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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Combat sports & self-defence
The Science of Judo is the first book to set out and discuss the science, coaching and history behind judo performance. Evidence-based and informed by the latest research, the book offers practical guidance on preparing athletes for high performance and understanding the core tenets of sport science underpinning it. Featuring contributions from world-leading experts, the book consists of chapters on all aspects of judo performance, including: The historical development of judo and its physical, intellectual and moral role Physical preparation for competition, coaching and training strategies Skill acquisition, talent identification and development Nutrition and lifestyle of judoka Performance analysis and biomechanics Injury epidemiology and prevention Special considerations for female and young judoka Clearly written and accessible, The Science of Judo provides upper-level students and researchers, and coaches and sport science staff working with judoka, with the most thorough and authoritative reference on sport science applied to judo currently available.
This masterfully crafted guide to ninjitsu or budo explores in depth the history, culture and philosophy of this fascinating and enduring Japanese martial art. Budo is one of the least understood forms of art in the world. Even more than skills or techniques, the teachings of budo require faith to learn and courage to understand. One of the fundamental teachings of budo is ninjutstu, the art of perseverance that forms the basis of the Japanese martial arts. The lessons in this book come directly from experiencing the living vitality of the world's foremost master of the ninja arts, Masaaki Hatsumi. Through the use of stories, poetry, art, and earned wisdom, the authors move beyond the common image of the martial arts and reveal the nature of the unexpected changes in themselves as they struggled to come to terms with what being a martial artist in the ninja tradition meant. The Art of Life and Death is a reflection of the discipline, the aesthetics, and the philosophy that lies hidden within the martial way. It is a glimpse at the hidden potential of the martial arts, one where the practitioner can embrace transcendence and transformation in order to face all the fears that litter life and also life's most fearsome opponent: Death.
Somewhere beyond the circle of money, glitz, drugs, and controversy that characterizes professional sports in America, remnants of an ideal exist. In Iowa, that ideal survives in the form of high school wrestling. Each a three-time state champion, Jay Borschel and Dan LeClere have a chance in their senior year to join the sport's most elite group: the "four-timers," wrestlers who win four consecutive state titles. For Jay, a ferocious competitor who feeds off criticism and doubt, a victory would mean vindication over the great mass of skeptics waiting for him to fail. For Dan, who carries on his back the burdens of his tiny farming community, the dreams of his hard-driving coach and father, and his own personal demons, another title is the only acceptable outcome. "Four Days to Glory" is the story of America as told through its small towns and their connection to sport the way it was once routinely perceived: as a means of mattering to the folks next door.
Although the energetic anatomy of men and women is different, the ancient teachings of Nu Dan, a separate branch of internal alchemy for women, have been lost in the literature over the centuries and only survive through practice in the lineages. This book takes a detailed look at female energetic anatomy, exploring how it is different from its male counterpart, and explains and describes the specific practices which support the unique strengths and challenges that the female energy system presents. Previously wrapped in secrecy, the teachings in this book include qigong exercises that activate the energy of the uterus and an explanation of how menstruation and a connection to the cycles of the moon can be converted into a tool for Nei Gong development.
The Joshua Files traces the story of Britain's latest heavyweight hero from the building site to the top of the boxing world and beyond. Anthony Joshua's fight with Wladimir Klitschko, in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, transformed the fighter not only into a national hero but also a global star. Having worked as a boxing journalist for almost 30 years for Boxing News, Boxing Monthly and Sky Sports, Matt Bozeat was perfectly placed to follow Joshua from a ringside seat from the very start of his professional career. Joshua turned pro soon after winning gold at the London Olympics in 2012, and has since surpassed all expectations, going on to dominate the division with a 100 per cent KO record. The Joshua Files tells exactly how he fought his way to the top, through revealing and insightful interviews with the fighter himself, as well as with the boxing experts, trainers, sparring partners and opponents who have the closest insider knowledge of Anthony's incredible rise.
Wars of the Ring is a pictorial celebration of half a century of unforgettable fights. It commemorates an array of legendary boxing matches held between 1970 and 2020. From the heavyweight tussles of Ali, Frazier and Foreman in the 1970s to the wars waged by Duran, Hearns, Hagler and Leonard in the 80s, to the celebrated British middleweights of the 90s and the rise of current stars Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, Wars of the Ring takes us on a thrilling journey through some of boxing's most exhilarating matches, experienced through stunning and dramatic images. Each decade comes with a written overview as key moments from the careers of your favourite boxers come to life - in eye-catching colour and atmospheric black and white. Relive the amazing feats of Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin, Joe Calzaghe, Carl Froch, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Nigel Benn, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard, Naseem Hamed and many more.
