- Table View
- List View
Ernie: A Special Photographic Tribute
by Chicago Tribune StaffWith his boundless optimism and enthusiasm for the game of baseball, Ernie Banks embodied what it meant to be a Cubs fan. Celebrate the magnificent, ground-breaking career of "Mr. Cub," a Chicago icon who touched the lives of millions, with this collection of stories and photographs from the staff of the Chicago Tribune.
Erratic Fire, Erratic Passion: The Poetry of Sportstalk
by Pasha Malla Jeff ParkerThe content of post-game interviews and sports chatter is so often meaningless, if not insufferable. And yet there are athletes like Metta World Peace who transcend lame clichés and rote patter, who use language in surprising ways, who can be funny and shocking and insightful and alarmingly sincere--pure poetry. <P><P>Muhammad Ali offered dazzling displays of lexical wizardry, and Allen Iverson's infamous "practice" rant shifted the postgame press conference from the banal to the absurd. Featuring an introduction by award-winning sports writer Bethlehem Shoals, "Erratic Fire, Erratic Passion" is a celebration of these rare and exceptional moments. Various poetic forms and line-breaks highlight--or, in the words of Deion Sanders, "deem to set a candor on"--the sophisticated, sublime, and surprising performances of language made by professional athletes.
Erste Hilfe am Berg: Unfälle und Notfälle beim Wandern, Bergsteigen und Klettern
by Josef Burger Alexander Egger Stefan Heschl Tobias Huber Markus Isser Matthias Pimiskern Roland Rauter Joachim SchieferAuch bei umsichtiger Tourenplanung können Verletzungen und Erkrankungen im Rahmen von alpinistischen Unternehmungen nicht vollständig vermieden werden. Um für derartige Ausnahmesituationen gerüstet zu sein, hilft es, die wesentlichen Handlungsschritte der Ersten Hilfe im alpinen Gelände zu kennen. Der fundierte Ratgeber herausgegeben von erfahrenen Alpin- und Notfallmedizinern des Bergrettungsdienstes Österreich bietet hierfür das erforderliche Wissen. Es werden die relevanten Erste-Hilfe-Maßnahmen praxisorientiert und einfach beschrieben und in Wort, Bild und Videos vorgestellt.Ein besonderes Augenmerk liegt auf den speziellen Umständen, die eine Erste-Hilfe-Leistung im alpinen Gelände unter häufig widrigen Wetterbedingungen mit sich bringt. Effektiv und einfach kann auch mit wenigen Ausrüstungsgegenständen geholfen werden. Neben den Erste-Hilfe-Tipps finden sich auch hilfreiche Informationen zur optimalen Ausstattung einer Notfallapotheke im Rucksack sowie zu bewährten Verhaltensregeln am Berg. Der Ratgeber richtet sich an alle Menschen, die im Gebirge unterwegs sind, gleichsam Wanderer, Bergsteiger, Tourengeher, Kletterer, Jäger, Forstarbeiter und Sanitäter.
Erste Hilfe bei Sportverletzungen: FIT statt PECH
by Henk J.M. Brils Jens BrilsDieses Sachbuch liefert alles Wesentliche für die Erstversorgung von Verletzungen an Muskeln, Sehnen und Bändern in Sport, Freizeit, Training und Physiotherapie. Die in der Ersten Hilfe allseits bekannte PECH-Regel empfiehlt die Schonung, Kühlung, Komprimierung und Hochlagerung von verletztem Gewebe. Die FIT-Regel (Funktion - Information - Therapie) hingegen unterstützt und nutzt die physiologischen Heilungsprozesse des Körpers, statt sie zu unterdrücken. Die Autoren stellen die beiden Ansätze gegenüber und erklären, weshalb wir den physiologischen Reaktionen unseres Körpers vertrauen dürfen und wie die FIT-Regel uns schneller wieder fit macht. Sie beantworten dabei Fragen, wie z. B.: Was ist Orthodynamik und welchen Einfluss hat sie auf den Heilungsprozess? Warum wirkt Wärme heilungsfördernd? Mit welchen Maßnahmen kann die Zellgesundheit unterstützt werden?Aus dem Inhalt:Zellen und ZellgesundheitVerletzungsanfällige Körperteile und PräventionHeilungsprozesse und OrthodynamikErstversorgung von (Sport-)VerletzungenVerstehen Sie physiologische Vorgänge nach Verletzungen, unterstützen Sie gezielt den Heilungsprozess und läuten auch Sie das Ende der Eiszeit ein!
