For any woman who's ever felt burned out, beaten down, or needs a reminder of how powerful she is, third-degree black belt and motivational coach of ABC's "My Diet Is Better Than Yours" teaches a unique brand of badassery--how to get back up no matter what life throws at you; how to level up your mind, body and spirit; and how to turn your setbacks into secret weapons. Jennifer Cassetta is a nationally recognized keynote speaker, health and empowerment coach, and a 3rd-degree black belt in Hapkido. After a brush with death on September 11th, 2001, three blocks south of the World Trade Center and then fending off an attacker late one night months later, Jenn took a deep dive into martial arts training where she learned how to harness the power of mind, body, and spirit. Now she teaches women from colleges to corporations how to unleash their inner badass by using dojo wisdom as a metaphor for life. Whether the opponent is a financial hardship, a difficult boss, or being in a manipulative relationship, Cassetta teaches readers how to flex their mental muscle, how to rise above fears, and how to turn setbacks into superpowers. Through thought-provoking exercises and no-holds-barred humor, she shows women how to close the door on blame and shame; how to grow from their Greatest (S)Hits List of life disappointments; and how to disarm and defend against the blocks that hold them back. In life--just like in martial arts--we get pushed and pulled and kicked down. We get banged up and bruised and stretched to our limits. Cassetta champions women that while they may bend, they will not break, and that they have the power within them to rise up and stand tall. Chapter 1: WHITE BELT: Embrace the Suck Chapter 2: YELLOW BELT: Bounce Back Chapter 3: ORANGE BELT: Block the Bullshit Chapter 4: GREEN BELT: Find Your Roar Chapter 5: BLUE BELT: Elevate Your Energy Chapter 6: RED BELT: Connect with Your Warrior Within Chapter 7: BLACK BELT: Take the Lead

Now in paperback! "From the first page to the last, Klein's prose retains its powers of enchantment and illumination. It is one of the best boxing books ever penned." -Boston Globe "[A] muscular, relentlessly detailed book." -Wall Street Journal "I can lick any son-of-a-bitch in the world." So boasted John L. Sullivan, the first modern heavyweight boxing champion of the world, a man who was the gold standard of American sport for more than a decade, and the first athlete to earn more than a million dollars. He had a big ego, big mouth, and bigger appetites. His womanizing, drunken escapades, and chronic police-blotter presence were godsends to a burgeoning newspaper industry. The larger-than-life boxer embodied the American Dream for late nineteenth-century immigrants as he rose from Boston's Irish working class to become the most recognizable man in the nation. In the process, the "Boston Strong Boy" transformed boxing from outlawed bare-knuckle fighting into the gloved spectacle we know today. Strong Boy tells the story of America's first sports superstar, a self-made man who personified the power and excesses of the Gilded Age. Everywhere John L. Sullivan went, his fists backed up his bravado. Sullivan's epic brawls, such as his 75-round bout against Jake Kilrain, and his cross-country barnstorming tour in which he literally challenged all of America to a fight are recounted in vivid detail, as are his battles outside the ring with a troubled marriage, wild weight and fitness fluctuations, and raging alcoholism. Strong Boy gives readers ringside seats to the colorful tale of one of the country's first Irish-American heroes and the birth of the American sports media and the country's celebrity obsession with athletes.

Nei Gong has been a well-kept secret within the Daoist sects of China for centuries. Based upon the original teachings of the great sage Laozi, it has only ever been taught to close students of the masters chosen as the heads of the ancient orders. This book provides a breakdown of the entire Nei Gong process, and explains in plain English the philosophy which underpins Nei Gong practice, and which is based on the original teachings of the ancient Daoist priests. The methodology of Sung breathing, an advanced meditative practice which has until now been reserved for 'inner-door' students is described, and the book contains an entire set of Qigong exercises accompanied by instructional photographs and drawings. This book will be of interest to all practitioners of Qi Gong, martial arts and meditation, and will be a rewarding read for anyone interested in Eastern philosophy.

The Olympic Club was established in New Orleans in mid-1883 as a gentlemen's athletic club catering to the city's expanding immigrant population in the Third District, known then as the Faubourg Washington, just downriver from the Faubourg Marigny. Between 1883 and 1893 the club's membership grew from twenty-three to nearly eleven hundred gentlemen engaging in a wide variety of athletic and leisure-time pursuits ranging from target-shooting and gymnastics to billiards and boxing. Members included city councilmen and other politicians, bartenders and businessmen, attorneys, physicians, and represented a diverse cross-section of New Orleans society. By 1889, boxing was the single most popular sport in the city and professional boxing was prominently offered by the athletic clubs across New Orleans. At that time in New Orleans, as indeed throughout the United States, there were prohibitions against boxing and prizefighting. But in 1889 a revised city ordinance and an equally nebulous state statute were frequently tested by the Olympic Club to allow boxing events sponsored by chartered athletic clubs. Thus began a transformative process at the Olympic Club that propelled the club and New Orleans into the spotlight as the epicenter of boxing in America. In a brief four-year span between 1890 and 1894 the Olympic Club's massive 10,000 seat arena was the venue for six world championship title fights and seven national or regional title bouts. The most famous of these events was the Fistic Carnival-an event in 1892 that featured three successive world championship title matches over three successive days, culminating in the heavyweight championship fight between John L. Sullivan and James J. Corbett. However, increased competition, legal challenges, and a dramatic shift in the moral standards in New Orleans saw prizefighting fall into a precipitous decline, hastened by several deaths in the ring, most notably that of Andy Bowen, the "Louisiana Tornado." By early 1896 the club went into liquidation, experienced a brief revival in 1987, only to end in a fiery inferno that reduced the country's most popular prizefighting venue of the 19th century to a pile of rubble and ashes. The Olympic Club of New Orleans provides an in-depth chronicle of boxing in New Orleans during the latter half of the nineteenth century, interspersed with brief vignettes of New Orleans' history that helped shape the prevailing attitudes influencing the rise and fall of perhaps the most famous boxing venue of its day-the Olympic Club.

Sports medicine and sports science are relatively new and rapidly developing fields of knowledge. During the past 2 decades, a significant body of scientific knowledge has been published in these areas. However, there is a demand for practical ref- ences which address sports medicine and science in the context of different sports. This demand is higher in some sports including combat sports, which are highly physically and mentally demanding, and cause challenging issues such as risk of blood-borne infections, weight reduction, head injuries, stress management, and safety for women and children. This book has been developed to meet the needs of the practitioners who work with combat sports athletes in order to improve their health and performance. Combat sports include four Olympic sports (boxing, wrestling, judo, and t- kwondo) and other popular sports such as karate, kick boxing, and Wushu. These sports are popular in most countries of the world, both at competitive and rec- ational levels. Combat sports are practiced by people of different ages for a variety of reasons such as to gain fitness and health benefits and to learn self-defense.

This insightful study offers a fresh perspective on the life and career of champion boxer Joe Louis. The remarkable success and global popularity of the "Brown Bomber" made him a lightning rod for debate over the role and rights of African Americans in the United States. Historian Marcy S. Sacks traces both Louis's career and the criticism and commentary his fame elicited to reveal the power of sports and popular culture in shaping American social attitudes. Supported by key contemporary documents, Joe Louis: Sports and Race in Twentieth-Century America is both a succinct introduction to a larger-than-life figure and an essential case study of the intersection of popular culture and race in the mid-century United States.

As soon as heavyweight boxer Joe Louis became a public figure in the 1930s, journalists and other social commentators began speculating about the significance of an African American man garnering popularity in a racially segregated society. Both during his lifetime and afterward, Louis noteriety extended beyond the world of sports to American popular culture. Many falsely heralded the boxer 's popularity as a sign that American racism was in sharp decline, Louis heroic status, however, did not fully reflect the complicated racial dynamics either within the sports world or in America, in general.

In Joe Louis: Sports and Race in the Twentieth Century, Marcy Sacks gives an account of the life of a man famous both for his sports career and for his race. With excerpts from newspaper clippings, radio broadcasts, poetry, and interviews, Sacks contextualizes Louis life and the legacy he left behind.

The first long-term historical-sociological analysis of the development of Japanese martial arts. Uses the theoretical framework of figurational sociology and draws on rich empirical data. A new contribution to our understanding of the socio-cultural dynamics of state formation. Considers the neglected role of women in martial arts.

