Kendo Ichiro (The Path of Kendo) Book by Shigeyoshi Takano (Preowned)

Table of contents:

Prologue
Reminiscence of childhood
Sword method eye opening:
Suifu Kendo Fu
Training period
Youthful Heroic Tales
Strange Tales from the Kendo Tournament
Ms. Sonobe, the naginata player
The story of the match watched by the Emperor
Sasaburo Takano and the Ono-ha Itto Ryu
About Miyamoto Musashi
How to improve your kendo skills
About the referee
The final match with Sasaburo
Kendo is powerful
Kendo and Religion
Ten master swordsmen
Before and after Toman
Manchurian Sword Friendship Records
Memories of winter training
Soviet occupation
Something about Myoshinji Temple
The benefits of wit
Friendship with Hitachiyama
My hobby
What does "big number" mean?
What is a master
Highly paid martial artist
Kendo of the past, Kendo of today
The future of Kendo

About the Author:

Shigeyoshi Takano (1877–1957), was a towering figure in Japanese kendo, holding the revered title of Hanshi and leading the Ono-ha Itto Ryu Chuseiha school. His journey began at 14, after his father’s death, when he trained under Ozawa Torakichi at Tobukan dojo. In 1895, he joined Takano Sasaburo’s Urawa Meishinkan, later becoming Sasaburo’s adopted son in 1900 and taking over dojo duties. From 1914, he taught kendo in Manchuria until after World War II. A fierce competitor, he reached the final of the 1929 Dai-rei Kinen Tenran Budō Taikai, losing to Mochida Seiji despite a leg injury, and served as a judge and exhibitor in 1934. Renowned for his jodan stance, honed under Shimoe and Sasaburo, Takano emphasized core strength and posture in his teachings, notably in his “Keiko kokoro tokushu,” a collection of 50 kendo pointers. His 1935 book, co-proofread with Tanida Saichi, remains a comprehensive guide to kendo’s essence and methodology. Takano’s legacy endures through his disciplined, practical approach to the art.

Length: 202 pages

Language: Japanese

Publication date: 1956