Rating: 
Summary: Great book
Review: An insightful look at the way Judo champions trained years ago. I enjoyed the book and I appreciate the information offered.The book was first published during the early 1960's. Anyone with two cents of common sense will understand that is is unfair for us, nowadays, to criticize some of the methods used during that era. The weight training segment in the book, compared to todays standards, perhaps not cutting edge. Yet back then, it was obviously good enough for the likes of Judo Champions like Inokuma. Therefore, reading Draeger/Ishikawa's book provides another piece to puzzle and it will help us to analyze and understand the evolution of Judo training.
In particular, the 'Instructor Advice' and 'Student Advice' sections are worthwhile reading. I recommend this book for a martial artist's library. Antonio Bustillo
Rating:
Summary: A Legend
Review: Don Dreager is a legend! Buy this boo
Rating:
Summary: Just good straight foreward training advice
Review: Follow this books recomendations for cheap effective training. A lot of people want to believe they can get better training depending on how much money they spend on equipment, club memberships, etc. This book will show you all you need is to put in the time and effort to achieve your goals. Mr. Draeger is a voice of authority in that he did his time at the Kodokan and worked (not talked about) with the best in his field. Yes the pictures look old - so what? Strength and mobility training ain't rocket science. Put in the hours and you will get the results. This book will aide you in your training.
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST PREPARATORY JUDO BOOK I HAVE READ
Review: I HAVE A LOT OF TIME PRACTICING JUDO AN I FIND THIS BOOK THE BEST IN IT'S CATEGORY OF PREPARATORY EXERCISES TO IMPROVE STRONG,HABILITY, AND TECHNIQUE TO ALL JUDO INSTRUCTORS AND STUDENTS, I FIND IT VERY EXPLICIT IN TEXT AND IN PHOTOGRAPHS AND COVERS ALL KIND OF EXERSISES NEEDED TO A JUDOKA,WARMING,PREPARATORY AND HEAVY LIFTING TO IMPROVE FORCE.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Academic Judo Work
Review: I have found no other Judo or martial arts work that approaches the academic level of this one in scholarship and completeness. Draeger and Ishikawa have been VERY thorough in their assessment of HOW to train for Judo, offering for the first time a catagorized breakdown of training techniques into four areas: Preparatory, supplementary, compound, and auxiliary. Training is approached for the first time in English, as a scientific undertaking which like many other sports, is based upon and helped by the study of kinesiology (study of movement, body & muscle, etc.). The authors don't simply tell us, they give us the "why" of things. Helpful diagrams and quality sequence photographs help convey the ideas, though I wouldn't recommend this volume for someone who doesn't have the patience to read. Training methods utilizing partners, weights, belt, equipment, and gravity are detailed. Originally printed in 1962, This recent re-release paperback edition is affordable and a welcome return. Don't let the age of publication dissuade you from learning from this volume, it was revolutionary upon its oroginal release, and little approaching its depth has been published in the popular press since. There is another terrific judo book by Draeger & Inokuma which I hope Tuttle will consider rereleasing again soon, called "Weight Training for Championship Judo", which goes even deeper into advanced sports theory. Judo was Draeger's first martial art, and I was surprised years ago to discover how deep and ground breaking his research with Kodokan colleagues had been. Altogether a superb volume.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Academic Judo Work
Review: I have found no other Judo or martial arts work that approaches the academic level of this one in scholarship and completeness. Draeger and Ishikawa have been VERY thorough in their assessment of HOW to train for Judo, offering for the first time a catagorized breakdown of training techniques into four areas: Preparatory, supplementary, compound, and auxiliary. Training is approached for the first time in English, as a scientific undertaking which like many other sports, is based upon and helped by the study of kinesiology (study of movement, body & muscle, etc.). The authors don't simply tell us, they give us the "why" of things. Helpful diagrams and quality sequence photographs help convey the ideas, though I wouldn't recommend this volume for someone who doesn't have the patience to read. Training methods utilizing partners, weights, belt, equipment, and gravity are detailed. Originally printed in 1962, This recent re-release paperback edition is affordable and a welcome return. Don't let the age of publication dissuade you from learning from this volume, it was revolutionary upon its oroginal release, and little approaching its depth has been published in the popular press since. There is another terrific judo book by Draeger & Inokuma which I hope Tuttle will consider rereleasing again soon, called "Weight Training for Championship Judo", which goes even deeper into advanced sports theory. Judo was Draeger's first martial art, and I was surprised years ago to discover how deep and ground breaking his research with Kodokan colleagues had been. Altogether a superb volume.
