The Pyjama Game by Mark Law

The Pyjama Game by Mark Law

It is a sport of balletic beauty and extraordinary violence. Where else are you allowed to strangle an opponent unconscious? But while its aim is to inflict symbolic death, judo is a form of combat which also rigorously insists on the most formal courtesies. When Mark Law joined his local judo club he was able to observe at close quarters the sport practised at its highest level – finding himself face-to-face with world champions and Olympic medallists. His journey into judo took him to Osaka, Japan to see the World Championships and to Athens for the Olympics. He delved into the sport’ s history, exploring everything from its origins in 17th century Samurai culture, to its legendary proponents - past and present. The Pyjama Game is a fascinating account of this most enigmatic of sports. We are taken behind the scenes of the international tournament circuit, populated by some of the most fearsomely single-minded and self-denying competitors of all time -men and women who have arrived at the apex of a sport from thousands of local clubs all over the world. Through a series of colourful encounters we experience the irresistible drama of tournament judo as figures grapple, whirl and fly through the air or struggle for arm-locks and chokes; each contest culminating in that symbolic death. Funny, alarming and mesmerising, The Pyjama Game is one of the best sports books of recent years.

‘Excellent… a classic in its genre’

‘One of the year’s most entertaining sports books, and the best one to be written about a martial art since Robert Twigger’s Angry White PyjamasIt’s lively, it’s witty and, above all, so persuasively enthusiastic that by the end you’ll find yourself feeling an intense urge to try it for yourself’

‘This is damn fine stuff, and will entertain and enlighten an audience far beyond the confines of the dojo’

‘ Excellent… a classic in its genre’

‘ One of the year’ s most entertaining sports books, and the best one to be written about a martial art since Robert Twigger’ s Angry White Pyjamas. It’ s lively, it’ s witty and, above all, so persuasively enthusiastic that by the end you’ ll find yourself feeling an intense urge to try it for yourself’

‘ This is damn fine stuff, and will entertain and enlighten an audience far beyond the confines of the dojo’

Mark Law was the founding editor of The First Post (thefirstpost.co.uk), the online news magazine. He was formerly a show business press agent before working as a feature writer and commissioning editor for The Times, the Mail on Sunday, and the Daily and Sunday Telegraph. He is a member of the Budokwai Club in Chelsea, London.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781845133498
ISBN 10	1845133498
Title	The Pyjama Game
Author	Mark Law
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Quarto Publishing PLC
Year published	2008-06-25
Number of pages	336
Prizes	Winner of British Sports Book Awards: Best New Writer 2008
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable