With over 45 years of experience in the ring, on the mat, and in the street, Loren W. Christensen understands the daily challenges martial artists face. In this book he has put together a collection of over 400 tips, drills, principles, concepts, and exercises to give you the edge, no matter what style of martial art you practice. Discover quick and innovative ways to improve your punching, kicking, sparring, and self-defense skills-plus dozens of tips to develop speed, power, and flexibility. If you are feeling stuck or bored in your martial arts routine, Loren's no-nonsense style will get you up and training with a fire you have not felt in years. Highlights include: *10 ways to improve your speed*5 ways to increase your power*10 ways to train for self-defense*10 ways to improve health and fitness*Dozens of tips for improving kicks, blocks, and hand strikes*Guidance on psychological preparation Fighter's Fact Book includes hundreds of training methods drawn from the author's vast experience, research, and interviews with top instructors from around the country. This is an essential reference for every martial arts student and instructor.

A History of the Samurai tells the complete story of Japan's legendary warrior class from beginning to end--an epic tale of intrigue, bloodshed and bravery that is central to an understanding of the Japanese character and of Japanese history. It describes in detail the core Samurai philosophy of Bushido--"the way of the warrior"--a complex code of conduct embracing ideals of honor and loyalty that continues to govern the Japanese way of life today. Historian Jonathan Lopez-Vera offers a compelling look at these enigmatic warriors including: The lives of famous Samurai--Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsman; Tomoe Gozen, the woman who became a Samurai; Tokugawa Ieyasu, the last Shogun; and many more The tragic tale of the 47 Ronin who chose honor over their own lives and were forced to commit ritual suicide after avenging their fallen master The philosophy of Bushido, "the Way of the Warrior," the code of conduct that embraced the ideals of honor and loyalty and governed the Samurai way of living The decline of the Samurai and their transformation from rough, battle-hardened warriors to highly educated philosopher-poets Illustrated with 125 archival prints and photos, the nobility and grandeur of the Samurai is brilliantly showcased in this book. Readers will enjoy immersing themselves in the Samurai's world, as historian Jonathan Lopez-Vera traces the fascinating story of the rise and fall of these enigmatic warriors throughout Japanese history.

English translation of one of the most significant medieval texts on fighting with swords. Completed in 1482, Johannes Leckuchner's Art of Combat with the "Langes Messer" (Messerfechtkunst) is among the most important documents on the combat arts of the Middle Ages. The Messer was a single-edged, one-handed utility sword peculiar to central Europe, but Leckuchner's techniques apply to cut-and-thrust swords in general: not only is this treatise the single most substantial work on the use of one-handed swords to survive from this period, but it is the most detailed explanation of the two-handed sword techniques of the German "Liechtenauer" school dating back to the 1300s. Leckuchner's lavish manuscript consists of over four hundred illustrations with explanatory text, in which the author, a parish priest, rings the changes on bladework, deceits, and grappling, with techniques ranging from life-or-death escapes from an armed assailant to slapstick moves designed to please the crowd in public fencing matches. This translation, complete with all illustrations from the manuscript, makes the treatise accessible for the first time since the author's untimely death less than a year after its completion left his major work to be lost for generations. An extensive introduction, notes, and glossary analyze and contextualize the work and clarify its technical content. Jeffrey L. Forgeng is curator of Arms and Armor and Medieval Art at the Worcester Art Museum, and teaches as Adjunct Professor of History at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Bruce Lee Jeet Kune Do is the iconic book presenting the martial art created by Bruce Lee as explained in the master's own words. In 1970, Bruce Lee suffered a back injury that confined him to bed. Rather than allowing this to slow his growth as a martial artist, he read feverishly on Eastern philosophy and Western psychology and self help books, constructing his own views on the totality of combat and life. It was during this time that Lee wrote 7 volumes containing his thoughts, ideas, opinions, and research into the art of unarmed combat, and how it applies to the everyday life. Some of this material was posthumously published in 1975, but much more existed. This landmark book serves as a more complete presentation of Bruce Lee's notes on his art of Jeet Kune Do. The development of his unique martial art form, its principles, core techniques, and lesson plans are presented here in Lee's own words. It also features Lee's illustrative sketches and his remarkable treatise on the nature of combat, success through martial arts, and the importance of a positive mental attitude in training. In addition, there are a series of "Questions Every Martial Artist Must Ask Himself," that Lee posed to himself and intended to explore as part of his own development, but never lived to complete. Jeet Kune Do: A Comprehensive Guide to Bruce Lee's Martial Way is a book every Bruce Lee fan must have.

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.

