But that’s how I live my life today. The first thing I think of, when I wake up in the morning, is how can I be better? How can I be a better person, a better father, a better husband, a better man in my community? That all has its roots in fighting and the principles of honor, respect, and discipline. I used to spend hours studying how I could throw a better left hook. Now it starts with the world around me. How can I be a better person? How can I be better at taking care of myself, my family, and my community?
I’m not sure what’s next. I’m not sure where I’m going, or where the world around me is going. But right here, right now, it’s all come full circle. My daughter Nicolette just took her very first martial arts class. And I just started training again—in a friend’s garage, just like in the beginning. I’m going to start teaching again, too. Just like in the beginning.
My world looks fantastic to me. I’m excited about it. The last few months don’t look like the end of something, or the beginning of something. It just looks like what is. I’m excited about it. I’m nervous about it. But I’m that way about everything. I’m always excited and nervous. I have everything I’ve ever wanted. I’ve done everything I ever wanted to do. I accomplished what I set out to do. I’ve been the best fighter in the world. I set two world records. I did things no one else had ever done. But the timing could have been better; I did it all in a sport that no one was watching at the time. Now MMA is the biggest sport in the world. But when I was doing it, our sport was viewed by its smallest audience ever when it was kicked off cable. I still believe MMA is the next level of entertainment in martial arts and combat sports. It’s only going to get bigger. Whether I have a hand in that, I don’t know.
But I know that my journey as a martial artist will continue, and my experience as a fighter and a martial artist has prepared me for anything that lies ahead. I’m looking forward to whatever is next. I have no fear. I am a warrior.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many people, knowingly and unknowingly, have made this book possible, and I acknowledge their contributions with deepest appreciation and gratitude.
First and foremost, I would like to thank my wife, Amy, daughter, Nicolette, and son, Frankie, for giving up so many evenings and dinners while these words were hammered out.
My deepest gratitude to Henry Holmes, mentor, super lawyer, and newly adopted father, for seeing a future that I could only dream of and for having the desire and experience to help achieve it.
I am eternally grateful to Charles Fleming. Thank you for your faith in my story and your willingness to walk into the cage with me. Without your brotherhood, patience, diligence, and writing skills, this book would have never been completed.
A special thank you to my editor, Yuval Taylor at Chicago Review Press, for the endless help with editing and shaping these words for human consumption.
I would like to express my greatest gratitude to my adoptive father, Bob Shamrock, for taking me into his group home and teaching me a love for athletics and a respect for myself.
To my partner, Scott Coker, thank you for being my fight promoter in the martial arts, for being honest, and for trusting my vision of MMA.
Thank you to Ken Shamrock, my adopted brother and first teacher of martial arts, without whom I would never have had the courage to fight.
With the utmost gratitude, I pay respect to my trainer, Maurice Smith, for treating me like a brother when no one else would and for showing me unconditional love.
I would also like to thank Lorenzo Fertitta, Bob Meyrowitz, Kelly Kahl, Javier Mendez, Mickey Rourke, Chuck Norris, Al Sehorn, Ernie Reyes, my doctor team—Dr. Carlon Colker, Dr. Mike and Matt Janzen, Dr. David Vik, Dr. Miles Guyton—and Mrs. Tucker, my third-grade teacher, who sent me books and homework while I was in juvenile hall. I would also like to thank my students in martial arts, who taught me so much about life, and all the fighters I have trained who taught me so much about people.
Finally, I would like to thank the fans who have walked alongside me on this journey. Your letters of support and encouragement have always been the secret source of inspiration and energy that have kept me going.
