Sports Books

I started out reading Marathoning for Mortals since it was available at the local library for free. When I decided I was not ready for a whole or even half marathon I stepped up by buying this book. There is several pieces of similar information in both books. That being said it is very inspirational and the training programs in the back seem achivable for everyone from my mother-in-law to my now in training husband. I highly recommend it.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I've been running recreationally on and off (sadly, mostly off) for about 10 years and I've had phases when I've ran really well regularly and when I've struggled getting 30 minutes in per week. Not only is "Running for Mortals" quite inspirational, but it also corrected so many misconceptions I've had about how to become a "better" runner. Like most people, I suppose, I always thought that if high intensity over a short period of time is good, then high intensity over a longer period is better; and that if I'm improving my 5k time every few months then I'm on the right track even if I'm really struggling to keep going faster and found it harder to do the next run. Well, I was wrong on both counts (and on several others)! Bingham and Hadfield explain that there's ONLY one way to become a better runner and only one way to enjoy this sport over an extended period of time (I won't ruin it by giving the answer away). Suffice it to say that running "harder" is almost never "better". Bingham and Hadfield give many detailed technical tips on how to improve and explains the proper mental atitude to adopt. And I believe the training plans included in the last part of the book serve both experts and novices quite well. Even if I do almost all of my running indoors, I now have a renewed outlook on running and have become more patient and smart about how to go about achieving, and ENJOYING, my running goals. Most of all, both my wife and I have fully committed to doing the programs together so this book started us out on a new shared experience that'll hopefully last many years.

I highly recommend this book for any beginner. If you have more running experience, it is a good read to remember why you started running in the first place.

Iam a difficult and undiscipline runner, but I love the few moment I have done it.
This book I bougth about 7 months ago and I read it in few days, well I trow it in my library and did not think at it again 'till today: I found a special friend whom did not meet at least 18 years ago, he is a runner, a real one, he goes NYC every single year for running marathon(from Costa Rica to NYC just to run...), and when I came back home I took this book and started reading and the most incredible thing: I was running for 25 minutes,my shoes and running pants where out the closed...for ever, I know that-
"The penguin" has the rare faculty to transmit one the taste for the primary human instinct: runnig....and runnig.

As a middle-aged man who had slid into sloth I began regular running a few months ago. Shortly after starting I discovered John Bingham's first book The Courage To Start: A Guide To Running for Your Life which echoed and reinforced my reasons for running, provided practical advice and ideals to aspire to in both running and life. It really helped me to get over the initial hurdles and take pride in completing a couple of races. I purchased 'Running for Mortals' looking for guidance in the next steps of my running but found that the bulk of the book is directed at those just starting out or considering doing so.

'Running For Mortals' contains quite a lot of practical information. I was interested in the discussion of the different rates at which your cardiovascular, muscular and skeletal fitness/strength develop and how awareness of this in the early stages can help to prevent injury. The chapter on stretching is well set out and I learned some new exercises (including a stretch to help avoid the dreaded ilio-tibial band syndrome that so many runners complain of). The chapter on strength training is similarly well set out with exercises that don't require costly equipment.

Some basic information is provided to help navigate the confusing world of running shoes but I think it would have been useful to have some discussion about rotating different pairs of shoes. The authors emphasize the value of going to a specialist shop for expert fitting.

The training programs included with the book are well set out and cater for a range of existing fitness levels and running goals. If you are looking to intersperse some running into your walks, or build up to continuous running, or your main aim is weight loss, then I think you will find these programs well structured and achievable. But if, like me, you are an early-stages runner at a slightly higher fitness level (e.g. you can run for an hour or two continuously and without undue stress) then only the 10km training program will be of interest. The authors suggest that their earlier book Marathoning for Mortals is intended for folks at this and higher levels and this is the one I'll be buying next.

