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Brawl: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Mixed Martial Arts Competition

Brawl: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Mixed Martial Arts Competition

List Price: $19.95
Your Price: $13.57
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A great read!
Review: Awesome book! I'm really hard to please, especially when it comes to MMA competition, but this book was by far the most pleasing read I've had in a long, long time. Although the beginning of the book covered some information I aleady knew--how the first UFC came to be--it went far, far beyond that in later chapters. The most pleasing part of this book for me was the author's coverage of the Pride Fighiting Championsips. How he got an interview with Igor Vovchanchan, I have no idea, seeing that he speaks Russian. But you will not be dissapointed.

Nothing is left out in this read. You get thrown from the courtroom with promoters trying to keep their events from being shut down by police, into fighting cages around the world, and finally into the minds of the fighters themselves. The author talks not only the glory of the sport, but all the chaos that goes on behind the scene. I read the whole thing in less than two days--I couldn't seem to be able to put the thing down.

If you are at all interested in the sport of MMA, I highly suggest reading this book. I subscribe to many of the MMA magazines, but none of them get into the sport quite like this book does.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Great for new MMA fans, same old stuff for the long timers!
Review: Brawl: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at MMA Competition is a nicely streamlined look at the up-and-coming sport of Mixed Martial Arts. This 300 page work contains factual informaiton about not only the UFC, but IFC, Pride and various other combat organizations. The authors do a solid job of keeping with the timeline of MMA- from its early days to the present.
Where this book falters from its competition- No Holds Barred Evolution by Clyde Gentry III, is in the overabundance of match discriptions and reliance on quoting the same person (such as Bob Shamrock). Obviously, the authors of the book have some sort of relationship with Bob Sharock, as they go to the well one too many times with several quotes. Also, countless matches are recapped in text, which is useless for those of us who have seen the actual version on a TV screen. Although Clyde Gentry only covers the first half of the MMA explosion, his book does a much better job by going in-depth into the scene. Brawl only scratches the surface and offers a few things "I didn't know" about MMA.
For a newbie to the MMA movement, Brawl is perfect. It will give you a background of information that will help you better understand this often misunderstood sport. If you are a long time fan (such as myself-since UFC III), you are better off getting Gentry's book. True MMA fans will want to pick up both books, and make their own comparison. Support the sport!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Not too bad
Review: I actually enjoyed this book even though it was somewhat repetitive and did seem to talk up the Lion's Den. I enjoyed the stories of how certain fights were put on and the problems they faced. I also enjoyed the mini-bios of some fighters as well. Some stuff is common knowledge for the MMA fan, but still interesting. A little pricey, but I have no regrets. Good book.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Gotta Love this Stuff!
Review: I got this book for X-mas, but then my bro stole it! So I decided to jump online and get it again. I read all the rags and keep up on the sites too, and this is a great addition to my MMA knowledge. I'm learning to fight too, and this book has been very inspirational for me. I especially like reading about the current fighters and how they came up. All the fight scenes are off the hook, and getting the scoop from the fighters themselves was especially motivating. Whenever I want to get pumped up to train, I watch some DVDs, and read the stories of guys like Tito and Barnett.

Get this book, and for that matter, get every book you can, and watch as many fights as you can get your hands on. MMA is on the move, and speaking as part of the new generation of fans and fighters BRAWL IS TIGHT!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Blood, Guts, Muscles, Dollars and Politics!!!
Review: I had a tough time putting this FACTUAL account of MMA history down, and didn't get enough sleep over the two day period it took me to read it. An enthralling volume which for the first time offers specific details about the early years of the new Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competitions--including the "behind the scenes" maneuvering between politicians, promoters, crooks, and media profiteers. Erich Krauss and Bret Aita offer a bout-by-bout description of the first Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) in 1993 to 1995. We can also read about the first several International Fighting Championships (IFC) from Kiev and the dangers promotors faced by the Ukranian criminal syndicate! Perhaps most interesting though, between descriptions of MMA events taking place at the time, are Krauss and Aida's blow-by-blow analysis of what was going on in the political arena as Senator John McCain, an ardent supporter of boxing (go figure) led the push to ban the "barbaric" sport of MMA.

