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

• Are you game?

  
  By A1BDPRQ7BEUNLP on 2007-04-18
  I've often wondered why I'm driven towards karate and boxing. Based on Sam Sheridan's fine book "A Fighter's Heart," it seems I'm testing my gameness, enjoying purity of purpose, and examining my life and motives (and at 40, I may have also fallen short developmentally somewhere along the line).
  
  On the surface, Mr. Sheridan doesn't appear to be the fighting type. He grew up in a relatively stable family situation, attended Harvard, and likes to write. But he clearly wanted more excitement from life than cranking out human interest articles at the local bistro. Instead, he joined the Merchant Marines, got into wilderness firefighting, and along the way was bit hard by the fighting bug.
  
  To indulge and understand his compulsion, the author traveled the world to try his mettle in various full-contact martial arts: Muay Thai in Thailand, MMA in Iowa, jiu-jitsu in Brazil, and boxing in California. In addition to testing himself in these potentially harmful venues, he also wanted to seek out other seasoned fighters and trainers for mentoring and instruction. He even checked out animal fighting and action movie stunt work to broaden his perspectives. Finally, Mr. Sheridan concludes his book with an analysis of why humans fight.
  
  I found his detours into the more obscure aspects of fighting quite interesting. For example, he briefly explores the internal arts by studying under a Tai Chi master and engaging in Buddhist meditation at a Thai retreat center. These segues rewarded him with a greater understanding of body mechanics and a sharper mental focus. He even discovered commonalities between the various martial arts, such as the relationship between shadow boxing and kata. Mr. Sheridan's foray into stunt work for actor Paul Walker to understand the lure of action movies was also intriguing. And I enjoyed meeting the many fighters, teachers, and other colorful personalities he encountered.
  
  Despite its superb insights, "A Fighter's Heart" suffers from two shortcomings. First, Mr. Sheridan kept getting injured, so he didn't engage in formal competition very much. Indeed, his physical limitations often relegated him to the role of observer and hanger-on. Also, his journey into the seamy world of dog and chicken fighting was an unwelcome diversion. The sweetest pet I ever owned was a pit bull, and I hate to see them tear each other up for money. To be fair, he made some interesting observations about this darker form of fighting. But I could've lived without it.
  
  "A Fighter's Heart" is not only a fascinating look into various martial arts (and a good travelogue to boot), it's also a window of understanding into why otherwise sane individuals try to hurt each other. After reading this book, I'm more aware of the internal motivations and external forces that drive me towards karate, boxing (and even motorcycle riding). I recommend it to anyone who's curious about his or her own compulsion to face off against someone in the ring.
  
  

• captivating

  
  By A239ESBBZ7HA6K on 2007-02-09
  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.
  
  

• Great insight into an up and coming sport

  
  By A3R4L1LGKUE88Z on 2007-01-17
  Great read. Sam Sheridan has captured the spirit and mindset of a fighter. With the rise of the UFC this is a must read for fans of Mixed Martial arts and the UFC.
  
  

• Interesting to the athlete

  
  By A1ZW2ETF47Y7Q5 on 2007-02-12
  While Sam Sheridan's story revolves around fighting, the questions and themes he teases out apply to all athletics, and competition in general. What makes us compete? What makes us suffer? Maybe A Fighter's Heart is even more interesting to fighting fans, but as a non-fighter I can attest that it is enthralling.
  
  

• Not what you think!

  
  By A2EHV2DCWY6C0X on 2007-02-26
  I was very excited to read the first chapter and was hoping the rest of the book would follow the same path. I was hoping for a book that follows the author through his fight career, with a detailed look into his training. I soon discovered I was wrong. I get the sense that the author,while genuinly into fighting, wrote the book to cash in on the recent popularity of fighting sports. First of all the book is way too choppy. It also has too many build ups with no follow through. *SPOILER* The book totally sets you up for his amateur boxing match, then lets you down. It then sets you up for a bare knuckle fight in Burma, then lets you down again. The part on hollywood fighting is interesting but out of place in the book in my opinion. I would pass on this book although the first few chapters are exciting.
  
  
• A Technical Knockout & Fascinating Journey!
  By A56AA52NMMKYQ on 2007-01-26
  If you are a fan of the UFC, Pride or MMA (mixed martial arts), you will devour this book. It provides a fascinating first-person narrative into the world of fighting and the physical/psychological underpinnings of that experience. Harvard-educated Sam Sheridan seems to be an unlikely person to travel such a path, but his tale is literate and thoughtful, devoid of any macho-man posturing.
  
  "A Fighter's Heart" strays toward the end with its foray into dog fighting and cock-fighting, but overall this is a fascinating book. Even with all the high-tech gadgetry than man uses to address conflicts, there remains an elemental fascination with fighting that political correctness cannot purge.
  
  
• Examining the soul of a fighter
  By A2TC18Q34MAOVO on 2007-02-23
  This story outlines the young author's quest to understand what makes fighters tick. Following prep school graduation, Sheridan becomes a smoke eater fighting fires in the American West, a merchant mariner, crews on a yacht and winds up in Thailand where he studys Muay Thai boxing culminating in a fight with a Japanese ex-Judo champion.
  Bored from the constant training, he travels to Iowa and meets some of the early MMA fighters.
  Sheridan writes well with evocative descriptions of fighting techniques and the exotic locales his quest takes him. His exploration involves two segments on dog fighting and cock fighting, taboo subjects in our PETA publicity world. He does not advocate this but instead writes of the complex human/animal relationships of this shadowy world in the US that is popular across Asia.
  Sheridan explores these topics as a literate observer and adds to the timeless theme of why men fight. I enjoyed the descriptions of mixed martial arts techniques and the quirky personalities of some of the early UFC stars.
  It's not for everyone, but he sheds much light on fighting.
  
  
• Could have been a great book.
  By A310ON4HXRH7FG on 2007-05-25
  I read Sam Sheridan's article about Muay Thai in Men's Journal when it was first published. I was so impressed by the article that I was anxiously awaiting the publication of this book. Unfortunately the final result is disappointing. My biggest complaint is Sheridan's chapter on dog fighting and cockfighting. Sheridan states that "the true barbarism of dogfighting lies in the life on the chain-not in the fight." In other words, Sheridan attempts to make the case that the isolation from other dogs is the barbaric aspect of dogfighting. Sheridan seems unconcerned by the fact that the loosing dog in these battles usually dies. As I was reading this chapter I began to wonder if Sheridan would still like to fight if he knew that when he lost it would mean his death. But according to Sheridan the dogs don't mind being sacrificed for sport.
  
  The other unsatisfactory aspect of the book is Sheridan's coverage of Brazilian Jiu Jistu. He goes to Brazil, trains for a couple days, badly hurts his shoulder because he didn't tap out (as a white belt tap early and often), and spends the rest of the time observing from the sidelines offering second hand reports and very little insight. When his shoulder eventually does heal he makes another trip to Thailand but leaves the whole world of grappling (one of the most important skills in mixed martial arts) largely unexplored.
  
  "A Fighter's Heart" isn't as good as Sheridan's original article for Men's Journal. Sorry Sam I really wanted to love it.
  
  
  
  
• Worth Reading
  By A1DHOWJ7CR95PQ on 2007-02-20
  Reading the first chapter I was very excited for the book and to read all about his fighting career; shortly thereafter, I realized the point (I think) wasn't even about "his" fighting career at all. The book is a scattered narrative about different fighting paths/common attributes of fighters. No doubt Sheridan was an adventurous man who lived a different way and did some extraordinary things in his life. I just wanted him to tell me more about those things and more about his training. I learned something from reading this book and considered it worth my time, the jacket was just misleading.
  
  Side note: Sheridan only has 2 fights in this entire book. Maybe 2 1/2.
  
  
• Fantastic view into the realm of fighting!
  By A3U6BW5IOKG9KT on 2007-03-17
  I couldn't put this book down! Sam Sheridan has done a great job in his sweeping personal study of the Art of Fighting. I say this as someone who has boxed a bit, and know first hand what it takes to step into a ring. But this book is much more than that. It's part travel memoir, part fight diary, and really brings the reader full circle through his journey exploring both the physical, and equally important, mental aspects of combat sports. I highly recommend this book! It's high on my list next to Teddy Atlas' memoir and "The Gloves" by Robert Anasi.
  
