Shimewaza

The subject matter was covered well.

The book was is excellent condition and there were no notes or highlights. just awesome shape.

Very Satisfied.

great book for any judoka

I own all of the Judo Masterclass Technique books. When a series spans 14 books from disparate authors it is to expect the quality to vary... Well, that's an understatement! In literature it is the rarest accomplishment for the SAME author to keep the quality level even in a short 3 book series... how could we expect otherwise from Judo Masterclass Techniques? So, as already said, the quality varies, but it never really fails. All books are at least good, the majority is indeed great, some surprisingly like "Russian Judo" which one would hardly expect to be that insightful. But there is a norm: all books authored by Katsuhiko Kashiwazaki are AMAZING! Really amazing.Kashiwazaki is considered one of the greatest exponents of newaza over the past decades up to now. He is at the end of a lineage of judoka which recognized newaza as a principal aspect of judo never to be neglected. People that went to the dojo to practice newaza exclusively for hours and hours until perfecting it. And that pays off in competition in both tachiwaza and newaza. To throw effectively and fully committed one must not fear ending up in a disadvantageous position in newaza, and that's at the heart of Kashiwazaki's judo and teachings.Being a great competitor is not enough to create a great teacher. Kashiwazaki is imbued with such didacticism that I've seen videos of him explaining very advanced techniques in Japanese (without subtitles) and understood EVERYTHING. I mean: every single detail. It helps that I'm a Judo shodan and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt, but it is due to Kashiwasaki's insightful teaching that I could apprehend everything (I've seen some people teaching BJJ in Portuguese, my mother tongue, and didn't understand a thing!)Kashiwazaki knows how to explain every single detail that matters. He also knows how to show it "physically". He knows the right angles, the right postures, the right everything (be it still photography or video) to show the audience what is needed to know about a technique. He knows what makes his technique works and knows how to teach that to us. This is what defines a great sensei. No rank, competitive record nor even experience can substitute for this quality which abounds in Kawhiwazaki sensei.Shimewaza is an incredible book, filled with pearls about this esoteric art, sometimes neglected at the competitive arena (in both Judo and BJJ) but always surprising when put into good use. I've learned more on this book about strangles than in many years on the mat. After reading it "my" shimewaza improved drastically to become my main weapon today in both practice and competition. This book had a great impact on my Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.Kashiwazaki's other offerings on the Judo Masterclass Technique series are the even better Osaekomi (Judo Masterclass Series) (pinning techniques - but this incredible book goes much further into sweeps, guard passes and defenses. It's one of the best books in ground fighting ever written for any grappling discipline) and the as good Tomoe-Nage: Judo Masterclass Techniques, both also had a great impact on my Judo and BJJ. So don't forget to grab these books too.Shimewaza is among the best technical books on judo of all time. A must for any serious judoka.

If you are interested in shimewaza this is the only book you need. Strongly recomended for judokas and any other martial artists.