A Fighter's Heart: One Man's Journey Through the World of Fighting | 
 enlarge | Author: Sam Sheridan
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Category: Book
List Price: $25.00
Buy New: $4.97
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Rating:  48 reviews
Sales Rank: 152487
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6.2 x 1.3
ISBN: 0871139502
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.8092
EAN: 9780871139504
ASIN: 0871139502
Publication Date: January 2, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
In 1999, after a series of wildly adventurous jobs around the world, Sam Sheridan found himself in Australia, loaded with cash and intent on not working until he’d spent it all. It occurred to him that, without distractions, he could finally indulge a long-dormant obsession: fighting. Within a year, he was in Bangkok training with the greatest fighter in muay Thai (Thai kickboxing) history and stepping through the ropes for a professional bout. That one fight wasn’t enough. Sheridan set out to test himself on an epic journey into how and why we fight, facing Olympic boxers, Brazilian jiu-jitsu stars, and Ultimate Fighting champions. Along the way, Sheridan delivers an insightful look at violence as a career and a spectator sport, a behind-the-pageantry glimpse of athletes at the top of their terrifying game. An extraordinary combination of gonzo journalism and participatory sports writing, A Fighter’s Heart is a dizzying first-hand account of what it’s like to reach the peak of finely disciplined personal aggression, to hit—and be hit.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 43 more reviews...
 excellent book December 29, 2008
As a young man trying to become a professional fighter myself, I found Sheridan's journey to be the best book on the sport of MMA that has come out as well as one of the better books that focuses on boxing as well. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has deemed MMA as human cockfighting or anything of that nature. Educate yourself and read this book! While it is biased towards the sport he does deliver the truth as well, stating the fact that there is risk of injury etc.. but also does an excellent job describing the fighter's psyche.
Sam is the man November 6, 2008
Sam Sheridan is an amazing man to say the least. A merchant marine, a Harvard grad, fire fighter, oil rig worker, writer and a fighter. They lists of this man's accomplishments alone are something to be looked up too. A Fighters Heart is a well rounded book that delves into all aspects of fighting and mixed martial arts. Sam starts off in Thailand training in Muay Thai and the book really draws you in because the way he describes Thailand is amazing from the people to the devastating art of Muay Thai you will be immersed in the story. Sam's book also leads him to Iowa to train with Pat Miletech, Tim Slyvia, Jens Pulver (who also wrote a great book about fighting) and many more eventually he even trains BJJ with Minotauro. This book to me is great because you get to learn about all of the fighters that you see on TV and you get to see what makes them tick but most of all it shows you the heart that they all have and what it really takes to be a fighter. Some chapters are lengthy and somewhat boring like the boxing chapter but all in all I think this book was well worth the read.
Enjoyable September 19, 2008
I'm into fighting so of course I had to read this. It's pretty interesting and easy to get into. It does get a little slow in parts but over all a good read.
Great writing, compulsively readable June 23, 2008
Maybe my favorite book of the last 2 years. The only book I've given out as a gift more than once - to my martial arts teacher, and to a co-worker who appreciates MMA.
Highlights for me: Sam writes well. He's simply a clear, thoughtful writer who reminds me of Hemingway. Clear, simple - but with real insight and smarts, and toughness. The story is fascinating. Makes me want to retrace his steps though the modern gravity wells of fighting - Bangkok, Brasil, Northern California, NYC, the US midwest.
Read it if you enjoy the strategy dimension of MMA, and wonder what motivates these guys to test themselves in combat.
Plenty of "Heart" June 20, 2008
A Fighter's Heart by Sam Sheridan decodes the mystery of the pugilistic, roughhousing or mixing it up instinct, one I never really "got." There has been plenty said and written about the urge or instinct, but "Heart" provides a context, a ringside view in setting after setting, one fight then another, on one continent and then another, in the experiences the author (also a fighter) has in Eastern and Western styles, from the ancient, classic and traditional to the newer, Mixed Martial Arts fighting forms. If you never really understood why a person would as an amateur, a pro or for play start, join or continue a fight, then you'll be intrigued by this page turner. The reasons for the fight are more than "just meet me outside," more than we ever might have figured. On the home front, Sheridan gives us a look at the making of 2004 Olympic Gold medalist for the U.S., Andre Ward and his trainer, Virgil Hunter.
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