Author: Michael DeMarco
Publisher: Via Media Publishing
ISBN: 1893765520
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 202
Book Description
A needle may draw a thread through printed pages to bind a book. In this little memoir, I feel like a needle that drew a common thread though a segment of martial art history. This book details three interrelated activities: (1) martial art studies, (2) involvement as founder of Via Media Publishing, producing a quarterly journal and books, and (3) teaching martial arts. Publishers, writers, researchers and serious martial art practitioners will benefit with the detailed overview of Via Media and its publications. Via Media produced the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, known for its high academic and aesthetic standards. Its contents reflect the history of two decades and provides rich information for practitioners and scholars, making The Best Fighta valuable reference work. In addition to reading, the primary way to learn a martial art is through instruction. In reading about my studies and teaching experience, readers can relate to their own involvement in martial arts. What is important here is the portrayal of my instructors, their teaching methods, and reasons for being involved in martial arts. Their accounts should offer insights and inspiration for others who study and practice any martial art.
The Best Fight: A Memoir of a Martial Art Practitioner, Publisher, and Author
Author: Michael DeMarco
Publisher: Via Media Publishing
ISBN: 1893765520
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 202
Book Description
A needle may draw a thread through printed pages to bind a book. In this little memoir, I feel like a needle that drew a common thread though a segment of martial art history. This book details three interrelated activities: (1) martial art studies, (2) involvement as founder of Via Media Publishing, producing a quarterly journal and books, and (3) teaching martial arts. Publishers, writers, researchers and serious martial art practitioners will benefit with the detailed overview of Via Media and its publications. Via Media produced the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, known for its high academic and aesthetic standards. Its contents reflect the history of two decades and provides rich information for practitioners and scholars, making The Best Fighta valuable reference work. In addition to reading, the primary way to learn a martial art is through instruction. In reading about my studies and teaching experience, readers can relate to their own involvement in martial arts. What is important here is the portrayal of my instructors, their teaching methods, and reasons for being involved in martial arts. Their accounts should offer insights and inspiration for others who study and practice any martial art.
Publisher: Via Media Publishing
ISBN: 1893765520
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 202
Book Description
A needle may draw a thread through printed pages to bind a book. In this little memoir, I feel like a needle that drew a common thread though a segment of martial art history. This book details three interrelated activities: (1) martial art studies, (2) involvement as founder of Via Media Publishing, producing a quarterly journal and books, and (3) teaching martial arts. Publishers, writers, researchers and serious martial art practitioners will benefit with the detailed overview of Via Media and its publications. Via Media produced the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, known for its high academic and aesthetic standards. Its contents reflect the history of two decades and provides rich information for practitioners and scholars, making The Best Fighta valuable reference work. In addition to reading, the primary way to learn a martial art is through instruction. In reading about my studies and teaching experience, readers can relate to their own involvement in martial arts. What is important here is the portrayal of my instructors, their teaching methods, and reasons for being involved in martial arts. Their accounts should offer insights and inspiration for others who study and practice any martial art.
A Killing Art
Author: Gillis, Alex
Publisher: ECW Press
ISBN: 1770906959
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 362
Book Description
The eagerly anticipated updated return of a bestselling martial arts classic The leaders of Tae Kwon Do, an Olympic sport and one of the worldÍs most popular martial arts, are fond of saying that their art is ancient and filled with old dynasties and superhuman feats. In fact, Tae Kwon Do is as full of lies as it is powerful techniques. Since its rough beginnings in the Korean military 60 years ago, the art empowered individuals and nations, but its leaders too often hid the painful truths that led to that empowerment „ the gangsters, secret-service agents, and dictators who encouraged cheating, corruption, and murder. A Killing Art: The Untold History of Tae Kwon Do takes you into the cults, geisha houses, and crime syndicates that made Tae Kwon Do. It shows how, in the end, a few key leaders kept the art clean and turned it into an empowering art for tens of millions of people in more than 150 countries. A Killing Art is part history and part biography „ and a wild ride to enlightenment. This new and revised edition of the bestselling book contains previously unnamed sources and updated chapters.
