A Fighter's Heart: One Man's Journey Through the World of Fighting

This book is the story of a man's journey through various forms of combat and competition. The author, Sam, tells his story of travelling the world and investigating the culture of fighting positing questions like "Why do people fight?" while discovering things about himself and his own motivations along the way.Sam's adventures can be relevant even to those who are not particularly interested in martial arts and can appeal far beyond martial arts enthusiasts to anyone who has an interest in the human condition. From the perspective of the author as a student of numerous martial arts philosophies throughout the story, we learn the common denominator of all forms of combat in which humans play a part (even a few involving animals, like dog fighting). The author does not hide the grim reality of injuries that result from participating in these martial arts, as he receives a good deal of punishment in the course of learning, all of the events that transpire are in the spirit of exploration of the common denominator.Activities the author studies range from Tai Chi to Muay thai to western boxing to Brazilian Jujitsu and beyond. When I began reading the book I was mildly interested in the author's experience studying Muay Thai abroad, my initial motivation for reading the book, but by the end I could appreciate in more depth the motivations of practitioners of violence from MMA fighters to pit bulls.There are several major appealing factors of this book.1) It attempts to make hand-to-hand combat relevant even to the non-fighter2) The sheer scope of styles covered can be a draw to anyone with a general interest in martial arts3) Even those who do not condone physical combat can appreciate the honesty of of the author in his quest for understanding the fighting spirit4) The author is a great storyteller, and spins his yarn to engage and relate to the readerI'm a poor reader, generally speaking, but I could not put this book down once I started reading it. I highly recommend it.I never too much interest in fighting before a couple months ago, but I recently started doing muay thai (kickboxing) and a friend told me about this book. If you're not a fighter, but have ever wondered why people make such a fuss over these brutal spectacles, this book will give you a peek into the mind of a fighter. If you are a practitioner of combative sports, I think you'll be able to relate to Sam, his questions, and his adventures all the more.

the author who is a Harvard graduate,ex-firefighter , Merchant Marine and son of a Navy Seal, writes a book on the fighters heart, why we fight, why people like it and does becoming a fighter make you more violent in life outside the ring. The author travels around the world to learn the various disciplines such as Muy Thai, MMA, Boxing, Tai Chi and Meditation. He trains with the best in each discipline and engages in a few fights. There is good information on each of these disciplines with insights on training and mental preparation. There are chapters on dog fighting and cockfighting where you will learn a few things about these activities but it is a stretch to include these activities in a fighters heart. If you like to watch fighting or are a fighter or trainer you will enjoy. If you want to explore why man is fascinated with fighting you will find quotes from other works on the subject as well as the authors own thoughts on his experiences. One quote that I found interesting was from Michael Kimmels book -"Manhood in America" ,one of mans deepest fears is that others will see them as less than manly , timid and frightened, You are not a man without constant , endless success and that manhood must be constantly proved and is a relentless test. (335) This is food for thought and may help explain the fighters heart. Recommended.

In this nonfiction book, Sam Sheridan ventures into the world of mixed martial arts. He is more than a journalist. From a Muay Thai camp in Thailand, to working with Pat Miletich in Iowa, he subjects himself to grueling training. He signs up for fights. He wins, he loses, he gets hurt."A Figher's Heart" is memorable, inspiring, and instructive. He points out - being a fighter is all about figuring our who you are, what works for you. It's interesting how that idea comes up again and again throughout the book, whether he is training in Asia or in Brazil. By studying seemingly unrelated arts - Muay Thai, wrestling, boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Chi Gun, the author discovers surprising parallels.I found it very interesting to read about the psychological aspects of professional fighting. The author covers a wide range of topics - from intreviewing a boxer who had killed his opponent in the ring and how it affected him, to his own experience of preparing for a fight. If you haven't ever made a conscious decision to face crippling injury or even death before - this book will tell you exactly what it feels like, to step into the ring. If you have - it will make you want to buy this guy a beer. The part where he talks about an old injury - that kept haunting him, and maade him unable to continue a fight - almost made me cry.The author doesn't stop there - he talks about dealing defeat, violence, dog fights, feeling alive, celebrity. This is the kind of book that makes you forget about your stupid day job and your cubicle, and makes you realize how good it is to be a man.

Nein, ich bin nicht lesefaul. Einer meiner Lieblingsautoren ist Neal Stephenson, also das ist nicht das Problem. Aber mindestens zwei Kapitel hätte man auch weglassen können, und es hätte dem Buch nicht geschadet. Eines fasst mehr oder weniger einen Teil der Box-Geschichte zusammen, ein anderes behandelt Kämpfen in Filmproduktionen... Ich hatte da einfach das Gefühl, dass das Buch länger werden muss und deshalb diese Kapitel geschrieben wurden. Aber die erste Hälfte des Buches ist wirklich sehr cool.

