Sports & Recreation

"Outstandingly good … It may be the single most insightful book about climbing ever written."  Paul Sagar, Climber, writer, thinker

What do Zen masters, sixteenth-century Samurai, and the world’s elite climbers have in common?

They have perfected the of awareness, of being in the moment, of trusting the process.

Climbing is a sport of perception, and our successes and failures are matters of mind as much as body.

Written by philosopher, essayist, and lifelong climber Francis Sanzaro, The Zen of Climbing explores the fundamentals of successful climbing, delving into sports psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and Taoism. Awareness, he argues, is the alchemy of climbing, allowing us to merge mental and physical attributes in one embodied whole.

This compact volume puts the climber’s mind at the forefront of practice.

2024 TAFWA Book Award Winner

The first comprehensive biography of the preeminent voice of New York sports

For close to half a century after World War II, Marty Glickman was the voice of New York sports. His distinctive style of broadcasting, on television and especially on the radio, garnered for him legions of fans who would not miss his play-by-play accounts. From the 1940s through the 1990s, he was as iconic a sports figure in town as the Yankees’ Mickey Mantle, the Knicks’ Walt Frazier, or the Jets’ Joe Namath. His vocabulary and method of broadcasting left an indelible mark on the industry, and many of today’s most famous sportscasters were Glickman disciples. To this very day, many fans who grew up listening to his coverage of Knicks basketball and Giants football games, among the myriad of events that Glickman covered, recall fondly, and can still recite, his descriptions of actions in arenas and stadiums. In Marty Glickman, Jeffrey S. Gurock showcases the life of this important contributor to American popular culture.

In addition to the stories of how he became a master of American sports airwaves, Marty Glickman has also been remembered as a Jewish athlete who, a decade before he sat in front of a microphone, was cynically barred from running in a signature track event in the 1936 Olympics by anti-Semitic American Olympic officials. This lively biography details this traumatic event and explores not only how he coped for decades with that painful rejection but also examines how he dealt with other anti-Semitic and cultural obstacles that threatened to stymie his career. Glickman’s story underscores the complexities that faced his generation of American Jews as these children of immigrants emerged from their ethnic cocoons and strove to succeed in America amid challenges to their professional and social advancement. Marty Glickman is a story of adversity and triumph, of sports and minority group struggles, told within the context of the prejudicial barriers that were common to thousands, if not millions, of fellow Jews of his generation as they aimed to make it in America.

Second Sunrise brings to life the 50-year history of one of the world’s oldest running trails with stunning photography, historical details, and the stories of the people who made the Western States Endurance Run a reality.

Since its founding in 1974, Western States has been predicated on the notion that in the beginning, at the first sunrise, there must always be hope that 100 miles was within a runner's grasp. And then, with the start of a second sunrise, there had to be continued determination to search out where the finish still might lie even if the clock ran out.

Bringing the story of the race to life, 11-time Western States finisher and ultra-running writer John Trent along with runner and veteran book designer Vicky Vaughn Shea set out to craft a book that showcases the rich history of the Western States trail and the runners who keep its traditions alive.

This coffee table book consists of more than 175 photographs depicting the history of the race with end sheets that include the names of every Western States Endurance Run finisher through the 2022 race.

Second Sunrise is perfect for:

• Gift givers shopping for runners and hiking trail lovers
• Fans of What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami and Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home by Heather “Anish” Anderson
• People who enjoy beautiful and historic coffee table books

Anyone who has ever experienced a sporting event in a large stadium knows the energy that emanates from stands full of fans cheering on their teams. Although "the masses" have long held a thoroughly bad reputation in politics and culture, literary critic and avid sports fan Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht finds powerful, as yet unexplored reasons to sing the praises of crowds. Drawing on his experiences as a spectator in the stadiums of South America, Germany, and the US, Gumbrecht presents the stadium as "a ritual of intensity," thereby offering a different lens through which we might capture and even appreciate the dynamic of the masses.

In presenting this alternate view, Gumbrecht enters into conversation with thinkers who were more critical of the potential of the masses, such as Gustave Le Bon, Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, José Ortega y Gasset, Elias Canetti, Siegfried Kracauer, T. W. Adorno, or Max Horkheimer. A preface explores college crowds as a uniquely specific phenomenon of American culture.

Pairing philosophical rigor with the enthusiasm of a true fan, Gumbrecht writes from the inside and suggests that being part of a crowd opens us up to an experience beyond ourselves.

The Thrilling and Emotional Memoir from Endurance Horse Racing Legend Sanoma Blakeley

Chasing Dreams: The True Story of the Youngest Female Tevis Cup Champion is the incredible, action-packed memoir of Sanoma Blakeley’s 2019 Tevis Cup championship, won while riding her beloved horse Goober, and the tale of how she became the youngest woman to ever become a Tevis Cup champion. Beginning her endurance riding career at the age of seven, Blakeley writes about the years of training and teamwork required to win the most challenging and famous 100-mile horse race in the world aboard a horse she had originally acquired for free off of Craigslist.

Blakeley places readers on the ride with her so that they can experience the thrill of the most exciting horse endurance race in existence. Blakeley and Goober survive narrow mountain trails winding through the Sierra-Nevadas, containing over 19,000 feet of elevation gain; three steep, grueling canyons; crossing the shoulder-high American River; riding at night with only the light of the moon to guide them; temperatures that soared over 115 degrees; and, most excitingly, the final neck-and-neck sprint to the finish against a four-time Tevis Cup champion and world class competitor after 100 miles of some of the most rugged mountain trails in the world.

When Blakeley and Goober cross the finish line just a few feet ahead of their competition and Blakeley becomes the youngest woman in history to win the Tevis Cup, a lifetime of hard work that began when the author started training as a small child and who had long dreamed of winning the Tevis Cup was finally rewarded. Chasing Dreams contains action, heartwarming twists, and an epic ending that will leave readers in tears.

LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER

Updated and Expanded Second Edition Features Six New Walking Adventures!

10,000 Steps a Day in L.A. is for urban adventurers with a passion for healthy living who are also eager to explore Los Angeles—from its most legendary locations to its more hidden, unsung, and quirky sites.

In this first-ever book to explore the 10,000-steps lifestyle in Los Angeles, author Paul Haddad takes readers on a journey through the city’s streets, beaches, mountains, rivers, reservoirs, and parks. He includes 10,000-step walks from throughout the Southland, from Simi Valley to the South Bay, and Pasadena to Pacific Palisades.

Tread the grounds of a defunct Disney attraction called Dwarfland. Trace the extinct canals of Venice Beach. Stroll the shortest Main Street in America. Discover hidden streams, secret murals, lost cities, Hollywood haunts, houses made of stone, and parks that time forgot!

The second edition of 10,000 Steps a Day in L.A. features:

• 57 walks containing 10,000 steps

• Detailed maps and directions

• Descriptions of the terrain, walking surface, and dog-friendliness of each walk

• Ideal picnic spots

• Parking suggestions

• Sidebars with colorful trivia and anecdotes

Most importantly, 10,000 Steps a Day in L.A. offers a sense of fun and discovery about Los Angeles that makes the goal of 10,000 steps easy to attain. Readers need only bring their feet—pedometers are optional!

South Asian American men are not usually depicted as ideal American men. They struggle against popular representations as either threatening terrorists or geeky, effeminate computer geniuses. To combat such stereotypes, some use sports as a means of performing a distinctly American masculinity. Desi Hoop Dreams focuses on South Asian-only basketball leagues common in most major U.S. and Canadian cities, to show that basketball, for these South Asian American players is not simply a whimsical hobby, but a means to navigate and express their identities in 21st century America.

The participation of young men in basketball is one platform among many for performing South Asian American identity. South Asian-only leagues and tournaments become spaces in which to negotiate the relationships between masculinity, race, and nation. When faced with stereotypes that portray them as effeminate, players perform sporting feats on the court to represent themselves as athletic. And though they draw on black cultural styles, they carefully set themselves off from African American players, who are deemed “too aggressive.” Accordingly, the same categories of their own marginalization—masculinity, race, class, and sexuality—are those through which South Asian American men exclude women, queer masculinities, and working-class masculinities, along with other racialized masculinities, in their effort to lay claim to cultural citizenship.

One of the first works on masculinity formation and sport participation in South Asian American communities, Desi Hoop Dreams focuses on an American popular sport to analyze the dilemma of belonging within South Asian America in particular and in the U.S. in general.

In spring 2014 Peggy Kokernot Kaplan, a former Trinity University athlete and cofounder of the women’s track team, emailed her alma mater’s athletic department asking the school to post statistics from the team’s 1975 season. It’s no surprise that they couldn’t fulfill her request, for Trinity had sparse records from the 1970s—not just for track and field but for most performances by female athletes before 1991, when the school joined a NCAA Division III conference.

What started as a humble email request nearly a decade ago has culminated in From the Sidelines to the Headlines: The Legacy of Women's Sports at Trinity University, an expansive book aimed at filling in the gaps in coverage of half a century of women’s intercollegiate sports. Former Trinity athlete Betsy Gerhardt Pasley and historian Doug Brackenridge, along with other members of the Trinity community, have collected hundreds of long-forgotten documents and conducted dozens of interviews with former students, coaches, and administrators to tell the fascinating, multifaceted story of women’s sports at this liberal arts school in San Antonio, Texas.

While the book focuses primarily on the post–Title IX years between 1972 and 1999, its scope extends to Trinity’s founding in 1869, illuminating the century-long evolution of women in competitive sports, at Trinity and elsewhere, before Title IX. The story, told alongside the cultural shifts that formed the social and athletic context for female athletes of the day, also documents the decision Trinity and other institutions of higher learning faced after Title IX: Should they adhere to a commercial model, in which a focus on athletics often overshadowed academics, or strive for a more balanced student-athlete, nonscholarship model? Trinity chose the latter and has decades of national championships and academic accolades to show for it.

Being a Phillies fan has never been easy. The team has amassed the most losses of any professional sports franchise in history, as well as the longest losing streak and the most last-place finishes in the major leagues.

The year 1980 was redemption for a miserable, century-old legacy of losing. It was also the beginning of the end for a team that could have been among the very best in baseball throughout the decade. Between 1980 and 1983 the Philadelphia Phillies captured two pennants and a world championship. Legends like Tug McGraw, Steve Carlton, Mike Schmidt, and Pete Rose led the collection of homegrown products, veteran castoffs, and fair-haired rookies. If they had won another World Series, the team not only would have distanced themselves from a history of losing but would have established a championship dynasty. It never happened.

The 1981 season was a watershed for both the Phillies and baseball. A players' strike led to a sixty-day work stoppage. The Phils, who had been in first place before the strike, were unable to regain their winning ways after play resumed. Labor relations between an increasingly powerful Players Association and inflexible owners became more acrimonious than ever before. Player salaries skyrocketed. Old loyalties were forgotten, and the notion of a homegrown team, like the 1980 Phillies, was a thing of the past.

Almost a Dynasty details the rise and fall of the 1980 World Champion Phillies. Based on personal interviews, newspaper accounts, and the keen insight of a veteran baseball writer, the book convincingly explains why a team that had regularly made the post-season in the mid- to late 1970s, only to lose in the playoffs, was finally able to win its first world championship.

De Arte Venandi cum Avibus was written shortly before the year 1250 by Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Sicily and Jerusalem, in whose court, with its remarkably cosmopolitan and highly intellectual life, may be found the real beginning of the Italian Renaissance. In spite of its title, it is far more than a dissertation on hunting. There is a lengthy introduction dealing with the anatomy of birds, an intensely interesting description of avian habits, and the excursions of migratory birds.

