Literary Squared Circle #43 – BREAKING THE CHAINS
Nikita Koloff celebrated his 63rd birthday earlier this week (3/9). In honor of the occasion, the Literary Squared Circle blog reviews Koloff’s first book Breaking the Chains: A Handbook for Christian Living by Nikita Koloff (WorldComm, 2002).
Despite the overwhelming use of wrestling imagery, Breaking the Chains is not a wrestling book per se. The book is authored by “Nikita Koloff”, not Scott Simpson (the man behind the gimmick). There is a menacing photo of Koloff, with his chain, on the cover of the book. In addition, there are numerous photos of Koloff from his wrestling career throughout. Even the blurb on the back of the book describes Koloff’s professional wrestling resume, including all of the championships he won. However, within its pages, there is very little discussion of Koloff’s wrestling career in the book.
Instead, Breaking the Chains is literally, as the subtitle implies, A Handbook for Christian Living. Koloff briefly gives a testimonial of what led him to become a Christian in 1993. He then proceeds to describe what must be done to live a Christian lifestyle. Actively spread the word of the Gospel, associate with like-minded people, be a role model, do not judge others, etc.
Intersperced throughout are “What if” scenarios which encourage the reader to examine their faith, and motivational quotes to inspire. Koloff dedicates a chapter to sharing what he has learned along the way during his journey as a born-again Christian.
Although much of what is shared is common sense, it is neatly packaged and easily digestible. Koloff states that the keys to being a good Christian are as follows:
1. Read your Bible daily.
2. Pray daily.
3. Attend church regularly.
Those looking for a wrestling memoir will be disappointed. Koloff has authored two other books, one of which focuses more on his wrestling career. Breaking the Chains: A Handbook for Christian Living is just that: a handbook for Christian living. Newer Christians will benefit most from reading this book, however, longtime Christians might also enjoy the book as a refresher of sorts. Koloff’s book is short (less than 100 pages) and jam-packed with helpful tidbits for spiritual living.
One of the few instances in which Nikita Koloff discussed professional wrestling, was the one portion of the book that did not sit well with me. When discussing personal choices, he mentions a few of his contemporaries who struggled with addiction. Koloff called out, by name, wrestlers he considered self-destructive: Brian Pillman, Eddie Gilbert, The Von Erichs, Jay Youngblood, and Bruiser Brody. He then states, “Without judging, I can say that my choices led to more happiness than theirs. Many of them are no longer with us, due to their choices.”
While I get what he was trying to say, to me it came off as being somewhat “holier than thou”. Anytime you start a sentence with “Without judging…” you can almost undoubtedly expect what follows to be judgmental.
Aside from that, I really enjoyed reading Breaking the Chains. It was a quick read that made you stop and consider aspects of your own faith. Whereas “Is That Wrestling Fake? – The Bear Facts by Nikita Koloff’s storyline uncle, Ivan Koloff (see Literary Squared Circle #40) was a wrestling memoir that incorporated Ivan’s testimonial, Breaking the Chains is almost exclusively a book about Nikita’s faith. As a wrestling book, I would not recommend it. But for any current or potential Christians, it is a good place to reexamine or begin your walk with Christ.
4 Stars out of 5
Despite the overwhelming use of wrestling imagery, Breaking the Chains is not a wrestling book per se. The book is authored by “Nikita Koloff”, not Scott Simpson (the man behind the gimmick). There is a menacing photo of Koloff, with his chain, on the cover of the book. In addition, there are numerous photos of Koloff from his wrestling career throughout. Even the blurb on the back of the book describes Koloff’s professional wrestling resume, including all of the championships he won. However, within its pages, there is very little discussion of Koloff’s wrestling career in the book.
Instead, Breaking the Chains is literally, as the subtitle implies, A Handbook for Christian Living. Koloff briefly gives a testimonial of what led him to become a Christian in 1993. He then proceeds to describe what must be done to live a Christian lifestyle. Actively spread the word of the Gospel, associate with like-minded people, be a role model, do not judge others, etc.
Intersperced throughout are “What if” scenarios which encourage the reader to examine their faith, and motivational quotes to inspire. Koloff dedicates a chapter to sharing what he has learned along the way during his journey as a born-again Christian.
Although much of what is shared is common sense, it is neatly packaged and easily digestible. Koloff states that the keys to being a good Christian are as follows:
1. Read your Bible daily.
2. Pray daily.
3. Attend church regularly.
Those looking for a wrestling memoir will be disappointed. Koloff has authored two other books, one of which focuses more on his wrestling career. Breaking the Chains: A Handbook for Christian Living is just that: a handbook for Christian living. Newer Christians will benefit most from reading this book, however, longtime Christians might also enjoy the book as a refresher of sorts. Koloff’s book is short (less than 100 pages) and jam-packed with helpful tidbits for spiritual living.
One of the few instances in which Nikita Koloff discussed professional wrestling, was the one portion of the book that did not sit well with me. When discussing personal choices, he mentions a few of his contemporaries who struggled with addiction. Koloff called out, by name, wrestlers he considered self-destructive: Brian Pillman, Eddie Gilbert, The Von Erichs, Jay Youngblood, and Bruiser Brody. He then states, “Without judging, I can say that my choices led to more happiness than theirs. Many of them are no longer with us, due to their choices.”
While I get what he was trying to say, to me it came off as being somewhat “holier than thou”. Anytime you start a sentence with “Without judging…” you can almost undoubtedly expect what follows to be judgmental.
Aside from that, I really enjoyed reading Breaking the Chains. It was a quick read that made you stop and consider aspects of your own faith. Whereas “Is That Wrestling Fake? – The Bear Facts by Nikita Koloff’s storyline uncle, Ivan Koloff (see Literary Squared Circle #40) was a wrestling memoir that incorporated Ivan’s testimonial, Breaking the Chains is almost exclusively a book about Nikita’s faith. As a wrestling book, I would not recommend it. But for any current or potential Christians, it is a good place to reexamine or begin your walk with Christ.
4 Stars out of 5
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