Judo was the first martial art I studied formally back in the early 1980s. While my instructor moved away before I could earn a black belt, it provided a great base for the other martial arts I ended up studying. It always amuses me when I hear people state that Judo is a sport only and doesn’t have any real self-defense applications. I remember Curtis Sliwa of the Guardian Angles discussing his background in Judo that helped him on the street, and I’ve sat around with Peyton Quinn, author of A Bouncer’s Guide to Barroom Brawling, enjoying a cold brew and discussing the street applications of Judo. Both Peyton and I used Judo on the street. And I’m sure there are many others who have as well. Certainly, Barron Shepherd joins those ranks.
Barron is a Jodoka that has also been there and done that when it comes to street violence. His book, Real Combat Judo, is a great bridge between traditional Judo and practical self-defense. As a boxer and combatives practitioner, Baron knows how to strike, but he also knows how to effectively throw an opponent to use the ground itself as the striking surface. This comes from Judo.
Real Combat Judo is not your traditional Judo manual. I have a number of those on my shelf too, and they usually consist of a catalog of different Judo throws and techniques. This book has a smaller amount of techniques, but contains instruction on how to actually use the throws in the various self-defense situations Barron covers. The book illustrates how to perform a throw, and then provides drills and training instructions.
The photographs are clear, and the instruction is detailed. I will note that sometimes the descriptions become a bit repetitive, but I find that better than having to refer back to a different page in the book to see the part of the technique being taught that is the same. This is a book to use, not just read through cover to cover.
To use this book, like any martial art instructional manual, you will need a training partner and a safe place to throw each other. If you are not competent in breakfalls, make sure you practice these first. (Barron does provide brief instruction on these at the beginning of the book.) Once you have a partner, location, and breakfall skill, you can start throwing each other with control as you learn these throws. Yes, if you have a back ground in martial arts, it will come easier, and a live instructor or coach will always beat a book or video. However, you can learn from different media if you are committed. As a resource for learning how to actually use Judo for self-defense, Barron Shepherd’s Real Combat Judo should be on your shelf and a go-to book when you are training.
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