The term "judoka" refers to one who does judo, the modern martial art with origins in 19th century Japan, a fighting art with a particular emphasis on the use of an opponent's own strengths to effect his defeat. This book is an account of the adventures of such a man, a judoka, but it is not just about this man, or the martial art he practices. Rather, it is about the "way" of judo, as both a fighting art and an approach to living ("a way"), and what this way might be able to tell us about who we are and who we might choose to become.

The book does not prescribe "a way" for others to follow; that is, it does not simply offer advice about what to believe or how to behave, or point out the faults in other ways of being. It simply describes the way of one particular man, with commentary explaining, or rather reasoning through, the choices he has made, with the story presenting the consequences that these choices have for him.

Reviews for the 1st edition:
"This extraordinary little novella is reminiscent of Castaneda but far more intelligible."
-Alan Watts

"His direct writing about judo is clear and quietly restrained, hard to match in the literature of the subject."
-New York Times