I was just thumbing through a copy of Noma Hiroshi's The Kendo Reader and wondering where I could find another copy of this PDF (if you are looking for it the link is below by the way).
This got me to thinking about my first Kendo books (remember when I first started training we had limited internet and basic word of mouth).
As you might imagine in New Zealand in the mid 1990's these books were few and far between and the internet had yet to grow into the beast and resource it is today.
Here are some of my first Kendo references:
This is Kendo
The first Kendo books I ever read (ordered and read actually) was This is Kendo: The Art of Japanese Fencing by Junzo Susamori and Gordon Warner.
This was a small book and I found some of the recommendations were a little out of date, but I lapped it up because it was a useful introduction to the story of Kendo and the spirit of Kendo. It was also one of the few books I could find in English.
I still reckon it is a good primer to Kendo - maybe because it is not a technical tome so you don't get distracted by long detailed discussion about waza, but you get enough information to understand the principle of the waza - which is of great value.
The Kendo Reader
The second book I got was a PDF called the Kendo Reader by Noma Hiroshi. This is another short text - 55 pages. The good thing about this text is that it includes a description of each of the main waza.
No illustrations just narrative. I was just thumbing through it a few minutes ago.
If you want this PDF you can click this link to download your free copy of the Kendo Reader - hosted by JudoInfo.com
Kendo: The Definitive Guide
Talking about waza - if you want more information with illustrations, then Hiroshi Ozawa's Kendo: The Definitive Guide is a good place to start.
It has been a while since I read this book so my memories may be a bit rough.
All Japan Kendo Federation Manuals
Probably one of the better books I found was through the All Japan Kendo Federation site. This was when I lived in Nelson and trained with the Nelson Kendo Club. Great club by the way!
It was a three (two?) book series that described all the waza and included photos of Japanese Kendoka executing each waza, step by step.
I am not sure if I was more excited by the step by step guides or the pictures of real Kendoka training.
I am not sure if the manuals are still available, I checked out the All Japan Kendo Federation and see there is now an English language Kendo teaching guide. I have not read it so, can't say if it is the same thing.
Of course, none of this beats practice!
Ganbatte!
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