Black Belt's newest book, Warrior Odyssey, illustrates how culture, communication and martial arts meet through author Antonio Graceffo's decade-long adventures in Asia

Top Quote Warrior Odyssey: The Travels of a Martial Artist Through Asia captures one man's ongoing and decade-long adventure across the Far East. End Quote
  • New York, NY (1888PressRelease) August 29, 2010 - Read the Greatest Martial Arts Adventure Ever.

    After 9/11, Antonio Graceffo quits his financial job in New York to pursue his dream: to study kung fu at the legendary Shaolin Temple in China. The autobiography then traces his expedition through nine countries, which include Hong Kong, Cambodia, Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos and Burma.

    Beginning in Taiwan, Warrior Odyssey chronicles how the protagonist learns the Chinese language, kung fu and twe so, then journeys on to the Shaolin Temple in mainland China. From there, Graceffo embraces an even greater adventure, which is to study the martial arts and learn from the martial arts masters that represent the 10 locations he visits all over Asia.

    During his time in Asia, Graceffo studies the following martial arts: kung fu, Western boxing, tai chi, modern arnis, kuk sool, escrima, muay Thai and military combatives, as well as rarer martial arts like muay Thai boran, krabi krabong, muay Thai Sangha, twe so, Khmer kickboxing, Khmer wrestling, bokator, taekkyon, ssireum wrestling, vovinam, muay Lao, kuntaw, thieu lam and lai tai. He also learns from well-known instructors like bokator grandmaster San Kim Sean, muay Thai Sangha master Pedro Villalobos and kuntaw master Frank Ayococho.

    No matter whether Graceffo is learning the almost extinct art of bokator in Cambodia, crossing into rebel camps in Burma or absorbing the knowledge of disciples of ancient wisdom in Taiwan, Warrior Odyssey is like no other quest written about before or since.

    Warrior Odyssey: The Travels of a Martial Artist Through Asia
    by Antonio Graceffo
    $16.95 | Code 514
    296 pgs. | B/W pictures
    ISBN: 978-0-89750-190-3
    www.blackbeltmag.com/warrior_odyssey

    About the Author
    Antonio Graceffo has been traveling, living and studying martial arts in Asia for the last decade. He is a monthly travel columnist for Black Belt and is a frequent call-in guest on regional radio talk shows in the United States. He has worked as a martial arts consultant for The History Channel and the Discovery Channel. He has studied martial arts for more than 20 years.

    About Black Belt
    Black Belt is the world's leading martial arts magazine and is dedicated to the classical and the eclectic martial arts. First published in 1961, Black Belt features interviews with the world's most prestigious martial artists and historical pieces on the philosophies of various combat styles, as well as in-depth coverage of the latest techniques, weapons, self-defense systems, training regimens and industry trends. It also continues to publish instructional books and DVDs from a variety of disciplines, including jujutsu, mixed martial arts, reality-based self-defense, grappling, jeet kune do and more. For more on Black Belt and its line of books and DVDs, visit www.blackbeltmag.com.

    Contact

    Sarah Dzida
    Book Editor
    (661) 257-4066 ext. 1635
    sdzida ( @ ) aimmedia dot com

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