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This is coming out from Penguin on Feb 2007. Matt was my guide on my first and second trip to Shaolin. He's brilliant, one of the sharpest minds I've met, a great writer and a respected martial elder brother. My recent interview with Jet Li didn't hold a candle to his interview with Li for Playboy a few years back.
I read an early draft a year ago and just finished a galley. It's the best description of modern Shaolin so far. Matt lived there for two years and was on of the first foreigners to do so. He was kind enough to mention me in the acknowledgements and I'm honored by that. The book has already been picked up by some movie makers. I wish him all the success. All biases aside, it's truly a great read and it'll probably be my most recommended book for 2007.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
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March 4 (Sunday) 4:00 p.m. Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera, CA
http://www.bookpassage.com/event_detailed.php?id=413
March 5 (Monday) 7:00 p.m. Cody's Books, 2 Stockton Street, San Francisco, CA
http://www.codysbooks.com/calendar/mar07Calendar.jsp
I'll be at book signings/readings with a Shaolin monk in tow. Yep, that's DM's life now, chauffeur of Shaolin monks. The book is a great read. I highly recommend it.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
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You would think that when a great book about Shaolin comes out DM would give us the tip. But, no. I guess it's up to me to tell about it (Of course, if I had actually got to go to China . .. )
This is a great book. It has a great tone. For me, it went a long way towards dispelling misconceptions I had about China and Shaolin. Plus, it's a great Primer about the Shaolin experience. It was interesting to see the difference in the '90s and 20th century Shaolin's. Some of the stories were exceedingly funny and brave. I don't know if I'd cop to holding hands with my sparring partners (DM? Any revelations?)
My favorite line in the whole book was in the first chapter when Polly was discussing the language. He mentioned he didn't want to leave a lot of hanging "fu's" without corresponding "ck's".
Go get this book now and start reading.
DM, next time don't be so coy about the good books.
So much for the flickr badge idea. Dammit
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This book has been remaindered, and is now on hamiltonbook.com for $5.95.
the hands that guide me are invisible
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i've seen the uk edition in the local used bookstores.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
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beyond actually getting his albatross on the NYT bestseller list, matt steps into the ring for research while i sit on my ass and post here.
[youtube]1F4fmu1ssFc[/youtube]
coming soon : Full Contact Writer by MP.
 upz:
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
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OK, ok, they could both prolly take me in a fight, I guess, but...was this the "Battle of the Math Teachers"? Those were some unimpressive physiques out there, and i know all about unimpressive physiques, having possessed one for a number of years m'self. The "Chicken-Chest Challenge"...
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
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This hits the bookshelves in 2 weeks. I got an advance and will be interviewing Matt next week to help pump up his book. Matt spent two years researching and training in MMA. The fight posted above kind of gives away the climax, but if you enjoyed American Shaolin, you'll like this too. Matt's wit and self-effacing honesty are still very present. In fact, in many ways, his 2nd work banks on the same formula - open with a fight, make a self-examining list, present character studies of exponents, encapsulate the history and explain some of the major techniques. At first, it struck me as too formulaic, but after a while, I was right back with Matt, back at Shaolin, drinking shots of JD and listening to his tales. I'm envious of his writing style - it's quick, perceptive and easy reading.
I've never been sure how well DOOM follows MMA. I followed it a little in the beginning, but have never been a big fan of watching sports on TV. I really enjoy live fights, as I've described here to you many times, and have some personal friends that are fighters, but I'm not much of a fan of any sport. I love live events because I love the power of a huge audience, but watching it on TV has never really done it for me. If I'm going to party with the guys, gorge on nachos, cheese logs and booze, it's going to be psychotropic cinema with you guys more than sports. Nevertheless, I do keep marginal tabs on MMA because of my job. Anyway, Matt's book is a good crash course on the history of the sport, from a very UFC angle. It's enjoyable for those not familiar with MMA as it explains a lot of history and introduces many of the big players. It's entertaining for those into MMA because Matt scores some good interviews and offers an unflinching insider perspective. Of course, I'm biased, but it's a quick read, so I don't think you'll be disappointed, especially if you liked American Shaolin.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
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TAPPED OUT: An interview with Matthew "American Shaolin" Polly
http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/arti...ticle=1013
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
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