Anaconda Choke


Book Description

Woodshed Wallace is equally at home in the grittiest alleys and brightest MMA cages of Las Vegas, but none of that prepares him for the war that awaits him in Rio de Janeiro. Woody is in Brazil to reunite with his past flame Marcela and the Arcoverde clan and to fight in Banzai Eddie Takanori’s first international Warrior Inc. event. Marcela and the Arcoverdes do their best to let Woody focus on the fight, but his instincts are too sharp. The family is in trouble. Carrasco, crime lord of the notorious, sprawling Rio slum Axila da Serpente, has taken a liking to Marcela. Carrasco believes he is the embodiment of an Exu, a spirit driven by lust, vice, and crime, and the spirit has demanded ownership of Marcela. Under the burning MMA spotlights and within the brutal labyrinths of Rio’s slums, Woody must realize what he cherishes most—and what he must fight for—before it is gone forever.




Choke Box


Book Description

“Using the tropes of crime fiction, psychological thrillers, and chick lit [this novel] . . . turn[s] a complex, feminist critique into a dark page-turner.” ―American Book Review When Edward Tamlin disappears while writing his memoir, Jane Tamlin, his wife and the mother of his young children, begins to write a secret, corrective “counter-memoir” of her own. Calling the book Choke Box, she reveals intimate, often irreverent, details about her family and marriage, rejecting—and occasionally celebrating—her suspected role in her husband's disappearance. Choke Box isn't Jane's first book. From her room in the Buffalo Psychiatric Institute, she slowly reveals a hidden history of the ghost authorship that has sabotaged her family and driven her to madness. Her latest work, finally written under her own name, is designed to reclaim her dark and troubled story. Yet even as Jane portrays her life as a wife, mother, and slighted artist with sardonic candor, her every word is underscored by one belief above all others: the complete truth is always a secret. But the stories we tell may help us survive—if they don't kill us first. “A bracing cri de coeur against the silencing of women's voices . . . entertaining . . . dismantling of the madwoman in the attic trope . . . a sharp, playful novel.” —Publishers Weekly “A razor-sharp page-turner.” —Sabina Murray, author of Valiant Gentlemen: A Novel “Christina Milletti is a comic genius...who has...fashioned a conceit of Nabokovian brilliance that challenges all our assumptions about domesticity.” —Mary Caponegro, author of All Fall Down “A chilling and wonderfully thrilling, lyrical book.” —Samantha Hunt, author of The Dark Dark “A wild, audacious and utterly pleasurable ride.” —Carole Maso, author of Mother & Child Winner of the Juniper Prize




The MMA Encyclopedia


Book Description

' "Did you see the big fight this weekend'" The question used to be about boxing matches, when the giants of the fight world were Mike Tyson and Roy Jones. Now fans are leaving the sweet science in droves for the combat sport of the future: mixed martial arts (MMA). MMA has drawn millions on cable and network television, as well as out-performed professional wrestling and boxing on pay-per-view. Fans are attracted to the sport, but unlike boxing (where strategy and technique are limited to using both your left and right hands), an MMA fight can be surprisingly complicated. The MMA Encyclopedia puts the fighters, the facts, and the fundamentals of the world's fastest growing sport at your fingertips as the definitive reference guide to mixed martial arts. The encyclopedia will break the MMA language barrier for those who don't know a wristlock from a wristwatch, while at the same time offering perspective and analysis that will entertain the hardcore fan who already has the basics down pat. With three appendices that detail the results of every MMA'fight in history, this the ultimate reference book for the ultimate sport.




Mixed Martial Arts: Analyses of Techniques and Usage


Book Description

In retrospect, all martial arts are mixed, but MMA has taken on a mystique of its own in the newest wave of combative experimentation. This book presents an encompassing perspective of this phenomenon in eight chapters written by experts in the field. In their individual chapters they provide analyses of the techniques utilized during many of the leading competitive events, mainly the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), and give practical “how to” instruction. This book pulls together some of the best writings published in the Journal of Asian Martial Arts regarding modern mixed martial arts. Daniele Bolelli uses a scholarly approach to produce two excellent chapters, as does Rhadi Ferguson with his two chapters. Bolelli provides a superb overview by analyzing 176 matches that took place between 1993 and 1999 under the UFC umbrella. He also highlights the different ways in which grappling techniques are currently used in mixed martial arts competition. While utilizing a comprehensive approach, Dr. Ferguson zeros in on armbar and chokehold submissions to conclude just how often these were utilized in 1,263 UFC bouts. His works here can assist mixed martial arts professionals with analytical information to help them in training practices and winning strategies. What do the analyses show? Well, one thing is that all the techniques used are found in many old martial traditions. Some techniques are extremely old. Certainly cavemen used chokes. Many are from the previous millennium, as hinted by the numerous Japanese terms used since the samurai sipped sake. Fundamental techniques are discussed by Andew Zerling and Steve Scott. Four other chapters provide insightful text and the photographic detail to present the theory and practice of the major techniques utilized by mixed martial artists: chokes, armlocks, and leg locks. Zerling offers three chapters with the precious help of his teacher, Renzo Gracie. Scott’s chapter is a highly detailed piece on the cross-body armlock, giving four primary applications all will appreciate as vital to MMA practice. The eight chapters are filled with analytical text helpful for the pursuit of combat expertise. There is enough here to find of great value. But there is more. In the chapters you’ll also find perspective and insight that illuminate what is occurring in the evolution of MMA competition. Read closely and you’ll see that—beneath the hype—changing competitive rules and dollar amounts play a role in the outcome of championship belts and competitive crowns. We need to factor these aspects into our quest to understand the rich variety of martial traditions.