Self-defence • Tactical Driving • Terrorism • Kidnap Fire Safety • Home Security • Practical First Aid Situational Awareness • Planning. This practical handbook explains how to deal with many emergencies, from break-ins, fires, accidents and floods, through to hostage situations, bombs and kidnappings. Defensive moves are clearly illustrated and explained. Scenarios include being attacked by a drunk, indiscriminate violence, and attacks with weapons. The book shows step-by-step how to dispatch a bag thief, handle a burglary at home, deal with a gas leak or survive an air emergency. It also gives vital information on what equipment and supplies you should keep stored at home for an unexpected prolonged stay. The no-nonsense text encourages readers to anticipate possible dangers, to know the best course of action to take in each scenario, and to protect themselves and those around them. Protect yourself, your family, and the things you value, at home, at work and on the urban street. How to be streetwise, with mental strategies to help you cope. Teaches vital self-defence moves to keep you safe, including disarming attackers, tackling a burglar and preventing sexual assault. Learn what to do in extreme situations: in war zones, under chemical attack, in a flood, in a fire, in a bomb situation, if kidnapped, or if your vehicle is hijacked. Expert guidance helps you to develop survival instincts by conquering fear and practising a calm, confident response in emergency situation. Illustrated with more than 500 photographs and action sequences.
A new book.
Prior to World War II, Kanshu Sunadomari was a direct live-in student of Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido. A valuable historical reference for Aikido enthusiasts, this book collects short articles drawing on 60 years of study. Focusing on the heart and spirit of Aikido, quotes from the founder are featured along with the author's personal interpretations of how Aikido can provide lessons about inner tranquility, focus on life's journey, and help foster world peace.
Kendo is the modern version of Japanese swordsmanship, and transmits the ancient swordsman tradition and life-view. This practical work offers an insight into this ancient art and philosophy.
Capoeira began as a martial art developed by enslaved Afro-Brazilians. Today, the practice incorporates song, dance, acrobatics, and theatrical improvisation-and leads many participants into activism. Lauren Miller Griffith's extensive participant observation with multiple capoeira groups informs her ethnography of capoeiristas--both individuals and groups--in the United States. Griffith follows practitioners beyond their physical training into social justice activities that illuminate capoeira's strong connection to resistance and subversion. As both individuals and communities of capoeiristas, participants march against racial discrimination, celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, organize professional clothing drives for job seekers, and pursue economic and environmental justice in their neighborhoods. For these people, capoeira becomes a type of serious leisure that contributes to personal growth, a sense of belonging, and an overall sense of self, while also imposing duties and obligations. An innovative look at capoeira in America, Graceful Resistance reveals how the practicing of an art can catalyze action and transform communities.
This is the fully revised 2nd Edition of the popular book teaching how to Defend Against Attack. Based on over 1000 workshops completed and 25 years of experience in coaching students at all levels! With the aid of over 300 photographs showing attack reconstructions, Frank teaches with ease the safest forms of grappling, punching, kicking and blocking against individual, multiple and knife attacks. The manual will help to empower women to curb their fears. The techniques are explained simply and teach body mechanics and movement. Helping you achieve more confidence, alertness and overall fitness, whilst reducing stress and the fear of attack by preparing for it.
This westerner's guide to Chinese astrology (Ba Zi) explains the basis on which charts are drawn up, how they work, and how they provide the tools to understand ourselves and our relationships with others. Ba Zi is the art of understanding the energies present in a person's life from birth to death and how these energies impact on their behaviour and interactions. As well as providing an explanation of how to draw up and interpret a basic chart, the book provides detailed information on the different character types and their strengths and weaknesses, including useful tips on likely health weaknesses and what can be done to address them. Foundational information on yin and yang and the five elements is also included, essential to understanding the principles of Ba Zi. Accessible for beginners and providing rich explanations for anyone more experienced, this book will be an intriguing and helpful read for anyone interested in the art of astrology.
George Foreman is one of the most highly recognizable figures on the planet. "God in My Corner" tells not only the life story of George, but more importantly, it tells how God has been behind the scenes of every part of his life -from a boyhood marked by scrapes with the law, to Olympian gold medalist, to two-time heavyweight champion of the world, to father of a family of ten, to ordained minister, to founder of The George Foreman Youth Community Center, to successful businessman. God has been there every step of the way, building George into a man of faith who is seen worldwide as a positive role model and a man whose face is always beaming with the joy that only God can give. Now George shares those life lessons with the world.
