Blood and Guts Dojo

This is a highly entertaining true coming-of-age martial arts biography about a karate-crazed teen who discovers that his martial arts heroes are deep into drugs, deviant sex, and murder. John Graden joined the Florida Karate Academy at the height of the Kung Fu Boom in the 1970s led by Bruce Lee followed by Chuck Norris and the Karate Kid in the 1980s. Within a decade, he became a protege of the legendary Joe Lewis, twice voted as the greatest karate fighter of all-time. With humor and unflinching honesty, this story reads like an action movie script detailing drug smuggling, murder, and reveals the smoke and mirrors of the martial arts. Reviews "An excellent read even for people who never give martial arts a thought." –Former Reader's Digest Editor, Temple Emmet Williams "I am impressed with this wonderful book. It is as exciting as any motion picture thriller. I was VERY IMPRESSED with his point of view while relating the sometimes shocking stories."–Clark E. Hodges "I can vouch for how brilliant John Graden's literary prowess is in telling this tale."–Richard W. Jenkins "I started reading the book this morning about 10 AM and didn't put it down until about 2 PM. An easy read that kept me engaged from the very beginning." –Thomas Gordon "This is a story of a young man who finds himself in the art of karate, how his life is led astray by the instructor he idolizes. A true page-turner."–Dan Anderson "Highly entertaining must read and not just for martial artists. His easy-to-read writing style immediately draws you into his fascinating trials and tribulations"–Official Karate magazine