Customer Reviews

Inside the Lion's Den

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I just wanted to say that I think this is a great book and a must buy for both Ken Shamrock and mixed martial arts fans. Please do not believe the hype from some of the other reviews stating that the book is unduly biased. That simply is not true. Mr. Shamrock openly reveals his mistakes in his losses and does not ridicule or down grade any opponent, ie: he speaks well of the Gracies, explains what caused the personal frictions between him and Dan Severn. Many times people confuse confidence with cockiness, as the great Muhammad Ali used to say, "It ain't braggin if you can do it!" Being the first King of Pancrase, and the first Superfight Champion, Ken Shamrock was the best mixed martial artist in the world; he has definitely proven that he can do what he says. Yes Ken Shamrock is confident, but he is not arrogant. Many interesting insights you'll learn about his personal life, the politics of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, his fighting style, and the Lion's Den. Buy it if you're a fan of Ken Shamrock!

This is a great book. It is a great and informative book, while not being boring. Anyone who reads this book can easily appreciate what he has gone through to get where he is, and it is encouraging to people who will also need to go through alot to get to somewhere better.

Ken Shamrock is a living legend and his book is a classic. Get it! It has submission grappling history, conditioning, nutritional advice, and holds.

If I learned one thing while publishing my own book, "The Authoritative Encyclopedia of Scientific Wrestling", it was this, people should give credit where credit is due:

"Inside the Lion's Den" was published one full year before any other book on Karl Gotch-style conditioning existed. It clearly and in plain language shows you how to do hindu squats, hindu push-ups, and neck bridging exercises and much much more. It is very comprehensive and talked about solid weight lifting routines too.

Bottom line: if you like submission grappling Inside The Lion's Den is essential to have in your library.

First off, I think the first part of this book will be rather dated soon; however, if you were a fan the UFC from the very beginning, you will find Part 1 of this book interesting. Some people are critical that the book is biased and pro-Shamrock - what did they expect? Who is going to write a book in which they call themselves a bum? In any case, the first time I heard of Ken Shamrock was in an article (I think it was in "Details" magazine) where they did a profile of him and the new UFC. I was impressed in the article by his workout routine (covered in depth in his book), the guy was doing a retarded amount of physical conditioning - 500 push-ups a day, etc. After watching the UFC for the first time, like so many others I was hooked, (and promptly joined a judo club). The second part of the book, "The secrets of Submission Fighting" is basic stuff - but very practical advice. The second half of the book is the part you will find yourself re-reading and referring back to. I find many people who write these Amazon.com reviews tend to try and pass themselves off as experts - well I think it's safe to say that Shamrock has forgotten more about fighting than 99% of these guys will ever know. Sure, Ken Shamrock's best days are probably behind him and he never was "the-best-of-the-best" - so what? I recommend his book, but see if you can pick up a used copy.

I found a lot of useful information in the book. He has info on training, drills and many submissions. What I found to help me was his 10 positions to launch submissions from. It helped organize some of the techniques in an understandable manner. I have been training for about 7 months and I saw some new stuff. He includes his strategies for many fights as well. It offers insight when you see him fight on the videos. I use it as a reference all the time. I will go train for a week or so, then open the book. I have many pages dogeard. Thanks Ken!

As a recent fan of the fighting world, I was not sure what I expect from this book. What I discovered was a well-written book that told a wonderful true life story. The format is delightful--one half about Shamrock's private life with his family that few seem to know existed and a second half that details and explains Shamrock's unique fighting style. A must read for the new fan or one who is learning about this style of combat and I believe one that would be highly enhoyable to anyone who has ever enjoyed a Super fight match. You gotta get it...

I highly recommend this book to any UFC, Pancrase, or Wrestling fans. This book gives an insightful look into Ken Shamrock's troubled past. He tells about the way he overcame adversity to become the best No-Holds-Barred fighter in the world. Well written and very interesting.