Why only three stars ? Several reasons. Firstly, while both authors write clearly and engagingly, the text shifts from sections of first person singular voice, where it is sometimes clear who is writing and sometimes not, to first person plural. I found this a bit awkward at times. Secondly, there is some padding - a prime example being the chapter 'Becoming your own coach' which consists of a series of short character sketches linked to each of the training programs. I didn't find that this added any useful information. Thirdly, although this may be an unfair criticism, the book lacks the magic of 'The Courage to Start' which has an often zen-like discussion of runner's mind and how running can enrich your wider life emotionally and philosophically. The short 'Penguin Pearls of Widsom' at the head of each chapter in 'Running For Mortals' give some flavour of this, but for those teetering on the cusp of running I'd strongly recommend that you chase up a copy of 'The Courage To Start' first.

I received this book along with the DVD "Simplified Taci Chi Chuan" 24 & 48 postures and would definitely recommend purchasing both. This book talks about the history of tai chi, guideline for body movements and breathing, warm-up exercises, a VERY helpful diagram that shows you exactly how you will be moving, and then throughly goes through all the postures. Great for anyone, but definitely recommended for the beginner. Very interesting and helpful. Thank you.

It is a very good book for individual to learn and for coach to refer.

Good overview of the practice. Explains why each movement is relevant and how it is effective. Pretty good overall.

No book can be everything to everyone. That said, this book is far more informative and useful than many of the 20 or 30 Tai Chi books I own. For the beginner or intermediate student, this will be very useful. For someone interested in the martial aspects of Tai Chi, this will be a good introduction. It is, after all, only a 150 page book ! It's not a 20 volume Tai Chi encyclopedia.

This book is a concise introduction to Tai Chi Chuan. It details two Yang-style forms: 24 and 48 postures and includes martial art applications for the movements.

An impressive array of short biographies is presented at the beginning of this YMAA publication, providing the reader with a sense of well-founded authority.

An excellent summary of the written and oral histories of Tai Chi is given, including a chart showing the origins of the five major styles of Tai Chi.

The book is aimed at beginners and students with intermediate skills, so in the 2nd chapter guidelines for practicing are suggested. Warm-up techniques are clearly presented with sharp photographic images, a quality that is maintained throughout the book. Considerable space in

Chapter 3 is devoted to the details of stances, basic movements and postures.

Chapter 4, the core of the book, contains the 24 posture form which includes martial arts applications. The authors listed the movements and provided an excellently coded chart that shows the foot positions, the head positions, toe and heel positions, the direction of movement and the width of the stance. Each movement is described with text and images, including arrows showing the direction of movement and one or more examples of how the movement could be used against an attack Combined with an instructor, the movement description in this book would serve to help keep beginners from falling into bad habits.

Chapter 5 presents the 48 posture form in same manner as was used in the 24 posture form, except the movement diagram is omitted as are the martial arts applications.

At the back of the book, the authors include a list of the movement names in Chinese and English, a translation of the Chinese terms used in the book, a bibliography and an index.

I would have like to have seen captions for each photographic image and martial arts applications for the new movements included in the 48 posture form. There are a few places where additional images would help clarify the meaning of directional arrows.

The book is a good manual for beginners learning the 24 posture form, but it falls short of being a great manual

If you're truly interested in not only what's important in baseball, but how to decide if something is important (IOW, how to decide if someone's research was done properly), then you should read this book. The authors are highly respected researchers who have taken everyday baseball subjects and shown us what makes sense.

I'm not sure which presumptions Larry below found untenable, nor why he found it difficult to read, but you shouldn't let that dissuade you from reading this truly innovative book.

Other sabermetric books have been written in the last few years, The Book is the best one by far. It is chock full of information, results from research and answers a lot of interesting baseball questions. The three authors, Tom Tango, Mitchel Lichtman and Andrew Dolphin have academic backgrounds and work for major league teams as employees or consultants. They use statistical methods to extract and comprehend information from a massive database of baseball games.

For the layman, there may be too much math throughout the book. However, they do a fantastic job of summarizing each idea in plain English at the end of each section. For example, in chapter 2 on hot and cold streaks, after presenting data, explaining their process and interpreting results, they summarize the section with "Knowing that a hitter has been in or is in the midset of a hot or cold streak has little predictive value. Always assume that a player will hit at his projected norm (adjusted for the park, weather, and pitcher he is facing), regardless of how he has performed in the very recent past. A player's recent history may be used as a tiebreaker."

