Muay Thai, also referred to as Thai boxing, combines fitness training, self-defense, and competitive sport. In this hands-on guide, renowned trainer Christoph Delp presents the sport's history, development, rules, and equipment. In the techniques section, he first details basic skills such as the correct starting position and footwork. Next he offers a complete list of all the attacking techniques and a selection of effective defensive and counterattacking strategies. All techniques are presented step-by-step by Thai champions from the famous Sor Vorapin gym in Bangkok, showing readers the fine details of each technique. The training section provides detailed information about the structure, content, and planning of training regimens and this includes historical training methods, a stretching program, and training schedules. Suitable as both a self-training guide and a supplement to club training, "Muay Thai Basics" offers authoritative instruction for Thai boxers and other martial arts enthusiasts.

Shortlisted for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing A physical and philosophical mediation on why we are drawn to fight each other for sport, what happens to our bodies and brains when we do, and what it all means Anyone with guts or madness in him can get hit by someone who knows how; it takes a different kind of madness, a more persistent kind, to stick around long enough to be one of the people who does the knowing. Josh Rosenblatt was thirty-three years old when he first realized he wanted to fight. A lifelong pacifist with a philosopher's hatred of violence and a dandy's aversion to exercise, he drank to excess, smoked passionately, ate indifferently, and mocked physical activity that didn't involve nudity. But deep down inside there was always some part of him that was attracted to the idea of fighting. So, after studying Muay Thai, Krav Maga, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and boxing, he decided, at age forty, that it was finally time to fight his first-and only-mixed martial arts match: all in the name of experience and transcending ancient fears. An insightful and moving rumination on the nature of fighting, Why We Fight takes us on his journey from the bleachers to the ring. Using his own training as an opportunity to understand how the sport illuminates basic human impulses, Rosenblatt weaves together cultural history, criticism, biology, and anthropology to understand what happens to the human body and mind when under attack, and to explore why he, a self-described "cowardly boy from the suburbs," discovered so much meaning in putting his body, and others', at risk. From the psychology of fear to the physiology of pain, from Ukrainian shtetls to Brooklyn boxing gyms, from Lord Byron to George Plimpton, Why We Fight is a fierce inquiry into the abiding appeal of our most conflicted and controversial fixation, interwoven with a firsthand account of what happens when a mild-mannered intellectual decides to step into the ring for his first real showdown.

Ramla Ali's life inside and outside the ring represents her ruthless refusal to quit and passion to fight for what she believes in. In her first book, Ramla details ten key fights - a combination of life's constant challenges and real bouts she's endured both in and outside of the ring - that have shaped her remarkable rise to date. From her arrival in England as a refugee to being drawn to the energy and spirit of her first boxercise class; from the adrenaline of her first amateur fights to how she often powered on alone, searching for a community of women like her, and her biggest win of all: letting love into her life. Each relatable lesson is packed full of honesty and urgency, powering the reader on to become their own champion.

In his day, Jack JohnsonOCoborn in Texas, the son of former slavesOCowas the most famous black man on the planet. As the first African American World Heavyweight Champion (1908OCo1915), he publicly challenged white supremacy at home and abroad, enjoying the same audacious lifestyle of conspicuous consumption, masculine bravado, and interracial love wherever he traveled. "Jack Johnson, Rebel Sojourner" provides the first in-depth exploration of JohnsonOCOs battles against the color line in places as far-flung as Sydney, London, Cape Town, Paris, Havana, and Mexico City. In relating this dramatic story, Theresa Runstedtler constructs a global history of race, gender, and empire in the early twentieth century.

Mooresy: The Fighter's Fighter is the life story of one of Britain's most-loved boxers. Not always an angelic teen and a product of the 'Salford Overspill', Jamie Moore was sucked into the slipstream of the thrill which came with car theft. At 15, his luck ran out after a helicopter police chase. Boxing turned out to be his saviour. Progressing through the amateur ranks, he turned pro in 1999 aged 20 and went on to become British, Irish, Commonwealth and European light middleweight champion. Known by many as 'Britain's most exciting fighter' Moore engaged in some epic battles, and was one half of boxing's Fight of the Year three times within a five-year period. Four shoulder operations and three brain scans prompted him to quit in 2010. He was snapped up by Sky Sports and started training his own stable of champions. Life was good. That life was almost permanently taken away from him in August 2014, after being shot at five times in Marbella. Despite having a bullet lodged in his right hip and constant pain to his left leg as a result of another bullet passing straight through his thigh, Moore does not dwell on his brush with death.His serene acceptance of life is inspirational as he remains a husband, proud father, former champion, trainer - and occasional actor.

