While there are many courses and tutorials online, learning from a book is still one of the best ways to greatly improve your skills. Below I have selected top Judo books.
- Kodokan Judo: The Essential Guide to Judo by Its Founder Jigoro Kano (2013)
- Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion, Updated Edition (2013)
- The Judo Advantage (Martial Science) (2019)
- Judo Formal Techniques: A Basic Guide to Throwing and Grappling – The Essentials of Kodokan Free Practice Forms (2019)
- Combat Judo (2019)
- Judo Formal Techniques: A Complete Guide to Kodokan Randori No Kata (Tuttle Martial Arts) (1990)
- Verbal Judo: Redirecting Behavior with Words (2012)
- JUDO FOR EVERYONE: NOT JUST FOR THE ATHLETICALLY INCLINED (2019)
- Black Belt Judo: Mastering the Fundamental Principles of Throwing and Grappling for all Students (IMM Lifestyle Books) Complete Handbook to the Discipline, Form, and Grace of a Timeless Martial Art (2020)
- Higher Judo: Groundwork (2010)
- Related YouTube Video
Kodokan Judo: The Essential Guide to Judo by Its Founder Jigoro Kano (2013)
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.
Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion, Updated Edition (2013)
Verbal Judo is the martial art of the mind and mouth that can show you how to be better prepared in every verbal encounter.
The Judo Advantage (Martial Science) (2019)
A modern biomechanical perspective of traditional judo This book explains the principles behind judo and other grappling sports. As a judo expert and veteran coach, Steve Scott merges traditional martial wisdom with modern kinesiology, the study of human anatomy and movement.
Judo Formal Techniques: A Basic Guide to Throwing and Grappling – The Essentials of Kodokan Free Practice Forms (2019)
Judo Formal Techniques is “The most detailed explanation of Judo that has ever been published” (The Japan Times). A comprehensive training manual to the basic “free practice” forms of Kodokan Judo (the Randori no Kata), the book provides essential instruction in the throwing and grappling kata (Nage no Kata and Katame no Kata) that every Judo practitioner needs to master. The authors are two of the world’s top instructors—Donn F. Draeger and Tadao Otaki.
Combat Judo (2019)
COMBAT JUDO was developed by Staff Sergeant Robert Carlin in 1943 to address the needs of military personnel facing new hand-to-hand combat challenges as a way to ensure a streamlined, tested, and uncomplicated method of self-defense.When published, Combat Judo was considered the “Most practical book on hand-to-hand combat yet published”.Combining detailed technique descriptions with over 100 photographs Combat Judo is the precursor to modern tactical self-defense techniques.
Judo Formal Techniques: A Complete Guide to Kodokan Randori No Kata (Tuttle Martial Arts) (1990)
Written by martial arts authority Donn Draeger and judo champion and instructor Takahiko Ishikawa, it is an expert martial arts guide. Although the examples are geared toward judo, the training and conditioning methods set out are valuable for all martial artists and athletes, whatever their art or sport. Judo Training Methods is an “encyclopedia of judo” covering not only Judo techniques and training methods but also dojo etiquette, tournament rules, and promotion requirements.
Verbal Judo: Redirecting Behavior with Words (2012)
Verbal Judo is the martial art of the mind and mouth that can show you how to be better prepared in every verbal encounter. Listen and speak more effectively, engage people through empathy (the most powerful word in the English language), avoid the most common conversational disasters, and use proven strategies that allow you to successfully communicate your point of view and take the upper hand in most disputes.
JUDO FOR EVERYONE: NOT JUST FOR THE ATHLETICALLY INCLINED (2019)
JUDO FOR EVERYONE NOT JUST FOR THE ATHLETICALLY INCLINED Judo for Everyone addresses the following problems that have always existed in judo: PROBLEM – Beginners being abruptly placed in the sink or swim pool of standing randori. SOLUTION – To have a method that gradually introduces beginners to the competitive skills needed for standing randori.
Black Belt Judo: Mastering the Fundamental Principles of Throwing and Grappling for all Students (IMM Lifestyle Books) Complete Handbook to the Discipline, Form, and Grace of a Timeless Martial Art (2020)
Black Belt Judo, written by master coach and 6th-degree black belt Neil Ohlenkamp, brings you the best, most comprehensive reference on the market. Understand the art, form, practice, and grace of this timeless sport with step-by-step instructions and hundreds of photos for a variety of grappling and self-defense techniques, as well as how to execute both basic and advanced hip, hand, and leg throws.
Higher Judo: Groundwork (2010)
Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais is best known for pioneering the somatic therapy that bears his name. Less well known is that he was also one of the earliest European practitioners of the martial art of judo and wrote a number of influential texts on the subject.
Best Judo Books that Should be on Your Bookshelf
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Library Genesis and download some judo books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
Judo Quarterly Bulletin Vol. 6 No. 3
Author(s): Budokwai
ID: 2452351, Publisher: The Budokwai, Year: October, 1950, Size: 20 Mb, Format: pdf
Judo Quarterly Bulletin Vol. 4 No. 3
Author(s): Budokwai
ID: 2452330, Publisher: The Budokwai, Year: October, 1948, Size: 20 Mb, Format: pdf
Judo Quarterly Bulletin Vol. 6 No. 2
Author(s): Budokwai
ID: 2452353, Publisher: The Budokwai, Year: July, 1950, Size: 23 Mb, Format: pdf
Please note that this booklist is not absolute. Some books are truly record-breakers according to Los Angeles Times, others are composed by unknown authors. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant resources you could recommend? Drop a comment if you have any feedback on the list.