[attractiveweb]

is this book any good ?? im new to the sport and wanted something to read while i wait till im able to go to the dojo. any other recomendations would be helpfull. thanks

[PHOTOSHOPoem]

is this book any good ?? im new to the sport and wanted something to read while i wait till im able to go to the dojo. any other recomendations would be helpfull. thanks

Hello!

Welcome to the forum!

Yes. It is an excellent introduction to kendo, and a must read for anyone doing kendo.

Have you found a dojo yet? If so, where? You might meet people from the dojo you will attend, here.

And, if you haven't found one yet, we can help you find one if you give your location.

Anyway, happy reading! That book is a great one to start out with.

Kaoru

[Tumarimmicdak]

thank you for the quik response. yes i have been looking into a dojo. im in phoenix and theres phoenix kendo kai here . i have a prior obligations that i must complete before im able to attend the practice times. but after this month its on. i cant wait.

[Cersdog]

thank you for the quik response. yes i have been looking into a dojo. im in phoenix and theres phoenix kendo kai here . i have a prior obligations that i must complete before im able to attend the practice times. but after this month its on. i cant wait.

You're welcome! And excellent! That's a good dojo. I hope you enjoy kendo! Let us know how it went, ok? I bet you are so excited... Kendo is so much fun!

Kaoru

[Tyncneiff]

I haven't read it but just looked through the amazon.com preview and it seems like a decent book.

I can definitely recommend either:
1. Kendo: The definitive guide by Hiroshi Ozawa ISBN# 4-7700-2119-4
2. Kendo: The essential guide by Jeff Broderick ISBN # 0-7607-6102-7

Don't get both, they're pretty much the same thing. #2 is cheaper if you're on a budget.

sean

[Mowselelex]

"This Is Kendo" is the standard english-language text. It was written in the 60s but it's still fine. I think "The Definitive Guide" is a little more complete in terms of technique as IIRC it's got the kata described, but either book is fine.

[weaddercaps]

If I may make a suggestion.

You can always get any book through interlibrary loans (if our local library does have not have it). This way you can review it before buying it.

Now, if you have not started Kendo then it would be hard to be able to read through a book and know if it is good or not so asking the knowledgeable people on here is the best to go (which is what you did) - but you can still bring in all the books they recommend via interlibrary loan.

There is also the Kendo Reader. It can be found online at various place, one is the Halifax Kendo Club:

http://www.halifaxkendo.org/kendo.html

[Yb4bulVR]

I am a beginner. The first thing I did when I started a couple months ago was run out and buy three books (and read this website a lot). I got:

Kendo: Elements, Rules and Philosophy
This is Kendo; and
The Definitive Guide to Kendo

I like all three books. "This Is Kendo" feels quaint at time, partially because it is older and the English translation is 1960s-formal, but I like the concepts and theme in it a lot. Of the three, Elements is my favorite, but maybe as I get more experienced that will shift (and it may just be because I think it's in native English and not a translation).

The only note I will make on books is that I've read them all cover to cover now and, unless we've actually done it in class, the technique/wazas make little sense to me. I think a lot of kendo is just doing, so the coolest parts of the books to me, so far, are the history and philosophy sections.

[dremucha]

"This Is Kendo" is the standard english-language text. It was written in the 60s but it's still fine. I think "The Definitive Guide" is a little more complete in terms of technique as IIRC it's got the kata described, but either book is fine.

"The Definitive Guide" does indeed have the kata described and illustrated - I find it fairly useful for refreshing my memory (I've only started learning kata), but it's definitely no substitute for dojo time