Born into extreme poverty in 1914, Jersey Joe Walcott began boxing at the age of 16 to help feed his hungry family. After ten years' boxing, without proper training and with little to show for his efforts beyond some frightful beatings, Walcott quit the ring. A chance meeting with a local fight promoter who recognized the potential in his iron chin and hard punch turned Walcott's fortunes around, launching one of the greatest comebacks in boxing history. This biography details Walcott's youth, his dismal early career, and his legendary climb to become the heavyweight champion of the world at age 37, at the time making him the oldest man to ever win the coveted title. Along the way, he battled some of the most feared contenders of his day, including Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles, and Rocky Marciano. With numerous period photographs and a foreword from Walcott's grandson, this work provides an intimate look at one of the grittiest, most determined boxers of the 20th century.

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 lifts the lid on his own career and writes with insight and eloquence on all things MMA and UFC, the brutal and ever-evolving sport that launched such superstars as Conor McGregor, Michael Bisping, Georges St-Pierre, Nate Diaz and Amanda Nunes. 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 that has made him the best analyst working today. From training in China with Shaolin monks, to how MMA helped him channel his rage, to psychedelics 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. 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.

'This is fencing!' is a rally call heard in training centres around the country. Coined by experienced GB fencing coach, Ziemowit Wojciechowski, it embodies the passion, skill and dedication needed to excel at an international level. As one of the world's most renowned foil coaches, achieving Olympic podium success and top world rankings for his fencers, Ziemowit has sustained a long and successful career, which he now unpacks in this comprehensive guide. Using real life examples and case studies, This is Fencing! offers detailed approaches to training, tactics and exercises in the foil, providing key insights into how to create both individual and club training sessions. Key topics include: the core principles of coaching, training and performance; aspects of an individual lesson; detailed examples of footwork exercises; physical and psychological preparation and practical tactical advice during competitions.

Gold Winner - 2012 eLit AwardFinalist - 2012 USA Best Books AwardHonorable Mention - 2012 Eric Hoffer Award Seven Steps to Legal, Emotional and Physical Preparation This book stands alone as an introduction to the context of self-defense. There are seven elements that must be addressed to bring self-defense training to something approaching complete. Any training that dismisses any of these areas leaves you vulnerable. 1. Legal and ethical implications. A student learning self-defense must learn force law. Otherwise it is possible to train to go to prison. Side by side with the legal rules, every student must explore his or her own ethical limitations. Most do not really know where this ethical line lies within them. 2. Violence dynamics. Self-defense must teach how attacks happen. Students must be able to recognize an attack before it happens and know what kind they are facing. 3. Avoidance. Students need to learn and practice not fighting. Learning includes escape and evasion, verbal de-escalation, and also pure-not-be there avoidance. 4. Counter-ambush. If the student didn t see the precursors or couldn t successfully avoid the encounter he or she will need a handful of actions trained to reflex level for a sudden violent attack. 5. Breaking the freeze. Freezing is almost universal in a sudden attack. Students must learn to recognize a freeze and break out of one. 6. The fight itself. Most martial arts and self-defense instructors concentrate their time right here. What is taught just needs to be in line with how violence happens in the world. 7. The aftermath. There are potential legal, psychological, and medical effects of engaging in violence no matter how justified. Advanced preparation is critical. Any teacher or student of self-defense, anyone interested in self-defense, and any person who desires a deeper understanding of violence needs to read this book.

"Knife Throwing is the most authoritative guide on every aspect of the sport. From knives and knife throwing techniques to competition and advice, as well as profiles of pioneers and legends in the field, this book covers it all." --Bobby Branton, President of American Knife Thrower's Alliance (AKTA) Not only is knife throwing fun, it is also a great sport, entertainment, recreation and exercise. It can be a wonderful hobby, pastime, or even a profession, and the fundamentals are easy to learn. Anyone who can throw a stick, stone, or baseball can also learn how to throw a knife with skill and accuracy. All you need is a good knife-designed for the purpose, whether made to throw by the handle or blade, a target, and a small portion of the back yard for the throwing range. Few sports can provide so much recreation at so little cost. Knife throwing is a sport in which individual skills can be developed to a very high degree. Expert knife throwing, like great proficiency in any other sport, is developed by natural aptitude and instinct combined with that one magic ingredient: practice! In Knife Throwing by American Knife Thrower's Alliance founder, Harry McEvoy, demonstrates how to throw a knife successfully in chapters such as: It's Fun to Throw a KnifeChoice of WeaponsHow to Throw a KnifeHow to Develop "Pin-Point" AccuracyHow to Select a Throwing KnifeTargets: How and WhereTomahawks and BowiesSafety Measures, Rules, and Care of KnivesThe ProfessionalsHunting: A New Twist to an Old SportTales, Legends and People

