Bøker av Martina Sprague

The fighter who controls distance controls the fight. This is true both in long and short range fighting. The difficult part about fighting at short range is moving in and achieving the superior position. Distance should generally be closed when your opponent experiences a moment of weakness. Although long arms and legs are advantageous in kickboxing, your long reach is only as good as you are at using it. You can exploit the strength of your opponent's longer reach by developing superior short range fighting techniques. When you move from the out-fighting zone to the in-fighting zone, you are very close to your opponent and many long range techniques are no longer effective. Once you get past your opponent's long range techniques, you have taken from him many of his weapons. The purpose of working your way to short range is to throw powerful short range techniques, so once there, you must make an effort to stay there until something decisive happens; until you knock out your opponent or choose to move back to long range for some other reason. Kickboxing: From Initiation To Knockout comprises a series of short books with focus on learning specific techniques and strategies for the exciting sport of competition kickboxing. With plenty of pictures, each book breaks the material down into bite-size pieces that allow you to practice to perfection. The material in this book previously appeared in Complete Kickboxing, now out of print, and is great for straight boxing, too.

Knowing how to box is not enough if you want to call yourself a kickboxer. Since kickboxing combines kicks and strikes, we will now look at the three basic kicks: the front kick, roundhouse kick, and side thrust kick. Which kick you use depends on your position, on your distance to the target, and on what you are trying to accomplish. The benefit of a kick over a punch is that you can reach any target on your opponent's body. While the hands can be used for punching to the head and body, the legs can be used for kicking to the head, body, and legs. In this sense, kicks are more versatile than punches. All kicks can be thrown with the lead or rear leg. In general, your lead leg is used much like the jab: to gauge distance. Since your lead leg is closer to the target than your rear leg, it is faster and needs less movement. Your rear leg, by contrast, has the potential to create a more powerful kick. Throughout your training, we will explore those kicks that are the most practical for competition kickboxing, and learn their application from beginning to advanced stages. Kickboxing: From Initiation To Knockout comprises a series of short books with focus on learning specific techniques and strategies for the exciting sport of competition kickboxing. With plenty of pictures, each book breaks the material down into bite-size pieces that allow you to practice to perfection. The material in this book previously appeared in Complete Kickboxing, now out of print.

A successful kickboxer must be complete in all aspects of his game, and offense cannot survive without defense, and vice versa. Many kickboxers think of defense as simply avoiding a strike or kick. But good defense has many other purposes. Your goal defensively is to make your opponent pay a price. Good defense protects you from harm and creates offense. Blocking or moving to avoid a strike will in itself not win the fight. It is impossible to protect against all strikes, and you will get hit. You should therefore strive to use the momentum of good defense to launch a counterattack. Good defense destroys your opponent's weapons. Begin thinking of your blocks as strikes and not simply as means of thwarting your opponent's attack. By selecting the right block and executing it in the proper manner, we can punish our opponent's offensive weapons and eventually render those weapons harmless. It takes more energy to fight offensively than defensively. Defense, with its shorter and more compact moves, should therefore be used between offense to replenish your energies and tire your opponent. Kickboxing: From Initiation To Knockout comprises a series of short books with focus on learning specific techniques and strategies for the exciting sport of competition kickboxing. With plenty of pictures, each book breaks the material down into bite-size pieces that allow you to practice to perfection. The material in this book previously appeared in Complete Kickboxing, now out of print, and is great for straight boxing, too.

Although the jab is not your most powerful strike, at long range it is in a sense your most superior strike. Superiority is determined not only by how much strength or power you have, but also by how you use movement to employ that power. Landing a long range technique is difficult without some sort of setup against a skilled opponent. The jab is perhaps the most versatile kickboxing technique available and can be used to set up all other long range techniques. Although not a knockout punch per se, the jab could on occasion be all you need to end the fight. This book discusses basic jabbing strategy for sparring and competition, choosing your targets and using the jab as a distraction, and using lateral movement to establish superiority. It emphasizes distance and timing. Understanding distance, and timing your jab correctly to your opponent's movement, allows you to control the fighting arena and create openings for your stronger rear hand. The material in this book previously appeared in Complete Kickboxing, now out of print, and is great for straight boxing, too.

