The Will to Keep Winning

by Daigo Umehara

"No matter what your life plan is, no matter what your project, a close reading of the life and thoughts of Daigo will give you deep insight into how to be successful and help you reach your goals."—Frank Lantz, Director, NYU Game Center"When Daigo wins, he does not simply elevate his own status, he elevates the entire genre alongside him. Through his play, and through his approach to life, Daigo changes the way people think about the game, and inspires even his enemies to new heights. This is what separates a mere winner from an all-time great."—Seth Killian, Lead Game Designer at Riot Games"Daigo and I started an international journey to showcase Street Fighter competition in 1998. Today, he is the Grand Master of fighting games and true inspiration to players worldwide.”—Alex Valle, CaliPower, Mr. Street Fighter“It’s almost impossible to overstate the significance of The Beast for the practice and culture of gaming; as Bruce Lee was for the Martial Arts, so Daigo Umehara is for Fighting Games.”—Prof. Chris Goto-Jones, Professor of Comparative Philosophy & Political Thought, Leiden University"I’m a professional fighting gamer. I was first crowned World Champion at seventeen in 1998, and I was recognized as “the most successful player in major tournaments of Street Fighter” by Guinness World Records in August 2010.This is my chance to tell you how I became World Champion and share insights as only a multiple time World Champion can. What does it take to win? Why do so many eventually lose their edge? Let me share with you the professional skills necessary to become World Champion and keep winning. These skills will certainly help you to advance, in both the world of eSports and beyond."—Daigo "The Beast" UmeharaIn Daigo “The Beast” Umehara’s first book, the most successful Street Fighter player in history reveals the secrets of becoming-and remaining-a world champion.Daigo’s story of passion and perseverance offers seasoned pros and non-gamers alike an intensely personal view into the world of competitive video gaming, or eSports, starting from years before the term existed.Follow Daigo on his road to pro, beginning with his childhood love of games, his search for communi-ty in the arcades, and his first international victory at age 17 in the 1998 Street Fighter Alpha 3 World Championships against American champion Alex Valle.Get an insider’s account of “EVO Moment #37: The Beast Is Unleashed,” the most famous comeback in fighting game history, against long-time rival Justin Wong in Street Fighter 3rd Strike.Hear the real story behind Daigo’s mysterious disappearance from the fighting game scene and detour into the mahjong world, his personal low point, and his triumphant return from retirement in the 2009 EVO Street Fighter IV Grand Finals.Be Like Learn from Daigo’s mix of stoic dedication, love for the game, and practice practice practice, as the Japanese master describes how to stay on top while constantly evolving, avoiding complacency, and seeking out new challenges.About the AuthorDAIGO "The Beast" UMEHARA(born 1981, Aomori Prefecture, Japan) was the first Japanese professional gamer, and is listed in Guinness Book as “the most successful player in major tournaments of Street Fighter (Capcom, 1987) at national and international level.” He became World Champion in Street Fighter Alpha 3 in 1998, signed a sponsorship contract with Mad Catz in April 2010 and with Red Bull in May 2016. He is also a Twitch's Global Ambassador.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Biography, Games, Philosophy, Psychology, Gaming

142 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 4, 2016

Reviews

[Adam Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

The theme of this book is that endurance and practice are far more important to success than innate ability. The author does not disappoint on expounding upon this maxim in a direct and compelling autobiographical work. There is a lot of detail about the number of hours he practices per day, how he thinks about the fighting games in which he competes, and how he thinks about competition in general.

Perhaps the most interesting question the author touches upon is why he dedicated his life to fighting games in the first place. The quick answer is that he did it because he enjoyed it. But there's more to it than that.

For example, from a relatively young age, Daigo had a singular focus on playing video games. He did not aspire to learn programming to make video games, become an artist to animate them, or really have anything to do with their creation. He only liked playing them. He experienced a type of self-growth the deeper he delved into a game's mechanics.

His insistence on doing only what he enjoyed was a risky proposition given that there was no evidence at the time he started out (and for many years after) that Street Fighter, or any video game, would ever become an "e-sport" from which a select few 'gamers' could make actual money and acquire sponsors like professional athletes.