This book explores the lived experiences of boxers in a French banlieue, largely populated by people from working-class and immigrant backgrounds. Jerome Beauchez, who joined in the men's daily workouts for many years, analyzes the act of boxing as a high-stakes confrontation that extends well beyond the walls of the gym. Exploring the physical and existential realities of combat, the author provides a multifaceted "thick description" of this world and shows that the violence faced by the gym's members is not so much to be found in the ring as in the adversity of everyday racism and social exclusion. Boxing can therefore be understood as an act of resistance that is about more than simply fighting an opponent and that reflects all the existential struggles facing these men who are both stigmatized and socially dominated by race and class.

In this new book, Ms. Delza, the leading proponent in the United States of the Wu Style, offers succinct and illuminating comments from her viewpoint as both teacher and practitioner.

As told to Leif Eriksson and Martin Svensson. Alexander Gustafsson grew up in Arboga, a small town in Sweden. A country boy, he started boxing when he was 10 - winning the national youth medal at the age of 16. After a handful of run-ins with the law he began practicing mixed martial arts and working his way up the ranks of the UFC. Nicknamed The Mauler by his training partners, due to his power, killer instinct and somewhat recklessness whilst fighting; this is the story of Gustafssons struggle to succeed in one of the world's most challenging sports. Family, friends, and the Christian faith all play decisive rolls. But above all, it's Alexander's unique talent for martial arts which, in just a few short years, sees him become one of the UFC's main poster boys. The Mauler is a frank and at times painful account of a young man rapidly heading off the rails, and of his fight to reach the top of his game in an effort to change his life forever.

BRITISH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR. SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR PRIZE 2017. SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAMES TAIT BLACK BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR. WINNER OF THE PEN/ESPN AWARD FOR LITERARY SPORTS WRITING. THE TIMES SPORTS BOOK AWARDS BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR. The most comprehensive and definitive biography of Muhammad Ali that has ever been published, based on more than 500 interviews with those who knew him best, with many dramatic new discoveries about his life and career. When the frail, trembling figure of Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic flame in Atlanta in 1996, a TV audience of up to 3 billion people was once again gripped by the story of the world's most famous sporting icon. The man who had once been reviled for his refusal to fight for his country and for his fast-talking denunciation of his opponents was now almost universally adored, the true cost of his astonishing boxing career clear to see. In Jonathan Eig's ground-breaking biography, backed up with much detailed new research specially commissioned for this book, we get a stunning portrait of one of the most significant personalities of the second half of the twentieth century. We are not only taken inside the ring for some of the most famous bouts in boxing history, we also learn about his personal life, his finances, his faith and the moments when the first signs of his physical decline began to show. Ali was a symbol of freedom and courage, a hero to many, but this is also a very personal story of a warrior who vanquished every opponent but was finally brought down by his own stubborn refusal to quit. An epic tale of a fighter who became the world's most famous pacifist, Ali: A Life does full justice to an extraordinary man. 'Ali: A Life is the business - 640 pages of patient scholarship and intelligent reassessment written in crackly prose' Giles Smith, The Times '[A] richly researched, sympathetic yet unsparing portrait ... Ali: A Life is an epic of a biography' Joyce Carol Oates, New York Times

As a ten-time Brazilian jiu jitsu World Champion and a former MMA World Champion, Roger Gracie is widely considered to be the greatest practitioner of Brazilian jiu jitsu of all time.

His grandfather, the great Carlos Gracie, was the architect of modern day Brazilian jiu jitsu and for Roger, growing up in the famous Gracie family, every conversation seemed to be about fighting,

Within this family of supermen, this self-contained, chubby kid promised little; in fact, nobody expected Roger to become the warrior he later did. But once he had made up his mind as a teenager to become the greatest, Roger's star was firmly aligned with his purpose. Over time, he gradually became unstoppable, both in his thirst for jiu jitsu knowledge and in his single-mindedness to strip back overly complex moves to their simplest most effective forms, just as his grandfather had done before him.

In The Tao of the Champion, for the first time, Gracie shares lessons from a career of fighting at the highest level including:

-'Learning to breathe', -'Controlling your emotions', -'Mastering your thinking', and ' -'Developing Quiet Inner Grace'.

