Judo Techniques & Tactics

Submitted by Khadaji on Sat, 07/25/2009 - 13:48

Author: Jimmy Pedro & William Durbin
Pub: 2001 by Human Kinetics
Pages: 183
Ranking:
In Print:

I had great expectations for this book, since a world champion had authored it. Perhaps I've been spoiled by what Ippon has accomplished with their "Masterclass" series, but my hopes were dashed when I opened this book. It's filled with "factoids" of Judo, such as the story of Shiro Saigo and "Oshikiuchi" that should have been left out.

The book is filled with Japanese terminology, along with reasonable translations and pronounciation guides. "Nidan Kosotogare" was the only misspelling I noted, which isn't bad at all...

With lots of photos, and Tori in a blue Gi, and Uke in white, everything is easy to follow, but this book is easily seen to be tailored for the beginner rather than advanced Judoka. I counted just 10 throws being shown, for example! And such things as rank structure, falling, and various exercises fill out the book. (Why do beginner books always show warmup exercises? They never lead exercises in class!)

While this book will be a good one for the beginner, it has virtually nothing that a Sankyu on up would be interested in. I'd pass on this one...

           Preface                    iv
           Acknowledgments           vii
CHAPTER  1 GETTING STARTED             1
CHAPTER  2 ROOTS OF JUDO              11
CHAPTER  3 LANGUAGE AND CUSTOMS
           OF JUDO                    19
CHAPTER  4 FALLS AND ROLLS            29
CHAPTER  5 STANCES AND GRIPS          43
CHAPTER  6 THROWS                     57
CHAPTER  7 HOLDS AND PINS             87
CHAPTER  8 CHOKES AND JOINT LOCKS     95
CHAPTER  9 COUNTERS AND
           COMBINATIONS              119
CHAPTER 10 COMPETITION               137
CHAPTER 11 CONDITIONING              147
           Suggested Readings        177
           Index                     178
           About the Authors         183

Back Cover

Judo Techniques & Tactics

Master the fundamentals of the art of judo with Judo Techniques & Tactics. Written by world champion and three-time Olympian Jimmy Pedro, this book provides you with a solid background of the sport and the essential maneuvers for success.

Learn how to correctly perform

           *   falls,     *   chokes,
           *   rolls,     *   joint locks,
           *   grips,     *   pins,
           *   throws,    *   counters, and
           *   holds,     *   combinations.

Whether you're a beginner or a more advanced student, you will find many valuable insights on judo's history, terminology, and customs, and special chapters on competition and conditioning.

Part of the successful Techniques & Tactics series of martial arts books published by Human Kinetics, this book is sure to be a part of every serious martial artist's library.

Preface

The Japanese martial art of judo is commonly assimilated with other martial
The study of judo offers benefits to all; people of any age or body type can
For those who desire to compete, judo tournaments are held; weekly at the local,
Judo Techniques & Tactics was written and designed to benefit judo practitioners
Chapter 1 begins by familiarizing you with the value of judo and provides some
Chapters 4 through 9 contain illustrated, step-by-step descriptions of the various
Judo Techniques & Tactics will prove to be a valuable tool if you keep the
Although this book places a lot of emphasis on the skills, tactics, and techniques

Acknowledgements

Throughout my career I was fortunate that so many different people genuinely
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the following people:

My father, Jim, has always been there as my coach and best friend. He provided
My mother, Susanne, has always provided me with emotional support when I needed
Marie, my wife, has always supported me and allowed me to pursue my dreams.
My children, Casey, A.J., and Ricky, have provided me with the motivation to
I thank my sister, Tanya, and brother, Mike for their love and support. Thanks
I thank my in-laws, Richard and Suzuko, for taking care of my wife and children
My friend and teammate, Jason Morris, helped me believe I could succeed and
My Olympic coach and friend, Steve Cohen, made many sacrifices to ensure that
My strength and conditioning coach, Paul Soucy, made sure I was always
I would also like to thank Neil Adams, Nittai University, Nichidai University,
USA Judo and the New York Athletic Club believed in me and provided financial
Alex and Diana Kiesel at Yang's Martial Arts allowed me to pass my knowledge
Lastly, thanks to all of the people who treated me like one of their own family

