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Freelance Academy Press - Ellis Amdur

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253 pages

English

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If there were an "ordinary martial arts book", this would be its evil twin. Unflinchingly honest, writing from an unique, insider-turned-outsider's perspective, Ellis explores aspects of budA its philosophies and dilemmas through the lens of aikido, a modern martial art whose founder is discussed in reverential tones and wrapped in quasi-religious mystique. Looking at the idea of budAas-way-of-life and a path to personal perfection, Ellis confronts the real-world complexities and contradictions behind these simplified stereotypes, revealing insights which hold value for any martial artist or even a non-martial artist with an interest in the darker aspects of human nature. - Dave Lowry, author of Persimmon WindIf you are a long-time martial artist, you have likely been either the recipient, the victim - or both - of the "wise old master" phenomenon, whereby budo students reverentially enfold their teachers as martial, moral and mystical juggernauts sans reproach, in which case, this book will make you clench your fists and laugh out loud, often while reading the same sentence.. Iconoclastic, rebellious, yet fiercely holding to some of the most traditional values of Japanese martial culture, Amdur brought something new to martial arts writing - a startling honesty about the flaws, not only within martial arts culture, but also within its practitioners, often using himself as an exemplar of the latter. Originally published in 2000, and now fully revised, with eight new chapters, new artwork and photography, Dueling with O-sensei, Revised and Expanded Edition will be an invaluable addition to the library of old readers and new alike.

