(Forgive me) Four-King Enjoyable Read, 20 Oct 2008
I share the first reviewer's scoring for this book, although not his affection for the brutal end of the sport. Rather, the history of boxing (like that of its poorer cousin, pro wrestliing, and its travelling companion, the mafia) fascinates me for sociological reasons. I agree that the author has omitted to choose his preference, but he's hinted at it by listing them Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran and I'd guess this matches the public perception, with SRL at the head due to his show-biz image and the rest in that sequence due to the results of high-profile contests among the four. I personally favour Hagler, who first caught my attention by thrashing the evidently-overrated A. Minter, and Hearns, who upset me late on by beating the quiety capable Dennis Andries. Each line of this book drips with detail, and you could argue that the author is simply thumbing through results in Ring magazine except that asides and qualifications confirm that he's "been there". While the switching back and forth between the four angle characters can be hard to keep up with -- and the incidental biogs of supporting characters even more so, so that I had to backtrack -- this amount of detail makes the book more "liveable". The author is also frank about the seamier side of the fight game, suicidally so with some attestations. A good read for anyone who enjoys evocative newsreel of this atmospheric sport. (Dave)

(Forgive me) Four-King Enjoyable Read, 20 Oct 2008
I share the first reviewer's scoring for this book, although not his affection for the brutal end of the sport. Rather, the history of boxing (like that of its poorer cousin, pro wrestliing, and its travelling companion, the mafia) fascinates me for sociological reasons. I agree that the author has omitted to choose his preference, but he's hinted at it by listing them Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran and I'd guess this matches the public perception, with SRL at the head due to his show-biz image and the rest in that sequence due to the results of high-profile contests among the four. I personally favour Hagler, who first caught my attention by thrashing the evidently-overrated A. Minter, and Hearns, who upset me late on by beating the quiety capable Dennis Andries. Each line of this book drips with detail, and you could argue that the author is simply thumbing through results in Ring magazine except that asides and qualifications confirm that he's "been there". While the switching back and forth between the four angle characters can be hard to keep up with -- and the incidental biogs of supporting characters even more so, so that I had to backtrack -- this amount of detail makes the book more "liveable". The author is also frank about the seamier side of the fight game, suicidally so with some attestations. A good read for anyone who enjoys evocative newsreel of this atmospheric sport. (Dave)

His unique system clearly shown, 14 Nov 2008
The book begins with a mini autobiography section in which Fedor tells us his background and how he came to become one of the greatest fighters in history. Its interesting but pretty brief and it would have been nice to have learnt a bit more about his background, still, thats not really what this books about and it should be treated as a bonus.

The purpose of this book is to teach the techniques and strategies that Fedor has used to beat some of the best fighters in the world and in this it succeeds very well indeed. Each section (for example, 'striking combinations') starts with a very useful introduction which explains the strategy in employing the move shown. Each move or series of moves is shown from at least two, and often three, angles and this makes it easy to see exactly what is happening.

Fedor's unique style constantly shines through, from his punches to his submissions everything has his personal stamp on it. For example, he shows an armbar from the mount in which you put the submission on while staying in the mount, something I've never seen or heard of! His punching style is also different to any kickboxing or boxing instructional out there, he twists straight punches so that they land at a 45 degree angle and throws his hooks with his hand turned far more than is usual so that the two large knuckles connect!

Obviously his style works, he has 29 wins, no losses and in his last fight beat a former UFC heavyweight champion in 36 seconds!

This book is as good as BJ Penn's excellent volume, if you are interested in MMA training it is a must buy.

(Forgive me) Four-King Enjoyable Read, 20 Oct 2008
I share the first reviewer's scoring for this book, although not his affection for the brutal end of the sport. Rather, the history of boxing (like that of its poorer cousin, pro wrestliing, and its travelling companion, the mafia) fascinates me for sociological reasons. I agree that the author has omitted to choose his preference, but he's hinted at it by listing them Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran and I'd guess this matches the public perception, with SRL at the head due to his show-biz image and the rest in that sequence due to the results of high-profile contests among the four. I personally favour Hagler, who first caught my attention by thrashing the evidently-overrated A. Minter, and Hearns, who upset me late on by beating the quiety capable Dennis Andries. Each line of this book drips with detail, and you could argue that the author is simply thumbing through results in Ring magazine except that asides and qualifications confirm that he's "been there". While the switching back and forth between the four angle characters can be hard to keep up with -- and the incidental biogs of supporting characters even more so, so that I had to backtrack -- this amount of detail makes the book more "liveable". The author is also frank about the seamier side of the fight game, suicidally so with some attestations. A good read for anyone who enjoys evocative newsreel of this atmospheric sport. (Dave)

His unique system clearly shown, 14 Nov 2008
The book begins with a mini autobiography section in which Fedor tells us his background and how he came to become one of the greatest fighters in history. Its interesting but pretty brief and it would have been nice to have learnt a bit more about his background, still, thats not really what this books about and it should be treated as a bonus.

The purpose of this book is to teach the techniques and strategies that Fedor has used to beat some of the best fighters in the world and in this it succeeds very well indeed. Each section (for example, 'striking combinations') starts with a very useful introduction which explains the strategy in employing the move shown. Each move or series of moves is shown from at least two, and often three, angles and this makes it easy to see exactly what is happening.

Fedor's unique style constantly shines through, from his punches to his submissions everything has his personal stamp on it. For example, he shows an armbar from the mount in which you put the submission on while staying in the mount, something I've never seen or heard of! His punching style is also different to any kickboxing or boxing instructional out there, he twists straight punches so that they land at a 45 degree angle and throws his hooks with his hand turned far more than is usual so that the two large knuckles connect!

Obviously his style works, he has 29 wins, no losses and in his last fight beat a former UFC heavyweight champion in 36 seconds!

This book is as good as BJ Penn's excellent volume, if you are interested in MMA training it is a must buy.

Honest and Funny., 02 Jul 2008
Easy read,Hatton is a likeable character and a true warrior which come across in the book.

some big gaps, 13 May 2008
an enjoyable read but, perhaps obviously, not very objective about the standard of many opponents.
also, there is NO mention of junior witter in this book. what a letdown, i was looking forward to reading hatton's thoughts on why he has avoided this fight throughout his career.
ive been a hatton fan since seeing him box live in donny many years ago. its a good read but some big holes left out....

An easy, enjoyable read, 31 Jan 2008
Ive been a big fan a Ricky Hatton for a good few years now, ever since I saw him beat Tony Pepp. Since that day his star has been continuously rising. In June 2005 he conquered the Junior Welterweight division by beating the linear World Champion and top 3 P4P fighter; Kostya Tsyzu. Since then hes gone on to beat Castillo, Collazo, Urango and Maussa, aswell as becoming a 2-weight world champion.

Despite Ricky's brave loss to Floyd Mayweather, Hatton remains a big star in the sport. His talent and aggressiveness in the ring is matched by his likeability out of the ring. His wit, his media and fan-freindly personality has made hin into a hugely popular fighter.

This book is at times, witty, interesting, informative and a pleasant read. One of the best sport books I have read.

There's Only One Ricky Hatton, 06 Feb 2007
One of the quietest people outside the ring, but in the ring hes one of the Greatest Boxers of the world. This book will tell you about his life inside the ring and out. how he took up boxing, how he's undefeated, how he fell out with frank and about his famouse body punches.
words cannot describe this book, i'm not a reader really but it didnt take me long to finnish it, i found it interesting, witty and amazing in any way you would want a autobiography to be.

by Dan Holmes

There is only one Ricky Hatton!, 13 Jan 2007
What an inspiration to millions of fans and whilst most see the very good work Ricky does in the ring, he is equally adept at his charity skills. I enjoyed the book and respect the person.

Coming from the same local area as Ricky I know what an inspiration he has been to many people and I am privileged to say 'have many of the same friends'!

This is an honest and sometimes humorous account of a Northern lad with true dedication and commitment not only to the boxing game but also to a much wider community.