Sam Sheridan tells a story of entering into the world of martial arts, travelling to locations like Brazil, America and Thailand. He looks deep into the psychology of such pursuits, even trying meditation with Buddhist monks, comparing his experiences of different sports like boxing, Muay Thai, Jui-jitsu and Tai Chi. He does go into quite some depth about dog fighting, which it is clear to see the point he is raising, of gameness being present in both animals and humans, despite animals not having a choice. Although it is something I disagree with at least I can say that with more knowledge of why I condemn it. It is clearing to see that he wanted to add some different angles to it.The only thing he missed out on was talking about journey men, he does touch on it, but doesn't describe it fully. I think discussing the psychology a journey man is crucial, since to one degree or another they're abundant in most of these sports.Overall it's well worth reading, even if you've only got an interest in fighting from just a spectator point of view.

"A Fighter's Heart" é um livro que relata a jornada de um escritor no mundo da luta. Começa com o autor aceitando um emprego de marinheiro após se formar em Harvard. Ele junta a grana recebida trabalhando no iate e, após passar um tempo na Austrália, decide aprender muay thai na Tailândia. Aí começa uma viagem de descobrimento que o levará ao Brasil, aos EUA e ao Japão. Tem bons insights, narrativa fluida e um ar de backstage das lutas. Legal ver, por exemplo, como é o Minotauro fora das câmeras ou como funcionava um camp de atletas do nível de campeões do UFC.Enquanto trata especificamente do mundo da luta, o livro é muito bom. Porém, quando tenta explorar áreas correlatas, acho que deixa um pouco a desejar. Alguns paralelos parecem um pouco forçados e o tempo despendido nessas áreas indiretamente ligadas às artes marciais poderia ter sido reduzido.Interessante pra quem gosta do tema.

Sam Sheridan ist ein ehemaliger Kunststudent der renommierten Harvard Universität. Außerdem liebt er die Extreme im Leben und den Kampfsport. Nachdem er die High school beendet hatte, trat er in die Handelsmarine ein. Anschließend besuchte er Harvard bis zu seinem Abschluss im Jahr 1998. Nach dieser soliden Ausbildung begann Sheridan dann die Welt zu erkunden. Und dies tat er auf seine Weise, indem er immer nur den extremsten Weg ging.Schon während seiner Zeit in der Handelsmarine und in Harvard betrieb er Boxen als Hobby, und entwickelte eine Leidenschaft für den Kampfsport. In den folgenden Jahren wollte er sie dann alle kennenlernen. Er trainierte Muay Thai im berühmten Fairtex Gym in Bangkok, lernte MMA in Pat Miletichs Schule in Bettendorf, Iowa, trainierte mit den Jiu-Jitsu Meistern des Top Teams in Rio, Brasilien, bevor er zurück zum Boxen kam, und mit dem aufstrebenden (mittlerweile Weltmeister) Talent Andre Ward trainierte. Zwischendurch nahm er auch Zeitarbeit an, zum Beispiel um eine Forschungsstation in der Antarktis aufzubauen oder bei den Smokejumpers (Feuerwehrkräfte die mit Fallschirmen in Brandzonen abspringen) auszuhelfen. Außerdem befasste er sich mit der für einen Kämpfer nötigen Verschmelzung von Geist und Körper, lernte Tai Chi und Meditation, und schließlich wandte er sich dem psychologischen Aspekt des Kampfes zu, inklusive einer kurzen Exkursion in die Welt des Tierkampfes. Wenn das eigene Geld ausging, zog er einen Journalistik-Deal an Land, in dem er für Verlage über seine Abenteuer schrieb. So konnte er seine Unternehmungen finanzieren, und letztlich führten sie zum hier besprochenen Buch "A fighter's heart".Das vorliegende Buch von Sam Sheridan ist nicht nur für Kampfsportler interessant. Sicherlich, jeder, der sich für Kampfsport im Allgemeinen interessiert, wird hier voll auf seine Kosten kommen. Sheridan beschreibt die Trainings, die Kämpfe, die Kameraderie unter den Kämpfern und das Spiel hinter den Kulissen ausgezeichnet. Auch der Teil über die Psychologie des Kampfes ist interessant. Aber auch abseits des Kampfes ist dies ein fantastisches Buch, da Sheridan auf wunderbare Weise zeigt, wie man sein Leben auch führen kann. Nach Abschluss einer starken Ausbildung als Hintergrund, führt ihn sein Faible für Kampfsport auf eine Entdeckungsreise um die Welt, und eröffnet ihm immer wieder neue Möglichkeiten, seine Träume auszuleben. So hat das Buch zusätzlich einen äußerst inspirierenden Aspekt, der es zu einem noch größeren Lesevergnügen macht.

Get this and "The Professor in the Cage" for the best insider looks into combat sports.