INDEX
Abbott, Tank, 113, 148–149
adoption, 75
alcohol
addiction to, 237–244
after Christy left, 38
B. Shamrock and, 30–31
childhood and, 9, 13, 14, 33
in Japan, 79
Altman, Mike, 185
American Kickboxing Academy, 97, 141, 172, 249–250
Anderson, Gerry, 133
Angel (girlfriend), 85
Arlovski, Andrei, 105
Avenal State Prison, 54
Bacon, Butch, 145–146
BAR O Boys Ranch, 35–36
Baroni, Phil, 161, 170, 171–175, 177–181, 183, 184
Barry (mother’s boyfriend), 198, 218–219, 220
Beauparlant, Brent, 155
Bennett, Charles, 164
Bernstein, Al, 221, 248
Bessac, Scott, 61, 66
Big Al, 148
Big Joe, 119
Blatnick, Jeff, 145
Bohlander, Jerry, 84, 112, 123
Book of Five Rings, The, 77–78
boxing, introduction to, 20–21
Brown, Angelina
championship and, 112
dating, 85, 86
divorce from, 134–135
Gold’s Gym and, 141
in Japan, 106
Lober fight and, 87, 119
in Los Altos, 95, 102
in Los Angeles, 129
Ortiz fight and, 125–126
tension with, 121–122, 131–132
Buentello, Paul, 105
bullying, 225–228
Burnett, Mickey, 84
Busey, Gary, 133
Bushido, 144, 224, 246
Calderon, 138–139
California Youth Authority, 47–49, 50
Carano, Gina, 164, 206
Casino, Tom, 179
Castillo, Raul, 205
childhood, 1–15, 199–200, 201–202
Christian Science, 19–20
Christy (first wife), 33, 34–38, 47–48, 53
Chun Li, Haggar, 116
Coker, Scott, 158, 159, 162, 163, 173, 204, 221, 230–231
Coleman, Mark, 169
commentary work, 223–224, 248
conditioning, 96–97, 184
See also training
Connie. See Christy
Cook, Bob, 249–250
Corcoran (California State Prison), 52–54
Corriera, Wesley, 164
Couture, Randy, 133, 185
Crosby, Douglas, 132, 133
CYA (California Youth Authority), 47–49, 50
cyber-bullying. see bullying
Damm, Rodrigo, 205, 206
Davis, Raphael, 155
DeLucia, Jason, 61, 75, 84, 93, 145, 245
Diaz, Nick, 160, 184, 204–206, 207–212, 244
drugs, 10, 30–31, 38, 79, 120, 241–242
See also steroid use
Duus, Eric, 102, 103
EA Sports, 224
Ebersole, Brian, 117–118, 155
Edwards, Yves, 144
EliteXC, 156–157, 163–164, 166, 187
Emelianenko, Fedor, 222
Extreme Fighting Championship, 106, 233
Fallon, Jimmy, 227
Fertitta, Frank and Lorenzo, 228
finances, 93–94
Folsom State Prison, 57
Ford, Jeff, 145
Foster, Bryan, 175
foster families, 19–22
Frankie Blake (son), 34, 53, 136, 196–197, 217–218
Franklin, Rich, 185
Frye, Don, 145
Fryklund, Tony, 185–186
Fujiwara, Yoshiaki, 69
Fujiwara Gumi, 69
Fuke, Takako, 68
Full Contact Fighting Federation, 233
Funaki, Masakatsu, 68, 78, 82, 183, 248
Funak
i, Masaru, 69, 70, 71
Gassaway, Wes, 92
Gatti, Arturo, 133
Goes, Allan, 80–81, 113
Gold’s Gym, 141
Gotch, Karl, 69, 70
Gracie, Cesar, 146, 158–161, 167–168, 185, 206, 211
Gracie, Renzo, 154, 163–168, 174, 182, 184, 204
Gracie, Royce, 84, 147–148, 158–159, 183
Gracie family, 158
Granny, 25
Guinness World Record, 105
Harrah’s Casino, 35
Henderson, Dan, 113, 175
Hitomi, Akira, 205
Holmes, Ben, 217
Holmes, Henry, 123–124, 129, 217, 218, 220
Hoost, Ernesto, 139
Horn, Jeremy, 113–114, 122
Humphrey, Abongo, 205, 206
Inagaki, Katsuomi, 78
injuries
abdominal, 207–208
arm, 189–194
knee, 175–178
Inoue, Egan, 101
Inoue, Enson, 97–101, 106, 109, 178
International Fight League, 109, 154–155
Ishi, Master, 141
Ito, Takafumi, 68, 70, 82