Indeed, this ancient book has long been recognized as the first zoological treatise written in the critical spirit of modern science. The sumptuous volume now in hand is, however, the first translation into English of the complete text, originally divided into a prologue and size books. Together, the translators and editors, have at last made available this classic work and have adorned it with notes, comments, bibliographies, and glossary. They have produced a work of great value to zoologists—especially the ornithologist—and also to everyone interested in the history of science and in medieval art and letters.

The surprising roots of the self-defense movement and the history of women’s empowerment.

At the turn of the twentieth century, women famously organized to demand greater social and political freedoms like gaining the right to vote. However, few realize that the Progressive Era also witnessed the birth of the women’s self-defense movement.

It is nearly impossible in today’s day and age to imagine a world without the concept of women’s self defense. Some women were inspired to take up boxing and jiu-jitsu for very personal reasons that ranged from protecting themselves from attacks by strangers on the street to rejecting gendered notions about feminine weakness and empowering themselves as their own protectors. Women’s training in self defense was both a reflection of and a response to the broader cultural issues of the time, including the women’s rights movement and the campaign for the vote.

Perhaps more importantly, the discussion surrounding women’s self-defense revealed powerful myths about the source of violence against women and opened up conversations about the less visible violence that many women faced in their own homes. Through self-defense training, women debunked patriarchal myths about inherent feminine weakness, creating a new image of women as powerful and self-reliant. Whether or not women consciously pursued self-defense for these reasons, their actions embodied feminist politics. Although their individual motivations may have varied, their collective action echoed through the twentieth century, demanding emancipation from the constrictions that prevented women from exercising their full rights as citizens and human beings. This book is a fascinating and comprehensive introduction to one of the most important women’s issues of all time.

This book will provoke good debate and offer distinct responses and solutions.

Chin Na (Qin Na) is one of the four major fighting categories in all Chinese martial styles. The four categories are:

• Kicking (Ti)
• Striking (Da)
• Wrestling (Shuai)
• Seize-Controlling (Na)

Seize-Controlling Chin Na techniques can be effectively used against an opponents grabbing attacks as well as against wrestling. Pressing and striking Chin Na can be used to seal the opponents breathing, vein/artery, or Qi circulation, which can cause severe pain, numbness, and unconsciousness. Some techniques can even be fatal.

Most of Chin Na can be learned easily and be adopted into any martial style. Chin Na has been known as the root of the Japanese arts of Jujitsu and Aikido, and practitioners can use the study of Chin Na to increase their understanding of the theory and principles of their own arts.

This book is designed to make learning easier.

If you study a barehand art, likely there are Chin Na techniques you can adapt!

You will learn over 150 Chin Na techniques

• Fundamental principles that make Chin Na work.
• Speed, power, grabbing, escaping, and countering techniques.
• Finger Chin Na.
• Wrist Chin Na.
• Elbow Chin Na.
• Shoulder, neck, and waist Chin Na.
• Leg Chin Na.
• Muscle Grabbing Chin Na.
• Cavity press Chin Na.
• Using Chin Na in a fight.
• Dealing with injuries.

The ability to control an opponent through Chin Na is one of the highest measures of martial skill. You will improve your martial skills with the many training methods, attacks, and counterattack techniques detailed in this book. Your are going to increase your fighting options!

Remember, Chin Na can be integrated with any open hand martial style.

A provocative, must-read investigation that both appreciates the importance of—and punctures the hype around—big-time contemporary American athletics

In an increasingly secular, fragmented, and distracted culture, nothing brings Americans together quite like sports. On Sundays in September, more families worship at the altar of the NFL than at any church. This appeal, which cuts across all demographic and ideological lines, makes sports perhaps the last unifying mass ritual of our era, with huge numbers of people all focused on the same thing at the same moment. That timeless, live quality—impervious to DVR, evoking ancient religious rites—makes sports very powerful, and very lucrative. And the media spectacle around them is only getting bigger, brighter, and noisier—from hot take journalism formats to the creeping infestation of advertising to social media celebrity schemes.

More importantly, sports are sold as an oasis of community to a nation deeply divided: They are escapist, apolitical, the only tie that binds. In fact, precisely because they appear allegedly “above politics,” sports are able to smuggle potent messages about inequality, patriotism, labor, and race to massive audiences. And as the wider culture works through shifting gender roles and masculine power, those anxieties are also found in the experiences of female sports journalists, athletes, and fans, and through the coverage of violence by and against male bodies. Sports, rather than being the one thing everyone can agree on, perfectly encapsulate the roiling tensions of modern American life.

Michael Serazio maps and critiques the cultural production of today’s lucrative, ubiquitous sports landscape. Through dozens of in-depth interviews with leaders in sports media and journalism, as well as in the business and marketing of sports, The Power of Sports goes behind the scenes and tells a story of technological disruption, commercial greed, economic disparity, military hawkishness, and ideals of manhood. In the end, despite what our myths of escapism suggest, Serazio holds up a mirror to sports and reveals the lived realities of the nation staring back at us.

A simple guidebook for navigating the new world of sports marketing and brand management

The modern consumer, today’s fan, is no longer passive. Over three quarters of millennials say they prefer experiences over traditional advertising. Old approaches won’t work. Yard barkers handing out free towels. A stadium plastered with billboards. Maybe a new Jumbotron. Today’s fan is looking for something more engaging, more interactive, and more immersive.

Industry pioneer, James Giglio, the founder of MVP Interactive, takes us through his fascinating decade-long journey, starting out with a vision for immersive experiences, well before anyone had ever heard of virtual reality. Over that time, he has had the opportunity to work with many leading sports teams, professional leagues, advertising agencies, and consumer brands, to completely redefine the fan experience and now he shares those lessons with us.