His choices as a whole forced me to ponder whether it is right to do what you love in life even if there is no evidence that it will ever amount to anything. Don't get me wrong. I'm not against someone trying to become a pro baseball player even though only a select few players ever make the big leagues. Swing for the stars by all means.

I'm talking about dedicating one's life to baseball in a hypothetical world where baseball as a profession hasn't even been invented yet. Picture it - No major leagues, no minor leagues, no stadiums, no fans, and no peanuts; just a group of guys who go down to the park everyday and play a little known sport that requires even lesser known tools (a ball and a bat).

It's all quite a risk, but in Daigo's case it paid off bigtime. The world of E-sports blossomed and is showing no sign of slowing down. I'm truly happy (and relieved) for him that it all worked out.

I recommend this book for many reasons, chiefly because Daigo is great at explaining by example how one can become better skilled in any profession or arena that requires competition. It's also a pretty quick read.

Some negatives - I think Daigo could have given just a little more description of what a fighting game is and how they play. I'm familiar with that type of game, but someone who has never played one might have difficulty relating to the subject matter. Also, I would have liked to have a little more background on how e-sports as a monetized profession evolved in general and fighting games with them. (I know the answers to those questions but I'm not sure a mainstream reader would)

[Geoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I consider this book to be one of the top motivational books I have read to date. Daigo Umehara offers a unique view in to his view on being the premiere Pro Fighting Gamer on the planet.

What impressed me is how Daigo views his profession. It's not about reaching the top for the sake of being the best it's the journey of mastering and understanding something you are passionate about and continually working at all areas and new challenges that you can get from it which will then lead to further personal development. An example of his philosophy, when engaging an opponent prepare for and attack their strengths because defeating them by going after their weaknesses does not cause your skill to grow.

This book has provided me with a valuable checklist of sorts, which I did not have before, that I will use when looking in to or dealing with future and even current endeavors. Very highly recommended.

[Marx Andrade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given my current journey into Pro gaming, this book was infinitely useful to me. Not that anything said was completely new to me, but that it was reaffirming of my previously held notions of what it takes to be great. I see a lot of myself in daigo, from reliance on deep thought, rebellion and self improvement. This book definitely gave me some comfort and solace in my notion that greatness is often achieved by the road less traveled. I hope to be in Daigo's position one day, giving advice to people who aspire to be like me.

[Jeff Ye · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was in middle school, once my friend came to me, with flying colors on his face, and told the tale of this street fighter player's unbelievable comeback during a championship game, with only 1 pixel of vitality, he somehow made the impossible 15 consecutive "parry" of opponent's super attack and won the game. "God-like" my friend claimed.

Almost 15 years after the event, now I’m living in California, where that miracle happened. The other day I saw a e-sports video, I don't really follow e-sports, but this one caught my attention, this player is something different: the calmness, like a pond without a single ripple; the style, so spontaneous with sometimes even beginner like moves. Yet he's crushing his opponents, total domination. How can a e-sports athlete demonstrate such zen like state, I thought to myself. I’ve been reading a lot of books on the topic of zen, the competitive and glamorous e-sports world feels like the complete opposite of the zen buddhist temple.

So I decided to read this book, and not surprisingly, a lot of the ideas resonate with zen teachings. I don’t think the author does zen practice at all, but he seems to have reached the realm of zen with his own way of struggle to reach the top, and to keep winning, so his journey feels like a very secular approach to the topic of zen. Without spoiling too much, one idea this book touched multiple times is this continuous progress, without dwelling upon the end result too much. The author goes to arcade to practice 363 days (the other 2 days is new year and new year’s eve when he spends with family), even the night after winning championships. He doesn’t think about it too much, he just goes there, and the possibility of making small discoveries to improve his game is exciting enough. I can’t help but think about zen teachings about practicing zazen (sitting meditation): when doing zazen, just sit and pay attention to what arises, one doesn’t gain enlightenment by doing zazen everyday, doing zazen everyday itself is enlightenment.

I’ll leave the rest to yourself, the book does feel like a bestselling chicken soup book sometimes but it’s a short read and I think it’s worth the time.

[Vedran Karlić · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a very small chance that you’ll read this book if you don’t know who Daigo is, or if you are not into esport. But you should. It’s very good book that talks a bit about a game, slightly more about his past, and mostly about his mindset and motivation. How to come and stay on the top in long term. And not only that, he talks that you should keep doing what you love if you enjoy that.