Jackie (grandmother), 2
Jackson, Kevin, 98, 101–106, 107, 109, 112, 153
jail/prison, 45–58
See also juvenile hall
Jamestown (Sierra Conservation
Center, CDCR), 54–57
Japan, 67–74, 76–77
See also individual fighters
Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1–2, 9, 13, 19–20, 32, 154
Jewell (aunt), 202–204
Joe (stepfather), 3–13, 18, 29, 57, 88, 121, 198, 199
Johnson, Gus, 221, 223
Juares, Tony, 160
Juarez, Frank Alicio, 13
Juarez, Frank Alicio, II, 2, 13, 199–201
juvenile hall, 15, 17–19, 21, 22–23
See also jail/prison
K-1, 137, 139, 140, 141, 158
Kababian, Alex, 145
Kasteel, Joop, 92
Kedzie, Julie, 164
kickboxing, 97, 137, 158, 160, 186, 188, 228, 249
Kohsaka, Tsuyoshi, 92
Kondo, Yuki, 86
Koniuka, Kiuma, 86
Koons, K. J., 164
Lassen County Jail, 45–47, 49–50
Le, Cung, 117, 157–158, 160, 182, 184, 185–193, 204, 205–206
Lee, Bruce, 102
Lewis, Charles, 206
Liddell, Chuck, 113, 122, 185
Liles, Donny, 155
Lion’s Den, 57, 59–66, 75, 84–85
See also Shamrock, Ken
Lober, John, 85–88, 91, 102, 104, 105–106, 114–115, 119–121, 126
Loiseau, David, 164
Lopez, Juan Manuel, 181
Lucero, Vince, 155
Lydia (mother), 1–3, 6–8, 10–13, 14, 23, 121, 197–198, 203, 218–221
Machado brothers, 130
Manson, Charles, 52
Marquez, Rafael, 181
martial way, 245–254
McCain, John, 101–102
McCarthy, John, 107, 125, 208
medicine, home, 115–118
Melendez, Gilbert, 160, 205, 206
Mendez, Javier, 97, 102, 103, 138, 249–250
Meyrowitz, Bob, 113, 128, 233
Mezger, Guy, 84, 92, 123, 148
Michaels, Brandon, 205
Michelle (sister), 4, 9
Mike (uncle), 2, 202–203
Miletich, Pat, 248
Morgan, Sammy, 186
N. A. Chaderjian Youth Correctional Facility. see CYA
Nakamura, Daisuke, 142
No Rules, 133
Norris, Chuck, 129–130
Odom, Josh, 155
Ortiz, Tito
fight with, 122–123, 124–128, 217
fighting style of, 181–182, 184
K. Shamrock and, 148, 183
T-shirts and, 127, 172
UFC and, 204
White and, 228
oxygen reduction training, 187–188
Oz, 132
Pacino, Al, 133
Pancrase
K. Shamrock and, 60, 61
origins of, 68–69
tournament, 71–73
training for, 64, 75
UFC and, 233
work with, 76–77
Pardoe, Bryan, 152–153
Payless Drugs, 36–37, 39–40, 42
Penn, B. J., 244
Perry (brother), 2, 3, 121, 197, 198, 218–219
Petruzelli, Seth, 157
Prangley, Trevor, 144
PRIDE, 171
Pride Fighting Championship, 223
prison/jail, 45–58
See also juvenile hall
ProElite, 163–164, 168–169, 176, 204
Quinlan, Jeff, 155
Quintero, Vic, 130
race issues, 7–8, 17–18, 51–52, 54–55
Radach, Benji, 205, 206
Ranallo, Mauro, 221, 223, 248
retirement, 222
revelation, 88–89
Rings Extension Fighting, 92
Ritch, Shannon, 144
Robynn (sister), 2, 9, 14, 121, 198–200, 201, 219
Rogers, Brett, 205, 206
Rogers, Matt, 145
Rourke, Mickey, 133, 206
Rutten, Bas, 71–73, 79–80, 81–82, 83, 145, 223, 224
Ryan (friend at Shamrock Boys Ranch), 30
Santos, Cristiane, 205, 206
Sarmiento, Harris, 160
Sawyer, Buzz and Brett, 58, 60
Schwarzenegger, Arnold, 141
Severn, Dan, 114, 145, 183
sex, 9, 31–32, 33
sexual molestation, 31–32
Shamrock, Amy
alcohol and, 238–243
B. Shamrock and, 218
dating, 135, 136–137
in Japan, 139
move to NY and, 225
Nicolette and, 195–196, 213
retirement and, 222
wedding and, 153–154
Shamrock, Bob