This samurai strategy books is the first widely available English translation of Yamamoto Kansuke's classic treatise on strategy and tactics. Secrets of the Japanese Art of Warfare is Thomas Cleary's translation of the seminal writings attributed to Yamamoto Kansuke on Japanese martial arts and military service. A mysterious man of humble origins, Yamamoto distinguished himself in the service of the redoubtable Takeda Shingen. Yamamoto was a career soldier and founder of the so-called "school of certain victory," from which the famous Miyamoto Musashi (The Book of Five Rings) emerged. His school developed the art of discerning situational combat advantage so that a warrior was able to commit to action only when success was virtually assured. Translated and accompanied with helpful insights by Thomas Cleary, one of the foremost translators of the martial wisdom of Asia, this book is for all persons engaged in military, law enforcement, or emergency response, as well as for martial artists, athletes, business executives, diplomats and politicians.

Mick Foley is a nice man, a family man who loves amusement parks and eating ice cream in bed. So how to explain those Japanese death matches in rings with explosives, golden thumbtacks and barbed wire instead of rope? The second-degree burn tissue? And the missing ear that was ripped off during a bout-in which he kept fighting? Here is an intimate glimpse into Mick Foley's mind, his history, his work and what some might call his pathology. Now with a bonus chapter summarizing the past 15 months-from his experience as a bestselling author through his parting thoughts before his final match. A tale of blood, sweat, tears and more blood-all in his own words-straight from the twisted genius behind Cactus Jack, Dude Love, and Mankind.

Boxing - Training, Skills and Techniques is essential reading for both recreational and competitive boxers, and all those who wish to take up amateur boxing, or participate in a boxing-based programme. It offers practical advice on the many crucial factors that need to be taken into account if the boxer is to maximize his, or her, performance and potential. An overview of the history of boxing, the amateur code, boxing weights, recreational boxing, equipment and attire A detailed consideration of both basic and advanced techniques The role of the coach Fitness training, gym work, running, conditioning, speed and agility training Making the weight and nutrition Planning the season, and much more

The inspiration for the Jedi knights of Star Wars and the films of Akira Kurosawa, the legendary Japanese samurai have captured modern imaginations. Yet with these elite warriors who were bound by a code of honor called Bushido--the Way of the Warrior--the reality behind the myth proves more fascinating than any fiction. In Samurai, celebrated author John Man provides a unique and captivating look at their true history, told through the life of one man: Saigo Takamori, known to many as "the last samurai." In 1877 Takamori led a rebel army of samurai in a heroic "last stand" against the Imperial Japanese Army, who sought to end the "way of the sword" in favor of firearms and modern warfare. Man's thrilling narrative brings to life the hidden world of the samurai as never before.

Including material and photographs not included in most of the 100 other books about the champion, Ishmael Reed's The Complete Muhammad Ali is more than just a biography - it is a fascinating portrait of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. An honest, balanced portrayal of Ali, the book includes voices that have been omitted from other books. It charts Ali's evolution from Black Nationalism to a universalism, but does not discount the Nation of Islam and Black Nationalism's important influence on his intellectual development. Filipino American author Emil Guillermo speaks about how The Thrilla In Manila brought the Philippines into the 20th century. Fans of Muhammad Ali, boxing fans, and those interested in modern African American history and the Nation of Islam will be fascinated by this biography by an accomplished American author.

Traditionally, the martial arts community believed that engaging in weight training was detrimental to the performance of the art, that it would hinder one's flexibility, speed, and agility. To be effective fighters, martial artists had to be quick and light on their feet like Bruce Lee and other slim and small, but powerful fighters. They maintained that karate was all about good techniques and proper timing and that muscle size has little to do with it. After all, the art of self-defense lies in the premise that smaller, weaker people can defend themselves effectively against larger, stronger opponents. While it's true that good technique and proper timing are essential, there's no reason to believe that muscular fitness will hinder a martial artist's effectiveness. In fact, just the opposite is true: with increased strength comes the enhanced ability to defend oneself. A well-designed weight-training routine--in addition to regular martial arts practice--will make practitioners stronger, not slower. In some cases, it can even improve their speed. Fortunately, the attitude toward weight training in the martial arts community has changed--largely due to an abundance of scientific data showing the positive effects of weight training for all kinds of sports. Today's athletes have much to gain by using weights to improve their performance. For martial artists, these gains include increased strength, increased resistance to fatigue, and even decreased risk of injury. In this book, veteran martial artist and fitness expert Mikhail Krupnik shows readers how to design a weight-training program to fit their individual needs and goals. From all-important safety issues, determining one's levelof fitness, and setting goals, to specific exercises, sample routines, and even proper nutrition--he covers everything martial artists need to know to enhance their performance with weight training.

