Forza The Samurai Sword Workout: Kick Butt and Get Buff with High-Intensity Sword Fighting Moves (Dirty Everyday Slang)

First, I am not a regular fitness buff, but I do have an interest in martial arts, and have some experience with swords. I have the natural wood hardwood daito bought from Amazon some time ago, which is a great and very well-balanced practice sword for the price. This book is aimed at the workout crowd and not the martial artist, but I think that for anyone desiring some basic skills and forms on Japanese sword technique would like this book. The book is split up into basic exercises, more advanced exercies, and some forms, or routines which combine exercises together. The exercises are clearly explained with good pictures, although I could have wished for a little more detail on technique. There is a background explanation for swordwork at the beginning of the book, as well as workout hints and tips to begin a practice of the sword. The author clearly has training in formal martial arts, but does not go over the head of the beginner. The day I got the book, I tried out the basic and advanced exercises. I only worked out about 10 minutes. I then had to take a few days off as my shoulders were so sore I could hardly lift them, even though I only practiced a few minutes. After having practiced the exercises as well as several of the routines, I am beginning to see a change in my shoulders. I also tend to lose track of the time when I get a hold of that sword and go through the workout. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in martial arts, swords, or simply firming up their arms and shoulders.

Book does not transfer well to an electronic book. Whereas in a book, the picture and description are on the same page so that you can refer to the picture while reading the text, in the electronic it did not.

This book is not about self-defense. It won't teach you how to take out the thugs in the next block. Nor is it designed to give you martial arts training. What this book does is give you another option to add to your fitness routine. If you're getting bored with the normal routine of weight training, running, aerobics, cycling, and swimming, then this book is for you. What it will do is add to your routine. It will broaden your fitness program. Just like swimming, cycling, and running, with Forza, you determine the intensity of your workout. I expect it will also tone your arms and shoulders. I tried the exercises in the book and I broke out sweating within fifteen minutes. And I have been lifting weights and doing cardio for ten years! I'm in good shape already. The sword that was light during the first fifteen minutes will start to make its presence known at this point. At this stage, I am far from graceful. My "cuts" are not yet precise and not yet smooth. But I'm having fun with the routines. I do not own a live blade. What I use is a heavy, plastic Bokken, which is designed to take the place of a Katana during practice. The weight is supposed to also duplicate that of a real blade. In any case, my shoulders and forearms were sore for the next couple of days after my first workout. When lifting weights, I wear gloves designed for the purpose. When doing Forza, I use my golf glove. I bought another golf glove for the other hand so both hands will be covered! I find the soft, conforming leather of the golf gloves give me a better feel of the sword/bokken compared to weight-training gloves. I really recommend that you use gloves to avoid blisters and calluses. Atleast at the beginning. My Bokken does not have a leather grip. The gloves not only protect my hands, but they also keep the sword from slipping through my sweaty fingers. I also think you will have more fun using a Bokken than you would using say, a broomstick. This is a very refreshing approach to fitness. If you do it with enough intensity it will give you a very good workout. You probably won't stop there though. I suspect you would also want to work on your smoothness and gracefulness. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to add another activity to their workout routine. Forza is different, fun, and challenging to do gracefully.

Great starter.

Not for serious martial artists but an interesting and generally effective exercise routine nevertheless. Ilaria Montagnani's Forza has done for kendo what Billy Blanks' Tai Bo did for karate. It is a fun, relatively easy to learn, aerobic workout routine with a big stick (or bokken if you own one). She begins with a little background and context then jumps right into footwork, warm-up exercises, and basic techniques. You will learn how to hold the weapon and perform high, low, horizontal, and diagonal cuts as well as thrusts. There are a few "advanced" techniques as well, though they are really only variations of the basic stuff. If you are an experience budoka who has studied kendo, iaido, or a related martial art this book is not for you. If you are a mundane individual who's got enough space to swing around a big stick and wants an interesting workout routine you ought to give this book a try. The book is a bit light on explanation but the step-by-step photos are clear and easy to follow. It might be better as a DVD but you can get sufficient information out of this format to perform the routines successfully. I recommend reading through it a couple times before getting started though. I strongly recommend doing the warm-up drills before getting started. Even a few minutes with a lightweight stick can lead to pulled muscles or other injuries if you haven't done this kind of thing before. If you really dig this stuff and want a serious workout, you should consider picking up a heavy ironwood bokken. It'll make you sweat fast. If you want something even heavier, you should probably consider an ironwood suburito (suburi bokken) which is thicker and heaver than a traditional bokken but has the same general shape. The balance, however, is not typically as good. Consequently they are only used for solo training and not for tandem exercises in a traditional dojo (which is exactly what you want here anyway). If you do the footwork/stances properly along with the arm movements you really can work your whole body, not just your arms/shoulders. The editorial write-up touts that the book tells you how to get a hold of a workout sword yet the text simply suggests building your own and also refers to contacting a local martial arts store or internet site. I'm underwhelmed by that! There is also no warning against doing this with live steel in the book so I'll give one here: Don't even think of doing this stuff with a real sword without expert supervision. That's a serious accident waiting to happen. In summary, this book is an interesting idea that is clearly communicated and very well illustrated. It's an aerobic workout not a martial art, but a lot more interesting than most fitness routines. If you've got a big enough practice area and a passing interest in swords you ought to give it a try. Lawrence Kane Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction