Win or Learn: MMA, Conor McGregor and Me: A Trainer's Journey Paperback – June 30, 2016

John gives a great account of what happened and why. He has a very wise mentality that he approaches martial arts with. A forever student. Not a new mentality to fellow jiu jitsu practitioners but to hear a man so wise beyond his years go into this theory a little further was very beneficial. I truly enjoyed this book and will likely pick it up again some day.

Hearing the story of SBG Ireland, Conor Mcgregor, and John Kavanagh told from the beginning of the story to present day from John Kavanagh's perspective made Win Or Learn a really enjoyable read. As others have noted,it is nearly impossible to put the book down once you start reading. While the media and fans in general focus primarily on Connor, there is a lot more to the story than just Conor's experience and personal struggles. The story is about John starting a gym geared toward MMA from scratch, despite having an Engineering degree and his parents thinking he was absolutely nuts, in a country that wasn't quite ready to really embrace MMA.... at the time. I think what makes their story truly special and what makes it resonate with so many people around the globe is that this is a story about a few people, through trial and immense tribulation, overcoming the odds while chasing a dream. Not only that, the emphasis they always put on how important their fans are and the country they come from should be a model any up and coming fighter, or person in general, could learn a lot from.The mantra of John's gym is we win or we learn; thus, the name of the book. However, by purchasing this book you do both. If you are interested in MMA or you just want to read a great story of perseverance you should consider buying this book.

An easy and enjoyable read about a coach with a dream, a kid with a dream and how they changed a sport together.Much of the book focuses of course on Conor Mc Gregor as he is the John's biggest success - some interesting stories from behind the curtain and the bright lights.Not life changing but I enjoyed it very much.

John Kavanagh is an incredibly humble and honest guy. The story of his, and McGregor's path, from it's beginning up until the McGregor v Diaz 2 fight is fascinating and insightful, a tale of overcoming the odds and setting up something special in Ireland that didn't even exist before and worldwide with McGregor. It is a well told journey and I absolutely flew threw this book. Also check out the author's column on the42.ieProved to the world that the mantra " We win or we learn" is not just a catchy phrase that is not just applicable to martial arts but any form of adversity in life.

I am a huge mma enthusiast who pre-ordered this book. I have seen Coach Kavanaugh in videos and followed him on social media and so it goes without saying that I couldn't wait to see what his book had in store. I was not disappointed. This is an amazing story about a man who followed his dream, fell, got up and won. The writing flowed very smooth. It was straight forward but not dry. There's so much more behind Conor Mcgregor... There's SBG... And behind that, there's Coach John Kavanagh. A must read!!!

Never wrote a review before... this is truly a magnificent book. I'm a huge fan of inspirational stories and this is an example of one. Johns long, hard road to success is unimaginable. Reading stories about Conor, Gunni and many other SBG fighters is very motivating. Thank you John for this great book. I became a Conor "bandwagon" before the Mendez fight and now I haven't missed a single UFC PPV since. It truly changed my life and I'm excited to meet you guys one day!

Being an MMA fan, and McGregor fan, I read this book in one sitting. Even knowing all the outcomes already. It was entertaining to be present for the buildup. Which is what I felt while reading this. On a side note being a business owner myself and dealing with the same ups and downs with the 9-5 constantly calling my name. This serves as great inspiration to keep the dream alive. I hope Conor returns to his usual form and we get to see, what I believe, is the best martial artist of all time. Dominate the 2nd half of his career.

Boring and badly written. Just a report of fights sbg has had. Not what I was looking for in this book.

Great story .. well written

Dieses Buch erklärt wie Conor mcgregors Coach den Sport nach Irland gebracht hat,wie er Conor kenngelernt hat und wie er ihn erfolgreich gemacht hat.Es ist relativ spannend und allen Kampfsportlern empfehlenswert.

The book was very well written, a lot of details about John Kavanagh's early years and his start in karate and jiu jitsu. Besides his relationship with Conor Mcgregor (which is full of learning from both parts), the book shows how his Straight Blast Gym influenced MMA in Ireland.

Libro molto bello interessante

Great bookIt’s not just the story of John and Conor and MMAIt’s a great lesson of a winning mindset and an eyes opener