Today Bill Richmond is largely unknown to the wider public, but he was one of the most significant sportsmen in history and one of the most prominent celebrities of Georgian times. Born into slavery in Staten Island, Richmond won his freedom as a young boy and carved a new life for himself in England as a cabinet maker and then a renowned prizefighter and trainer. His amazing life encompassed encounters and relationships with some of the most prominent men of the age, including Earl Percy, William Hazlitt, Lord Byron, the Prince Regent and Lord Camelford. His fame was such that he fulfilled an official role at the coronation celebrations of King George IV in 1821. The story of Bill Richmond is an incredible tale of personal advancement, as well as the story of a life informed and influenced by a series of turbulent historical events, including the American War of Independence, the fight for black emancipation and Britain's long-running conflict with Napoleon Bonaparte.

Krav Maga: Real World Solutions to Real World Violence presents a no-nonsense approach to neutralizing attackers in close quarters. Author Gershon Ben Keren explains the philosophy behind the Krav Maga method, which is the basis of the Israel Defense Force's (IDF) devastating close combat system. This book lays out a systematic approach to self-defense and provides illustrated confrontation scenarios paired with tailored practical responses. Accompanied by explicit, easy-to-follow photographs, practical combat skills are described in step-by-step detail, along with the movement patterns needed to make them useful in real-life settings. All of the photos in the book were shot in real-time, demonstrating what realistic movements--both from the attacker's and defender's perspective--look like. Where applicable, techniques have been shot in the scenarios in which they occur such as bars, restrooms, ATMs, etc. The situational components of such violent incidents are explained, so the reader can learn to identify, predict, and avoid violence before it occurs. Contents of this Krav Maga book include: What is Krav Maga? Krav Maga Yashir Introduction to author Gershon Ben Keren Basic Skills (Stances, Movement, Blocking and Striking)--The Timeline of Violence; Controlling Range; Relative Body Positioning; Groin Kick; Driving Knee Self-Defense Scenarios--Knife Disarming; Gun to Front of Body; Abductions and Hostage Taking; Knife Shank; Improvised Weapons Unarmed Assaults and Dynamic Components of Violence--Preventing a Front Headlock; Applying an Effective Guillotine; Defending Knees in a Clinch and more!

Nothing to lose...When nineteen-year-old Tommy Carter throws away a promising career as a professional boxer to work for local villain Davey Abbott, everyone thinks he's made a huge mistake - collecting debts and working in strip clubs is no life for a young lad just starting out in life. Everything to gain. A brutal fighter, Tommy quickly earns a reputation for himself - feared and respected by everyone - and becomes Davey's trusted right-hand man. But when Davey is murdered Tommy is shocked to learn that Davey has left his business empire to him - Tommy's the boss now. No one believes Tommy will succeed. But there is only one rule Tommy lives by...always back the underdog. Because Tommy is on the way up. This book was previously published as Barking Boy. Another gripping gangland read by Kerry Kaya. Perfect for fans of Kimberley Chambers, Martina Cole, Heather Atkinson and Caz Finlay.

Close Encounters with the Gloves Off is a rollercoaster ride through boxing history in the words of the boxers themselves, as they recall their highs and lows, their greatest triumphs, the background stories and many shock revelations. Acclaimed boxing writer, author and historian Thomas Myler has interviewed every one of the pugilistic greats featured, during a career spent covering boxing; from the big names of the 'Roaring 20s' right through to boxing's modern era. Muhammad Ali, Jack Dempsey, Georges Carpentier, Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, Rocky Marciano, Joe Frazier, George Foreman and modern greats such as Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Evander Holyfield and Ken Buchanan all feature. Myler has spent a lifetime around boxing and boxers and was once described by George Kimball, prize-winning author of the acclaimed Four Kings, as 'One of the world's best boxing writers'. Close Encounters with the Gloves Off pulls together that life's work to take the reader on a wonderful boxing journey which spans almost an entire century.