From fellow author and resident 'Good Luck Ricky'

(Forgive me) Four-King Enjoyable Read, 20 Oct 2008
I share the first reviewer's scoring for this book, although not his affection for the brutal end of the sport. Rather, the history of boxing (like that of its poorer cousin, pro wrestliing, and its travelling companion, the mafia) fascinates me for sociological reasons. I agree that the author has omitted to choose his preference, but he's hinted at it by listing them Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran and I'd guess this matches the public perception, with SRL at the head due to his show-biz image and the rest in that sequence due to the results of high-profile contests among the four. I personally favour Hagler, who first caught my attention by thrashing the evidently-overrated A. Minter, and Hearns, who upset me late on by beating the quiety capable Dennis Andries. Each line of this book drips with detail, and you could argue that the author is simply thumbing through results in Ring magazine except that asides and qualifications confirm that he's "been there". While the switching back and forth between the four angle characters can be hard to keep up with -- and the incidental biogs of supporting characters even more so, so that I had to backtrack -- this amount of detail makes the book more "liveable". The author is also frank about the seamier side of the fight game, suicidally so with some attestations. A good read for anyone who enjoys evocative newsreel of this atmospheric sport. (Dave)

His unique system clearly shown, 14 Nov 2008
The book begins with a mini autobiography section in which Fedor tells us his background and how he came to become one of the greatest fighters in history. Its interesting but pretty brief and it would have been nice to have learnt a bit more about his background, still, thats not really what this books about and it should be treated as a bonus.

The purpose of this book is to teach the techniques and strategies that Fedor has used to beat some of the best fighters in the world and in this it succeeds very well indeed. Each section (for example, 'striking combinations') starts with a very useful introduction which explains the strategy in employing the move shown. Each move or series of moves is shown from at least two, and often three, angles and this makes it easy to see exactly what is happening.

Fedor's unique style constantly shines through, from his punches to his submissions everything has his personal stamp on it. For example, he shows an armbar from the mount in which you put the submission on while staying in the mount, something I've never seen or heard of! His punching style is also different to any kickboxing or boxing instructional out there, he twists straight punches so that they land at a 45 degree angle and throws his hooks with his hand turned far more than is usual so that the two large knuckles connect!

Obviously his style works, he has 29 wins, no losses and in his last fight beat a former UFC heavyweight champion in 36 seconds!

This book is as good as BJ Penn's excellent volume, if you are interested in MMA training it is a must buy.

Honest and Funny., 02 Jul 2008
Easy read,Hatton is a likeable character and a true warrior which come across in the book.

some big gaps, 13 May 2008
an enjoyable read but, perhaps obviously, not very objective about the standard of many opponents.
also, there is NO mention of junior witter in this book. what a letdown, i was looking forward to reading hatton's thoughts on why he has avoided this fight throughout his career.
ive been a hatton fan since seeing him box live in donny many years ago. its a good read but some big holes left out....

An easy, enjoyable read, 31 Jan 2008
Ive been a big fan a Ricky Hatton for a good few years now, ever since I saw him beat Tony Pepp. Since that day his star has been continuously rising. In June 2005 he conquered the Junior Welterweight division by beating the linear World Champion and top 3 P4P fighter; Kostya Tsyzu. Since then hes gone on to beat Castillo, Collazo, Urango and Maussa, aswell as becoming a 2-weight world champion.

Despite Ricky's brave loss to Floyd Mayweather, Hatton remains a big star in the sport. His talent and aggressiveness in the ring is matched by his likeability out of the ring. His wit, his media and fan-freindly personality has made hin into a hugely popular fighter.

This book is at times, witty, interesting, informative and a pleasant read. One of the best sport books I have read.

There's Only One Ricky Hatton, 06 Feb 2007
One of the quietest people outside the ring, but in the ring hes one of the Greatest Boxers of the world. This book will tell you about his life inside the ring and out. how he took up boxing, how he's undefeated, how he fell out with frank and about his famouse body punches.
words cannot describe this book, i'm not a reader really but it didnt take me long to finnish it, i found it interesting, witty and amazing in any way you would want a autobiography to be.

by Dan Holmes

There is only one Ricky Hatton!, 13 Jan 2007
What an inspiration to millions of fans and whilst most see the very good work Ricky does in the ring, he is equally adept at his charity skills. I enjoyed the book and respect the person.

Coming from the same local area as Ricky I know what an inspiration he has been to many people and I am privileged to say 'have many of the same friends'!

This is an honest and sometimes humorous account of a Northern lad with true dedication and commitment not only to the boxing game but also to a much wider community.

From fellow author and resident 'Good Luck Ricky'


No surprises, 11 Jul 2008
Iceman is a nicely-presented, easy-to-read life story of Chuck Liddell. There are lots of colour and black and photos and it looks good. Unfortunately it doesn't tell you anything you couldn't pretty much guess for yourself about the guy.

For instance (these are all captions from the book),

I always push myself to the limit when training.

Victor Belfort took me off guard with a nice pop but in the end I nailed him some major blows and won by unaanimous decision.

I was proud to become a part of John's team of Pit monsters.

Is there any UFC fighter who doesn't give 100%? Or who doesn't respect his trainer? Liddell's comments tend either to be either fatuous or utterly unsurprising.

You can only conclude the sole reason for writing this book is to jump on the current bandwagon for biographies of MMA stars.

the iceman came, 12 Jun 2008
Being a long time UFC fan I was looking forward to this book but felt after reading it that too much was missed out for PC reasons. A average read not on the scale of little evil but better than matts?

hmm i was expecting better..., 09 May 2008
this book could have been a whole lot better...it doesn't tell any stories of streetfights...or famous excess...in fact theres hardly any funny stories in there either...
i want to read about incidents on the street...arguements...details...humour...other famous people...parties...etc...

its a bit pg...

Quality book, 05 Apr 2008
I bought Chuck's book last weekend and it took me just 3 days to read it. It's very interesting and easy to read. Chuck is one of my favourite MMA fighters and I was glad to see his autobiography coming on the market.

Chuck describes his childhood at the beginning, later on he describes how he started with martial arts and then he talks about his fights in the ring and cage. Talks about UFC and also his personal life and life style.

Very interesting, have a go. You won't be dissapointed.

Cool as ice, 31 Mar 2008

This was one of the best biographies I have read this year. I was really surprised at how well the book is written. If anyone thinks the UFC athletes are just jobless brawlers PLEASE read this book.

In the book itself you find out how serious Chuck is about martial arts, not just fighting (even though he makes not secret that is his favourite part), but the discipline and dedication you need to be a serious martial artist.

One of the amazing thing about this book, is Chuck's ability to talk about his many accomplishments (and there are a hell of a lot of them) with out bragging. He gives his personal opinion on all the people he has met, from Dana White, to Tito, and everyone he has met and fought. This is a must read for all serious martial artists.

(Forgive me) Four-King Enjoyable Read, 20 Oct 2008
I share the first reviewer's scoring for this book, although not his affection for the brutal end of the sport. Rather, the history of boxing (like that of its poorer cousin, pro wrestliing, and its travelling companion, the mafia) fascinates me for sociological reasons. I agree that the author has omitted to choose his preference, but he's hinted at it by listing them Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran and I'd guess this matches the public perception, with SRL at the head due to his show-biz image and the rest in that sequence due to the results of high-profile contests among the four. I personally favour Hagler, who first caught my attention by thrashing the evidently-overrated A. Minter, and Hearns, who upset me late on by beating the quiety capable Dennis Andries. Each line of this book drips with detail, and you could argue that the author is simply thumbing through results in Ring magazine except that asides and qualifications confirm that he's "been there". While the switching back and forth between the four angle characters can be hard to keep up with -- and the incidental biogs of supporting characters even more so, so that I had to backtrack -- this amount of detail makes the book more "liveable". The author is also frank about the seamier side of the fight game, suicidally so with some attestations. A good read for anyone who enjoys evocative newsreel of this atmospheric sport. (Dave)

His unique system clearly shown, 14 Nov 2008
The book begins with a mini autobiography section in which Fedor tells us his background and how he came to become one of the greatest fighters in history. Its interesting but pretty brief and it would have been nice to have learnt a bit more about his background, still, thats not really what this books about and it should be treated as a bonus.

The purpose of this book is to teach the techniques and strategies that Fedor has used to beat some of the best fighters in the world and in this it succeeds very well indeed. Each section (for example, 'striking combinations') starts with a very useful introduction which explains the strategy in employing the move shown. Each move or series of moves is shown from at least two, and often three, angles and this makes it easy to see exactly what is happening.