A Social History of Sheffield Boxing combines urban ethnography and anthropology, sociological theory and place and life histories to explore the global phenomenon of boxing. Raising many issues pertinent to the social sciences, such as contestations around state regulation of violence, commerce and broadcasting, pedagogy and elite sport and how sport is delivered and narrated to the masses, the book studies the history of boxing in Sheffield and the sport's impact on the cultural, political and economic development of the city since the 18th century. Interweaving urban anthropology with sports studies and historical research the text expertly examines a variety of published sources, ranging from academic papers to biographies and from newspaper reports to case studies and contemporary interviews. In Volume I, Bell and Armstrong construct a vivid history of boxing and probe its cultural acceptance in the late 1800s, examining how its rise was inextricably intertwined with the industrial and social development of Sheffield. Although Sheffield was not a national player in prize-fighting's early days, throughout the mid-1800s, many parochial scores and wagers were settled by the use of fists. By the end of the century, boxing with gloves had become the norm, and Sheffield had a valid claim to be the chief provincial focus of this new passion-largely due to the exploits of George Corfield, Sheffield's first boxer of national repute. Corfield's deeds were later surpassed by three British champions: Gus Platts, Johnny Cuthbert and Henry Hall. Concluding with the dual themes of the decline of boxing in Sheffield and the city's changing social profile from the 1950s onwards, the volume ends with a meditation on the arrival of new migrants to the city and the processes that aided or frustrated their integration into UK life and sport.

Sequel to the worldwide hit A LION'S TALE. A LION'S TALE documented Chris Jericho's journey from small-time dreamer to big-time superstar, from Winnipeg, Canada, to undisputed WWE heavyweight champion of the world. But UNDISPUTED kicks off just as the fantasy begins to unravel. Faced with endless internal politics on his rise to the top of the WWE company ladder, Jericho has to draw on the super-human resources that got him there in the first place. There are bruising encounters aplenty both inside and outside the ring. He reveals why he temporarily left WWE, includes the inside story of his time in Hollywood, and opens the can of worms that is life on the road with the rock band Fozzy. He also revisits the premature birth of his twins and the pain of his mother's death, as well as the shock of Eddy Guerrero's and the Benoit family deaths. As upfront and outspoken as A LION'S TALE, this sequel is as direct as the man himself.

The majority of attacks/fights last less than three seconds and are preceded by aggressive or disarming behaviour. This book trains you to read the body language and ritual of attack and 'stop' your attacker in his tracks by using a physical and psychological 'fence' or a cripple-shooting attack. The book also covers 'ambush attacks' and 'match fighting'.

Personal, reflective, and gently investigative, these early essays have a raw, fresh quality which predates the more formal theory and practice of Peter Ralston's two best-selling books, "Cheng Hsin: The Principles of Effortless Power" and "Cheng Hsin T'ui Shou: The Art of Effortless Power." Many of the questions for which the martial arts work of Cheng Hsin is a vehicle of discovery--identity in relation to others, authenticity in the face of belief systems, the draw we have to pursue ineffective self-serving urges, and our tendency to conceptualize rather than experience things--are described here in simple, almost conversational language. Attempting to grasp what authentic knowledge is, Ralston's queries become a quest for how humans can develop a deeper sense of themselves as participants in the world.

Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction Shortlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize In this groundbreaking new book, Thomas Page McBee, a trans man, trains to fight in a charity match at Madison Square Garden while struggling to untangle the vexed relationship between masculinity and violence. Through his experience of boxing - learning to get hit, and to hit back; wrestling with the camaraderie of the gym; confronting the betrayals and strength of his own body - McBee examines the weight of male violence, the pervasiveness of gender stereotypes and the limitations of conventional masculinity. A wide-ranging exploration of gender in our society, Amateur is ultimately a story of hope, as McBee traces a way forward: a new masculinity, inside the ring and out of it. A graceful and uncompromising exploration of living, fighting and healing, in Amateur we gain insight into the stereotypes and shifting realities of masculinity today through the eyes of a new man.

This is the first substantial academic book to lay out the philosophical terrain within the study of the martial arts and to explore the significance of this fascinating subject for contemporary philosophy.

The book is divided into three sections. The first section concerns what philosophical reflection can teach us about the martial arts, and especially the nature and value of its practice. The second section deals with the other direction of the dialectical interplay between philosophy and the martial arts: how the martial arts can inform philosophical issues important in their own right. Finally, because many of the notable martial arts are of Asian origin, there are particularly close links between the arts and Asian philosophies and Buddhism in particular and therefore the last section is devoted to this topic.