Publisher: ECW Press
ISBN: 1770906959
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 362
Book Description
The eagerly anticipated updated return of a bestselling martial arts classic The leaders of Tae Kwon Do, an Olympic sport and one of the worldÍs most popular martial arts, are fond of saying that their art is ancient and filled with old dynasties and superhuman feats. In fact, Tae Kwon Do is as full of lies as it is powerful techniques. Since its rough beginnings in the Korean military 60 years ago, the art empowered individuals and nations, but its leaders too often hid the painful truths that led to that empowerment „ the gangsters, secret-service agents, and dictators who encouraged cheating, corruption, and murder. A Killing Art: The Untold History of Tae Kwon Do takes you into the cults, geisha houses, and crime syndicates that made Tae Kwon Do. It shows how, in the end, a few key leaders kept the art clean and turned it into an empowering art for tens of millions of people in more than 150 countries. A Killing Art is part history and part biography „ and a wild ride to enlightenment. This new and revised edition of the bestselling book contains previously unnamed sources and updated chapters.
Caged
Author: Cameron Conaway
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780615521770
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 250
Book Description
Accomplished MMA fighter and award-winning writer Cameron Conaway presents in Caged the true story of a young man who overcomes a family background and his own inner torment by learning to channel his frustrations into the physical world of mixed martial arts fighting and the cerebral world of poetry and writing. It teaches the value of personal reflection, how life's most painful moments can lead to a deeper understanding and appreciation of human nature, and just what is possible when optimism and determination combine to overcome tough odds. Caged shows how the pursuit of two seemingly disparate passions helped a struggling boy blossom into a simple man. The result is a literary and lyrical philosophical journey into the heart and mind of a modern-day warrior.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780615521770
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 250
Book Description
Accomplished MMA fighter and award-winning writer Cameron Conaway presents in Caged the true story of a young man who overcomes a family background and his own inner torment by learning to channel his frustrations into the physical world of mixed martial arts fighting and the cerebral world of poetry and writing. It teaches the value of personal reflection, how life's most painful moments can lead to a deeper understanding and appreciation of human nature, and just what is possible when optimism and determination combine to overcome tough odds. Caged shows how the pursuit of two seemingly disparate passions helped a struggling boy blossom into a simple man. The result is a literary and lyrical philosophical journey into the heart and mind of a modern-day warrior.
Samurai Fighting Arts
Author: Fumon Tanaka
Publisher: Kodansha International
ISBN: 9784770028983
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 246
Book Description
Introduces the 18 traditional Japanese martial arts and provides readers with a deeper understanding of the styles formulated in the samurai era - both those that are little known and those still being taught today.
Publisher: Kodansha International
ISBN: 9784770028983
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 246
Book Description
Introduces the 18 traditional Japanese martial arts and provides readers with a deeper understanding of the styles formulated in the samurai era - both those that are little known and those still being taught today.
American Shaolin
Author: Matthew Polly
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101216840
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 404
Book Description
Bill Bryson meets Bruce Lee in this raucously funny story of one scrawny American’s quest to become a kung fu master at China’s legendary Shaolin Temple. Growing up a ninety-pound weakling tormented by bullies in the schoolyards of Kansas, young Matthew Polly dreamed of one day journeying to the Shaolin Temple in China to become the toughest fighter in the world, like Caine in his favorite 1970s TV series, Kung Fu. While in college, Matthew decided the time had come to pursue this quixotic dream before it was too late. Much to the dismay of his parents, he dropped out of Princeton to spend two years training with the legendary sect of monks who invented kung fu and Zen Buddhism. Expecting to find an isolated citadel populated by supernatural ascetics that he’d seen in countless badly dubbed chop-socky flicks, Matthew instead discovered a tacky tourist trap run by Communist party hacks. But the dedicated monks still trained in the rigorous age-old fighting forms—some even practicing the “iron kung fu” discipline, in which intensive training can make various body parts virtually indestructible (even the crotch). As Matthew grew in his knowledge of China and kung fu skill, he would come to represent the Temple in challenge matches and international competitions, and ultimately the monks would accept their new American initiate as close to one of their own as any Westerner had ever become. Laced with humor and illuminated by cultural insight, American Shaolin is an unforgettable coming-of-age tale of one young man’s journey into the ancient art of kung fu—and a funny and poignant portrait of a rapidly changing China.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101216840
