Rating: 
Summary: Great Introduction to a great sport
Review: Guy Mezger does a great job introducing readers to kickboxing. Guy was a world champion kickboxer as well as UFC champion so he is more than qualified to write this book. This was the first book i read before beginning kickboxing. It helped tremendously because it gives the reader a basic understanding of the sport. No book can substitute for training and instruction but this book does a good job at preparing people for training. Advanced kickboxers might not get too much from this book. This book enables people to train by themselves with routines written for various levels of athletes. Basic techniques such as punches and kicks are taught pretty well. Most matrial art books are not well done and leave readers with more questions than answers. This book doesn't fit that category. I have not seen its equal yet.
Rating: 
Summary: Complete Reference, Not the best for Beginners.
Review: I really thought this book was a 3, but after some thought I gave it a 3.5. The main reason I gave it the higher score is because, as many other reviewers point out, it is a very complete reference. It's loaded with information. The author is clearly very experienced.
Unfortunately, as a beginner, this book came up short in several key areas. First of all, the pictures and diagrams were simply not clear enough. While not true of all books in this series, I find this issue does crop up from time to time. The pictures are dark and dated, and it's very difficult to clearly see the poses. The publisher should have sprung for new pictures for this book.
The book's other shortcoming is in the area of organization. The information is dropped on you as if you were reading a dictionary. It's very difficult to learn something new by going through so much information. The book could have been better layed out, starting with some basic exercises and then delving into the more complex.
In my opinion, these changes would make this a tremendously better book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent guide to self defense
Review: I'm always skeptical about "for dummies" or "complete idiots" guide to anything because it is so self-deprecating to read. But don't judge a book by it's cover: if you are interested in kickboxing for fun and self-defense, this is an excellent book as long as you are not interested in doing it professionally. This wonderful book provides the aspiring kickboxer with all the information to get fit and compete: a little history, facts about the sport, training tips, and a great description of the required strikes, kicks, and blocking techniques. But what really makes this book standout is that it has step-by-step instructions for beginner, intermediate, and advanced workouts and conditioning drills that put you in shape. If you have an appetite for even more, there book has an additional 8-week program to get you there. Then if that isn't enough, at the end of the book, it provides self-defense techniques with pictures. This is a gem to anyone who has an interest in the sport or just getting in fighting shape.
Rating: 
Summary: a good reference for kickboxing
Review: I'm always skeptical about "for dummies" or "complete idiots" guide to anything because it is so self-deprecating to read. But don't judge a book by it's cover: if you are interested in kickboxing for fun and self-defense, this is an excellent book as long as you are not interested in doing it professionally. This wonderful book provides the aspiring kickboxer with all the information to get fit and compete: a little history, facts about the sport, training tips, and a great description of the required strikes, kicks, and blocking techniques. But what really makes this book standout is that it has step-by-step instructions for beginner, intermediate, and advanced workouts and conditioning drills that put you in shape. If you have an appetite for even more, there book has an additional 8-week program to get you there. Then if that isn't enough, at the end of the book, it provides self-defense techniques with pictures. This is a gem to anyone who has an interest in the sport or just getting in fighting shape.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I've read several books on kickboxing for fitness (and sport) and none are as organized or cover the sport of kickboxing or cardio kickboxing as completely and thoroughly as this book. This book gives you a little historic gems and little known facts, step-by-step technique description for the fighter's stance, kicks and punches. But it truly excels because it provides actual workout plans, schedules, and conditioning drills for the beginner, intermediate, and advanced, as well as for those who want to go to the ultimate level. If you are interested in kickboxing for fitness or sport, this book can be your first and last stop.
Rating:
Summary: This book is great!
Review: If you are even remotley interested in kickboxing buy this book! It is the best of it's kind. The book teaches all the punches,kicks and blocks with informative step by step photos and writing. What suprized me is that the book also teaches knee and elbow stikes. This book covers everything you need to know. Whether you just want to learn a little self-defense or become an actual fighter this book is it. It even has a complete 8 week training program for a fighter. Don't even think about another kickboxing book. This is all you need. Do yourself a fovor and buy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Fantastic!
Review: If you are interested in kickboxing for sport, fitness (including cardio kickboxing) or self-defense, this is an excellent starting point and final destination (unless you wish to take it to a competitive level). This wonderful book provides the aspiring kickboxer with all the tools necessary to get fit and/or compete: a little history, factoids about the sport, training tips, and a through description of the required strikes, kicks, and blocking techniques. But what really makes this book shine, shine, shine is that it provides you with actually step-by-step beginner, intermediate, and advanced workouts and conditioning drills that you can follow to get in fighting shape. No guess work necessary on your part! And if you have the guts and desire to take on the ultimate challenge, there is even an additional 8-week program to get you there. Then if that isn't enough, at the end of the book, it provides self-defense techniques with pictures. I highly recommend this gem of a book to anyone who has an interest in the sport or just getting in fighting shape. You won't be sorry!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Mezger was the USKBA United States Heavyweight Champion and Super Heavyweight Champion as well as the WKC/WKKC World Heavyweight Champion. Don't forget he was the UFC 13 Tourneament Champion, and the 7th King of Pancrase. His kickboxing record is 22-3 with 19 KOs His MMA record is 40-11-2 with wins over Masa Funaki, Tito Ortiz, Yuki Kondo, Ryushi Yanigisawa, Minoru Suzuki, and Semmy Schilt. Plus he trashed Kazushi Sakuraba, Ricardo Arona, and Chuck Liddell.
Rating:
Summary: The only book you'll ever need as a kickboxer!
Review: This book covers every thing you need to know to become a kickboxer. Except fall techniques. And that is to me an important part to avoid getting injured. Except for that it covers everything from how to execute a kick and punch, trainingprograms for the seriously obsessed and what kind of equipement you'll need. It has lots of illustrating pictures. Most are really good, but some of them aren't. It has a fun approach to learning kickboxing with small windows that tells you about the sports history, and even waring for warriors and words for warriors. These have humour. Some are just to tell you not to fall, while others are important advice to avoid getting hurt in the ring. This book tells you everything you need to become a good kickboxer. But if you're having trouble with the falls, it doesn't even mention them. And I think that falls are an important part of kickboxing. That's why I rate it as a four star book. Othervise it is an excellent book. And I would recommend it as a basis for all new kickboxers.
Rating:
Summary: The only book you'll ever need as a kickboxer!
Review: This book covers every thing you need to know to become a kickboxer. Except fall techniques. And that is to me an important part to avoid getting injured. Except for that it covers everything from how to execute a kick and punch, trainingprograms for the seriously obsessed and what kind of equipement you'll need. It has lots of illustrating pictures. Most are really good, but some of them aren't. It has a fun approach to learning kickboxing with small windows that tells you about the sports history, and even waring for warriors and words for warriors. These have humour. Some are just to tell you not to fall, while others are important advice to avoid getting hurt in the ring. This book tells you everything you need to become a good kickboxer. But if you're having trouble with the falls, it doesn't even mention them. And I think that falls are an important part of kickboxing. That's why I rate it as a four star book. Othervise it is an excellent book. And I would recommend it as a basis for all new kickboxers.
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