13: The Soviet Menace
"For those who had to go out and face them on the tatami, the new techniques were perplexing enough in themselves, but they were executed by unnervingly fit, highly-trained athletes possessed by a desperate hunger to win."
The Russians discovered judo on the eve of their revolution, stole it, renamed it and threatened the pre-eminence of Japan.
14: The Emperor
"If they could see on my face what they see in my heart no one would ever fight me."
The secrets of the success of Yasuhiro Yamashita, the greatest champion of modern times. He never lost a fight after the age of nineteen and became an Olympic gold medallist and three-times world champion, rescuing the reputation of Japan.
15: When the Gods Come Down to Earth
"Many gods came to our temple over the years and I always tried to get a practice with them. For me it was a sort of autograph hunting and I enjoyed the privilege of seeing their artistry at such close quarters."
What it is like to go out on to the mat with the very best in the world.
16: The Arms Race
"It was the upper-body strength of the Westerners that really worried the Japanese.”
The different physique of Westerners and their scientific approach to conditioning were challenging the superiority of Japan... the peculiar demands of judo fitness.
