Judo boy [Hardcover]

John Dudley Ball (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 148 pages
• Publisher: Duell, Sloan and Pearce; 1st edition (1964)
• ASIN: B0007E1PJY
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,090,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A blast from the past..., September 3, 2009

By 

Erik Olson "Seeker Reviews" (Ridgefield, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Judo boy (Hardcover)

Back in the early 1980s I endured a lot of bullying as a small high-schooler with a big mouth. I began taking karate lessons in order to protect myself and eagerly looked for any martial arts books I could find. Ironically I discovered "Judo Boy," the tale of a lad who takes up Judo to combat bullies, in the sanctuary of my school library. I ended up reading "Judo Boy" a couple of times because of the encouragement it offered during a difficult life stage.

The story concerns Rod Mitchell, a young man who gets soundly thumped by the student body's resident tormentor. Seeking help, Rod is introduced to Judo by an Asian-American friend, and he fervently works to gain anti-bully skills. We follow Rod's training and see him grow not only in ability but in maturity as well. Of course, Rod eventually comes face-to-face with his nemesis, and their confrontation is as satisfying as one might expect. Although it was written in the 1960s, "Judo Boy" is quite similar in theme to the "Karate Kid" movie that also captivated me in my youth.

Bear in mind that it has been almost twenty-seven years since I read "Judo Boy" so I'm a bit fuzzy on the details. Indeed, I had to refer to this page's Customer Image for a reminder of our hero's name and the existence of his crucial friend. Over the years I've thought about this book from time to time, and recently reading an interesting non-fiction account of Judo titled "Falling Hard" by Mark Law made me wonder if "Judo Boy" is still available. I fondly remember carrying it around school with me like a talisman (and how mortified I was when, after forgetting it on the school bus, the driver held it up in front of everyone to find the owner), and I'd like to have a copy in my library.

Although I never had the satisfaction of a decisive victory over my high-school tormentors, "Judo Boy" and karate helped me to grow up, endure a rough situation, and arrive at graduation intact so I could escape into the Marine Corps. That was probably a more optimal outcome than a fight would've been anyway. Now, after studying various self-defense methods over the years and earning a 2nd-degree black belt in Kenpo karate, I look fondly upon Mr. Ball's book as the genesis of a lifelong affection for the martial arts. Someday I hope to read "Judo Boy" again, and perhaps pass it on to someone else for their own personal edification.