Mind Over Muscle: Writings From The Founder Of Judo

This is a fantastic book for the Judoka who is interested in the beginings of Judo. This book shows the fundamental teachings of Judo and why Jigoro Kano started the art. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I hope you do to

Philosophical and scientificall- nice read. For those who like martial arts; those who struggle in life and anybody. Great read

A very good read for anyone wanting to understand Judo a little better.

This is a book for those who want to know the reasons behind what you're doing when training in Judo. It explains why and what the thinking is behind the sport, by its founder! Already on the second read through

A Brilliant book. I have studied judo for 3 years, mostly from a fitness point of view, something alternative to the gym that also got me meeting people. Over the last few months, i felt that something was missing from my Judo, after various discussion with my fellow Judoka i became interested in where Judo really came from, its ideals and Philosophy. This is a brilliant book, that has provided me with a wonderful insight into how and why Judo was developed. what Jigoro Kano wanted judo to be. The only negative, is sometimes the translation can be a trifle confusing. But none the less a brilliant read. I've leant it to a friend who is also thoroughly enjoying reading it. But i want it back so i can read it again!! I have a feeling you could read it several times and learn something different everytime. Worth every penny.

On the shelf it looks like a small unimposing book that could easily get lost in the pile. Then you notice it’s been written by Jigoro Kano, the founding father of Judo and the interest builds a bit. Flicking through the pages you quickly see it isn’t another book filled with techniques but more of a book the history of Judo and the philosophy behind it. What this means is, that rather than just being a book for the die-hard Judoka, it is of interest to anyone studying martial arts. First you get an insight into the founding of Judo and reasons behind the forming of the style, something I’m sure all founders try to emulate. Secondly, it covers philosophy and the mindset of a martial artist and competitor and thirdly the application of martial arts into you daily life. It’s well written and the information contained is accessible for all, a must have for all martial artists and certainly for all Judoka.

It may seem strange to many that someone like myself, who devotes himself entirely to the study & practice of Karate, should read this book, let alone write a review on it. Well, it's a great book, yes it really is!! I can't understand why anyone hasn't written a review about it yet, especially as it is written by the founding father of what we commonly call Judo today. The very man who brought Judo to the Olympics & the world. This book isn't entirely about Judo 'though. Yes, it gives us a clear history of how it came into being in the early part of the 20th century & the problems that Kano Sensei encountered. How he single handed & studiously developed a proper system of teaching the art from an ancient Japanese fighting system that had previously been passed down by word of mouth & by mindlessly copying the teacher without any real explanation. More than that he gives us inspiration & courage to go out & try something difficult & different that we've set our hearts upon doing like Judo or Karate & shows us that by persisting with our chosen task we can improve & strengthen our spirit, determination & character. This isn't just a book for Judo-ka & Judo enthusiasts; it would be very suitable for all martial artists everywhere.

A great insight into the mind of Jigoro Kano, the theory and practice behind modern day Judo, and the Judo way of life.

Buch wie beschrieben, neuzustand

Recomiendo este libro a todos los amantes del judo y Jiu-jitsu

It’s truly a phenomenal book! If you love Judo, you’ll enjoy this read. I am already halfway through the book on the same day I received it in the mail. Kano Sensei was truly a remarkable individual and his history and insight into the Philosophy of Judo is so fascinating.

Professor Jigoro Kano was the founder of judo, an educator, Japan’s representative to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and a member of Japan’s House of Peers. This book collects a subset of his writings. The earliest dates from 1889, seven years after he founded the Kodokan and created judo. The latest dates from 1939, only one year after he passed away at sea, returning from an IOC meeting in Cairo, Egypt. The late Naoki Murata, who only recently passed away in April 2020, was a Kodokan judo 8th dan who served as the curator of the Kodokan museum. Murata sensei compiled the writings, and received translation assistance from Nancy Ross. Professor Kano’s grandson, Yukimitsu Kano, who also passed away recently in March 2020, wrote the foreword, in his capacity as the fourth president of the Kodokan. Murata sensei divided the content into three chapters. The first and shortest includes two sections on the development of judo. It is based on articles Kano wrote in 1926, his famous early paper on jujutsu from 1889, and from an article in the journal Judo from 1933. The second chapter is the longest and discusses “the spirit of judo.” It draws from two articles published in the Judo journal in 1925 and 1937. It also includes material published after Kano passed away, appearing in print in 1939. This chapter discusses Kano’s philosophies, namely “seiryoku saizen katsuyo,” or “the best use of one’s energy.” Kano shortened this to be “seiryoku zenyo,” or “maximum efficiency.” Along with “jita-kyoei,” or “mutual prosperity for self and others,” these became the cornerstones of his judo philosophy. The third chapter addresses judo training. It incorporates material from articles in Judo magazine and other sources, dating from 1918 to 1936. On pages 94-95, Kano gives an example of how training and philosophy merge: “We have now established judo’s three aspects: training for defense against attack, cultivation of the mind and body, and putting one's energy to use. We have also affirmed judo's highest goal as self-perfection for the betterment of society. For the sake of convenience, let us place the foundation, training for defense against attack, at the bottom and call it lower level judo. Let us call training and cultivation, which are byproducts of training for defense against attack, middle level judo. Study of how to put one's energy to use in society comes last, so let us call it upper-level judo. When we divide judo into these three levels, you can see that it must not be limited to training for fighting in the dojo, and even if you train your body and cultivate your mind, if you do not go a level higher, you cannot truly benefit society.” Mind Over Muscle is a must-have book for anyone practicing judo or a derivative art like Brazilian jiu-jitsu. It neatly captures professor Kano’s thoughts on a variety of topics. At 160 pages and in a fairly compact format, it is a quick read. The book shows how deeply Kano thought about his art and how practitioners of all kinds could benefit themselves and the wider world. My only concern with this book involves the way it was compiled. The references at the end show the source for the text of each chapter. However, it is impossible to know exactly what text aligns with which source. In some cases, I have read some of the original material. That means that I recognize it when it appears in Mind Over Muscle. At other times, I have no idea which source applies. Furthermore, some sources are in Japanese, and required translation. Kano wrote others in English. Therefore, scholars may prefer referring to the original sources, assuming they can read both English and Japanese. I greatly enjoyed reading Mind Over Muscle. Anyone practicing a “traditional” martial art would probably like the book too. If your style awards black belts and wears white gis, you are already benefiting from the pioneering work done by professor Kano in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. This is the sort of book that I plan to periodically re-read, in the spirit of reconnecting with professor Kano’s vision of martial arts.

Me encantó el libro, me formé en el judo cuando aún se inculcaba cultura y filosofía de este, a la par de los entrenamienos. Y con este libro me sigo dando cuenta todo lo que el judo puede seguir aportando