Book picks similar to
Fight Like a Physicist: The Incredible Science Behind Martial Arts by Jason Thalken
martial-arts
science
nonfiction
non-fiction
Moving Zen: One Mans Journey to the Heart of Karate
C.W. Nicol - 1975
W. Nicol left Wales to study Karate in Japan. He quickly found that the study of the martial art engaged his whole being and transformed his outlook on life. Moving Zen is the multifaceted story of a young man who arrived in Japan to study the technique of, and spirit behind, Karate.Joining the Japan Karate Association, or Shotokan, Nicol discovered that Karate, while extremely violent, also called for politeness and a sense of mutual trust and responsibility. He learned that the stronger the Karateka, the more inclined he was to be gentle with others. Those who have gained a measure of skill but have not yet achieved spiritual maturity are the dangerous practitioners. Studying kata, Nicol came to realize that these forms are, in essence, moving Zen and that the ultimate goal of all the martial arts is tranquility.Through the help of many gifted teachers, C. W. Nicol gained his black belt, and moved progressively closer to his goal of tranquility. His story, Moving Zen, was first published in 1975 and has achieved the status of a modern classic.
New Functional Training for Sports
Michael Boyle - 2016
New Functional Training for Sports, Second Edition produces the best results on the court, field, track, and mat, not just in the weight room.Michael Boyle, one of the world's leading sport performance coaches, presents the concepts, methods, exercises, and programs that maximize athletes' movements in competition. A series of functional assessments help in determining the design of a specific plan for each athlete. Self-reinforcing progressions in exercises for the lower body, core, upper body, and ultimately total body give athletes the balance, proprioception, stability, strength, and power they require for excelling in their sports. Sample programs assist in the customization process and ensure each aspect of preparation for physical performance.Boyle also draws on the latest research and his wealth of experience to offer programming advice and recommendations on foam rolling, stretching, and dynamic warm-ups.New Functional Training for Sports goes beyond traditional exercise descriptions and explanations, incorporating full-color, high-definition composites of foundational movements as well as online access to video demonstrations, commentary, and analysis of key exercises.New Functional Training for Sports is a refined and expanded version of Boyle's original work published more than a decade previously. This edition offers the most current functional training expertise to apply to your specific purposes.
Hidden In Plain Sight 2: The Equation of the Universe
Andrew H. Thomas - 2013
Enjoy a thrilling intergalactic tour as Andrew Thomas redefines the force of gravity and introduces a brave new view of the universe!
Jiu-Jitsu Unleashed: A Comprehensive Guide to the World's Hottest Martial Arts Discipline
Eddie Bravo - 2005
This fighting technique features ground fighting and submission moves that bewilder even the most ferocious opponents.In Jiu-Jitsu Unleashed, expert Eddie Bravo teaches you the moves that he used to defeat legendary Royler Gracie--a member of the reigning family of jiujitsu--the victory that made him one of the sport's most feared competitors. Jiu-Jitsu Unleashed features:Detailed instruction on stance, kicks, punches, takedowns, and submissionsStep-by-step photos of basic and advanced moves modeled by Fear Factor host and former NewsRadio star Joe RoganVarious theories and strategies behind training and competing
The Way of the Fight
Georges St-Pierre - 2013
From his beginnings as a small, mercilessly bullied child first discovering karate to his years as a struggling garbage collector who spent all his free time in the gym, his hard-fought rise in the sport of mixed martial arts, and his long, painful recovery from a career-threatening injury, Georges never lost sight of his ambition to become the greatest martial artist of all time. In The Way of the Fight, Georges for the first time reveals what propelled him not only to become a champion but to embrace obstacles as opportunities to build character.Georges’s story is interwoven with fascinating insights from those who know him best: his mother, who tells of his drive to master new skills, even as a child. His mentor Kristof Midoux, who describes a young fighter with an extraordinary sense of discipline. His Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu teacher John Danaher, who witnessed the development of an indomitable work ethic. His coach Firas Zahabi, who worked alongside the champion through a potentially career-ending injury. And his longtime friend, training partner and manager, Rodolphe Beaulieu, who may understand this intensely focused athlete more than anyone.The Way of the Fight is an inspirational look into the mindset of a master. To Georges, all life is competition, and there’s no more perfect metaphor for competition than the life of a fighter. He explains the value of discipline, risk and even fear, with the wisdom of one who knows that nothing is assured—his next fight could always be his last. Drawing inspiration from fighting legends, Eastern philosophy and a trusted inner circle, The Way of the Fight is a powerful, life-changing guide to living with purpose and finding the way to accomplish your loftiest goals.