  
• Insight into why
  By A1M8PP7MLHNBQB on 2007-03-18
  This is a very aptly named book. It is not so much a book on fighting, although there is a lot about fighting in it, but it's a deeper insight into what makes a fighter tick.
  
  I've never understood what makes a fighter tick. Why would someone want to take life and limb into a ring with just the goal of beating someone up? Mr. Sheridan can't answer that question for everyone, but he comes closer than most. It provides a bit of background and understanding for the famous Muhammad Ali quote:
  
  'Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.'
  
  Well, now I understand a little better, but I still don't want to go down the road he took.
  
  
• Good read...and fun
  By A5YPN17UC11Z3 on 2007-03-08
  Cool book. This guy is really trying to find out what "it" is. A really good yarn.
  
  
• Good Book for someone who really trains.
  By AIVGBRJDLSM5Q on 2007-05-25
  The Positives: The book started off with a bang..Training for his first Muay Thai match and the fight itself was awesome. The training for the MMA fight was an interesting look inside a world that is becoming more popular every day. I even found the writing on Brazilian jujitsu and the boxing match to be compelling.
  
  The Negatives: The book decends into pit bull fighting, cockfighting, and being in Mexico as extra in a prison movie.
  
  Conclusion: Sheridan's title is "A Fighter's Heart" but it seemed to me his heart was lacking. This booked seemed to be just an exercise for various material to write/sell to magazines. He is trying to be the George Plimpton of the UFC. His work history is scattered...One month he is a fireman, the next he is working on the Alaskan pipeline, or working on a boat charter inbetween training/following various fighters/fighting styles. I assume his next book will be on race car driving or mountain climbing. I don't mean to come across too harsh...I read the book from cover to cover in a few days. For someone who likes to train...its a good read.
  
  
• Good but not great!
  By A2EB6P4WBQ1HOH on 2007-05-30
  I expected to share in the blood, sweat and tears with Sam as he journeyed through one form of fighting to the next, but with the exception of his experiences while muay Thai fighting, the rest of the book seemed like filler material to me. Without a doubt, Sam's an adventurous guy that has led a life that few lead, but 'A Fighter's Heart' is more about his commentary on fighting than his personal experiences fighting. Although I found the sections on dog and cock fighting as well as the chapter on fictional fighting to be out of place, the most disappointing chapter for me was the one detailing Sam's stint in Oakland. A rather long buildup results in Sam's anticlimactic first and only boxing match that was over in three rounds. At times, it occurred to me that a better title might have been 'A Fighter's Entourage', given that most of what Sam discusses is observations he has made while tagging along with other fighters' crews. I'm sure that Sam is tougher than your average tough guy, but he often came across as a journalist trying to finish a book.
  
  
• Captures the the feeling of training
  By A3D093UY0RMM6O on 2007-04-16
  I started training Brazillian Jiu Jitsu in January 2001 as way to stay in shape and avoid the drudgery of the gym. I have found so much more over the years. Sam Sheridan has brilliantly expressed what I have experienced over my years of training. The camaradrie, the pain, and the mental battle you face every time you spar and fight. I am 40 and plan on training and occasionly fighting until I die a brittle old man. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu sparring has a trueness to it that brings me closer to elightenment. I don't believe in God, but I know that if I have mateo leon, you're going to sleep.
  
  Read this book if you train and fight. It will crystallize the answers to a lot of the questions that come from training to fight. If you don't train, read this book and then you'll be closer to understanding what gameness is and whether you have it.
  
  
• Darn good book!
  By A21JVAO1VNL2LN on 2007-04-15
  Sam did a very good job of bringing to print what it is to be a fighter. If you have experienced the fighter's life this book will bring a smile to your face. If you haven't, you'll get a glimpse of what it takes.
  
  
• A trip through the world of fighting
  By A2QGMISMV8DEJ3 on 2007-07-31
  The book is a vicarious journey through the world of fighting. With the rise in popularity of MMA, such themes are catching on and reflected in TV shows such as the History Channel's "Human Weapon."
  
