Product Description

The Long-lost "bible of judo" is back in print after almost 30 years.
Judo's origins date back to ancient times, and through the course of its long history it has evolved into one of Japan's most renowned heritages, assimilating many aspects of Japanese culture. In recent years, Judo has acquired heightened popularity, both in Japan and around the world, as a martial art and a path to spiritual enlightenment.
Kyuzo Mifune (1883-1965) began Judo as a junior middle-school student, and in 1945 was awarded the rank of 10th dan. known as the "God of Judo," he was so famous that, in referring to him, the words "10th dan" alone sufficed. Legend has it that in his sixty years of practice he never lost a match and was never thrown.
This book is the completely revised edition of Canon of Judo, originally published in 1960. It is said the book played a big role in founding the International Judo Federation, and in helping Judo to become an Olympic sport in 1964.
Shortly before his death Mifune revised his work, and this new edition includes these revisions, as well as a completely new translation of the original. It also contains a completely new layout.
With around 1,000 photos of the author and his students, and detailed, thorough explanations of the techniques, The Canon of Judo is the only book of its kind to provide such a comprehensive guide to the various techniques and the spirit of Judo. It will be an indispensable resource for all Judo practitioners.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #69432 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-11
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Review

"The Canon of Judo provides a unique insight into judo's spirit and techniques and, with very few exceptions, the content remains as relevant today and when it was originally written, half a century ago." -Journal of Asian Martial Arts

From the Publisher
Judo's origins date back to ancient times, and through the course of its long history it has evolved into one of Japan's most renowned heritages, assimilating many aspects of Japanese culture. In recent years, Judo has acquired heightened popularity, both in Japan and around the world, as a martial art and a path to spiritual enlightenment.

Kyuzo Mifune (1883-1965) began Judo as a junior middle-school student, and in 1920 was awarded the rank of 10th dan. Known as the "God of Judo," he was so famous that, in referring to him, the words "10th dan" alone sufficed. Legend has it that in his sixty years of practice he never lost a match and was never thrown.

This book is the completely revised edition of CANON OF JUDO, originally published in 1960. It is said the book played a big role in founding the International Judo Association, and in helping Judo to become an Olympic sport in 1964.

Shortly before his death Mifune revised his work, and this new edition includes these revisions, as well as correcting flaws in the translation of the original. It also contains a completely new layout.

With around 1,000 photos of the author and his students, and detailed, through explanations of the techniques, THE CANON OF JUDO is the only book of its kind to provide such a comprehensive guide to the various techniques and the spirit of Judo. It will be an indispensable resource for all Judo practitioners.

About the Author

KYUZO MIFUNE was born in 1883 in Iwate prefecture, and Mifune began practicing Judo in his junior middle-school days. He joined the Kodokan in 1903 when he came to Tokyo to attend Waseda University, and became the close disciple of Jigoro Kano, the father of Judo and founder of the Kodokan. From 1910, he was a Judo instructor at a number of universities, high schools, and junior high schools. In 1923 he acquired the rank of 7th dan, and became a Kodokan instructor. In 1945 he was awarded 10th dan at the age of sixty-two. He was not physically imposing (159 cm tall and 56 kg), but he made up for that with his persistent hard training and logical, scientific approach to Judo. After developing many new Judo techniques and variations, he came to be known as the "God of Judo." He passed away in 1965 at the age of eighty-two. At his hometown, Kuji, a Memorial Gymnasium was erected in his honor, called the Mifunejudan.
FRANCOISE WHITE, received a first class degree in Japanese from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and also studied at Sophia University, Tokyo. She has a keen interest in martial arts and Japanese culture, and currently works as a translator of Japanese in London.

Customer Reviews

Classical Judo
Mifune's 'The Canon of Judo' is an outstanding work and certainly joins Kano's 'Kodokan Judo' as an essential book for all Judoka. The instuction included within is exceptional and will without doubt be of the utmost benefit to any and all Judoka who may read it. Mifune was undoubtedly one of the greatest Judoka to have lived, and the quality and depth of instuction given in this book is a fitting match for the man. Few, if any books available at this time present techniques in the format offered in this book. Mifune offers not only the pure techniques but also advice, key points and cautions for their use which are often only learned the hard way.

The Real Deal
I wish I had bought this book while I still an actively practicing Judo. It is comprehensive and impressive. I wanted to reconnect to the dicipline and history of Judo, and this did the trick. My son has become very interested in Judo as well as other cultures becuse of this book. What more can a you ask?

Recommended for all Martial Artists
Each page has about six pictures showing progressions of the various techniques. Some pages have four pictures and some have eight or nine. Description headings include: Description, Practice, Important Points, Caution and Remarks. It starts with judo fundamental principles and etiquette and progresses to posture, exercises, falls and breaking of balance. The book continues to descriptions of practice and philosophy. After the first fifty pages, forty pages of throws, ten pages each of grappling and strangling are followed by another ten pages of counters and defenses. Fifteen pages of joint locks follow with seven pages of ground strategy. Then twenty four pages of defensive and counter techniques for throws with multiple counters or defenses per throw lead into a brief discussion of modification of technique and adapting to circumstances and several pages of more specialized techniques. A few pages of counter techniques for practice are finally followed by methods to revive the injured.

All in all, this is one of the very best books on martial arts I have seen. It belongs in every martial artist's head, but you have to read it and practice it to get it there.