Erste Hilfe in den Bergen: Unfälle und Notfälle beim Wandern, Bergsteigen und Klettern
by Tobias Huber Josef Burger Alexander Egger Stefan Heschl Markus Isser Matthias Pimiskern Roland Rauter Joachim SchieferAuch bei umsichtiger Tourenplanung können Verletzungen und Erkrankungen im Rahmen von alpinistischen Unternehmungen nicht vollständig vermieden werden. Um für derartige Ausnahmesituationen gerüstet zu sein, hilft es, die wesentlichen Handlungsschritte der Ersten Hilfe im alpinen Gelände zu kennen. Der fundierte Ratgeber herausgegeben von erfahrenen Alpin- und Notfallmedizinern des Bergrettungsdienstes Österreich bietet hierfür das erforderliche Wissen. Es werden die relevanten Erste-Hilfe-Maßnahmen praxisorientiert und einfach beschrieben und in Wort, Bild und Videos vorgestellt.Ein besonderes Augenmerk liegt auf den speziellen Umständen, die eine Erste-Hilfe-Leistung im alpinen Gelände unter häufig widrigen Wetterbedingungen mit sich bringt. Effektiv und einfach kann auch mit wenigen Ausrüstungsgegenständen geholfen werden. Neben den Erste-Hilfe-Tipps finden sich auch hilfreiche Informationen zur optimalen Ausstattung einer Notfallapotheke im Rucksack sowie zu bewährten Verhaltensregeln am Berg. Der Ratgeber richtet sich an alle Menschen, die im Gebirge unterwegs sind, gleichsam Wanderer, Bergsteiger, Tourengeher, Kletterer, Jäger, Forstarbeiter und Sanitäter.
Escape from Castro's Cuba: A Novel
by Tim WendelIn this visionary sequel to Castro&’s Curveball, the former Washington Senators Minor League catcher has returned to Havana with a small role in a movie being filmed on location. Billy Bryan soon realizes that this place and his past remain as star-crossed as when he played winter ball in the Cuban capital decades before. Against his better judgment, Billy becomes entangled in a scheme to spirit a top baseball prospect off the island. This pits him against his old friend Fidel Castro. Despite being in his final days, the dictator remains a dangerous adversary, as does the Cuban sports machine and the Mexican crime syndicates that now direct baseball talent toward the U.S. Major Leagues. In Escape from Castro&’s Cuba, Billy must once again navigate the crosscurrents of the so-called City of Columns: a place where the sunsets from the Hotel Nacional along the Malecón breakwater are as beautiful as ever, but where the alleyways in Old Havana still fan out, crooked and broken, like an old catcher&’s fingers.
Escape from Evil #2
by Grimstone David De La Rue JamesCaptured by slave-takers, Decimus Rex is forced to endure a series of trials in the dreaded Arena of Doom. With his five cellmates, Decimus faces a race over burning hot coals. He is then is forced into violent hand-to-hand combat with a fellow slave. Life can't get any more difficult than thisâ ¦ or can it? Will he ever be free? Or will he be subject to the cruel overlord Slavious Doom for ever?
Escape from Lucania: An Epic Story of Survival
by David RobertsIn 1937, Mount Lucania was the highest unclimbed peak in North America. Located deep within the Saint Elias mountain range, which straddles the border of Alaska and the Yukon, and surrounded by glacial peaks, Lucania was all but inaccessible. The leader of one failed expedition deemed it "impregnable." But in that year, a pair of daring young climbers would attempt a first ascent, not knowing that their quest would turn into a perilous struggle for survival. Escape from Lucania is their remarkable story.Classmates and fellow members of the Harvard Mountaineering Club, Brad Washburn and Bob Bates were two talented young men -- handsome, intelligent, and filled with a zest for exploring. Both were ambitious climbers, part of a small group whose first ascents in the great mountain ranges during the 1930s and 1940s changed the face of American mountaineering. Setting their sights on summitting Lucania in the summer of 1937, Washburn and Bates put together a team of four climbers for the expedition. But when Bates and Washburn flew to the Walsh Glacier at the foot of Lucania, they discovered that freakish weather conditions had turned the ice to slush. Their pilot was barely able to take off again alone, and there was no question of returning with the other two climbers or more supplies. Washburn and Bates found themselves marooned on the glacier, more than a hundred miles from help, in forbidding and desolate territory. Eschewing a trek out to the nearest mining town -- eighty miles away by air -- they decided to press ahead with their expedition. Escape from Lucania recounts Washburn and Bates's determined drive toward Lucania's 17,150-foot summit under constant threat of avalanches, blinding snowstorms, and hidden crevasses. Against awesome odds they became the first to set foot on Lucania's peak, not realizing that their greatest challenge still lay beyond. Nearly a month after being stranded on the glacier and with their supplies running dangerously low, they would have to navigate their way out through uncharted Yukon territory, racing against time as the summer warmth caused rivers to swell and flood to unfordable depths. But even as their situation grew more and more desperate, they refused to give up. Escape from Lucania tells this amazing story in thrilling and vivid detail, from the climbers' exultation at reaching the summit to their darkest moments confronting seemingly insurmountable obstacles. It is a tale of awesome adventure and harrowing danger. But above all it is the story of two men of extraordinary spirit, inspiring comradeship, and great courage. Today Washburn and Bates, now in their nineties, are legends in climbing circles. Bates co-led 1938 and 1953 expeditions to K2, the world's second-highest mountain. Washburn, whose record of Alaskan first ascents is unmatched, became founding director of Boston's Museum of Science and is one of the premier mountain photographers in the world. Some of his remarkable images from the 1937 Lucania expedition are included in this book.
Escape from the Nether! (Step into Reading)
by Nick EliopulosJourney into the Nether (if you dare) in this Step into Reading Step 3 Leveled Reader and the only official leveled reader series based on Minecraft, the world's best-selling video game!Minecraft® is the best-selling video game of all time! And now learning to read has never been more fun for fans of the game ages 4 to 7. They&’ll get a great introduction to the game&’s most mysterious biomes when two players, Emmy and Birch—and their tame wolf Byte—set out on an epic adventure into the mysterious Nether! Look for these other great Minecraft® titles:Mobs in the Overworld! (Minecraft) 9780593372708Survival Mode! (Minecraft) 9780593372678 Step 3 readers feature engaging characters in easy-to-follow plots about popular topics for children who are ready to read on their own. © 2022 Mojang AB and Mojang Synergies AB. MINECRAFT and MOJANG are trademarks or registered trademarks of Mojang Synergies AB.
Un espía en el equipo (¡Campeón! #Volumen 2)
by Antoine GriezmannSegunda entrega de «¡Campeón!», la serie de fútbol que relata la alucinante historia de cómo Antoine Griezmann llegó a convertirse en uno de los mejores jugadores del mundo. ¡Una fenomenal serie escrita por él mismo y basada en su propia vida! ¡Los sueños pueden hacerse realidad! Cuando el delantero Michael Ribaud regresa al campo después de haber estado de baja por una lesión, se siente amenazado por Rony Grizi, porque siente que le ha quitado su posición de estrella del equipo de Mâcon. Pero él no es el único que está celoso de Tony: los jugadores del equipo de Auxerre y su entrenador Jean Roye, enemigo declarado del entrenador Pelves, están decididos a hacerle la vida imposible... ¿Superará Tony esta nueva prueba? ¿Logrará vencer al adversario que se encuentra en su propio equipo?
Esplorare L’America Series Alaska Resoconti Di Viaggio Di Uno Stato
by Amber Richards Dalila PortaUna guida turistica attraverso il bellissimo stato dell'Alaska. La guida, scritta da una persona del luogo, offre suggerimenti per godere di una sana, intensa vacanza. Oltre a fornire tutte le informazioni necessarie per viaggiare nella regione, offre anche consigli utili su come sopravvivere in un paese che può rivelarsi pericoloso in alcuni periodi dell'anno e qualora si sia sprovveduti.
