| Positive Aikido | | | | re-shot with Sensei Rogers and one of his |
| | | | first USA students, Jeff Glaze of New Mexico. |
| The story of the books development. | | | | By this time, Positive Aikido was being |
| | | | developed as a book. |
| | | | |
| | | | The agent and publishers we first contacted |
| > Now available on from and Amazon.co.uk | | | | agreed, but the material was still fairly |
| | | | rough. More photos were shot and extensive |
| To Order this book from within the UK and EU | | | | digital work was done on them to clarify |
| countries: | | | | technique. Additional sections were added to |
| | | | describe combat strategy and the philosophy |
| Trafford Publishing (UK) Limited Order Desk | | | | behind "Positive Aikido". Sections on ethics |
| 9 Park End Street, 2nd floor Oxford, UK | | | | and morals within the arts were developed |
| OX1 1HH local rate number 0845 230 9601 | | | | along with material dealing with the |
| phone 44 (0)1865 722 113 fax 44 (0)1865 722 | | | | selection of a martial art for beginners, and |
| 868 email To Order this book from any other | | | | of course, the history section was |
| country including the USA and Canada: | | | | strengthened and sharpened. |
| Trafford Publishing order desk 2333 | | | | |
| Government Street, Suite 6E, Victoria, BC | | | | Lastly, a complete re-organisation of the |
| Canada V8T 4P4 toll-free 1-888-232-4444, fax | | | | material was accomplished with an addition of |
| 250-383-6804 Email This book, an in-depth | | | | a section on pins and control and weapons (jo |
| look at Ellis Schools of Tradtional Aikido's | | | | and sword). The finished work is comprised of |
| special brand of technique, strategy, | | | | more than 1000 photos, 600 hand-drawings and |
| philosophy as well as unique history, has | | | | complex explanations and tips to make the |
| taken about 15 years to compile, but will | | | | techniques of Aikido work properly. It |
| soon be offered in print by the world's | | | | includes detailed writing on the "Positive" |
| leading publisher of martial arts material. | | | | mindset as well as complete sections geared |
| | | | to beginners, intermediate students and |
| Trafford Holdings Ltd; is a privately-held | | | | advanced practitioners. |
| corporation, registered in British Columbia, | | | | |
| Canada. There are over 120 shareholders, | | | | Although several traditional publishers |
| including many authors and all the permanent | | | | expressed interest in printing the book, and |
| employees. It was incorporated in 1991. In | | | | initial negotiations were entered into with |
| late 1995, Trafford opened it's doors and | | | | one California-based company, the advent of |
| website. They are the first company in the | | | | "print-on-demand" technology and the |
| world to offer an "on-demand publishing | | | | resulting new publishing market, made for a |
| service," and they are the best. | | | | better alternative. |
| | | | |
| The production of Positive Aikido has gone | | | | Of this book as it stands now, the authors |
| through numerous stages. The hand-drawings | | | | say this - "There are a lot of books on |
| describing each of the positive techniques in | | | | Martial Arts out there, and this one fits |
| traditional Aikido were begun in 1987 with | | | | into the crowd well - but it also stands |
| the intention of providing new students with | | | | alone in the sheer comprehensiveness of the |
| a reference guide - at the time to be | | | | work. It is a nearly complete representation |
| photocopied for students in the USA and later | | | | of a single school's technique - it is a |
| possibly for the UK students as well. That | | | | historical marker - a book of strategy - an |
| plan however, never took hold as more and | | | | ethical guide - a technical manual - and it |
| more drawings were produced. The drawings of | | | | is a chart, graph and manifest of all the |
| the first four groupings were finished in | | | | things which make martial artists as a whole |
| 1991 and in 1993, the second four groupings | | | | stand together as sisters and brothers with |
| were added, along with some transcripts from | | | | the same warrior spirit." |
| a recorded conversation between Sensei Ellis | | | | |
| and Rogers on a long roadtrip between Dallas, | | | | This letter of recommendation is from William |
| Texas and Alamogordo, New Mexico. Rogers made | | | | (Bill) Woods Sensei. Sensei Woods was in the |
| his 1st Dan during that trip, and Positive | | | | 1950's and 60's Aide and personal secretary |
| Aikido picked up a lot of its histories and | | | | to Kenshiro Abbe Sensei. At that time Sensei |
| background information. Still, it was no more | | | | Woods was considered the most influential and |
| than a bunch of papers cobbled together from | | | | powerful figure in British Martial Arts. In |
| various sources. | | | | 1955 he was the British Judo Champion. He was |
| | | | the first person to be graded by Abbe Sensei |
| In 1999 however, with the advent of digital | | | | to 1st dan in Kendo, holding certificate No |
| photography, Sensei Rogers decided to augment | | | | 1, he was a key figure in the creation of the |
| the drawings with some digital photos and | | | | British Judo Council ( BJC ) and the |
| possibly put together a proper booklet for | | | | International Budo Council ( IBC ). There are |
| students in all the Ellis Schools. The photos | | | | too many credits to the name of Sensei Woods |
| however, required some supporting text - and | | | | to be listed here. I am very proud to have |
| there was a lot of other material which | | | | known Sensei Woods for almost 50 years. |
| needed to be conveyed as well. The | | | | signed: Henry Ellis. |
| transcripts were re-written and cleaned up | | | | |
| and the photos were digitally processed for | | | | The new book is published by Trafford |
| the first four forms. During another visit to | | | | Publishing and avaIlable from all good book |
| New Mexico, Sensei and his assistant Anita | | | | shops and online with Amazon, priced around |
| Wilson along with Sensei's son performed the | | | | $18.95 or £10.00. 156 pages : ISBN number |
| demonstrations needed for the last four | | | | 1-4120-4668-8. |
| forms. Later, the first four forms were | | | | |