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Voice of the Fox
The Newsletter of the Martial Arts Training ServiceBook Review
Children and the Martial Arts:
An Aikido Point of View
by Gaku Homma
North Atlantic Books, 1993
Reviewed by Barbara YoungHomma Sensei's very personal writing style comes through even in translation (the book was written in Japanese and translated by Yutaka Kikuchi). If you've read his earlier book, Aikido for Life, you know that Homma Sensei has definite opinions about the practice of aikido, some of which can be considered controversial.
The most interesting section of this book is near the beginning, in which the author describes the types of parents who bring their children for aikido instruction. He is sensibly clear about what aikido is, and what it can and cannot do for children. The following section on his childhood upbringing in Japan is interesting but takes up too much space.
The second half of the book is a primer of stretching, aikido exercises, and basic aikido techniques, all beautifully illustrated with line drawings of children in motion. Unfortunately, the technical descriptions of the techniques often leave out important steps, and can't be used as a textbook by themselves.
Overall, this is a good book for anyone who teaches aikido to children, or who has a child who is practicing aikido.
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