Managers, players, fans and the media often put too much emphasis on results from small samples sizes. The authors warn against making this mistake. "One of the pervasive themes of this book is the danger of inferring too much from too little by underestimating the influence of randomness". For example, they summarize a section on pitcher-batter matchups with: "Knowing a player will face a particular opponent, and given the choice between that player's 1,500 PA (plate appearances) over the past three years against the rest of the league or twenty-five PA against that particular opponent, look at the 1,500 PA. "

They aren't afraid to point out when general baseball wisdom is correct. On starting pitchers, they write, "pitchers perform best with five days of rest, and worst with three days of rest. To manage our entire starting rotation effectively, four days of rest seems to be the optimal point. The current MLB pattern of scheduling the starting rotation works."

This book is at the top of my recommendation list for thinking baseball fans. I'm a bit surprised that I'm the first reviewer of this book on Amazon, since it has been out for three months. The sales ranking (currently #47,000 as I write this review) is disappointing for such an incredible book. The Book deserves to be at the top of the baseball best seller's list.

This is the single most important math-centered analysis of baseball since The Hidden Game of Baseball came out over 20 years ago. I unreservedly recommend it for those already experienced with statistical analysis of baseball (the authors are much better at insight and explaining to the initiated than they are the Dick & Jane bits).

They attack a sequence of important subjects, mostly around game-tactics and, by consequence, roster-construction with hard data. And they are aware of an important bit of knowledge: (a) that not everything is measurable, and (b) that some aspects of the not measurable are important.

One star short of maximum because it's not a page-turner for most readers; the writing is more than adequate, but not energizing, so it's a book most will pick up, read 15 pages, put down to digest.

I'm very glad I read it. This is a keeper even for a limited-shelf-space baseball reader; I'm squeezing it in right next to "Hidden Game".

I've been devouring sabermetrics, at least of the mass variety, since I first started reading Bill James in the 80s. The Number 1 thing I learned from Bill is to ask useful questions, then define the parameters, then do the research and find the conclusions. While "The Book" is set up to appear to follow that thread, the questions are stilted, the parameters are (mostly) asinine, and so the conclusions - although the research is fabulously thorough - are fatuous and irrelevant. It has taken me weeks to slog my way through this book, because every time I pick it up the presumptions tick me off.

The 2 stars are for the research. If there had only been the research without the silly conceit, I probably would have awarded 4 stars. The parameters of the research would still limit their usefulness. Save your money.

I wouldn't call it a complement to "Baseball Between the Numbers"--more like, if 'Numbers' is Algebra I, 'THE BOOK' is Algebra II. Where Numbers scratches the surface, THE BOOK goes much deeper, with a more sophisticated analysis, more evidence and more (yes) numbers. If you're new to sabermetrics, you might want to ease into it with Numbers, but THE BOOK is better.

I saw this book on the coffee table of a friend and immediately went home and bought it as a gift for my brother. He is an avid golfer and was overwhelmed with this gift! He has it on his coffee table and said his visitors never put it down and it's his favorite gift of the year! I'm not a golfer and I still LOVED this book!

This book is perfectly delightful. I purchased this for my husband, and he has spent hours pouring over it. The pictures are wonderful and very high quality. He swears I bought it because so many pictures are of him in trouble at the golf course (not true!), but loads of laughs.

I ordered this book as a gift. I loved it so much ( I am NOT a golfer at all) that I ordered another as a gift plus one for me!

I gave my husband Lost Balls for Father's Day and he absolutely loved it. My 16 year old son and I both enjoyed it as well. This book has beautiful pictures - the photography is excellent - that capture some incredible and impossible lies. The scenes are lovely and make one appreciate golf as a form of relaxation. The many precarious positions that are captured make one appreciate golf as an obsession. For those who love and hate this game, this book will be enjoyed.

