Alex's Definitive Guide, C&C ?

[Hughes]

Hi,

I thought it might be interesting to share opinions about the holy bible. In case a second edition would be planned, perhaps augmentation would be made .

First I have to say that the book is the long awaited companion we lacked. Now every very technical and precise question has its answer (how we say this, what the name of that, etc...)

Apart from little impression mistakes (stange photos arrangment in nanahon-me section), the big missing thing is in my opinion is a Reigi section: how to behave, move in a dojo; salute terms and organisation ("seiretsu", "mokuso"...); dojo structure (kamiza, etc...); who sits how far from the door, what do we call when there is multiple senseis, etc...

The second thing is: pictures for kata

Otherwise, the book is a real reference. I have always mine in dojo, in case a peculiar question rise in the course. Thanks again to Alex for the job.

[hamish]

Inoue sensei's kendo kata book has a bit about the dojo setup, but there are so many variations that it is impossible to say 'this is the right way'.

We found when putting the book together that there was a lot more we could have put in, but a lot of the stuff you mention above is generic to Japanese budo, so its not really relevant to a work just on the practice of naginata. That'll have to wait for another book!!

We expanded the content a great deal from our original plan, so its good to hear that you are using it to its fullest.

As for kata, that's something for a separate book again, or a serialisation in Kendo World.

Thankyou for your comments, and your support.

Hamish

[Alex]

Cheers for the comments!

Yeah, I don't know how 1 page of the photos for nanahonme ended up in the reverse order!!! That will be fixed when we reprint.

There is a lot of information about required attitude and the importance of reigi, but there is no set way for what you are referring to.

As for Kata photos, we are putting together a separate Kata book at the moment with Kimura Yasuko sensei. We will let you know when it is completed.

Alex

[Hughes]

As for Kata photos, we are putting together a separate Kata book at the moment with Kimura Yasuko sensei. We will let you know when it is completed.

Another piece we'll wait impatiently!

Thanks for enlightments

[Naginatagirl]

hmm, I'd like to comment, but seeing as the book still hasn't arrived.... Even after I've email KW a thousand times, they never reply. So who am I supposed to go to? It's been more than 4 months and I'm starting to get really annoyed. This is disappointing. If I don't get a reply soon, maybe I should just ask for a refund? Seeing as they took the money so long ago and the book STILL hasn't arrived.

[Alex]

Who are you? Believe me, if we had received mails from you, they would be replied to immediately. If you haven't received a mail from us, then we haven't received one from you. Where are you sending them?

Alex

[Nausicaä]

Hello all! This is my first visit to this site - and this thread in particular inspired me to post a message here (I was surprised to find the author of the book I've found very useful on this site!).

Although Australian, I'm currently living in Nagano pref. in Japan, and have been learning naginata here for about a year now. I really love it! I've only known naginata from the point of view of practicing it within Nagano, so it's been interesting for me to see the posts here from people who practice it around the world.

A friend informed me that the book had just been published, and was good enough to do order it online for me, so I've had it for about half a year now. I learn naginata all in Japanese, so your book, Alex, has been really good in helping me understand many things about naginata I mightn't have otherwise picked up. The Form and Theory chapter is especially interesting to me. It brings up a lot of complicated and important points (such as about the mentality of engagement) that can't really be learned through observation or understood with my level of Japanese.

I'm glad the book was made! I hope that naginata's popularity can increase.

[Nagi David]

Welcome Nausicaa,

Maybe if you train a lot we'll see you in Brussels the 1st of September 2007 for the INF world championship, as long as unfortunately Australian team needs members...

Where are you from, Sydney, Perth, Camberra...?

[Nausicaä]

Wow! Fast reply, I was just about to log off when I saw it. Thanks for the welcome Nagi David.

Actually I'm from the southernmost state - Tasmania. No naginata there I believe. According the the internet there are dojos in Sydney and Melbourne though.

Where I am I can get in dojo training time only twice a week, and I do intend to learn as much as I can while in Japan... but I'm quite sure I could only attend the Brussels 2007 as a spectator (^_^).

Naginata is very popular in Belgium?

[Nagi David]

Naginata is not very popular when you come out of Japan...
But we are doing our best to developp it... In Belgium we are around 50

[crabbi]

Hi Alex / Hamish

I sent an e-mail to you a while back re my KW Mag subscription... I haven't received a reply...

Is there any chance that your mail service is treating hotmail e-mails as junk / spam and stripping them out of your inbox (I had this problem previously elsewhere...)?

Cheers

[Paul Gray]

Just to add some more feedback on the order system...

I placed my order for Naginata: The Definitive Guide online on 12th Sept 05. My card was charged $30 on 11 November. As at 21st December, still waiting for the book.

This seems pretty much in line with other posts.

PG

[Paul Gray]

Just to add some more feedback on the order system...

I placed my order for Naginata: The Definitive Guide online on 12th Sept 05. My card was charged $30 on 11 November. As at 21st December, still waiting for the book.

This seems pretty much in line with other posts.

PG

Update: book arrived (very nicely packed) last week (Jan 12th) - so it takes 3-4 months by surface mail. Be patient, it's worth the wait.

PG

[Jakob Ryngen]

Faling to get a response by mailing and by sending in the order form and waiting for some months now, I ask the people who actually managed to get some copies (or a reply) - how did you do it?

[Paul Gray]

Well, posting here seemed to do the trick....