Running Rewired: Reinvent Your Run for Stability, Strength, and Speed
Jay Dicharry - 2017
Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training
Mark Rippetoe - 2005
With all new graphics and more than 750 illustrations, a more detailed analysis of the five most important exercises in the weight room, and a new chapter dealing with the most important assistance exercises, Basic Barbell Training offers the most complete examination in print of the most effective way to exercise.
Zen in the Martial Arts
Joe Hyams - 1979
In his illuminating story, Hyam reveals to you how the daily application of Zen principles not only developed his physical expertise but gave him the mental discipline to control his personal problems-self-image, work pressure, competition. Indeed, mastering the spiritual goals in martial arts can dramatically alter the quality of your life-enriching your relationships with people, as well as helping you make use of all your abilities."If one of your goals is to live with maximum zest and minimum stress, read "Zen In The Martial Arts." The great beauty of the book is that as Hyams' mind receives enlightenment, so does our."-- "Playboy.
On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society
Dave Grossman - 1995
But armies have developed sophisticated ways of overcoming this instinctive aversion. And contemporary civilian society, particularly the media, replicates the army's conditioning techniques, and, according to Lt. Col. Dave Grossman's thesis, is responsible for our rising rate of murder among the young.Upon its initial publication, On Killing was hailed as a landmark study of the techniques the military uses to overcome the powerful reluctance to kill, of how killing affects soldiers, and of the societal implications of escalating violence. Now, Grossman has updated this classic work to include information on 21st-century military conflicts, recent trends in crime, suicide bombings, school shootings, and more. The result is a work certain to be relevant and important for decades to come.
Exercise Physiology: Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance
Scott K. Powers - 1989
Written especially for exercise science and physical education students, this text provides a solid foundation in theory illuminated by application and performance models to increase understanding and to help students apply what they've learned in the classroom and beyond.
Yoga Fitness for Men: Build Strength, Improve Performance, and Increase Flexibility
Dean Pohlman - 2018
With more than 25 yoga routines and over 50 key postures, you'll discover how yoga can make you stronger, fitter, and more flexible. Professional athletes are making yoga a regular part of their fitness routines, and GQ, HuffPost, and Men's Health have all advocated yoga for men. Flexibility is one of the most important yet overlooked elements of fitness, and stretching has been proven to help you improve your gains in the gym, prevent and relieve injuries, and help you beat your competition on the field. If your muscles are tight, they won't let your body move as it should. Yoga increases flexibility, building a bigger range of motion and allowing you to work more muscle fibers with every movement.With straightforward language and easy-to-follow steps, Yoga Fitness for Men will teach you how to execute the key yoga postures you need for greater endurance, flexibility, balance, and strength--no chanting required. It also includes yoga routines and programs tailored to help you meet specific performance and health goals, such as increased core strength and back pain relief. You'll find that incorporating yoga into your training will help you get stronger, play harder, and feel better.
Power to the People!: Russian Strength Training Secrets for Every American
Pavel Tsatsouline - 1999
And what if you could do it without a single supplement, without having to waste your time at a gym and with only a 150 bucks of simple equipment? And how about not only being stronger than you've ever been in your life, but having higher energy and better performance in whatever you do? How would you like to have an instant download of the world's absolutely most effective strength secrets? To possess exactly the same knowledge that created world-champion athletes-and the strongest bodies of their generation? Pavel Tsatsouline's Power to the People!-Russian Strength Training Secrets for Every American delivers all of this and more.
