How can we fully understand aikido, or any other martial art for that matter, when we have only been exposed to part of it? While learning about the art, we can easily make assumptions and be tricked by false impressions. In most cases, even instructors do not have enough background to grasp the entirety of the art and are happy to work with part of it. The content in this special two-volume anthology details the many facets of aikido as it was formulated by Morihei Ueshiba (1883–1969)—O-Sensei, the great teacher. Each chapter contributes to a piece of the aikido puzzle by providing historical details, insightful technical drills (bare handed and with weapons), and components that have flavored this art with a spiritual essence. From the Ueshiba wellspring flows a number of streams—political splinter groups offering their own take on what aikido should be and how it should be practiced. Each branch may stand on its own, but a good number of scholars and practitioners prefer a more encompassing representation of what O-Sensei taught. So, chapters in these volumes help “put Humpty Dumpty back together again.” Volume I includes ten chapters and volume II another fourteen. The authors—twenty-three in all—present superb credentials as scholars and practitioners of aikido. On the academic side, you’ll find chapters that detail aikido’s philosophy, from ethical relationships and practical theory to the subtle spiritual dimension. A few authors highlight the circumstances regarding the transmission of aikido from teacher to student. Some authors show how culture influences the perception and understanding of aikido when it travels outside Japan. Aikido is often practiced as a system of body movement encompassing a philosophy of peace and harmony. Others may focus on learning the art for its effective methods of self-defense. Composed of material previously published in the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, this two-volume anthology is heavy on the technical aspects of aikido that both teachers and students would benefit by reading. Training methods are discussed in detail, supported by hundreds of illustrations of attack and defense. Whatever your primary interest is in aikido, Aikido: O-Sensei’s Sublime Synthesis will prove to be a great reference for the scholar and practitioner. We hope this convenient collection of quality material dealing with Morihei Ueshiba’s martial discipline will benefit your research and inspire the practice of this elegant art.

How can we fully understand aikido, or any other martial art for that matter, when we have only been exposed to part of it? While learning about the art, we can easily make assumptions and be tricked by false impressions. In most cases, even instructors do not have enough background to grasp the entirety of the art and are happy to work with part of it. The content in this special two-volume anthology details the many facets of aikido as it was formulated by Morihei Ueshiba (1883–1969)—O-Sensei, the great teacher. Each chapter contributes to a piece of the aikido puzzle by providing historical details, insightful technical drills (bare handed and with weapons), and components that have flavored this art with a spiritual essence. From the Ueshiba wellspring flows a number of streams—political splinter groups offering their own take on what aikido should be and how it should be practiced. Each branch may stand on its own, but a good number of scholars and practitioners prefer a more encompassing representation of what O-Sensei taught. So, chapters in these volumes help “put Humpty Dumpty back together again.” Volume I includes ten chapters and volume II another fourteen. The authors—twenty-three in all—present superb credentials as scholars and practitioners of aikido. On the academic side, you’ll find chapters that detail aikido’s philosophy, from ethical relationships and practical theory to the subtle spiritual dimension. A few authors highlight the circumstances regarding the transmission of aikido from teacher to student. Some authors show how culture influences the perception and understanding of aikido when it travels outside Japan. Aikido is often practiced as a system of body movement encompassing a philosophy of peace and harmony. Others may focus on learning the art for its effective methods of self-defense. Composed of material previously published in the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, this two-volume anthology is heavy on the technical aspects of aikido that both teachers and students would benefit by reading. Training methods are discussed in detail, supported by hundreds of illustrations of attack and defense. Whatever your primary interest is in aikido, Aikido: O-Sensei’s Sublime Synthesis will prove to be a great reference for the scholar and practitioner. We hope this convenient collection of quality material dealing with Morihei Ueshiba’s martial discipline will benefit your research and inspire the practice of this elegant art.

