Complete Aikido

I continue to talk about the great works of Martial Literature. This time a current tale.

While it is true I have never met a book about Aikido I didn’t like, “Complete Aikido”, published by Tuttle Press and written by Suenkaka and Watson, is a marvelous book on many levels.

It tells the story of Roy Suenaka, a Hawaii of Japanese ancestry, who was literally raised in multiple martial traditions, choosing to serve this country in the Air Force. Then stationed in Japan almost instantly became deshi to Usheiba Morhei, received his Menkyo Kaiden from Usheiba, moved for service to Okinawa and then opened the first successful Aikido dojo there, always continuing new training experiences, was then accepted as a student by Soken Hohen.

His description  of the break of Aikido instructors following Usheiba’s death is a tale that still repeats itself in other arts. Eventually he opened the Suenaka-Ha Tetsugaru-Ho Wadikai Aikido program in Charleston, SC.

This is an exciting, literal account of great training, over a lifetime. As a book it is an exceptional tale.