"He's the toughest street fighter alive." Freddie Foreman Picture a man, he's tall, not excessively so, yet as wide as he is high. This man is a spitting and growling street brawler; a tank full of ready to blow, muscle-fuelled aggression. Imagine, if you will, the comic book style Bulldog of Great British stamp. Well, there you have him! The prototypical face taken from the terraces of an '80s football fan's rolled-up newspaper cosh; a poster-boy of malevolence left over from Thatcher's post-punk Britain. Stormin' Norman's his name and when this storm is erupting, he's like a force-nine gale fused with a hurricane. In his heyday, Norman saw off a plethora of gangland minders, and with his own style of hands-on education, taught Glasgow's prolific hitman, Billy McPhee, the laws of the Guv'nor's land. He's the Godfather of Aylesbury, former British Bare-Knuckle Champion, and undefeated European Boxing Federation 'Guv'nor'. The loveable lunatic with the heart of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Yes, this my accidental friends, is the new Guv'nor. He is the man who rebuked many a heathen, but was also everyone's friend, and for all the right reasons. So, settle in with your favourite tipple, and let us regale you with a lifetime of fronting the doors, serving at Her Majesty's pleasure, righting wrongs, and brutal bare-knuckle tear-ups.
A behind-the-scenes look at the life of the most extraordinary martial artist of all time--Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee: The Celebrated Life of the Golden Dragon is a photographic catalog of all facets of this fascinating man, from the start of his career to his untimely and tragic death in 1973. This book reveals a quiet family man behind the charismatic public persona. It shows the real Bruce Lee--the man who was so much more than an international film and martial arts celebrity. This brilliant photo essay--compiled and edited by Bruce Lee expert John Little with the assistance of Lee's widow, Linda Lee Cadwell--reveals never-before-published family photos, including rare photos of Bruce's childhood in Hong Kong. Tender moments with his children are caught on camera, and action shots from his martial arts films are shown. With a preface by his daughter Shannon Lee and a foreword by wife Linda, the text is drawn directly from Bruce Lee's own diaries and journals. Based on the award-winning Warner Bros. documentary, Bruce Lee: In His Own Words, sections include: Chronology of the Life of Bruce Lee Early Years--why he began studying gung fu (kung fu) and took up wing chun, his first starring role, and his return to the US Hollywood--why he got the part in The Green Hornet, teaching Steve McQueen, James Coburn and Stirling Silliphant, filming Enter the Dragon, The Way of the Dragon, Fist of Fury and more, training and acting with Chuck Norris, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dean Martin and Sharon Tate, and the creation of Jeet Kune Do (JKD) Family--meeting Linda, having children, daily life This Bruce Lee Book is part of Tuttle Publishing's Bruce Lee Library which also features: Bruce Lee's Striking Thoughts Bruce Lee's The Tao of Gung Fu Bruce Lee Artist of Life Bruce Lee: Letters of the Dragon Bruce Lee: The Art of Expressing the Human Body Bruce Lee Jeet Kune Do
Alan Scott Haft provides the first-hand testimony of his father, Harry Haft, a holocaust victim with a singular story of endurance, desperation, and unrequited love. Harry Haft was a sixteen-year-old Polish Jew when he entered a concentration camp in 1944. Forced to fight other Jews in bare-knuckle bouts for the perverse entertainment of SS officers, Harry quickly learned that his own survival depended on his ability to fight and win. Haft details the inhumanity of the "sport" in which he must perform in brutal contests for the officers. Ultimately escaping the camp, Haft's experience left him an embittered and pugnacious young man. Determined to find freedom, Haft traveled to America and began a career as a professional boxer, quickly finding success using his sharp instincts and fierce confidence. In a historic battle, Haft fights in a match with Rocky Marciano, the future undefeated heavyweight champion of the world. Haft's boxing career takes him into the world of such boxing legends as Rocky Graziano, Roland La Starza, and Artie Levine, and he reveals new details about the rampant corruption at all levels of the sport. In sharp contrast to Elie Wiesel's scholarly, pious protagonist in Night, Harry Haft is an embattled survivor, challenging the reader's capacity to understand suffering and find compassion for an antihero whose will to survive threatens his own humanity. Haft's account, at once dispassionate and deeply absorbing, is an extraordinary story and an invaluable contribution to Holocaust literature.
