The Complete Book Of Judo

Submitted by Khadaji on Sun, 07/19/2009 - 11:39

Author: George Parulski
Pub: 1984 by Contemporary Books, Inc.
Pages: 182
Ranking:
Out of Print... fortunately.

This is the first of a two book set by the same author. The second book, Black Belt Judo is the better effort. This book starts with the claim that both of the current books in print, Judo in Action, and Vital Judo, lack something that this book brings to the market. Unfortunately, I rather suspect that the average Judoka would happily give this book up in trade for either Judo in Action, or Vital Judo... both of which are far superior.

Particularly funny, to those who have both this book and the Judo in Action series, is the claim that Judo in Action "however, shows only a limited number of judo techniques (not the complete program)"

This book is not as valuable as his second book. "Black Belt Judo" has the advantage of showing a few techniques that are rarely referenced. This book however, has to be viewed carefully, as there are misleading statements and the author's own interpretations found throughout. There are also numerous mistakes in the techniques, so I can't recommend this to anyone who doesn't already know good Judo waza.

There have been numerous negative discussions of the claims made by the author, Mr. Parulski, and no reason can be found to detail them here. Buyer beware...

                           CONTENTS                                
                                                                  
    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS                                            V
    FOREWORD                                                 VII
    INTRODUCTION                                            VIII
 1. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND                                      1
 2. THEORY                                                     7
 3. HOLISTIC CONDITIONING                                     23
 4. NAGE-WAZA (THROWING TECHNIQUES)                           67
 5. KATAME-WAZA (PINNING, LOCKING, AND CHOKING TECHNIQUES)   117
 6. STRATEGY                                                 135
 7. AN AFTERWORD                                             141
   APPENDIX I: THE RANKING SYSTEM                            143
   APPENDIX II: NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION FOR JUDO TRAINING    147
   APPENDIX III: INTERNATIONAL JUDO FEDERATION'S RULES OF          
                        SPORT JUDO                           154
   APPENDIX IV: THE KATA OF JUDO                             164
   APPENDIX V: GLOSSARY                                      167
   ABOUT THE AUTHOR                                          175
   ABOUT THE ASSISTANTS                                      176
   END NOTES                                                 177
   BIBLIOGRAPHY                                              178
   INDEX                                                     179

Judo or, more specifically, kodokan judo, was founded in 1882 by Dr. Jigoro Kano as a physical and mental training experience. Today it has become an international sport and is practiced according to the same rules everywhere. In addition to its homeland of Japan, judo is extremely popular in Europe and America and is practiced by both men and women equally.

Judo is a modern adaption of jujutsu, one of Japan's martial arts of old and a precious legacy of the samurai.

It has been pointed out to me that the need has long existed for a book that shows the complete gokyu-waza (forms of throwing, numbering 40) and katame-waza (forms of holding) in their traditional light. Two such books, The Illustrated Kodokan Judo (Kodansha Publishing) and Gokyo-waza, existed, but both have long been out of print. With new generations of judoka (judo players) arriving on the scene daily, the need has never been greater.

Several excellent books on judo play are on the market today, the best ones being the Judo in Action series, and the Vital Judo series (Japan Publications). The former, however, shows only a limited number of judo techniques (not the complete program), and the latter is a very personal interpretation of judo techniques used specifically in competition. What is needed is a volume that will show all gokyo techniques, as well as katame-waza in their traditional or classic form. This way a student learns the original method first and can build personal interpretation from there. Also, it is necessary to show some modern application of the classical throws, all in a single volume. The Complete Book of Judo is such a text.

The author is eminently qualified to write a book of this nature, and with his combined skills of flawless technique, professional photography, and writing, he has created a work to be valued for many years to come.

ISAO OBATO
Sixth-Degree Black Belt
President/Founder
American Society of Classical Judoka
Arizona, June 1983

Introduction

The scope of judo is vast, perhaps as vast as human culture itself. Judo in essence encompasses so many different aspects that nearly every practitioner would define judo differently.

To some, judo is a sport; to others, an art; and to still others, it is a method of self-defense. As a sport, judo is recognized by the AAU and as such has found a place in the Olympic Games. Nearly every country on the face of this earth has a judo team of some capacity. In the United States, sport judo, as we will call it, is a very popular pastime. Many high schools and colleges offer sport judo as an official course; in many universities degree credits can be earned through the study of sport judo.

