The Origins of Judo Unleashed!

by Neil Ohlenkamp

When I was learning Judo in the 60's and 70's there were a few excellent books about Judo like Judo in Action by Kazuzo Kudo published in 1967 (which I used as a reference throughout my years as a student). Many others were old texts poorly translated from Japanese. They usually had small line drawings or a few black and white photos that were difficult to learn from. There were no videos, web pages, or other references and most students relied entirely on the sensei for proper instruction.

Many techniques had different names around the world, and there was no clear and accepted standard for execution of each technique. Excellent technique was simply defined by positive tournament results.

I kept copious notes of everything I learned and later created handouts for my students. Eventually I had enough content to create the online "Judo Information Site" in 1995 to share the lessons I had learned. I maintained it with continual updates for the next 20 years. It was a huge success so I began researching, learning, and writing a lot more about Judo.

In the summer of 2004, I started work with a team of consultants to prepare an outline, and write an initial manuscript for a book. New Holland Publishing planned a week-long photo shoot in Cape Town, South Africa. The best photos from thousands of professional action shots were selected to represent each technique. The original draft was professionally edited for clarity, designed with a modern layout to be visually appealing, reviewed by experts for accuracy, and finally published in 2006.

The original edition of Judo Unleashed was available in the UK as a hardback Black Belt: Judo Skills and Techniques. There was also a German edition, a Russian edition, and a Dutch edition. It received rave reviews and sold out several times requiring reprints and updated editions. Eventually the publisher went out of business and it has not been available for over 10 years, except for high-priced used copies.

Judo Unleashed included hundreds of step-by-step color photos showing every official technique of Kodokan Judo. An experienced Judo book photographer mastered the action shots needed to see full speed demonstrations in detail. Judoka demonstrating the techniques included myself, Ian Geustyn (5th dan), Jessica Butcher (2nd dan), and Alistair Hill, Laura Schwormstedt, Madre Rinquest, and Denton Smith (1st degree black belts).

From 2019 through 2023 I worked on a complete revision and expansion of the original book. Additional photoshoots were done at the Encino Judo Club in Southern California. Judoka demonstrating the techniques included myself, Alain Wilkinson (5th dan), Gene Demachi (3rd dan), Yuka Demachi (4th dan), Mark Herrschaft (3rd dan), and Jerrod Wilson (2nd dan).

The end result of this work was published by Tuttle Publishing in 2024 as Judo Unleashed!. In almost 200 pages it provides a fair representation of Judo with beautiful and clear photography, excellent technical performance by the models, and text that encourages the reader to learn more. I produced a book you are sure to benefit from.

I cannot compare my Judo skill with the masters of today or the long lost masters of old. A keen eye may find improvements that could be made in text and photos, but learning judo is a long process and I have not yet finished. Please let me know of any improvements you would like to see in the next edition.