| Title |
Description |
Notes |
| Swordmaking and Sword Appreciation
|
| John M. Yumoto, The Samurai Sword, Charles E.
Tuttle |
Classic English-language handbook of the sword and
its parts, intended for collectors |
185-page book |
| Inami Hakushi, Nippon-To, The Samurai Sword, Japan
Sword Company, Tokyo |
Nomenclature, forging, analysis of swordblades and
accessories, lists of famous swords, swordsmiths and their home provinces,
intended for collectors |
222-page book, probably out of print |
| The Art of the Japanese Sword
( Nihonto no Kokoro to Takumi（日本刀の心と巧み） ) |
DVD of Japanese swordsmiths forging a Japanese sword in the traditional way. Subtitled
Japanese interviews with English narration |
32-minute DVD, available from Empty Mind Films |
|---|
| NOVA, Secrets of the Samurai Sword |
DVD of Japanese swordsmiths making a traditional sword |
One-hour DVD, originally broadcast on PBS, available from NetFlix |
|---|
| Reclaiming the Blade |
2008 documentary tracks the history of the sword, primarily
European swords, but briefly touches on Asian swords.
|
Streaming and DVD, approximately 77 minutes, available from NetFlix |
|---|
| Japanese Swordsmanship ( Iaido ) |
|
Iaido, from Wikipedia |
Good short overview of Iaido: Its
aims, history and evolution, modern and traditional schools |
one ( html ) page |
| Gordon Warner & Donn Draeger,
Japanese Swordsmanship, Weatherhill |
History of Japanese sword and swordsmanship, ethics, and
12 seiteigata （制定形）techniques by a committee of sword school heads
for the ZNKR (全日本剣道連盟 - "All-Japan Kendo Federation" ), created to
foster the tradition, philosophy and mental focus of the traditional sword arts. |
300-page book |
| Don J. Zier, Japanese Sword Drawing, Unique
Publications, 2000 |
English-language Manual of Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido（夢想神伝流）.
The book focuses on Iai practices and procedures of the shoden, chuden, &
okuden（初伝、中伝、奧伝）, with step-by-step techniques with photographs.
Includes KNR seiteigata and All-Japan Iaido Federation
(ZNIR) required examination techniques |
300-page book |
| William de Lange and Akita Moriji Sensei,
Iaido: History, Teachings and Practice of Japanese Swordsmanship, Weatherhill |
History of Japanese sword and traditional
swordsmanship and ethics. Discusses and demonstrates the techniques
of the traditional Shinkage Ryu（新影流) sword school, with emphasis
more on iaijutsu（居合術）, i.e. technique, rather than to the more modern
iaido（居合道）, i.e. philosophy and mental focus. |
150-page book |
| 山蔦重吉、夢想神伝流居合道、愛隆堂 |
Japanese-language Manual of Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido（夢想神伝流）,
by Shigeyoshi Yamatsuta, Iaido 9th Dan & Hanshi （範士）, Kendo Hanshi. The book
includes a short historical overview of Iaido. The shoden, chuden, & okuden（初伝、中伝、奧伝）
step-by-step techniques are documented with photographs |
250-page book, published by Airyudo, Tokyo, Japan |
| Mitsugi Saotome, The Sword of Aikido, Aikido
Today Magazine |
Demonstration of sword and bokken ( wooden sword )
movements and Aikido |
VHS tape, 50 minutes (may be available on DVD by now )
|
| Masayuki Shimabukuro & Leonard
J. Pellman, Flashing Steel: Mastering Eishin-Ryu Swordsmanship
|
Manual of Muso Jikiden Eishin-Ryu Iaido（夢想直伝栄進流）,
including a short history of Iaido. The techniques are
illustrated with photographs |
338-page book includes sequence of
tachiai paired sword practice and tameshigiri |
| Nicholas Suino, The Art of Japanese Swordsmanship |
Manual of Muso Jikiden Eishin-Ryu Iaido（夢想直伝栄進流）,
including a short history of Iaido. The techniques are
illustrated by drawings of stick figures |
250-page book |
| |
| The Samurai and Japanese Culture
|
| Daimyo |
Overview of artistic components of Japanese warrior
culture, including a short demo of two-person sword practice culture |
Half-hour VHS from National Gallery of Art in Washington
DC |
|---|
| Samurai: The Last Warrior |
2004 documentary examines the legend of the samurai, interesting
information but the visuals are mostly archival and derivative, such as scenes from
Kurosawa samurai films, such as Yojimbo, (Tsubaki) Sanjuro, Seven Samurai
|
Streaming, approximately one hour, available from NetFlix. |
|---|
