NINE LEVELS, EASY TO EXPERT This book stands apart from other staff training manuals. While most titles focus on forms and twirling, The Art and Science of Staff Fighting emphasizes the dynamics of combat. The author draws on thirty years of martial experience, presenting the best of both Eastern and Western traditions. Joe Varady lays out a comprehensive course of study in nine levels, from beginner to expert. He guides readers through such fundamentals as stances, striking, blocking, and footwork. In advanced lessons, readers learn disarming techniques, groundwork, and facing multiple opponents. But this book is not just for staff enthusiasts. Even those unfamiliar with martial arts can adapt these techniques, increasing their skill and confidence in defending themselves. "Our environment is usually full of improvised weapons," Varady writes. "Staff fighting techniques can be effectively applied in a self-defense situation using a walking stick, coatrack, curtain rod, floor lamp, hockey stick, fallen tree branch, broom, mop, shovel, or rake." Equipped with this knowledge, readers will begin to realize that, in one way or another, they are nearly always armed and capable of defending themselves. This book features: Nine levels of instruction, progressing from easy to expert Over 600 photos with motion arrows A "nondenominational" approach to staff, utilizing the best of Eastern and Western arts A comprehensive, methodical approach to building staff skills If you are already a student of the staff, these lessons will not conflict with your katas or current style. Instead, they will augment your techniques, broadening your options. Whether you are an experienced staff fighter or a layman seeking practical techniques for self-defense, The Art and Science of Staff Fighting will help you develop the skills you need.

What does it mean to be a warrior? What does it take to be the best? What must a man do to endure life's injustice, confront his own demons and prevail? Dominiquie Vandenberg could have been one of the highest ranked martial artists in the world. He could have been an Olympic wrestling champion, or earned a small fortune promoting his own line of sports merchandise. But all Vandenberg cared about was fighting all out with no holds barred, and when at sixteen years old he discovered Kunto, a Japanese all-out fighting style, Vandenberg left his home and family for training on Okinawa. Vandenberg, at eighteen, became the youngest man ever to win such the champion title in The World Open in Bare Knuckle Karate. But while on a break in his native Belgium he was hit by a runaway car a week before he was scheduled to leave for his next adventure. After a painful recovery, Vandenberg did what dead-ended men from around the world for a hundred years have done. He joined the French Foreign Legion. Vandenberg saw action in central Africa. But when his leg healed enough to allow him to fight again, he went AWOL, flew to Thailand and fought and won his first fighting match in years. returned to Thailand to find his fiancee, whom he'd met while volunteering with the Karen insurgency against the Burmese National Army, murdered by Thai river pirates. The loss sent Vandenberg into a spiral of despair. After completing the rest of his Legion contract, he went back to Thailand for his final fight. Vandenberg fought and beat Kran, the legendary Northern Thai fighter. In a country where fighting is the national sport, Vandenberg had become the best. There was no man more deadly or dangerous in or out of the ring.

The role of the strength and conditioning coach for a combat athlete is to perform a needs analysis in which both the fighter as an individual and the sport itself are assessed in order to develop a high-performance programme. This might include plyometrics, speed and agility, endurance and core stability, strength training and nutrition as just some of the pieces of this complex jigsaw. The aim is to increase strength, speed, power, endurance, agility and flexibility. Strength and Conditioning for Combat Sports aims to help the coach and athlete bridge the gap between the theory of training and applied training, helping the athlete to become faster, stronger and more flexible and to build their muscular endurance so they perform better and remain injury-free.

At 710 pages, In the Ring With Jack Johnson - Part I: The Rise is the most detailed and thorough book ever written on Jack Johnson. This book alone (the first of two on Johnson) covers the start of Jack Johnson's career up to his winning the world heavyweight championship. It is chock-full of detailed descriptions of each bout from multiple local next-day primary sources. The book also contains plenty of context and background, details and perspectives about race from both white and black-owned newspapers, as well as approximately 225 rare photographs, cartoons, and advertisements. Boxing fans will obtain knowledge and insight into Jack Johnson's career like never before. This is the seventh book in Adam J. Pollack's series on the heavyweight champions of the gloved era, which include: John L. Sullivan: The Career of the First Gloved Heavyweight Champion, In the Ring With James J. Corbett, In the Ring With Bob Fitzsimmons, In the Ring With James J. Jeffries, In the Ring With Marvin Hart, and In the Ring With Tommy Burns. Adam J. Pollack is a boxing judge, referee, and coach, and member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He is also an attorney practicing law in Iowa City, Iowa.

BECAUSE NOT ALL KRAV MAGA IS THE SAME (R) Hardcover format includes all photos in FULL COLOR! This book introduces and codifies big-picture thinking to take you to the next level of self-defense expertise. The material is designed to conform to your strengths; you need not conform to the system. In this latest volume from David Kahn, you will find practical, battle-tested stratagems and insights that are equally applicable across the spectrum of martial arts and fighting systems. The text is supported by 180 dynamic separate photo series representing a rich krav maga gamut of self-defense strategies and tactics. Topics include: The Best Use of a Training Partner The Difference Between Anger and Rage Recognizing Your Own Triggers to Avoid Violence Contending with Road Rage Conflict Avoidance and Escape Physiological Reactions to Threats and Violence Legal Use of Force Requirements Defensive (Dis)Engagement Mindset Anatomical Targeting and Self-Protection Preemptive Linear Strikes Absorbing and Moving with an Attack Fighting Ranges Combatives Power and Balance Self-Defense Fight Timing Tactical Retreating When and How to Counterattack Defending against a Skilled Fighter Deceptive Fighting Ground Survival Defending an Ambush Multiple Opponents Breaking Up a Fight As good tactical minds generally think alike, whatever your martial arts or defensive tactics background, this book is designed to synergize any previous professional self-defense knowledge to enhance your personal survival blueprint. Krav Maga Fundamental Strategies draws on ideas and techniques from nearly every level of the Israeli Krav Maga curriculum, including violence avoidance and prevention. The result is an adaptable strategy supported by tried and true defensive tactics, coupled with sound defensive principles, all of which will serve to deliver you from harm's way.

