Second Edition (2008)
Readers from around the world praised Flashing Steel
for its clear, detailed explanation of iaijutsu
techniques and philosophy. The only significant criticism of
the book was that it did not more fully depict the techniques
in its photographs. This had been
done deliberately in the first edition in order to
encourage readers to seek instruction from a qualified
sensei, rather than try to learn the subtle
intricacies of the
art solely from the book.
Nevertheless, by 2007 Shimabukuro Hanshi was convinced that Flashing Steel should be updated with current and more complete photographic depictions of techniques. Every waza described in the book was rephotographed, increasing the number of photos from 438 to 1,753. Some of the historical and philosophical content was also revised, raising the word count from 66,000 to over 78,000. The revised, updated, and expanded Second Edition went on sale in January 2008.
Flashing Steel, 2nd Edition: 338 pages, 78,000 words, 1,753 photographs.
25th Anniversary Memorial Edition (2020)
Even
before the publication of the revised edition of
Flashing Steel, Shimabukuro Hanshi had
been teaching portions of the curriculum that were not
included in either the first or second editions of
the book. Most notably, by 2006 or 2007, he was
teaching the Battō-hō (a set of waza devised
for the Japanese Navy shortly before World War II) to
beginners, rather than the Seitei Kata or
shoden waza he had taught beginners in the '90s. He
also taught the Tsumeai no Kurai, Bangai no
Bu, and other
waza to many of his yūdansha (holders of
dan rank) in the late '90s and throughout the 2000s.
When the idea of a 25th anniversary edition of Flashing Steel was first suggested to Pellman Shihan in 2018 it had been nearly six years since Shimabukuro Hanshi's death, so publishing a final, updated, edition of Flashing Steel seemed to be a suitable tribute to his extraordinary life and contributions to the art of iaijutsu. A half-dozen former senior students of Shimabukuro Hanshi promised to contribute personal anecdotes for inclusion in the memorial edition, but not one of them did so, leaving it entirely to Pellman Shihan to decide which memories of Hanshi's life and teachings to include. Ultimately, he decided to include the entire curriculum of Musō Jikiden Eishin-Ryū as he had been taught it in the final edition, which went on sale in both printed and Kindle versions in October 2020.
Flashing Steel, 25th Anniversary Edition: 590 pages, 129,000 words, 2,407 photographs.
Where to Buy Flashing Steel
Online
Bookstores: The 25th Anniversary edition
of Flashing Steel is available from major online
bookstores, including:
•
Amazon (print and Kindle versions available)
•
Barnes & Noble (print and Nook versions available)
•
Books-A-Million (print edition only)
Used Bookstores:
To save money, or to acquire a souvenir copy of an
out-of-print edition, copies of the current and previous
editions are often available
from online used book sellers like:
•
Thriftbooks
•
Abe Books
Seishin-Kan Online Store: print editions autographed by co-author, Leonard J. Pellman can be purchased from our own online store.
In Person: print editions autographed by co-author, Leonard J. Pellman can also be purchased in person at any regularly scheduled class at Victory Dōjō or any of Pellman Shihan's seminars or public appearances.