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2000 Years

Author: Dennis Helm
Pub: 2002 Self-Published
Pages: 269
Ranking:

In Print

This large size paperback is available (as far as I know) only on the Internet, at 2000 Years. Originally reviewed Here, and the last update reviewed Here, the author *again* kind enough to send me his updated version. Moving from 231 pages up to the current 269, Dennis Helm has continued to improve this manual on Judo history. I must admit to missing the front photo from the last edition, so the cover is just a tad more bland, but that's just a nitpick. Once again, even more photos, with a good section showing Takahiko Ishikawa demonstrating the following techniques:

Ouchigari
Osotogari
Osotomakikomi
An *extremely* rare and interesting counter to Osotogari
Hanegoshi
Hanegoshi Kaeshi
Taiotoshi
Yama Arashi
Tsubame Kaeshi
Ukiwaza

All fairly standardly done, and nothing surprising except for the unusual counter to Osotogari. I'm always happy when a book can surprise me with something new, and this Osotogari counter is it! Also new in the chapter on Sumiyuki Kotani are some photos reprinted from "Judo Journal" showing Kotani Sensei demonstrating Ippon Seoinage and Okuriashiharai.

With all the hoopla surrounding BJJ nowadays, it was interesting to see a new chapter on Masahiko Kimura, written by Jim Chen. I found it very well written, and worth reading. Kimura was certainly one of the greatest of Judoka, and it's nice to see biographical information on some of the greats of Judo.

This book is certainly gotten much better than it's first edition, and there's a great deal of good information included. I'm a tad irked by one paragraph, which details Takeda Sokaku as a student of Saigo Tanomo. This is historically misleading, since there is no evidence whatsoever that Saigo Tanomo was involved in teaching the martial arts. The statement that "Perhaps Aikido reminded Kano of the masterful techniques of Saigo Shiro, Tanomo's adopted son." is just flat wrong. Since Saigo Shiro was born in 1866, and enrolled at the Kodokan in 1882, it's a wonder how a 16 year old could have "masterful techniques". See this article for a discussion of this topic.

As in my previous review, I'd like to re-iterate that if in the future this is updated again, I would hope that we can see a little bit more on the historical arts that preceded Judo, Kito-Ryu and Tenshin Shinyo-Ryu. (Hint, hint!) All in all, this is a much better book than the original...

    2000 YEARS 6th Edition                                                                                   
                                                                                                           
                                       TABLE OF CONTENTS                                                    
                                                                                                           
    THE AUTHORS .................................................................. 1                  
    PREFACE ...................................................................... 3
    TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................ 5
    JIU JITSU ................................................................... 11           
    THE FOUNDING OF KODOKAN JUDO ................................................ 19                   
    THE MEIJI PERIOD POLICE BUJUTSU COMPETITIONS ................................ 31                 
    EARLY AMERICAN JUDO ......................................................... 37                   
    THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ....................................................... 43                
    JUDO IN HAWAII .............................................................. 53
    JUDO IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ................................................. 55
    JUDO IN THE PACIFIC SOUTHWEST ............................................... 57              
    WESTERN UNITED STATES ....................................................... 61
    THE RELOCATION CENTERS ...................................................... 65  
    CHICAGO ..................................................................... 69
    THE HISTORY OF TEXAS JUDO ................................................... 77
    SHUFU ....................................................................... 79
    INTERCOLLEGIATE JUDO......................................................... 85
    JUDO IN THE ARMED FORCES .................................................... 89
    THE 1956 GOODWILL JUDO TOUR OF JAPAN ........................................ 93
    TAKAHIKO ISHIKAWA 9th Dan ................................................... 97
    MASAHIKO KIMURA - THE GREATEST JUDO PLAYER ................................. 115
    THE GOVERNANCE OF UNITED STATES JUDO ....................................... 121
    DEWEY AND JIGORO KANO ...................................................... 127
    THE MEANING OF KODOKAN JUDO ................................................ 133    
    THE CONTRIBUTION OF JUDO TO EDUCATION ...................................... 137        
    BIOGRAPHY .................................................................. 149
    ARTICLES BY DONN F. DRAEGER ................................................ 159
    THE JIU JITSU INSTITUTE .................................................... 179
    THE CORRECT MEANING OF JIU JITSU ........................................... 183
    THE SPORTIFICATION OF JUDO ................................................. 185
    10th DEGREE BLACK BELTS .................................................... 189
    THE LAST 10th DAN .......................................................... 193
    NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS ................................... 209
    BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................... 267

2000 YEARS 6th Edition 2002

THE AUTHORS

The principal author, Dennis Helm, Roku Dan (6th Degree Black Belt in Judo) and Go Dan (5" Degree Black Belt in Heike-Ryu Jiu Jitsu), began studying Judo and Jiu Jitsu at the Jiu Jitsu Institute in Chicago, Illinois, under Masato Tamura, Eighth Dan Judo, and Vince Tamura, Eighth Dan Judo (Ninth Dan in Heike-Ryu Jiu Jitsu), during the middle 1950's. With the retirement of Masato Tamura and Vince Tamura's moving to Texas, Helm joined Uptown Dojo in Chicago and remained a member until it closed in 1977.

Dennis Helm is now a member of the Tohkon Dojo in the City of Chicago and the Heike-Ryu Jiu Jitsu/Judo and Kyudo Dojo located in Burlington Wisconsin. The Heike-Ryu Jiu Jitsu/Judo and Kyudo Dojo is dedicated to studying the advanced Kodokan Judo Kata's and Heike-Ryu Jiu Jitsu. This Dojo is made up of high-ranking Judo/Jiu Jitsu players and the Dojo is not open to the public. Helm's undergraduate, master's, and doctoral work were done at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

The following people have made great contributions toward completing this material.

1. Paul Armetta, Go Dan (5th Degree Black Belt)
Member of: Tohkon Dojo and Heike-Ryu Jiu Jitsu/Judo and Kyudo Dojo Ph.O. Sociology, Southern Illinois University

2. John Black, Go Dan (5th Degree Black Belt)
Member of: Heike-Ryu Jiu Jitsu/Judo and Kyudo Dojo Ph.D. Clinical Psychology, Southern Illinois University

3. Leonard Etlinger, Sho Dan (1st Degree Black Belt)
Member of: Heike-Ryu Jiu Jitsu/Judo and Kyudo Dojo Ph.D. Mathematics Education, Southern Illinois University

4. Edward Hruza, Yo Dan (4th Degree Black Belt)
Member of: Heike-Ryu Jiu Jitsu/Judo and Kyudo Dojo Ph.O. Educational Psychology, Southern Illinois University

5. Alice Philbin
Ph.D. English Literature, Southern Illinois University

6. Drew Wickham, Go Dan (5th Degree Black Belt)
Member of: Heike-Ryu Jiu Jitsu/Judo and Kyudo Dojo
Past President of the Chicago Yudanshakai
M.A. Education, National Louis University

Special recognition is given to:

Reginald Lee Heefner, 6" Dan Jiu Jitsu, 5" Dan Judo.
Government Services Translator. Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Russian. University of Maryland BA. for his helping us complete this project.