Falling Hard: A Journey into the World of Judo

by Mark Law

Overview

On his fiftieth birthday, British journalist and self-described “indolent sportsman” Mark Law decides to take up judo on a whim and ends up getting hooked on the sport. Falling Hard is Law’s love letter to judo—the culture, drama, history, and practice. With journalistic zeal, he delves deeply into the sport’s history and lore, and interweaves his own judo experiences with the development of judo in Japan, the life and vision of its founder Jigoro Kano, the export of judo to the West, the emergence of women in the sport, and detailed descriptions of competition on the world championship and Olympic levels.

Law’s account is as much for the sports writing fan and armchair enthusiast as for the judo practitioner. With humor and skill, he describes grueling training sessions and matches (including his own), famous Olympic bouts, and legendary rivalries between judo players and national teams, and he speculates on the future of the sport.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781590307151
Publisher:	Shambhala
Publication date:	07/14/2009
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.58(w) x 8.54(h) x 0.72(d)

About the Author

Mark Law is a former feature writer and commissioning editor for the British newspapers The Times, the Mail on Sunday, and the Daily and Sunday Telegraph. He is also the founding editor of The First Post (thefirstpost.co.uk), the online news magazine. He lives in London, England.

Editorial Reviews

This is a must-read for every judo enthusiast.”—Jimmy Pedro, two-time Olympic Bronze medalist, four-time Olympian, World Judo Champion

 "Beautifully written and absolutely riveting."—Independent

From the Publisher

On his 50th birthday, British journalist Mark Law resolved to kick up his life by taking up judo. This self-described "indolent sportsman" enrolled in a London beginners' class, launching himself tentatively on a full-body immersion into the ancient Japanese sport. Before long, he was battling fellow students and tackling the story of judo's strange, long history as a cultural discipline. Law not only mastered the rudiments of judo techniques; he won off-mat face time with jiu jitsu champions, advocates, and instructors. The fruit of all his huffing, puffing, and high kicks is a fascinating book about a misunderstood martial art.