Kendo Kata: Essence and Application Paperback – August 21, 2012

This is simply the best book about kendo kata that has been written. I was fortunate enough to have had Inoue sensei as an instructor at the Kitamoto summer seminar for foreign (to Japan) kendo instructors many many years ago. Having experienced him as a teacher first hand I was curious to see how he would come across in written (excellently translated) word.The book is a well thought out combination of four contributions.The first section of the book combines the ZNKR kata instruction manual with the ZNKR 2001 kendo (kata) seminar guidelines for the kata along with notes that describe and explain the differences between these two descriptions of the kata with prior descriptions of the kata. These are all linked together with very clear cross reference pointers and illustrated by, for the most part, clear and clean photographs (more about the photos later).The second section describes the philosophy behind the kata providing the reader with a much deeper understanding than the simple description of the kata, and subsequent practice can provide. This last section is what sets this work apart from other English language books on kendo.The only negative point I have is that in some of the photos at the beginning of each kata description (these are step-by-step photos of the kata), the boken can be a bit hard to see.

Great pictures and a great read when your practicing

This is not another "how to" book on kendo kata. If that's what you're looking for, then I'd recommend the AJKF's Guide to Kendo Kata, which does give you the "how to's". Inoue-sensei's book is designed to tell you the "whys" of the kata, as well as the underlying reasoning that was used to arrive and develop the kata. Many people only study the kata just before a promotion exam, and then go through the motions without understanding what it is that they are doing.It won't guarantee that you'll pass a promotion exam, it's not that kind of book. But, it will give you a deeper appreciation for the kata and the relationships between teachers and students.

Excellent book with great illustrations about the proper techniques of kendo. I would definitely suggest this to anyone looking to learn about kendo.

I truly enjoyed reading this book and I refer to it a lot in my studies of kendo kata. It provides a great deal of insight and history of the kendo kata, including some of esoteric understanding of the meanings of the kata.

I had been looking for a thorough book on kendo kata... This particular book had everything I was looking for. It's a reference book for myself. There aren't many other practitioners where I currently live, so I have this to reference back to when I need it.

Beautiful breakdown of the katas, excellent photography!

Exceptional book. A lot of explanations.