Angry White Pyjamas!

Roper

Howdy folks,
Just wanted to give everyone a heads up about this book. It's a great read, even if you've no interest in Aikido (which I don't) it's funny and actually quite a good insight into Japanese culture and the myths around martial arts.

You've probably heard of it before but a mate of mine gave me a lend of it a while back and I only got to it this week.

Killme00

Its quite a funny book but also very insulting to the seniors in Aikido. Robert Mustard was quite pissed off about it too. He said if he ever meets Twigger again it will be the last time they meet. Its very easy to read and won some award way back in 95 i think

Edit to add: Twiggers other books are absolute crap by the way!!

The Bored One

In fairness, some of the higher ups just didn't come across well anyway. Like the guy who broke the students elbow twice.

Killme00

The Bored One wrote:

In fairness, some of the higher ups just didn't come across well anyway. Like the guy who broke the students elbow twice.

Maybe the student just wanted a break from training!!! I am not disputing that some of the seniors dont come across well but we can all tell stories about how sado-masochistic or sifus/sensei's were when we were growing up.

TKD SC

I read the book a while ago too. It is pretty good and as Roper says even if you've no interest in Aikido. Reads like a novel (than a technical MA book) and amusing to hear all about the harsh training in Japan and being a foreigner over there. When I was in Japan for hol last year I actually popped in to see an aikido class in the famous hombu dojo. Was grand, bit disappointing and nothing like the book!

PS, there's another book, similar lines, about Chen Tai Chi. Good read, can't remember the name of it though!

The Bored One

Killme00 wrote:

Maybe the student just wanted a break from training!!! I am not disputing that some of the seniors dont come across well but we can all tell stories about how sado-masochistic or sifus/sensei's were when we were growing up.

He breaks a students elbow. And when the guy finally recovers and gets back into training, he breaks the students elbow again.

Killme00

The Bored One wrote:

He breaks a students elbow. And when the guy finally recovers and gets back into training, he breaks the students elbow again.

Yep, he must have needed more time off :eek: or perhaps he was trying to build up the calcium deposits on the students elbow so he could have a a rock 'ard eblow :eek: Kinda like Irons Balls Maginty in the Jerk except with an Iron Elbow and not as funny!

Michael O Leary

Roper wrote:

Howdy folks,
Just wanted to give everyone a heads up about this book. It's a great read, even if you've no interest in Aikido (which I don't) it's funny and actually quite a good insight into Japanese culture and the myths around martial arts.

You've probably heard of it before but a mate of mine gave me a lend of it a while back and I only got to it this week.

Hi Roper,

It is a really good book. It is set in the early 90's and I liked it when all the Aikido guys started talking in hushed tones about this new martial art called Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which was defeating everything else.

Regards,

Michael
www.iewto.org

pearsquasher

I agree its an enjoyable read but i don't blame the aikidoka being pissed off at Twigger. The aikido dojo he joined sounded particularily harsh and nothing like dojo that I have trained in Japan. I mean the course he did was a limited time one, designed for Tokyo Riot police.

Read "In the dojo" by David Lowry for a better understanding of what dojo are about from an actual martial artist in it for the long haul.

Watch some Kuroda Tetzuzan DVD's (kenjutsu, jujutsu) for a peek at how a genuine martial art teacher runs a class. No drill-sergant shinanigans, over ritualisations.. just simple technical instuction. I think the aikido class Twigger found was an exception rather than a norm and so Twiggers book propagates the usual myths about dojo that push people away. It ain't really like that in my experience and if it is... "exit dojo-left".

Cake Fiend

Killme00 wrote:

Its quite a funny book but also very insulting to the seniors in Aikido.

TBH, some honesty is refreshing in TMA. I'm sick of the kind of sycophancy that's so prevelant among people who have been training a few years - the advantage of Twigger being a newcomer meant he could be open and honest about the kind of bollocks that goes on in some TMA circles (particularly in Japan, from what I've seen and heard).

Very enjoyable book, and one I recommend to non-MA people.

