The Judo Advantage: Controlling Movement with Modern Kinesiology. For All Grappling Styles

by Steve Scott, Jim Bergman (Foreword)

This book features: Steve Scott merges traditional martial wisdom with modern kinesiology, the study of human anatomy and movement. This new biomechanical perspective helps competitors develop every facet of their grappling skill, giving them a clear advantage in controlling opponents.

Genres: Martial Arts

244 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2018

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Steve Scott holds advanced black belt ranks in Shingitai Jujitsu and Kodokan Judo.
He was U.S. Team Coach for the World Sombo Championships, World Judo Championships (Under 21), Pan American Games for sombo, Pan American Judo Championships.
He is the author of several book about martial arts.

Reviews

[Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the mechanics of judo, but it doesn't go into the kind of depth that I would like. It focuses more on general principles, which makes it helpful as an introductory text but lacks specific applicable mechanics. I also think it's a bit jargon heavy but without really having a purpose. A lot of terms are introduced and given lip service to but aren't really applied in the analysis and seem pointless to me. I was already familiar with a lot of the terms through my own studies, so that may also have been why I didn't find the book as enlightening. I'd still recommend the book to people interested in the subject. Steve Scott has a great and approachable writing style, and he sprinkles nuggets of his wisdom from years of experience throughout the book, which I enjoyed.

[Theo Kokonas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did like this book. It provided me with some much needed tips on improving my technique, what it also did was explain why I was doing the things I was doing instinctively and unconsciously. A good example was in my newaza where I find myself pushing my feet off the mat a significant portion of the time - the book gave greater insight as to what forces I'm generating and why it's beneficial.

That said, there was a lot of talk around physics which could get a little dry. At this point a diagram (or ten) would have worked wonders with instilling the concepts more effectively. The author's attempt at reinforcing these concepts would often be through repetition which made it worse. That was my only major gripe which stopped this from getting a full 5 stars.

If you're a judo, sambo or BJJ practitioner there's be a lot of useful stuff here to draw from. At 200 pages it's a quick read too.

[Sunflower · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a Judo expert. However, I did enjoy reading this book. I learned some of how and why the human body works. I also learned some of the Judo history, which I found fascinating. The book is well written. I'm sure those with a Judo background will enjoy it. The author Steve Scott is an expert in grappling martial arts and has decades of training. He can also write.

[Felipe Munoz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Off target

Content focuses more on vocabulary than substance. This is a subject ripe for explanation and description. Steve Scott does not convey his expertise in this area the book is a miss.

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Condensed Summary of the Physical Mechanics of Judo

I recommend this book to any player or coach of Judo. There is a wealth of information concerning the mechanics of the art packed into a fairly quick read. I found myself doing a lot of highlighting for future review.

[Adrian Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Steve Scott and his approach to wrestling/grappling judo/jujitsu/sambo. I enjoyed reading this and found it very useful especially as a coach. Removed half a star because it felt in need of tighter editing in the middle. Thanks for the book sensei!