17: The Likely Lad
"His almost cherubic appearance was somewhat belied by a broken nose and a pair of cauliflower ears between which he stored a steely ruthlessness and cunning."
The greatest star of the glory days of British judo was the son of a London taxi driver called Brian Jacks.
18: Zen and the Art of Uchimata Maintenance
"Judo has been designed not around strength but around technique. A competitor may be strong but he'll be flattened as soon as he comes up against any opponent who has superior technique.”
The principles of judo... the long struggle every fighter faces to develop his skill.
19: Hell on a Very Hot Mat
"I was sick three times after practicing in my first week. After about an hour my legs simply gave out. But the Japanese would keep coming at you one after another."
Japan the mecca for aspiring international players... ruthless senseis and gruelling training programs... inside the Imperial Palace and the main Tokyo Police Dojo.
20: Man from the Land of the Falling Rain
"Few were prepared to stay on the ground with him and those that did would soon hear their coaches at the mat-side screaming warnings at them to get on their feet."
The story of Neil Adams, Britain's greatest male judo star... how the boy from Coventry became world champion in 1981- Britain's first male world champion... a dazzling career blighted by two terrible defeats.
