Boys and Girls Judo – Hal Sharp

This is a complete judo instruction manual for kids and instructors. The book makes judo fun for kids by incorporating games, drills and by using technical drawings with cartoons. For the older students there are excellent technical descriptions of fundamental skills needed in free practice and competition. The book references 31 YouTube videos that are specially designed to supplement the written text thereby making this a living manual.  Emphasis has been placed on the”Circle of Skills” needed to successfully make your techniques work effectively such as chance/opportunity, body movement, controlling the opponent, gripping, breaking opponents balance, positioning your body, effective throwing action, defense, countering, combinations and the use of special drills. Self-defense is taught to keep you out of trouble and how to use judo techniques if attacked. Included is a practical description of the IJF contest rules. Also there is a dictionary of useful judo terms in Japanese and English.  This book truly provides a “Road to Blackbelt” for both Junior and senior novices.

Harold (Hal) Sharp, 9TH Dan, is an internationally renowned historian and author of judo books and videos. His books “Sport of Judo” and “Techniques of Judo” were published in the late 1950s and have sold over 250,000 copies. Between the ages of 18 to 29 Hal spent seven years in Japan. In 1945 at the end of WWII he served in the Army of Occupation in Japan. At one point he served as a bodyguard to the Emperor of Japan. Later as an Air Force civilian he began serious training in judo and became the “1954 All – Japan Foreignor Judo Champion”. At the Kodokan Judo Institute, he earned the rank of 4TH Dan as a competitor. Now, at the age of 93, Hal continues his efforts in judo education as Pres. of the ” Hal Sharp Judo Teachers Foundation”.