If you are looking for an instructional manual full of step-by-step illustrations for learning Japanese and European swordsmanship, do not buy this book! This book does not tell you everything you need to know about specific techniques and does not contain hundreds of pictures detailing each step involved in attacking and defending with the sword. Nor is it a suitable reference manual for arms collectors. Like my previous books on edged weaponry, the focus is critical thinking through historical analysis. Our purpose is to pit a samurai against a medieval knight to determine who proved to be the better swordsman, who wielded the better sword, and who came from the superior culture. Our analysis will encourage you to think about the many nuances of swordsmanship in different terrains and cultural settings, and how a Japanese samurai might have acted and reacted had he crossed swords with a European medieval knight, and vice versa. It is of interest to those who have some experience practicing with the sword, but primarily to those who like to ponder the use of the sword in a historical context; neither for sports or to settle points of honor, nor for health or personal fulfillment, but on the battlefield where the objective was to kill the opponent. The intent is to discern relationships between seemingly separate histories and lead us toward a broader horizon regarding historical swordsmanship.To reach our objective, we will discuss practical sword designs and their purposes, sword dynamics and the principles of physics, and common tactics of offense and defense. As we proceed, consider that in martial arts as practiced today, many combat techniques and forms are overly ritualized and complex. In sword combat to the death, by contrast, the straightest and fewest moves possible were used to reach the objective. The tactics that the samurai and medieval knight chose were not about looking and feeling good, but about getting it done. They picked up the sword in defense of their king, master, or country, and were prepared to fight to the death.

The Knife Training Methods and Techniques for Martial Artists series gives the martial arts interested person a solid background on the importance of the knife as a combat weapon, inspires the reader about the benefits of knife training, and provides detailed step-by-step instruction in how to manipulate and defend against a knife with speed, proficiency, and confidence.Almost any martial art, traditional or modern, can be adapted to knife offense and defense without changing the basic principles of the art. Since the knife is a relatively small and lightweight weapon, many of the same moves and movement patterns you use in your empty-hand art are easily transferable to your knife techniques, and vice versa. The practical lessons you learn by adding knife training to your arsenal include quick reaction skills, physical and mental control, footwork and evasion tactics, distance control, and target precision.Knife training gives you a decided physical and mental edge and opens new dimensions that will deepen your understanding of the martial arts. Knife Grip and Manipulation, the third book in the series, covers different ways to grip the knife and the strengths and weaknesses of each grip, how to secure a good grip, how to switch between grips and when it might prove beneficial to do so, and the importance of cutting edge awareness. The book also introduces the reader to several knife attack and defense concepts and provides exercises for practice.Approximately a dozen titles will be published in the Knife Training Methods and Techniques for Martial Artists series over the coming year. Look for several more titles in the near future.

Carl von Clausewitz's book, On War, has stood the test of time. Clausewitz's greatest contribution may have been in the organization and compilation of commonly known facts, rather than in the discovery of new truths with respect to combat and war. He succeeded because he analyzed a great number of elements, shedding light on old ideas, and clarifying these in a format that the masses of military men could understand. He recognized the importance of studying failure brought by uncertainty and chance. Clausewitz necessarily requires deep analysis, however, which is not possible in a book this size, intended only to highlight his most important arguments. To get the most out of Clausewitz, focus should be placed on the nature of war (a set of universal principles) as opposed to the conduct of war (the specific methods by which war is waged).There are many prisms through which one can view Clausewitz and the ways in which he expressed military theory. Rather than examining specific battles or simply giving the reader a rundown of facts for memorization, this brief book introduces the major issues that appear in On War. The intent is not to go into depth about Clausewitz, but to give the reader a good start through brevity, in the hope that it will trigger further analysis and discussion. The text includes the following topics:1. On the Theory of War2. What is War?3. Absolute versus Real War4. Defense as the Stronger Form of War5. On Strategy and Tactics in War6. On Victory and Defeat7. On the Commander and Military Genius8. Topics for Further Study and DebateThe book is suitable for history interested readers looking for thought provoking topics, but not having a lot of time; and for teachers preparing the class for critical thinking about historical events, and how they have come to affect current affairs. More books with focus on domestic and international military history will be forthcoming in this series titled, A 59-Minute Perspective.

The sword, a treasured combat arm and symbol of identity, status, and courage has held a special place in most countries of the world. The samurai, however, may have received unparalleled attention in the history of the sword. This brief introduction to medieval Japan demonstrates how the politically strong samurai shaped the view one held of battle. Following the abolishment of the samurai class, the Meiji Restoration, and the opening of Japan to the West in the nineteenth century, Japan was anxious to move ahead with modern military equipment and the building of a national army. Few traditional swords were made and the Japanese adopted western style cavalry sabers. In the twentieth century the sword continued to be carried into battle as a supplementary weapon; not necessarily practical for the battlefield but, nevertheless, serving an important function as a "crutch for the heart." The gunto, or new-army sword, which was modeled after the samurai katana but modernized to conform to western standards, was carried by army and navy officers and cavalry troops until Japan's fall at the end of World War II.This book focuses on the era that one normally associates with the medieval period. It starts by exploring the history of Japanese sword making, the development of metallurgic science, and the skill required of the swordsmith to forge a strong and battle-worthy blade that adhered to the standards followed by the samurai warrior class. It then covers samurai mentality and philosophy of sword fighting, with respect to the battlefield use of the katana and the dynamics of Japanese swordsmanship. It summarizes with a history of the gunto new-army sword and the practical and philosophical value this sword had to the twentieth-century soldier. The concluding remarks focus on the sword as a symbol of Japanese culture.Knives, Swords, and Bayonets: A World History of Edged Weapon Warfare is a book series that examines the history of edged weapons in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East and surrounding areas before gunpowder increased the distance between combatants. The book series takes a critical look at the relationship between the soldier, his weapon, and the social and political mores of the times. Each book examines the historical background and metallurgic science of the knife, sword, or bayonet respectively, and explores the handling characteristics and combat applications of each weapon. The individual books are excerpted from the previously published book, A History of Edged Weapon Warfare, also by Martina Sprague. Look for more books in this series in the near future.

Strength and endurance are essential attributes for any martial artist, affecting everything from how hard you punch to how high you jump. Whether your goal is to defeat an opponent in the ring or on the street, the stronger you are, the better the odds of walking away as the victor.Fighter's Body, Fighter's Mind: A Comprehensive Guide to Muscular Strength and Endurance Training for Martial Arts is a total approach to building your strength base. Learn how to use machines, free weights, bodyweight exercises, and plyometrics to build your muscles while increasing speed and flexibility. Each muscle group is discussed in detail; how it is used in martial arts and how to develop it; which exercises are most effective; and how to take advantage of anatomical strengths when striking, kicking, blocking, and grappling.Beyond muscular strength, this book looks at the concepts of cardiovascular strength endurance; the impact of flexibility on strength; how to gain a psychological edge on your opponent; and the anatomy, physics and biomechanics of power. The book also covers discussions on whether winners are born or made; what it means to be fit, and fit for what; principles of overload, progression, and specificity; cross training to prepare your body for combat; comparisons between male and female physiology; risk factors and practicing while hurt; and fluid intake and regulating the body's temperature for maximum performance.Fighter's Body, Fighter's Mind: A Comprehensive Guide to Muscular Strength and Endurance Training for Martial Arts wraps up with training plans for karate, tae-kwon-do, hapkido, judo, jiu-jitsu, aikido, muay Thai/kickboxing and mixed martial arts as well as advice on designing your own personalized strength training plan. An earlier version of this book (now out of print) was previously published under the title Strength and Power Training for Martial Arts.

