Judo, or the Way of Gentleness, an ideal form of physical exercise and a reliable system of self-defense, was specially created from traditional Japanese martial arts. This book by the creator of Kodokan judo is uniquely comprehensive and the most authoritative guide to this martial art ever published.

Over a hundred years ago Jigoro Kano mastered swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat. Failing to discover any underlying principle, he set about designing a new martial art to reflect the concept of maximum efficiency in the use of physical and mental energy. Today, the concepts and techniques of judo taught at the Kodokan are the ones originally devised by their creator and collected together in this book. Covering everything from the fundamental techniques to prearranged formal exercises for both men and women, the book offers detailed explanations of how techniques are combined in two types of practice: randori (free practice) and kata (the practice of forms). In addition to a discussion of traditional methods of resuscitation, the book concludes with a useful appendix of information on the founder and the Kodokan International Judo Center, and a glossary of judo terminology. Fully illustrated throughout, KODOKAN JUDO will help students and instructors everywhere to discover the principles, techniques, and spirit of this popular martial art....

This book is a collection of the life's work and essential teachings of Jigoro Kano, who founded Kodokan Judo in Tokyo in 1882. Kodokan Judo was for Kano the culmination of a lifelong devotion to the jujutsu of the past, which he reorganized along educational lines while taking great care to retain its classical traditions. In doing so, he opened the path from jutsu (skill) to do (way), and broadened the horizons of knowledge until he reached the point at which he began to advocate seiryoku zenyo (maximum efficiency) and jita kyoei (mutual prosperity), which represent the universality and ideal of human existence, and are the core values of judo.

Throughout his life, Kano repeatedly remphasized grasping the correct meaning of judo and putting it into practice. That is to say, one must understand that judo is the way by which one can make the best use of one's mental and physical energy, and put that into use for the good of society. Because judo was defined in this way, what had once merely fallen under the category of martial art—a fighting skill used to defend against an attack—became subsumed into an altogether richer, more complex, and universal judo, which in turn evolved into a principle that can be applied across the spectrum of human life. The circumstances surrounding the development of judo are described throughout this book, as are its underlying principles, which the author believes have unibersal applicability to everyday life.

This book will be an invaluable addition to the liberaries of all judo practitioners around the world....