Fedor's unique style constantly shines through, from his punches to his submissions everything has his personal stamp on it. For example, he shows an armbar from the mount in which you put the submission on while staying in the mount, something I've never seen or heard of! His punching style is also different to any kickboxing or boxing instructional out there, he twists straight punches so that they land at a 45 degree angle and throws his hooks with his hand turned far more than is usual so that the two large knuckles connect!

Obviously his style works, he has 29 wins, no losses and in his last fight beat a former UFC heavyweight champion in 36 seconds!

This book is as good as BJ Penn's excellent volume, if you are interested in MMA training it is a must buy.

Honest and Funny., 02 Jul 2008
Easy read,Hatton is a likeable character and a true warrior which come across in the book.

some big gaps, 13 May 2008
an enjoyable read but, perhaps obviously, not very objective about the standard of many opponents.
also, there is NO mention of junior witter in this book. what a letdown, i was looking forward to reading hatton's thoughts on why he has avoided this fight throughout his career.
ive been a hatton fan since seeing him box live in donny many years ago. its a good read but some big holes left out....

An easy, enjoyable read, 31 Jan 2008
Ive been a big fan a Ricky Hatton for a good few years now, ever since I saw him beat Tony Pepp. Since that day his star has been continuously rising. In June 2005 he conquered the Junior Welterweight division by beating the linear World Champion and top 3 P4P fighter; Kostya Tsyzu. Since then hes gone on to beat Castillo, Collazo, Urango and Maussa, aswell as becoming a 2-weight world champion.

Despite Ricky's brave loss to Floyd Mayweather, Hatton remains a big star in the sport. His talent and aggressiveness in the ring is matched by his likeability out of the ring. His wit, his media and fan-freindly personality has made hin into a hugely popular fighter.

This book is at times, witty, interesting, informative and a pleasant read. One of the best sport books I have read.

There's Only One Ricky Hatton, 06 Feb 2007
One of the quietest people outside the ring, but in the ring hes one of the Greatest Boxers of the world. This book will tell you about his life inside the ring and out. how he took up boxing, how he's undefeated, how he fell out with frank and about his famouse body punches.
words cannot describe this book, i'm not a reader really but it didnt take me long to finnish it, i found it interesting, witty and amazing in any way you would want a autobiography to be.

by Dan Holmes

There is only one Ricky Hatton!, 13 Jan 2007
What an inspiration to millions of fans and whilst most see the very good work Ricky does in the ring, he is equally adept at his charity skills. I enjoyed the book and respect the person.

Coming from the same local area as Ricky I know what an inspiration he has been to many people and I am privileged to say 'have many of the same friends'!

This is an honest and sometimes humorous account of a Northern lad with true dedication and commitment not only to the boxing game but also to a much wider community.

From fellow author and resident 'Good Luck Ricky'


No surprises, 11 Jul 2008
Iceman is a nicely-presented, easy-to-read life story of Chuck Liddell. There are lots of colour and black and photos and it looks good. Unfortunately it doesn't tell you anything you couldn't pretty much guess for yourself about the guy.

For instance (these are all captions from the book),

I always push myself to the limit when training.

Victor Belfort took me off guard with a nice pop but in the end I nailed him some major blows and won by unaanimous decision.

I was proud to become a part of John's team of Pit monsters.

Is there any UFC fighter who doesn't give 100%? Or who doesn't respect his trainer? Liddell's comments tend either to be either fatuous or utterly unsurprising.

You can only conclude the sole reason for writing this book is to jump on the current bandwagon for biographies of MMA stars.

the iceman came, 12 Jun 2008
Being a long time UFC fan I was looking forward to this book but felt after reading it that too much was missed out for PC reasons. A average read not on the scale of little evil but better than matts?

hmm i was expecting better..., 09 May 2008
this book could have been a whole lot better...it doesn't tell any stories of streetfights...or famous excess...in fact theres hardly any funny stories in there either...
i want to read about incidents on the street...arguements...details...humour...other famous people...parties...etc...

its a bit pg...

Quality book, 05 Apr 2008
I bought Chuck's book last weekend and it took me just 3 days to read it. It's very interesting and easy to read. Chuck is one of my favourite MMA fighters and I was glad to see his autobiography coming on the market.

Chuck describes his childhood at the beginning, later on he describes how he started with martial arts and then he talks about his fights in the ring and cage. Talks about UFC and also his personal life and life style.

Very interesting, have a go. You won't be dissapointed.

Cool as ice, 31 Mar 2008

This was one of the best biographies I have read this year. I was really surprised at how well the book is written. If anyone thinks the UFC athletes are just jobless brawlers PLEASE read this book.

In the book itself you find out how serious Chuck is about martial arts, not just fighting (even though he makes not secret that is his favourite part), but the discipline and dedication you need to be a serious martial artist.

One of the amazing thing about this book, is Chuck's ability to talk about his many accomplishments (and there are a hell of a lot of them) with out bragging. He gives his personal opinion on all the people he has met, from Dana White, to Tito, and everyone he has met and fought. This is a must read for all serious martial artists.


Excellent guide to MMA fitness training, 11 Jul 2008
This chunky guide looks great. It's large format with lots of quality colour photos of the techniques.

The focus is purely on conditioning, so there are no instructions on punching or kicking for instance but it includes lots of stuff general gym manuals would ignore, like neck exercises which are important for wrestling/MMA but not much use to other athletes.

Over all, this is great value just because it's so clear and comprehensive.

Superb! Real World Resource for Effective Fight Conditioning, 22 Jun 2008
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Martin Rooney has effectively given us the conditioning road map. The book is of the highest quality, the photographs are excellent, the editorial succint and clear. For anyone who want the conditioning edge, this is the book.

Fighter or not TFW provides a broad range of excercises and drills. The book follows a logical path giving an overview of MMA and then gets into Warrior Anatomy covering warm-ups, training by bodypart (don't confuse this with traditional body split training) and then goes on to cover specific programs, nutrition and injuries. You can follwo the programs or mix it up and simply focus on the areas that you need to work.

As for the weight training aspect, I'm a RKC Kettlebell instructor and consequently the Kettlebell is my tool of choice. I simpy us kettlebell drill and lifts to replace the conventional weighted drills.

The most valuable aspect of TFW is the way it translates many conventional drills into a MA context.

Most important, once you've read the text, looked at the pics...Go Train!

Look elsewhere, 21 Jun 2008
I didnt think much of this book tbh, its good in the sense that it lists dozens of exercises for different body parts, but besides that, it doesnt offer much more and you need a lot of equipment to follow this book, ie machines and loads of different free weights, plyo boxes, medicine balls, treadmills etc. The nutrition chapter was okay, but besides that, you can find exercises for different body parts using the internet and erxx.net and bodybuilding.com. The programme outlined isnt too brilliant either, the strength programme has a lot of holes in it. if your into MMA/Boxing or just want top notch fitness, i would highly recommend Ross Enamait's stuff; they are fantastic.

Get ready to rumble!, 13 May 2008
This is a very well put together fitness manual. Regardless of your martial arts discipline there will be something you haven't tried in here. Even if your not a combat athelete this book will get you into top shape. Its a complete overview of the physical training for the fastest growing sport on the planet. I have been very impressed with the completeness of this book from the range of excersises to tips on cutting weight and as a humble boxer have found it very informative and beneficial to my conditioning.

Highly Recommended, 13 May 2008
This review is care of double World Champion ju jutsu fighter Braulio Estima who owns and uses this book

Braulio's first language is Portuguese.

"... This book was very well set up for fighters who want to have a good
quality on the strength and conditioning specific for fighting. I used
and still using most of the workouts. For the Abu Dhabi 2007 I did
loads of it on the last case of my training and I found that helped a
lot on my results. Hurricane workout is awesome. Well done Martin
this book is 10 out of 10, I do recommend for everyone who wants to be a
warrior.

Braulio Estima

..."

