Aikido Books

When I first started to learn aikido there were very few books around to read, video wasn’t invented (smile) so we would group together to watch old cassette tapes of O sensei and Saito sensei to help get a better understanding of aikido and its founder and students. At this time the major books around were Aikido By Kisshomaru Ueshiba, the founder’s son, Aikido and the dynamics sphere by Adele Westbrook, Oscar Ratti and Aikido the Co-ordination of mind and body for self-defence by Koichi Tohei sensei. These were very enlightening books and I suggest to anyone practicing aikido to read these.

Now it seems there are hundreds of books about aikido, from many different authors a lot of whom practice and have practiced aikido to a high level. Two of my favourite books are Morihei Ueshiba Budo Teachings of the Founder of Aikido introduction by Kisshomaru Ueshiba and Abundant Peace the biography of Morihei Ueshiba founder of Aikido.

The book Budo was first published in 1938 and is the only instruction manual that Morihei himself posed for photographs showing his techniques and contains a comprehensive explanation of his philosophy, along with Morihei message that budo is a spiritual path leading to enlightenment, peace and harmony.

Abundant peace by John Stevens who, by the way, has written many books on aikido. It is the biography of Morihei Ueshiba, about the man, the martial artist and the message. It gives you an insight into who Morihei was and what his teaching were in a stimulating and delightful way, with many sayings, enlightening and thought provoking verses.