This book's photographs are absolutely brilliant! I first saw the book walking through a store and picked it up only to open up to a page where a golf ball was stuck in a pile of poo. I was flipping pages before you knew it and every shot had me smiling, laughing, reminiscing and just really enjoying the photos. If you are a golfer or going to be buying this book for a golfer I am sure they will get as much enjoyment out of it as I have. Everyone comes into our home and I catch them flipping pages on the book and enjoying it. So don't pass this book up, buy it now!

What better way to remenber the horse everyone in the world loves, but through the eyes of his jockey. Edgar Prado respected the ability of Barbaro, developed a relationship that took them to the top, but also
the tragic side of racing, his accident.Everyone who loves animals should read this book!

I am so proud of Edgar for writting this book! It is wonderful to get the jockey's perspective, as I have read just about everything I could get my hands on about BARBARO...but, this book makes the circle complete. The heartbreak in this man's life and the triumphs of joy, make this book one you cannot put down! I very much appreciated the jockey's life story, incorporated with BARBARO...the two were a divine intervention, destined to be together. It is enlightening to see someone of meager beginnings, set a goal and achieve it! This book did make me wonder if ALL jockey's are as caring and understand their job on their mounts, as Edgar does. The day of the Preakness, he had a "gut feeling" that something was wrong; unfortunatley it took 100 yards for the ultimate breakdown of BARBARO, but it could have been so much worse if not for Edgar. This book made me feel that I was right there...it made for many tears too. The pictures were an added bonus. I am a Thoroughbed owner (non-racing), so I understand the bond that cannot be broken. My life was in a downword spiral, during the eight months BARBARO struggled to live...and to this day he is still my inspiration, giving me the courage to go on. Without Edgar, who knows how the story of BARBARO would have been told. THANK YOU EDGAR PRADO FOR WRITTING THIS STORY FROM YOUR HEART & SHARING IT WITH US*****

This book tells the true story of a great race horse, the friendship of the jockey & horse, as well as the unselfish love of family. It is sad, yet wonderful. Well worth the read and a good book for your library.

I purchased this book to learn more about Barbaro's life and career. I was disappointed in the major content of the book dealing with Edgar and not the horse. I know that the jockey only rode Barbaro four times and visited in Pennsylvania twice-I guess it's difficult to pull a whole book together on that.

While jockey Edgar Prado certainly has a compelling story to tell, so much of it is about his own life rather than Barbaro's.

This story is not only impressive in the athletic achievement; it is noteworthy that she refuses to abandon her goals even when faced with the impenetrable wall of the Kremlin's closed border mindset.

Well worth reading.

For the first 150+ pages I was intrigued with Ms.Cox's swims.....her amazing endurance and determination. But then...page after page after page....more or less the same....far more than I ever needed or wanted to know about long distance swimming particularly in icy cold waters. When.....at the last chapter...she actually did swim in Antartica waters, although I was sitting in my warm office, I shivered.

This is one of the best books I've read. It's an incredible story of a girl who was inspired to do something painful and difficult -- both to test herself and for the thrill and love of the cold water. It's very well written and hard to put down. I have recommended this book to friends and family members who swim, as well as other people who enjoy reading about accomplished women. I found myself cheering her on in each swim and feeling what she felt. After reading this I can never complain again about getting tired from swimming a few laps! Go Lynne!

Lynne Cox is a somewhat gifted writer ; an astonishingly gifted swimmer. Put them together and you get this very solid book. Lynne lovingly and with stunning clinical accuracy reports on her experiences of achieving the impossible. She shows us just how human a superhuman person can be, if that makes sense. (hey, did I say *I* was a writer??)

I felt that by reading this book, I had a bit more understanding of what it might feel like to have a gift. Lynne shares that with us, along with her honest frustration at the beginning of her 'career' when she was not super fast or super buff. Talk about finding one's niche!

It was interesting to read in the USMS journal this month, that more studies are being done to learn about certain people who can tolerate cold; Lynne's experiences pioneered these studies.

I would refrain from judging her for what she did or did not contribute to world peace. She certainly harmed nobody, and as mentioned above, kickstarted some studies which may benefit us all in the future. Yes, I too would have enjoyed some photos and some more personal information about Lynne Cox. (Reading her next book, Grayson, did nothing to satisfy this curiosity.)

