Aikido Basics: Everything you need to get started in Aikido - from basic footwork and throws to training (Tuttle Martial Arts Basics)

Get your aikido training off to a great start—from basic footwork and throws to training and demonstrations. This martial arts guide is a perfect introduction to aikido for beginners.

Are you planning to learn Aikido, but don't know where to begin? Are you looking for a teacher? Are you taking a class but confused by the unfamiliar terms used to describe the techniques?

This aikido book offers an easy, yet comprehensive introduction to everything you need to know to feel confident and be successful.

You'll learn about:

• The origins of aikido—its philosophy, history and techniques
• How to find a teacher and a class that is right for you
• Getting ready—what happens in a typical Aikido class?
• The essentials—stances, strikes, grabs, throws, and pins
• How to complement your aikido training with ki exercises, multiple-person training, and freestyle exercises
• How to succeed in Aikido— how to create an effective training program, test for belt promotion, and participate in competitions and tournaments
• Resources to help you further develop your Aikido skills

Whether you're just getting started, or you've already been training for a year or two, Aikido Basics offers an easy, yet comprehensive introduction to the sport that make you feel more confident and enable you to become successful much more quickly.

Phong Thong Dang holds a sixth degree black belt in Aikido, a sixth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, a fifth degree black belt in Judo, and an eighth degree black belt in Vietnamese Shaolin Kung Fu. The World Martial Arts Hall of Fame inducted Phong twice: once for his expertise in Aikido and again for his lifelong dedication to the martial arts. He has been featured in Karate Illustrated, Aikido Journal, Aikido Today magazine, Martial Arts and Combat Sports, and Black Belt. He has been in the martial arts for over fifty years and currently teaches in southern California.

Lynn Seiser is an internationally respected psychotherapist, consultant, and trainer. Seiser has over three decades of martial arts training and experience. He currently holds the rank of Sandan (second degree black belt) in Tenshinkai Aikido under Sensei Dang Thong Phong.