James also takes us through his own personal story of building a startup, from growing up as a daydreaming kid in Ocean County, New Jersey, to working with an advertising agency in New York and recognizing that three themes were emerging: the iPhone app explosion, the increased use of digital signage or so-called “street furniture,” and the emergence of “pop up events” by leading brands. He began to wonder how these three trends could be brought together. What if the immersive technology on our iPhone could be brought to the streetscape? What if those digital displays could become interactive? And what if brands could attract consumers to them rather them just hawking them promotions and free stuff? The result was MVP Interactive. But like any startup, there were bumps along the way and James’ story is a heartfelt, honest tale of making many... let’s just say, learning a lot of lessons along the way.

The timing could not be better. Post Covid, events are back and back big. During the pandemic, we all went fully remote and realized it was just way too much screentime. But we are also not going back to the way it was. Beyond the Jumbotron lies a new, hybrid world where human interaction and technology combine. James takes us through not only the why — the dramatic changes in consumer attitudes and behavior that are driving the adoption of immersive technology, but more importantly the how — how to bring these projects to life and lead to real, measurable result after case study and shows the possibilities of new technology are not only endless, but also just the beginning. lts for sports properties and brands. James and his team at MVP Interactive have completed over 200 immersive technology projects and the book is filled with case study after case study and shows the possibilities of new technology are not only endless, but also just the beginning.

Cincinnati Soul resurrects the inspiring legacies of the Cincinnati Tigers, the Cincinnati Cuban Stars, and other Black baseball teams in Cincinnati.

It sheds light on the players’ remarkable skills, what life was like as a Negro Leaguer, and the barriers they overcame, ensuring their stories are remembered and celebrated. By exploring the socioeconomic and cultural backdrop of Cincinnati during the era of the Negro Leagues, Cincinnati Soul provides a comprehensive understanding of the environment in which these teams thrived and how they were integral to the community and the broader civil rights movement.

Cincinnati Soul weaves together the personal stories of the players, coaches, and fans, offering an intimate glimpse into the lives and experiences of those involved in Cincinnati’s Black baseball teams. It highlights the contributions these teams made to modern baseball within the city and nationally, the enduring legacy of these teams, and their role in shaping the sport as we know it today.

An in-depth look at the history of the Chicago Bulls franchise, featuring profiles, photography, box scores, and more from the archives of the Chicago Tribune.

The Chicago Bulls, one of the NBA’s most storied and valuable franchises, have been building their highly decorated legacy for six decades. To this day, the Bulls are one of the most popular teams the world over. Six championships and the eternal legacy of Michael Jordan—the greatest player of all time—will do that, and Bulls fans wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Chicago Tribune Book of the Chicago Bulls, 2nd Edition is a decade-by-decade look at the pride of Chicago’s West Side, updated since its original publication in 2016 to include the last several years of history. Curated by the Chicago Tribune sports department, this book documents every era in the team’s history through the newspaper’s original reporting, in-depth analysis, interviews, and archival photos. Comprehensive timelines, rankings of top players by position, and profiles on key coaches, Hall of Famers, and MVPs provide an entertaining, blow-by-blow look at the team’s greatest successes and most dramatic moments.

A beautiful collector's item, The Chicago Tribune Book of the Chicago Bulls is a tour through basketball history produced by the award-winning journalists who have been documenting their home team since the beginning.

From the legendary Ebbets Field in the heart of Brooklyn to the amenity-packed Houston Astrodome to the "retro" Oriole Park at Camden Yards, stadiums have taken many shapes and served different purposes throughout the history of American sports culture. In the early twentieth century, a new generation of stadiums arrived, located in the city center, easily accessible to the public, and offering affordable tickets that drew mixed crowds of men and women from different backgrounds. But in the successive decades, planners and architects turned sharply away from this approach.

In Modern Coliseum, Benjamin D. Lisle tracks changes in stadium design and culture since World War II. These engineered marvels channeled postwar national ambitions while replacing aging ballparks typically embedded in dense urban settings. They were stadiums designed for the "affluent society"—brightly colored, technologically expressive, and geared to the car-driving, consumerist suburbanite. The modern stadium thus redefined one of the city's more rambunctious and diverse public spaces.

Modern Coliseum offers a cultural history of this iconic but overlooked architectural form. Lisle grounds his analysis in extensive research among the archives of teams, owners, architects, and cities, examining how design, construction, and operational choices were made. Through this approach, we see modernism on the ground, as it was imagined, designed, built, and experienced as both an architectural and a social phenomenon. With Lisle's compelling analysis supplemented by over seventy-five images documenting the transformation of the American stadium over time, Modern Coliseum will be of interest to a variety of readers, from urban and architectural historians to sports fans.

A provocative, must-read investigation that both appreciates the importance of—and punctures the hype around—big-time contemporary American athletics

In an increasingly secular, fragmented, and distracted culture, nothing brings Americans together quite like sports. On Sundays in September, more families worship at the altar of the NFL than at any church. This appeal, which cuts across all demographic and ideological lines, makes sports perhaps the last unifying mass ritual of our era, with huge numbers of people all focused on the same thing at the same moment. That timeless, live quality—impervious to DVR, evoking ancient religious rites—makes sports very powerful, and very lucrative. And the media spectacle around them is only getting bigger, brighter, and noisier—from hot take journalism formats to the creeping infestation of advertising to social media celebrity schemes.

More importantly, sports are sold as an oasis of community to a nation deeply divided: They are escapist, apolitical, the only tie that binds. In fact, precisely because they appear allegedly “above politics,” sports are able to smuggle potent messages about inequality, patriotism, labor, and race to massive audiences. And as the wider culture works through shifting gender roles and masculine power, those anxieties are also found in the experiences of female sports journalists, athletes, and fans, and through the coverage of violence by and against male bodies. Sports, rather than being the one thing everyone can agree on, perfectly encapsulate the roiling tensions of modern American life.

