Sports Books

I highly recommend this book! It's especially handy for reviewing proper execution of chokes, submissions, positioning etc. that you just performed in class as well as any frustrations you may be experiencing with a particular move. You might be missing something very simple that can be picked up by seeing the move or reading it step-by-step in the book. I also train at Royler Gracie/David Adiv's academy. They are two wonderful men.

Train hard!
Never tap!

I purchased this book on the recommendation of a guy that I ran into in the martial arts section of Barnes and Noble (purchased it on Amazon...it's $10 cheaper) and I will definitely be providing the same recommendation to others. I began taking jiu jitsu classes approximately 3 weeks prior to my purchase of this book and I was becoming quickly frustrated with my inability beat anyone in my class. While I am blessed to have a fantastic instructor, I'm not the most patient person so I purchased this book and read it the weekend between my 3rd and 4th weeks of being in class in the hopes that I could speed my technical progress. The book opens with a nice introduction to the sport as well as a description of the basic positions that are fundamental building blocks for a begininer but may be overlooked in a class where everyone is already familiar with the basics. The book clearly explains every move and provides large color pictures to highlight every aspect of a technique from start to finish. Additionally, for some of the more complicated maneuvers a reverse picture is shown along side the normal description with extra hints to make the technique more adaptable. After just one time reading this book, I felt exponentially more confident the first time that I rolled in class afterwards and I had significantly greater success on the mats than I was having just 3 days prior. As a female, I like the component of jiu jitsu that allows for a smaller, weaker opponent to dominate a larger, stronger player simply by relying on technique and forethought rather than brute strength, and after the purchase of this book, I was enlightened on dozens of techniques that allow for exactly that. If I wore a gi in class, I would have given this book 5 stars, however I do not, so some of the techniques aren't applicable to me and there is no non-gi alternative described for some of the moves that hinge directly on the capability of maneuvering an opponent by the handling of his clothing. Conclusively, I highly recommend this book to the beginner who has never taken a ground fighting class before. It also serves as a decent refresher for returning participants as well as a bridge for people who previously have experience in wrestling but not in jiu jitsu.

I recently started training in Gracie Jiujitsu. The Gracie system has a structured curriculum i.e. so many lessons at each level, and I found this book to be helpful. After training, I come home, find the technique I learned in the book, and flag the page. I then have a visual reference to go over the techniques in my head when there is no training for the day. It's easy to understand, the pictures are clear and show the important steps, and the pages are color coded to belt level (though I found this wasn't exactly accurate).

Overall, it is a good purchase for anyone studying this martial art.

This book is a prime example of good publishing. No hype, no gross fabrications, no commercial over-bounds. The information is presented in a concise, accurate, flowing format of color-coded, well-arranged photos with detailed text to enhance the learning process.

Renzo Gracie has done his home work while being in the States, and with the help of John Danaher superior writing skills, coupled with Kid Peligro's editing talents, this production offers a genuine, solid account of fundamental ground grappling skills from which the reader can learn.

While I am not a supporter of nor a fan of the hype and importance provided to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and mixed martial arts, the ground game is always an important aspect of combat sports, specifically, and actual combatives, indirectly (incidentally). To be a complete combat sports athlete and a well rounded combatant (survivor of combat) a working understanding of this realm of "fighting" is necessary, to which this book serves this purpose well.

The book is worth the coin...

Overall i think the book is very good and worth buying. However there are a few baffling decision made by the authors in the book. Escape from half guard for instance, where much is made of how common a position it is, and then they include it in the Black belt syllabus?? I would have had it in the blue belt section, personally, seeing as it is so commonly used. Also the Gracies continue to churn out the very useless standard guard pass in this book, a pass nobody in their right mind would try and use if their opponent has even heard of the triangle choke. Surely they could have put a more useful guard pass in? To their credit at least they mention its limitations. (Unlike Rorions instruction video!)

I bought this book not fully knowing where it would take me. Having watched an interview with Gerry Lopez, his style peaked my interest, but a book, hummm. Anyways, this is an awesome book, I can't put it down.

Here's the reason. Yes, it's a great surf book. Great stories about cool surf! However, it's much more. This book takes you into Gerry Lopez's world. Gerry Lopez does a great job talking surf, but an equally great job talking about his thoughts, emotions and life lessons learned.