[Anh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished it in 3 days

From the moment I purchase this book I went on a binge read. I was more than half way through on the very first day. This book gave me a lot of insight about life as well as tips and tricks to become a better and more competitive gamer. I guess you could say it rekindled my competitive spirit. Highly recommend for anyone who wishes to improve themselves and grow as a person.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short sweet and to the point. Carries exceptional advice and wisdom you can apply to all facets of life, not just fighting games. Only wish it were a bit longer to hear more of his story.

[Victor Jesus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um mergulho fascinante na rotina de um dos maiores campeões da história dos e-Sports. Sua jornada não só pra vencer, mas para continuar vencendo(como ele enfatiza) é inspiradora e com certeza pode proporcionar muitas ideias a qualquer pessoa que deseja não só atingir a excelência, como também mantê-la.

Apesar dos assuntos mais gerais como motivação e esforço contínuo, acredito que a proposta não terá o mesmo impacto caso o leitor não esteja familiarizado com o cenário competitivo de videogames, já que o livro parte desses exemplos (baseado na jornada do autor) para concatenar a sua mensagem.

No demais, Umehara no decorrer do livro se depara com conclusões muito interessantes sobre o comportamento humano e o poder do hábito, conclusões essas que se relacionam com muito do que havia lido anteriormente. Gostei de ver o amadurecimento do autor ao final da obra, sua mudança de perspectiva acerca da socialização, cuidado com a saúde e até mesmo abrindo mão dos treinos intensos e perigosos. Seu hiato em um abrigo de idosos traz reflexões incríveis do como podemos redescobrir antigas paixões após se distanciar por um longo período e como isso pode amadurecer nosso olhar para as coisas boas a nossa volta.

[Aaron Eby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read for any fan of fighting games or other competitive forms of entertainment. From the mind of a master in his field, and a story of inspiration that will encourage readers to follow their dreams even if they seem absurd on the surface. This is also a short book making it perfect for those with limited time.

[Trisha Roberson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lesson: hard work trumps all (talent, youth, luck). Put in the most hours and you will be the best. Explore and don't be afraid to fail. Focus on continuous improvement, not on winning.

[Nathaniel Jonathan Slawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much to think about

There's so much good insight to highlight and reread on not only growing in fighting games, but growing as a human being.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've always been a fan of fighting games to play casually since I was young. I enjoyed Street Fighter 2 as a kid and Marvel vs. Capcom as a young teen. Throughout my teen years and early twenties I enjoyed button mashing with some friends on competitive fighting games and played Smash Brothers Melee almost religiously. I also got into watching the eSports tournament scene - especially EVO each year.

I've cultivated an even deeper and more passionate love of fighting games in the last two years with the release of Guilty Gear Strive in 2021 and Street Fighter 6 just last month. Now that I play these games on the regular, watch videos from players, and have even attended 2 in person tournaments, I'd consider myself a fairly passionate fighting game fan.

With that background I am a fan of Daigo Umehara. I've watched videos of him play, I've watched him compete live through twitch, I've even watched translated interviews and training sessions. I was excited to read his book and while it was enjoyable in a sense, I am a little disappointed by it's lack of depth and specificity.

You can tell the book has been translated from Japanese, it has strange syntaxes and some weird phrases. Despite that, his writing style is simple, and it flows pretty well. It's a very easy read and the book flies by, I read it in only three sessions. Daigo's pace and organization in short little chunks makes for an enjoyable and quick read.

However I was hoping for a more in-depth analysis of his skills, thought processes, and decision making while playing fighting games. I was also expecting more specificity in talking about fighting games and characters. Instead the book feels a bit more like a generic self-help book about setting goals and sticking to a regimen of training. He provides more overarching and nebulous advice like practice each day, don't obsess over losing, focus on improvement rather than winning. While this is all useful and practical advice - it does feel more like regurgitated motivational quotes rather than interesting and insightful commentary.

And unfortunately even though the book is a slight 180 pages in a slim short book, it feels like Daigo repeats himself often. The three takeaways I outlined above are basically repeated in different ways throughout the entire book. It never gets really very specific on how he achieves these things or what sort of exercises he would encourage.