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 404
Book Description
Bill Bryson meets Bruce Lee in this raucously funny story of one scrawny American’s quest to become a kung fu master at China’s legendary Shaolin Temple. Growing up a ninety-pound weakling tormented by bullies in the schoolyards of Kansas, young Matthew Polly dreamed of one day journeying to the Shaolin Temple in China to become the toughest fighter in the world, like Caine in his favorite 1970s TV series, Kung Fu. While in college, Matthew decided the time had come to pursue this quixotic dream before it was too late. Much to the dismay of his parents, he dropped out of Princeton to spend two years training with the legendary sect of monks who invented kung fu and Zen Buddhism. Expecting to find an isolated citadel populated by supernatural ascetics that he’d seen in countless badly dubbed chop-socky flicks, Matthew instead discovered a tacky tourist trap run by Communist party hacks. But the dedicated monks still trained in the rigorous age-old fighting forms—some even practicing the “iron kung fu” discipline, in which intensive training can make various body parts virtually indestructible (even the crotch). As Matthew grew in his knowledge of China and kung fu skill, he would come to represent the Temple in challenge matches and international competitions, and ultimately the monks would accept their new American initiate as close to one of their own as any Westerner had ever become. Laced with humor and illuminated by cultural insight, American Shaolin is an unforgettable coming-of-age tale of one young man’s journey into the ancient art of kung fu—and a funny and poignant portrait of a rapidly changing China.
Striking Distance
Author: Charles Russo
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
ISBN: 1496217063
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 268
Book Description
In the spring of 1959, eighteen-year-old Bruce Lee returned to San Francisco, the city of his birth. Although the martial arts were widely unknown in America, Bruce encountered a robust fight culture in the Bay Area, populated with talented and trailblazing practitioners such as Lau Bun, Chinatown’s aging kung fu patriarch; Wally Jay, the innovative Hawaiian jujitsu master; and James Lee, the Oakland street fighter. Regarded by some as a brash loudmouth and by others as a dynamic visionary, Bruce spent his first few years back in America advocating for a modern approach to the martial arts, and showing little regard for the damaged egos left in his wake. The year of 1964 would be an eventful one for Bruce, in which he would broadcast his dissenting worldview before the first great international martial arts gathering, and then defend it by facing down Wong Jack Man—Chinatown’s young kung fu ace—in a legendary behind-closed-doors showdown. These events were a catalyst to the dawn of martial arts in America and a prelude to an icon. Based on over one hundred original interviews, Striking Distance chronicles Bruce Lee’s formative days amid the heated martial arts proving ground that thrived on San Francisco Bay in the early 1960s.
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
ISBN: 1496217063
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 268
Book Description
In the spring of 1959, eighteen-year-old Bruce Lee returned to San Francisco, the city of his birth. Although the martial arts were widely unknown in America, Bruce encountered a robust fight culture in the Bay Area, populated with talented and trailblazing practitioners such as Lau Bun, Chinatown’s aging kung fu patriarch; Wally Jay, the innovative Hawaiian jujitsu master; and James Lee, the Oakland street fighter. Regarded by some as a brash loudmouth and by others as a dynamic visionary, Bruce spent his first few years back in America advocating for a modern approach to the martial arts, and showing little regard for the damaged egos left in his wake. The year of 1964 would be an eventful one for Bruce, in which he would broadcast his dissenting worldview before the first great international martial arts gathering, and then defend it by facing down Wong Jack Man—Chinatown’s young kung fu ace—in a legendary behind-closed-doors showdown. These events were a catalyst to the dawn of martial arts in America and a prelude to an icon. Based on over one hundred original interviews, Striking Distance chronicles Bruce Lee’s formative days amid the heated martial arts proving ground that thrived on San Francisco Bay in the early 1960s.