Rating: 
Summary: classic training worthy of any library
Review: I'm a big fan of classic training methods and of using a partner as resistance and this book is full of similarly great techniques. Many of these exercises can be adapted to practicioners of other arts. This is well worth the read for both it's strengthening techniques and it's text.
Rating:
Summary: No Nonsense Training
Review: Judging by the one and five star reviews below me this is a "love it or hate it" kind of book. I love it, while admitting its drawbacks. Originally written in 1962 by trainers from the Kodokan in Tokyo, its purpose was to catalog the traditional calisthenic exercises of judo and promote the then-radical use of modern western free weights. Part one is theory, part two is practice. The books only flaw is its age. Looking at the pictures, one feels like Jerry Seinfeld when Lloyd Bridges decided to whip him into shape: "It's like a fitness museum!" Some exercises are pictured employing such unfashionable devices as rubber expanders and one-piece barbells of the sort that circus strongmen always use. Scrupulously up-to-date people will no doubt find some of it pretty funny, and the looks one would get at the gym when doing, say, reverse running on all fours would be funnier still. Never the less, the book is packed solid with explanations and photos of hundreds of damn good exercises and lots of fairly good training information, all of it presented from a perspective of what is useful for judo. If supplemented by some common sense and maybe a book on gym safety it is quite valuable.
Rating:
Summary: No Nonsense Training
Review: Judging by the one and five star reviews below me this is a "love it or hate it" kind of book. I love it, while admitting its drawbacks. Originally written in 1962 by trainers from the Kodokan in Tokyo, its purpose was to catalog the traditional calisthenic exercises of judo and promote the then-radical use of modern western free weights. Part one is theory, part two is practice. The books only flaw is its age. Looking at the pictures, one feels like Jerry Seinfeld when Lloyd Bridges decided to whip him into shape: "It's like a fitness museum!" Some exercises are pictured employing such unfashionable devices as rubber expanders and one-piece barbells of the sort that circus strongmen always use. Scrupulously up-to-date people will no doubt find some of it pretty funny, and the looks one would get at the gym when doing, say, reverse running on all fours would be funnier still. Never the less, the book is packed solid with explanations and photos of hundreds of damn good exercises and lots of fairly good training information, all of it presented from a perspective of what is useful for judo. If supplemented by some common sense and maybe a book on gym safety it is quite valuable.
Rating:
Summary: No Nonsense Training
Review: Judging by the one and five star reviews below me this is a "love it or hate it" kind of book. I love it, while admitting its drawbacks. Originally written in 1962 by trainers from the Kodokan in Tokyo, its purpose was to catalog the traditional calisthenic exercises of judo and promote the then-radical use of modern western free weights. Part one is theory, part two is practice. The books only flaw is its age. Looking at the pictures, one feels like Jerry Seinfeld when Lloyd Bridges decided to whip him into shape: "It's like a fitness museum!" Some exercises are pictured employing such unfashionable devices as rubber expanders and one-piece barbells of the sort that circus strongmen always use. Scrupulously up-to-date people will no doubt find some of it pretty funny, and the looks one would get at the gym when doing, say, reverse running on all fours would be funnier still. Never the less, the book is packed solid with explanations and photos of hundreds of damn good exercises and lots of fairly good training information, all of it presented from a perspective of what is useful for judo. If supplemented by some common sense and maybe a book on gym safety it is quite valuable.
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