Monday, June 24, 2013

Beyond The Fights: Books About MMA

By Nolan Barias


If you can't seem to get enough of mixed martial arts by just watching the fights and discussing fighters on MMA forums, there is a wealth of great MMA books out there to enjoy. Whether you want to learn about MMA history or improve your fighting techniques, there is something for everyone.

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.

Fighter B.J. Penn has written several excellent MMA books, but "Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge," is probably one of his best and a great primer for anyone looking to really improve their MMA game plan. Penn's philosophy incorporates the idea that you should create a strategy that is based around your strengths but be able to incorporate a fluid mix of striking, submissions and takedowns. You also might consider reading Penn's personal autobiography entitled, "Why I Fight."

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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