book cover of The Art of Throwing: Principles and Techniques. By Marc Tedeschi.
One in a series of remarkable books
that provide an in-depth look at the
core concepts and techniques shared by
a broad range of martial arts styles.

This illuminating work outlines the essential principles and techniques that define the art of throwing in most martial arts. More than 1200 outstanding photographs introduce over 130 practical techniques encompassing all types of throws: shoulder throws, hip throws, hand throws, leg throws, sacrifice throws, kick-counter throws, advanced combination throws and transitions, and defenses against throws. Comprehensive introductory chapters provide an authoritative overview of important technical principles, East Asian energetic concepts, and 82 fundamental skills encompassing stances, footwork, grips, and methods of tumbling and falling. Precise anatomical illustrations and descriptions of 106 common Oriental pressure points, and a visual comparison of different martial arts, make this an invaluable resource for all martial styles.

Expertly written and designed by the author of the 1136‑page Hapkido—widely acclaimed the most comprehensive book ever written on a single martial art—this exceptional work is designed to stand alone, or function as a companion text with the author’s other works on martial techniques and anatomy. Regardless of the style you practice, these books will enrich your training, improve your technique, and deepen your understanding of the unique qualities embodied in your own martial art.

Other Books in the Series
The Art of Throwing is part of a remarkable series of books that provide an in‑depth look at the core concepts and techniques shared by a broad range of martial arts. Each of these stand‑alone books is dedicated to a specific technical area, such as strikes, holds, or throws. Other titles include: The Art of Striking, The Art of Holding, The Art of Ground Fighting, and The Art of Weapons.

 SPECIFICATIONS

The Art of Throwing: Principles & Techniques
Author: Marc Tedeschi
Language: English
First Edition, September 2001
Second Printing, 2004
Published by Weatherhill,
an imprint of Shambhala Publications
Softcover Edition, May 2015
Published by Floating World Editions
208 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches
Over 1200 monochrome photos,
55 illustrations, bibliography
Foreign-language editions available
in French, Italian, and Russian
Hardcover: ISBN 978-0834804906
Softcover: ISBN 978-1891640780

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. OVERVIEW

Introduction
Historical Development
Types of Throws
Breakfalls
Responsible Use of Force
Comparing Martial Arts

2. FUNDAMENTALS

Introduction
Energetic Concepts
Basic Principles
Stances
Footwork
Grips
Breakfalls
Tumbling Skills
Pressure Point Targets
Pressure Point Locations
Throw Summary
Throws vs Holds

3. SHOULDER THROWS

Introduction
Summary
Shoulder Throws

4. HIP THROWS

Introduction
Summary
Hip Throws

5. LEG THROWS

Introduction
Summary
Leg Throws

6. HAND THROWS

Introduction
Summary
Hand Throws

7. SACRIFICE THROWS

Introduction
Summary
Sacrifice Throws

8. KICK-COUNTER THROWS

Introduction
Summary
Kick-Counter Throws

9. COMBINATIONS

Introduction
Basic Concepts
Table of Combinations
Combinations

10. DEFENSE AGAINST THROWS

Introduction
Types of Counters
Timing the Counter
Basic Defensive Actions
Defense Against Throws

11. REFERENCE

Further Reading
Acknowledgements
 REVIEWS

“Without a doubt the best works on martial arts today are those written by Marc Tedeschi . . . Marc has put himself in a class by himself as the author of martial arts books, from his knowledge and understanding of the arts to his presentation . . . great reference for anyone who is serious about learning or teaching the martial arts.”
– Professor Willy Cahill,
Two-time Olympic Judo Coach, Jujitsu Grandmaster,
Inductee Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame

“Weatherhill has always been one of the highest quality publishers, and this book reflects their consistent quality. Very good photographs, very good explanations. This is a fun book for Judo people and represents an ideal publication for any Dojo for the practical application side of Judo outside of the competition format.”
– University of Montana Judo Club

5starsA Quality Text
“In addition to The Art of Throwing, I have bought other books by Mr. Tedeschi: The Art of Holding, The Art of Striking and The Art of Ground Fighting. In my opinion, all of these texts are excellent. The layout of the books are logical and the plethora of photographs are clear. The author’s specialty is the eclectic Korean martial art of Hapkido. One of the first things the author does in the overview of his book is show the similarities of techniques between the different arts. For example, in The Art of Throwing the author takes clips from other books to demonstrate how a Hapkido hip throw is executed compared to one in Judo, Jiu-jitsu [Jujutsu], Aikido, Chinese Wrestling, Kuk Sool Won and Hwa Ran Do. Of course, the conclusion is that while there are many subtle differences, physics is physics, leverage is leverage etc. The human body only acts and moves in certain ways; therefore, it is no surprise that the founders of the different styles came to similar conclusions about throwing. As one would suspect, the book also covers breakfalls, footwork, stances, grips (including pressure point targets for gripping) and the throws themselves, broken down into the sub-categories of: shoulder throws, hip throws, hand throws, sacrifice throws, kick-counter throws combinations of throws and defence against throws. In all, over eighty throws [118 total] are demonstrated. When you have this number of techniques, there is a bit of, ‘Well, that would difficult to execute’ or ‘Why not do such and such - it’s less complicated’ but these are minor points. The fact of matter is that the vast majority of techniques appear quite practical. As a Judo practitioner and policeman I have successfully used many similar moves myself in competition and on the job. For all of you Judoka out there: if you want to learn to make your throws more street-lethal (e.g. in a justifiable self-defence situation), you’ll be very interested in the Hapkido method of throwing as many techniques incorporate a strike or lock in their execution (much like jui-jitsu). Is the book worth the money? Unequivocally, yes. To use a cliché, I believe this book has a place of every martial artist’s bookshelf. With so much garbage out there on the market, it is refreshing to see a book of this quality being produced. Mr. Tedeschi is on a roll, I hope he continues to write.”
– Amazon.com (Canada)

5starsWell Done, Carefully Constructed Book on Throwing Techniques
“If you already have Marc Tedeschi’s Huge 1136-page Hapkido book, you’re probably wondering what makes this volume on throwing techniques any different. The main difference is this: The big Hapkido book ~does~ include every technique shown here. However, the detail in this volume is much more exact—the big Hapkido book was so inclusive that the author was limited to showing 2–3 photos to illustrate a hold or throw. This volume on Throws uses an average of 5–9 photographs per technique, including close-ups. The descriptive narrative is also more specific in this volume. So if you would like a volume which is incredibly specific on the subject of throwing techniques, this book is the thing! . . . You might also be wondering whether the techniques shown in this book are too specific to Hapkido to be of any use to you if you practice say, judo or another martial art. The nice thing about Tedeschi’s books is that he has studied a variety of grappling arts and come to the same realization the rest of us have over the years. An inside shoulder throw is still an inside shoulder throw—whether you call it that in Japanese, Korean, Chinese, or English. Tedeschi’s 5-volume series makes no distinction as to language or culture; every technique in this book is referred to by it’s English name . . . Tedeschi has gone the extra mile in making ALL of his books as specific as possible. Most of the techniques shown include extra photographs and diagrams of bones, muscles, and pressure points as they apply to the specific technique. This is the first technical martial arts book by any author where I’ve seen this sort of exacting detail on virtually every technique. And to think, he doesn’t call himself Grandmaster or wear anything but a plain black belt.”
– Amazon.com (USA)

5starsMore throws than you can throw a stick at
“Great book as an aid to a martial art, or just to develop your own techniques. Top quality!!”
– Amazon.co.uk (UK)

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