Strength is born of necessity

"Strength is born of necessity"

A late night conversation a few days ago saw this little comment come out of me, practically without thought. And since, I have realised how true it is. The strength to endure the things that life throws at us is born out of the necessity to bear them. Without suffering, without fear and pain and grief, there is no strength. Without these things, we remain as weak and helpless as the day we were born.

Most of us go through times where things are so bad it seems impossible to bear. But you get through, because you have to, because there is no other option other than the complete submission of one’s dignity, pride and honour.

We endure because we must, but we must endure in order to become stronger.

BOOK REVIEW: A Fighter’s Heart by Sam Sheridan

A Fighter’s Heart is a fascinating journey through the world of professional fighting. The author, Sam Sheridan, finds himself in Australia with plenty of cash, a determination not to work until he has spent it all, and a single desire- to find out what makes two men want to get into a ring or a cage and inflict extreme physical harm upon one another, and then do it himself.

The narrative get’s going in Thailand, at a rural muay thai camp where the author has begun training. As someone who has been training muay thai for a few months now, and has his eye set on both Thai training camps and competitive fighting, I found this section interesting and informative, in the end only strengthening my desire to do both. Culminating in the author’s first ever fight, apparently against a Japanese heavyweight karate champion, this section of the book proves an excellent introduction to the devastating thai fighting style.

From here, Sheridan travels the globe pursuing the fighting arts. First off, a stint with MMA legend and so-called ’supercoach’ Pat Miletich (creator of the Miletich Fighting System and one of the pioneers of the new breed of ’can-do-everything’ fighters who are equally skilled in all elements of the game) in Iowa. Sheridan finds himself training with the likes of former UFC heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia, and takes part in his second fight, this time an MMA bout. Sheridan’s comments on the UFC and MMA in general make for some interesting reading, especially considering the progress the sport has made since.

This is where things stall a little. A shoulder injury early on in his stint in Brazil learning BJJ sees Sheridan sit out the majority of his time there, instead focusing on the fights of others, including an Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira fight against Fedor Emelianenko in Pride FC. Interesting though this is, the reader is left feeling Sheridan’s disappointment- watching other people do stuff is all well and good, but you can’t learn something as complex as Brazilian Jiu-jitsu without doing it yourself.

Returning to the States, the author spends a little time with tai chi master C.C Chen, whose no-bullshit take on using tai chi for fighting leads to some interesting insights, though the section feels too short to fully pursue them. Next, he trains boxing with Virgil Hunter, which offers further insights this time into the world of boxing, its evolution and decline, though much of what is said in truth cements my lack of interest in boxing compared to muay thai and MMA. So far, however, Sheridan has been kept out of the ring since his MMA fight, largely by injury, and though we are told the point of his boxing training is to compete in an amateur bout, Sheridan eventually disposes of this idea. Instead, he says, he will return to Thailand to train and (he hopes) fight in Burma (or Myanmar as it is referred to here) where the fights are similar to Thailand, but bare-knuckle and with head butts allowed. This restores the reader’s excitement in the author fighting- Burmese lethwe fighting is the raw, bloody edge of modern ring fighting, without the cushion of protective gloves and with that savage, primal attack- form. But, alas, the fight does not pan out, and he returns to the US.

Further chapters cover dog fighting- a subject I am instinctively averse to but which was covered in an informative way that highlights the difference between the popular notion of fight-dog breeders (who, according to one guy he meets, do not ‘love’ their dog as a true trainer should) and the ‘professionals’ to be found in places like the Philippines- and a stint working with Pat Miletich on a film set. Though interesting in their own way, particularly the section on ’gameness’- the willingness to carry on after enduring more punishment than should be possible that makes a true fighter- these two chapters do not fit with the purpose of the book, and feel a little like filler.

The book is closed with perhaps its most interesting chapter, pulling together Sheridan’s experiences along with various scientific, psychological and often poetic interpretations on man’s need to fight.

Overall, this is an intriguing work and sure to be a hit with any fan or practitioner  of martial arts and fighting, though falls short of wider mass appeal. It’s a shame we couldn’t see more of the author actually fighting, but that’s life as a fighter- injuries happen, you just gotta suck it up and get on. Sam Sheridan understands that more than most.