Archive for October, 2008

Ken Shamrock's "Inside the Lion's Den"

by Ken Shamrock with Richard Hanner (Tuttle)
© Marc Wickert www.knucklepit.com

Inside the Lion’s Den is the life and submission fighting system of Ken Shamrock, who first caught the attention of America’s public when he fought at the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993.  Shamrock then went on to become one of the most successful pioneers of the UFC.

In this book, Ken retraces his steps to when he was Kenneth Wayne Kilpatrick and his home was a juvenile lock-up, before he was given a second chance at life through his new father, Bob Shamrock.

He then revisits his pre-UFC days where he fought on the street before progressing to Toughman competitions in California and North Carolina, then traveled to Japan to become their first King of Pancrase.

As well as being an autobiography, Inside the Lion’s Den takes readers on a guided tour of Shamrock’s world-famous gym, and provides plenty of instruction in MMA, with chapters such as “Getting Strong, Flexible and Callused”; “Drills to Make You Quick and Agile”; and “Strikes, Kicks and Devastating Chokes”.

Although Inside the Lion’s Den was the predecessor to some of the great instructional books now available from more recent MMA stars, this book stands the test of time amongst the best of them.

Ken Twaddell Investigates Commando Krav Maga

Road-Testing Commando Krav Maga
© Marc Wickert, www.knucklepit.com

It’s a perfect spring morning here on the Tweed Heads/Coolangatta border, and from the café where I’m sitting with Ken Twaddell, the view is stunning: There’s a humpback whale mother-and-calf team heading back down the coast to Antarctica, and a delightful young waitress is brewing our coffees.  La dolce vita!

Now back to the interview.  Ken has been training with Lui Pirrone Cook for the past year in Commando Krav Maga (CKM).  “Lui was qualified to teach CKM by its chief instructor, Moni Aizik, and I have been Lui’s guinea pig,” says Twaddell.

Combat Krav Maga is an Israeli elite forces defense system that is reality based and utilizes both simple techniques and quick disengagements.  “The one-to-three-move responses are drilled over and over in all different scenarios whilst under pressure to simulate the real thing.  The way you train is the way you fight.  And the less complicated the techniques or methods used the more efficient and practical they will be under stress.”  Twaddell says it’s the repetitive drills that make CKM work in an adrenaline-fueled atmosphere.

The drills are designed to use as many scenarios as possible: surprise attacks, multiple adversaries, inside and outside attacks, various terrains, defense against weapons… “The intensity of these high-pressure drills is designed to strengthen you physically, mentally and emotionally.  You are trained to disengage and escape your attacker(s), and not to stay around because the longer you engage, the longer you are at risk.

Read the rest of this entry »

Watch My Back by Geoff Thompson

(Summersdale)

© Marc Wickert www.knucklepit.com

No fight fan’s bookcase would be complete without this classic piece of literature.

Watch My Back cuts straight to the bone, retracing the giant footsteps of an insecure young Thompson, who took up a fighting art to stop being bullied, only to be abused by his instructor, before then signing up for work on the door of some of England’s toughest nightclubs and bars, where Geoff Thompson then stood toe to toe with his demons.

This is an incredible journey that, fueled by blood, sweat and tears – and a truckload of guts – turned Geoff Thompson into the world’s most famous doorman.

In Watch My Back Thompson recalls numerous experiences whilst bouncing, such as “… He’d underestimated me.  I would make sure he paid for his mistake.  Whenever anyone underestimates me I always know the fight is mine.  Their weakness makes them unprepared and gives me a window for the first shot.  I train for the first shot – it’s all I need…”

In his book, Geoff discusses the shortfalls of a dojo-manufactured fighter against the battle-proven street fighter, and shows how Thompson transformed his life by setting hurdles for himself, which enabled him to go from being a victim to later in life confronting the number one bully from his past.

Watch My Back is a true classic.

America On Trial - Alan M. Dershowitz

America On Trial 
– Inside The Legal Battles That 
Transformed Our Nation
by Alan M. Dershowitz 
(Warner Books)

This book is literary shock treatment. Although written by the world’s most famous criminal lawyer, the book is easy to read, but hard to put down.

Professor Dershowitz has defended such clients as Patty Hearst, Jimmy Bakker, and former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson. Dershowitz was also a member of O.J. Simpson’s ‘Dream Team’ defense group.

In his book, he covers cases from the Salem Witchcraft Trials of Colonial America to the Trial of the Lincoln Assassins; from the Shoeless Joe Jackson Case to the Trial of Jack Ruby; and the Trial of the Chicago Seven to the Cases of the Terrorist Detainees – in Guantanamo and unknown places around the world. Read the rest of this entry »