Title: Falling Hard: A Journey into the World of Judo
Author: Mark Law
Publisher: Trumpeter
Publication Date: July 14, 2009
Format: Paperback
Pages: 288, 5.5 in x 8.5 in
Cover Price: $24.95
ISBN: 978-1590307151
Note: Falling Hard was originally published in 2007 in the United Kingdom as “The Pyjama Game,” not to be confused with the 1997 book “Angry White Pyjamas,” by Robert Twigger.
Content
Author Mark Law is a journalist who has worked as a writer and features editor on The Times, Mail on Sunday, as well as the Daily and Sunday Telegraph. He was the founding editor of the online news magazine, The First Post. On his 50th birthday, Mr. Law decided to try judo. Falling Hard is a “sandwich” devoted to that journey. The “bread” consists of his personal story, and the “meat” is a popular history of judo.
Pros
This is the first personal narrative book that I have reviewed for Martial Journal. The author is an excellent writer with the ability to turn a memorable phrase. His opening description of being on a flight across the UK, at an altitude of 22 feet, ends up being a description of being thrown in judo class!
I bought the book because I had read that it was mainly a popular history of judo, and that was indeed the case. After hooking the reader with his personal story, Mr. Law turns to Judo’s own story. The history is a mix of reliance on sources, some of which are not the most reliable, and his own research. I liked his notes on East German training methods, which included mechanized devices that resisted athlete movement. Mr. Law’s chapters summarizing famous moments in judo sport history are uniformly excellent. He also expands the discussion well beyond the Kodokan and Japan, talking about judo in the UK, France, Germany, United States, and Latin America.
Cons
I have very few concerns with this book. I noted a few minor errors. First, Mr. Law repeatedly refers to Professor Kano with the title “Dr.” or “Doctor” throughout. However, Professor Kano did not earn a PhD. See this Martial History Team post, Did Professor Kano Earn a PhD?
Second, Mr. Law repeats the myth that Professor Kano was “sickly”. He was not. See this Martial History Team post, Was Professor Kano Sickly, Small, and Bullied?
Third, Mr. Law claims that colored belts were introduced at the Budokwai in the UK. The Kodokan invented them. Even this claim of English origin is an improvement over the myth that Professor Mikinosuke Kawaishi invented them in France. See this Martial History Team post, Martial Arts Ranks: Clarifying Origins, Colors, and the Father of Japanese Swimming.
Conclusion
I give this book 5 out of 5 ninja stars.
I greatly enjoyed reading Falling Hard. Thanks to the engaging prose, it is a fast read, and it is so well-written that I consider it to be the sort of book you could give to a non-judoka. I blame the errors in the “cons” section to the sources upon which Mr. Law relied. These days he has some better material from which to choose, and could fix the errors if he decided to release a reprint. If you’re a martial artist, I believe you would enjoy reading this book. If you’re a judoka, you definitely will.
What did you think of Mark Law’s Falling Hard? Tell me your thoughts in the comments. Then check out more reviews on Martial Journal, including my review of The Way of Judo.
- 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
I enjoyed your post. I’m very interested in reading the books, Falling Hard: A Journey Into the World of Judo and The Pyjama Game: A Journey into Judo, but I could not buy it because my country is under banking sanctions. Do you have a suggestion for download a PDF version of the book?
I’ll appreciate you if help me.
izadi.press@gmail.com
I’m afraid sharing PDFs of books is not something we do at Martial Journal.