Summary:
To an untrained eye, a vale tudo fight looks just like any other mixed martial arts bout – two fighters confined in a ring or octagon, trying to knock the guts out of each other with a series of punches and kicks. Vale tudo, after all, is a combination of various martial arts such as judo, jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, taekwondo, and karate. To the aficionados, however, the differences are evident. First off, the fighters do not don padded gloves or protective clothing. More importantly, there seem to be no rules restricting the fighters’ moves, enabling moves such as striking of the groin or head butts, which are prohibited in many other disciplines.
One of the burning questions answered in this martial arts book...
Who was the Blonde Devil?
Beyond this book, keep an eye out for my future release on vale tudo itself, where I delve deeper into its history, origins and folklore. Sign up to the mailing list to be notified when it is published.
Which martial arts are in the "way of the 69 Fists"
Way of the 69 Fists is not at all dissimilar from a quick reference martial arts encyclopedia. At least, this is how it was intended when written. Inside its pages, you will find sixty-nine different martial art disciplines. I summarize their history and origins, their standing today, with an additional glance at interesting folklore and effects on popular culture. The following martial arts are covered:
Aikido, Bokator, Boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Bushido, Capoeira, Chess boxing, Chuck Norris System (Chun Kuk Do), Close quarters combat, Defendu, Eskrima, Fencing, Filipino martial arts, Grappling, Greco-Roman wrestling, Han mu do, Hand-to-hand combat, Hapkido, Hwa Rang Do, Hybrid, Jeet kune do, Jieishudan, Judo, Jujutsu, Kajukenbo, Kapu kuialua, Karate, Kempo, Kendo, Kickboxing, Kino mutai, Krabi krabong, Krav maga, Kuk Sool Won, Kuk Sul Do®️, Kung fu, Kyokushin, Mixed martial arts, Moo Duk Kwan, Moo Yea-Do, Mounted combat, Muay Boran, Muay Thai, Ninjutsu, Pankration, Sambo, Sanda, Sanshou, Savate, Self-defense, Shootfighting, Shooto, Silat, Stick fighting, Submission wrestling, Sumo, Sword fighting, Systema, Taekkyeon, Taekwondo, Tai chi, Tang soo do, Thaing, Tricking, Vale tudo, Wing chun, Wrestling, Wushu, Wu Shu Kwan, Xtreme Martial Arts.