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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Combat sports & self-defence > Wrestling
Bruce Hart is the son of legendary wrestler and promotor Stu Hart
and a member of what may be wrestling's true first family. Here, he
reveals what it was like growing up in a house where men like Andre
the Giant and Killer Kowalski might be sat at the breakfast table.
He also reveal what it was like to be trained by his father.
"The World of Lucha Libre" is an insider's account of "lucha
libre," the popular Mexican form of professional wrestling. Heather
Levi spent more than a year immersed in the world of wrestling in
Mexico City. Not only did she observe live events and interview
wrestlers, referees, officials, promoters, and reporters; she also
apprenticed with a retired "luchador" (wrestler). Drawing on her
insider's perspective, she explores lucha libre as a cultural
performance, an occupational subculture, and a set of symbols that
circulate through Mexican culture and politics. Levi argues that
the broad appeal of lucha libre lies in its capacity to stage
contradictions at the heart of Mexican national identity: between
the rural and the urban, tradition and modernity, ritual and
parody, machismo and feminism, politics and spectacle.
Levi considers lucha libre in light of scholarship about sport,
modernization, and the formation of the Mexican nation-state, and
in connection to professional wrestling in the United States. She
examines the role of secrecy in wrestling, the relationship between
wrestlers and the characters they embody, and the meanings of the
masks worn by luchadors. She discusses male wrestlers who perform
masculine roles, those who cross-dress and perform feminine roles,
and female wrestlers who wrestle each other. Investigating the
relationship between lucha libre and the mass media, she highlights
the history of the sport's engagement with television: it was
televised briefly in the early 1950s, but not again until 1991.
Finally, Levi traces the circulation of lucha libre symbols in
avant-garde artistic movements and its appropriation in left-wing
political discourse. "The World of Lucha Libre" shows how a sport
imported from the United States in the 1930s came to be an iconic
symbol of Mexican cultural authenticity.
Delving into the organized insanity of Incredibly Strange Wrestling
(ISW), this memoir takes a look at the bastard offspring of
post-punk garage rock and masked Mexican wrestling. Fielding a cast
of crazed characters with names like El Homo Loco, Macho
Sasquatcho, and El Pollo Diablo, the show lived up to its name. And
if that wasn't enough, cult bands such as NOFX, The Dickies, and
The Donnas provided the raucous rock and roll in between the
highflying mayhem. ISW emerged from the back alleys and seedy clubs
of San Francisco's South of Market scene to headline the historic
Fillmore and barnstorm North America on the Van's Warped Tour. At
the height of its popularity, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong and
Metallica's James Hetfield could be seen tossing tortillas (which
the promoters supplied) at ringside with the rest of the hell
heads, boozehounds, and tattooed party girls.
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.
"This searing confessional reads like a novel and is just as
suspenseful...Any female athlete would be interested in this
story." -- Library Journal Lisa Whitsett grew up in Cedar Falls,
Iowa, where she began the first of 27 years dedicated to sports and
athletics. Her experiences as a mental health counselor and her
adventures as a business consultant motivated her to write about
development, change and transformation. Beneath the Armor of an
Athlete was inspired by her own experiences of personal growth as
well as her clients'. While many sports books contribute to a
reader's athletic development, this book also focuses on the
private, personal development of the athlete. Beneath the Armor of
an Athlete is the story of a female Olympic Freestyle wrestler. Her
love for the sport and striving for success expose her to rare
challenges, all of which introduce new experiences in her life.
From all-male wrestling camps and tournaments to the competitive
ranks of national and international women's freestyle wrestling,
this athlete learns that her sport is the gateway to learning more
about who she really is and what she is capable of becoming.
Take a look back at the Golden Era of wrestling with some of the
spectacular merchandise from that awesome time. Featured here is
the story of the wrestling merchandise that could be found as pro
wrestling took the world by storm. Featuring action figures, gym
bags, whacky T-shirts, VHS tapes and much more, this is merchandise
that excited a generation. Kevin Williams, also the author of
Wrestling Action Figures of the Early 1990s, will take you back in
time to grapple with your wrestling passion.
Wrestling's leading drill book is back. With new chapters,
drills, coaching advice, and practice planning, "The Wrestling
Drill Book, Second Edition," is bigger, better, and more
comprehensive than ever.
"The Wrestling Drill Book" features match-tested drills from the
top high school and college wrestling coaches in the sport. From
takedowns, escapes, and reversals to riding and pinning
combinations, each contributor breaks down a technique, tactic, or
facet of wrestling for which he is renowned.
Chapters unfold sequentially, moving from simple to more complex
drills, each including setup requirements, descriptions of the
action, and key coaching points for maximizing the value of every
drill. Detailed descriptions provide thorough instruction for
proper execution of each move.
Discover the best-seller that has helped wrestlers become
champions. "The Wrestling Drill Book, Second Edition," is a
must-have for every wrestler and coach.
The two-time bestselling author, wrestler and metal rocker returns
with another insightful and hilarious memoir. Inspired by Anton
Chigurh, Javier Bardem's character in No Country for Old Men, Chris
Jericho decided to put down his guitar, ease off on the red-carpet
appearances in Hollywood and return to ring. What followed were the
best three years of his wrestling career. A trilogy that began with
A LION'S TALE and was followed by the bestselling UNDISPUTED now
concludes with a behind-the-scenes account of Jericho becoming WON
WRESTLER OF THE YEAR for two consecutive years in 2008 and 2009.
The book also features the final word on Jericho's feuds with Shawn
Michaels and Rey Mysterio, his run-in with Mickey Rourke, life
hanging out with the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Mike Tyson and Lars
Ulrich, and the resurrection of his band Fozzy, which saw them play
to huge audiences in the UK and Europe and support Metallica.
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