Explosive Calisthenics: Superhuman Power, Maximum Speed and Agility, Plus Combat-Ready Reflexes--Using Bodyweight-Only Methods
Paul Wade - 2015
Traditional martial arts have always understood this necessity of training the complete package—with explosive power at an absolute premium. And resilience is revered: the joints, tendons, muscles, organs and nervous system are ALL conditioned for maximum challenge.Really great athletes are invariably that way too: agile as all get-go, blinding speed, ungodly bursts of power, superhuman displays of strength, seemingly at will…The foundation and fundamentals center, first, around the building of power and speed. But Explosive Calisthenics does a masterful job of elucidating the skill-practices needed to safely prepare for and master the more ambitious moves.But Explosive Calisthenics doesn’t just inspire you with the dream of being the Complete Package. It gives you the complete blueprint, every detail and every progression you could possibly want and need to nail your dream and make it a reality. You, the Complete Package—it’s all laid out for you, step by step“The first physical attribute we lose as we age is our ability to generate power. Close behind is the loss of skilled, coordinated movement. The fix is never to lose these abilities in the first place! Paul Wade’s Explosive Calisthenics is the best program for developing power and skilled movement I have seen. Just as with his previous two books, the progressions are masterful with no fancy equipment needed.You don’t have to achieve a full back flip or kip up to get HUGE benefit from mastering the early progressions. It doesn’t matter if you are a 20-year old looking to push your power and agility to new heights or approaching middle age, trying to slow the hands of time. Do yourself a favor and get this amazing work. This book will be the gold standard for developing bodyweight power, skill, and agility.”—CHRIS HARDY, D.O. MPH, CSCS, author, Strong MedicineDiscover The Ultimate Course for Developing Yourself As a Supreme Physical Specimen…With Explosive Calisthenics, Paul Wade challenges you to separate yourself from the herd of also-ran followers—to become a leader, survivor and winner in the physical game of life. But he doesn’t just challenge and inspire you. He gives you the direct means, the secrets, the science, the wisdom, the blueprints, the proven methods and the progressions—that make success inevitable, when you supply your end in consistent, diligent, skillful application.Now a legendary international bestseller, Convict Conditioning can lay claim to be the Great Instigator when it comes to the resurgence of interest in bodyweight exercise mastery.And—while Convict Conditioning 2 cemented Wade’s position as the preeminent authority on bodyweight exercise—there is no doubt that his magisterial new accomplishment, Explosive Calisthenics is going to blow the doors off, all over again.What makes Explosive Calisthenics so exciting—and so profound in its implications?See, it goes back to the laws of brute survival. It’s not “Only the strongest shall survive”. No, it’s more like: “Only the strongest, quickest, most agile, most powerful and most explosive shall survive.” To be a leader and dominator and survivor in the pack, you need to be the complete package...Now—for those who have the balls and the will and the fortitude to take it on—comes the next stage: Explosive Calisthenics.
Body by Science: A Research-Based Program for Strength Training, Body Building, and Complete Fitness in 12 Minutes a Week
John Little - 2008
Doug McGuff to present a scientifically proven formula for maximizing muscle development in just 12 minutes a week. Backed by rigorous research, the authors prescribe a weekly high-intensity program for increasing strength, revving metabolism, and building muscle for a total fitness experience.
Sharpening the Warriors Edge: The Psychology & Science of Training
Bruce K. Siddle - 1995
Author Bruce K. Siddle methodically brings together one hundred years of research which identifies the relationship between survival stress, the heart rate and combat performance. Most importantly, Siddle explores the psychological and spiritual components which establish the warrior mindset. This pioneering test is a must read for present-day warriors, or anyone involved in use of force, combat or martial arts training.