(Forgive me) Four-King Enjoyable Read, 20 Oct 2008
I share the first reviewer's scoring for this book, although not his affection for the brutal end of the sport. Rather, the history of boxing (like that of its poorer cousin, pro wrestliing, and its travelling companion, the mafia) fascinates me for sociological reasons. I agree that the author has omitted to choose his preference, but he's hinted at it by listing them Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran and I'd guess this matches the public perception, with SRL at the head due to his show-biz image and the rest in that sequence due to the results of high-profile contests among the four. I personally favour Hagler, who first caught my attention by thrashing the evidently-overrated A. Minter, and Hearns, who upset me late on by beating the quiety capable Dennis Andries. Each line of this book drips with detail, and you could argue that the author is simply thumbing through results in Ring magazine except that asides and qualifications confirm that he's "been there". While the switching back and forth between the four angle characters can be hard to keep up with -- and the incidental biogs of supporting characters even more so, so that I had to backtrack -- this amount of detail makes the book more "liveable". The author is also frank about the seamier side of the fight game, suicidally so with some attestations. A good read for anyone who enjoys evocative newsreel of this atmospheric sport. (Dave)

His unique system clearly shown, 14 Nov 2008
The book begins with a mini autobiography section in which Fedor tells us his background and how he came to become one of the greatest fighters in history. Its interesting but pretty brief and it would have been nice to have learnt a bit more about his background, still, thats not really what this books about and it should be treated as a bonus.

The purpose of this book is to teach the techniques and strategies that Fedor has used to beat some of the best fighters in the world and in this it succeeds very well indeed. Each section (for example, 'striking combinations') starts with a very useful introduction which explains the strategy in employing the move shown. Each move or series of moves is shown from at least two, and often three, angles and this makes it easy to see exactly what is happening.

Fedor's unique style constantly shines through, from his punches to his submissions everything has his personal stamp on it. For example, he shows an armbar from the mount in which you put the submission on while staying in the mount, something I've never seen or heard of! His punching style is also different to any kickboxing or boxing instructional out there, he twists straight punches so that they land at a 45 degree angle and throws his hooks with his hand turned far more than is usual so that the two large knuckles connect!

Obviously his style works, he has 29 wins, no losses and in his last fight beat a former UFC heavyweight champion in 36 seconds!

This book is as good as BJ Penn's excellent volume, if you are interested in MMA training it is a must buy.

Honest and Funny., 02 Jul 2008
Easy read,Hatton is a likeable character and a true warrior which come across in the book.

some big gaps, 13 May 2008
an enjoyable read but, perhaps obviously, not very objective about the standard of many opponents.
also, there is NO mention of junior witter in this book. what a letdown, i was looking forward to reading hatton's thoughts on why he has avoided this fight throughout his career.
ive been a hatton fan since seeing him box live in donny many years ago. its a good read but some big holes left out....

An easy, enjoyable read, 31 Jan 2008
Ive been a big fan a Ricky Hatton for a good few years now, ever since I saw him beat Tony Pepp. Since that day his star has been continuously rising. In June 2005 he conquered the Junior Welterweight division by beating the linear World Champion and top 3 P4P fighter; Kostya Tsyzu. Since then hes gone on to beat Castillo, Collazo, Urango and Maussa, aswell as becoming a 2-weight world champion.

Despite Ricky's brave loss to Floyd Mayweather, Hatton remains a big star in the sport. His talent and aggressiveness in the ring is matched by his likeability out of the ring. His wit, his media and fan-freindly personality has made hin into a hugely popular fighter.

This book is at times, witty, interesting, informative and a pleasant read. One of the best sport books I have read.

There's Only One Ricky Hatton, 06 Feb 2007
One of the quietest people outside the ring, but in the ring hes one of the Greatest Boxers of the world. This book will tell you about his life inside the ring and out. how he took up boxing, how he's undefeated, how he fell out with frank and about his famouse body punches.
words cannot describe this book, i'm not a reader really but it didnt take me long to finnish it, i found it interesting, witty and amazing in any way you would want a autobiography to be.

by Dan Holmes

There is only one Ricky Hatton!, 13 Jan 2007
What an inspiration to millions of fans and whilst most see the very good work Ricky does in the ring, he is equally adept at his charity skills. I enjoyed the book and respect the person.

Coming from the same local area as Ricky I know what an inspiration he has been to many people and I am privileged to say 'have many of the same friends'!

This is an honest and sometimes humorous account of a Northern lad with true dedication and commitment not only to the boxing game but also to a much wider community.

From fellow author and resident 'Good Luck Ricky'


No surprises, 11 Jul 2008
Iceman is a nicely-presented, easy-to-read life story of Chuck Liddell. There are lots of colour and black and photos and it looks good. Unfortunately it doesn't tell you anything you couldn't pretty much guess for yourself about the guy.

For instance (these are all captions from the book),

I always push myself to the limit when training.

Victor Belfort took me off guard with a nice pop but in the end I nailed him some major blows and won by unaanimous decision.

I was proud to become a part of John's team of Pit monsters.

Is there any UFC fighter who doesn't give 100%? Or who doesn't respect his trainer? Liddell's comments tend either to be either fatuous or utterly unsurprising.

You can only conclude the sole reason for writing this book is to jump on the current bandwagon for biographies of MMA stars.

the iceman came, 12 Jun 2008
Being a long time UFC fan I was looking forward to this book but felt after reading it that too much was missed out for PC reasons. A average read not on the scale of little evil but better than matts?

hmm i was expecting better..., 09 May 2008
this book could have been a whole lot better...it doesn't tell any stories of streetfights...or famous excess...in fact theres hardly any funny stories in there either...
i want to read about incidents on the street...arguements...details...humour...other famous people...parties...etc...

its a bit pg...

Quality book, 05 Apr 2008
I bought Chuck's book last weekend and it took me just 3 days to read it. It's very interesting and easy to read. Chuck is one of my favourite MMA fighters and I was glad to see his autobiography coming on the market.

Chuck describes his childhood at the beginning, later on he describes how he started with martial arts and then he talks about his fights in the ring and cage. Talks about UFC and also his personal life and life style.

Very interesting, have a go. You won't be dissapointed.

Cool as ice, 31 Mar 2008

This was one of the best biographies I have read this year. I was really surprised at how well the book is written. If anyone thinks the UFC athletes are just jobless brawlers PLEASE read this book.

In the book itself you find out how serious Chuck is about martial arts, not just fighting (even though he makes not secret that is his favourite part), but the discipline and dedication you need to be a serious martial artist.

One of the amazing thing about this book, is Chuck's ability to talk about his many accomplishments (and there are a hell of a lot of them) with out bragging. He gives his personal opinion on all the people he has met, from Dana White, to Tito, and everyone he has met and fought. This is a must read for all serious martial artists.


Excellent guide to MMA fitness training, 11 Jul 2008
This chunky guide looks great. It's large format with lots of quality colour photos of the techniques.

The focus is purely on conditioning, so there are no instructions on punching or kicking for instance but it includes lots of stuff general gym manuals would ignore, like neck exercises which are important for wrestling/MMA but not much use to other athletes.

Over all, this is great value just because it's so clear and comprehensive.

Superb! Real World Resource for Effective Fight Conditioning, 22 Jun 2008
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Martin Rooney has effectively given us the conditioning road map. The book is of the highest quality, the photographs are excellent, the editorial succint and clear. For anyone who want the conditioning edge, this is the book.

Fighter or not TFW provides a broad range of excercises and drills. The book follows a logical path giving an overview of MMA and then gets into Warrior Anatomy covering warm-ups, training by bodypart (don't confuse this with traditional body split training) and then goes on to cover specific programs, nutrition and injuries. You can follwo the programs or mix it up and simply focus on the areas that you need to work.

As for the weight training aspect, I'm a RKC Kettlebell instructor and consequently the Kettlebell is my tool of choice. I simpy us kettlebell drill and lifts to replace the conventional weighted drills.

The most valuable aspect of TFW is the way it translates many conventional drills into a MA context.

Most important, once you've read the text, looked at the pics...Go Train!

Look elsewhere, 21 Jun 2008
I didnt think much of this book tbh, its good in the sense that it lists dozens of exercises for different body parts, but besides that, it doesnt offer much more and you need a lot of equipment to follow this book, ie machines and loads of different free weights, plyo boxes, medicine balls, treadmills etc. The nutrition chapter was okay, but besides that, you can find exercises for different body parts using the internet and erxx.net and bodybuilding.com. The programme outlined isnt too brilliant either, the strength programme has a lot of holes in it. if your into MMA/Boxing or just want top notch fitness, i would highly recommend Ross Enamait's stuff; they are fantastic.

Get ready to rumble!, 13 May 2008
This is a very well put together fitness manual. Regardless of your martial arts discipline there will be something you haven't tried in here. Even if your not a combat athelete this book will get you into top shape. Its a complete overview of the physical training for the fastest growing sport on the planet. I have been very impressed with the completeness of this book from the range of excersises to tips on cutting weight and as a humble boxer have found it very informative and beneficial to my conditioning.