ESPN: The Making of a Sports Media Empire
by Travis VoganOnce a shoestring operation built on plywood sets and Australian rules football, ESPN has evolved into a media colossus. A genius for cross-promotion and its near-mystical rapport with its viewers empower the network to set agendas and create superstars, to curate sports history even as it mainstreams the latest cultural trends. Travis Vogan teams archival research and interviews with an all-star cast to pen the definitive account of how ESPN turned X's and O's into billions of $$$. Vogan's institutional and cultural history focuses on the network since 1998, the year it launched a high-motor effort to craft its brand and grow audiences across media platforms. As he shows, innovative properties like SportsCentury, ESPN The Magazine , and 30 for 30 built the network's cultural caché. This credibility, in turn, propelled ESPN's transformation into an entity that lapped its run-of-the-mill competitors and helped fulfill its self-proclaimed status as the "Worldwide Leader in Sports." Ambitious and long overdue, ESPN: The Making of a Sports Media Empire offers an inside look at how the network changed an industry and reshaped the very way we live as sports fans.
eSports: The Ultimate Gamer's Guide
by Mike StubbsWhether you want to game like a pro or watch the high-stakes drama, your entry to the pulse-pounding, fast-growing world of eSports starts here. Competitive video gaming has taken the world by storm. Millions of viewers tune in across the world for matches, fans fill sold-out stadiums for the biggest events, and top players can make millions off a single game. Don’t get left out of this global phenomenon!eSports: The Ultimate Gamer’s Guide is an in-depth overview of professional gaming for everyone from casual gamers to hardcore fans. Learn the history, rules, leagues, and top players of the world’s biggest competitive games, including Dota 2, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, FIFA, Call of Duty, and many more.The large and rapidly changing landscape of competitive gaming can seem overwhelming, but this guide will turn you into an expert. It covers everything you need to know about where to watch, how to get involved, and why eSports is the most exciting spectator sport around.
Esports Insights (Sport Business Insights)
by Emily Hayday Holly Collison-Randall Sarah KellyEsports Insights outlines the fundamental characteristics, features, and structures of the rapidly growing esports industry and acts as the perfect primer for readers without any prior knowledge of esports. Featuring international case studies in every chapter, this book showcases the contemporary nature of esports through illustrative, industry examples. By offering a concise and easy to understand introduction, it discusses the key components, stakeholders, and features of this commercially driven sector, which by its very nature is dynamic and highly complex. Exploring current regulatory and governance structures within esports, it unpacks the industry’s essential features by outlining the various genres, formats and stakeholders who are instrumental to the functioning of the esports industry. Adopting a critical but balanced analysis, the book discusses the social benefits of esports, outlining its potential as a tool for social inclusion and sport development, whilst acknowledging the potential impacts and risks of esports participation and spectatorship, related to health and wellbeing. Finally, Esports Insights also considers future developments and changes within esports, as the sector evolves and continues to professionalise. This book will be of interest to any student, researcher, or practitioner with an interest in sport business, sport and society, event studies, esports or video gaming, or the wider media industry.
The Essay: A Novel
by Robin YocumJimmy Lee Hickam grew up along Red Dog Road, a dead-end strip of gravel and mud buried deep in the bowels of Appalachian Ohio. It is the poorest road, in the poorest county, in the poorest region of the state. To make things worse, the name Hickam is synonymous with trouble. Jimmy Lee hails from a heathen mix of thieves, moonshiners, drunkards, and general anti-socials that for decades have clung to both the hardscrabble hills and the iron bars of every jail cell in the region. This life, Jimmy Lee believes, is his destiny, someday working with his drunkard father at the sawmill, or sitting next to his arsonist brother in the penitentiary. There aren’t many options if your last name is Hickam. An inspiring coach and Jimmy Lee's ability to play football are the only things motivating him to return for his junior year of high school—until his visionary English teacher cuts him a break and preserves his eligibility for the coming football season. To thank her, Jimmy Lee writes a winning essay in the high school writing contest. When irate parents and the baffled administration claim he has cheated, his teacher is inspired to take his writing talent as far as it can go, showing him the path out of the hills of Appalachia. Terrific characterizations, surprising revelations, gut-wrenching past betrayals, and an unforgettable cast of characters born of the dusty, worn-out landscape of southeastern Ohio make The Essay a powerful, evocative, and incredibly moving novel.