The book is a number of short stories that take you throughout the world. I think a good read is one where you feel like you are living it, you're there. While I will founder in my knee high surf, I will in some way enter into the "Green Room" with this book. With this book Gerry Lopez takes you there!!! A+

This book was a true gift to me. I have more respect for Gerry than ever now. A true waterman,gracious man, craftsman and a very laid back simple person . this book was very hard for me to put down so Im currently reading it over again! becouse it is filled with many great stories. Like Buffalo from Makaha out riding waves on his Boston Wailer then passing Gerry in the impact zone@ 12 ' with a cig hanging from his lip.
classics. Mahalo-

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever surfed or who would like to know what surfing is all about. I have known Gerry for over 30 years and have always held him in the highest regard. He is the most natural surfer ever. From the most perfect wave to the worst, Gerry can always shine. He compliments the natural, sometimes violent, movement of the wave and turns it into an art form. This book is the story, the culture and the spirit of surfing. Aloha, Gerry for writing this very sensitive and thorough book

Gerry is really like that: laid back, not interested in ego tripping and probably one of the top pioneers in surfing history. Oh yeah and probably the best style surfer ever. He truly defines courage: he's scared to death but does it anyway, and oh so well.
The message in the book is simple. . .and immense. Straight to the heart with no bs along the way. Funny, warm and totally peaceful. The zen master of surfing.
He makes it seem so easy, but you know he just worked his tail off and still does to be that good. Anyone who thinks that surfers don't have a work ethic needs to read this book. So does everybody else.
He talks story just like that. Doesn't take credit, he just shares his experiences. And what experiences they are. Wow! All those incredible people and all those incredible places.
I've been a surfer for 40+ years and he is all I ever wish I could have been and wasn't. I teach surfing; he teaches me.
He has so much story to tell that he kind of skips around from here to there and you know he could probably write a couple more books just like this one, and I hope he does. Hawaii, G-land, Bali, Chile. . .on and on and you know it just scratches the surface. More please.
Savor this book. Read it one story at a time. Take your time and let the overall ride take you where it goes. Just like surfing.

Gerry Lopez is the quintessential surfer and human being. He radiates charm, courage, wisdom, and incredible athletic abilities. His stories are breathtaking and awe-inspiring. He truly is our own living national treasure.

I had the pleasure of meeting him about 30 years ago. I didn't realize at the time what an event that was. Being a young kid, I only knew him as the originator of the Lightning Bolt brand of boards and clothing. What I didn't know was that he was an early pioneer of the short board revolution, tube riding, explorer of G-Land, and more.

Surf is Where You Find It by Gerry Lopez, is a great book because the author is a wonderful person with wonderful stories to tell. Highly recommended.

The book makes you truly admire Mike Lowell for everything he's accomplished on and off the field. There are moments, where he talks about his cancer diagnosis, and his concerns for his wife and his newborn daughter, and all of a sudden you're on the verge of tears. Then he cracks a joke about Terry "Tito" Francona or David Ortiz, and you find yourself laughing nonstop.

I don't get into books very often, but I thought this one was great!

I have read many books about various topics, baseball being one of my favorite. "Deep Drive" is an inspirational story about an inspirational player whose core values are to be admired. From the struggles with cancer to the joy of the World Championship and Series MVP, it is truly a special story.The book is worth reading for all baseball fans not just Red Sox Nation.

Mike Lowell is an example of a wonderful guy with an unbelievable story. But the book seems like it was rushed to publication and is basically all fluff. It has tons of errors and some passages just don't make any sense at all. I spent 20 minutes on a paragraph once trying to figure out what happened and I never did. Sometimes stories start and drop out before completed.

I don't blame Lowell, who is a ballplayer not a writer. I blame the ghostwriter Rob Bradford, who is a professional journalist in Boston and should know better. I suspect he and the editors/publishers rushed this to print and it shows. The paperback will probably be much better. But even with the novice mistakes fixed, the way the stories are told are just flat and carry none of the intensity that they should have. These are amazing stories! But they are written blandly.

For a good baseball book, check out David Wells' book.

In the fall of 2005 when the Red Sox announced that they would be acquiring Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell in a trade with the Marlins, I like most in Red Sox Nation, was skeptical about the abilities of the 3rd Basemen nobody seemed to want. After the 2006 season, I became a fan of Mike Lowell the player. I truly admired the way he played the game. After reading this book, I am now an even bigger fan of Mike Lowell the man. The book provides an intimate look into the rise of Mike Lowell to 2007 World Series MVP. His candor about his battles trying to achieve his goal of playing baseball in the majors, with cancer, and with the everyday life of being a professional athlete are not only inspiring, but truly illustrate what makes Mike Lowell so great on and off the field. His determination to succeed is evident through out the book, he remains positive and optimistic even through the nightmare of testicular cancer. A true role model and inspiration. Even if you are not a Red Sox fan you'll find this book entertaining, as it doesn't dwell on his time in Boston.