Michael Serazio maps and critiques the cultural production of today’s lucrative, ubiquitous sports landscape. Through dozens of in-depth interviews with leaders in sports media and journalism, as well as in the business and marketing of sports, The Power of Sports goes behind the scenes and tells a story of technological disruption, commercial greed, economic disparity, military hawkishness, and ideals of manhood. In the end, despite what our myths of escapism suggest, Serazio holds up a mirror to sports and reveals the lived realities of the nation staring back at us.

When professional baseball returned to Brooklyn in 2001, fans were jubilant and the media swarmed. After losing the Brooklyn Dodgers to California 44 years ago, Brooklyn baseball fans could once again claim a team of their own: the Cyclones, a Class A affiliate of the New York Mets.
The Brooklyn Cyclones: Hardball Dreams and the New Coney Island recounts that first season of the Cyclones. From the construction of the incredible Keyspan Park at Coney Island to their improbable successes on the field, Ben Osborne tells the story of the Cyclones' delicate first year of operation. We see the story up close and personal through the eyes of two very different young men. The first is Anthony Otero, who was raised in a Coney Island housing project and loves baseball, but has never seen a game in person until the Cyclones land in his neighborhood. The second is Brett Kay, a young man from California who has never been to New York, until he becomes the catcher for the Brooklyn Cyclones.
From the plans of politicians like Rudy Giuliani and Howard Golden, to the poverty of Coney Island's citizens, The Brooklyn Cyclones reveals the stories behind the headlines to show that the reality of creating a new sports team often involves broken promises and shattered dreams. Osborne includes chapters on the Cyclones' rivalry with the Staten Island Yankees, the Cyclones' chances of capturing the New York-Penn League title, and an epilogue updating Kay's, Otero's, and the Cyclones' progress through the 2003 season.
Ultimately, Ben Osborne shows how, for these two young men, the Brooklyn Cyclones created dreams the same way the Brooklyn Dodgers allowed the boys of Flatbush to dream about one day playing in the Big Leagues.

MARTIAL ARTS TRANSPORT US TO THE REALMS OF LEGENDS

Every day in dojos and training halls, fantastic stories of history’s martial arts heroes are told. Tales of men and women who overpower wild beasts, walk unharmed through a barrage of swords, or single-handedly defeat scores of attackers—they all captivate our imagination and our sense of marvel.

Whether presented orally, on screen, or by written word, these legends remain a key element of our collective martial arts culture and naturally inspire wonder about where the facts end and the fiction begins.

No stories are more gripping than those surrounding the founders and great masters of modern-day martial arts.

This book looks at twelve of the greatest martial arts legends of all time, retelling their common historical lore, examining the known facts, suggesting possible reasons for their longevity, and discussing the key functions that these legends have served martial artists both historically and today.

Bodhidharma: A Zen Monk’s Journey to the East

Zhang Sanfeng: The Founding of Internal Martial Arts

Morihei Ueshiba: The Quest for Ultimate Peace

Ng Mui & Yan Yongchun: The Dual Founders of Wing Chun

Nai Khanom Tom: The Hero of Ayutthaya Fights for Freedom

Choi Hong-Hi: Leading Korea from the Ashes of War

Miyamoto Musashi: A Swordsman Meets His Greatest Foe

Helio Gracie: Grapplers from the East and West Meet

Bruce Lee: Fighting for the Freedom to Teach Kung Fu

Bui Thi Xuan: The Swordswoman and the Tiger

Gogen Yamaguchi: Returning from the Gulag

Masutatsu Oyama: Taking on the Wild

“Vivid . . . profound . . . plausible . . . be inspired.”

—Shotokan Karate Portal

Buddha Can Improve Your Sports Performance and Life

“No other person has had more influence on my thirty-six years of coaching than Jerry Lynch.”—Missy Foote, Head women's lacrosse coach, Middlebury College

#1 New Release in Coaching Hockey, Tennis, and Eastern Philosophy

The Competitive Buddha is about mastery, leadership, spirituality, and the Kobe Bryant Mamba Mentality. Discover how people from all parts of the world have brought together the Buddha and athletics for greater fun, enjoyment, and pleasure during their performances.

Connect spirituality to sports.  Learn what you need to keep, what you need to discard, and what you need to add to your mental, emotional, and spiritual skill set as an athlete, coach, leader, parent, CEO, or any other performer in life. Understand how Buddhism can help you to be better prepared for sports and life, and how sports and life can teach you about Buddhism.

On the court, field, and beyond. Dr. Lynch is an avid runner and biker and he has coached athletes at the high school and AAU level. He earned his doctorate in psychology at Penn State University and has done extensive post-doctoral work in the area of philosophy, Taoist and Buddhist thought, comparative religions, leadership development, and performance enhancement. Dr. Jerry Lynch demonstrates how certain timeless core Buddha values inspire you to embrace and navigate unchartered waters and understand the Buddha-mind and the Kobe Bryant Mamba Mentality.

Become a master coach of your own life. When it comes to leadership and coaching, The Competitive Buddha teaches how the best coaches today use the ancient methods for our modern times. Learn specific strategies and techniques for implementing this special way to guide and lead.

The Competitive Buddha teaches:

• Leadership Skills
• How to use Buddhism as an approach to competition
• How to master athletics and life

Readers who enjoyed Win the Day, Mamba Mentality, or Relentless Optimism will love The Competitive Buddha.

Master Richard Chun takes us on a first hand account of his life story and his dedication to the art of Taekwondo. We begin in Korea just before the Korean war and learn why Taekwondo is a noble and positive recreation for children, offering them challenges and lessons that they will reflect upon for their entire lives.

We follow as he takes Taekwondo to America not knowing how he and his art will be received. We see how Taekwondo plays a major role in this Grand Master's pursuit of a life in America and we cheer him on as he overcomes the difficulties a non-english speaking immigrant discovers in the USA. From celebrity students and their families (Donald Trump, Mayor Guliani, Gregory Hines) to everyday citizens, Master Richard Chun offers us the key to living a life of contribution to humanity through Taekwondo.