The odds are, if you're attacked on the street you will have to defend yourself against a bigger and stronger assailant, or against one with a weapon. When this happens, strength alone will not be enough to stop your attacker. Science of Takedowns, Throws, and Grappling for Self-Defense addresses the concepts and mindset required to survive an encounter with a larger attacker or one armed with a weapon. Illustrated with hundreds of photos, it shows you what types of throws, takedowns, locks, and presses work on the street and teaches you how to apply concepts like timing and positioning to make your techniques more effective, how to defend against common attacks with a weapon and what you can do to use that weapon in your favor, which mistakes are the most common and how you can prevent them from weakening your defense, and much more.A takedown or throw requires the ability to disturb your opponent's balance. When first getting introduced to takedowns in martial arts class, we tend to outmuscle or force our adversary down. This frequently results in the stronger or bigger person claiming victory and makes takedown practice discouraging for the lighter weight martial artist. A successful and effortless takedown, by contrast, relies on scientific principles, primarily the location of the center of gravity. Science of Takedowns, Throws, and Grappling for Self-Defense focuses on learning to disturb an adversary's center of gravity while retaining our own; in short, how to get our opponent on the ground without going down with him. Since the principle used for shifting the center of gravity is identical regardless of a person's physical build, understanding this principle allows a smaller person to take a larger adversary down with relative ease. The book's primary aim of discussing principles rather than specific techniques makes it adaptable to almost any situation that warrants a takedown.

It has been said that a successful martial artist doesn't need size or strength, because "it's all in the technique." It has also been said that the power of a martial artist seems to increase quickly with weight, and the best lightweight fighter in the world will be defeated every time by an unranked heavyweight in a bar brawl. So is it size and physical strength that matters, or is it experience and dedication to correct technique? This book explores the science behind power in the martial arts. Once we understand the principles of physics that apply to balance, body mass in motion, inertia, direction, rotational speed, friction, torque, impulse, and kinetic energy, the need to memorize hundreds of martial arts techniques vanishes. The principles of physics apply to all people at all times regardless of which martial art we study; regardless of whether we are standing, sitting, kneeling, prone, or supine; whether we are big or small, strong or weak. Physics gives us options. Making physics our ally allows us to maximize our power, speed, and endurance and take advantage of whatever position we happen to find ourselves in. This book is supplemented by hundreds of photos, detailed glossaries, summary and review sections, and even quizzes to test yourself on what you've learned and help you gain an edge on an adversary.

When you have learned the jab and its significance as the most basic, yet perhaps also the most versatile kickboxing technique, and practiced a variety of ways to use the jab for speed, set-up, and power, it doesn't surprise me if your next question is: "When do I get to knock'em out?" A strike's knockout capability is not necessarily determined only by its power. Other factors, such as accuracy, choosing the best target, and timing are at least equally important. But power alone, even if it doesn't result in a knockout, will certainly help get your opponent's attention. This brief book explores the three commonly used power strikes: the rear cross, hook, and uppercut. It includes discussions and training exercises on long and short range fighting, closing distance and gapping as appropriate, and using broken rhythm and sensory overload for opening up targets for the knockout. Kickboxing: From Initiation To Knockout comprises a series of short books with focus on learning specific techniques and strategies for the exciting sport of competition kickboxing. With plenty of pictures, each book breaks the material down into bite-size pieces that allow you to practice to perfection. The material in this book previously appeared in Complete Kickboxing, now out of print, and is great for straight boxing, too.

Now that you are ready to embark on the kickboxer's long and arduous journey, it should come as no surprise that the first thing you must learn is how to survive by combining offense and defense with balance and the right mental attitude. A good fighting stance allows your feet, torso, arms, and head to work in unison, so that you can throw your techniques with minimum effort and without fear of losing balance. To appreciate a good stance, we must understand the inherently weak areas of the human body. Movement is always used to avoid an attack or position for a counterattack. The fighter who controls footwork typically controls the fight by dictating what, when, and how. Offensive movement comprises distance awareness and jamming and gapping techniques. But controlling footwork extends beyond your own footwork. You must also learn to control your opponent's footwork, to maneuver into a more desirable position, while preventing him from doing the same. Kickboxing: From Initiation To Knockout comprises a series of short books with focus on learning specific techniques and strategies for the exciting sport of competition kickboxing. With plenty of pictures, each book breaks the material down into bite-size pieces that allow you to practice to perfection. The material in this book previously appeared in Complete Kickboxing, now out of print, and is great for straight boxing, too.