I had no expectations about this book when I started to read it. As a huge Mike Lowell fan, it wouldn't have mattered what it contained - I knew I would like it. But, I have to say, this book was much more than I thought it would be - kind of like Mike Lowell himself.

The style of writing was very familiar - I felt like I was sitting talking to Mike as he shared his and his family's experiences with Castro, breaking into the big leagues and his battle with cancer. As someone who has also dealt with the "C" word, his positive attitude and approach was something I appreciated hearing about.

The overall message of the book for me is that how things affect you in your life all has to do with how you react to them. Mike's experiences and his message is something that everyone can apply to their own lives. My only complaint was that the book ended! It left me wanting more! I highly recommend this book - it's much more than just a story of a great baseball player.

I'm an experienced cyclist and I found this a fun read. It's a collection of articles that were published in Bicycling magazine back in the 90's on various aspects on road cycling. There are sections on skills, training and nutrition and I found useful information throughout the book. I feel that the articles were chosen to have a timeless slant as there aren't many examples on equipment, most of the articles are on technique.
Specifically I found the few articles on training that included examples to be helpful, like the suggested trainer routines, use of an heart rate monitor, and estimating calories burned.
This type of book is what I call a bathroom book, as the short articles are perfect reading when you want something to read for a few minutes.
The book is also a success in that it helps get you in the mood to go riding. There's not a lot new here, but it's fun to read someone elses opinion on something most of us already know how to do.

Some information in this book I find implausible, and some I /know/ to be false, which further reduces any confidence I may have in the rest of the information. For a subject like cycling, you need someone who understands the underlying physics as well as helpful subjective seat-of-the-pants techniques. Ed Pavelka seems to only have the latter skill, which gives his advice no firm foundation.

A case in point is the brief article on steering. His final conclusion is sound - that countersteering (see Wikipedia for an explanation) is how you steer effectively, but he prefaces it by asserting erroneously that there are 3 ways to steer. To paraphrase, he says you can steer simply by pointing the handlebars where you want to go, without leaning the bike at up to 15mph (defying the laws of physics), or you can steer just by leaning the way you want to go, or you can countersteer.

There is only one way to steer: countersteering. Most of us never realize that is what we're doing. Most of us learned to do it unconsciously on the day we first learned to ride, and from then on we muddle through with a unconscious "micro-countersteer" that starts the bike falling sideways, which we catch by turning the corner. The key to good steering is to use deliberate, active and controlled countersteering - a skill which becomes obviously essential on a motorcycle, where the increased weight makes it impossible to muddle through a turn on unconscious control.

He comes to the right conclusion - so what's the big deal? Well, to me, the big deal is he's made me read and try to understand false information which is of no use whatsoever, and /his/ understanding of the subject is flawed. How am I supposed to trust anything else he says, if it's nothing more than his assertions based on his own gut feeling?

Frequently, theory alone is insufficient, very occasionally practice trumps theory, but best of all is practice based on theory. _Sound_ theory.

I always look forward to my mail for this one, however the ads are a bit much.

Very good especially for the beginning rider excellentbook I learned ALOT!

this book has good info but nothing you couldnt find on the internet for free.

A must-read for anyone interested in travel, martial arts, language, or cultural exchange. There were a few times that I raised my eyebrows, wondering whether Polly exaggerated some of his experiences, but who cares? His book is intensely entertaining and interesting.

I really enjoyed this book. It had me chuckling out loud numerous times. I agree with the Publisher's Weekly review that Polly loses focus in the last 100 pages. Nonetheless, very enjoyable.

A friend from my karate class recommended this book; Matthew Polly traveled to the Shaolin temple in the early 1990's to learn Kungfu from the Shaolin monks. Seems included in his inadequacies (short list provided) was a self perception as a coward. This "cowardly" young man traveled alone, thousands of miles, against the advice of friends and family, to an alien land and very different culture, to a place with a political and economic system that most americans feared at the time. There he immersed himself into the brutal training of Shaolin kungfu for two years and he writes about it here. His list of inadequacies wisely didn't include limp writing skills because this travelogue is absorbing and witty. A more personal rather than political PJ O'Rourke in his "Holiday's From Hell" period, you really get a feel for the experience Matthew Polly goes through. You get to feel you know the friend's Matthew makes at the Temple, which is particularly charming as the exotic cultures of late 20th century China and the martial Monk is rendered familiar in his writing. Very enjoyable!

