Kodokan Judo

This book while originally published in 1956 is still a valuable resource in the study of Judo technique. With nearly 300 illustrations the depth of the descriptive technique in this book rivals any other Judo text.

From the original book jacket:

Kodokan Judo, when published in Japan, was hailed by many as the most valuable exposition of Judo hitherto published. Now this book has been made available to English-speaking Judo enthusiasts through the translation of E. J. Harrison.

The author, Hikoichi Aida, whose theory and practice of Judo have entitled him to the grade of eighth-dan, is one of the world’s authorities on Judo. His detailed descriptions of throws, immobilization, chokes, and dislocations are excellent.

Because of the fine translation and editing of Harrison, himself an advanced practitioner in Judo (fourth-dan), the English-speaking student can get a better understanding of the finer aspects of Judo than is possible in most books on Judo written by Japanese authors. Too often in translation the more subtle directions are lost because the translator, not being skilled in Judo, is unable to convey the author’s exact meaning to the English reader. Harrison, on the other hand, because of his association with Judo, has freely translated, interpreted, and edited the book in such a manner that none of the original meaning is lost.

In a few instances where Harrison felt the author’s explanation of a specific method seemed incomplete, or otherwise not wholly satisfactory, he supplemented the original text with corresponding techniques given by other Japanese Judo experts of equal or even higher grades.