The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan
by Louis Swaim Yang ChengfuThe publication in 1934 of Yang Chengfu's book, Essence and Applications of Taijiquan (Taijiquan Tiyong Quanshu) marked a milestone in the modern evolution of the art of taijiquan. Using what is best-termed demonstration narrative, the author presents form postures and suggested applications from his own perspective, as he performed them. This methodology renders Yang Chengfu's direct, hands-on teaching of the art with such immediacy and liveliness that the reader experiences the master's teaching much as his students did.This English translation finally makes Yang Chengfu's classic work available to taijiquan enthusiasts in the West. It includes notes and commentary that clarify the author's frequent classical and literary turns of phrase and elucidate the philosophical and political underpinnings that shape the text. The translator investigates and compares several early taijiquan books in order to help explain the roles played by two of Yang Chengfu's students, Dong Yingjie and Zheng Manqing, in bringing Yang Chengfu's words and teachings into print.Serious students of taijiquan, and those wishing to deepen their knowledge of taijiquan history and theory, will find this seminal work indispensable to their study and practice.
The Essence of Budo: A Practitioner's Guide to Understanding the Japanese Martial Ways
by Dave LowryThe study of budo, or the Japanese martial arts for self-cultivation, is a lifelong path toward perfection of character. Here, Dave Lowry, a sword master who has practiced and taught budo for over forty years, addresses the myriad issues, vagaries, and inconsistencies that arise for students of karate-do, judo, kendo, kenjutsu, aikido, and iaido as their training develops. He examines such questions as: * What is the relationship between the student and teacher, and what should one expect from the other? * What does rank really mean? * How do you correctly and sensitively practice with someone less experienced than you? * What does practice look like as one ages? * Why do budo arts put such an emphasis on etiquette? * And many others Lowry also gives practical advice for beginning and advanced students on improving structural integrity in posture and movement, focusing under stress, stances and preparatory actions before engaging with an opponent, and recognizing a good teacher from a bad one.
The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do
by Shoshin NagamineThe Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do presents the teachings of legendary martial arts master Shoshin Nagamine, founder of the Matsubayashi school of Shorin-ryu karate-do. Used for generations as a practical and pictorial guide, it contains over 1,000 photographs to document eighteen classic karate kata (preset forms) and seven yakusoku kumite (prearranged partner exercises), as well as basic techniques. This book is a precise and easily accessible pictorial guide to performance and perfection of traditional karate. The only book in English with photos of one of the great prewar masters demonstrating the proper execution of Okinawan karate, The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do is a bridge between karate's legendary past and the practitioners of today. This ingenious and imaginative text explains the historic landmarks in the development of style, vividly outlines its leading forms and techniques, and recalls noted Okinawan karate men of the past, including the author's teachers Ankichi Arakaki, Choki Motobu, and Chotoku Kyan.
The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do
by Shoshin NagamineShoshin Nagamine was the last of the legendary pre-war karate masters and a well-known disciple of peaceful non-violence. His classic work, The Essence of Okinawan Karate-do, documents eighteen of the Okinawan karate kata and seven partner exercises (kumite), as well as a number of basic techniques, transmitting the secrets of Okinawan karate from its greatest masters to the modern reader. Used for generations as a practical and pictorial guide, it contains over rare 1,000 photographs of pre-war masters demonstrating their martial arts. But it is an unusual reference in another way as well: Shoshin Nagamine's wisdom integrates stunning martial arts capability with non-violence and spiritual peace.
The Essence of Shaolin White Crane: Martial Power and Qigong
by Jwing-Ming YangThe secrets of internal power are revealed in this expert guide to internal and external martial qigong. This comprehensive martial arts training guide explores White Crane Kung Fu (Gongfu), one of the most famous martial styles developed in China. Martial arts qigong is integral to White Crane Kung Fu and is a proven way to build explosive fighting power, known as jin. In addition to fighting power, martial qigong builds robust health and longevity. By focusing on the spine and torso, Shaolin White Crane movement develops and maintains a strong, supple upper body. Flexibility and strength of the spine are notable results of this training. It is commonly recognized that Shaolin White Crane Kung Fu is the root of Okinawan karate, and has heavily influenced Japanese martial arts. From this book, a karate practitioner will be able to trace this root back, and gain profound comprehension of empty-hand styles. * Long time hidden secrets of White Crane revealed. * A comprehensive analysis of Internal and External martial Qigong. * Complete sets of White Crane Hard and Soft Qigong training. * A thorough examination of martial power (Jin). * Presents more than 60 White Crane Jin patterns. * Learn mental and physical training for explosive fighting power. * Over four hundred action photographs and illustrations.