adoption by, 75
discipline and, 28–29
early relationship with, 24, 25–26, 34
estrangement from, 111–113, 147, 213–214
K. Shamrock and, 59–60, 94–95, 214–216
as mentor, 248
Ortiz fight and, 122–123
parole and, 57–58
rules and, 26, 27–28
Shamrock, Ken
B. Shamrock and, 214–216
background of, 57–58, 59–61
conflict with, 91, 92, 93–95, 111–113
disenchantment of, 83–84
at first fight, 71, 73
Gracies and, 147–148, 158–159
IFL and, 154–156
as mentor, 248
Ortiz and, 123, 127
personality of, 182–183
relationship with, 151–152
Slice and, 156–157
training and, 61–66, 75
UFC and, 234
video game and, 224
wrestling and, 84
Shamrock, Nicolette (daughter), 195–196, 213, 237, 239–240, 242, 253
Shamrock, Wayne. See Shamrock, Ken
Shamrock Boys Ranch, 24, 25–34
Shaw, Jared, 157–158
Shibuya, Osami, 82–83
Shootbox, 144–146
Shoulders (trainee), 250–251
Silicon Valley Sports, 230–231
Silva, Anderson, 185
Silva, Antonio, 164
Sinosic, Elvis, 137–138, 139–140
Slice, Kimbo, 156–157
Smith, Jerome, 145
Smith, Maurice
on AKA, 250
B. Shamrock and, 214
championship and, 112
IFL and, 154
Inoue fight and, 99, 101
Jackson fight and, 104
in Japan, 92
knee move and, 169
Le fight and, 189, 192
/> Lober fight and, 121
Ortiz fight and, 126
rules meeting and, 166
training with, 96–97, 102, 114–115, 118–119, 160
Smith, Scott, 205, 206
Southworth, Bobby, 144
spirit, 181–184
Spratt, Pete, 144
StandTogether, 226
stealing, 7, 8, 13, 15, 22
after Christy left, 38–39
cars, 33–34
at Payless, 36–37, 39–40
from Taco Bell, 40–42
Steinbeiss, Ray, 155
steroid use, 173–174, 178, 181
See also drugs
street fights, 148–151
Strikeforce
Baroni fight and, 173, 176, 184
beginnings of, 158, 159
Coker and, 162, 221
Diaz fight and, 204–205
Le fight and, 187
sale of, 230–234, 237
Tate and, 227
UFC and, 224
Super Brawl fights, 85–87
Suzuki, Minoru, 68, 78–79, 82, 183
Suzy (sister), 2, 14, 121, 198, 199, 219
Swick, Mike, 145–146
Taco Bell, 40
Tate, Miesha “Takedown,” 227
Telligman, Tre, 84
Thompson, T. Jay, 85
Thomson, Josh, 144, 172–173, 205
Torelli, Vince. See Shamrock, Ken
Tracy induction center, 50–52
training
conditioning, 96–97, 184
in Japan, 67–74
at Lion’s Den, 63–66
martial way and, 252–253
of others as teacher, 54, 56, 75, 77, 84–5, 91, 93, 112–113, 116, 133, 137, 141–142, 172, 177, 217, 222, 227–229, 246–249, 253
with Smith, 96–97, 102, 114–115, 118–119, 160
weight, 54, 56
Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC)
Baroni and, 171
beginnings of, 82
IFL and, 154
image of, 225–226
Jackson fight and, 98, 101–102, 104, 105, 106
K. Shamrock and, 83–84, 86
Meyrowitz and, 113
No Rules and, 133
offer from, 162
Ortiz fight and, 122
Smith and, 96
Strikeforce and, 204, 232–234
work with, 228–229
See also individual fighters
Vale Tudo, 97–98
Velasquez, Dave, 145
Villasenor, Joey, 164
Von Flue, Jason, 185
Wade, Daniel, 145
Wahlberg, Mark, 196
Walker, Texas Ranger, 129–131
Warren, Brian, 185
Washburn, Chad, 145
Werdum, Fabricio, 222
White, Dana, 133, 162, 224, 225–226, 227, 228–229, 230, 232–234
White Hippie Guy, 199, 203
White, Vernon, 61, 83
Williams, Pete, 92, 113
World Extreme Cagefighting, 152
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