Fighting Buddha
Author: Jeff Eisenberg
Publisher: Findhorn Press
ISBN: 9781844097227
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
A raucous, irreverent look into the Buddhist and Martial Arts worlds Can we be martial arts practitioners and Buddhists at the same time? Can these practices actually complement each other, in mindfulness? How do we reconcile Buddhist concepts like non-violence with a fighting practice like judo, karate or jiu jitsu? Long-standing martial arts instructor and meditator Jeff Eisenberg addresses these and other questions in his own inimitable style, employing autobiographical anecdotes, along with martial arts fighting strategies, koan and sutra teachings, and Buddhist folk stories. Fighting Buddha outlines why the true test of a martial artist’s skill and of a Buddhist’s application of mindfulness is during a situation that is the least conducive for it--usually not inside the Dojo or Zendo. Challenging the belief that fighting martial arts styles are not conducive to a meditative practice, the book discusses the difference between violence and the use of force as it relates to the Buddha’s teaching of “cause no harm”, exploring the common misunderstanding that meditative moments are exclusive to only select activities. Further topics are the struggles of beginning training and practice, the importance of identifying goals, choosing a teacher and training in support of these goals. And, far from being the often-perceived ending, Jeff concludes that enlightenment and the black belt are really only a beginning.
Publisher: Findhorn Press
ISBN: 9781844097227
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
A raucous, irreverent look into the Buddhist and Martial Arts worlds Can we be martial arts practitioners and Buddhists at the same time? Can these practices actually complement each other, in mindfulness? How do we reconcile Buddhist concepts like non-violence with a fighting practice like judo, karate or jiu jitsu? Long-standing martial arts instructor and meditator Jeff Eisenberg addresses these and other questions in his own inimitable style, employing autobiographical anecdotes, along with martial arts fighting strategies, koan and sutra teachings, and Buddhist folk stories. Fighting Buddha outlines why the true test of a martial artist’s skill and of a Buddhist’s application of mindfulness is during a situation that is the least conducive for it--usually not inside the Dojo or Zendo. Challenging the belief that fighting martial arts styles are not conducive to a meditative practice, the book discusses the difference between violence and the use of force as it relates to the Buddha’s teaching of “cause no harm”, exploring the common misunderstanding that meditative moments are exclusive to only select activities. Further topics are the struggles of beginning training and practice, the importance of identifying goals, choosing a teacher and training in support of these goals. And, far from being the often-perceived ending, Jeff concludes that enlightenment and the black belt are really only a beginning.
The Martial Arts of Ancient Greece
Author: Kostas Dervenis
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1594777403
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 396
Book Description
An in-depth guide to the modern practice of Greek martial arts and their beginnings in ancient Greece and Egypt • Examines the correlation between ancient depictions of one-on-one combat and how martial arts are practiced today • Explores the close relationship between Greek martial arts and spiritual practice • Distinguishes between Pammachon (martial arts) and Pankration (combat sports) The ancient friezes and decorative motifs of ancient Greece contain abundant scenes of combat, one-on-one and hand-to-hand. In The Martial Arts of Ancient Greece, the authors offer close inspection of these depictions to reveal that they exactly correlate to the grappling and combat arts as they are practiced today. They also show that these artifacts document the historical course of the development of both the weaponry of the warrior classes and the martial responses those weapons required when fighting hand-to-hand. The depiction of each ancient technique is accompanied by sequenced step-by-step photos of modern practitioners performing the various stances of one-on-one combat. In addition, the authors explain how the development of Hellenic combat arts was tied at its heart to a spiritual practice. The centeredness, clear mind, and consequent courage that develops from a spiritual practice was considered a martial strength for a warrior, enabling him to be at his best, unobstructed inwardly by conflict or inertia. The Martial Arts of Ancient Greece provides a practical and comprehensive approach to the techniques and philosophy of the martial arts of the ancient Mediterranean that will be welcomed by modern fighters.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1594777403
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 396
Book Description
An in-depth guide to the modern practice of Greek martial arts and their beginnings in ancient Greece and Egypt • Examines the correlation between ancient depictions of one-on-one combat and how martial arts are practiced today • Explores the close relationship between Greek martial arts and spiritual practice • Distinguishes between Pammachon (martial arts) and Pankration (combat sports) The ancient friezes and decorative motifs of ancient Greece contain abundant scenes of combat, one-on-one and hand-to-hand. In The Martial Arts of Ancient Greece, the authors offer close inspection of these depictions to reveal that they exactly correlate to the grappling and combat arts as they are practiced today. They also show that these artifacts document the historical course of the development of both the weaponry of the warrior classes and the martial responses those weapons required when fighting hand-to-hand. The depiction of each ancient technique is accompanied by sequenced step-by-step photos of modern practitioners performing the various stances of one-on-one combat. In addition, the authors explain how the development of Hellenic combat arts was tied at its heart to a spiritual practice. The centeredness, clear mind, and consequent courage that develops from a spiritual practice was considered a martial strength for a warrior, enabling him to be at his best, unobstructed inwardly by conflict or inertia. The Martial Arts of Ancient Greece provides a practical and comprehensive approach to the techniques and philosophy of the martial arts of the ancient Mediterranean that will be welcomed by modern fighters.
