MMA library

Pound for Pound: The Modern Gladiators of Mixed Martial Arts, by Brian D’Souza, came out in December, but it has some notable digital press lately. Bloody Elbow and The Sweet Science just published glowing reviews of the book.

About the book: Pound for Pound is a chronicle of the trial and tribulations professional fighter face. D’Souza uses the careers of B.J. Penn, Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Fedor Emelianenko to delve into the hard training, injuries and ugly business of MMA.

“D’Souza has no illusions about the ugly nature of the fight business or the even uglier operators who profit off the blood and sweat of the fighters but he doesn’t let that realistic awareness make him cynical.” – Bloody Elbow‘s Kid Nate

Michael Woods, of The Sweet Science, has a  interview with D’Souza. Go read it. D’Souza talks about the origins of his book, what he has to do to get the story, how “certain top-level MMA journalists aren’t allowed to be credentialed as media at UFC shows” … and that thing about the yakuza.

Links:
Buy the book on Amazon.
BloodyElbow.com
TheSweetScience.com

It supposedly took BJ Penn an astonishing 3 years and 4 months to get his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. (Average is somewhere near 10 years.) Penn is also a former UFC lightweight and welterweight champ.

Penn’s Book of Knowledge covers a lot of ground and is well illustrated. With chapters on stand-up, takedowns, and different fighting scenarios (e.g. against the cage), consider it an good MMA foundation.  One thing this book does noticeably well is blend striking and grappling: e.g. using strikes to set up takedowns.

Order it here.

The Gracie Way, by Kid Peligro

The Gracies are the first family of 21st century martial arts. Sure, other fighters have taken over the limelight. But the foundation the Gracie family has put down over the past 80+ years revolutionized martial arts and made them what is popularly known today.

Kid Peligro‘s book is a history of the Gracie family, told through the individual biographies. From Carlos and Helio, this book follows the family up through Rickson and Royce. For fans and students of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and amateur martial arts historians, this book is a must-have.

This book is a glossy history of the Gracies and BJJ, so don’t expect it to air any dirty laundry.

Available at Amazon.com.

MMA Library is here to feature the best books on mix martial arts: the fighters, the training, and the competition. Stay tuned for more.