Highly Recommended, 13 May 2008
This review is care of double World Champion ju jutsu fighter Braulio Estima who owns and uses this book

Braulio's first language is Portuguese.

"... This book was very well set up for fighters who want to have a good
quality on the strength and conditioning specific for fighting. I used
and still using most of the workouts. For the Abu Dhabi 2007 I did
loads of it on the last case of my training and I found that helped a
lot on my results. Hurricane workout is awesome. Well done Martin
this book is 10 out of 10, I do recommend for everyone who wants to be a
warrior.

Braulio Estima

..."

Excellent fundamental game approach, 19 Dec 2008
Now if your the type of person that wants book on ultra cool, super flying armbar and other assorted flashy submissions and techniques, you might not want to read this book. Nor is it an MMA manual.

This is not a 'technique' book, it is a work book laying the foundations of a fundamental and functional BJJ game. What impressed me most is his attitude towards training and the mentality the athlete/practitioner/student should have towards their training (it's all just a game, loose the ego!!). Saulo then goes into what he believes the person should be focusing on during their progression through the belt ranks, and how you'll be on your black belt for the rest of your life so you need to set a solid foundation through the ranks.

It is well explained and Saulo presents a rational for everything he demonstrates in a concise and easy to assimilate language. What really impressed me was that he shows you what happens when you do other variations or poor escapes/techniques which reinforces what he demonstrates and improves you level of understanding of the game.

I've read books by other authors, which can be a bit more technique orientated rather than attempt to improve your understanding, and while I have enjoyed some of them, this is the first 'complete' workbook that I've come across.

Thoroughly recommended, and not a bad word to say about it.

(Forgive me) Four-King Enjoyable Read, 20 Oct 2008
I share the first reviewer's scoring for this book, although not his affection for the brutal end of the sport. Rather, the history of boxing (like that of its poorer cousin, pro wrestliing, and its travelling companion, the mafia) fascinates me for sociological reasons. I agree that the author has omitted to choose his preference, but he's hinted at it by listing them Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran and I'd guess this matches the public perception, with SRL at the head due to his show-biz image and the rest in that sequence due to the results of high-profile contests among the four. I personally favour Hagler, who first caught my attention by thrashing the evidently-overrated A. Minter, and Hearns, who upset me late on by beating the quiety capable Dennis Andries. Each line of this book drips with detail, and you could argue that the author is simply thumbing through results in Ring magazine except that asides and qualifications confirm that he's "been there". While the switching back and forth between the four angle characters can be hard to keep up with -- and the incidental biogs of supporting characters even more so, so that I had to backtrack -- this amount of detail makes the book more "liveable". The author is also frank about the seamier side of the fight game, suicidally so with some attestations. A good read for anyone who enjoys evocative newsreel of this atmospheric sport. (Dave)

His unique system clearly shown, 14 Nov 2008
The book begins with a mini autobiography section in which Fedor tells us his background and how he came to become one of the greatest fighters in history. Its interesting but pretty brief and it would have been nice to have learnt a bit more about his background, still, thats not really what this books about and it should be treated as a bonus.

The purpose of this book is to teach the techniques and strategies that Fedor has used to beat some of the best fighters in the world and in this it succeeds very well indeed. Each section (for example, 'striking combinations') starts with a very useful introduction which explains the strategy in employing the move shown. Each move or series of moves is shown from at least two, and often three, angles and this makes it easy to see exactly what is happening.

Fedor's unique style constantly shines through, from his punches to his submissions everything has his personal stamp on it. For example, he shows an armbar from the mount in which you put the submission on while staying in the mount, something I've never seen or heard of! His punching style is also different to any kickboxing or boxing instructional out there, he twists straight punches so that they land at a 45 degree angle and throws his hooks with his hand turned far more than is usual so that the two large knuckles connect!

Obviously his style works, he has 29 wins, no losses and in his last fight beat a former UFC heavyweight champion in 36 seconds!

This book is as good as BJ Penn's excellent volume, if you are interested in MMA training it is a must buy.

Honest and Funny., 02 Jul 2008
Easy read,Hatton is a likeable character and a true warrior which come across in the book.

some big gaps, 13 May 2008
an enjoyable read but, perhaps obviously, not very objective about the standard of many opponents.
also, there is NO mention of junior witter in this book. what a letdown, i was looking forward to reading hatton's thoughts on why he has avoided this fight throughout his career.
ive been a hatton fan since seeing him box live in donny many years ago. its a good read but some big holes left out....

An easy, enjoyable read, 31 Jan 2008
Ive been a big fan a Ricky Hatton for a good few years now, ever since I saw him beat Tony Pepp. Since that day his star has been continuously rising. In June 2005 he conquered the Junior Welterweight division by beating the linear World Champion and top 3 P4P fighter; Kostya Tsyzu. Since then hes gone on to beat Castillo, Collazo, Urango and Maussa, aswell as becoming a 2-weight world champion.

Despite Ricky's brave loss to Floyd Mayweather, Hatton remains a big star in the sport. His talent and aggressiveness in the ring is matched by his likeability out of the ring. His wit, his media and fan-freindly personality has made hin into a hugely popular fighter.

This book is at times, witty, interesting, informative and a pleasant read. One of the best sport books I have read.

There's Only One Ricky Hatton, 06 Feb 2007
One of the quietest people outside the ring, but in the ring hes one of the Greatest Boxers of the world. This book will tell you about his life inside the ring and out. how he took up boxing, how he's undefeated, how he fell out with frank and about his famouse body punches.
words cannot describe this book, i'm not a reader really but it didnt take me long to finnish it, i found it interesting, witty and amazing in any way you would want a autobiography to be.

by Dan Holmes

There is only one Ricky Hatton!, 13 Jan 2007
What an inspiration to millions of fans and whilst most see the very good work Ricky does in the ring, he is equally adept at his charity skills. I enjoyed the book and respect the person.

Coming from the same local area as Ricky I know what an inspiration he has been to many people and I am privileged to say 'have many of the same friends'!

This is an honest and sometimes humorous account of a Northern lad with true dedication and commitment not only to the boxing game but also to a much wider community.

From fellow author and resident 'Good Luck Ricky'


No surprises, 11 Jul 2008
Iceman is a nicely-presented, easy-to-read life story of Chuck Liddell. There are lots of colour and black and photos and it looks good. Unfortunately it doesn't tell you anything you couldn't pretty much guess for yourself about the guy.

For instance (these are all captions from the book),

I always push myself to the limit when training.

Victor Belfort took me off guard with a nice pop but in the end I nailed him some major blows and won by unaanimous decision.

I was proud to become a part of John's team of Pit monsters.

Is there any UFC fighter who doesn't give 100%? Or who doesn't respect his trainer? Liddell's comments tend either to be either fatuous or utterly unsurprising.

You can only conclude the sole reason for writing this book is to jump on the current bandwagon for biographies of MMA stars.

the iceman came, 12 Jun 2008
Being a long time UFC fan I was looking forward to this book but felt after reading it that too much was missed out for PC reasons. A average read not on the scale of little evil but better than matts?

hmm i was expecting better..., 09 May 2008
this book could have been a whole lot better...it doesn't tell any stories of streetfights...or famous excess...in fact theres hardly any funny stories in there either...
i want to read about incidents on the street...arguements...details...humour...other famous people...parties...etc...

its a bit pg...

Quality book, 05 Apr 2008
I bought Chuck's book last weekend and it took me just 3 days to read it. It's very interesting and easy to read. Chuck is one of my favourite MMA fighters and I was glad to see his autobiography coming on the market.

Chuck describes his childhood at the beginning, later on he describes how he started with martial arts and then he talks about his fights in the ring and cage. Talks about UFC and also his personal life and life style.

Very interesting, have a go. You won't be dissapointed.

Cool as ice, 31 Mar 2008

This was one of the best biographies I have read this year. I was really surprised at how well the book is written. If anyone thinks the UFC athletes are just jobless brawlers PLEASE read this book.

In the book itself you find out how serious Chuck is about martial arts, not just fighting (even though he makes not secret that is his favourite part), but the discipline and dedication you need to be a serious martial artist.

