Customer Rating: 
Summary: Lot's of Techniques
Comment: I read this a few years ago, and more than once. I am surprised at the criticisms. As always, there is only so much you can learn from a book. If you have a little martial arts experience, I think you can pick up a lot from this book and I recommend it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good history, weak technique
Comment: Craig provides an interesting peek into classical training but the illustrations are amateurish.
Customer Rating:
Summary: a disapointed buyer
Comment: This book was full of useful historical and anatomical knowledge, however the application of the techniques was poorly designed. The author could have been more practical and included photographs instead of poorly draw characters. It was extremely difficult to distinguish whether I was performing the technique properly or the author had drawn the picture poorly. However, on a positive note, the history and striking targets listed in the book were excellent. But then again, how could I practice the techniques when I had poor visual aides to assist me.
Customer Rating:
Summary: are you kidding me
Comment: This book is not a good self defense book or a good book on jujitsu for that matter. Pictures of techniques are awful and writing and organization are just as bad as the pics. I would recommend a submission fighting book rather than this one.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent history and discussion
Comment: I'm surprised I'm the first person to review this book. This book discusses classical Japanese jiu-jitsu, presenting the history of the art as it can best be reconstructed, along with many illustrations and discussions of the techniques. Just as with the approximately 200-300 schools of swordsmanship that existed between 1000 A.D. and the mid-1800's, when they went into decline (with only about 15 surviving today), there were many styles also of jiu-jitsu, often associated with a particular martial art tradition that included training in the yari (spear), naginata (halberd), the bow, and various other weapons, but most importantly, the sword, as in the famous Kashima-Shinryu style that Karl Friday has capably discussed in his scholarly book, Legacies of the Sword. Here Craig attempts to do the same thing for jiu-jitsu and I think succeeds very well. Except for articles in various martial arts journals, there is no book accessible to the general reader that deals with this important topic. Overall, a fine book with much valuable information that should be of interest to martial artists with an interest in the old school or koryu Japanese arts.