I'm not sure you have to be a swimmer per se to enjoy this book, but it is hard to imagine a non athlete devouring it with quite as much gusto....That said I do not know a single Masters swimmer who hasn't read it. I do know that the next time Lynne Cox comes to speak in my area, I will drop everything to be there and listen.

Based on the other reviews, I was quite excited about reading this book as I generally enjoy books about athletic exploits by unusual athletes. However, Lynne Cox never quite explained why she was doing what she did. By the time she was swimming to Antarctica, I was left asking why??

Unlike, say, Lance Armstrong's book, Lynne lacked a central goal, and so the book was really a series of short stories about the various swims she tackled. As one other reviewer pointed out, it became somewhat repetitive. The early stories about swimming in California and the English Channel were to me more interesting simply because it was the first time I heard the tale.

The book isn't bad, but it's also not great.

It was a very good quality book, very informative. It is NOT a full informative planing trip gide, but rather a good place to start planing your own trips.

This is a beautiful book, one that is smartly designed and packaged, pleasant to leaf through and to handle, but somewhat lacking in substance.

Here's an example of the kind of lapse that would have been caught had the book been written for hard core fisherpeople. We read, "The South Island of New Zealand is awash with beauty and teeming with trout". And then a few sentences later, "The South Island trouting experience is certainly one of quality rather than quantity. A majority of the rivers simply don't support large numbers of fish. Some of the most fishy-looking water you can imagine may not contain a single fish".

So is the South Island "teeming with trout" or is it not?

Ultimately it doesn't really matter. This isn't a book about information - it's a wonderful collection of vicarious fishing trips. I'd never flicked a fly rod when I got it, yet I was engrossed, transported, and in the end captivated.

The settings range from intimate, "Brown Trout on Letort Spring Run", to grand, "Steelhead on the Dean River". Along the way we encounter tarpon, bonefish, snook, pike, redfish, all manner of salmon and trout, and even something known as a giant trevally that lurks in the waters off Christmas Island.

And the photographs are stunning. I only wish there were one for every destination.

Recommended to wile away a winter's afternoon while waiting for the ice to break.

nice book, but i would like to see more pictures of the different species!! also some maps to locate some places would be great...I live in argentina and the 3 places chosen are great, although you must be a millionaire to fish rio grande!! Fortunately we still have a lot of places here to fish for free.
I would rather see a book where they tell where to fish and spent little money (as an example the book tells you that i f you want to fish rio traful, the only way to do it is going to arroyo verde lodge and thats no true!! you can do it for free if you want..there are accesses by foot or you can reach it by the lake, an there are other private places much more cheaper, but why they dont describe that??). Do not tell me where i can go spending $ 5000 a week because its obvious i could go everywhere with that money!!!!

A wonderful book for the fly fishing enthusiast. A keepsake for all fishermen. A must have for the coffe table!

There are a lot of places i realy wish i could go fly fishing. Unfortunatly, there are only a few select places that are affordable. and those that are doable just don't have much description convincing me to go. if there was only some background info or narrative this book would go be a much more useful guide.

I bought this book while in the middle of following another taining plan for my first half marathon. The other, simpler plan was based on just grinding out the miles though it did include a few longish runs (8-10 miles) split into 2 halves with a short walk in the middle. I kind of liked a short walk in the middle (100m or so), it seemed to rejuvenate my legs. But ultimately the plan I was on eliminated them in favor of pure running.

Galloway recommends many more walk breaks and, at first, this seemed to me like cheating. But I figured I'd give it a try. I started running my 8-12K runs 1000m "on", 100m "off" (walk) and I saw something amazing happen: my split times came down and I could run longer and more enjoyably. My run/walk ratio of 10:1 is actually a lot higher run than he recommends, but it works great for me.