The first section of the book, a biography of Ken Shamrock, is a very interesting read. It begins from Shamrock's humble beginnings and ends after his loss to Dan Severn. For those who follow pro-wrestling, it will be insightful as both these athletes have now entered the WWF. While it is true that the author overemphasizes some of Shamrock's victories and glosses over his losses, it still presents a good idea of how tough the sport of fighting truely is. I found the sections detailing Shamrock's evolution as a fighter and the training of his famed Lions' Den to be the most fascinating and inspirational. The second portion focuses on Shamrock's system of fighting. It goes over the basic submissions and positions. Nothing too ground-breaking. Ken goes over the diet and physical training of his fighters. 5 Stars for those who follow MMA or wrestling 4 stars for those simply looking for an interesting read

This book will not only intrigue fans of all types of fighting styles that Ken Shamrock has competed in, it will also serve as a source of motivation and inspiration for all.
The book is creatively and effectively divided into two parts. The first half is ghost written, or at least co-authored, and chronicles Ken's life. It is a brief, yet very thorough and captivating life story.

The second half is a nuts and bolts introduction to all aspects of competing in mixed martial arts - from eating to strength training to technique.

"Inside The Lion's Den" is more than just a book about a tough guy who won some fighting contests and became a pro wrestler. "Inside The Lion's Den" delves deep into the trials and tribulations that chronicle Ken's awkward upbringing. His childhood was far from, "The Cosby Show" yet it is explained in a way that is quite unlike most biographies of high profile stars that claim of such horrible childhood life.

Too often are we subjected to a "Where Are They Now" documentary by some celebrity telling us that they were mentally abused, or how their horribly painful past forced them into a drug plagued life. Ken Shamrock doesn't mirror this all to common pattern. He simply tells about his life - and it doesn't appear to be one that most of us would have wanted at times.

The second half of the book can, and will, put any reader who isn't a professional athlete or combatant into shape. One will be surprised at the amount of inside information that Shamrock shares. I've met many mixed martial artists and several of them couldn't complete the training regimen that is covered here.

Some have belittled Shamrock for having the book co-authored, but that is a very unfair criticism. Ken Shamrock is a master fighter - an athlete - a competitor. He has a great story to share with us. Does any of that make him qualified to transfer that to paper and deliver it in a manner that is entertaining and interesting? No.

That is no disrespect to Ken. He is a master at what he does. And he is very smart for having a co-author. I would assume that Ken, and most of you, have an accountant prepare your taxes. We all bring in experts to handle tasks for us. There is no shame in that.

Professional wrestlers have amazing stories to tell and they are finally being shared with us all.

I'll start off by saying I'm a big fan of Ken Shamrock, so I'd probably give 3 stars just for including him in a book. The book is split into two sections, one a biography of Ken Shamrock, the second an overview of submission fighting and training methods used at the Lions Den.

The biographical section is first. It covers Shamrocks' troubled childhood, his first Toughman bouts, and eventual entry into mixed martial arts in Japan and then the UFC. Along the way, the reader gets a good idea of the troubles and controversy which plagued the early years of the UFC.

The second section is a very general overview of the most basic submission techniques. If you're looking for a book chock full of grappling or striking techniques, try No Holds Barred by Mark Hatmaker instead. However, that's not what the book is about. There's also good material on the training philosophy and style of the Lions Den.

Inside the Lions Den does have some faults. The biographical section is not chronological, it skips around without making reference to dates. This can be very confusing. reading it, one gets the impression that Shamrock had finished fighting in the Pancrase circuit in Japan once the UFC started up. In reality, he was doing both at the same time for about 2 years. If you wren't a fan, you'd never get that from the book.

My biggest gripe is the way the author hero worships Ken Shamrock. Mind you, I'm a fan of his, but the prose in this work is God-awful. How many descriptions of Ken's "sleek, rippling muscles" do we need? He's compared to various predators dozens of times. You'd think he fights in blue-and-red tights with a big "S" and a cape. It's as if the co-author had a bit of a crush on him.

If you're a fan of MMA or the UFC, I'd say spring for this book, it's a fast and fun read.