Reach for the Highest Level of Tai Chi Practice You can achieve the highest level of tai chi practice by including tai chi sword in your training regimen. Here's your chance to take the next step in your tai chi journey. Once you have attained proficiency in the bare hand form and have gained listening and sensing skills from pushing hands, you are ready for tai chi sword. The elegant and effective techniques of traditional tai chi sword Tai chi sword will help you control your qi, refine your tai chi skills, and master yourself. You will strengthen and relax your body, calm and focus your mind, improve your balance, and develop proper tai chi breathing. This book provides a solid and practical approach to learning tai chi sword accurately and quickly. Includes over 500 photographs with motion arrows! *Historical overview of tai chi sword*Fundamentals, including hand forms and footwork*Generating power with the sword*12 tai chi sword breathing exercises*30 key tai chi sword techniques with applications*12 fundamental tai chi sword solo drills*Complete 54-movement Yang Tai Chi Sword sequence*48 martial applications from the tai chi sword sequence*10 tai chi sword 2-person matching drills No matter your age, tai chi sword is a wonderful way to improve your health and well-being. Tai Chi Chuan is one of the more popular health activities practiced today. According to the NCCAM div. of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, between 2.3-3 million people practice tai chi in the United States. Recommended by healthcare professionals, practiced for pleasure, fitness, or martial arts; by young and old alike, tai chi creates a vast community of people practicing for many different reasons. Many students expand their practice to include the Tai Chi Sword. It's fun, builds strength, and develops concentration and focus. Tai chi sword is integral to the long-term study of tai chi and qigong. This revised edition of our classic book on Tai Chi Sword includes a new modern, easy-to-follow layout; each movement is presented in 4-6 large photographs with lucid instructions on how to perform them; shows martial applications to help get the angles correct. Other sections offer a brief history of Tai Chi Sword, fundamental training routines, and qigong exercises to connect your Tai Chi Sword practice to your internal health.

Mounted encounters by armored knights locked in desperate hand-to-hand combat, stabbing and wrestling in tavern brawls, deceits and brutalities in street affrays, balletic homicide on the dueling field -- these were the martial arts of Renaissance Europe. In this extensively illustrated book Sydney Anglo, a leading historian of the Renaissance and its symbolism, provides the first complete study of the martial arts from the late fifteenth to the late seventeenth century. He explains the significance of martial arts in Renaissance education and everyday life and offers a full account of the social implications of one-to-one combat training.

Like the martial arts of Eastern societies, ritualized combat in the West was linked to contemporary social and scientific concerns, Anglo shows. During the Renaissance, physical exercise was regarded as central to the education of knights and gentlemen. Soldiers wielded a variety of weapons on the battlefield, and it was normal for civilians to carry swords and know how to use them. In schools across the continent, professional masters-of-arms taught the skills necessary to survive in a society where violence was endemic and life cheap. Anglo draws on a wealth of evidence -- from detailed treatises and sketches by jobbing artists to magnificent images by Durer and Cranach and descriptions of real combat, weapons and armor -to reconstruct and illustrate the arts taught by these ancient masters-at-arms.

The sport of boxing is dying in a last explosion of dollars. Its beleaguered performers are reaching up for a last payday with bravery, one-liners and self-delusion. Fittingly it is in boxing's capital, in a faded downtown Vegas casino with a hooker for company, that the author, a boxing writer and sometime boxer's agent, reflects on his own exit from the scene. As the boxing world starts to recede, the characters he has lived with, and for, rear sharply into focus one last time: the astonishing Jack Kid Berg, and Kid Chocolate the Havana Dandy, and 'Sweet C' McMillan. This Bloody Mary is the journey of an obsession. It started innocently enough. But as it proceeds, the arc lights begin to shift, until even the shadows in the minds of those who inhabit and surround the ring seem caught in their glare.

A breakout success and a "New York Times" bestseller in hardcover, "Got Fight?" is the uproarious and out of control book from Forrest Griffin, one of the most outrageous personalities in the Ultimate Fight Championship (UFC). The former light heavyweight champ of the UFC, Forrest is one of the UFC's biggest stars in mixed martials arts, the fastest-growing sport in the world. Now in "Got Fight?", the man who's been called 'the most popular fighter in the UFC' offers personal stories from inside and outside the Octagon to give readers a glimpse into the mind of a mixed martial artist and illustrate his 50 principles of being a fighter, with topics ranging from mentally preparing before a professional fight to kicking it into high gear when your ring is the street. Mixing his fighting tips with his own booming personality and his trademark sense of humour, Forrest creates his own unique, self-depricating version of self-help. In these pages, you will learn about true mental toughness - whether it's scraping it out in the Octagon or picking up chicks.

T'ai Chi For Dummies gives you insight into the 5,000 year old practice of Tai Chi. This friendly guide explains the mental and physical benefits that you can enjoy through the practice of Tai Chi fitness routines, and it's filled with illustrations and step-by-step instructions on the 24 movements in Tai Chi. Plus, it covers the 5 families of Tai Chi, as well as Qigong and Pushing Hands.