This book examines the history of edged weapons in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East and surrounding areas before gunpowder increased the distance between combatants. It takes a critical look at the relationship between the soldier, his weapon, and the social and political mores of the times; examines the historical background and metallurgic science of the knife, sword, or bayonet respectively; and explores the handling characteristics and combat applications of each weapon.The book is written for those with an interest in exploring the historical beginnings of edged weaponry, how edged weapons have been used in war in different parts of the world, and the value the soldier attached to his weapon. Military, social, and political history is discussed. Although more than one-hundred photos and illustrations are represented, arms collectors or others with detailed interest in the finer points of weaponsmithing may want to look for books that are more heavily illustrated.The book comprises the full series of ten previously published shorter book on specialized edged weapons and regions, each of which can also be purchased separately: 1. Kukris and Gurkhas: Nepalese Kukri Combat Knives and the Men Who Wield Them2. Machete, Kris, and Throwing Iron: Edged Weapons of Latin America, Indonesia, and Africa3. Cold Steel: The Knife in Army, Navy, and Special Forces Operations4. Japanese Swords: The Katana and Gunto in Medieval and Modern Japanese Warfare5. Chinese Swords: The Evolution and Use of the Jian and Dao6. Yatagan, Khanda, and Jamdhar: Swords and Sabers of Persia and India7. Sickle Sword and Battle Axe: Edged Weapons of Ancient Egypt8. Gladius and Spatha: Swords and Warfare in the Classical World9. Longsword and Saber: Swords and Swordsmen of Medieval and Modern Europe10. Pike, Halberd, and Bayonet: Sharp Weapons in Near Modern and Modern Warfare

The Vikings burst onto the scene in a flash, startling the world with the reach and extent of their raids and the overwhelming destruction they wrought. Their unconventional war strategies, which left the enemy helpless and defenseless, built their reputation as brutal, bloodthirsty barbarians with no regard for God or human life. The reckless raiding of churches and monasteries was due in large part to their ignorance of the unspoken rules of warfare, giving holy sites immunity, but it earned the Christian world's contempt.The Vikings excelled militarily because they ignored traditional Western fighting methods. They did not bother to arrange a time and place for battle, as was often customary in Europe. Deception, attacking by stealth when the enemy was not fully prepared, or striking in a seemingly undisciplined manner was by no means considered cowardly or dishonorable from the Viking perspective. The Vikings, unconcerned by, indeed oblivious to, religious prohibitions, believed that war was worth any risk because it compensated so well in terms of adventure and spoils. Even the high numbers of casualties suffered did not dissuade the Vikings from their lives as warriors.

Democratic socialism is a branch of politics that is built on certain core values, the first of which is the development of a society that openly embraces equality and social justice through powerful action. But the pendulum's swing between Utopia and the apocalypse has always been short, and every belief in a predestined future is dangerous. To retain vitality, a democratic nation must constantly press the frontier forward, and the first responsibility of a political leader is a desire to listen to the voices of the masses.In light of the fiery political debates since President Barack Obama took executive office in the United States, particularly with respect to social issues such as universal healthcare, affordable education, and the rights of workers to organize, this brief analysis sheds light on a subject that many Americans do not understand and even fear, or at least have failed to examine in depth. It defines our understanding of democratic socialism and also discusses what it means to the ordinary citizen when we say that we want to be free of government interference. It builds on the ideology of former prime minister of Sweden, Olof Palme, who many view as the epitome of social justice, and questions the extent to which his ideas have merit and can be implemented in modern American society.The book is of interest to scholars of political ideologies and popular social movements; people with left-leaning views; and lay persons wishing to learn about the forces that stir politics in America today. The value of a society is a direct measurement of the value we place on our people, along with the recognition that everybody travels essentially the same road from birth to death. It is in this spirit that I present We the People: New Socialism for a Modern World.