One of the amazing thing about this book, is Chuck's ability to talk about his many accomplishments (and there are a hell of a lot of them) with out bragging. He gives his personal opinion on all the people he has met, from Dana White, to Tito, and everyone he has met and fought. This is a must read for all serious martial artists.


Excellent guide to MMA fitness training, 11 Jul 2008
This chunky guide looks great. It's large format with lots of quality colour photos of the techniques.

The focus is purely on conditioning, so there are no instructions on punching or kicking for instance but it includes lots of stuff general gym manuals would ignore, like neck exercises which are important for wrestling/MMA but not much use to other athletes.

Over all, this is great value just because it's so clear and comprehensive.

Superb! Real World Resource for Effective Fight Conditioning, 22 Jun 2008
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Martin Rooney has effectively given us the conditioning road map. The book is of the highest quality, the photographs are excellent, the editorial succint and clear. For anyone who want the conditioning edge, this is the book.

Fighter or not TFW provides a broad range of excercises and drills. The book follows a logical path giving an overview of MMA and then gets into Warrior Anatomy covering warm-ups, training by bodypart (don't confuse this with traditional body split training) and then goes on to cover specific programs, nutrition and injuries. You can follwo the programs or mix it up and simply focus on the areas that you need to work.

As for the weight training aspect, I'm a RKC Kettlebell instructor and consequently the Kettlebell is my tool of choice. I simpy us kettlebell drill and lifts to replace the conventional weighted drills.

The most valuable aspect of TFW is the way it translates many conventional drills into a MA context.

Most important, once you've read the text, looked at the pics...Go Train!

Look elsewhere, 21 Jun 2008
I didnt think much of this book tbh, its good in the sense that it lists dozens of exercises for different body parts, but besides that, it doesnt offer much more and you need a lot of equipment to follow this book, ie machines and loads of different free weights, plyo boxes, medicine balls, treadmills etc. The nutrition chapter was okay, but besides that, you can find exercises for different body parts using the internet and erxx.net and bodybuilding.com. The programme outlined isnt too brilliant either, the strength programme has a lot of holes in it. if your into MMA/Boxing or just want top notch fitness, i would highly recommend Ross Enamait's stuff; they are fantastic.

Get ready to rumble!, 13 May 2008
This is a very well put together fitness manual. Regardless of your martial arts discipline there will be something you haven't tried in here. Even if your not a combat athelete this book will get you into top shape. Its a complete overview of the physical training for the fastest growing sport on the planet. I have been very impressed with the completeness of this book from the range of excersises to tips on cutting weight and as a humble boxer have found it very informative and beneficial to my conditioning.

Highly Recommended, 13 May 2008
This review is care of double World Champion ju jutsu fighter Braulio Estima who owns and uses this book

Braulio's first language is Portuguese.

"... This book was very well set up for fighters who want to have a good
quality on the strength and conditioning specific for fighting. I used
and still using most of the workouts. For the Abu Dhabi 2007 I did
loads of it on the last case of my training and I found that helped a
lot on my results. Hurricane workout is awesome. Well done Martin
this book is 10 out of 10, I do recommend for everyone who wants to be a
warrior.

Braulio Estima

..."

Excellent fundamental game approach, 19 Dec 2008
Now if your the type of person that wants book on ultra cool, super flying armbar and other assorted flashy submissions and techniques, you might not want to read this book. Nor is it an MMA manual.

This is not a 'technique' book, it is a work book laying the foundations of a fundamental and functional BJJ game. What impressed me most is his attitude towards training and the mentality the athlete/practitioner/student should have towards their training (it's all just a game, loose the ego!!). Saulo then goes into what he believes the person should be focusing on during their progression through the belt ranks, and how you'll be on your black belt for the rest of your life so you need to set a solid foundation through the ranks.

It is well explained and Saulo presents a rational for everything he demonstrates in a concise and easy to assimilate language. What really impressed me was that he shows you what happens when you do other variations or poor escapes/techniques which reinforces what he demonstrates and improves you level of understanding of the game.

I've read books by other authors, which can be a bit more technique orientated rather than attempt to improve your understanding, and while I have enjoyed some of them, this is the first 'complete' workbook that I've come across.

Thoroughly recommended, and not a bad word to say about it.

Definitely The Greatest, 06 Feb 2007
This book is not just about the greatest heavy weight champ of all time. It's about the boy who took up boxing, the man who defeated liston, the man who became a muslim, stood up for his rights and the rights of every african american. This book will show you a differnt way of life.

A brilliant book for anyone, boxing fan or not.

Legendary Athlete, Legendary Man, 29 Nov 2006
A very thought-provoking book from a man who is much more than a great boxing champion.

Behind all the bravado and loud talking, all the power and grace in the ring, is a mind and a belief that is truly refreshing.

I found this book to be enlightening, and i will certainly be reading it again, and again, and probably again!

Very inspiring, 07 Feb 2005
Ali, without doubt is one of the greatest sportsmen of our world, and this book tells you why. This book is not just about the man's fighting ability, but about his kind and loving nature. How he overcame racism and personal trials through steadfast faith and superhuman will.

Ali is completely honest throughout the book, he reveals his regrets and achievements through humbling accounts

I would highly recommend this to fans of Ali and fans of human achievements.

(Forgive me) Four-King Enjoyable Read, 20 Oct 2008
I share the first reviewer's scoring for this book, although not his affection for the brutal end of the sport. Rather, the history of boxing (like that of its poorer cousin, pro wrestliing, and its travelling companion, the mafia) fascinates me for sociological reasons. I agree that the author has omitted to choose his preference, but he's hinted at it by listing them Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran and I'd guess this matches the public perception, with SRL at the head due to his show-biz image and the rest in that sequence due to the results of high-profile contests among the four. I personally favour Hagler, who first caught my attention by thrashing the evidently-overrated A. Minter, and Hearns, who upset me late on by beating the quiety capable Dennis Andries. Each line of this book drips with detail, and you could argue that the author is simply thumbing through results in Ring magazine except that asides and qualifications confirm that he's "been there". While the switching back and forth between the four angle characters can be hard to keep up with -- and the incidental biogs of supporting characters even more so, so that I had to backtrack -- this amount of detail makes the book more "liveable". The author is also frank about the seamier side of the fight game, suicidally so with some attestations. A good read for anyone who enjoys evocative newsreel of this atmospheric sport. (Dave)

His unique system clearly shown, 14 Nov 2008
The book begins with a mini autobiography section in which Fedor tells us his background and how he came to become one of the greatest fighters in history. Its interesting but pretty brief and it would have been nice to have learnt a bit more about his background, still, thats not really what this books about and it should be treated as a bonus.

The purpose of this book is to teach the techniques and strategies that Fedor has used to beat some of the best fighters in the world and in this it succeeds very well indeed. Each section (for example, 'striking combinations') starts with a very useful introduction which explains the strategy in employing the move shown. Each move or series of moves is shown from at least two, and often three, angles and this makes it easy to see exactly what is happening.

Fedor's unique style constantly shines through, from his punches to his submissions everything has his personal stamp on it. For example, he shows an armbar from the mount in which you put the submission on while staying in the mount, something I've never seen or heard of! His punching style is also different to any kickboxing or boxing instructional out there, he twists straight punches so that they land at a 45 degree angle and throws his hooks with his hand turned far more than is usual so that the two large knuckles connect!

Obviously his style works, he has 29 wins, no losses and in his last fight beat a former UFC heavyweight champion in 36 seconds!

This book is as good as BJ Penn's excellent volume, if you are interested in MMA training it is a must buy.

Honest and Funny., 02 Jul 2008
Easy read,Hatton is a likeable character and a true warrior which come across in the book.

some big gaps, 13 May 2008
an enjoyable read but, perhaps obviously, not very objective about the standard of many opponents.
also, there is NO mention of junior witter in this book. what a letdown, i was looking forward to reading hatton's thoughts on why he has avoided this fight throughout his career.
ive been a hatton fan since seeing him box live in donny many years ago. its a good read but some big holes left out....

An easy, enjoyable read, 31 Jan 2008
Ive been a big fan a Ricky Hatton for a good few years now, ever since I saw him beat Tony Pepp. Since that day his star has been continuously rising. In June 2005 he conquered the Junior Welterweight division by beating the linear World Champion and top 3 P4P fighter; Kostya Tsyzu. Since then hes gone on to beat Castillo, Collazo, Urango and Maussa, aswell as becoming a 2-weight world champion.