Professional wrestling is one of the most popular performance practices in the United States and around the world, drawing millions of spectators to live events and televised broadcasts. The displays of violence, simulated and actual, may be the obvious appeal, but that is just the beginning. Fans debate performance choices with as much energy as they argue about their favorite wrestlers. The ongoing scenarios and presentations of manly and not-so-manly characters-from the flamboyantly feminine to the hypermasculine-simultaneously celebrate and critique, parody and affirm the American dream and the masculine ideal. Sharon Mazer looks at the world of professional wrestling from a fan's-eye-view high in the stands and from ringside in the wrestlers' gym. She investigates how performances are constructed and sold to spectators, both on a local level and in the "big leagues" of the WWF/E. She shares a close-up view of a group of wrestlers as they work out, get their faces pushed to the mat as part of their initiation into the fraternity of the ring, and dream of stardom. In later chapters, Mazer explores professional wrestling's carnivalesque presentation of masculinities ranging from the cute to the brute, as well as the way in which the performances of women wrestlers often enter into the realm of pornographic. Finally, she explores the question of the "real" and the "fake" as the fans themselves confront it. First published in 1998, this new edition of Professional Wrestling: Sport and Spectacle both preserves the original's snapshot of the wrestling scene of the 1980s and 1990s and features an up-to-date perspective on the current state of play.

In the last seven centuries, many songs and poems have been composed about Taijiquan. These have played a major role in preserving the knowledge and wisdom of the masters, although in many cases, the identity of the authors and the dates of origin have been lost. For the last twenty years, Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming has translated many of these documents and according to him, he believes numerous are incomplete for reasons relating to: forgotten oral secrets, authors personal understandings narrowly focused and many documents are missing. Taijiquan Theory of Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming is an attempt to join together the various theories on Taijiquan in one complete text. "Based upon my personal background and understanding, I have tried my best to compile the Taijiquan Theory and practice concepts in this book. I have attempted to make this effort as complete as possible". This book is structured with songs and poems, followed by the original Chinese text and any interpretation of the passage. All of the songs and poems have been written by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming. *About regulating the Body, Breath, Mind, Qi & Spirit*About Jin, Pushing Hands & Sparring*Taiji long and short fighting strategies*Relationship of Jin & Qi*Unification of the internal Qi & external physical manifestations of the Qi

An examination of women's self-defense culture and its relationship to feminism.

I was once a frightened feminist. So begins Martha McCaughey's odyssey into the dynamic world of women's self- defense, a culture which transforms women involved with it and which has equally profound implications for feminist theory and activism.

Unprecedented numbers of American women are learning how to knock out, maim, even kill men who assault them. Sales of mace and pepper spray have skyrocketed. Some 14 million women own handguns. From behind the scenes at gun ranges, martial arts dojos, fitness centers offering Cardio Combat, and in padded attacker courses like Model Mugging, Real Knockouts demonstrates how self-defense trains women out of the femininity that makes them easy targets for men's abuse.

And yet much feminist thought, like the broader American culture, seems deeply ambivalent about women's embrace of violence, even in self-defense. Investigating the connection between feminist theory and women physically fighting back, McCaughey found self-defense culture to embody, literally, a new brand of feminism.

This work brings a fresh perspective to the history of modern prizefighting, a sport which has evolved over several centuries to become one of mankind's most lasting and valued sporting attractions. With his primary focus outside the ropes, the author shows how organizers, publicity agents, and political allies overcame both legal and moral roadblocks to make fisticuffing a lively commercial enterprise. The book begins with the clandestine bare-knuckle fights in eighteenth-century London, and ends with the vibrant, large-scale productions of modern Las Vegas "fight nights." Along the way, he explains many of the myths about antiquarian prizefighters, describes the origins of slave fight folklore, and examines the forces that transformed Las Vegas into the world's leading venue for important fights.

Since ancient times Tai Chi Chuan has been practiced as a holistic mind/body fitness system, bringing immense benefits for practitioners in health, longevity, relaxation, and concentration. Tai Chi Chuan was also practiced as an effective and deadly martial art. Because of this, the ancient masters rarely disclosed their secrets, guarding them as closely as they would military secrets. They preserved their profound insights in obscure songs, poems, and classics, revealing only to those they considered trustworthy and ready for such knowledge. That is, until this century. Now, you can reap the benefits of centuries of wisdom and practical experience to deepen and refine your Tai Chi Chuan. Discover ways to reach the essence of your Form and take your Push Hands to higher levels. Dr. Yang has translated these classics from the original Chinese, and has written commentaries to make them more accessible to contemporary minds. Tai Chi Secrets of the Wu Style is an invaluable resource for students who seek true understanding of their art. *Useful for any style of Tai Chi Chuan.*Sound, practical advice for any martial art.*Key points for incorporating the teachings into your practice.