Customer Rating: 
Summary: Great book on aikido philosophy and aikido basics.
Comment: Bill Sosa does an excellent job in writing this book. He shares his insight about Aikido and how it is applied to everyday life. I especially enjoyed the chapter on the 4 points of unifying mind and body. These are readily sounded off by many aikidoka, but rarely understood. (Ask any aikidoka to explain weight-underside) The real jewel in this book is that particular chapter. Aikido techniques are very difficult to learn from a book. While many techniques described in the book would seem to never be able to work, I can assure you from a first hand experience that every technique in the book works very well. The reader cannot understand or feel the way that the author is able to unbalance the opponent(uke), which is really the technique. This book should not be bought to learn aikido from. It should be used as a tool to try and understand the basics of the techniques and how the basics work. In addition, the reader can try to gain some insight into a man who has been involved in aikido for around 40 years.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your time reading this.
Comment: The First half of the book is the same as hundreds of other aikido books, about the second half: the techniques are badly explained, and the pictures are not any help.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Misleading title & waste of time
Comment: I've read this book in few hours. As aikido apprentice (1st kyu) I jumped over the philosophical bla-bla to view those amazing techniques: the rear techniques are simple every-day's practice "ushiro-waza" with a gun in one hand. What if somebody stands in front of you pointing a gun in your mouth? And the knife techniques? People have to know that they have to train hard for several years before they can achieve the results shown in this book. Too many books about Aikido, anyway.
Customer Rating:
Summary: MISLEADING TITLE
Comment: Having read the synopsis and previous reviews I had expected to open up a book on controlling tactics used by law enforcement professionals based on aikido techniques. How wrong can you be. The first 67 pages are what you expect in a general book on the subject of aikido. The 21 Tactics shown left me stunned.
No17 sums it up. You cannot use this defence where an attacker bearhugs from behind around your elbows.
We teach self defence and practice these types of attacks on both males & females. The suggested raising of the arms to break the grip as you step back is a joke. The attacker is usually right agianst your body and you cannot step back or raise your arms.
There are numerous successful ways of defending agianst this type of attack but this is not one to be recommended.
Overall I was disappointed with the content and feel I waisted my money.
Customer Rating:
Summary: An elegant, yet pragmatic book
Comment: Bill Sosa Sensei, an amazing teacher and artist, has put together a terrific review for both the advanced student and curious reader. He offers a concise history and philosopy of the art, illustrates exercises for training, and then brings the focus of the book to controlling tactics. The step-by-step photographs of these defenses will enable the reader to get a clear sense of their usefulness and obvious applicability to the street. Above all, the reader should know that Mr. Sosa is uniquely qualified to write on this topic. He has trained police officers and written a well-received manual applying aikido to law enforcement, and his practical, no-nonsense approach gives the student plenty of material to practice and ideas to apply. This is a must-read for beginner and advanced practitioner alike. Let Bill Sosa Sensei guide you in aiki! (Frank Thomas, PhD, Gokyu, Fort Worth
