from cover

To become an expert swordsman, one must pay close attention to detail, be highly self-critical, and practice diligently every day under the guidance of a good teacher. Unfortuantely, contact time with a worthy mentor is limited for most. Practice Drills for Japanese Swordsmandship fills this obvious gap in the training of the modern swordsman by providing bokuto (wooden sword) drills to supplement the formal class activity of forms practice. Both single and two-person drills are presented, some common to iaido and kenjutsu, others extracted from iaido forms by the author and used to teach his own students the proper ways of drawing, parrying, and cutting. each drill is illustrated with step-by-step drawings to help students hone their techniques; together they provide a comrehensive system of general skills development for anyone interested in using the Japanese sword.

Nicklaus Suino, author of The Art of Japanese Swordsmanship: A Manual of Eishin-Ryu Iaido, has studied and practiced martial arts for more than seventeen years, including four years in Japan with world renowned sword master Katsuo Yamaguchi, 9th dan. Mr. Suino was four-time all-Kanto sword forms champion at his rank level and represented his region in the naotioal tournament in 1991, only the second non-Japanese ever to do so. He currenly teaches iaido and other traditional martial arts in Michigan.

Contents

Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction-The Purpose of Practice Drills; Equipment You Need for Practice; Wielding the Bokuto; Basic Drill Practice; Advanced Drill Practice
Stepping Drills
Solo Drills
Two-Person Drills-Straight-Line Drills; Angular Drills
Closing Remarks
Bibliography
Index