A needle may draw a thread through printed pages to bind a book. In this little memoir, I feel like a needle that drew a common thread though a segment of martial art history. This book details three interrelated activities: (1) martial art studies, (2) involvement as founder of Via Media Publishing, producing a quarterly journal and books, and (3) teaching martial arts. Publishers, writers, researchers and serious martial art practitioners will benefit with the detailed overview of Via Media and its publications. Via Media produced the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, known for its high academic and aesthetic standards. Its contents reflect the history of two decades and provides rich information for practitioners and scholars, making The Best Fighta valuable reference work. In addition to reading, the primary way to learn a martial art is through instruction. In reading about my studies and teaching experience, readers can relate to their own involvement in martial arts. What is important here is the portrayal of my instructors, their teaching methods, and reasons for being involved in martial arts. Their accounts should offer insights and inspiration for others who study and practice any martial art.

This is the first in-depth study of the Malay martial art, silat, and the first ethnographic account of the Haqqani Islamic Sufi Order. Drawing on 12 years of research and practice, the author provides a major contribution to the study of Malay culture.

This book combines a theoretical study of Japan's economic structures and multinational enterprises with a post-modern analysis of the contemporary multinational enterprise. The author considers the appropriateness of the post-modern approach for discussing economic activities, in particular the New Economy, and also Japanese society and culture. Kensy analyses Japan's economic structure, interpreting its methods, strategies and results in a post-modern context and presents a survey of socio-economic development in Japan since the beginning of westernization. He goes on to discuss Japanese models for the transformation of society in the future, with particular reference to the Keiretzu. Finding Japan to be a truly postmodern society, Kensy shows that Japan is prepared to be a leader in the New Economy. Kensy takes an innovative and stimulating approach that will be of interest to those seeking to better understand the development and future of the economic structures of Japan.

"Jeet kune do is an eclectic martial art created and refined in the 1960s and the early 1970s by Bruce Lee. Using a philosophy of 'absorb what is useful,' Lee fashioned his martial art from the best skills and techniques from a variety of arts, including wing chun kung fu, fencing, boxing and wrestling. He developed jeet kune do to be a fluid form of fighting that evolved as techniques were adopted and abandoned based on their effectiveness. Jeet kune do is renowned for its street effectiveness."--P. [4] of cove

On January 6, 1537, Lorenzino de’ Medici murdered Alessandro de’ Medici, the duke of Florence. This episode is significant in literature and drama, in Florentine history, and in the history of republican thought, because Lorenzino, a classical scholar, fashioned himself after Brutus as a republican tyrant-slayer. Wings for Our Courage offers an epistemological critique of this republican politics, its invisible oppressions, and its power by reorganizing the meaning of Lorenzino’s assassination around issues of gender, the body, and political subjectivity. Stephanie H. Jed brings into brilliant conversation figures including the Venetian nun and political theorist Archangela Tarabotti, the French feminist writer Hortense Allart, and others in a study that closely examines the material bases—manuscripts, letters, books, archives, and bodies—of writing as generators of social relations that organize and conserve knowledge in particular political arrangements. In her highly original study Jed reorganizes republicanism in history, providing a new theoretical framework for understanding the work of the scholar and the social structures of archives, libraries, and erudition in which she is inscribed.

This volume examines the motives behind rejections of beauty often found within contemporary art practice, where much critically acclaimed art is deliberately ugly and alienating. It reflects on the nature and value of beauty, asking whether beauty still has a future in art and what role it can play in our lives generally. The volume discusses the possible “end of art,” what art is, and the relation between art and beauty beyond their historically Western horizons to include perspectives from Asia. The individual chapters address a number of interrelated issues, including: art, beauty and the sacred; beauty as a source of joy and consolation; beauty as a bridge between the natural and the human; beauty and the human form; the role of curatorial practice in defining art; order and creativity; and the distinction between art and craft. The volume offers a valuable addition to cross-cultural dialogue and, in particular, to the sparse literature on art and beauty in comparative context. It demonstrates the relevance of the rich tradition of Asian aesthetics and the vibrant practices of contemporary art in Asia to Western discussions about the future of art and the role of beauty.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Can your kung fu beat your enemy's kung fu? It can if you've got HERO System Martial Arts! A comprehensive guide to martial arts in the HERO System, HSMA is filled with information and rules about every aspect of the martial arts. It's got everything you need to create and play a martial artist character in any campaign, genre, time period, or setting.