Matthew Polly's adventures in China make for a very fascinating book. I couldn't put this book down. He provides great insight on China in the early 90s, while at the same time weaving a humorous tale of a Westerner trying to survive in Asia. Anyone who has spent time in Asia can relate to Polly's observations...however, he does so with great wit and the keen insight only someone fluent in the language could provide.

Although this is a nonfiction memoir, it reads like a very funny novel. Beware of reading this in public, unless you don't mind laughing really hard and having people staring at you. (ie iron crotch monks, coke dealing, midnight mistresses, etc). Interestingly there were moments that were also very touching and could really bring a tear to person.

Despite this, the book gave some very fascinating, presumably accurate, first person account about China in the 90's, kungfu, and the most importantly the people there.

the writing was extraordinary and fluid. The author has a way of making you understand and feel emotions for the characters he describes, monks, vendor, evil administrators and yes the author himself, without boring you with deep analysis.

summary: funny read, sometimes sad, but mostly funny and informative and did I mentioned funny.

I enjoy reading about mountaineering and eagerly await all new books on the subject. I am a long time fan of Ed Viesturs; he has amazing accomplishments. The most significant of which -- he is STILL ALIVE!!!The book was insightful and interesting in the many ways he has carefully accomplished his goals.

Ed Viesturs is a very inspiring man. An absolute legend in my book.
I have watched the IMAX documentaries on Everest and am always inspired and moved to tears.
It did surprise me that he was not a little more discreet when describing his adventures with a fellow female climber though.

If you are interested in big mountain climbing (armchair or otherwise), this book will give you a peek into the life of one mountaineer. Ed talks about "acceptable risk", physical sacrifices, finanical sacrifieces, practicalities of climbing. This is not a "Into Thin Air" drama, but rather a solid account of one man's journey.

In retrospect, I have no idea why I purchased the book No Shortcuts to the Top other than I thought I'd enjoy learning more about mountain climbing. In reality, this book is much more than just about mountain climbing. It shows the true nature of the man that is Ed Viesturs and his life's work on the mountain. I was thoroughly impressed about Ed's approach to climbing and his philosophy on climbing and life. I assumed, incorrectly, that all mountain climbers were over the top, macho men, with a desire to get famous before the end. Ed would be welcomed as a friend in almost any organization. What a complete view of many of the recent historical mountain events and climbers from all over the world from an expert in the field.

Excellent. Well written and takes you to the summit of some of the world's nost inhospitable places.

As mentioned, the book is much more than throws. If you want to throw someone you typically need to clinch...this can be tough if strikes are allowed, especially if your opponent has a reach advantage. This book covers a few striking methods to close the gap and get into the clinch.

I was happy to see a very good section on the guard and submissions from this position.

This book covers a large amount of "phases" of combat including standing at a distance, clinching, throwing, and ground work and does it all very well. It will be truly valued by the kickboxer who wants to close the gap to clinch/throw, by the grappler, and the mixed martial artist. Victory Belt has put out another quality product.

im a judoka and this book is one of the best available. it reminds all judoka to stop relying on the gi. the techniques are completely different from anything ive ever see before. also ive never seen such detail in a martial arts book. you literally get 3 camera angles for most techniques. the only thing i would say is if you dont have any judo experience you'll problably have trouble with this book, this is not basic judo.

Wow. I thought this would be all throws. There are throws, counter throws, a whole soi age seciton, a whle osoto gari section, Tai Otoshis, Harai Goshis, and Uchimatas galor from all kinds of setups andcounters. Tere are a handful of throws off of the Kimura hold. There are even some good old double and single leg takedowns. There are methods of clinching and even striking to get the clinch. There's a section on Judo pins. Mount, Side Control, Scarf, reverse scarf,and north-south all have their own sections on transitions and sumissions. There are a lot of unique Hayastan/Gokor style subs I have NEVER seen in 13 years of MA training. The book ends with Ground and Pound techniques.

If you want to fight like Karo, this IS the book for you!

