Wrestling Tough

Few sports are as intense as wrestling. The physical training demands total dedication. The mental side requires focus, anticipation and resilience. No letup. No excuses.

Wrestling Tough, Second Edition, will inspire and guide you to achieve the mind-set of a champion. Whether you need to identify the flaws of an opponent, get optimally psyched for a big match, or overcome the adversity inherent in participating in the sport, Wrestling Tough will prepare you to excel and win.

Mike Chapman, known for his unique expertise, analysis, and insight into the great sport of wrestling, has had the privilege of rubbing shoulders with many of America’s greatest amateurs and professional wrestlers. In the second edition of Wrestling Tough, he shares his insights to take you beyond the physical attributes needed to succeed on the mat:

• Explore the attacking mind-set and the importance of psyching up for competition.

• Gain perspective on the increasing popularity of the sport among women and girls and how female participants are proving their toughness on the mat at all levels.

• Examine the rise and importance of funk-style wrestling, through which an individual’s personality is allowed—and encouraged—to shine.

• Glimpse the key moments in the careers of many great wrestlers and the training methods they used to break through barriers and achieve ultimate success.

Wrestling Tough is loaded with stories, insights, and coaching philosophies from legendary coaches and wrestlers such as Cael Sanderson, Dan Gable, Lee Kemp, John Smith, Tom Brands, and Steve Fraser, and even coaches from other sports such as basketball’s John Wooden and football’s Vince Lombardi. These stories will captivate wrestlers, coaches, and fans of wrestling alike.

Make your mind a key weapon in your wrestling arsenal. Wrestling Tough provides you the ammunition to develop the mental firepower to win and dominate on the mat.

Mike Chapman is the founder and former executive director of the International Wrestling Institute and Museum, now called the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. He is the author of 30 books, 17 of which are about wrestling. He has written over 700 columns on the sport of wrestling, with his work appearing in a dozen national magazines. He has appeared on ESPN, Fox Sports, Iowa Public Television, and A&E Network and has been featured in numerous documentaries on the sport. The former director of communications for USA Wrestling, Chapman has attended 46 NCAA wrestling tournaments, two Olympics, and three world championships.

Chapman has been named National Wrestling Writer of the Year five times and was co-winner of WIN magazine’s Impact of the Year Award in 1999. He is a member of 10 halls of fame, including the AAU Wrestling Hall of Fame and the National Wresting Hall of Fame and Museum. In 2002, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award in wrestling from the Cauliflower Alley Club. He is also the founder of WIN magazine and originated both the WIN Memorabilia Show and the Dan Hodge Trophy, considered by many the top award in collegiate wrestling.