Iceman: My Fighting Life
by Chuck Liddell and Chad Millman
Book Review by Dan Tres OMi
I stopped watching sports in 1999. I will admit that I continued to watch boxing but slowly edged off of my sports addiction. I found that there was just not enough loyalty, class, and ethics in professional sports anymore. As a matter of fact, I began to attend high school football games and watched local amateur Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competitions. When Dana White and Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta took over the UFC and began to legitimize the franchise in 2001, I began to take notice. I have been a fan ever since. I was extremely happy to come across Chuck “Iceman” Liddell's biography. Liddell, a one time light heavy weight champion, is considered one of the best MMA fighters in the world. He is amazing to watch and was instrumental in building the UFC brand.
If you are expecting a philosophical approach to MMA, then you might want to bypass this book. Liddell is a working man's fighter. Like most champions, Liddell came from humble beginnings. Raised in a single parent home, Liddell was taught to fight by his grandfather and has always scrapped ever since he was old enough to read. His grandfather however, taught him how to fight so that he could control his temper. This turned Liddell into the guy who beat up on bullies instead of the bully. Throughout the book, he came to the rescue of several friends.
To be honest, I expected a book filled with braggadocio. Liddell surprised me. In this book, he rarely posted. Instead he gave great tips to those who are interested in fighting in MMA professionally. I even took a few pointers when it comes to fighting. The best part of the book is how Liddell discusses the history of UFC. At one point, White managed him so Liddell had a ring side seat to the growth and the development of the UFC. Liddell gives a blow by blow of several of his major fights even those he lost. Liddell explains his wins and his losses. He also demonstrates how MMA is a science and not a sport for barbarians.
For Liddell fans, this book is a hit. Yet for MMA enthusiasts, this book is very enjoyable. I was surprised to learn that Liddell is an accountant. That probably explains why he is not an over extravagant athlete. Overall, I found the book to be informative as well as fun. For Liddell, that is his philosophy: just have fun.
3 comments:
I am a big UFC fan.
The sport has definitely grown from the unruly brawls into a science were every style has to be learned in order to have success.
Most of the fighters use hybrids of different forms it's rare to see a pure anything be it wrestler boxer or anything in the ring.
However with the growth of MMA and the money invloved, you can see that the Art in martial arts is slowly being removed if not out right gone out of it.
Im not sure how I feel about it, I studied Sanuces Ryu Jiujitsu for a year and though I learned a lot, but I was never comfortable with the lack of full contact sparring in it, which is understandable when you consider how dangerous some techniques can be.
But I always felt that any martial arts that does not out right teach you to feel as well as deal out pain is only teaching theories and not laws.
Which is why I always thought the sport orientated forms like wrestling, boxing, and kick boxing always had an advantage.
Trial by fire.
In the same thought the artistry, respect, and honor that is taught with the eastern arts were great teaching tools that you can instill into kids to give them a sense of pride.
I guess the bottom line is what are you learning the art for in the first place.
But back to your post, Chuck has definitely mastered how to fight in an MMA fight, but if you watched him you can see how he has turned into a one dimensional fighter trained to deal out punishment to grappler, his worse defeats came at the hands of strikers who he should have been ready for.
Liddell is not the best fighter to walk into the octagon but he has learned how to adapt. I think Liddell, like many MMA fighters, will have the problem of adjusting when it comes to certain fighters. He was definitely not ready for Jackson which he admits in the book. He did not see Jackson changing his style like he did because he underestimated Jackson. That happens often. I think if you ask any MMA fighter who is a contender and loses to someone they thought they can beat, they will tell you that.
thats what makes MMA fighting interesting, its a science and in the octagon you have to really use your noggin.
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