Flashing Steel, 25th Anniversary Edition

Book excerpt: Revised and updated, the classic guide to the techniques, philosophy, and applications of iaijutsu--the art of self-defense with the Japanese sword. The 25th anniversary edition of the best-selling, highly acclaimed classic Flashing Steel introduces updated techniques, drills, and practices for students and practitioners of iaijutsu (or iaido). This complete essential resource on the Japanese sword arts expands on the two previous editions with additional practices, deep attention to foundational elements, and practical techniques--including 55 ways of deploying a samurai sword in self-defense. Expanded and revised, the memorial edition of Flashing Steel includes updates on promotion guidelines, tournaments, extended series of solo quick-draw exercises, and more, plus two added sets of solo techniques and three added sets of partner exercises to develop timing, distance control, angles of attack and defense, mental focus, and attitude. It provides a deep survey of fundamentals like training progression, preparation, etiquette, and proper sword nomenclature. Students will learn realistic defense and attack scenarios with wider applications to martial arts like kendo and aikido, while absorbing the philosophical tenets that inform and infuse the warrior's life with meaning and fulfillment. Organized into 23 chapters with black and white photographs throughout, this anniversary edition also includes an expanded history of iaijutsu, and an updated biography and tribute to the late Masayuki Shimabukuro, with personal anecdotes from the making of Flashing Steel that reveal his life and character.