Western scholars are generally far less familiar with the samurai in his original role as warrior and master of arms than in his other functions as landowner, feudal lord, litterateur, or philosopher. Karl Friday examines samurai martial culture from a historical and worldview in this study.

In this first and only biography of light-heavyweight champion and boxing legend Joe Choynski, author Chris LaForce chronicles the life and career of a pioneer of the gloved era of pugilism. Joe Choynski was one of the greatest, most courageous, brilliant, and respected Jewish boxers in history. Born in San Francisco, California in 1868, Joe Choynski fought nearly all of the greatest heavyweights of that division s first Golden Age, despite weighing less than 170 pounds. He was one of the few who did not draw the color line. Included is a complete account of Joe s professional fights. Come follow Choynski s boxing career in such legendary matches as the battle on the Sacramento River barge with Gentleman Jim Corbett, his war with Bob Fitzsimmons, the classic brawls with Sailor Tom Sharkey, knockout of future heavyweight champion Jack Johnson, and his 20-round draw with soon-to-be heavyweight king Jim Jeffries. This book features over 180 photographs, many of them rare and published here, for the first time, anywhere The book includes a Foreword by Herbert G. Goldman, former Managing Editor of Ring magazine and Editor-in-Chief of Boxing Illustrated, and a testimonial by renowned boxing historian, Tracy Callis. Chris LaForce has been a member of IBRO (the International Boxing Research Organization) since 1984. He has written several articles for the IBRO newsletter, and is a contributing writer for the Cyber Boxing Zone, Western States Jewish History and other historical societies.

BECAUSE NOT ALL KRAV MAGA IS THE SAME (R) Hardcover format includes all photos in FULL COLOR! Israeli Krav Maga is the Israel Defense Force's official self-defense system. The system is simple, instinctive, adaptable, and if necessary, brutally effective to thwart a life threatening assault. This book presents the most up-to-date and effective techniques to prevail against armed threats and attacks. Many of these updated defenses have never been seen before. Grandmaster Haim Gidon has improved and evolved this material with the late krav maga founder Imi Lichtenfeld's formal approval. Contents include Weapon awareness training; functionality, range, and deployment Dominant control holds over a stunned assailant Edged weapon defenses Impact weapon defenses Handgun defenses Rifle defenses Defending against weapons while on the ground Defending against continuous attacks Non-conventional weapon threats First-party hostage situations Kravist weapon defense drills Regardless of strength, size, age, or gender, you can learn krav maga techniques to fend off an armed attacker.

"An official's sense of humor is very important. It is his ability to put himself in the stands as a fan and laugh at his own mistakes." - John Laurie John Laurie, Ph.D. began his officiating career over 40 years ago. He has officiated at every level including over 25 years as a referee in the Big 8 and Big XII Football Conferences. He served as president of the Football Officials Associations of both conferences and is a member of the Kansas Collegiate Officials Hall of Fame. He officiated as a referee at numerous college championships including the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl.

Beyond Black Belt reveals why not all black belts are created equal. Using fascinating behind-the-scenes insights and anecdotes, Gary Purdue exposes the secrets of advanced karate ranks in this must read for anyone interested in the martial arts.

Through popular movies starring Bruce Lee and songs like the disco hit "Kung Fu Fighting," martial arts have found a central place in the Western cultural imagination. But what would 'martial arts' be without the explosion of media texts and images that brought it to a wide audience in the late 1960s and early 1970s? In this examination of the media history of what we now call martial arts, author Paul Bowman makes the bold case that the phenomenon of martial arts is chiefly an invention of media representations. Rather than passively taking up a preexisting history of martial arts practices-some of which, of course, predated the martial arts boom in popular culture-media images and narratives actively constructed martial arts. Grounded in a historical survey of the British media history of martial arts such as Bartitsu, jujutsu, judo, karate, tai chi, and MMA across a range of media, this book thoroughly recasts our understanding of the history of martial arts. By interweaving theories of key thinkers on historiography, such as Foucault and Hobsbawm, and Said's ideas on Orientalism with analyses of both mainstream and marginal media texts, Bowman arrives at the surprising insight that media representations created martial arts rather than the other way around. In this way, he not only deepens our understanding of martial arts but also demonstrates the productive power of media discourses.

In this first and only biography on the life and boxing career of heavyweight boxing contender Joe Jennette, author Joe Botti chronicles the life and career of this interracial athlete who competed in the longest boxing contest of the twentieth century. From 1904 to 1922 Jennette faced and defeated the most dangerous fighters of his era, including Jack Johnson, Sam Langford, and Sam McVea. Jennette was unable to secure a title shot due to the fact that the world was fixated with finding a Caucasian boxer to defeat Jack Johnson in the "great white hope" era. The story deals with the struggles of interracial romance, racism, and the world of boxing in the early twentieth century. Joe Botti is the Founder and Head Coach of the Union City Boxing Club in Union City, N.J. He studied at William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J. A former amateur boxer, Botti has trained over 30 New Jersey Golden Glove champions and currently manages and trains professional and amateur boxers.