About The Authors

Jimmy Pedro has been the top-ranked American judoka for the past decade. He
Writer William Durbin, an accomplished student and practitioner of martial arts arts such as karate, taekwondo, and kung fu. However, judo is vastly different from other martial arts in that no punches or kicks are allowed. Judo is more of a grappling martial art in which the object is to throw, pin, strangle, and even armlock your opponent into submission. Judo's main emphasis is on the ability to use your opponent's strength and momentum to your own advantage, thereby allowing you to defeat or overcome bigger and stronger adversaries. Judo is not only a physical battle, but also one of wits, whereby the successful judoka is able to anticipate an opponent's moves before they occur and react with one's own moves.
practice it. Many people start as early as age 5 and some continue to practice the art through their 70s. For many people, judo provides a means to improve their general fitness level by increasing strength, flexibility, conditioning, coordination, and balance. For others, judo instills a sense of self-confidence, self-discipline, and self-control, all of which are necessary life skills, Parents like judo because it teaches their children discipline and respect. In addition to keeping its practitioners trim and fit, judo also provides people with invaluable self-defense skills.
regional, national, and international levels. Judo is a well-organized sport worldwide and is governed by one set of rules. There are no variations of judo, meaning that wherever you go to practice or compete in the sport, it is done the same way. Because of its worldwide popularity, judo was the first martial art accepted into the Olympic Games (Tokyo, 1964). Currently, there are approximately 175 nations that compete in the sport, making it the second-most contested sport in the modern Olympic Games.
of all levels. It covers a wide variety of topics from history and philosophy to the rules and terminology, and it offers training and competition tips as well. For the beginner, this book describes judo's history, philosophy, and basic concepts, and it provides step-by-step instruction of each technique for easy understanding. The intermediate judoka will benefit from the book's explanation of tactics, competition rules, and conditioning and training methods used by successful judo players. A greater understanding of the techniques and concepts will further enhance the intermediate judoka's knowledge and skills to become a better judoka. The advanced judoka will find the chapters on training and conditioning the most interesting and beneficial and may use the technique chapters as a reference to help clarify the basics.
criteria for selecting a good school and instructor. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the history and philosophy of judo. Chapter 3 covers the terminology, derived from its Japanese roots, used in most judo training.
judo techniques. Falls and rolls are covered in chapter 4. Chapter 5 addresses the basic stances and grips of judo. In Chapter 6 you will begin to learn the really fun part of judo: throwing. This chapter covers the basic elements of a throw and describes how to perform the most popular judo throws used in competition today. Chapter 7 contains descriptions and illustrations of all of the basic pins and hold-downs. In Chapter 8 you will find a wide variety of chokes and arm locks. Chapter 9 shows how to put some of these techniques together in combinations to create effective judo. In chapter 10 you will learn the rules of judo competition. Finally, chapter 11 covers flexibility, strength, and endurance exercises to improve your judo performance.
following guidelines in mind. Be sure to select the techniques that work best for your body type. Read the technique descriptions carefully and follow the step-by-step instructions. Learn one technique at a time and try to perfect it before moving on to others. It is better to master one technique that will work against every opponent than to be familiar with a dozen that only work against weak opponents. Be patient. Judo techniques require a lot of effort and practice and cannot be learned overnight. Don't do too much too soon. It is better to work out for short periods of time three times per week and build stamina than get burned out by practicing two hours every day.
of judo competitors, it is not necessary to participate in competition to enjoy judo or get value from this book. The majority of judo players do not actually compete, but are more recreational judoka who enjoy the benefits of practicing judo. Judo can be a fun, challenging, and exciting sport for anyone interested in getting in shape, learning self-defense, and competing whether it be in the dojo or at the international level. The techniques and concepts provided in this book will make your judo experience a most enjoyable one regardless of what your aspirations may be.
cared about my success and development as an athlete and as an individual. Although I cannot thank everyone individually, I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to those around me for their help and assistance. Without your support, devotion, love, friendship, and generosity I would never have attained the level of success I've enjoyed throughout my judo career.
me with a solid foundation in judo, which has given me direction and been the key to my success. Perhaps most importantly, he instilled the discipline and positive work ethic that inspired me to be an Olympian.
it most. Her comfort, love, and support helped me get through the most difficult of times.
Thank you for your understanding, love, and the countless sacrifices you have made.
succeed.
for the memories, tears, and joy we shared.
while I was frequently on the road.
shared many years of memories and friendship.
I had everything I needed to be my best each day.
the best-conditioned athlete on the mat.
Keischo, and many others for allowing me to train at their dojo.
support throughout my career.
on to my students at Pedro's Judo Club, and my students have made teaching fun!
members and allowed me to stay with them while I trained. I thank the Sunadas in Hawaii, the Hommas in Japan, the Kneitingers in Germany, and the Westwoods in England for their hospitality and generosity.
has won national titles five times. Pedro is also the world champion in the 78-kg (161lb.) category. Pedro is a three-time Olympian and 1996 Olympic bronze medallist. Pedro holds a fifth-degree black belt and has practiced judo for 25 years with his father and longtime coach, Jim Pedro, Sr. Pedro resides in Lawrence, Massachusetts, with his wife, Marie, and their three children.
with a third-degree black belt in judo, assisted Pedro in the development of the book. Durbin is considered one of the world's foremost authorities and historians on martial arts. Among his numerous martial arts honors are Presidential Sports Awards for karate and judo. Durbin and his wife, Carol, reside in Frankfort, Kentucky.

"From Judo Techniques & Tactics by Jimmy Pedro. Copyright © 2001 by Human
Kinetics Publishers, Inc. Excerpted by permission of Human Kinetics,
Champaign, IL. Available in bookstores, on-line at www.HumanKinetics.com, or
by calling 1-800-747-4457."