I just used the technique in the San Jose Half Marathon and the results were great. I beat my baseline goal by 10 minutes and even beat my stretch goal by 3. I beat my last 13 mile time trial time by a whopping 20 minutes and, more importantly, I felt great coming across the finish line (I was *crawling* on my last time trial where I ran 3 x 7K with only very short walks). My pace actually sped up throughout the race and my last 2 miles were my fastest.

So, for me, the system works. I am doing another half in January and will follow the entire program this time.

I am basing this review on simply reading the book for about 15 minutes while killing some time at one of the big chain bookstores. From what I see, this book is wonderfully written and broken down perfectly, even for "older" novices like me (over 50, run a 9-10 minute mile, have run in about a half-dozen 5Ks' and looking to do more).

The presentation is colorful, motivational, and detailed enough for runners of all levels to get something out of it. I am currently reading the MARATHON YOU CAN DO IT book and that too is written in a breezy fun style yet there is a lot of text. HALF MARATHON seems almost like an outline with easy to view points and notes.

I also own the ABSOLUTE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO HALF MARATHON but if you only want one guide, Galloway's book appears to be the better and handier guide to own.

Loved this book and still refer to it often. Jeff Galloway's training plan is great and helps you stay motivated till the race and beyond. Also great paired with Jeff's book on running.

It's quick & easy with lots of color & specific tips. It's particularly good if you feel like you're too old or out of shape to run a half-marathon. While there are great tips for training for more competent & experienced half marathoners, as a runner moving into the "masters" category, I really appreciated some of his insight into prioritizing workouts and pacing so I could avoid injury and enjoy myself longer. Took his advice on walk break and set a personal record at my next Half Marathon, despite the aging knees!!

Have only read the first half and flipped through the second, but Marcelo does a great job showing his X-guard. If you liked the Eddie Bravo books you will really like this.

This is a must have for anyone willing to think outside the box when it comes to BJJ. The introduction itself is worth its purchase. Marcelo defines what it means to sacrifice for any goal or passion we all have inside. The detailed pictures and explaination leave no room for error. Get this ASAP.

It's no secret that I really enjoy Victory Belt's books. I think they've nailed the format for describing individuals' games and their specialities. They are definitely the market leader in the arena of working with a fighter to extract the information they need and put it into print.

It shouldn't surprise any readers, then, that I really liked the X-Guard by Marcelo Garcia.

The book has all the hallmarks of Victory Belt's previous works. The large format and detailed colour photography don't disappoint and actually go one better with this edition.

Not resting on their laurels, the guys at VB have introduced detailed inset photos where warranted. This is not a completely original concept by any means, but it is done as well here as with any other publisher.

One of the problems I thought I might have with the book is that I wouldn't be able to identify with Marcelo and the X-Guard. This was an issue with Eddie Bravo's books on the Rubber Guard. I don't really use the Rubber Guard and am not built well for it. I pretty much have had the same problem with the X-Guard.

That was until I read through this book. You see, my butterfly guard is a little...... agricultural. And that, it seems , is my problem with the X-Guard. Not my long legs and extraordinary height - my previous excuses.

The book is split into two sections. The first is on the butterfly guard and the second on the X-Guard, itself. Both are split into three subsections each. The butterfly guard section is the most detailed treatment I've seen of the topic in a book. The three subsections are titled "Basic Positioning & Grip Defense", "Sweeps & Transitions" and "Submissions".

Now, Marcelo Garcia can work his butterfly guard in a way I find amazing. It's something I'd never been able to do terribly well. I could work it well enough against white belts, but always had to let it go against people nearer my own skill level. This book, though, gives solutions to most of the problems I'd encountered in the past.

I had the same problem with the X-Guard. There was just no way known I was ever going to get my giant legs in position. It shouldn't surprise you to find I was doing it wrong, though. The details shown for the X-Guard helped me a great deal, but I believe it's my better understanding of the butterfly guard that has ealed the deal for me.

The X-Guard section is is split up in a similar way to the butterfly guard section with subsections called "Establishing the X-Guard", "Sweeps" and "Submissions".

All-in-all, I'd say this is one of those rare $24 books that have made a heck of a lot more than $24 worth of effect on my game.

