Title: A History of Judo
Author: Syd Hoare
Publisher: Yamagi Books
Publication Date: 2009
Format: Paperback
Pages: 208, 6 in x 9 in
Cover Price: none
ISBN: 9780956049803
Content
The late Sydney (Syd) Hoare was a British judoka who competed for Great Britain in the 1964 Summer Olympics. He was also a silver medalist in the 1965 European Judo Championships. Professor Hoare earned his 8th dan in judo, living and training at the Kodokan in Japan from 1961 to 1964. He graduated with a degree in Japanese history, language, literature, and religion from London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies in 1971. Hoare was also fluent in Japanese. This background is important as it enabled Prof Hoare to access Japanese language sources when writing A History of Judo and his other books.
This book is a compact yet fact-filled history of jujutsu, judo and its founder, professor Jigoro Kano, and judo after Kano’s death in 1938. Hoare focuses on Japan and the Kodokan throughout the book. He spends only a few pages on judo outside of Japan, whether in Europe or the Americas. The book is mainly prose, with a few plate pages containing about two dozen black and white photographs. Hoare relies upon two dozen sources, mainly Japanese language texts. In the preface he acknowledges Judo Gojunen (Fifty Years of Judo) by Oimatsu Shinichi, published by Jiji Tsushinsha (aka Jiji Press Ltd.) in 1955, as his primary reference.
Pros
This is probably my favorite book on Jigoro Kano and the history of judo that I have read to date. It is packed with so much useful information that my notes contain almost 7,000 words and occupy about 14 pages. Professor Hoare has a knack for covering just the right material, especially subjects that are foreign to non-Japanese readers. For example, when reading texts on Japanese subjects, Japanese writers appear to westerners to “inflate” their ages by one year. Professor Hoare explains on page 40 that this is called kazoedoshi, and involves the idea that a newborn is one year old the day he or she is born. One year later, on the birthday that a westerner would call the baby “one,” the Japanese would say “two years old” instead. Although this practice is no longer supposed to be used, I frequently encounter it in research. Another example involves the size of a tatami mat. Many authors mention how many mats could fit into each iteration of professor Kano’s Kodokan. Professor Hoare was the first author I encountered who told the reader that a standard tatami mat was 6 feet by 3 feet!
Cons
I have two concerns with this book. The minor concern is that it could have benefited from better copyediting. It is by no means troublesome to read, but the text in places deserves a bit more attention to detail to ensure a uniform standard throughout. The major concern is that this wonderful book is no longer in print. Worse than that, it is almost impossible to find! Only through the generous assistance of the judo community and the late Professor Hoare’s family was I able to secure my own copy. I would love to see this book republished in e-pub (e.g., Kindle) and print editions. So many readers could benefit from its content and insights.
Conclusion
I give this book 5 out of 5 ninja stars.
I greatly enjoyed reading A History of Judo. The book offers so many wonderful details in a straight-forward narrative, based on sound sources. It does not venture into speculation, or invent dialogue between historical figures. A History of Judo refrains from repeating mistakes that I’ve encountered in other books on judo history. Of course, I may have missed something, but I got the sense that Professor Hoare was a no-nonsense sort of person. He stuck with the facts as he knew them and helped the reader understand a world that was unique to judo. For that, I thank him and his family for letting me into that world, if only for a few hours.
Have you read A History of Judo? Tell me your thoughts in the comments below. Then check out other book reviews here on Martial Journal.
- Book Review: Worth Defending - November 25, 2020
- Book Review: See You on the Mat - November 24, 2020
- Book Review: Flashing Steel, 25th Anniversary Edition - November 23, 2020
Leave a Reply