kendo

Looking at a Far Mountain: A Study of Kendo Kata (Tuttle Martial Arts)
$19.95
After many years of undertaking other martial arts, I've found myself having the opportunity to study Kendo. The club where I train has an emphasis on kata from the start of your training, and Budden's book provides nice clear illustrations of how to proceed with the long and short sword forms.

The pictures are clear, and the points of note useful when atempting to refine your practice. Overall a much better (and understandable) coverage of the kata than Ozawa's "Kendo: The definitive guide". The page lay-out includes both shidachi and uchidachi as they enter and exit, though I would have liked to have seen movement arrows (a la Yang, Jwing-Ming). Overall though, this has been a very useful purchace, and I recommend it for anyone interested in learning and refining their kendo kata.

Kendo: Elements, Rules, and Philosophy (Latitude 20 Book)
$25.00
I am a beginner in Kendo so take this all with a grain of salt.

I thought this was a tremendous book. Well written, clear, and thorough. I think it rivals "Kendo: the Definitive Guide" as one of the two best Kendo books. Particularly interesting, though not useful unless you're already a sandan or so, are the sections on Nito and Jodan. I haven't seen info on those kamae in English anywhere else.

Good book and a worthy addition to your library.

Kendo: The Definitive Guide
$35.00
Having lived in Japan for 13 years and studying at a Dojo in Okinawa, I can honestly say that this book is the real deal. Ozawa-san presents the information in a no-nonsense, easy to understand format. Beginners in this time honored sport will find all they need to know to get started. Advanced Kendoists will even find this book useful, especially if they are thinking about teaching their skills to others. From simple stretching techniques to Kata, practice sessions to match refereeing, proper Gi (uniform) storage to honorably overcoming your opponent...this book has it all. If you are going to practice Kendo, you need to have this book!

Kendo Shinai Traditional Japanese Bamboo Practice Sword SET of 2
$69.99
Two shinais for the price of one. These are very light, but they seem to be just as durable as my heavier ones. My 12 year old son prefers them over my heavier more expensive models. The finish is less shiny and I wonder whether they would suffer if they got wet.