The biographical part of the book is also rather slim and shallow. Daigo talks a bit about his childhood and growing up and his struggles to find a passion in life. While interesting in parts, it again feels a bit to shallow to really shine a light on what makes him special as a player. There's very little of a timeline of events or analysis of his matches or tournament wins.

Part of my disappointment stems from my own expectations of the book. While I was hoping it would be a more in-depth and specific look at fighting game strategies, it provides more generic advice about how to stay motivated and on task. While I was wanting a raw and unfiltered look at Daigo's thought process and emotions, the book gives a more watered down brief timeline of his life. While not a waste of time - due to how quickly the book can be read - it's not quite the insightful and interesting biography I was hoping for.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The message was clear overall, and some of the ideas were quite coherent and built on each other. However, he repeated certain things a lot in different words and overall I think you wouldn't really learn that much from this book unless you're absolutely unfamiliar with the concept that people who are good are things aren't necessarily just natural-born talents but are more often people who put in a lot of effort.

It was frankly very boring to read at times even though it was a short book. I couldn't wait for it to end at times and at other times I did enjoy the ideas he was presenting somewhat. At the start of the book he was being a lot more autobiographical, and it's what I enjoyed the most. Later on he just talks about how to win and how to keep winning and says all kinds of things some of which are basically the same thing in lots of different ways. It's the typical self-help trap where the ideas just keep repeating over and over and you basically stop having any use for it about halfway in.

In the end his message is just put in the effort, but not so much that it's unhealthy, and do things because you genuinely love to do them and not just because you want to triumph. Because someone who puts in their everything into something they are genuinely passionate about will most likely triumph over someone putting as much in as they need only to triumph.

What resonated with me a bit was that he said "when you win, don't celebrate but keep going right away." For example, don't just take a long break after acing a test, keep studying because you genuinely want to learn and always be in the state of learning.

[Artylo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think my expectations set me up for disappointment. I was under the impression that this would be more of a memoir of Daigo Umehara's. And while it does have trace elements of that, which I greatly enjoyed, most of it is in reality a self-help book.

And it is not a bad self-help book by any means. Daigo is fairly down to earth about his road to success, emphasising on a strict work ethic, belief in one's own decision, and his attempts to not become stagnant and complacent. Even as a non-professional player, or perhaps not even a player at all, one can expect to gain something from it. It's very didactic in nature, which might rub you in the wrong way if listening to a thirty-something year-old Japanese man, who has played video games his whole life, and to much more acclaim than you doing your desk job sounds like a form of ego death.

The main thing that struck me is that he never goes into detail about how he became Japanese champion in any of the games he's played. Nor does he elaborate on how he went on to become World Champion. He did all of this at around age nineteen, which you would think is impressive enough to remark upon. But, in reality, all you get is the impression is that he was born, chose games as his vocation, and then - would you look at that - he's a World Champion.

I think if he had somehow glued a lot of his admittedly repetitive advice to anecdotes from his own personal life, there might have been move value in it than just raw platitudes about how you need to be like the generals from The Romance of The Three Kingdoms. Lu Bu might be peerless under heaven, but I'm certainly not.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like many others, Daigo Umehara first came across my radar when I saw the YouTube video of his match with Justin Wong at EVO 2004. So it seems only fitting that Daigo would open his autobiography with that story.

The Will to Keep Winning is more than just a chronological list of events in Daigo's life. It's a honest look into the convictions and beliefs that have pushed Daigo (for better and/or worse) to become the player he is today. While Daigo's accomplishments have been mythologized over and over again in the press, his autobiography really takes you behind the curtain to understand the amount of work, dedication, and sheer willpower it takes to accomplish those goals. As the famous Michelangelo quote goes "If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all."

I really enjoyed Daigo's autobiography. I've long been a believer that skills worth having are those that only come from back-breaking amounts of work, and Daigo's skills are no different. Far from being a prodigy blessed with natural talent, his book does a fantastic job of laying out exactly the mindset needed to (in his words) go from being a ten to an eleven and beyond. While he avoids trying to draw too many analogies to worlds outside of eSports, I think the overall theme of the book is something everyone can find applicable, regardless of whether or not you play video games.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a man with a gaming background that decided to stop gaming after seeing its negative impact on my life. I used to spend 10h+ hours in a day playing and wasting all the remaining time in my day thinking about the game. So when I went into this book, I worried about which kind of lessons it would portray, but even so, the history of Daigo fascinated me so much I decided to give it a try.

