Techniques of Judo

Book excerpt: Master the sport of Judo with this illustrated martial arts manual. The Techniques of Judo is a fully illustrated and authoritative manual, providing step-by-step explanations, practical pointers, and thorough analyses of all the most commonly used judo techniques, or "wazas." Illustrated with over 550 black and white photographs, this martial arts book is an invaluable introduction to judo for beginners as well as a complete repertory for the advanced practitioner, or "judoka." The Techniques of Judo offers incisive descriptions of more than 70 hand throws, hip throws, leg throws, back and side throws, holding techniques, strangling techniques, armlock techniques, together with their variations and appropriate counter-techniques. The introduction contains an outline description of the sport, its history and objectives, the contests and the grappling system, with a penetrating discussion of the principle of balance and minimum effort that is basic to a scientific understanding of the sport.