The essays in this collection deal with a wide range of philosophical issues: normative ethics, meta-ethics, aesthetics, phenomenology, the philosophy of mind, Ancient Greek and Buddhist thought. By demonstrating the very real nature of the engagement between the martial arts and philosophy, this book is essential reading for any serious student or scholar with an interest in the martial arts, Eastern philosophy, the philosophy of sport, or the study of physical culture."

Treasured for centuries by karate's top masters, the Bubishi is a classic Chinese work on philosophy, strategy, medicine, and technique as they relate to the martial arts. Referred to as the "bible of karate" by famous master Chojun Miyagi, for hundreds of years the Bubishi was a secret text passed from master to student in China and later in Okinawa. All of karate's legendary masters have studied it, applied its teachings, or copied passages from it. No other classic work has had as dramatic an impact on the shaping and development of karate as the Bubishi. Karate historian and authority Patrick McCarthy spent over ten years researching and studying the Bubishi and the arts associated with it. The first English translation of this remarkable martial arts manual includes numerous explanations and notes. McCarthy's work also includes groundbreaking research on Okinawan and Chinese history, as well as the fighting and healing traditions that developed in those countries, making it a goldmine for researchers and practitioners alike. For the final word on the true origins and spirit of classic Okinawan martial arts, one need look no further. This karate book is one of the best karate training supplements available. This new paperback edition includes additional commentary from the translator, as well as a new foreword.

The reawakening of Asian martial arts is a distinct example of cultural hybridity in a global setting. This book deals with history of Asian martial arts in the contexts of tradition, religion, philosophy, politics and culture. It attempts to deepen the study of martial arts studies in their transformation from traditional to modern sports. It is also important that this book explores how Asian martial arts, including Shaolin martial arts and Taekwondo, have worked as tools for national advocate of identities among Asians in order to overcome various national hardships and to promote nationalism in the modern eras. The Asian martial arts certainly have been transformed in both nature and content into unique modern sports and they have contributed to establishing cultural homogeneity in Asia. This phenomenon can be applied to the global community. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue in the International Journal of the History of Sport.

This collection of quotes is accompanied by family photographs and the stories behind the sayings by Ali's daughter and biographer, Hana Ali. A book of inspiration, humour, and Ali's inimitable way with words, it's a unique look at a unique and beloved person.

In 1988, then struggling writer Davis Miller drove to Muhammad Ali's mother's modest Louisville house, knocked on the door and introduced himself to his childhood idol. Nearly thirty years later, the two friends have an uncommon bond, the sort that can be fashioned only in serendipitous ways and fortified through shared experiences. Miller now draws from those remarkable moments to give us a beautifully written portrait of a great man physically devastated but spiritually young-playing tricks on unsuspecting guests, performing sleight of hand for any willing audience and walking ten miles each way to get an ice cream. Following in the tradition of writers such as Gay Talese and Nick Hornby, Miller gives us a series of extraordinary stories that coalesce to become a moving introduction to the human side of a boxing legend.

This innovative book makes the benefits of Tai Chi directly available to Westerners by communicating its essence in poetic, evocative, and humorous images that apply not only to movement practices of all kinds but to daily life. The book does not assume any knowledge of Tai Chi forms. The images in this book - drawn from a wide variety of sources, both Chinese and Western, ancient and modern - are easy to understand, fun to work with, and embody the true inner spirit of Tai Chi's timeless tradition. The book contains hundreds of photos and line drawings illustrating the images, detailed explanations of the biomechanical realities that underlie the images, and a summary of the latest scientific research on the benefits of Tai Chi.

The millions of fans who watch World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) programs each year are well aware of their role in building the narrative of the sport. #WWE: Professional Wrestling in the Digital Age explores the intersections between media, technology, and fandom in WWE's contemporary programming and business practices. In the Reality Era of WWE (2011 to the present), wrestling narratives have increasingly drawn on real-life personalities and events that stretch beyond the story-world created and maintained by WWE. At the same time, the internet and fandom have a greater influence on the company than ever before. By examining various sites of struggle and negotiation between WWE executives and in-ring performers, between the product and its fans, and between the company and the rest of the wrestling industry, the contributors to this volume highlight the role of various media platforms in shaping and disseminating WWE narratives. Treating the company and its product not merely as sports entertainment, but also as a brand, an employer, a company, a content producer, and an object of fandom, #WWE conceptualizes the evolution of professional wrestling's most successful company in the digital era.