This is an excellent product I purchased the Saltwater edition for 1 tackle box and the Freshwater edition for my other, it's an excellent reference. The plastic coating makes it waterproof,cleanable and durable.
Thank You

This is a great starter to intermediate knot tying manual. 'Ultimate' might be stretching it but it's close. Definitely adequate! You would 'the man' if you mastered every knot in this manual! The envy of every other deckhand for sure! ciao, Scott

Buy it, use it, love it; enough said.

Fisherman's Ultimate Knot Guide is a great little guide worth the money takes up very little room and keeps the rust out when it's been awhile since you tied those knots.

I have used the tool and find it very helpful. Good price. Fast shipping.

The best parts of this book are the detailed photographs of all the exercises, included in both a large format (one per page) and a small format (so that you can see many exercises per page). The only thing that would make the book even better would be if the small photographs were offered separately on water-resistant material, so that you could bring 'em into the pool. I'll probably photocopy those pages, and laminate them, so that I can do that.

The book has a helpful appendix of commercial resources with products such as an in-pool exercise station, and Aqua Tunes. Some of the companies appear to have gone out of business in the 11 years since the book was first published--to be expected.

By the way, the average rating here would be 5, but one reviewer apparently forgot to add the star rating, while still offering the book a glowing review.

I recently had a knee replacement. My doctor suggested water therapy.

This book yeilded several specific therapies to improve the flex in my knee.

I had a devastating knee injury about five and one half months ago (the doctor stated that I may never be able to obtain my pre-injury range of motion)The traditional rehab was going very slowly and very painfully. I asked my physician if I could exercise in the water, and after his approval, I started with the workouts in this book along with my prescribed rehab. I have gained 80% of my pre-injury range of motion and on a good start with my strength and balance with VERY little pain!! My physical therapist said I started improving much more rapidly after starting the water workouts and I have already exceeded the expected post-operative range of motion. I could not have done it without the water workouts!!

This guide is helpful for persons with physical limitations and provide safe non-impact exercises. It would be helpful if the guide would inform the purchaser that assistive devices would aid with the routines.

I was in a bed for 9 weeks with a herniated disc. My wife found this book in the library. I happen to live in Florida and was able to use this book to keep myself somewhat active and not become a cripple because of the pain I was in on land. 15 years later I am in great shape at 50 love the water and this book, and still read in now and then to remind me of the form to use and the benifits.I need a new one becaus eits been so used.

Reading this book with the expectation that you'll be a better runner once you finish it is unrealistic. If you're in need of help with your training, either as a complete beginner or someone looking to take his running game to another level, the personal touch is leagues better. Just as a garden-variety self-help book is no substitute for speaking with a psychologist or confidante, MFM won't nearly offer the kind of assistance you'd get from a personal trainer, coach, or even a more advanced jogging partner.

That said, Marathoning does offer a lot of practical advice, and is a good place to start before seeking more detailed information elsewhere. I'm looking to make some changes in my running regimen in order to improve my race times, or- gasp- graduate from half-marathons to full, and I took some notes from MFM on what kinds of improvements I could stand to make (e.g., lose the cotton socks for synthetic; do a better job of hydrating during my runs; examine my arches and tailor my next sneaker purchase accordingly).

It's an easy and fun read, and has the potential to be kinda inspirational, too, assuming you find anecdotes about people's running achievements more encouraging than corny. [There are a lot of these accounts of personal triumphs interspersed liberally throughout the book's more practical points, and while they can get to be a bit much, at least there are a few stories for every type of runner and walker.] In fact, if author John "The Penguin" Bingham was even half as lazy and unfit in his pre-marathoning days as he comically describes himself, it ought to inspire any reader to sign up for a long-distance race tomorrow.

This book contains a lot of great information for first time marathon/half-marathon runners. The book is well organized and written in a clear and readable style. In addition to the 8 customized training programs and accompanying advice, there are also special sections on deciding which race to run and when, injury prevention, nutrition, gear, race day strategy, and recovery.

This is the best such book I have read on the topic.

This book inspired me to train for longer races. The plans and strategies it provided were helpful and sound. My training and results improved after reading this book, as did my confidence.

This is an excellent book for beginning runners who aspire to conquer the marathon.

This book is a must have for anyone who enjoys running and wants to train for a marathon or 1/2 marathon. I've already read it once and loaned it to a friend and decided to get another copy to read it again. Easy read and enjoyable. Well written in a fun and amusing manner.

This book is so sweet and uplifting. I am a beginning runner and I just loved this book. It helped me get the motivation I needed to keep on my training. I am going to buy the rest of his books. I can't get enough!