Going far beyond the mat, this hard won wisdom is applicable to everyone from any background and in any walk of life who longs to find strength, courage, health, and peace.

Many martial artists, once they reach a certain level of proficiency with their barehanded fighting forms, choose to expand their knowledge to include weapons techniques. But what weapon to choose? Over the past 5,000 years, the Chinese have developed a vast array of weapons, built for a multitude of purposes. What are these purposes? What is the background of these weapons? What weapon is right for you? Ancient Chinese Weapons: A Martial Artists Guide is an easy reference guide. Profusely illustrated, easy to navigate, and conveniently broken down into four main classifications: Long Weapons, Short Weapons, Soft Weapons, and Projectile / Thrown Weapons. Inside you will find weapons of many types, from swords and spears, sharpened coins to flying claws! Even if you're not a martial artist, but have an interest in history and warfare, you'll find this guide an invaluable resource. * Includes techniques and fighting strategy.* History and evolution of weapons.* Translations of Chinese terms.* Over 130 illustrations.

HANDBOOK OF TAI CHI CH'UAN incorporates all three forms of T'ai Chi Ch'uan exercises, derived from the Yang style - Short Form, Long Form, and Push Hands. Along with more than 600 illustrations, Zhang provides easy-to-understand descriptions of the postures and movements used in each form. Two charts are included to show the foot position and body orientation for both the Short and Long Forms.

People of any age can reap the benefits of T'ai Chi Ch'uan. Use this practical, thorough, and accessible guidebook to learn the fitness art of T'ai Chi Ch'uan and make it part of your daily life.

For fans of Ronda Rousey's My Fight Your Fight and John Kavanagh's Win or Learn comes the first book from UFC fighter and now analyst Dan Hardy, who will lift the lid on his own career, give his views on other MMA competitors such as Conor McGregor, Michael Bisping, Georges St-Pierre, Nate Diaz and Amanda Nunes, and discuss just what it takes to compete in the most brutal and competitive sport in the world. Dan Hardy's first book is much more than a straightforward MMA autobiography. Taking the key fights from his career, Hardy explores the sport with the unparalleled insight which has made him the best analyst working today. From training in China with Shaolin monks, to how MMA helped him channel his rage, to psychedelic drugs and the ceremony in Peru that changed his life, to tapping into his 'reptilian brain' and the psychological warfare of UFC, to his epic title fight with Georges St-Pierre and the dark side of the sport, no stone is left unturned. Hardy also speaks eloquently of the heart condition that forced him to stop fighting, the road to recovery, and the evolution of a sport that flies in the face of mainstream disapproval to entertain and thrill millions of obsessives around the globe.

Krav Maga is a modern and proven self-defence system. Easy to learn because it is based on natural reflexes, it is extremely efficient to use against one or more attackers. There is only one goal: to survive violent conflicts as unscathed as possible. Developed by the Israeli army and formerly an insider tip in military training, this close combat system is booming worldwide. Krav Maga is not a traditional or competitive martial art but pure self-defence. It's all about survival. Its techniques are constantly developed and adapted to current threat situations. In his book Krav Maga: Effective Techniques for Self-Defense, his second on this self-defence method, the author methodically explains more than 100 Krav Maga techniques for self-defence-including more than 300 detailed photos-by using the principles that make this system so successful. It includes information on both well-founded basics as well as advanced techniques, depending on the distance to the attacker. The effective techniques for self-defence in this book help to demonstrate what Krav Maga is all about, gives exercise tips for more successful and safe execution, and provides information to help the reader further develop the learned techniques, making this the official book about Krav Maga training.

First published in 1995. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Performance and Professional Wrestling is the first edited volume to consider professional wrestling explicitly from the vantage point of theatre and performance studies. Moving beyond simply noting its performative qualities or reading it via other performance genres, this collection of essays offers a complete critical reassessment of the popular sport. Topics such as the suspension of disbelief, simulation, silence and speech, physical culture, and the performance of pain within the squared circle are explored in relation to professional wrestling, with work by both scholars and practitioners grouped into seven short sections: Audience Circulation Lucha Gender Queerness Bodies Race A significant re-reading of wrestling as a performing art, Performance and Professional Wrestling makes essential reading for scholars and students intrigued by this uniquely theatrical sport.