And I was right - well, sort of. The author tries too much to normalize spending absurd amounts of hours playing, something that has damaged me and will damage future generations. He truly thinks through hard work alone he conquered many tournaments and became the 1st Japanese eSports pro athlete. Completely ignoring the generations of teenagers that played just as much as him, but when the time came, weren’t able to play professionally and now have nothing to show for after thousands of hours of so called “hard work”.

That being said, even though I disagree with many things he wrote, this book resonated a lot with me in the first 1/3rd of it. Growing up feeling isolated probably plays a part in many of the gaming addicts nowadays and the way Daigo describes his childhood really made me ponder mine, something I haven’t done in a long time. That’s the only reason why I do not regret reading this book. The last 2/3rds is trash though, just a motivational book tailored for gamers full of common sense lessons.

[Jacob Eaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

While at times repetitive, Daigo’s unique philosophy on life is refreshing and inspiring.

Some personal highlights:
- self-actualization as an end-goal in life has a domino effect; taking pride in your efforts and giving your best leads to self-satisfaction of the highest quality.
- how to stay humble/grounded despite successes: recognizing our results are a sum-total of accumulated skills/knowledge, not a sign of being a better human being.
- Never celebrate too long, live life at a sustainable level of happiness (“think 60, not 100”. “100” often has a reverse effect of high highs, low lows)
- consistency brings results; pushing too hard or too little brings injury/disappointment. Find a sustainable way to get more experience than your opponents and you will likely win.
- Life is a beautiful journey to be enjoyed, effort is how we experience our fullest personal journeys.
- Never let others dictate what you enjoy; cultivate your passions, have confidence in taking a journey less traveled. You will end up where you need to be/belong, as long as you keep traveling
- never ceasing or shying away from change is key to continued growth.

While his childhood and upbringing are a bit dry, his principles for a happy life and unique experiences at the top of his field make this an excellent read.

[Chaos0x57 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly interesting!

The first part of this book focuses more on Daigo's life story. He gives you a lot of details on his psychological side, how his childhood was, his relationship with his family regarding gaming, his problems, etc. You get to see the human side behind the champion, his frustrations and his obstacles. For those who have known Daigo mainly as the OG fighting game champion, seeing him as a vulnerable human is very interesting. Some parts are very emotional, such as the description of the night he discovered real friendship.

The second part focuses on Daigo trying to explain his methods and mindset as an eSports athlete. While I was not super interested in such advice, reading it still gives you more insight into his mind and helps you understand the person that makes the champion, what it took him to get there and stay there.

A very interesting story from the person who actually made it. This is written from the person who actually achieved success, not just a "coach" who wants to profit off of people's dreams.

Recommended even if you're not into eSports.

[Henry · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the autobiography of Daigo, one of the greatest competing fighting game players of all time. I used to be really into these so I thought it’d be fun to reminisce and live through shared experiences.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t very good. It’s quite short and doesn’t really go into detail about Daigo’s life. It’s a whistle-stop tour of major events, which is a shame given that he’s had some unique experiences. The writing also suffered from a lacklustre translation; there’s no real excitement to any of the passages.

It’s remarkably lacking in fighting game talk. Matches and events are sped through at breakneck pace. Who is this book for?

The second half degenerates into an almost self-help book experience. This felt very silly, given that Daigo explicitly says he became great at gaming by grinding for an inhuman amount of hours. This is an excruciating undertaking and not recommended by the book, as it clearly isn’t healthy for anyone! His recommended methods of improvement are pretty generic and clearly not what brought him to the summit.

Didn’t do much for me.

[Juan Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d always known Daigo Umehara as a pioneer in the competitive gaming scene and have both heard and seen his accolades as well as his defining moments over the years, but it wasn’t until reading this that I can only begin to understand the commitment and passion that has gone into his career spanning over 30 years. I found myself resonating so deeply with his words when speaking about the love he holds for gaming and the drive it took for him to not only compete but win in a field that has only begun to gain recognition in recent years. This isn’t a book about gaming, this is a book about competing in general and what it takes to be the best in whatever you do.

