Book picks similar to
The Balisong Manual by Jeff Imada
martial-arts
big-brain
bladed-weapons
dad
Kodokan Judo: The Essential Guide to Judo by Its Founder Jigoro Kano
Jigoro Kano - 1986
This book by the creator of Kodokan judo is uniquely comprehensive and the most authoritative guide to this martial art ever published.
Mas Oyama's Essential Karate
Masutatsu Oyama - 1979
More than 1,300 photos make this the world's most complete guidebook.
Little Evil: One Ultimate Fighter's Rise to the Top
Jens Pulver - 2003
Because Jens was the oldest, the one constantly running upstairs to protect his mother in the middle of the night, his father placed the barrel into his mouth first. Fear taught Jens how to attack with his fists. Fear taught him how to get what he wanted, by any means necessary. Fear put him on the path toward becoming a world champion fighter, to prove wrong all those who claimed he wouldn’t amount to any more than his drunk old man. It was this path — the one that would make him the most intimidating pound-for-pound fighter in the ring — that eventually let him put his childhood demons to rest and find an inner peace. But it was a long and painful battle. Little Evil is a gripping and true tale of father and son, of what betrayal does to the young and drives them to do, and of how one determined man shattered the chains of his childhood and rose to the top, becoming the lightweight champion of the UFC.
IAI the Art of Drawing the Sword
Darrell Max Craig - 1983
Around its mystical powers has grown a centuries-old ritual and a fascinating, intricate discipline. This unique guide unlocks the mysteries of this ancient ritual practice, explaining the history and significance of swords in the samurai culture, and documenting the techniques of swordsmanship, as no other book in English does.IAI: The Art of Drawing the Sword is a thorough examination of the traditional Japanese martial art of iaijutsu. Included in this volume are introductions to sword care and selection; general etiquette and the training uniform and gear; proper basic sword procedure; sword techniques and drills for practice and demonstrations; kata; and sword testing; as well as the story of the Chushingura (the 47 Ronin). Generously illustrated with black and white photographs and line drawings, IAI: The Art of Drawing the Sword is a storehouse of information for both the aspiring student and the experienced swordsman.
Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere: An Illustrated Introduction
Adele Westbrook - 1983
To possess the skills, techniques and attitude of the faithful practitioner of aikido, one must achieve a very high level of integration of the powers of mind and body, the harmonious combination of physical means and ethical motives. By controlling body position and learning how to harmonize important physical and mental abilities, anyone (regardless of size, strength or weight) can fend off attacks using this sophisticated martial art.Written and illustrated by husband/wife team, Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook, Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere, with over 1,200 illustrations, includes many Aikido techniques in chapters such as:What is Aikido?The Foundations of AikidoThe Practice of AikidoThe Basic Techniques of NeutralizationAdvanced PracticeAnd more!
Living the Martial Way: A Manual for the Way a Modern Warrior Should Think
Forrest E. Morgan - 1992
A step-by-step approach to applying the Japanese warrior's mind set to martial training and daily life.
Beast: Blood, Struggle, and Dreams at the Heart of Mixed Martial Arts
Doug Merlino - 2015
Although some dismiss it as brutal combat, its fighters are among the most dedicated athletes in any arena. But MMA also takes a heavy toll on the body, and it's a rare fighter who can earn a living in the sport's top ranks.Beast follows four high-level fighters at one of the sport's elite gyms, Florida's American Top Team. Doug Merlino had unprecedented access, training alongside the men for two years, traveling to their matches, and eating in their homes. Mirsad Bektic, a young Bosnian refugee who started in karate as a boy in Nebraska, dreams of stardom. Jeff Monson, a battered veteran at forty-one, is an outspoken, tattooed anarchist enjoying a bizarre burst of celebrity in Russia. Steve Mocco is a newcomer--a former Olympic wrestler from a close-knit intellectual family. Finally there's Daniel Straus, who, from a life short on opportunity, fights his way up to title contention. All will experience electrifying highs and career lows, and Merlino takes us along every step of the way while also examining the culture and meaning of professional cage fighting. A book for both the uninitiated and the hard-core fan, Beast offers a fascinating journey into an often misunderstood world.
Between the Lines: Not-So-Tall Tales from Ray "Scampy" Scapinello's Four Decades in the NHL
Ray Scapinello - 2006
To hockey fans, Ray Scapinello's name and face are as recognizable as any star player or coach in the NHL. Scampy, as he is affectionately known has had a long and storied career as a linesman in the NHL. His 5 foot 7 frame and 163 pounds belie his ability and endurance on the ice. When Ray retired in 2004 after 33 years in the NHL, he had officiated in 2,500 regular season matches (never missing a game), 426 playoff games, and an astounding twenty Stanley Cup final series. His untouchable statistics make him a lock to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame as an official, but even they do not do justice to the respect he has earned from officials, players, coaches, and fans alike. a consummate professional, a chronic practical joker, and a true ambassador of the sport. Between the Lines gives a rare glimpse inside the world of hockey from an unusual perspective through the eyes of one of the game's greatest and best loved officials. inside look at what those players and coaches are really like, what they really say and do, and what the game looks like between the lines. Full of fun stories, perspective on how the game has changed and evolved, and stories and interviews about Scampy from players, coaches, and other officials, Between the Lines is a captivating memoir of a truly unique life in hockey.
Spirit of the Shadow Warrior
Stephen K. Hayes - 1980
The seminal book in Hayes’ best-selling collection, it provides the reader with the tools to start his path in the Togakure Ryu tradition.
The Parkour and Freerunning Handbook
Dan Edwardes - 2009
An It Books paperback original, this essential handbook offers a jump-by-jump guide to parkour, aimed at building the confidence of the novice to become a confident and inventive free-runner. The first book of its kind, The Parkour and Freerunning Handbook is the only guide the fledgling traceur will ever need to get jumping.