• Deepen Your Understanding of Taekwondo Traditions.
• Inspiration and Advice for a Lifetime of Practice.
• For All Styles and All Levels of Experience.

A Classical Vision of the Martial Arts

Through the millennia, man has been subject to aggression and violence from other men, and has pondered ways to meet such hostility. The source of man's ceaseless conflict lies in our nature. We are just not content with the simple life. We want what we do not have and lust for what others possess.

Empires wax and wane; states cleave asunder and coalesce. Thus it has ever been. – Three Kingdoms (Chinese Novel 1400 A.D.

Ironically enough, the modern civilized world promotes many alternatives for conflict resolution in place of overt violence. As a result, physical strength, mental determination and emotional endurance have lost their urgency in today's popular society. Are we a generation self-absorbed in the absence of routine discipline and sacrifice?

While the martial arts revolve around the way of personal combat, it also demands that its adherents live in accordance with a certain warrior code of conduct and honor. The Martial Way promises a long and arduous journey. It is an invitation to the subordination of self, the endurance of sustained practice, and the cultivation of the body and mind, with no tolerance for self-indulgences of any kind.

Martial arts without compassion and honor promises only violence. Stripped of its spirituality, it threatens injury and suffering to both its victims and its practitioners. In the end, this higher ideal is what separates the warrior from the predator.

In the martial arts, kata are the prearranged and choreographed dance-like forms used to convey the intricacies of a particular style to the practitioner. In a sense they are the physical form of an oral tradition, (a form of knowledge transference that many believe extends back several thousand years), training not only the body, but the mind and spirit. Kata are the basis for which modern day karate techniques have developed and hence kata are considered the 'textbooks' of the martial arts.

Kata is often called the mother of Karate. Bunkai is a kind of analysis (meaning, 'to disassemble') - a much neglected form of study within Karate.

These self-defense applications are what give the kata their true meaning and purpose. For the old masters, those of whom may have only practiced one or two kata their entire lives, the repetitions demanded of kata never became a burden because of the meaning, the bunkai. In thousands of schools around the world today, the various kata of Karate are taught and practiced. Unfortunately, not many know, or care to teach, the bunkai, referring to them a mysterious 'secrets.' In Shihan Te: The Bunkai of Kata, these "secrets" are revealed.

• Useful for all styles of Karate.
• The key to understanding Karate...and yourself!
• Discover the rich history and deeper meaning of the Martial Arts.

In the rich history of Major League Baseball (MLB), a transformative journey is unfolding…

Women are rising to prominent positions in team management, coaching, and leadership.

An increasing number of female coaches and front office leaders are making their mark in the league, signaling a positive change in the traditionally male-dominated field. Breaking through barriers, challenging stereotypes, and reshaping the landscape of a historically male-dominated industry, these women are pioneers in a movement toward greater diversity and inclusion within the sport of baseball. 

Leveling the Playing Field captures the compelling stories, triumphs, and challenges of women ascending the ranks of MLB coaching and leadership, exploring how their contributions are not only reshaping the front offices of teams and who is on the field but also influencing the future of America’s pastime.

Authored by Al Lautenslager, Leveling the Playing Field serves as a powerful testament to the evolving role of women in a traditionally male-centric arena.  

Haultain centers his musings on the frailty of the human body when presented with the stress of physical and mental exertion. In a sport like golf, which Haultain describes as pitting, "yourself against the world,” body and mind become the athlete's premier competitor and are often at odds with one another. Haultain delves deep into this disconnect, leading the reader along the balancing act between assumed potential and real achievement that is central to every world-class golfer's psychology. He does not, however, get lost in the particulars, frequently explaining how his lessons from the golf course can be applied to daily life. In that way, Haultain's essays have become an evergreen source of inspiration and knowledge for golfers and anyone else who wishes to master their mindset and learn new skills.

Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.

With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.

Born to Sprint is the guide to reclaiming natural athleticism through Problem Based Movement. Inside you’ll learn how this new model flips the entire approach to fitness upside down. Working through this step-by-step process, you’ll progress from wiggling your toes to sprinting without fear. More than just getting in shape, this revolutionary book and program will teach you how to master your body. Athleticism is a skill you can learn at any age… Born to Sprint will show you how. 

Inside, you will learn to:  

• Overcome the limiting beliefs keeping you stuck and stiff.  
• Experience a better story about your how your anatomy works.  
• Learn all the pieces of your body with over 100 drills and mobilizations.  
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• Transform your body with a simple program that trains strength, skill, stability, and sprinting. 

This book will take you on a journey in seven powerful chapters. After this you will look and feel like a new you... An athletic you. This practical, inspiring roadmap will help you move better, feel stronger, and reclaim your human abilities. Born To Sprint is your path back to sprinting… And so much more!

Duncan Park: Stories of a Classic American Ballpark recounts the history of Spartanburg's oldest wooden grandstand stadium. Built in 1926, Duncan Park stadium has been home to a semipro Negro Leagues team that had a star left-handed pitcher known throughout the South; a 1966 Spartanburg Phillies team named one of the 100 Best Minor League Baseball Teams; an American Legion Little World Series Champion; high school, college, and wooden bat-league summer teams; and legendary promotions and special events. Players and their families, coaches, sabermetricians, and all fans of America’s pastime will find in these pages a rich storehouse of our cultural heritage.

From editors David Joy and Eric Rickstad comes Gather at the River, an anthology of twenty-five remarkable essays on fishing from an ensemble of contemporary authors. Their experiences explore the ways we come to water, for renewal and reverie, or to simply stand waist-deep in a river and watch the trout rise.

Gather at The River is more than a collection of big fish stories; it’s Ron Rash writing about the Appalachia of his youth and C.J. Box revealing the river where he wants his ashes spread. It’s Natalie Baszile on a frogging expedition in the Louisiana Bayou and a teenaged Jill McCorkle facing new realities of adulthood on Holden Beach, North Carolina. This is an anthology about friendship, family, love and loss, and everything in between, because as Henry David Thoreau wrote, “it is not really the fish they are after.”