Black Belt


Book Description

The oldest and most respected martial arts title in the industry, this popular monthly magazine addresses the needs of martial artists of all levels by providing them with information about every style of self-defense in the world - including techniques and strategies. In addition, Black Belt produces and markets over 75 martial arts-oriented books and videos including many about the works of Bruce Lee, the best-known marital arts figure in the world.




Cage Kings


Book Description

A “propulsive and wildly engrossing” (Brad Stone, author of The Everything Store) account of how the UFC turned mixed martial arts into a multibillion-dollar business and global pop culture phenomenon. Decried as “human cockfighting” by Senator John McCain and dismissed by the New York Times as a “pay-per-view prism” onto the decline of Western civilization, the UFC seemed by 2000 to be bleeding out. The cage fighting promotion had been banned in thirty-six states and was struggling to cover production costs for its next event. But three buddies in Las Vegas—an ambitious personal trainer and two young casino heirs—saw something else in the UFC: a vision of the future. Over the next two decades, the trio would transform the company into one of the most valuable sports properties in the world, worth more than the Beatles catalog or the New York Yankees. And along the way, they would also transform the lives of some of the sport’s biggest stars, both for better and worse. A “captivating” (Christopher Leonard, author of The Lords of Easy Money) behind-the-scenes account of a once-reviled subculture’s strange path to pop legitimacy, Cage Kings embeds you in a world of desperate fighters, audacious promoters, fanboy bloggers, fatherly trainers, philosophical announcers, hustling sponsors, and three improbable twentysomething corporate titans on a darkly comic odyssey to normalize a new level of brutality in American pop culture—and make a fortune doing so. For in an era of generational poverty, eroding labor rights, radical media transformations, simmering political grievances, and an obsession with winning at any cost, the spectacle of two people fighting in a cage for another few months’ wages suddenly seemed to make sense. Stylishly written and poignantly observed, this “must-read for fans and the simply curious alike” (Matthew Polly, author of American Shaolin) offers a provocative look at how the hollowing out of the American dream and the violence of modern capitalism left us ready to embrace a sport like cage fighting.




The Woodshed Wallace Bundle


Book Description

The Woodshed Wallace Bundle is cpmprised off the Woodshed Wallace Series. Featuring Suckerpunch, Hook & Shoot, and Anaconda Choke. Suckerpunch: Stuck on no-name cards for tiny organizations, Woody is trying to put his shady past behind him with help from his trainer and mentor, Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Gil Hobbes. When Banzai Eddie Takanori—president of MMA’s largest organization, Warrior Inc.—offers Woody a short-notice fight against a highly favored poster boy, Woody sees his shot at salvation. By the time Woody figures out he’s just a pawn in a high-stakes game between psychopaths, he’s in way too deep. Hook & Shoot: Aaron “Woodshed” Wallace has fought his entire life to survive. He thinks the big break from MMA promotion Warrior Inc. will change all that, and he’s right. But first he has to make sure Warrior’s president, Banzai Eddie Takanori, doesn’t get snuffed out by the Yakuza. If the Japanese mobsters can’t collect on the debt Eddie owes, they’ll take payment in blood—no matter whose. Woody has no choice but to use his mixed martial arts skills in and out of the cage to help Eddie and his ex-SAS bodyguard stay alive and to keep Warrior intact. Serves Woody right for trusting Eddie and thinking he was off the hook for his past. He should know by now what happens with hooks: when you drop back onto them, they go twice as deep. Anaconda Choke: Woodshed Wallace is equally at home in the grittiest alleys and brightest MMA cages of Las Vegas, but none of that prepares him for the war that awaits him in Rio de Janeiro. Woody is in Brazil to reunite with his past flame Marcela and the Arcoverde clan and to fight in Banzai Eddie Takanori’s first international Warrior Inc. event. Marcela and the Arcoverdes do their best to let Woody focus on the fight, but his instincts are too sharp. The family is in trouble. Carrasco, crime lord of the notorious, sprawling Rio slum Axila da Serpente, has taken a liking to Marcela. Carrasco believes he is the embodiment of an Exu, a spirit driven by lust, vice, and crime, and the spirit has demanded ownership of Marcela. Under the burning MMA spotlights and within the brutal labyrinths of Rio’s slums, Woody must realize what he cherishes most—and what he must fight for—before it is gone forever.