The Essence of T'ai Chi
by Waysun LiaoThe deepest benefits of T'ai Chi cannot be realized without an understanding of its underlying principles. This book presents these principles through translations of three core classics of T'ai Chi that are often considered the "T'ai Chi Bible," accompanied by the author's insightful commentary. Master Liao demonstrates how to increase the body's inner energy (ch'i) and transform it into power, health, and well-being. By reading the clear and precise explanations of the fundamental principles of T'ai Chi, students can develop a more complete understanding of the art and philosophy of this traditional martial art.
The Essence of Taiji Qigong: The Internal Foundation of Taijiquan
by Jwing-Ming Yang James C. O'LearyThe Essence of Taiji Qigong is for students who have learned a Taiji (Tai Chi) form and want to reach new levels of skill and ability. This book includes three complete Taiji Qigong (Chi Kung) exercises and more than 200 photographs and illustrations to help you learn. Taiji Qigong prepares your body and mind for great Taiji practice by loosening your joints, warming your muscles, stimulating your Qi flow, and sharpening your concentration. Qigong is also the key to developing the phenomenal martial power of Taijiquan, a fact that many books ignore. In addition, regular Qigong practice accelerates the health benefits of Taiji. You'll enjoy reduced stress, a stronger immune system, and a deeper awareness of breath and body coordination. This authoritative guide can be used with any style of Taijiquan. Increase your vitality. Improve your Taiji skills. Discover the key to internal power. Includes three complete sets of Qigong exercises.
The Essence of Taijiquan Push-Hands and Fighting Technique
by Fengming WangTraditionally shrouded in mystery and taught only to the closest students, the secrets of Taijiquan push-hands and fighting technique from the Chen style are revealed in this book. Master Wang Fengming, an eleventh generation practitioner of Chen-style Taijiquan, provides detailed information about the famous internal fighting techniques and reveals inside knowledge essential to the remarkable results achieved by the Chinese masters. The book features: - effective ways of cultivating Taiji internal power - variety of joint-locking techniques and counter techniques - 13 postures of Taiji explained - leg work, including stances and kicking techniques - unique silk-reeling exercises - rarely revealed vital point striking - 7 styles of push-hands training - 20 kinds of Taiji energy explained and demonstrated. This comprehensive book is a major contribution to the literature on push-hands techniques in the West.
Essential Biomechanics for Orthopedic Trauma: A Case-Based Guide
by Joseph Borrelli Brett D. Crist Edward J. HarveyBiomechanics is often overlooked when dealing with orthopedic injuries, whether regarding prevention or treatment, and practicing surgeons and surgeons-in-training may feel overwhelmed when referring to a book with a more complicated basic science approach. In order to make the subject clinically relevant to orthopedic trauma surgery, this unique text presents numerous clinical case examples to demonstrate clearly and effectively the principles biomechanics of injury, fixation and fracture healing. Divided into five sections, the opening chapters cover the essentials of stress and strain relevant to bone and joints and how this relates to fractures and their healing, complete with illustrative case material. This case-based approach is carried throughout the book, with part two discussing biomechanical principles of external fixation for diaphyseal and periarticular fractures, limb lengthening and deformity correction. Tension band wiring for both olecranon and patella fractures are covered in part three, and both locking and nonlocking plates are illustrated in part four. The final section describes biomechanical principles of intramedullary nails for a variety of fractures and nonunions, as well as arthrodesis and lengthening. Generous radiological images and intraoperative photos provide a helpful visual enhancement for the clinical material. Making the sometimes esoteric topic of biomechanics more clinically relevant to the practicing clinician, Essential Biomechanics for Orthopedic Trauma will be an excellent resource not only for orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine specialists and trauma surgeons, but also medical and biomedical engineering students and residents.
Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks
by Roy Faige Shahar Navot Marc De Bremaeker Guli CohenAn effectively delivered kick can mean life instead of death in a self-defense situation, and glory rather than shame in the ring. When a larger or more powerful opponent is intent on inflicting harm, the superior strength of your legs can be used to tip the balance in your favor. However, gaining proficiency takes training and insight. Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks has one purpose: to help readers hone their kicking proficiency so that they can readily deploy the most powerful tool in the fighter's repertoire.