AUTHOR

Daniele Bolelli

Sports & Outdoors

Daniele Bolelli is a writer, martial artist, and university professor. He was born in Italy and currently lives in Los Angeles. Writing: His first solo book, "La Tenera Arte del Guerriero," was published when Bolelli was 22 years old. This work, which is a philosophical exploration of the martial arts, went on to become a cult classic in Italy even outside the confines of martial arts circles. It was later published in the United States with three additional chapters under the title "On the Warrior’s Path." Two more chapters were added for a second edition published in 2008. "On the Warrior’s Path" has been published in Russia and will be published in Italy in a new updated edition at the end of 2012. His second book entitled "iGod: Istruzioni per l’Uso di una Religione Fai da Te" was published in Italy in 2011. This wild ride through comparative religion will be released in the United States in early 2013. Bolelli’s third book, "50 Things You’re Not Supposed To Know: Religion," was published in the United States in December 2011. Some of the most influential thinkers to have affected his world view include Tom Robbins, Friedrich Nietzsche, Ikkyu Sojun, Thomas Paine, Henry David Thoreau, Lao Tzu, and Heraclitus. Teaching career: After graduating from UCLA with a B.A. in Anthropology, and earning graduate degrees at UCLA (in American Indian Studies) and CSULB (History), Bolelli began teaching at several colleges in Southern California. Unlike most scholars who tend to specialize in one particular field of knowledge, Bolelli adopts a “renaissance” man-approach to teaching that has led him to lecture on a wide range of subjects including American Indian history and philosophy, history of the United States, world religions, history of ancient Rome, history and philosophy of martial arts, the ethnic experience in the United States, world history, plus several courses on the relationship between cinema and history. Perhaps even more peculiar than his unusually extensive repertoire is Bolelli’s lecturing style. Much like his writing, in fact, his lecturing style combines discussions of complex, deep subjects with much humor and “street lingo.” For this reason, he has been defined as “half stand up comedian and half Zen master.” This odd mix has made him extremely popular among students. Martial Arts: Bolelli has trained in several styles of martial arts including kung fu san soo, taijiquan, baguazhang, xingyiquan, submission wrestling, Brazilian jiujitsu, boxing, and judo. He holds a fifth degree black belt in kung fu san soo–a style that he has taught for several years at UCLA’s John Wooden Center. Bolelli also coached and fought professionally in mixed martial arts (MMA). Media: Bolelli was featured in "I Am Bruce Lee" which broke Spike TV’s rating record for documentaries. He has appeared as a guest on popular podcasts such as Duncan Trussell’s, Adam Carolla’s and Joe Rogan’s.