In this country sport judo is recognized by two main bodies: The United States Judo Association and The United States Judo Federation. However, these organizations represent only the sport of judo, and judo practiced as a way of life or as an art has little or no place with them.

Because of this, two new organizations have found their way into the world of judo, one an invention of the United States alone, the other an import from Japan. These two organizations, the Seibu-kan Association (from Japan) and the American Society of Classical Judoka (American), are gaining more and more acceptance in classical judo circles. What is classical judo? Simply put, it is judo practiced for self-defense and kata (art) rather than for competition. The techniques are the same, but the methodology is different. Also, classical judo relies on judo goshin (self-defense) and all seven judo kata (forms), where-as sport judo relies mainly on who can throw or pin whom first.

First, I should mention that there is nothing wrong with sport judo. In fact, taught properly, it can be a very rewarding experience. My point is simply that there are other types of judo, and one need only open his eyes to find them.

The purpose of this book is to present the sport of judo in the light of classical technique. In my experience, competitive skill is increased severalfold when the traditional methods are adhered to rather than parted from.

Many books on the market give a "champion's" view of how to improve this or that technique. However, unless one learns the classical method first, one can hardly hope to add his own interpretation.

Judo as a sport offers many benefits. As a contact sport it offers the thrill of wrestling with an even greater challenge. Judo relies more on standing techniques (throws) and requires a greater skill of execution than wrestling. Therefore, as a sport, judo is extremely challenging.

For the quiet, shy person, judo can boost self-confidence. Withdrawn individuals often have no belief in themselves. Judo gives them something to be proud of-something that is very much them.

For the karate or kung fu student, judo offers a degree of self-defense not offered by either of those arts. All too often the karateka (karateist) who uses his skills on an attacker damages him more than the law will allow. In karate it is very hard to predict the amount of damage you will inflict on an opponent. But in judo you can control and hold without causing serious injury-an effective alternative for dealing with the drunk who is also your uncle.

As a method of exercise, judo stimulates both aerobic and anaerobic activity within the body, bringing about a high degree of physical fitness. The discipline, self-confidence, and self-control result in a high degree of psychological fitness as well. Because of this, many consider judo a holistic approach to health. I am in perfect agreement with this, and I stress it in my teaching method. Students often refer to my judo as "holistic judo" because I am very concerned about developing the entire person with the whole of judo: art, sport, self-defense. I do this by instructing my students on proper diet and incorporating yoga and meditation into my classes, Over the years many of my competitive students have increased their sport performance greatly with this approach. One went on to win a national AAU title and may even represent the United States in the summer Olympics one day.

Therefore, The Complete Book of Judo is written with the holistic approach in mind. I cover traditional warm-ups and conditioning exercises but add a special section on yogic exercises aimed specifically at the judoka (judo player). We will discuss diet and nutrition as it relates to a judoka's specific training routine.

We will pull each technique apart by learning judo theories and physics thoroughly. Each throw will be performed at its classic best; but again, with throws most suited for competition I will give a modern approach as well. It is thus my hope to present judo in a fuller light than it has been to date. I hope that the new material in this book (and the old material that is presented in a fresher, more re-fined light) will justify your keeping it on your bookshelf. If, from time to time, The Complete Book of Judo can help you get over a slump, when you are trying to develop new skills or fresh outlooks, I shall be very pleased.

Where such words exist, I have used the universally accepted Japanese terminology for techniques throughout the text. This practice is intended to create a universal language for the judo practitioner, making it possible to train anywhere in the world and still be understood in the dojo (training hall) to a functional degree. However, where there is no traditional terminology for a particular application, I did not take the liberty of devising my own Japanese term (Japanese ideographs are very convenient for doing just that); instead, I used English since I am writing for a predominantly English-speaking readership. (Readers will find a comprehensive list of terms and definitions in the Glossary.) Finally, it is my hope that this text will help further understanding of the ideal of judo according to Dr. Kano, judo's founder: a method for learning about and improving one-self-mentally, physically, psychologically, and spiritually.