The Fighter's Mind

In his acclaimed national best seller, A Fighter's Heart, Sam Sheridan took readers with him as he stepped through the ropes into the dangerous world of professional fighting. From a muay Thai bout in Bangkok to Rio, where he trained with jiu-jitsu royalty, to Iowa, where he matched up against the t [...]
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In his acclaimed national best seller, A Fighter's Heart, Sam Sheridan took readers with him as he stepped through the ropes into the dangerous world of professional fighting. From a muay Thai bout in Bangkok to Rio, where he trained with jiu-jitsu royalty, to Iowa, where he matched up against the toughest mixed martial arts stars, Sheridan threw himself into a quest to understand how and why we fight. In The Fighter's Mind, Sheridan does for the brain what his first book did for the body. Every athlete knows that physical skill and conditioning are only a small part of what makes a champion. Sheridan heard time and again (in Yogi Berra fashion) that "fighting is ninety percent mental, half the time." But what do fighters and trainers mean, exactly? Fighting--two guys in a ring smashing each other--is the ultimate physical endeavor. Are they spouting an empty cliche, or is there something more to it? To uncover the secrets of mental strength and success, Sheridan interviewed dozens of the world's most fascinating and dangerous men. He spoke at length with celebrated trainers Freddie Roach and Greg Jackson; champion fighters Randy Couture, Frank Shamrock, and Marcelo Garcia; ultrarunner David Horton; chess prodigy (and the inspiration for Searching for Bobby Fischer) turned tai chi expert Josh Waitzkin; and the legendary wrestler Dan Gable, among others. What are their secrets? How do they stay committed through years of training, craft a game plan, and adjust to the realities of the ring? How do they hold strong to their identity, recover from crushing defeat, and rein in their ego after victory? How do they project strength when weak, and remain mentally tough despite incredible physical pain? This captivating book, bursting at the seams with incredible stories and fascinating insight will appeal to all readers, not just the large core of fighting fans. After all, as Sheridan writes in The Fighter's Mind, "we're all fighting something."