Harai-Goshi

Author: Jean-Luc Rouge
Pub: 1999 by Ippon Books
Pages: 96
Ranking:

This is one of the 'Judo Masterclass Techniques' series of books. If you don't already own these books, start saving up right now... Ippon Books charges a pretty penny for these, I got lucky on a Christmas sale and picked up all 14 of them for $225. They are all at least as good as anything you'll be able to find anywhere else, and mostly superior. They are all written by acknowledged experts of the techniques being discussed. You simply cannot go wrong on any of the "Masterclass Techniques" books. I have my favorites among the 14 listed books, but they simply reflect my tokuiwaza, and no other reason.

 Contents 
 
 Foreword ..................... 6
 Harai-Goshi: a Personal View . 7
 A History of Harai-Goshi ..... 9
 Techniques .................. 13
 Combinations ................ 48
 Counters .................... 62
 Training for Harai-Goshi .... 72
 Self-Defence ................ 77
 Competition Harai-Goshi ..... 82
 Index ....................... 95

Forward

The demonstration photographs present one of the major difficulties in producing good technical hooks for judo. It is only too easy to allow a slight dullness to creep in even where the technical points are of real interest. But no one looking at the demonstration photographs in this book can miss the dynamism in the techniques of Jean-Luc Rouge. Despite his time-consuming job as Technical Director of the French Judo Federation, it is evident that he has lost little of the vigour and precision which was so much a hallmark of his judo. Throughout the 1970s he was one of the most exciting judo competitors on the international scene, and most of his appearances in the major competitions -- the Olympics, World Championships, the Europeans -- and his many successes in front of his home crowd in Paris, were punctuated by harai-goshi.

In l975, he won the world light heavyweight title, the first Frenchman to do so. His winning technique in the final was haraigoshi which demonstrates his affinity for the throw. Therefore, he was the obvious choice to write this book. Typically, he has given a stimulating analysis. Very much the realist, he has not attempted to say 'This is the way to do haraigoshi'. Instead, he presents the various crucial ingredients in terms of the grips, the direction of attack and the throwing, and says it is up to each individual to arrive at the correct mix for his or her own particular strengths.

It will come as no surprise to see that while he is acutely aware of the classical styles, he injects his broad competition experience into the study. He knows very clearly which techniques will work in contest, and which are more for randori or club practice. Few judoka, no matter how experienced, will read this book without learning something new.

Nicolas Soames
Masterclass Series Editor