The battle moves from the ring, where skilled athletes contest one another, to the halls of state athletic comissions and congress as MMA fighters and promoters battle to save their sport. Here for the first time we can read a clear account of the events which led to a decline in the availability of MMA events on cable for a time. I'll paraphrase the opening paragraphs of Chapter 12 (pg 147): Leo Hindley, Jr., friend of Sen. John McCain, dropped all MMA events from the roster of cable giant TCI--to shield children from violent t.v. content (they still aired boxing, pro wrestling, and violent movies!!). TCI, Time Warner, Request, Cablevision Systems, and Viewer's Choice/On Demand followed TCI's lead. Through it all, fighters kept training, promotors found other countries in which to host MMA competition, and we are treated to match-by-match reviews of later MMA contests, the gruelling training regimins the MMA fighter endured, and MMA survived. Want to know the dope on Frank and Ken Shamrock, what makes the Gracies so great, how did a kickboxer (Maurice Smith) take MMA by storm, and who the future of MMA rests with (arts, athletes & promotion companies)? This book will answer your questions. There is waaay too much info for me to even begin with all the names and events this volume covers. Very worth the $, a long-awaited gem for the literary martial arts world.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Borrrring
Review: I have been watching MMA since i was about 6 yrs old. My first expeirence was watching Royce Gracie sweep threw the competition. Everyone thought that the muscle laden Ken Shamrock would win, but Gracie went threw him like nothing.
My favorite part of the book had to be the descriptions of Igor Vovchanchyn. He is by far my favorite fighter, and the way they say he won his matches with such powerful striking.
I give this book 5 stars because im a die hard fan of MMA and even a novie or beginer to the sport would understand this book well.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: BRAWL: a Behind the Scenes Look at Mixed Martial Arts Compet
Review: I've been a huge fan of the Ultimate Fighting Championship since it first came out in 1994, and this book answered all my questions as to how the sport got started and why it was banned for a few years from cable. But along with describing the history of this contraversial sport, BRAWL also got deep into the lives of all my favorite fighters, such as Ken Samrock and Dan Severn. I always thought these guys were crazy for doing what they do, but after reading this book I realize there is much more behind the sport than just beating the tar out of each other: There is honor, pride, and tons of glory. This book is a must read for anyone who ever watched the UFC or wondered what went on behind the scenes of this brutal sport.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: totaly cool
Review: I've been involved in MMA for 7 years and read most of the stuff out there, this is by far the most complete and entertaining work to date. No other book out there focuses on the current fighters and organizations as completely as this one. By far the best aspect of this book is reading from the perspective of the fighters and learning what makes them tick. If you want to experience the true MMA, this is the book to read!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A "Brawl" For the Ages
Review: Just finished reading the excellent "Brawl" by Erich Krauss, and as introductions to the world of MMA go, I haven't seen any better than this one. Going beyond just the usual controversy about the UFC in the early years, the book actually goes to great lengths to introduce the fighters and show them as personalities, rather than faceless warriors. It also takes an approach that I also use in my own upcoming book about the wWF/E -- building up the personalities of two of the fighters and then showcasing the actual match between them. The book starts in 1993 and earlier, detailing the story of the Gracies and how the Ultimate Fighting Championship was started as a way to showcase the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu schools, and working up through the years to the problems with Sen. John McCain, the cable bans, the rival promotions, the sudden trip underground for the sport, and the re-emergence under Zuffa Sports Entertainment in recent years. For someone such as myself who watched the early shows intently and then lost interest once the cable ban went into effect, this is fascinating information on the "lost years" of MMA and what the various proponents were doing in between the glory days of the Gracies and Don Fryes and the new age of Tito Ortiz and Frank Shamrock. Most of all, the book is about teaching those unfamiliar with the workings of the sport about respect, and how respect between (and for) the fighters is all-important to keeping things going in a way where everyone involved can prosper. As someone who's gotten back into the MMA world recently, now that it's readily available on PPV again via Pride and the UFC, this book was an invaluable reference material on backgrounds and styles of the fighters involved, and the stories told therein were really interesting to read on their own. Whether longtime and hardcore fans of MMA will take the same things from this book that I did, I can't say, but "Brawl" gave me insight into the workings of MMA that I didn't have before, and left me wanting to know more, and I think that's all it was intending to do. And if so, it succeeded with flying colors. Highly recommended for those curious about what the big deal with MMA is, or those who already know and just want to read more about it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This book is correct. Take it from me, I've been there.
Review: Mixed Martial Arts is the future. Sure, I did the boxing thing. (I sparred with Chris Byrd, for example, and let's just say I held my own, hee hee.) Sure, I did the Wing Chun thing. (Red sash, baby.) Sure, I've done a bit of Jiu Jitsu and submission wrestling. (Competed at a high level, in fact.)

But, only MMA brings all of these disciplines together. I'm a professional fighter in MMA now (in addition to being a writer), and I can tell you that this book brings it to you, the fan, with no holds barred. You get the straight scoop on the UFC from the beginning. It's almost like the writer puts you there, in the planning room, where the Gracie legend was born. (Not to give anything away, but let's just say that the Gracie legend is the product of some pretty creative and shady fight-fixing.) You will see the evolution of the UFC from fixed Gracie wins to legitimate sport. It's all there.

I've read thousands of books, and I will say that this is one thorough and cool history of MMA. I recommend it without reservation. Get it now! I tell all of my friends to read it, so that they can see where I'm coming from.


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