Flashing Steel: Mastering Eishin-Ryu Swordsmanship

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 iaido 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.