Books about Swordsmanship from Amazon.com

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 Unfortunately, contact time with a worthy mentor is limited for most. Practice Drills for Japanese Swordsmanship 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 comprehensive system of general skills development for anyone interested in using the Japanese sword..
Price: $9.74 [Notify me when price goes down.]

From the author of Renaissance Swordsmanship comes the most comprehensive and historically accurate view ever of the lost fighting arts of Medieval knights, warriors and men-at-arms. Based on years of extensive training and research in the use of European swords, it contains highly effective fighting techniques for the sword, sword & shield, long-sword, great-sword, pole-arm and more. And with more than 200 illustrations and rare historical documents, it is a scholarly reference as well as a hands-on training guide for martial artists of all levels. .
Price: $22.44 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Flashing Steel, the best-selling and highly acclaimed book on iaijutsu (alternatively called iaido), is as much about bringing life into focus as it is about techniques of swordsmanship Iaijutsu was the martial art of the samurai of feudal Japan who remain the most enduring of warrior icons, equally popular in the East and the West. Iaijutsu sword training has philosophical tenets that inform the warrior’s life, building compassion and self-discipline both inside and outside the dojo.

Shimabukuro Shihan and Pellman Sensei combine practical exercises, photographs, and historical and cultural context in a thoughtful guide to this most popular of Japanese sword arts. The book features Master Masayuki Shimabukuro’s renowned expertise and classical training, with Leonard Pellman adapting the information for a Western audience. Included here are dozens of kata (formal training patterns) that govern iaijutsu, with partner exercises applying the principles of the art in realistic attack and defense situations. These kata are also widely practiced by students of kendo, aikido, and other sword-based martial arts, giving the book a wider relevance beyond iaijutsu. This second edition of Flashing Steel includes new techniques, updated photographs, and theoretical explanations for both new and existing sword forms..
Price: $13.90 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This book is much more than an introductory guide to Muso Jikiden Eishin-Ryu Iaijutsu It manages to emphasize a melding of the Eastern philosophy and the technique of the art, in a marvelously eloquent yet concise manner. Flashing Steel describes and pictures forty-two kata (formal training patterns) which govern this system, with ten partner exercises applying iadid principles in realistic attack and defense systems. These kata are also widely practiced by students of kendo, aikido, and other martial arts which use swordsmanship..
Price: $6.94 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The original purpose of iaido was to slay an opponent with one stroke of the sword upon unsheathing This manual of Eishin-Ryu or "Pure Faith" iaido teaches the most widely practiced sword style, and is illustrated with step-by-step drawings to help students, from beginners to advanced, hone their forms and techniques. Introductory chapters explain the history and evolution of the art, the Japanese sword and related equipment, and the etiquette and code of the samurai, while an extensive glossary and bibliography are provided for further reference..
Price: $15.05 [Notify me when price goes down.]

George Silver was oneof the most significant writers on the history of Western swordsmanship. Best known for his distrust of Italian rapier fencing, this suspicion led him to document the system of swordsmanship practiced by the English gentry and nobility before the advent of the rapier. Looking back to earlier times, Silver described a system that in many fundmentals was still medieval, but he did so with an early Modern precision. Fearful that his countrymen were forgetting the basics of swordsmanship, Silver described the system in great detail. What emerges is a simple and powerful, yet deep and subtle style, heavily based on natural body movements and designed to work under the stress of real combat. In this book, Stephen Hand presents Silver's system with outstanding text and in more than four hundred clear photographs. This book is a must for anyone interested in swordsmanship, it stands to become a classic!.
Price: $33.89 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Historical swordsmanship and the rich spectrum of European martial arts has captured the attention of students of military history, Eastern martial artists, reenactors, stage choreographers, fencing historians, and tournament combatants. With this rediscovery has come an explosion of schools teaching historical fighting arts. Thousands of new students and teachers are clamoring not only for interpretations, but for something even more rare: guidance on techniques for teaching and interpreting the long-lost arts. There are many volumes on performance training, sports philosophy, fencing and martial arts instruction. But to date there are none that take the unique requirements of historical European martial arts into account. For the teacher must be at once an interpreter and teacher, researcher and student. Problems of artistic interpretation, translated and incomplete texts, and the larger issue of historical context are all addressed alongside practical advice about conducting single and group drills, structuring practice sessions, developing underlying principles for each system to train skilled swordsmen in both mind and body. In this volume, many leaders of the historical swordsmanship community from around the world have come together to offer valuable insights to new generations of students and instructors. The reader will find both practical hints on how to teach and philosophical approaches to guide the development of their own drills and practice exercises, treasured advice from teachers both modern and ancient. Contributors include Brian R. Price, Stephen Hand, Christian H. Tobler, Johann Heim, Milo Thurston, Sean Hayes, Colin Richards, William E. Wilson, Guy Windsor, Matthew Galas, and Luca Porzio Finally, this book goes further in that the insights presented are not limited to historical martial arts. Any teacher of physical arts will find culturally-based, practical solutions to the development of skills for students and the problems faced by their teachers..
Price: $13.96 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Shinkendo Japanese Swordsmanship. Traditional Japanese Swordsmanship by Toshishiro Obata.
Price: $24.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Chinese Swordsmanship in the Yang Family Taiji Jian Tradition: Scott M. Rodell's well-crafted book traces the history and development of the Chinese Way of the Sword from the Bronze Era through the Warring States Period up to modern times. Rodell covers all aspects of his subject from the etiquette of handling bladed weapons to basic cuts and classic forms as well as swordplay. The book is profusely illustrated with historical photographs and woodblock prints as well as photographs of contemporary swordplay. The Author brings to this book his many years of expertise as a student and teacher of Taiji Jian and as a recognized authority on the nearly lost art of Chinese swordsmanship..
Price: $32.95 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This is the most thorough work ever about historical swordsmanship. It is both a general reference and an instructional guide for advanced and beginning sword enthusiasts, students of military history and martial artists. Includes rare historical info and 100 original drawings..
Price: $13.95 [Notify me when price goes down.]