The contributors are an eclectic mix of critically acclaimed writers including New York Times Bestselling Authors Ron Rash, Jill McCorkle, Leigh Ann Henion, Eric Rickstad, M.O. Walsh, and #1 Bestseller C.J. Box.

Some of the proceeds of every sale will benefit C.A.S.T. for Kids, public charity that joins volunteers who love to fish with children who have special needs and disadvantages for a day of fishing in the outdoors.

• The Way of the Master
• Excess Baggage
• Swimming 'Round the Stone
• Simple Things
• Even if I Die
• Not Knowing, But Doing
• and many more

• Beautiful, step-by-step photos and easy-to-understand text
• Guidance for selecting, maintaining, and using your sword
• Wisdom about the practical value of meditation
• Inspirational biographies of some of the greatest samurai swordsmen, men whose words and deeds embodied the true spirit of the samurai warrior

• The Bushi
• The Heimin
• The Centers of Martial Instruction
• Armed Bujutsu
• Unarmed Bujutsu
• Control and Power
• Strategic Principles
• Morality of Bujutsu

• Where the body's vital points are located and how to strike them for maximum effect
• How vital points can be targeted most efficiently to successfully defend oneself
• How targeting vital points can be used in conjunction with traditional martial arts to help meet a variety of threats

• You should not envy the swords and clothing of others.
• It goes without saying that you should arrange your hair early in the morning if you are going out to your work, but this should be done even if you are thinking of staying at home.
• When you think too much, it is difficult to achieve your objectives. If you are too clever and look too far ahead, you will accomplish nothing.
• If you have some pressing or urgent affair, write it down with a calm state of mind.
• Your regular meals should be light, and you should not take a trivial liking for elegant cuisine.
• If someone promotes only those things the lord finds acceptable, and never remonstrates with him at all, you should watch that man carefully.
• No matter how wise a person may be, you should never depend fully on him but rather, understand that you are always on your own.

• Grappling, Throwing, Choking, and Joint-locking
• Striking, Kicking, and Punching
• Stick, Blade, Cord, and Projectile weapons
• Handling multiple assailants and Surprise attacks
• Overcoming psychological intimidation or Bullying

• Arrogance
• Ease and Grace
• Wise Men and Evil
• Being Genuine
• Shame and the Glory

• The origins of Karate—its philosophy, history, and different schools
• How to find a teacher and a class that are right for you
• Getting ready for your first class—what actually happens in a Karate class?
• The essential elements—stances, blocks, thrusts, strikes, punches, and kicks
• How to complement your Karate training with sparring drills and kata
• Effective ways to succeed in Karate—how to create a training program, test for belt promotion, and an overview of competitions and tournaments
• Resources to help you develop your knowledge and understanding of Karate

• The Fine Points of Knife Throwing
• How to Build Targets
• Evolution of the Throwing Knife
• The Art of the Professionals
• The Saga of Skeeter Vaughn
• Tomahawk Throwing
• The Hunt of the "Hog Heaven" Boar
• The Other Throwing Instruments

• Yip Man Wing Chun
• Yuen Kay-San Wing Chun Kuen
• Gu Lao Wing Chun Kuen
• Nanyang Wing Chun Kuen
• Pan Nam Wing Chun Kuen
• Pao Fa Lien Wing Chun Kuen
• Hung Suen Wing Chun Kuen
• and more!

• Earth - protection from the harsh elements using trees, leaves, dirt, grass, and vines to build shelter
• Water - effectively cool off when overheated and avoid dehydration
• Fire - properly use fire to warm the body and to purify water by boiling it
• Wind - harness the power of wind to ventilate shelters, smoke meat and help build fires
• Void - apply knowledge and creativity while developing a survival plan

• Why Tai Chi?
• A Glimpse into the History of Tai Chi
• The Basic Movements
• Tai Chi Forms; including: Part the Horses's Mane, White Crane Spreads Its Wings, Hands Strum the Lute, Wingle Whip, Kick with the Right Heel, Needle at the Bottom of the Sea, Cross Hands, and more!

• Basic concepts—Grips, Methods, and Mechanics
• Throwing implements—The Bagakay, the knife, the ax, and the spear
• Japanese throwing implements—The Shuriken and the Shaken
• Chinese throwing implements—The flying dart, the golden coin dart, the flying steel olive, and the flying sticker
• Other throwing implements—The western dart and the boomerang
• Sport and defensive throwing
• Weapon and hand care

• The origins, philosophy, and history of Taekwondo
• How to find a teacher and a class that are right for you
• Getting ready for your first class—what actually happens in a Taekwondo class?
• The essential elements—stances, blocks, hand and arm strikes, and kicks
• How to complement your Taekwondo training with other conditioning exercises, such as running and biking
• Powerful ways to improve your technique through target training, partner training, competitive training, free-sparring, and more
• Resources that can help you further develop your Taekwondo practice

• The origins of kung fu—philosophy, history and different styles
• What happens in a kung fu class—invaluable tips on choosing the right school, getting ready for your first class, and basic training methods
• The essential elements of the style—stances, footwork, kicks, and hand techniques, with tips on common mistakes and how to get the most power out of each move
• Drill and conditioning exercises—exercises to compliment your training
• Practical ways to improve your kung fu technique—traditional teaching advice of Chinese masters
• Resources—help further develop your knowledge and understanding of kung fu

• Perspective—Origin; Organization; Training; At the Height of Power; The Decline; Ninjutsu in the Modern World
• Search for the Ninja
• Unarmed Combat—The Ninja Fists; Fighting Postures; Other Factors
• Weaponry—Chains and Cords; Sticks and Staffs; Canes with Concealed Weapons; The Ninja Sword; Throwing Blades
• The Way of Invisibility—Sense Deception; Phantom Steps; Reconnaissance; Blending with the Night; Attacking the Eyes; The Art of Disguise
• Shadow Warriors—Espionage; Commando Tactics
• The Realm of the Spirit—Psychological Warfare; The Force of the Killer; The Great Harmony