Informations

Publié par	Freelance Academy Press
Date de parution	31 août 2016
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781783019977
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	3 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0800€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Freelance Academy Press
Wheaton, IL 60189
Revised, Expanded Edition
2015 by Ellis Amdur
Printed in the United States of America
Original Edition
Publisher: Edgework Books
20126 Ballinger Way NE, #85
Shoreline, WA 98155-1117
(206) 781-3588
inquiries@edgework.info
www.edgeworkbooks.com
2000 by Ellis Amdur
All rights reserved. Published August 2000
No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the publisher.
Cover and interior design and production: Rebecca Smith
Some of these essays were published previously in a slightly different form in Aikid Journal over a four-year period in the 1990 s. My deepest appreciation to its publisher, Stanley Pranin, and its editors-first, Diane Skoss, and later, David Lynch.
Printed in the United States of America
by Publishers Graphics
21 20 19 18 17 16 14 13 12 1 2 3 4 5
ISBN: 978-1-937439-24-8
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014951623
In memory of Evelyn Amdur: woman of valor. In the last decades of her life, a hospice social worker, she took the last walk alongside those she called heroes all.
And she used to sing me to sleep when I was small.
Contents
Note to the Readers of this Edition
Preface to the Second Edition of Dueling with O-sensei
The Knights of the Mouldy Rope
Ukemi from the Ground Up
My First Days at the Headquarters D j
The Best of Their Time
Forever Young
A Conversation with Dait -ry s Other Child
Atemi: Striking to the Heart of the Matter
Did You Ever Meet O-sensei? O-sensei Who?
Tenchi: Head in the Clouds and Feet in the Muck
Toward Simple Morality
Otoko (Manhood)
Anyone Can Be O-sensei In One s Own Movie
The Ring is Where You Draw It
So How Tough Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?
Setsuninto-Katsujinken
Hiding in the Shadows of the Warrior
Aiki: A State of the Union
Aiki is Not Always Pretty
Cutting the Circle
Musubi: Tying Together or Tying in Knots
Bushi no Nasake
Kamae: Taking a Stand
Oniisan (Elder Brother)
Epilogue: Afterword Twice Told
Glossary
About the Author
Photo Credits
Published Works by Ellis Amdur
Books On Martial Arts published by Freelance Academic Press
DUELING WITH O-SENSEI:
Grappling with the Myth of the Warrior-Sage - Revised, Expanded Edition
- Ellis Amdur
OLD SCHOOL:
Essays on Japanese Martial Traditions - Expanded Edition
- Ellis Amdur
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT
Tracing the Roots of Ueshiba Morihei s Power - Revised, Expanded Edition
Publishing pending, Winter, 2016 - Ellis Amdur
Fiction (Published by Amazon)
THE GIRL WITH THE FACE OF THE MOON
- Ellis Amdur
CIMARRONIN: The Complete Graphic Novel
- Neal Stephenson, Mark Teppo, Charles Mann Ellis Amdur
On the De-escalation of Aggression published by Edgework www.edgework.info
FROM CHAOS TO COMPLIANCE
Communication, Control, and De-escalation of Mentally Ill, Emotionally Disturbed and Aggressive Offenders; A Comprehensive Guidebook for Parole and Probation Officers
- Ellis Amdur Alan Pelton
COOLING THE FLAMES:
Communication, Control and De-escalation of Mentally Ill and Aggressive Patients; A Comprehensive Guidebook for Fire-Fighters and Emergency Medical Technicians
- Ellis Amdur John Murphy
EVERYTHING ON THE LINE
Calming and De-escalation of Aggressive and Mentally Ill Individuals on the Phone; A Comprehensive Guidebook for Emergency Dispatch (9-1-1) Centers
- Ellis Amdur
GUARDING THE GATES
Calming, Control and De-escalation of Mentally Ill, Emotionally Disturbed and Aggressive Individuals; A Comprehensive Guidebook for Security Guards
- Ellis Amdur William Cooper
GRACE UNDER FIRE
Skills to Calm and De-escalate Aggressive and Mentally Ill Individuals in Outpatient Settings: 2nd Edition; A Comprehensive Guidebook for Health and Social Services Agencies, and Individual Practitioners - Ellis Amdur
IN THE EYE OF THE HURRICANE
Skills to Calm and De-escalate Aggressive and Mentally Ill Family Members: 2nd Edition - Ellis Amdur
SAFE BEHIND BARS
Communication, Control, and De-escalation of Mentally Ill and Aggressive Inmates; A Comprehensive Guidebook for Correctional Officers in Jail Settings
- Ellis Amdur, Michael Blake Chris De Villeneuve
SAFE HAVEN
Skills to Calm and De-escalate Aggressive and Mentally Ill Individuals: 2nd Edition; A Comprehensive Guidebook for Personnel Working in Hospital and Residential Settings - Ellis Amdur
SAFETY AT WORK
Skills to Calm and De-escalate Aggressive and Mentally Ill Individuals; A Comprehensive Guidebook for Worksite Safety
- Ellis Amdur William Cooper
SHAPESHIFTING
Effective Scenario Training for Crisis/Hostage Negotiation Teams
- Ellis Amdur Ret. Sgt. Lisabeth Eddy
THE THIN BLUE LIFELINE
Verbal De-escalation of Mentally Ill and Emotionally Disturbed People; A Comprehensive Guidebook for Law Enforcement Officers
- Ellis Amdur John Hutchings
Published by The United States Concealed Carry Association
HOW TO CONTROL CONFLICT DE-ESCALATE THREATS
A Companion Guide to the DVD: Threat De-escalation - Book DVD
- Ellis Amdur
Note to the Readers of this Edition
A number of Japanese words are used in this text. Those outside common English usage are italicized, throughout the text. To make the text more readable, proper names of various martial traditions are italicized only in their first instance. I have endeavored to define each word, either in the text or in a footnote. Furthermore, there is a glossary at the back of the book which should define any Japanese language word (or other non-English word or phrase) that the reader will encounter.
All photo credits are at the end of the book.
Preface to the Second Edition of Dueling with O-sensei
I came to aikid by accident. I d read about it in advertisements in the back of comic books, and walked into an aikid d j on a whim, while on my way to an entirely different martial arts academy. It absolutely stunned me. It was beautiful, a system of movement unlike anything I d ever seen. Furthermore, the ritual and formality of the practice embodied a way of living unfamiliar to me, where the smallest nuance of behavior appeared to have meaning.
I subsequently read in several books that, beyond the redirection of an attacker s force, aikid offered a method of training whereby one could develop nearly superhuman strength, paradoxically through relaxation. Through this, one could establish peace by completely dominating every aspect of a violent being s actions. It seemed to be the equivalent of picking up an enraged child and not only keeping him from clawing out the eyes of his playmate, but also instantly soothing him so that he no longer had the desire to do so. Aikid was described as a martial art more refined than any other, one that created reconciliation between enemies through a disinterested kind of love. This was not the emotion of romance, passion or parental care; rather, it was described as a solicitude for all living beings. What one learned on the mat would somehow transfer outside the d j into the real world. All of this was embodied, so the stories went, in the person of the founder of aikid , Ueshiba Morihei, deceased some years before I came upon the art. Aikid became my main preoccupation for the next five years. I practiced about six hours a day, either in various d j s or alone, training under many of the leading teachers of the mainstream group, the Aikikai, both in America and in Japan.
Given this passion, bordering on obsession, it may perhaps seem a little surprising that I discontinued aikid in 1978. Love is a strange thing, isn t it? A seed of dissatisfaction can take root in one s heart, growing in secret, suppressed, until one day it breaks through, undeniable. You suddenly cast aside your love, denying it ever had any value in the first place, perhaps falling into the arms of someone new.
While in Japan, I enrolled in several other martial traditions, the Araki-ry and the Toda-ha Buk -ry , both of which offered me training more rooted into the older Japanese culture of which I was enamored. My training in these martial traditions, and also such modern martial arts as j d and muay thai , offered combative methods that were, as far as I was concerned, more powerful and effective than the techniques taught within the modern aikid curriculum.
Most frustrating to me, I had not encountered nor even heard of any training methodology to acquire the kind of power that Ueshiba Morihei reportedly possessed. Instead, I was merely told that it would appear if I practiced long enough and hard enough or, in the faction of aikid headed by Tohei Koichi, that I could achieve such a pinnacle by simply hewing to some simple platitudes about relaxation, keeping one point, being sure to keep weight underside, and perhaps, most importantly, to extend ki, which was described as an intangible force that one expressed like some kind of energic fluid.
To be sure, some of Ueshiba s successors were consummate athletes, and others were very tough, skilled men, but such could be found in any martial art. No one whom I had seen, however, manifested anything resembling the kind of unique skill that Ueshiba allegedly had, abilities that garnered praise from some of Japan s most powerful karateka , jud ka and practitioners of kory (old martial traditions).
Furthermore, there seemed to be no relationship that I could see between moral force and aikid training. Good people who did aikid seemed to be good people doing aikid . Flawed people doing aikid manifested their flaws within their aikid . Worst of all, bad people doing aikid found an opportunity to do evil through aikid .
This was enough for me. I found other things to do, and became a better man through them. However, I could never completely let aikid go. Like the music one learns at a certain period of one s life, it kept drawing me back.
The concept that aikid offered a way beyond the syzygy of violence and victimization stayed with me. I kept