Krav Maga: An Essential Guide to the Renowned Method--for Fitness and Self-Defense
David Kahn - 2004
Swift, powerful, and simple, it is an effective method for fending off any kind of attacker—and it is also an amazing workout.Regardless of size, strength, and fitness level, anyone can master the essentials of krav maga—and reap the rewards of increased safety, confidence, and conditioning. With moves you can learn in as little as five minutes, or train and practice for long-term success, Krav Maga covers all the below:*What is Krav Maga all about*Instruction on how to protect your body's vulnerable target and learn weapons defense combat*Use an opponent's momentum to fuel your counterattack*Escape all kinds of grips and holds*Combine training punches, kicks, and other moves into a powerful conditioning workout---to lose weight, increase core strength, and improve muscle tone *Use specially designed drills and a 12-week training program to become a kravist---a smart and prepared fighterWritten by one of America's foremost krav maga experts, this exciting new guide opens the door to an empowering and important set of techniques that you or anyone can master.
Hooker: An Authentic Wrestler's Adventures Inside the Bizarre World of Professional Wrestling
Lou Thesz - 2001
Like the arguments over any effort to crown "the greatest," "the best," or "the worst," that answer is unlikely to ever be resolved to everyone's satisfaction. One fact is indisputable, though. For those who watched wrestling before it became "sports entertainment," there is only one answer — Lou Thesz.The son of European immigrants, Thesz discovered his love of amateur wrestling as a shy eight-year-old, scuffling with his father at night on the linoleum floor of the family's kitchen in south St. Louis. He was a natural at the sport, blessed with lightning-fast reflexes and a determination to succeed. He was obsessive about conditioning and hungry to learn, and those qualities eventually led him, as a teenager, into the closed and secretive world of pro wrestling, the only place where he could continue to compete on the mat.This is Thesz' story — an adventure that took him to the heights of his chosen profession at a very young age and eventually into rings throughout the world. A devoted fan of pro wrestling, he won the respect and friendship of many of the legends. In the 1940s, when television demanded more action and a flashier style of wrestling, he became the transitional figure, the link to the past. Thesz decried the rise of "gimmick" performers like Gorgeous George and Buddy Rogers, who diminished the importance of the authentic style of wrestling he loved and practiced, but he adjusted because the bottom line of pro wrestling, as with any pro endeavor, was making money, and he could see where the future lay.In the late 1940s and well into the 1950s, he was the world heavyweight champion of the National Wrestling Alliance, its standard-bearer, and he carried those colors with dignity and class. "My gimmick was wrestling," he said, and it was evident to anyone who ever bought a ticket to see Lou Thesz that he was the real thing."Hooker" was something of a sensation among wrestling fans when it was first published in the 1990s because it was among the first accounts ever published by a major wrestling star that discussed the business with candor from the inside. Academics praised the book, too, for its clear depiction of an era and the rise of a cultural phenomenon.This is a book for everyone with an interest in professional wrestling. This new edition published by Crowbar Press contains pages and pages of new material — stories and anecdotes — none of which has been published in any previous edition and all in the voice of one of the legendary figures of the game. Every sentence has been thoroughly combed over and vetted in order to answer any questions previously asked by readers, or to correct and/or re-order the "facts" as Lou recalled them, and each chapter now has detailed endnotes to further supplement the text. Combine all those ingredients with all-new, spellbinding forewords by Charlie Thesz and Kit Bauman (comprising 26 pages), an extensive 32-page "addendum" in Lou's own words, and a comprehensive name-and-subject index, and you have the definitive tome devoted to wrestling's golden era.This is "no holds barred" material — far more open and truthful than anything ever written about professional wrestling.
The Testosterone Advantage Plan
Lou Schuler - 2002
LOOK LIKE A MAN.For years now, people have insisted that you should avoid the foods you love. For years, they've maintained that if you want total health, you won't find it in the weight room...that you're supposed to jog your way to maximum fitness. And for years, the supposed know-it-alls have been sending the message that testosterone-- the most basic of hormones that makes you a man-- is bad, bad, bad.In the meantime, American men have kept getting fatter and more frustrated. Which is why we've looked into all this. And on the basis of what we've learned, we believe the know-it-alls are wrong, wrong, wrong.The Testosterone Advantage Plan(TM) is about realizing your full potential-- as a man. We'll show you how nature intended for you to eat. We'll give you a cutting-edge workout regimen that will help you attain the shape you've always admired-- the shape women lust after. We'll explain how you can boost your testosterone levels naturally, without supplements of any kind. Finally, we'll tick off the long list of benefits you'll likely reap in terms of energy and enthusiasm, power and potency, confidence and charisma.THIS MUCH YOU KNOW: What you've done in the past hasn't worked. Why not try it our way? You have everything to gain-- and nothing to lose except your gut.
The Ordeal. First Circle [RealRPG Wuxia Series The Way] Book #3
Mike Ignatov - 2021
Kendo: The Definitive Guide
Hiroshi Ozawa - 1997
Kendo: The Definitive Guide is the first book in English to provide a practical and truly comprehensive approach to the subject. Everything that the novice needs to know, from basic information about purchasing, wearing, and maintaining essential equipment to competing in international tournaments, is explained in simple, straightforward language. Step-by-step explanation of fundamental techniques needed to be mastered to attain black belt level is illustrated in easy-to-follow line drawings. With appendices giving the rules at international competitions and important information about Kendo clubs outside Japan, Kendo is the definitive guide for all non-Japanese Kendoists. A special section about the history and development of this martial art and guidelines for running practice sessions also make it a unique resource for all teachers of Kendo.