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is an emergent sport where competitors in a ring or cage utilize strikes (punches, kicks, elbows and knees) as well as submission techniques to defeat opponents. This book explores the carnal experience of fighting through a sensory ethnography of MMA, and how it transgresses the cultural scripts of masculinity in popular culture. Based on four years of participant observation in a local MMA club and in-depth interviews with amateur and professional MMA fighters, Spencer documents fighters' training regimes and the meanings they attach to participation in the sport. Drawing from the philosophical phenomenology of Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Jean-Luc Nancy, this book develops bodies-centered ontological and epistemological grounding for this study. Guided by such a position, it places bodies at the center of analysis of MMA and elucidates the embodied experience of pain and injury, and the sense and rhythms of fighting.
"A fascinating book…at times almost unbearably vivid." When Muhammad Ali met Joe Frazier in Manila for the third, bloody act of their heroic trilogy of fights, the rivalry had spun out of control. More than a clash of personalities or fighting styles, the matchup had become a kind of madness, inflamed by the media and the politics of race. When the 'thrilla in Manila' was over, one man was left with a ruin of a life; the other was battered to his soul. Mark Kram's riveting book reappraises the boxers – who they are and who they were. His revisionist study explodes the myths surrounding both fighters, particularly Ali, and paints a much darker version of the legend than anyone has ever dared. 'Ghosts of Manila' is a fascinating story of two heroes, many myths and the reality behind it all. "Packs a polemic punch, suggesting that although Ali was indisputably a great sportsman, his latter-day beatification is a sham." "An exceptionally brave book."
Calling all bada**es! The only official guide to the kickin' world of the Emmy-nominated and globally beloved show Cobra Kai is here. The Kick-A** Book of Cobra Kai is a celebration of the superfans — an essential companion to the show acting as a master sensei ready to guide readers through the karate-crazed San Fernando Valley. The legacy of The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai continues with never-before-seen photographs and illustrations as well as interviews with Ralph Macchio (Daniel LaRusso), William Zabka (Johnny Lawrence), Martin Kove (John Kreese), Xolo Maridueña (Miguel Diaz), and Mary Mouser (Samantha LaRusso). The show’s creators will give an unprecedented look inside the making of Cobra Kai and the writing, directing, and production of this beloved franchise that has grown from scrappy underdog to a global phenomenon. Hear directly from the show’s crew and get an exclusive behind -he-scenes look into fight choreography from the stunt team; journey with the set designers through the Valley, from the magical retreat of the Miyagi-do dojo to the humble strip mall that houses the Cobra Kai dojo; and learn from the composers how the bada** soundtrack for the show was conceived. And MUCH MORE! Remember: Strike First. Strike Hard. No Mercy.
INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER! A vivid trip through the mind of the top professional wrestler in the business-a nobody from nowhere who achieved his ambitions and walked away with the gold and the girl of his dreams. Ride alongside Jon Moxley as he retraces some of the highways traveled on his remarkable journey. Revel in the never-before-told stories about his early life in Cincinnati, Ohio; the gritty independent wrestling scene where he cut his teeth; the complicated corporate landscape of the WWE where he bucked against authority; and the rebellious upstart AEW, where he won the championship in 2020 and was finally free to achieve the vision of the wrestler he'd always wanted to be. With plenty of pitstops and revelatory insights, including grisly ultraviolent encounters, crazy characters who became lifelong friends, and his unforgettable matches in Japan, MOX is the riveting account of the life of a brawler. It is a tale written in blood and soaked in debauchery, with a good dose of wisdom accumulated along the way. More than a backstage pass into the arena, MOX is a ticket into the ring. Once inside, you'll never look at pro wrestling the same again.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2015 WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR PRIZE. 'I kill a man and most people forgive me. However, I love a man and many say this makes me an evil person.' On 24 March 1962, when Emile Griffith stepped into the ring in Madison Square Garden to defend his world title against Benny Paret, he was filled with rage. During their weigh-in, the Cuban challenger had denounced Griffith as a 'faggot' and minced towards him. In the macho world of boxing, where fighters know they are engaged in the hurt game, there could be no greater insult. At that time, it was illegal for people of the same gender to have sex, or even for a bar to knowingly serve a drink to a gay person. It was an insinuation that could have had dangerous consequences for Griffith - especially as it was true. In the fight that followed, Griffith pounded Paret into unconsciousness, and the Cuban would die soon after, leaving Griffith haunted by what he had done. Despite this, he went on to fight more world championship rounds than any other fighter in history in a career that lasted for almost 20 years. In Donald McRae's first sports book in more than a decade, he weaves a compelling tale of triumph over prejudice - Griffith was black, so doubly damned by contemporary society, but refused to cower away as society wished. A Man's World is a classic piece of sports writing. |
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