Despite Ricky's brave loss to Floyd Mayweather, Hatton remains a big star in the sport. His talent and aggressiveness in the ring is matched by his likeability out of the ring. His wit, his media and fan-freindly personality has made hin into a hugely popular fighter.

This book is at times, witty, interesting, informative and a pleasant read. One of the best sport books I have read.

There's Only One Ricky Hatton, 06 Feb 2007
One of the quietest people outside the ring, but in the ring hes one of the Greatest Boxers of the world. This book will tell you about his life inside the ring and out. how he took up boxing, how he's undefeated, how he fell out with frank and about his famouse body punches.
words cannot describe this book, i'm not a reader really but it didnt take me long to finnish it, i found it interesting, witty and amazing in any way you would want a autobiography to be.

by Dan Holmes

There is only one Ricky Hatton!, 13 Jan 2007
What an inspiration to millions of fans and whilst most see the very good work Ricky does in the ring, he is equally adept at his charity skills. I enjoyed the book and respect the person.

Coming from the same local area as Ricky I know what an inspiration he has been to many people and I am privileged to say 'have many of the same friends'!

This is an honest and sometimes humorous account of a Northern lad with true dedication and commitment not only to the boxing game but also to a much wider community.

From fellow author and resident 'Good Luck Ricky'


No surprises, 11 Jul 2008
Iceman is a nicely-presented, easy-to-read life story of Chuck Liddell. There are lots of colour and black and photos and it looks good. Unfortunately it doesn't tell you anything you couldn't pretty much guess for yourself about the guy.

For instance (these are all captions from the book),

I always push myself to the limit when training.

Victor Belfort took me off guard with a nice pop but in the end I nailed him some major blows and won by unaanimous decision.

I was proud to become a part of John's team of Pit monsters.

Is there any UFC fighter who doesn't give 100%? Or who doesn't respect his trainer? Liddell's comments tend either to be either fatuous or utterly unsurprising.

You can only conclude the sole reason for writing this book is to jump on the current bandwagon for biographies of MMA stars.

the iceman came, 12 Jun 2008
Being a long time UFC fan I was looking forward to this book but felt after reading it that too much was missed out for PC reasons. A average read not on the scale of little evil but better than matts?

hmm i was expecting better..., 09 May 2008
this book could have been a whole lot better...it doesn't tell any stories of streetfights...or famous excess...in fact theres hardly any funny stories in there either...
i want to read about incidents on the street...arguements...details...humour...other famous people...parties...etc...

its a bit pg...

Quality book, 05 Apr 2008
I bought Chuck's book last weekend and it took me just 3 days to read it. It's very interesting and easy to read. Chuck is one of my favourite MMA fighters and I was glad to see his autobiography coming on the market.

Chuck describes his childhood at the beginning, later on he describes how he started with martial arts and then he talks about his fights in the ring and cage. Talks about UFC and also his personal life and life style.

Very interesting, have a go. You won't be dissapointed.

Cool as ice, 31 Mar 2008

This was one of the best biographies I have read this year. I was really surprised at how well the book is written. If anyone thinks the UFC athletes are just jobless brawlers PLEASE read this book.

In the book itself you find out how serious Chuck is about martial arts, not just fighting (even though he makes not secret that is his favourite part), but the discipline and dedication you need to be a serious martial artist.

One of the amazing thing about this book, is Chuck's ability to talk about his many accomplishments (and there are a hell of a lot of them) with out bragging. He gives his personal opinion on all the people he has met, from Dana White, to Tito, and everyone he has met and fought. This is a must read for all serious martial artists.


Excellent guide to MMA fitness training, 11 Jul 2008
This chunky guide looks great. It's large format with lots of quality colour photos of the techniques.

The focus is purely on conditioning, so there are no instructions on punching or kicking for instance but it includes lots of stuff general gym manuals would ignore, like neck exercises which are important for wrestling/MMA but not much use to other athletes.

Over all, this is great value just because it's so clear and comprehensive.

Superb! Real World Resource for Effective Fight Conditioning, 22 Jun 2008
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Martin Rooney has effectively given us the conditioning road map. The book is of the highest quality, the photographs are excellent, the editorial succint and clear. For anyone who want the conditioning edge, this is the book.

Fighter or not TFW provides a broad range of excercises and drills. The book follows a logical path giving an overview of MMA and then gets into Warrior Anatomy covering warm-ups, training by bodypart (don't confuse this with traditional body split training) and then goes on to cover specific programs, nutrition and injuries. You can follwo the programs or mix it up and simply focus on the areas that you need to work.

As for the weight training aspect, I'm a RKC Kettlebell instructor and consequently the Kettlebell is my tool of choice. I simpy us kettlebell drill and lifts to replace the conventional weighted drills.

The most valuable aspect of TFW is the way it translates many conventional drills into a MA context.

Most important, once you've read the text, looked at the pics...Go Train!

Look elsewhere, 21 Jun 2008
I didnt think much of this book tbh, its good in the sense that it lists dozens of exercises for different body parts, but besides that, it doesnt offer much more and you need a lot of equipment to follow this book, ie machines and loads of different free weights, plyo boxes, medicine balls, treadmills etc. The nutrition chapter was okay, but besides that, you can find exercises for different body parts using the internet and erxx.net and bodybuilding.com. The programme outlined isnt too brilliant either, the strength programme has a lot of holes in it. if your into MMA/Boxing or just want top notch fitness, i would highly recommend Ross Enamait's stuff; they are fantastic.

Get ready to rumble!, 13 May 2008
This is a very well put together fitness manual. Regardless of your martial arts discipline there will be something you haven't tried in here. Even if your not a combat athelete this book will get you into top shape. Its a complete overview of the physical training for the fastest growing sport on the planet. I have been very impressed with the completeness of this book from the range of excersises to tips on cutting weight and as a humble boxer have found it very informative and beneficial to my conditioning.

Highly Recommended, 13 May 2008
This review is care of double World Champion ju jutsu fighter Braulio Estima who owns and uses this book

Braulio's first language is Portuguese.

"... This book was very well set up for fighters who want to have a good
quality on the strength and conditioning specific for fighting. I used
and still using most of the workouts. For the Abu Dhabi 2007 I did
loads of it on the last case of my training and I found that helped a
lot on my results. Hurricane workout is awesome. Well done Martin
this book is 10 out of 10, I do recommend for everyone who wants to be a
warrior.

Braulio Estima

..."

Excellent fundamental game approach, 19 Dec 2008
Now if your the type of person that wants book on ultra cool, super flying armbar and other assorted flashy submissions and techniques, you might not want to read this book. Nor is it an MMA manual.

This is not a 'technique' book, it is a work book laying the foundations of a fundamental and functional BJJ game. What impressed me most is his attitude towards training and the mentality the athlete/practitioner/student should have towards their training (it's all just a game, loose the ego!!). Saulo then goes into what he believes the person should be focusing on during their progression through the belt ranks, and how you'll be on your black belt for the rest of your life so you need to set a solid foundation through the ranks.

It is well explained and Saulo presents a rational for everything he demonstrates in a concise and easy to assimilate language. What really impressed me was that he shows you what happens when you do other variations or poor escapes/techniques which reinforces what he demonstrates and improves you level of understanding of the game.

I've read books by other authors, which can be a bit more technique orientated rather than attempt to improve your understanding, and while I have enjoyed some of them, this is the first 'complete' workbook that I've come across.

Thoroughly recommended, and not a bad word to say about it.

Definitely The Greatest, 06 Feb 2007
This book is not just about the greatest heavy weight champ of all time. It's about the boy who took up boxing, the man who defeated liston, the man who became a muslim, stood up for his rights and the rights of every african american. This book will show you a differnt way of life.

A brilliant book for anyone, boxing fan or not.

Legendary Athlete, Legendary Man, 29 Nov 2006
A very thought-provoking book from a man who is much more than a great boxing champion.

Behind all the bravado and loud talking, all the power and grace in the ring, is a mind and a belief that is truly refreshing.

I found this book to be enlightening, and i will certainly be reading it again, and again, and probably again!

Very inspiring, 07 Feb 2005
Ali, without doubt is one of the greatest sportsmen of our world, and this book tells you why. This book is not just about the man's fighting ability, but about his kind and loving nature. How he overcame racism and personal trials through steadfast faith and superhuman will.