• How dynamics are applied to Judo
• The three principles for practicing Judo
• The three laws of motion and how they apply to Judo
• Different kinds of force found in Judo techniques
• How to effectively practice throwing and grappling

• The history of Judo and how it aims to promote character development
• What you need to know about your Sensei (instructor) and Dojo (training school)
• How to prepare for your first class, equipment to buy and dojo training etiquette
• Basic terminology and the importance of understanding Judo's underlying philosophy
• Principles of throwing (nage waza), grappling (katame waza) and striking (atemi waza)
• The most important tournament rules, including scoring and penalties in competition
• And much, much more!

• Planning ahead—how a solid battle plan can help lead to victory
• Attacking the enemy—considerations when choosing to attack or, perhaps even more importantly, when to not attack
• Flexibility in combat—the importance of changing tactics as the fight evolves
• Exploiting weakness—how understanding your enemy's shortcomings is crucial to success

• The Styles
• The Principles
• Quotations from Old Masters
• Sixty-Four Questions and Answers About T'ai Chi Ch'uan
• Six Levels of Development
• The Thirteen Basic Positions and Techniques
• Advanced Practice
• Important Questions to Ask Yourself and more!

• The Origin of Sinawali
• The Fighting Arts of Bakbakan International
• Bakbakan Training Structure
• Stances and Footwork
• Warm-up Exercises
• Lakbay Sinawali: The Central Form of Sinawali
• Dakip-Diwa
• Laban-Sanay (Free-Style Sparring)

• Stances, blocks, strikes and kicks
• Preparing your body through warm-ups, stretching, and conditioning through karate-specific exercises
• Kata grading and fighting (kumite) techniques and competition rules
• Martial arts weapons (kobudo), and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) applications
• The origins and history of karate
• Required behavior, clothing and etiquette, as well as the fundamentals of karate and the different styles that share them

• The Book of Five Rings
• Mirror on the Way of Combat
• Notes on Combat Strategy
• Combat Strategy in 35 Articles
• The Five-Direction Sword Pathways
• The Path Walked Alone

• Practicalities: Detailed travel information for every budget, including accommodations, transportation, prices, seasons, and dive operators.
• Information: Local history, diving lore, site conditions, and more than 50 maps.
• Photography: More than 100 color photographs by top photographers.

• Tai Chi Chuan as a Martial Art
• The Concept of Yin-Yang and Tai Chi Chuan
• The Historical Development of the Various Styles
• Advice from the Great Masters
• Techniques and Skills of Pushing Hands
• Specific Techniques for Combat Situations
• Taoism and Spiritual Development in Tai Chi Chuan
• And much more

• Learning to climb a rope
• Scaling a wall
• Flipping a tire
• Throwing a spear
• Carrying a sandbag

• The History and Development of Korean Martial Arts
• The Evolution of Hapkido
• Danjon: The Center of Ki
• Hapkido Fundamentals
• Hapkido Self-Defense Techniques

• What a ninja is and what equipment he needs
• The skills of infiltration and information gathering
• How to disrupt and distract the enemy
• How to be mentally prepared to carry out ninja missions

• The Bushi
• The Heimin
• The Centers of Martial Instruction
• Armed Bujutsu
• Unarmed Bujutsu
• Control and Power
• Strategic Principles
• Morality of Bujutsu

• Basic concepts—Grips, Methods, and Mechanics
• Throwing implements—The Bagakay, the knife, the ax, and the spear
• Japanese throwing implements—The Shuriken and the Shaken
• Chinese throwing implements—The flying dart, the golden coin dart, the flying steel olive, and the flying sticker
• Other throwing implements—The western dart and the boomerang
• Sport and defensive throwing
• Weapon and hand care

• The Nine Powers
• The Secrets Told
• Physical Strength
• Mental Strength
• Spirit Strength
• Negative Emotions

• Bali — "The Island of the Gods," famous for its marine life and the USS Liberty shipwreck off Tulamben
• North Sulawesi — Where active volcanoes tower over lush plateaus and gorgeous coral reefs
• Nusa Tenggara — The vast region from Lombok to Timor featuring everything from submerged seamounts, walls and drop-offs to freshwater caves, slopes and sandy muck diving bays
• Maluku — An often overlooked but unique sites that host the perfect combination of reefs and critters
• Raja Ampat and West Papua — Quickly becoming the "mecca" for Indonesian diving, with beautiful landscapes, white sand beaches and shallow water corals which make it the postcard trip of a lifetime

• Attacks in workplaces, homes and public places
• Instances of domestic violence including violent and abusive relationships
• Assailants armed with knives, handguns, long barrel firearms, explosives, and improvised weapons
• Attacks in cars and other confined and restricted spaces
• Vehicular rammings
• Unarmed attackers
• One-on-one assaults and attacks targeting a group

• Compound and Recurve bows
• Archery equipment and accessories
• Training preparation and safety
• Advanced shooting methods
• Fun archery games
• How to make your own bow

• The Book of the Sword by Yagyu Munenori
• The Inscrutable Subtlety of Immovable Wisdom by Takuan Soho
• The Peerless Sword by Takuan Soho

• First Contact: Oops! I Touched Him
• Up against the Wall
• Is that a Broken Beer Bottle in Your Hand or Are You Just Happy to See Me?
• I'm Not as Think As You Drunk I am
• Who is this Clown?

• The Nature and Conduct of Combat
• What is Combat?
• Preparing for Battle
• Elements of Tactics and Strategy
• Imposing Your Will
• Destroying the Enemy Force
• Strength of the Defensive Position
• Failure
• Moral Quality of Courage
• Securing Victory