Kodokan Judo: The Essential Guide to Judo by Its Founder Jigoro Kano

Surely one of the best books on the subject matter that is available anywhere.

Written by the godfather of Judo; Jigaro Kano this book is a great guide to almost everything Judo. It doe not feature every banned move in Judo, But some of them. It features every Judo Kata and the detail in the 📸 is great for the time the book was made.

Bought this book as a supplement to my regular judo instruction. The pictures and directions, once you figure them out, are essential to helping understand different throws and moves. Furthermore, this book goes into the philosophy behind Judo, the way Jigoro Kano intended it. An essential tome in any serious judoka’s library.

This is the top pick of the three major manuscripts on Judo that anyone must own, study and keep close at hand for reference, if one wishes to be considered a true student-practitioner of the combat grappling sports, regardless of whether one is into Judo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, classic Jujutsu or Mixed Martial Arts.The book may not be a full color, glossy paged, instructional manual like so many others out there, but Judo is the parent art of BJJ, submission wrestling and MMA whether those practitioners care to admit it or not. Everything is connected and it all begins with a primary source. Judo has been one of history's most well documented and accurately copied grappling arts with this particular manual leading the way. This book is loaded with, sometimes grainy, black and white photographs of all of Judo's classic applications and principles, each one explained in a detailed instructional text.The book is historically accurate as well as relevant, in documenting Judo as close to its original source as can be depicted. Therefore, it is an essential guide and reference for those who want to transcend a mere accumulation of techniques and look deeper into the roots of Judo and Her off-springs.If one is a serious student and practitioner, and especially if one is an instructor of combat grappling sports, this book is required reading.A. BodhiCombat Vet (US Army)Hachidan JudoPanglima Kalis Alakdan

I bought this book in 2005 and I hadn't quite learned to question everything. This book very clearly illustrates the rules and technique as practiced in the dojo and it as such is a very welcome addition to my library.When I compare it to a book like Roger Crosnier's on foil fencing, Crosnier's book illustrates all of the basic principles of fencing answering three questions: what, how, and why. This book illustrates the how and the what. It teaches the organization of the dojo in terms of the how, the what, and the why, but in case of body postures and techniques, it in a few places lacks in establishing the why.You can still learn all of the techniques you need to know, and it explains principles of using the opponent's force against them, but for instance the neutral stance isn't a fighting stance. The neutral stance is the posture assumed when people are angry and you don't want to provoke aggression. Judo, before everything else, including sport, is a discipline of self defense.On the judo mat, after the bow, you immediately have to assume the defensive position, knees bent, because on the judo mat, you always fight. This means you need to be ready for what comes, which includes having your hands ready to grapple your opponent. You don't want to introduce any delay.To me, there's room for improvement, also in classifying the techniques in a more generalistic way. For instance, when you sweep someone's foot or feet, the hands always support the motion of the opponent's body induced by the sweep: if you sweep feet sideways, you pull in the opposite direction, sweep the foot forward and you push the body backward, sweep the foot diagonally into a spin, and you support the spin of the opponent's body.I agree with the criticism as I understand Jigoro Kano uttered it of a lot of the ground techniques that seem to have been borrowed from wrestling. The intent of Judo is to use the strength of the opponent against them and this should be preserved: it's a throwing game. This allows you to get away and get help. That's also Judo, to try and avoid hurting someone. It's not always possible, but one should try. As a student, I should add, I should know that you should hear it when someone hits the mat.I think it would be a welcome addition if it were to separately include guidelines for the students in aiding the teacher in teaching. For instance, Judo does teach some basic holds, but if the student doesn't struggle to break free, the student learning the hold isn't going to exert any power. You always need to introduce as high a degree of realism as possible without anyone getting hurt, and a struggle is necessary to provoke the necessary responses.I do love Judo and the book.

This book is an outstanding reference containing such vital concepts and techniques as nage waza (throwing techniques), shime waza (choking/strangulation techniques), atemi waza (vital point techniques), and kansetsu waza (joint locking techniques). Randori (free sparring), kata (forms), and goshin jutsu (self-defense techniques) are covered. There is also some interesting history about how jujutsu became judo, the principles and aims of Kodokan judo, and training basics (e.g., gi, etiquette, postures/stances, moving and turning, breakfall techniques, the principle of continuous attack, and professor Kano's history and chronology). Since many judo applications can render an opponent unconscious, vital kappo (resuscitation techniques) are also includedSome of the pictures are outstanding while others, mostly historical items relating to kata and a few of the throws, are very difficult to decipher. Regardless, no text no matter how well written and illustrated can substitute for professional hands-on instruction. If you have already seen these applications demonstrated on the dojo floor, the book is more than adequate as a reference source -- in fact I'd call it ideal. This outstanding tome contains all the essential knowledge that judoka must possess. Highly recommended!Lawrence KaneAuthor of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction

Lots of good information easy to understand