Customer Reviews

The Judo Textbook: In Practical Application (Japanese Arts)

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This book clearly shows many basic techniques of judo in a useable format. I have read through other judo texts that don't give you enough info. on the techniques described, this is one of the good ones. However, a larger book covering more techniques would be desirable. Another good book is Best Judo by Isao Inokuma.

In THE JUDO TEXT BOOK: IN PRACTICAL APPLICATION (C1979) by Mr. Hayward Nishioka, and others, has managed to reduce the thirty-six throws of the Gokyu No Waza into ten techniques he has personally decided, over Kodokan wisdom, to teach to a beginner.

Starting off with such fundamentals as obi tying; Judo gi folding; rei-ing; and all the basic falls; the author proceeds to demonstrate his preferred Nage Wazas while shrewdly including photographs of the same technique being applied in shiai by a past Judo great in international tournament: such as Anton Geesink winning with Sotomaki Komi or Isao Okano winning with Ippon Seoinage.

The book also contains a copy of out-dated IJF contest rules; sections on the positive power of Judo thinking; pep talks; some basic newaza techniques; excellent historical photographs of Judo legends; some photos from past Black Belt magazines; some interesting historic photographs of Dr. Jigoro Kano; and on martial arts masters unrelated to Judo, as if the author is unaware of the deeper facets of Judo other than tournament.

While the founder of Judo and genius, Dr. Jigoro Kano, insisted for good reason, that the ratio of Judo training to be: Randori: 80%, Kata: 17%, and Shiai: 3%; Mr. Hayward Nishioka devotes his book a full 100% to Shiai neglecting the other more important aspects of Judo, such as kata training.
Since France has won several Olympic gold medals in Judo compared to America's none, and they emphasize the 'Kaeshi No Kata' (form of counters) training from beginning to end in all their Judo practice, it is amazing that Hayward Nishioka, and other US Judo instructors, haven't picked up on this correlation?

The work: THE JUDO TEXT BOOK: IN PRACTICAL APPLICATION is too basic for advanced players, and too inappropriate for the beginner. It is worth the money for the collection of historical photographs and some of the vintage photographs of legendary competitors and masters. But this is still a contribution of Western Judo trying to undermine the integrity of Japanese Judo!