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Heart for the Fight
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Product Description
Product Description
This is the story of a kid from the wrong side of Scranton who made it to the Naval Academy, played linebacker for the Navy football team for four years, became a Marine officer, graduated first in his infantry officer class, led his men in two intense combat tours in the Anbar Province, received the Silver Star for gallantry, and now has emerged as one of the most interesting figures on the mixed martial arts (MMA) professional circuit.
About the Author
Brian Stann served two tours in combat during Operation Iraqi Freedom III and IV. He received the Silver Star for valor after his unit encountered vastly superior enemy forces. A former light heavyweight champion in the WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting), he now fights in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), the "big leagues" of mixed martial arts. He is also president of Hired Heroes, an Atlanta based nonprofit organization that finds employment for America's veterans. John R. Bruning has been a professional military historian and writer since 1990. He is the author of Crimson Sky: The Air Battle for Korea, Jungle Ace, Elusive Glory, Ship Strike Pacific, Luck of the Draw, and The Devil's Sandbox: With the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry at War in Iraq. Bruning also has numerous articles, documentaries, multimedia CD ROM programs, flight simulators, and museum displays to his credit. He lives in Independence, Oregon.
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5 reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Indomitable spirit!!
12 Sep 2010
Format:Hardcover
Brian Stann's "Heart for the Fight" succeeds on two levels: one as a military memoir and the other as a tale from the trenches of mixed martial arts (MMA). Stann deftly weaves the story of his Marine career with his rise as a mixed martial artist. On the latter journey, he starts as a raw amateur drilling in a Marine Corps self-defense program, graduating to amateur bouts and then getting a toehold in the pro circuit. Eventually, Stann joins the WEC and even wins the light-heavyweight belt. Later, the WEC decides to fold the LW division and Stann is picked up by the premier MMA organization, the UFC, where he resumes his career.
The recurring theme of "Heart for the Fight" is perseverance and a "never say die" attitude toward life and adversity (the former always bringing a dose of the latter). Stann struggles:
* To survive in the gritty part of Scranton, PA as a boy
* To get into the US Naval Academy
* To get through the Academy
* To make the Navy football team and then to play
* To learn the reins of leadership by leading Marines into combat in Iraq
* To successfully fight off a (false) court martial charge of sexual assault
* To learn MMA and to rise through setbacks and defeats
Stann skillfully alternates the book's narrative between hair-raising firefights in Iraq and the MMA cage. If you enjoy military memoirs, you will like the book. For the MMA fan, it will be a fun read. If you enjoy both, the book is a treat. It is a genuine story of blood, sweat, r=tears and sacrifice for a goal. (For those interested in an inside glimpse of the training program that Greg Jackson runs in Albuquerque, NM, Stann's book is worth the price of admission alone.
We often hear that, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the dog." Stann's book is an embodiment of that adage. (Of course, if you combine a BIG (i.e., 205-lb.) dog with a lot of "heart for the fight," you have a tough combination. You have, well . . . a Brian Stann.)
The takeaways for me is to fight through adversity, fight through setbacks and never quit. That sounds trite, but Stann illustrates these principles without being preachy.
"Heart for the Fight" also underscores the phrase long heard, "Once a Marine - always a Marine." You're IN the Navy or In the Army or In the Air Force but you ARE a Marine. Though Stann has left The Corps, he still considers himself a Marine and embodies the Semper Fi, never say die spirit of the warrior.
Another takeaway for me was the importance of adaptation as a key to growth and development. Stann entered MMA as a knockout machine, a somewhat one-dimensional punching beast. He learned through a few defeats that he needed to become multi-dimensional, adding mobility and grappling skills to his game in order to survive, advance and grow. Good life advice, come to think of it!
As MMA memoirs go, this one may be the best-written I have ever read. "Heart for the Fight" is an inspiring memoir and a reminder that tough times don't last, but tough people do...
The recurring theme of "Heart for the Fight" is perseverance and a "never say die" attitude toward life and adversity (the former always bringing a dose of the latter). Stann struggles:
* To survive in the gritty part of Scranton, PA as a boy
* To get into the US Naval Academy
* To get through the Academy
* To make the Navy football team and then to play
* To learn the reins of leadership by leading Marines into combat in Iraq
* To successfully fight off a (false) court martial charge of sexual assault
* To learn MMA and to rise through setbacks and defeats
Stann skillfully alternates the book's narrative between hair-raising firefights in Iraq and the MMA cage. If you enjoy military memoirs, you will like the book. For the MMA fan, it will be a fun read. If you enjoy both, the book is a treat. It is a genuine story of blood, sweat, r=tears and sacrifice for a goal. (For those interested in an inside glimpse of the training program that Greg Jackson runs in Albuquerque, NM, Stann's book is worth the price of admission alone.
We often hear that, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the dog." Stann's book is an embodiment of that adage. (Of course, if you combine a BIG (i.e., 205-lb.) dog with a lot of "heart for the fight," you have a tough combination. You have, well . . . a Brian Stann.)
The takeaways for me is to fight through adversity, fight through setbacks and never quit. That sounds trite, but Stann illustrates these principles without being preachy.
"Heart for the Fight" also underscores the phrase long heard, "Once a Marine - always a Marine." You're IN the Navy or In the Army or In the Air Force but you ARE a Marine. Though Stann has left The Corps, he still considers himself a Marine and embodies the Semper Fi, never say die spirit of the warrior.
Another takeaway for me was the importance of adaptation as a key to growth and development. Stann entered MMA as a knockout machine, a somewhat one-dimensional punching beast. He learned through a few defeats that he needed to become multi-dimensional, adding mobility and grappling skills to his game in order to survive, advance and grow. Good life advice, come to think of it!
As MMA memoirs go, this one may be the best-written I have ever read. "Heart for the Fight" is an inspiring memoir and a reminder that tough times don't last, but tough people do...
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
High recommended
31 Aug 2010
Format:Hardcover
Brian Stann and John Bruning get kudos for creating a surprising, and highly entertaining read about Stann's journey from street-wise kid to the Marine Corp, to the world of top-level mixed martial arts competition. Up to now, I confess to secretly thinking that mixed martial arts athletes were just slightly more legitimate than the flamboyant pro wrestlers of yore (think Jesse the Body Ventura), but I must now humbly withdraw that prejudice. Stann's book reveals an intelligent and perceptive view of two worlds: the US Marine Corp and the world of mixed martial arts, where Brian is beginning what should be a promising career. Part military adventure story, part sports story, and part self-revealing biography, this book shows a polish and native talent that you rarely see in first-time authors. Brian Stann is not only a real war hero, not only a promising world-class athlete, but also a legitimately talented story-teller.
Great Story
7 May 2012
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed Brian Stann's book. It is well written and gives multiple levels of insight into what makes him the person he is.
While Stann may never become a top contender in the world of MMA (he has enormous heart and incredible raw talent BUT he goy into the game late in life and is way behind the 8 ball going up against other journey man level fighters who have 20+ years of fight experience at his age) He is an incredible famly man, American Hero, and human being.
I found his life stories and experiences inspiring.
While Stann may never become a top contender in the world of MMA (he has enormous heart and incredible raw talent BUT he goy into the game late in life and is way behind the 8 ball going up against other journey man level fighters who have 20+ years of fight experience at his age) He is an incredible famly man, American Hero, and human being.
I found his life stories and experiences inspiring.
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