Kendo, Inherited Wisdom and Personal Reflections

Book excerpt: Whether you are a kendo fanatic or merely curious about the martial arts, this book will interest you. The author, Geoff Salmon, has taken the lessons learned over his 45 year kendo career and distilled them into a series of instructive, thought-provoking articles covering kendo training methods and techniques, as well as the attitudes and philosophies that make kendo a lifetime's pursuit for many people. It highlights some of the differences between kendo training in Japan and other parts of the globe and also includes some light-hearted commentary on this martial sport. At the core of this book are the direct teachings of some of the great 2nd and 3rd generation kendo teachers, which have been either reproduced or paraphrased by the author. Salmon also uses his own experience to guide readers towards developing correct, efficient kendo. Geoff Salmon holds the grade of 7th Dan and is one of the few westerners to have passed the new All Japan Kendo Federation kyoshi examination. He has lived and trained in Japan and has devoted 45 years to the study of kendo. Geoff teaches kendo internationally and writes about the art at www.kendoinfo.net; he is also the author of 'Kendo, A Comprehensive Guide to Japanese Swordsmanship'.