Michael O Leary

Actually I heard on the grapevine (my mother is an Aikido black belt) that no-one is the Aikido organisatin referred to had any problem with the way they were portrayed. Their only objection was that the author said they were pleased when the head of the organisation died as they got a day off training.

Michael
www.iewto.org

buck65

try the pyjama game its all about judo - great read

Killme00

Cake Fiend wrote:

TBH, some honesty is refreshing in TMA. I'm sick of the kind of sycophancy that's so prevelant among people who have been training a few years - the advantage of Twigger being a newcomer meant he could be open and honest about the kind of bollocks that goes on in some TMA circles (particularly in Japan, from what I've seen and heard).

Very enjoyable book, and one I recommend to non-MA people.

Honesty without Understanding. I know what you are saying but he was looking at it from an outsiders perspective and couldnt possibly be expected to understand until he has gone through it himself.

I really enjoyed the book, particulary fat frank and the game of challenge!

Killme00

Michael O Leary wrote:

Actually I heard on the grapevine (my mother is an Aikido black belt) that no-one is the Aikido organisatin referred to had any problem with the way they were portrayed. Their only objection was that the author said they were pleased when the head of the organisation died as they got a day off training.

Michael
www.iewto.org

I dont think this was the case at the time, perhaps the furore has died down over time.

MaeveD

Huh.....but its about Yoshinkan Aikido and as far as I know there are no clubs in Ireland. Why would anyone even bother to get annoyed about it anyway?

I read it shortly after I started Aikido way back when. Everybody in my organisation (including meself) thought it was a great read as far as I remember.

Simon I think you've probably been in the Hombu dojo for Aikikai Aikido? .... think Yoshinkan call theres the Honbu dojo just to confuse everybody

If you want to travel and do some great Aikido, head to France... much cheaper and visit Christian Tissier in Paris or Philippe Gouttard in St Etienne.

Scramble

'Angry White Pyjamas' is one of my favourite non-fiction books about the martial arts ... Or more accurately, martial arts culture- Because really it's a book about the type of people you can find in some training halls, and, among other things, what it's like to be a westerner training in Japan. Not everyone might have the same experience that Twigger had, but I think most of us will be able to identify with a lot of the things he picked up on.

One of the guys that he mentions as sharing a flat with him in Tokyo (Fat Chris) recently published his own non-fiction book. It's called 'Mishima's Sword: In search of a samurai legend', and while not primarily about the martial arts, it's also quite interesting. The author interviews people who knew the famous Japanese writer and nationalist Yukio Mishima, and among other things trys to find out what happened to the sword which was used as part of his suicide. The book is made up of snapshots of contemporary Japan, mixed in with thoughts about Mishima's work, japanese sword-making and whatever else crops up (there's a rather bizarre interview in a sauna, followed by diagrams on how to tie traditional japanese underwear, but enough about that...).

soma

buck65 wrote:

try the pyjama game its all about judo - great read

Currently reading this myself, really enjoying it.

Cake Fiend

Killme00 wrote:

Honesty without Understanding. I know what you are saying but he was looking at it from an outsiders perspective and couldnt possibly be expected to understand until he has gone through it himself.

I'm not sure what there is to 'understand' about a guy who should really know better needlessly injuring someone who can't fight back. Is 'indoctrination' the word you're looking for, rather than 'understanding'?

MaeveD wrote:

think Yoshinkan call theres the Honbu dojo just to confuse everybody

'Hombu' just means 'headquarters'. Each individual style will have their own 'hombu dojo', and sometimes different cities or prefectures will have their own hombu.

Gorman

Along similar lines I found this guys mini-bio an excellent read:

details his journey starting with Aikido, Judo to BJJ

http://www.roydeanacademy.com/articles

Chapter seven is the one about BJJ

Valmont

I enjoyed the first half, then got bored out of my mind and never read the last twenty pages. If I learned anything from that book, it's don't ever learn traditional aikido. It seemed to me that some of the exercises were just plain debilitating but I suppose I don't know what he went through.