The Will to Keep Winning

Follow Daigo on his road to pro, beginning with his childhood love of games, his search for community in the arcades, and his first international victory at age 17 in the 1998 Street Fighter Alpha 3 World Championships against American champion Alex Valle.

Get an insider's account of "EVO Moment #37: The Beast Is Unleashed," the most famous comeback in fighting game history, against long-time rival Justin Wong in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike.

Hear the real story behind Daigo's mysterious disappearance from the fighting game scene and detour into the mahjong world, his personal low point, and his triumphant return from retirement in the 2009 EVO Street Fighter IV Grand Finals. Be Like Ryu: Learn from Daigo's mix of stoic dedication, love for the game, and practice practice practice, as the Japanese master describes how to stay on top while constantly evolving, avoiding complacency, and seeking out new challenges.

About the Author DAIGO "The Beast" UMEHARA (born 1981, Aomori Prefecture, Japan) was the first Japanese professional gamer, and is listed in Guinness Book as "the most successful player in major tournaments of Street Fighter (Capcom, 1987) at national and international level." He became World Champion in Street Fighter Alpha 3 in 1998, signed a sponsorship contract with Mad Catz in April 2010 and with Red Bull in May 2016. He is also a Twitch's Global Ambassador. A video of one of his matches, known as "EVO Moment #37," went viral with more than 20 million views internationally and was listed on gaming site Kotaku.com as the "best moment in pro-gaming history." Umehara's competitive philosophy is also lauded in the non-gaming world in Japan.