  The author travels around the world to practice and compete in various forms of martial arts. He goes to Thailand for Muay Thai, Iowa for MMA (from Pat Miletich of UFC fame), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) for Jiu Jitsu, New York (Manhattan) for Tai Chi, and California (Oakland) for boxing. He also travels back to Thailand for Zen meditation, as well as a stint in Hollywood as an extra in an action film starring Paul Walker.
  
  On a higher level, the book attempts to answer philosophical questions as to why humans are attracted to violence. Part of the answer may be cultural, as societies with martial cultures have tended to conquer those without through the ages.
  
  Overall, a good read if you have any interest in martial arts.
  
  
• Excellent Book on the Nature of Fighting
  By A3K9T3HLSN5WFD on 2008-03-26
  Sam Sheridan had the type of early adulthood that someone who it seems is building a life in preparation for a memoir. After graduating from high school, he worked at a merchant marine. He left the merchant marines for Harvard and after graduating from Harvard crewed on an antique yacht as it crossed the globe. Getting off in Australia, he got deeply into Muay Thai (Thai kick boxing) and that is where this memoir/meditation on fighting begins.
  
  Sheridan takes us from a training camp in Thailand, where he is one of a few crazy foreigners, through the mixed martial arts gyms of the Midwest, then to Brazil for Brazilian Jui Jitsu, on to Oakland for traditional boxing, then a detour into the world of dog fighting until we end up back where we started, in Thailand where the world of Muay Thai has changed, and foreigners are everywhere.
  
  This is a remarkably smart book and we see Sheridan's understanding of the nature of fighting change as he ages and becomes more aware of not only the glamour, but the price paid for physical combat. The early sections on Thailand and the MMA gyms in the Midwest have the sort of gallant devil may care attitude that only the young can afford. But latter scenes, including a haunting interview with a fighter who killed someone in the ring and has never gotten over it show you the dark side to all that violence.
  
  I found the chapter on dog fighting out of place and a little too detached in a professional journalism way. Dog fighting is disgusting, and Sheridan should have said so in a more straightforward way. That said, the rest of the book is really top notch with honest portrayals of Sheridan and the fighters he meets. If you're interested in the world of fighting, and what it means to be a fighter, either professionally or in the amateur arena, I highly recommend checking this one out.
  
  
  
• Terrific
  By A3HKVH5ULU0IAL on 2007-03-19
  A beautifully written and experienced journey into a world so few of us every get the chance to really understand. Well done.
  
  
• What Makes a Fighter Tick?
  By A2CRUEQ9QIOT70 on 2007-04-10
  Find out why fighters choose to climb into that ring, and learn the inner workings of the martial arts world. Your view of fighting sports may be turned upside-down.
  
  
• Interesting story
  By A1C83602BW1EEC on 2007-04-10
  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. 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. 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 practicer of combative sports, I think you'll be able to relate to Sam, his questions, and his adventures all the more.
  
  
• Solid study on the motivations of fighting
  By A3MIV7GEUJ79NO on 2007-05-13
  I found this book to be a decent look into what makes fighters tick. The writing is decent if not fantastic, but the subject matter will be very interesting to anyone involved in the fight world in one regard or another. Sheridan atempts to transcend mere adventure/travel writing with a social study type of outlook, and the two sometimes clash resulting in a lack of overall cohesiveness, however I nonetheless found the book to be a quick and interesting read.
  
  
• Hard read
  By AIRIALBUOOQEX on 2008-01-02
  Sam's a diehard adventure seeker and I respect him for getting into the ring. The way he writes, however, is hard to read. There were many run-on sentences that I had to go back and re-read that ruined the flow of the book, which is too bad because it's a good story. A few strategically placed periods that divided the paragraphs into separate ideas would have been greatly appreciated. It's hard to get into a book when you're constantly going back to read a passage two or three times per page. Otherwise it's a fascinating journey.
  
  
• Interesting material, lack of editing, conclusions
  By A3AXR9UP7FVVU9 on 2008-02-22
  Sam Sheridan take us on a sometimes fascinating journey through the world of professional fighting and claims to examine the drive toward violent interaction. Unfortunately his book suffers from 2 major short comings: lack of editing and lack of sufficient conclusion drawing.
  
