Judo: History, Theory, Practice [Paperback]

Vladimir Putin (Author), Vasily Shestakov (Author), Alexey Levitsky (Author), George Russell (Preface), Keiko Fukuda (Preface)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 16, 2004

Authors Vladimir Putin, Vasily Shestakov, and Alexy Levitsky give a complete history of judo, from its origins in Japanese jujitsu through its development into an Olympic sport, including Russia's contributions to the art. The rules and basic concepts are covered, followed by detailed instruction in break-falling, throwing techniques, and ground grappling. Judo theory is examined, and key practice points are presented, as well as strategies for the beginner and an exploration of kuzushi, Judo's art of unbalancing. Lastly, the authors present the self-defense techniques of judo and introduce the unique Russian art of combat sambo.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It is rare and very inspiring that a head of state would make such an investment of time to write a book like this. It is a fine gift to the judokas of the world as well as to those of Russia...Vladimir Putin Sensei and his co-writers have established themselves as gifted writers and contributors to the judo world."
- Keiko Fukuda, United States Judo Federation

About the Author

Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, is well-known for his life-long love of judo and brings all of his experience to bear in writing this manual.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Blue Snake Books (June 16, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556434456
• ISBN-13: 978-1556434457
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.6 x 11.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,408 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very good Judo book, in all honesty!, June 29, 2004

By 

Plotinus - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Judo: History, Theory, Practice (Paperback)

I really like this Judo book.
It is not a 'fully comprehensive' book that shows you every technique of Judo, but it does show the most effective techniques, street-fighting techniques, weapons defenses; it teaches you about proper dieting, muscle conditioning, extensive balance and strength drills and games, the history of Judo and so on.
The greatest part of the book though, is it's extensive lesson on 'kuzushi': the art of breaking the opponent's balance in order to be able to execute a throw upon him/her. This section of the book is the best I have ever seen anywhere! It has many pages, one after another, showing an entry throw set-up, and around this throw are depicted eight backup throws that will work if the first one fails - which it almost always will, since the opponent is not unbalanced yet. These eight backup throws all make use of the position you have gotten into and the unbalancing you have executed upon the opponent as a result of attempting the first throw. This is REALLY USEFUL for all Judoka! You can use this knowledge during every competitive practice session (randori) at your club!
This is also a really cool book to have since it is written by the leader of the world's largest nation - President Vladimir Putin of Russia! This shows how Judo can help you achieve any goal you want to attain!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Book - with Some Great Unique Features, November 9, 2004

By 

Yonah Wolf (NY,NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Judo: History, Theory, Practice (Paperback)

First my own qualifications - I am a Sankyu (3rd Degree Brown Belt in Judo) with 4+ years of Judo experience. Although I own some other 'classic' Judo textbooks, there are some great unique features in Putin's book that make it a worthwhile read. The first of these features is what I call the Combination Wheel - essentially for each throw that he describes in the book he has two 'wheels' - one showing combination throws that lead into the this throw and the other showing what combination throws can be used out of it. These combinations are more comprehensive than some of the more basic combos I've seen in books. The other differentiating factor is the chapter on nutrition and how to lose and maintain competitive weight.

Please understand that this is not a comprehensive Judo text - he only describes about a dozen throws and doesn't talk much about matwork - but it definitely is an interesting perspective on Judo.

As an added bonus, it talks a little bit about Sambo as well.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you are a Judo book collector, December 29, 2004

By 

Edmon Begoli (Knoxville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Judo: History, Theory, Practice (Paperback)

I rated this book with 4 stars for two reasons:

A. It is reasonably well written book, and for its quality of writing it deserves no less than 4 stars

B. It does not deserve 5 stars because it does not excel at anything. It touches many subjects, but it does not give you much depth on any of these.

If you already have some other Judo books such as Kodokan Judo, Best Judo, A-Z of Judo, and if you've read some sports nutrition and conditioning guides than this book will not give you much more over it.

On the other hand, if you are a book collector, specially a Judo book collector you may want to have this book since it is partially written by Vladimir Putin, even though it is not clear which sections are written by Vladimir Putin.
Two other "co-authors" are distinguished Russian Judo coaches.