Ali is completely honest throughout the book, he reveals his regrets and achievements through humbling accounts

I would highly recommend this to fans of Ali and fans of human achievements.

FAB BOOK!!!, 29 Feb 2008
The book is great, far more detailed then the other martial arts books i have purchased. It explains all exercises in detail concerning kicks, punches and other drills you can do to improve strength and speed, if you already dont have this title on your bookshelf then get it, you wont regret it!

EXCELLENT BOOK!!, 08 Oct 2007
Loren Christensen is a great author who presents lots of different ways in which a martial artist can train at home. His writing suggests that he has a high knowledge in the martial arts which should give readers a comforting feeling when considering this book. Solo training will always be a part (but not a whole) for every martial artist and this book gives a lot of inspiring content.

Perfect for the home trainer!, 02 Feb 2004
This book is a must for any martial artist training at home either exclusively or to supplement dojo training. The drills are excellent for the solo practioner and new and interesting techniques are also found within it. Unlike other works on the subject the book does not focus overly on expensive equipment and offers a huge variety of training ideas. Also, Christenson's writing style is light-hearted and you feel you are being taught by someone who knows what they are talking about - he is not pretentious or arrogant (a trap many MA authors fall into) and points out clearly problems which you may find with your technique and solutions to them. Trying to train without a partner? You wont find a better manual.

Good, simple advice, if you use it, 18 Jun 2003
This is the kind of book that mostly has you say "Well... I knew that. And that too...", there's very little in here you haven't heard before or couldn't just figure out yourself. But most of us don't bother to do these kinds of things. The best thing about this book is that it gives a concice list of stuff to do, so if you grasp it and start training, you will benefit a lot. A nice bonus is the fact that L.C. is a good writer and has a lot of martial arts experience both in and out of the dojo. Very recommended book for one who is serious about his training.

a good book, 27 May 2003
Yep, this a good book ,fun to read ,good information and some good humour i was in danger of reading the whole thing in the first day !!!!.(apart from the section on kicks mostley ,as i hurt my back a while ago and dont kick much plus dont like the karate style of chambering and then kicking but well! and even then i found some of it useful so!
A good read and one you will want to come back to and referance again and again.

(Forgive me) Four-King Enjoyable Read, 20 Oct 2008
I share the first reviewer's scoring for this book, although not his affection for the brutal end of the sport. Rather, the history of boxing (like that of its poorer cousin, pro wrestliing, and its travelling companion, the mafia) fascinates me for sociological reasons. I agree that the author has omitted to choose his preference, but he's hinted at it by listing them Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran and I'd guess this matches the public perception, with SRL at the head due to his show-biz image and the rest in that sequence due to the results of high-profile contests among the four. I personally favour Hagler, who first caught my attention by thrashing the evidently-overrated A. Minter, and Hearns, who upset me late on by beating the quiety capable Dennis Andries. Each line of this book drips with detail, and you could argue that the author is simply thumbing through results in Ring magazine except that asides and qualifications confirm that he's "been there". While the switching back and forth between the four angle characters can be hard to keep up with -- and the incidental biogs of supporting characters even more so, so that I had to backtrack -- this amount of detail makes the book more "liveable". The author is also frank about the seamier side of the fight game, suicidally so with some attestations. A good read for anyone who enjoys evocative newsreel of this atmospheric sport. (Dave)

His unique system clearly shown, 14 Nov 2008
The book begins with a mini autobiography section in which Fedor tells us his background and how he came to become one of the greatest fighters in history. Its interesting but pretty brief and it would have been nice to have learnt a bit more about his background, still, thats not really what this books about and it should be treated as a bonus.

The purpose of this book is to teach the techniques and strategies that Fedor has used to beat some of the best fighters in the world and in this it succeeds very well indeed. Each section (for example, 'striking combinations') starts with a very useful introduction which explains the strategy in employing the move shown. Each move or series of moves is shown from at least two, and often three, angles and this makes it easy to see exactly what is happening.

Fedor's unique style constantly shines through, from his punches to his submissions everything has his personal stamp on it. For example, he shows an armbar from the mount in which you put the submission on while staying in the mount, something I've never seen or heard of! His punching style is also different to any kickboxing or boxing instructional out there, he twists straight punches so that they land at a 45 degree angle and throws his hooks with his hand turned far more than is usual so that the two large knuckles connect!

Obviously his style works, he has 29 wins, no losses and in his last fight beat a former UFC heavyweight champion in 36 seconds!

This book is as good as BJ Penn's excellent volume, if you are interested in MMA training it is a must buy.

Honest and Funny., 02 Jul 2008
Easy read,Hatton is a likeable character and a true warrior which come across in the book.

some big gaps, 13 May 2008
an enjoyable read but, perhaps obviously, not very objective about the standard of many opponents.
also, there is NO mention of junior witter in this book. what a letdown, i was looking forward to reading hatton's thoughts on why he has avoided this fight throughout his career.
ive been a hatton fan since seeing him box live in donny many years ago. its a good read but some big holes left out....

An easy, enjoyable read, 31 Jan 2008
Ive been a big fan a Ricky Hatton for a good few years now, ever since I saw him beat Tony Pepp. Since that day his star has been continuously rising. In June 2005 he conquered the Junior Welterweight division by beating the linear World Champion and top 3 P4P fighter; Kostya Tsyzu. Since then hes gone on to beat Castillo, Collazo, Urango and Maussa, aswell as becoming a 2-weight world champion.

Despite Ricky's brave loss to Floyd Mayweather, Hatton remains a big star in the sport. His talent and aggressiveness in the ring is matched by his likeability out of the ring. His wit, his media and fan-freindly personality has made hin into a hugely popular fighter.

This book is at times, witty, interesting, informative and a pleasant read. One of the best sport books I have read.

There's Only One Ricky Hatton, 06 Feb 2007
One of the quietest people outside the ring, but in the ring hes one of the Greatest Boxers of the world. This book will tell you about his life inside the ring and out. how he took up boxing, how he's undefeated, how he fell out with frank and about his famouse body punches.
words cannot describe this book, i'm not a reader really but it didnt take me long to finnish it, i found it interesting, witty and amazing in any way you would want a autobiography to be.

by Dan Holmes

There is only one Ricky Hatton!, 13 Jan 2007
What an inspiration to millions of fans and whilst most see the very good work Ricky does in the ring, he is equally adept at his charity skills. I enjoyed the book and respect the person.

Coming from the same local area as Ricky I know what an inspiration he has been to many people and I am privileged to say 'have many of the same friends'!

This is an honest and sometimes humorous account of a Northern lad with true dedication and commitment not only to the boxing game but also to a much wider community.

From fellow author and resident 'Good Luck Ricky'


No surprises, 11 Jul 2008
Iceman is a nicely-presented, easy-to-read life story of Chuck Liddell. There are lots of colour and black and photos and it looks good. Unfortunately it doesn't tell you anything you couldn't pretty much guess for yourself about the guy.

For instance (these are all captions from the book),

I always push myself to the limit when training.

Victor Belfort took me off guard with a nice pop but in the end I nailed him some major blows and won by unaanimous decision.

I was proud to become a part of John's team of Pit monsters.

Is there any UFC fighter who doesn't give 100%? Or who doesn't respect his trainer? Liddell's comments tend either to be either fatuous or utterly unsurprising.

You can only conclude the sole reason for writing this book is to jump on the current bandwagon for biographies of MMA stars.

the iceman came, 12 Jun 2008
Being a long time UFC fan I was looking forward to this book but felt after reading it that too much was missed out for PC reasons. A average read not on the scale of little evil but better than matts?

hmm i was expecting better..., 09 May 2008
this book could have been a whole lot better...it doesn't tell any stories of streetfights...or famous excess...in fact theres hardly any funny stories in there either...
i want to read about incidents on the street...arguements...details...humour...other famous people...parties...etc...

its a bit pg...

Quality book, 05 Apr 2008
I bought Chuck's book last weekend and it took me just 3 days to read it. It's very interesting and easy to read. Chuck is one of my favourite MMA fighters and I was glad to see his autobiography coming on the market.

Chuck describes his childhood at the beginning, later on he describes how he started with martial arts and then he talks about his fights in the ring and cage. Talks about UF