12/10/2018
In his erudite yet solipsistic memoir, former Fightland editor-in-chief Rosenblatt contemplates the impulses that brought a 33-year-old, self-proclaimed pacifist and dandy to the cage. After Rosenblatt realized that “part of me had always been attracted to the idea of fighting,” he began studying Krav Maga, then Muay Thai, Brazilian jujitsu, and boxing until, seven years later, he entered his first mixed-martial-arts competition. As the date of his bout approached, Rosenblatt grappled with anxiety, self-doubt, and self-denial, and he offers musings on the mental and physical aspects of competing, including one on a moment he’d been dreading: the weigh-in a week before the fight, when, if he was over his target weight, he’d have to forfeit (“On the day of the weigh-in I consume nothing at all.... I run on the treadmill for twenty minutes somehow wringing from my dehydrated body a few last drips of sweat”). He also discusses histories of combat sports (until the late 18th century, “the jab was viewed skeptically by boxers... for being insufficiently masculine”). Rosenblatt can distract with internal monologues (as an Ashkenazi Jew, “shame is in the blood... the thought that my people didn’t do enough to defend themselves, in Kishinev or Odessa or Auschwitz”) rather than focus on his sparring partners, training, or coaches. Instances where his gaze does turn outward are vivid and entertaining but all too infrequent. Ultimately, Rosenblatt makes it hard for readers to care about his story, or perhaps even remember that he’s training for a fight. (Feb.)
Fascinating . . . a highly lucid, very personal meditation on selfhood.” — NPR Books
“Glistens with illuminations about courage and aging. The aim was self-transformation. Win or lose, it was mission accomplished.” — Wall Street Journal
“A story of perilous becoming.” — Los Angeles Times
“A book worth reading not only for those who enjoy MMA and other forms of professional fighting, but for those who are baffled as to why such a bloody sport would ever be appealing. . . . Rosenblatt’s observations about being a Jewish athlete are also quite timely.” — Salon
“Rosenblatt offers much food for thought in this intellectual memoir blending sports and self-transformation.” — Library Journal
“A very entertaining and informative chronicle of a quixotic journey of self-examination.” — Booklist
“Over the last several years I’ve read quite a few books by thoughtful men and women about the lure of various forms of fighting. Josh Rosenblatt’s Why We Fight is much the best of this mini-genre.” — David Shields, author of The Thing About Life Is That One Day You’ll Be Dead
“This is a terrific story—funny and scary and moving—as well as a thoughtful meditation on bravery, violence, pain, aging, and how getting hit in the face can change your life for the better.” — Paul Bloom, Yale University, author of Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion
“‘But I was tired of myself, so I said yes.’ And thus begins Rosenblatt’s journey from chicken to beast. I loved this book mostly for its gorgeous restraint. It ain’t a macho brag but rather a piece of Old Testament prophecy. A clarion call advocating the importance of physicality.” — Chas Smith, author of Welcome to Paradise, Now Go to Hell: A True Story of Violence, Corruption, and the Soul of Surfing
“Erudite.” — Publishers Weekly
Over the last several years I’ve read quite a few books by thoughtful men and women about the lure of various forms of fighting. Josh Rosenblatt’s Why We Fight is much the best of this mini-genre.
Glistens with illuminations about courage and aging. The aim was self-transformation. Win or lose, it was mission accomplished.
This is a terrific story—funny and scary and moving—as well as a thoughtful meditation on bravery, violence, pain, aging, and how getting hit in the face can change your life for the better.
A book worth reading not only for those who enjoy MMA and other forms of professional fighting, but for those who are baffled as to why such a bloody sport would ever be appealing. . . . Rosenblatt’s observations about being a Jewish athlete are also quite timely.
Fascinating . . . a highly lucid, very personal meditation on selfhood.
A story of perilous becoming.
‘But I was tired of myself, so I said yes.’ And thus begins Rosenblatt’s journey from chicken to beast. I loved this book mostly for its gorgeous restraint. It ain’t a macho brag but rather a piece of Old Testament prophecy. A clarion call advocating the importance of physicality.
A very entertaining and informative chronicle of a quixotic journey of self-examination.
A story of perilous becoming.
A very entertaining and informative chronicle of a quixotic journey of self-examination.
Glistens with illuminations about courage and aging. The aim was self-transformation. Win or lose, it was mission accomplished.
Glistens with illuminations about courage and aging. The aim was self-transformation. Win or lose, it was mission accomplished.
A book worth reading not only for those who enjoy MMA and other forms of professional fighting, but for those who are baffled as to why such a bloody sport would ever be appealing. . . . Rosenblatt’s observations about being a Jewish athlete are also quite timely.
A story of perilous becoming.
A very entertaining and informative chronicle of a quixotic journey of self-examination.
Fascinating . . . a highly lucid, very personal meditation on selfhood.
11/15/2018
Taking stock of his life in his 30s, writer Rosenblatt avidly pursued mixed martial arts (MMA) in a futile attempt to escape the blandness and repetition of the everyday, and to escape from his pacifist existence. Immersing himself in MMA videos led to working out and sparring in various martial arts and, after almost a decade, the opportunity to fight in front of hundreds of spectators. In recounting his journey, Rosenblatt riffs on varied topics such as the brain/body connection in the face of fear, the effects of alcohol on the brain, and the relationship between sex and athletic performance. In the end, by flirting with death in the metal cage, he achieves the transcendent experience of feeling truly alive. VERDICT Some readers might agree most with the author's admission of self-absorption, and others might question observations such as Jesus submitting to the cross in search of a transformative experience, but Rosenblatt offers much food for thought in this intellectual memoir blending sports and self-transformation. [See Prepub Alert, 7/30/18.]—Jim Burns, formerly with Jacksonville P.L., FL