The Code of the Righteous Warrior
Author: Alyn E. Waller
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1501177192
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
T.D. Jakes’s He-Motions meets The Art of War in this accessible “must-read” (James Brown, host of The NFL Today) that will help modern men navigate and thrive in these unpredictable times. As someone who goes on yearly adventure and survivalist excursions, Rev. Dr. Alyn E. Waller—senior pastor of Philadelphia’s Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church and longtime practitioner of martial arts—knows firsthand the importance of training. His work has allowed him to counsel countless men as they seek a new set of skills to thrive in today’s world and now, The Code of the Righteous Warrior illustrates Waller’s belief that ritualistic training can prepare men in all aspects of life. Dramatic shifts in our nation’s cultural, economic, social, and political landscape have upended their lives, leaving them feeling betrayed and lost. But in this eye-opening and inspirational book, Waller draws from his Christian teachings and the lessons he’s learned from martial arts and extreme adventures to offer men innovative strategies to help them fight today’s challenges in ways that affirm their manhood. He offers ten crucial and accessible life tenets such as: prioritize the immediate threat then handle first things first; conserve your resources; and you can survive fear and pain. The Code of the Righteous Warrior empowers you to live your best life and rise above any difficulties you may face.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1501177192
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
T.D. Jakes’s He-Motions meets The Art of War in this accessible “must-read” (James Brown, host of The NFL Today) that will help modern men navigate and thrive in these unpredictable times. As someone who goes on yearly adventure and survivalist excursions, Rev. Dr. Alyn E. Waller—senior pastor of Philadelphia’s Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church and longtime practitioner of martial arts—knows firsthand the importance of training. His work has allowed him to counsel countless men as they seek a new set of skills to thrive in today’s world and now, The Code of the Righteous Warrior illustrates Waller’s belief that ritualistic training can prepare men in all aspects of life. Dramatic shifts in our nation’s cultural, economic, social, and political landscape have upended their lives, leaving them feeling betrayed and lost. But in this eye-opening and inspirational book, Waller draws from his Christian teachings and the lessons he’s learned from martial arts and extreme adventures to offer men innovative strategies to help them fight today’s challenges in ways that affirm their manhood. He offers ten crucial and accessible life tenets such as: prioritize the immediate threat then handle first things first; conserve your resources; and you can survive fear and pain. The Code of the Righteous Warrior empowers you to live your best life and rise above any difficulties you may face.
A Fighter's Heart
Author: Sam Sheridan
Publisher: Atlantic Books Ltd
ISBN: 1848872666
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 392
Book Description
After a series of adventurous jobs around the world, Sam Sheridan found himself in Australia, cash-rich and with time on his hands to spend it. It occurred to him that he could finally explore a long-held obsession: fighting. Within a year, he was in Bangkok training with Thailand's greatest kickboxing champion and stepping through the ropes for his first professional bout. But one fight wasn't enough, and Sheridan set out to test himself on an epic journey into how and why we fight, facing Olympic boxers, Brazilian jiu-jitsu stars, and Ultimate Fighting champions.
Publisher: Atlantic Books Ltd
ISBN: 1848872666
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 392
Book Description
After a series of adventurous jobs around the world, Sam Sheridan found himself in Australia, cash-rich and with time on his hands to spend it. It occurred to him that he could finally explore a long-held obsession: fighting. Within a year, he was in Bangkok training with Thailand's greatest kickboxing champion and stepping through the ropes for his first professional bout. But one fight wasn't enough, and Sheridan set out to test himself on an epic journey into how and why we fight, facing Olympic boxers, Brazilian jiu-jitsu stars, and Ultimate Fighting champions.