One of the most inspiring reads I’ve had in years, and I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone who has ever dreamt of competing in any regard, especially in a field that many would look down upon.

[AJ Delmonico · Rating 3 out of 5]

Upon completion of this book I immediately went home and progressed my competitive rank from Ultra Bronze to Silver League in Street Fighter V. I did so with the knowledge imparted to me by The Beast himself. This is a solid look into the mind of the world's first fighting game professional who is a pioneer for competitive video game celebrities. It is written at a brisk and informational pace and most of the ideas are general enough that they apply to all of life and not just video games. If I make it to Gold league this thing gets another star.

3 dropped combos out of 5 (because that's what happens when I play).

[Peter H Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great autobiography from a pro gamer but wish he developed more morals and storis

As to many autobiography , daig o provides insights influence and how he succeed and stayed on too .however the book is limited in details and he did not go into his personal life o struggles too much . There are too many repeat of hard work and learning from failure theme with scant details . Perhaps he is also younger which limit his life experience or he honestly spent time either gaming so could not offer as much insights . Overall it's a good read gives some new perspective but no depth

[Dario Delfino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Inspiring, even if you don't know anything about fighting videogames. This man's determination is fantastic, he acts like a real hero... The book is full of useful teachings, such as: keep training until you feel satisfied, never underestimate the importance of health, act to keep growing and become better instead of just aiming to a goal, make effort and deep thinking a habit, always change in order to improve, and so on.
For me, the book was even more appealing because I love games!

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting read, providing insight to the philosophy of Daigo Umehara. The book is divided into small segments that outline a single rule/philosophy that he learned in his life as he goes through the different "arcs" of his life. It gives some general rules that can prove useful for those who are trying to be the best of the best in whatever field, although because it's so abstract and somewhat specific to fighting games, I'm not sure how useful it would actually be. In any case, it was a short, interesting look into how Daigo lived/lives his life.

[Jacob Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read, and highly motivational. Obviously a major theme of the book is hard work, but it was interesting to see the perspective of a pro gamer. Now I'm not a pro gamer nor do I ever plan to be, but his story shows how hard work can and should be applied to whatever it is that you do. I think the book brings more value to those who play / are interested in eSports, but there is definitely some value to be had in this book for those who aren't.

It's not a long read, and I couldn't think of any parts that dragged on too long.

[Nicholas Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading this book as a bit; however, I ended up enjoying it.

First of all, Daigo is not a great writer, and a plain storyteller. But anyone who picks up a book written by one of the best Street Fighter players in the world isn't necessarily looking for expert prose. The book has a surprising amount of good wisdom in it. It was good to get the thought process of one of the most stone-faced men in esports. He really is a stoic monk on the path to strength.

A decent text about accepting the world as it and how to improve yourself in an always fluctuating world.

[Juliana Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, pleasant, and dare I say, inspiring read— I wasn’t expecting it! Daigo has a ton of unique insight to share that can be applied to long or short-term goals (even if you are not a gaming savant). He offers great perspective as someone who has won at the top of his game (literally), struggled with what comes after being at the top, returning to something you love after a needed break, approaching success in different ways at various points in your life, and redefining the value of “winning” in a sustainable/healthy way.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get into the mind of the beast and see what it takes to forge your own path in the world, gaming or otherwise. I wish he would have gone a bit more in depth at times, but the message within really made me think and take stock of the way I go about things at times. Highly recommended even for those that don't play fighting games. Though some of the references may be lost on you, the meat of the book is how to apply yourself and that applies to all things in life.

[Leo K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mentorship in book form.

Most resonant with those who enjoy and take seriously competitive games. Even if that doesn't describe you, though, there's a lot to learn from Daigo's approach to life itself. I don't find a lot of self help or self development books useful, but Daigo is the real deal. His words ring true. They may be bitter sometimes but in a way that just makes his suggestions so much more honest and genuine.

[Saint Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it because I started playing Street Fighter 6. It's not a guide on how to get better at the game exactly. While there is advice and his own philosophy on improvement, it's actually a, simplistically written, autobiography of someone who was among the first to actually have a go at a career that didn't really exist before the 21st century and the at times lonely path that was the walk towards a healthy relationship with the concept of striving to be the best at something in the world.