Kata, the formal exercises of karate training, were the essence of practice in Okinawa and China, and are the core training method even today.Detailed here in 1500 sequential photos are the five Heian and three Tekki kata, mastery of which is necessary to attain first dan.Demonstrated by the author and Yoshiharu Osaka.

    But for the baseball cognoscenti, there are just a few "must-have" classics: BALL FOUR by Jim Bouton. THE LONG SEASON by Jim Brosnan. WILLIE'S TIME by Charles Einstein. And SEASONS IN HELL by Mike Shropshire, which was a hilarous first-person account of Mike's travails serving as a daily beat writer covering the hapless 1972 Texas Rangers. Now, in The Last Real Season, Shropshire captures the essence of a different time and different place in baseball, when the average salary for major leaguers was only $27,600...when the ballplayers' drug of choice was alcohol, not steroids...when major leaguers sported tight doubleknit uniforms over their long-hair and Afros...and on July 28th, 1975, the day that famed Detroit resident Jimmy Hoffa went missing, the Detroit Tigers started a losing streak of 19 games in a row. On the day that the Tigers blew a 4-run lead in the bottom of the ninth, Shropshire recalls: "I drank three bottles of Stroh's beer in less than a minute and wrote that 'Jimmy Hoffa will show up in the left field stands with Amelia Earhart as his date before the Tigers will win another game.'"And so it goes. Filled with just the kind of wonderful baseball stories that real fans crave, this is the funniest baseball book of the year.

    But that was only part of the tale… Now, in his own words, “Irish” Micky Ward tells his inspirational life story as only he can. From his first bout at the age of seven, Micky Ward was known first and foremost for giving as good as he got, and for leaving absolutely everything he had in the ring. When he fought, quitting was never an option. It was that indomitable spirit that would allow him to survive, battle against, and overcome the harsh realities that he faced every day of his life.For it was outside the ring that Ward’s heart would be most needed, from witnessing his idolized older half-brother Dicky fall from grace, to dealing with his wildly dysfunctional—if frighteningly loyal—family, to the darkest of secrets that he has never revealed until now, and the numerous setbacks and defeats that would have stopped a lesser man. Micky Ward has remained a fighter, through and through—both as a professional boxer, and as a man who finally found his greatest strength in friendship, family, and faith in himselfFrom the rough streets of Lowell, Massachusetts, to the blood and sweat of the international fight game, to the bright lights and adulation of Hollywood, this is the rousing, moving, tragic, and humorous story of the one and only Micky Ward.

    Opening up about the toll that chasing and achieving his dream of being a champion golfer took on his mental health, Bubba Watson shares his powerful story of the breaking point that gave him clarity.Bubba Watson is known as the big-hitting left-handed golfer who plays with the pink driver--the small-town kid who grew up as a child golf prodigy before going on to win two Masters Tournaments, competing in the Olympics, and rising to be the number two golfer in the world.But every dream comes with a price. Feeling that he was never good enough, Bubba began to let the constant criticism from fans and commentators haunt his thoughts. Success in the game he loved was killing him.In Up and Down, Bubba opens up about his debilitating anxiety attacks, the death of his father and namesake, adopting his children, and how reaching a breaking point professionally and personally drew him closer to his family and God.Golf is what Bubba Watson does, but it is not who he is. Through his story, you'll learn how Bubba:Overcame his anxiety and feelings of inadequacyFound his true identity not in the standards of the world, but in the God who already knows he is enoughLearned to trust God with his gifts, family, and biggest dreamsBecame the husband, father, friend, and mentor he was called to beLife, like golf, is filled with ups and downs. Up and Down is the inspiring story of an imperfect man striving to become the best person he can be--wherever the course may take him.

    Hamilton was reshaping the image of the vampire with her own take on the vampire mythos in her Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter fantasy novel series. While Hamilton's work draws on traditional vampire and fairy lore, her interpretation of these subjects brought new dimensions to the genres, influencing the direction of urban fantasy over the past two decades.Reading Laurell K. Hamilton focuses upon Hamilton's two bestselling series, the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series and the Merry Gentry series. The volume is intended as a resource for leaders of book clubs or discussion groups, containing chapters that examine Hamilton's role in the current vampire literature craze, the themes and characters in her work, and responses to Hamilton on the Internet. The book also provides a brief overview of Hamilton's life.

    Published annually since 1868, this compendium of information is the authoritative source for all your entertainment, reference, and learning needs. The 2015 edition of The World Almanac reviews the events of 2014 and will be your go-to source for any questions on any topic in the upcoming year. Praised as a ''treasure trove of political, economic, scientific and educational statistics and information'' by The Wall Street Journal, The World Almanac® contains thousands of facts that are unavailable publicly elsewhere. The World Almanac® and Book of Facts will answer all of your trivia needs—from history and sports to geography, pop culture, and much more. Features include:• The Year in Review: The World Almanac® takes a look back at 2014 while providing all the information you'll need in 2015. • 2014—Top 10 News Topics: The editors of The World Almanac® list the top stories that held their attention in 2014. • 2014—Election Results: Complete state-by-state results from 2014 midterm elections. • 2014—Year in Sports: Hundreds of pages of trivia and statistics that are essential for any sports fan, featuring complete coverage of the Men's World Cup in Brazil, 2014 World Series, Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, and much more. • 2014—Year in Pictures: Striking full-color images from around the world in 2014, covering news, entertainment, science, and sports. • World Almanac Editors' Picks: Time Capsule: The World Almanac® lists the items that most came to symbolize the year 2014, from news and sports to pop culture. • Offbeat News Stories: The World Almanac® editors found some of the strangest news stories of the year. • The World at a Glance: This annual feature of The World Almanac® provides a quick look at the surprising stats and curious facts that define the changing world today. • American Veterans: A Statistical Feature: After a year in which the performance of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs came under scrutiny, this statistical feature reveals important information on the health, employment, education, and future prospects of American veterans. • Health Care Statistics: Details about U.S. health care policy, including ongoing implementation of health care reform and the first statistics on federal and state health insurance marketplace enrollment, consumer costs, and much more. • World Almanac® Editors' Picks: Most Controversial Sports Team Owners: From Walter O’Malley to George Steinbrenner to Donald Sterling, the owners of sports teams have the power to change the game. The editors of The World Almanac® choose the most controversial franchise owners of past and present pro sports. • and much more.

    The Americans were outsiders to the sport, the underdogs of the event, a 500-to-1 long shot. But they were also proud and loyal men -- to one another, to their communities, and certainly to their country. Facing almost no time to prepare, opponents with superior training, and skepticism from the rest of the world, this ragtag group of unknowns was inspired to a stunning victory over England and one of the most thrilling upsets in the history of sports.Written by critically acclaimed author Geoffrey Douglas, and now a film directed by David Anspaugh (Hoosiers), The Game of Their Lives takes us back to a time before million-dollar contracts and commercial endorsements, and introduces us to the athletes -- the Americans -- who showed the world just how far a long shot could really go.

    When you need to get around town, you can drive your car, ride a bike, or even take the bus. But when it comes to hopping on a motorcycle, you don't know how to get your motor running. Get ready for the ride of your life! The Complete Idiot's Guide to motorcycles makes learning to ride as easy as slipping on a leather jacket and a pair of cool shades. With humor and enthusiasm, the experts at Motorcyclist magazine teach you how to buy your very first bike and take to the open road.