Monday, June 10, 2013

Beyond The Fights: Books About MMA

By Nolan Barias


These days, mixed martial arts is all over television, but if you can't seem to get enough of the sport simply by watching bouts, there are plenty of well-written books to consider. Some will help you improve your own skills, and others delve into the history of this popular sport.

An MMA library would hardly be complete without at least a few books about Brazilian jiu-jitsu and its founding family, the Gracies. For a comprehensive, if somewhat idyllic, history of the family, Kid Peligro's volume "The Gracie Way: An Illustrated History of the World's Greatest Martial Arts Family," is a must read. Another great choice would be "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Technique," written by Royler Gracie, Renzo Gracie and John Danaher.

B.J. Penn is arguably one of the greatest MMA fighters in history, and his book "Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge," is an excellent volume for anyone who wishes to improve their overall fighting skills and create a successful game plan for actual fights. He discusses his own fighting philosophy and shares how to complement your strengths by incorporating multiple styles of fighting. Penn also wrote the autobiographical work, "Why I Fight," which an interesting read, as well.

If you love watching the fights, but don't really know much about the history of the sport, consider buying "Blood in the Cage." This book not only looks back at MMA in its earliest days to the present, but also is a comprehensive look at the career of Pat "The Croatian Sensation" Miletich, who was the first fighter in UFC to claim the welterweight championship.

UFC heavyweight champ and Hall of Famer Randy Couture has written several books, from "Xtreme Fighting: The Fighter's Ultimate Fitness Manual," to the autobiographical "Becoming the Natural: My Life In and Out of the Cage." His autobiography works as a decent history of mixed martial arts in general, as well as the story of this famed fighter's rise to the top.

If you truly want to delve into the philosophy side of mixed martial arts, consider reading up on Bruce Lee, who was truly one of the first to bring the idea of combining multiple fighting styles to the forefront. His book, "Tao of Jeet Kune Do," is a legendary work and definitely worth a serious read.




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