Collusion


Book Description

In D.C.’s cutthroat political arena, revenge is the ultimate nuclear option . . . Framed for a high-profile murder, Abrianna Parker finds herself hurtling down a conspiracy rabbit hole in a desperate attempt to clear her name. Her only way out is to go after the most powerful man in the country. But the powers that be play dirty—and expose her billionaire adoptive father, Cargill Parker, and his criminal activity. With charges of collusion swirling on Capitol Hill, police and Federal agencies force Abrianna off the grid. But she’s not alone. By her side is ex-con turned private investigator Kadir Kahlifa, a man as seductive as he is dangerous. While battling a fiery passion, they team up with their band of street rebels and digital revolutionaries to burn through deception and spin to uncover the truth before it costs more innocent lives—mainly their own.




Ranger Up Presents Mixed Martial Arts IQ


Book Description

FAST, FURIOUS, UNFORGIVING - 25 fights, 250 questions. The follow-up to Mixed Martial Arts IQ (Volume I) has the biggest events, craziest stories, the fighters you love, the fighters you love to hate, and more. Accept the challenge. Ranger Up Presents Mixed Martial Arts IQ (Volume II) is going to kick the crap out of you, and you'll love it. Ranger Up Apparel Company and author Zac Robinson have partnered to develop a pound-for-pound champion. In this book you'll find 25 sets of ten trivia questions that are full of MMA history. Each set of questions represents a fight. Answer them all and you've scored a big stoppage, miss a few and you're waking up asking "Stitch" Duran what happened. In the end you'll have a 25-fight record and be a champ ... or a can. Either way, with more than 20 photographs and stories shared by MMA stars for the first time and exclusively to Zac Robinson for this book, you'll have fun, and you'll be helping out deserving people, as a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will go to Soldiers' Angels and Hire Heroes USA. Among the numerous MMA stars who have already contributed to this book and its effort to support these organizations are Wanderlei Silva, Rich Franklin, Tim Kennedy, Chael Sonnen, Nate Quarry, Chris Leben, Gray Maynard, Matt Lindland, Tim Credeur, Jorge Rivera, Brian Stann, Denis Kang, King Mo, Jason Miller, and Pat Cote. So you see, you don't stand a chance ... but give it a shot anyway! Maybe you'll be one of the few who rises through the ranks to contend for the title of Greatest of All Time, and if not, after reading Ranger Up Presents Mixed Martial Arts IQ you at least won't ever be called a TUF newb. Praise for MMA IQ, Volume II “I doubt you could have found this many top athletes willing to participate from any other sport. It’s a credit to each one of these fine gentleman and the sport of MMA as a whole that they chose to be involved.” — “The Fight Professor” Stephen Quadros. “This is truly a unique partnership and unique book. It will certainly entertain MMA fans and it will make a difference in the lives of those who served.” — Fight! Magazine Editor in Chief Donovan Craig. Praise for MMA IQ, Volume I “Every time I work on a cut I am being tested and I feel confident I can pass the test. After reading MMA IQ I’m not so sure I can do the same with this book.” ⎯ UFC Cutman Jacob “Stitch” Duran, www.stitchdurangear.com “MMA fans everywhere pay attention—this is your best chance to reign supreme in your favorite bar stool. The trivia and stories come at you so fast and so furious you’ll wish Stitch Duran was in your corner getting you ready to do battle.” ⎯ Sam Hendricks, award-winning author of Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting “From the rookie fan to the pound for pound trivia champs, MMA IQ has something that will challenge the wide spectrum of fans that follow the sport.” ⎯ Robert Joyner, www.mmapayout.com “I thought I knew MMA, but this book took my MMA IQ to a whole new level . . . fun read, highly recommended.” ⎯ William Li, www.findmmagym.com




Caged Warrior


Book Description

A ferocious novel, Caged Warrior is like a great fight movie, a tour-de-force of relentless conflict, but one that is leavened with rich characters and meaningful and loving relationships. McCutcheon Daniels' life is full of bone-cracking violence. As a star fighter in the gritty underground Mixed Martial Arts circuit in the poorest section of Detroit, McCutcheon fights under the tutelage of his volatile and violent father, not so much for himself but to survive as protector of his beloved five-year old sister, Gemma. As McCutcheon battles opponents who are literally trying to kill him, he struggles to find a way to protect her and himself. Along the way, he decides to trust a teacher who has taken an interest in him and begins to redirect the path his life is taking. Until he discovers the truth about his mother who seemingly disappeared on his thirteenth birthday.