  With regards to editing he relates every uninteresting, unimportant detail of each of his explorations. He seems so desperate to have content, to show direct quotation that he includes superfluous conversation detail and environmental notes. He is obviously trying to draw context and mood, illustrate the true nature of his subjects, which is very valuable but the extremely poor job he does betrays a simple fact- he is not a skilled writer. As he admits in the book he is a fight fan who figured out how to finance a personal interest.
  
  As to conclusions, he has few. Basically we get the overly detailed minutia of his trips and experiences, peppered with discordant observations. These little insights do not flow well and are repeated. He has really one or two insights into the nature/draw of fighting (both of which he gets from other people) and continually repeats them without elaboration or further exploration. The fact is, he was short on content and forced a 300 pager.
  
  The other issue I had with this book is his sycophantic praise of all things MMA (Mixed Martial Arts- like what you see at a UFC event). It is boring and labored listening to all the good things he has to say about it and why it, and it's participants are better then all other fighting/fighters. If you are into MMA and want personal validation then maybe this is the book for you. If you want a real exploration of fighting and the psychosis of masculinity, don't waste the money.
  
  PLOT SPOILER: It's also worth noting that due to a string of injuries and shady dealings Mr. Sheridan only participated in two fights over the 6 or so years that elapse in the space of the book. In other words, what does he really know about fighting?
  
  
• Beautifully Written and Insightful
  By AENVBEJ7NR0JP on 2007-04-02
  I loved this book. Sheridan's work is written in such a way as to reveal the inner workings of a world about which most of us know very little. If you train at all in martial arts, wrestling, or any other form of fighting, this book will offer you knowledge of what goes on outside your own niche. If you don't have any experience in fighting or sparring, this book may completely change the way you think about fighting as a sport.
  
  I highly recommend this book to anyone who is either interested in fighting or interested in learning more about people in general.
  
  
• Captures the essence of fighting!
  By A1PHFZUMVRN2J6 on 2007-05-14
  I could not put this book down. Sam Sheridan takes you inside the mind of a fighter and one learns that it is more than a vicious sport. I am a martial artist (Karate) and reading Sam's passages was like taking my thoughts and seeing them in print for the first time.
  
  Anyone involved in the martial arts or wanting to know the mind-set of a martial artist/fighter should read this book.
  
  
• awesome
  By A20YZ1987FQQXT on 2007-05-18
  as i fan and participant in many martial arts over the years....this book truly touched at the core of it.....some of the book i felt like was paralleling my own experiences especially with the chronic injuries.....i had my shoulder thrown out doing jiu jitsu in rio as well....lots of rib injuries..haha.....all part of the adventure.....i highly recommend this read to anyone interested in the fighting arts....
  
  
• Great Book if You Have Any Interest in Fighting
  By A3EIBZ0O6M1YR1 on 2007-05-31
  This is one of those books where you ask yourself when you finish reading it....was it worth my time and money? The answer here is hell yah!!
  
  It was fascinating and very well written. The only negative is that I am personally very bothered by the dog fighting in the news these days, so the one chapter near the end on dog fighting and why people do it, wasn't going over well for me.
  
  However dont let that stop you. If you watch MMA or boxing or train in these sports, this book is a great investment.
  
  
• More of TKO than KO
  By A2D0921IN229P6 on 2007-06-05
  Sam does an outstanding job of outlining some of the aspects of the nature and philosophy of fighting. His accounts of Thailand, MMA and Brazil are brilliant and offer a great perspective into the fighting world. While the discussion of dog fighting seemed a little off, when placed in the context of Latin America, it makes more sense. Readers of these reviews shouldn't believe Sam is advocating dog fighting, but he uses it as an example of the differences between Latin American perspectives and US perspectives on fighting.
  Generally, the book does start out a lot more exciting than the finish, but it serves as an accurate and linear account of "One Man's Journey Through the World of Fighting". As a fighter, I know that fighting turns from an adrenaline rush to a way of life. The book takes on that same model, starting out with the amazing sport of Muay Thai and begins to settle down as Sam experiences a wide range of fighting styles and training. Thank you Sam for shedding light on a topic that most people believe is either taboo or simply barbaric.
  
  
• I like this book.
  By A3L0BSTD4HME5E on 2007-06-08
  This is a book about traveling as much as it is about fighting. Felt like i was in Thailand reading the book. An easy read.
  
  

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