Truly great literature will change the way you think about the world. Good literature may cause a stutter in your perceptions, resulting in a slight shift or affirmation towards existing ideas. Why I Fight will change the way you think about BJ Penn and little else.
Starting as far back as BJ can remember, the book thoroughly, although sometimes clumsily, gives an insider perspective into the life of "The Prodigy." From his early youth growing up in Hawaii (which he describes in a way that sounds like he would have gotten along well with Disney's Pocahontas) up to his decision to pursue jiu-jitsu as a career, the books tells the story of a life that we only really care about because we recognize the guy who's picture is on the cover.
Once we get further into the brazilian jiu-jitsu and into the MMA stuff, names and events that are recognizable to the more casual fan make the experience more familiar and rewarding. As fun as it is to hear about BJ in Hawaii fighting in the streets, fighting on his porch, fighting his friends, and fighting guys bigger than him (repeated ad nauseum, pretending it's the first time it's been said, insisting that it's normal behaviour) we really want to hear about the title fights and the controversy.
The last third of the book seems to be leading up to the inevitable discussion of the circumstances surrounding UFC 94: St-Pierre vs. Penn 2, during which St-Pierre's team allegedly applied some kind of slippery substance (possibly Vasline) to his skin, effectively neutralizing any submissions that Penn could have attempted. Even though I watched the fight, I only became aware of the scandal afterward, mainly by hearsay, and later through MMA websites. I was minorly aware of the appeal that Penn filed to have the fight ruled a No-Contest and, like most people (particularly those, like me, exuding nationalist pride for St-Pierre), assumed that Penn was just a sore loser. Surprisingly, it doesn't take much to sway sympathy toward Penn's side of things.
The book effectively paints Penn as a quiet guy with enough integrity to endure the politics and abuse that come with his job, so that he can take part in a sport that is fulfilling and gives him self worth. By the time you close the book, you find yourself believing that Dana White is more of a douche than you thought, that Kenny Florian is a weasel, that Georges St-Pierre is a lubed-up traitor, and the BJ Penn is the moral core upon whom the entirety of MMA's sportsmanship and integrity rests.
Only time will tell how long this perception shift will last. Not 10 minutes ago I read on BJ's Wikipedia that someone from his camp claims he only lost his title to Frankie Edgar becaus of a sinus infection and being on antibiotics. My old self shook my head, tired of the excuses, but there was, at least, a new voice that felt sympathetic, feeling like I have a new understanding of BJ.
Regardless, this is a book that passes the time and provides uniquely interesting insight into Penn's head (particularly in hearing what was going through his mind during his fights), but it's still well into the shadow of Forrest Griffin's substantially better Got Fight: The 50 Zen Principles of Hand-To-Face Combat.
Rating: 3.0 stars
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