish it from various other "methods of self-defense". Its trademark, however, lies partly in its sophisticated style and particularly in its essential motivations.
Aikido is a method of self-defense which can be used against any form of attack and - at its highest levels - a Discipline of Coordination, a "way" of harmonising all of man's vital powers. There is no attack in aikido; its goal is merely to neutralise an aggression and render the attacker harmless, without causing him any serious injury if at all possible. To do this requires skill, but even more, it requires an ethical intention.
This book details the history and theory of Aikido and covers the fundamental techniques of this art of defense. Fully illustrated with diagrams and charts, it teaches the foundations of Aikido, basic techniques of neutralisation, and much more.
