Katsuhiko Kashiwazaki is widely regarded as one of the greatest exponents of osaekomi of the last decades of the 20th century. This is the first book ever to concentrate purely on osaekomi and as such presents a considerable challenge. The range of the classic holds is relatively small--less that a dozen--but the numbers of variations and methods of application are enormous; and they are changing and developing all the time. In this extremely clear explanation Kashiwazaki deals with the basic holds, the variations, the weaknesses and the escapes. Then--in what is perhaps the most revealing aspect of the book--he presents the applications, the turnovers that enable the judoka to apply the holds.
The armlock is one of the most successful groundwork skills of modern judo. This "Masterclass Techniques" study by Neil Adams, one of the finest exponents of the technique of the last twenty years, will ensure its continued dominance. The book provides a detailed study of variations--including ude-gatame and the spectacular flying armlock--which have been developed and successfully used in competition by leading names from the world of judo such as Iaskevitch, Divisenko, Seisenbacher and Great Britain's Karen Briggs.
The quality of the Fighting Judo Kashiwazaki book in terms of its aesthetic beauty is unmatched. The author, a world champion demonstrates throws, holds, pins, turnovers, grabs, and entanglements, and discusses the finer points of mat work. The black and white photography of Terence Donovan makes a huge impact.