Two of the most prominent and celebrated athletes in the world, Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard came together to contest the $100million SuperFight on April 6, 1987 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. From Frank Sinatra to U2, Joan Collins to Whoopi Goldberg, the stars were drawn to ringside by the huge box-office appeal of the blue-collar, dominant world middleweight champion facing his nemesis, the charismatic and flamboyant Sugar Ray, who was coming out of virtually five years of retirement. Drawing on his deep reservoir of nerve, outstanding technique and a strategy which Budd Schulberg - who provided Marlon Brando with the immortal line, 'I coulda been a contender' - called a compound optical illusion, Leonard won on points. It was boxing's greatest comeback, but to this day the judges' decision remains bitterly contested and not merely by the protagonists. But the story of The SuperFight is much more than the story of the fight, for it details two remarkable lives, the demons that drove both men and the formidable challenges they overcame inside and outside the ring. Hagler grew up in the Newark, New Jersey ghetto of Central Ward, where a riot/rebellion rooted in racism claimed the lives of 26 people, injured 1,000 more and, to the young teenager, was "like the end of the world". Fuelled by anger, he climbed to the top of his domain and ruled for seven years as champion, one of the most accomplished in boxing's annals. Leonard was an Olympic gold medallist and all-American hero whose career was cut short by a detached retina after he became the world welterweight king. He was Muhammad Ali's gifted and anointed successor but he succumbed to alcohol and drug abuse and for years was tormented by a secret - the sexual abuse he endured as an amateur boxer by a trusted coach. As provocative and polarising in its own way as Ali's defining rivalry with Joe Frazier, this is the story of The SuperFight, of Marvin Hagler and Ray Leonard and a fierce fire that still burns.

Finalist 2008 IP's Book AwardThe Tai Chi Book is a detailed guide for students who've learned a Tai Chi form and want to know more. It also introduces beginners to the principles behind great Tai Chi, and answers common questions that all of us have.The Tai Chi Book shows you how to use Tai Chi to gain strength in your bones, muscles and vital organs, how to improve your balance and flexibility, and how to achieve remarkable vitality.The author also introduces complex elements of Tai Chi, including ways to develop the relaxed strength known as sung, how to cultivate and feel Chi, how to train mindfulness, and a helpful chapter on being a student.In addition, the author explores the debate over Tai Chi breathing patterns, explains in detail proper body alignment, and tells why Pushing Hands is more important than you might think.The Tai Chi Book is your guide to the fullest health benefits of Tai Chi and to higher levels of skill and ability.Like two books in one basic and advanced Tai Chi training.Find out how to choose and relate to a teacher.Develop remarkable vitality and longevity.Includes the Cheng Man-ch'ing short form.More than one hundred photos and illustrations."

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the historical, political, and technical evolution of taekwondo. Many of the supposedly 'traditional' and 'ancient' Korean cultural elements attached to taekwondo are, in fact, remnants of East Asia's modernization drive, and largely inherited from the Japanese martial arts. The current historical portrayal has created an obstacle to a clear understanding of the history of taekwondo, and presents problems and contradictions in philosophy and training methodology. Using rich empirical data, including interviews with leading figures in the field, this book brings together martial arts philosophy with an analysis of the technical aspects and the development of taekwondo, and provides a detailed comparison of karate and taekwondo techniques. It debunks nationalistic mythology surrounding taekwondo to provide a reinterpretation of taekwondo's evolution.

Performance and Professional Wrestling is the first edited volume to consider professional wrestling explicitly from the vantage point of theatre and performance studies. Moving beyond simply noting its performative qualities or reading it via other performance genres, this collection of essays offers a complete critical reassessment of the popular sport. Topics such as the suspension of disbelief, simulation, silence and speech, physical culture, and the performance of pain within the squared circle are explored in relation to professional wrestling, with work by both scholars and practitioners grouped into seven short sections: Audience Circulation Lucha Gender Queerness Bodies Race A significant re-reading of wrestling as a performing art, Performance and Professional Wrestling makes essential reading for scholars and students intrigued by this uniquely theatrical sport.