Aikido: My Spiritual Journey

In his comprehensive autobiography, legendary Aikido grandmaster Gozo Shioda tells of his exciting life. Born in Tokyo in 1915, Shioda excelled as a student of Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of modern Aikido. In 1954, Shioda entered the All Japan Martial Arts Exhibition, and won first prize. Holder of the ninth-rank black belt, he founded Yoshinkan Aikido. In 1988, he was awarded the title of Aikido Meijin (Grand Master) by the International Martial Arts Federation. He was also chief instructor for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, the Air Self-defence Force, the Japanese National Railways, and Sophia, Meiji Gakuin, and Takushoku Universities. In Aikido: My Spiritual Journey, Shioda relates moving, personal anecdotes about Ueshiba and imparts what he learned from his mentor. He also offers a concise overview of the key elements of Aikido, including breath power, focused power, and the power of the centre line. About 20 rare photos of the author, chronicling his life in Aikido, are also included. Gozo Shioda died in 1994. Gozo s son Yasuhisa has worked long to promote Aikido. In 1984 he went to Britain, where he taught Aikido for three years, laying the foundation for its development in that country. In 2007, he became soke (master) and the kancho (president) of Yoshinkan Aikido. KEY ELEMENTS: **Traces the highly influential life story of the greatest postwar Grand Master **Shioda is revered in the martial arts world: the readership for this book is potentially enormous **Includes personal and revealing anecdotes about the founder of modern Aikido Morihei Ueshiba **Offers a concise overview of the key elements of Aikido, spiritual & physical **Includes 20 rare photos of the author **Afterword written by Yasuhisa Shioda, the author s son, who is also a grandmaster and the current kancho (president) of Yoshinkan Aikido **The author s previous books, 'Dynamic Aikido' and 'Total Aikido' are among the best-selling martial arts titles of all time.