Black History Month 2022: African-American Health & Wellness

Across the various martial arts, basic principles about the body in combat lead to different, often contradictory philosophies and techniques. A practitioner of Judo might advocate grappling, whereas an advocate of Tae Kwon Do would argue that one should strive to maintain distance from an opponent to allow the use of the legs. Here, Steven Pearlman aims to consolidate a compilation of fundamental principles that can guide the individual martial artist to the ideal action.

The title of this book: CAN I SEE YOUR HANDS refers to one of the key outcomes of this book-- being able to tell whether or not people want to cause us harm. To put it very simply, if you can see someone's hands and they are not concealing them, holding a weapon or positioning to strike you, one's levels of trust and confidence can increase. This simple example can serve as a reminder to all of us in many of the complex moments we have to deal with, and difficult decisions we have to make, in everyday life.

In the global world of the twenty-first century, martial arts are practised for self-defense and sporting purposes only. However, for thousands of years, they were a central feature of military practice in China and essential for the smooth functioning of society. This book, which opens with an intriguing account of the very first female martial artist, charts the history of combat and fighting techniques in China from the Bronze Age to the present. This broad panorama affords fascinating glimpses into the transformation of martial skills, techniques and weaponry against the background of Chinese history, the rise and fall of empires, their governments and their armies. Quotations from literature and poetry, and the stories of individual warriors, infuse the narrative, offering personal reflections on prowess in the battlefield and techniques of engagement. This is an engaging and readable introduction to the authentic history of Chinese martial arts.

The presence of African influence and tradition in the Americas has long been recognized in art, music, language, agriculture, and religion. T. J. Desch Obi explores another cultural continuity that is as old as eighteenth-century slave settlements in South America and as contemporary as hip-hop culture. In this thorough survey of the history of African martial arts techniques, Obi maps the translation of numerous physical combat techniques across three continents and several centuries to illustrate how these practices evolved over time and are still recognizable in American culture today. Some of these art traditions were part of African military training while others were for self-defense and spiritual discipline. Grounded in historical and cultural anthropological methodologies, Obi's investigation traces the influence of well-delineated African traditions on long-observed but misunderstood African and African American cultural activities in North America, Brazil, and the Caribbean. He links the Brazilian martial art capoeira to reports of slave activities recorded in colonial and antebellum North America. Likewise Obi connects images of the kalenda African stick-fighting techniques to the Haitian Revolution. Throughout the study Obi examines the ties between physical mastery of these arts and changing perceptions of honor. Including forty-five illustrations, this rich history of the arrival and dissemination of African martial arts in the Atlantic world offers a new vantage for furthering our understanding of the powerful influence of enslaved populations on our collective social history. T. J. Desch Obi received his doctorate in African history from the University of California, Los Angeles. His research focuses on historical ethnography, which he explores through the lens of African and African diaspora martial arts. He is currently an assistant professor of African and African diaspora history at the City University of New York's Baruch College.

Get what it takes to win-and unleash the ultimate fighter in you Think you know your way around the cage? Think again. Mixed martial arts powerhouse Mickey Dimic, two-time middleweight world champion and Hall of Famer, kicks your game into gear with this no-holds-barred guide to grounding and pounding, sprawling and brawling, and boxing dirty like the toughest contenders. Breaking down the fundamentals of mixed martial arts competition, Dimic brings his decades of MMA experience to teach you the various skills of boxing, wrestling, Muay Thai, judo, and Jiu-jitsu, arming you with an unstoppable arsenal of weapons sure to yield maximum damage to any opponent. With Dimic's cage-tested tips and drills, you'll learn to: Hone your body with proper training Punch and kick with power and precision Beat down your opponent with a merciless full mount Escape from the tightest traps Force submissions with vice-grip grappling holds And strategize your way to victory in every fight