It just keeps getting better, too. Erich Krauss and Glen Cordoza have been getting steadily better at writing, too. In the past, I've criticised their spelling and grammar in the introduction sections. Is it better in this book? The truth is, I don't know. I got so engrossed in Marcelo's story, I never bothered to check.

That's got to be a big tick in the box.

After a review like this, I like to put a little disclaimer to it......

I am no Marcelo Garcia fanboy. I've not watched his DVDs all the way through and I've seen maybe three of his matches. I have also been known to give Victory Belt some very pedestrian reviews, but they do impress me with their ability to improve with each publication. This book is the second of their catalogue to go in the Best of the Best category, but probably not the last if the quality continues this way.

I was excited to get this book and it completely lived up to my expectations. Like the other Krauss-Cordoza collaborations from Victory Belt publishing this is a very well put together book printed on high grade glossy paper, with detailed high quality multiple-angle shots of the techniques and very good explanation including the physical mechanics of the movement and advice on strategy of when to use it, how to get there, mistakes to avoid, and what your opponent is likely to do. Marcelo Garcia is probably the best grappler in the world and his system is unique and effective and works for all body types, and unlike Eddie Bravo's very good system doesn't require crazy flexibility. The book provides info on gi and no gi Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It's comparable to Eddie Bravo's Rubber guard book in terms of quality and production value. It has a color coded easy to use system that makes it very easy to quickly find sections and whether the technique is appropriate for gi and no gi competition.
The introduction includes a short biography that shows you the determination and dedication that has made him the champion he is. From 3 hour commutes to training, to cleaning the mats so he could afford to train 4 times a day. The first section on technique is 78 pages dedicated to the butterfly guard including basic stance and grip work, sweeps and transitions, and submissions all with detailed advice on how to establish and properly adjust the technique so you can make it work in high level competition ( e.g. 7 pages just on the guillotine choke, most books give it only 2). He constantly emphasizes drilling the technique to really get it down and learning the fundamentals of the butterfly guard before moving to the X guard. This sort of guard requires very good timing and sense of balance that can only be developed through many hours on the mat. The X guard is detailed in the final 149 pages of the book (264 pages all together). 63 pages on establishing the X guard from standing, sitting, elbow control, underhooks, full guard, half guard, omoplata, mount and headlocks. Then a section with 18 sweeps from X guard from different kids of control (e.g. from hands, sleeve, or collar). Then 15 pages detailing 7 submissions for X guard including omoplata, triangle, gi and no gi inverted arm bar, knee bar, foot lock, and heel hook. Again filled with tips on when to use it, positions to transitions from, your opponents likely reactions, and common mistakes. If you perfect even just a few of the techniques in this book your game will improve dramatically. This book is more for intermediate to advanced students of BJJ, though the section on butterfly guard is fairly accessible and very useful to beginners. Those starting out (and intermediates too) should check out Kid Peligro's book "the Essential Guard" or the Joe Moreira /Ed Beneville 3 part series on the Guard, these focus are more on the fundamentals. If you're looking to improve your guard and your overall game, I highly recommend this book, it's a steal at this price, I would have paid more for it. I look forward to his next book on arm drags and mastering the back.

1. Experience how deeply troubled you are about an unwanted occurrence, emotion, or illness, and become aware of your anger and resentment toward it. Become conscious of your resistance to it. You must experience the feelings about unwanted occurrences or illness in your life, so you can begin to heal. "I have created this hurt and sadness by forgetting my essence".

2. See and realize how you are powerless to change the past or the fact that the unwanted occurrence or illness has occurred. You have pride in your abilities, your achievements, and your power to overcome adversity. Say to yourself, "I maybe powerless to change the past, but I am no longer powerless to change my attitudes, thoughts, and outlook. I am no longer powerless to bring healing from my essence." How does my realization that I'm powerless to change this occurrence make me feel?"

3. Surrender to the fact that the unwanted occurrence or illness is a reality and has occurred. Your mind naturally resists the idea that this unwanted occurrence is a reality. Your mind rejects the acceptance of the this unwanted occurrence and goes automatically to its old, negative, conditioned patterns. It is only by accepting the unwanted realities in life that you can begin to grow and approach your essence. Spend a few minutes feeling the power associated with this thought.

