"A wonderful ride that encompasses the true essence of martial arts. Olech beautifully relates the common man with the teachings and spirit of many of the sport's masters. --Joe Ferraro, host of UFC Central radio"
This book has a promising title, which led to me buying it. Upon closer inspection it is not much more than a string of interviews though, or rather summaries of interviews that have been conducted by the author. While in itself they are interesting and entertaining to read, especially since Christopher Olech conducts these interviews with a who is who of combat sports, from Tomasz Adamek , a famous polish boxer to Firas Zahabi, the head coach of Tristar Gym. It does however fall short of the promised dissection of a fighters mind. Instead of giving us "insights into the minds and souls of true champions" it is more a "journey of an MMA fan who meets a lot of famopus people from the fighting circuit" Most of the chapters of this book, saidf interview summaries, would be better suited on a forum, such as sherdog or bloodyelbow. The only glimpses of what this book really should have ben about are the last two chapters, one an explanation of jiu jitsu by Firas Zahabi and one summary like extraction of core traits exhibited by all fighters and their applications to ones personal lives.
To sum it up in the words of Georges St. Pierre, a famous mixed martial artist: "Mr. Olech, I am not impressed by your performance"