This is the third book in Adam Pollack's series on the heavyweight champions of the gloved era. Bob Fitzsimmons was boxing's first pound for pound great, winning the world middleweight title before becoming the world heavyweight champion (and later lightheavyweight champ). Combining both crafty skill and crushing power, Fitzsimmons was able to knock out heavyweights when he only weighed 158 pounds! This meticulous and tremendously researched book uses multiple local primary sources from New Zealand, Australia, and America to chronicle Fitzsimmons' boxing career. It contains detailed fight descriptions never before revealed, round by round reports, pre- and post-fight analysis, daily training regimens, critical analysis of opponents' careers, discussion of skills, techniques, strategies, strengths, and weaknesses, and explains how legal, political, social, and economic issues affected and impeded fights. The book also includes stories of fixed fights, conspiracies, legal battles, trials, threats of violence and imprisonment made by governors, judges, and militiamen, and verbal jousting, taunting, boasting, and even physical confrontations between Bob Fitzsimmons and James J. Corbett. 464 pages, 63 photos and illustrations, 969 footnotes, bibliography, index, and appendix (containing a complete Fitzsimmons career record). Adam J. Pollack is the author of John L. Sullivan: The Career of the First Gloved Heavyweight Champion, and In the Ring With James J. Corbett. He is a staff writer for Cyberboxingzone.com, chair of USA Boxing's Rules and Regulations Committee, a boxing coach and attorney living in Iowa City, Iowa.

What is it about boxing that charms and bewitches us? John Wight looks for the answer as he delves into the world of beautiful brutality. Showing that boxing is fundamentally tied to the human condition, he pulls back the curtains of his own masculinity to reveal the insecurities, life experiences and vulnerabilities that first drew him to the sport and have informed his engagement with it over a 20-year period. While relating his experiences in boxing gyms on both sides of the Atlantic, Wight reflects on the sport's origins, analysing some of its most memorable moments and characters. Through Wight's compelling memoirs we encounter some of modern boxing's most fascinating figures, among them Freddie Roach, Manny Pacquiao, James Toney and Scotland's IBF junior-welterweight world titlist Josh Taylor. Straddling the line between nobility and barbarity, boxing operates on a different moral and spiritual plane than other sports. This Boxing Game explores why and how.

Named one of TIME magazine's 100 Greatest Men of the Century, Bruce Lee's impact and influence has only grown since his untimely death in 1973. Part of the seven-volume Bruce Lee Library, this installment of the famed martial artistAes private notebooks allows his legions of fans to learn more about the man whose groundbreaking action films sparked a worldwide interest in the Asian martial arts. Bruce Lee Artist of Life explores the development of Lee's thoughts about Gung Fu (Kung Fu), philosophy, psychology, poetry, Jeet Kune Do, acting, and self-knowledge. Edited by John Little, a leading authority on Lee's life and work, the book includes a selection of letters that eloquently demonstrate how Lee incorporated his thought into actions and advice to others. Although Lee rose to stardom through his physical prowess and practice of jeet kune do;the system of fighting he founded;Lee was also a voracious and engaged reader who wrote extensively, synthesizing Eastern and Western thought into a unique personal philosophy of self-discovery. Martial arts practitioners and fans alike eagerly anticipate each new volume of the Library and its trove of rare letters, essays, and poems for the light it sheds on this legendary figure.Bruce Lee was known as an amazing martial artist, but he was also a profound thinker. He left behind seven volumes of writing on everything from quantum physics to philosophy. ; John Blake, CNN

In the spirit of The Blind Side and Friday Night Lights comes a tender and profoundly moving memoir about an ESPN producer's unexpected relationship with two disabled wrestlers from inner city Cleveland, and how these bonds-blossoming, ultimately, into a most unorthodox family-would transform their lives. When award-winning ESPN producer Lisa Fenn returned to her hometown for a story about two wrestlers at one of Cleveland's toughest public high schools, she had no idea that the trip would change her life. Both young men were disadvantaged students with significant physical disabilities. Dartanyon Crockett was legally blind as a result of Leber's disease; Leroy Sutton lost both his legs at eleven, when he was run over by a train. Brought together by wrestling, they had developed a brother-like bond as they worked to overcome their disabilities. After forming a profound connection with Dartanyon and Leroy, Fenn realized she couldn't just walk away when filming ended; these boys had had to overcome the odds too many times. Instead, Fenn dedicated herself to ensuring their success long after the reporting was finished and the story aired-and an unlikely family of three was formed. The years ahead would be fraught with complex challenges, but Fenn stayed with the boys every step of the way-teaching them essential life skills, helping them heal old wounds and traumatic pasts, and providing the first steady and consistent support system they'd ever had. This powerful memoir is one of love, hope, faith, and strength-a story about an unusual family and the courage to carry on, even in the most extraordinary circumstances.