4. Bring to your essence the guilt, anger, and fear, as well as any feelings of unworthiness, which may have contributed to the unwanted occurrence or illness. Say to yourself, "I empower myself to remove the barriers I have created to healing. These barriers block me from knowing the vast power that lies within me."

5. Nurture the realization and experience of the power within your essence. Contemplate that this higher self or power within you has the capacity to bring healing to the situation. The awareness of your essence allows for these unwanted occurrences to be accepted with hope, trust, and understanding. The understanding of your essence will bring you closer to God. It can bring you wisdom and knowledge of universal truths. Once adversity is accepted, you can begin to see the many ways you can transform. Perhaps and adverse occurrence reveals to you that you need to obey your heart more than your mind. Adversity brings a blessing in some form. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God", Romans 8:28.

6. Create a space where you can embrace your soul in trust, so that all necessary lessons can be learned and healing can be given. This process is done in solitude of your own heart through quiet contemplation. You can touch the power and energy of your essence through a quiet mind and an open heart. A quiet mind comes by examining the origin of the thought. "Is my thought about this occurrence based on my essence, or is it just another negative, conditioned thought pattern?" An open heart is reached simply by the intent to touch the source of your compassion. Create an energy bubble of protection.

7. Embody and actualize transformation of your mind and body by deeply feeling your desire for this to occur. "I will continue on the path of transformation. I will do this by living my life with an awareness of who I am. I will endeavor to learn my purpose each day."

This little book has quite a lot in it. Frantzis manages to make it both a beginner's book about Taoist Chi practices and a book relevant to those who are more advanced and are curious about the heart and soul of Taoist Chi and spiritual practices.

I really found it very useful to my own Chi Gung practice. The things he emphasizes over and over again, like getting go, training to feel inside your body, relaxing at physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels really revamped my ideas of how to do Chi Gung. It is also an entertaining read, as the author has an entertaining writing style and puts in personal stories here and there about his own very interesting life.

The practices towards the end of the book are taken from some of the other things that he teaches (Dragon & Tiger Chi Gung comes to mind most prominently) and to my inexperienced eye it seemed like a very good starting point for beginner practitioners. The moves are simple, and portrayed in a candid and straightforward manner.

Bang for the buck, this is a must have in any Chi Gung practitioners library. Destined to become a classic of books on the subject IMHO.

I think Mr. Frantzis is a good teacher, but I don't think this is his best book. There's a little too much new age type cheerleading about how this book will start a chi revolution that will improve everything from our health to world peace. It also re-enforces the tired, old stereotype that westerners don't know how to move, stand, relax, or breathe and Asian philosophy has all the necessary remedies.

BTW, did you know that Mr. Frantzis has published books under the names of Kumar Frantzis, B. K. Frantzis and other variations. All of them were reviewed on Amazon's site with a variety of ratings. All of those old reviews have disappeared, and been replaced by 5 star reviews from his fans and students.

...if you only want esoteric flowery metaphors or intellectually pleasing ideas about Taosim.

Do buy this book if you have any interest in the practical art of Chi Gung, and wish to learn the basics, undiluted by mysterious concepts. This is the real thing, given so simply only a true master could have created it.

I've found this book useful for all those times when friends ask "What is this Chi Gung stuff you do all about?".

I rate this book as a "must have" for any beginner, or those unfamiliar with Bruce's work. More advanced students may find the material a little elementary, especially as a lot of the topics are covered in more detail in his earlier work. Another good starting point for advanced students interested in meditation is Relaxing into Your Being: The Water Method of Taoist Meditation Series, Vol. 1

The easy to understand writing style makes this an effortless read, which lets you get down to absorbing the information better than any other book I've read in this field. It's also a great motivator for your practice and the health giving exercises presented here really work.

If you're embarking on anything chi related to improve your health, or just curious about the subject, this is an essential read and should be your first stop. Highly recommended.