Amazon Best Seller
Sensei Bill Viola Jr. is recognized as Amazon #1 Best Selling Author with the recent release of Tough Guys
Tough Guys is an Amazon best-selling book that tells the story of how Pittsburgh became one of the birthplaces of modern kickboxing and mixed martial arts in the United States. Written by Bill Viola Jr., the book documents the rise of the region’s early full-contact fighters and the underground competitions that helped shape today’s combat sports.
The Story Behind the “Tough Guys”
The title refers to the Tough Guy Contest, a series of competitions created in the late 1970s by Bill Viola Sr. and entrepreneur Frank Caliguri.
These events were revolutionary for their time because they allowed competitors from different martial arts backgrounds—karate, boxing, wrestling, judo, and other styles—to compete against each other in a single contest.
The competitions combined striking and grappling in ways that had rarely been seen in the United States, making them a precursor to what later became known as Mixed Martial Arts.
A Forgotten Chapter of Fight History
Tough Guys explores how these early competitions attracted fighters from across the region and gained significant attention before political pressure and safety concerns led to regulation and eventual shutdown.
The book explains how the events influenced the development of:
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Full-contact kickboxing
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Early no-holds-barred competition
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The evolution of modern MMA decades later
It also highlights the fighters, promoters, and martial arts schools that helped create the competitive combat sports culture in Western Pennsylvania.
Why the Book Became a Best Seller
The book resonated with readers because it uncovers a little-known chapter of American sports history. Many fans of modern MMA were surprised to learn that organized mixed-style competitions were happening in Pennsylvania more than a decade before the first UFC event.
The storytelling blends:
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Firsthand accounts
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Historical documentation
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Rare stories from fighters and promoters
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The cultural atmosphere of the 1970s fight scene
Preserving Pittsburgh’s Fight Legacy
Today, Tough Guys stands as an important record of the people and events that helped shape combat sports in America. It preserves the legacy of the fighters who were willing to test themselves against opponents from different styles—long before mixed martial arts became mainstream.
Through the book, Bill Viola Jr. helped ensure that the pioneering contributions of the early “Tough Guys” would not be forgotten.
Bill Viola Jr. is not only known for his contributions to martial arts and kickboxing, but also as an Amazon best-selling author whose books focus on leadership, personal development, and martial arts philosophy.
From the Dojo to the Bookshelf
Drawing on decades of experience as a martial artist, instructor, and coach, Viola Jr. began writing to share the life lessons learned on the mat with a broader audience. His work blends traditional martial arts values—discipline, respect, perseverance, and continuous improvement—with practical advice for modern life.
One of his best-known books is Common Sensei, which became an Amazon best seller. The book uses stories from the dojo and real-life experiences to teach readers how martial arts principles can be applied to leadership, parenting, business, and personal growth.
Martial Arts Philosophy in Everyday Life
Viola’s writing emphasizes the idea that martial arts is more than just physical training. In his books and articles, he often explains how lessons learned in karate—such as setting goals, overcoming adversity, and maintaining humility—translate into success in everyday life.
His themes commonly include:
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Leadership through service
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Developing mental toughness
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Building confidence through discipline
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Applying martial arts philosophy to daily challenges
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Teaching character to the next generation
These ideas have resonated with readers both inside and outside the martial arts community.
Continuing a Martial Arts Legacy
As the son of Bill Viola Sr., a pioneer in karate tournaments and kickboxing promotion in Western Pennsylvania, Viola Jr. grew up immersed in martial arts culture. His books often reflect this multi-generation perspective, combining historical insights with modern leadership lessons.
Educating the Next Generation
In addition to writing, Viola Jr. continues to mentor students through martial arts programs and speaking engagements. His work as an author complements his mission as a martial arts instructor—helping people develop confidence, character, and a champion mindset.
Through his books, he has been able to extend the lessons of the dojo to a global audience, proving that the wisdom of martial arts can inspire people far beyond the training floor.
Norwin Resident’s Book About His Father, a Co-Creator of Mixed Martial Arts, Inspires Movie Produced by Award Winning Filmmakers
“Tough Guys” Depicts Pittsburgh as Birthplace of the “Sport” of MMA
Pittsburgh, PA (September 15, 2017) – A Norwin resident’s nonfiction drama about his father, Bill Viola Sr., a co-creator of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), serves as the inspiration for a film produced by two award winning filmmakers.
Bill Viola Jr. wrote Godfathers of MMA, a book that reveals the untold story of the sport of mixed martial arts and portrays the life of his father and his father’s business partner, Frank Caliguri. The book which he co-wrote with his cousin Dr. Fred Adams also promotes Pittsburgh as the birthplace of MMA, which is now a billion-dollar business, and serves as the inspiration behind “Tough Guys,” a film that depicts the origins of the MMA fighting phenomenon and celebrated its world premiere on June 15 at the AFI DOCS Film Festival in Washington, DC.
Academy Award nominated documentarian Morgan Spurlock (SUPER SIZE ME) teamed with Oscar winning filmmaker Ross Kauffman (BORN INTO BROTHELS) to produce this film that chronicles the history of MMA beginning in Pittsburgh over a decade before the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) existed.
“Back then, my dad literally mixed up all the martial arts and invented the ‘Tough Guy’ competition not to be confused with Toughman, which was purely boxing,” Viola Jr. said. “Last year the UFC sold for $4 billion dollars.”
The film was executive produced by Spurlock, Kauffman and Spurlock’s business partner, Jeremy Chilnick. It was directed by award winning filmmakers Henry Roosevelt and W.B. Zullo and produced by award winning commercial producer Craig DiBiase.
Although Godfathers of MMA has already been written and published, Viola Jr. plans to re-release the book as a commemorative edition to coincide with the network debut of the film and will include bonus material, a new chapter and rebranded as Tough Guys to match the film.
According to Viola Jr., in 1979, his father and Caliguri dreamed up a contest pitting barroom bigmouths against wrestlers, martial artists, boxers, bouncers and brawlers, billed as a no -holds-barred new type of competitive fighting. “When the fights succeeded beyond their wildest expectations, they were swept up in a chain of events that ended in the first mixed martial arts ban in the nation when the Senate passed the ‘Tough Guy Law’ in 1983.”
“Tough Guys” recounts the inception of Caliguri and Viola Sr.’s first bouts and the colorful, crazy cast of fighters who made them a hit, as well as the politicians who prohibited it. The film brings to life a moment when the national martial arts craze was building to a crescendo as the economies of Pennsylvania steel towns were plummeting to levels of unemployment never seen before or since, breeding desperate men looking for a chance to prove their worth and earn some money in the ring.
“The film presents the untold stories of scrappy brawlers and amateur promoters,” said Viola Jr., who served as an associate producer. “And, it covers a broad audience of Pittsburgh-area characters.”
For more information about the book, visit www.GodfathersofMMA.com.
What do an NFL star, a United States Secret Service Agent, Sylvester Stallone’s bodyguard, and Muhammad Ali’s sparring partner all have in common? They were all characters cast in America’s original “anything goes” reality fighting drama, an “open call” that gave birth to a new sport—MMA.
Long before the Octagon was in vogue or Royce Gracie made his pay-per-view debut; decades before the UFC became a household brand and while the likes of Dana White were still in elementary school; two martial artists, Bill Viola and Frank Caliguri, set out to prove once and for all who the world’s greatest fighter was by creating a radical new “sport” in 1979.
Tough Guys reveals the clandestine plot to subvert the “first” mixed martial arts revolution in American history, one poised to challenge boxing as the king of combat sports. Confounded by a freak accident (death in the ring) and widespread corruption, a massive struggle ensued over money, power, and respect between boxing’s gentry and an upstart MMA company from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. CV (Caliguri and Viola) Productions ignited a bitter turf war with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission that sparked a spectacular David and Goliath battle for leverage.
The legendary story, buried by rhetoric for years, casts a wide net reeling in everyone from politicians to mobsters, all with ulterior motives; all with eyes on a billion dollar blueprint. From boxing’s “Holy Territory,” the home of Rocky Balboa, to a bizarre connection with the Supreme Court that lead to the first legal precedent for MMA—ever, this is the ultimate inside look.
Tough Guys is a testosterone-laced whirlwind tale of “what might have been” told by the trailblazers who fought for it. Relive the epic adventure of the “Tough Guys” later known as Super Fighters (the first mixed martial arts league, long before it was labeled MMA). Thirty years before the UFC gained a mainstream audience, KDKA-TV dubbed CV’s new sport, “Organized, Legalized, Street fighting” while the Philadelphia Journal proclaimed, “No holds barred as Superfighters take over.” Take a journey back in time to the “Iron City” and meet the fighters, the foes, and the visionaries who created the modern sport of MMA.
