Way of the Warrior Kid

Way of the Warrior Kid is a 2017 middle grade novel by Jocko Willink. The story is heavily based on the lessons that Willink, a decorated former Navy SEAL, has developed as a consultant, author, and podcaster, focusing on how the methods and ethos of one of America’s elite military units can shape the lives of all kinds of people for the better; in particular, the novel explores themes of Confidence and Humility as Mutually Reinforcing, The Warrior Code as a Model for Excellence, and Discipline Equals Freedom. Favorably reviewed and spawning a host of sequels, the novel has also inspired a planned film adaptation starring Chris Pratt, who played a Navy SEAL in the 2012 film Zero Dark Thirty and is an investor in Willink’s line of wellness products.

This summary is based on the Penguin paperback edition, published in 1996. 

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of bullying and death.

Plot Summary

The story begins with a boy named Marc, whose frustrating fifth-grade year ends on a horrible note. Lacking confidence and feeling weak and unintelligent compared to his classmates, he is humiliated during the field day on the last day of school, as he fails to do a single pull-up in front of his classmates and is mocked by the whole crowd. Feeling down, he finds solace in the imminent visit of his uncle, Jake, a Navy SEAL who will be staying with Marc’s family for the summer. 

When Jake arrives, he asks Marc to play sports or go swimming, and Marc tells him that he’s not very good at sports and doesn’t know how to swim, having had a frightening encounter in a koi pond as a small child that left him afraid of water. All of a sudden, Marc begins to cry and tells Jake that he feels like he’s weak and that he is not doing well in school and is being bullied. Jake tells him that he himself lacked confidence, that his hard training as a Navy SEAL helped him become what he is today, and that he can help Jake become a “Warrior Kid”: someone who overcomes weaknesses, accomplishes goals, and stands up for themselves. Jake promises to help Marc undergo this transformation so long as Marc commits to stick with it. 

The next morning, Jake wakes Marc up before dawn and teaches him a series of calisthenic exercises. It is exhausting, but Marc feels good for the rest of the day. Jake then introduces him to a series of warrior codes that have been written throughout history, many of them focusing on honor, courage, honesty, leadership, loyalty, and compassion. He advises Marc to come up with a warrior code of his own. They step up physical training and also engage in intellectual exercises like memorizing multiplication tables through the use of flash cards. Jake then takes Marc to a jiujitsu gym, where he learns the important lesson that physical strength pales in comparison to a highly trained skill—that power means nothing if a person hasn’t learned what to do in a particular situation. Marc gets taken down many times, but each time he learns something new, developing confidence that with practice he will get better. Jake gradually trains Marc out of his fear of water, getting him to dunk his head and wade up to his chest, all in the knowledge that he must soon try to swim the river and even jump off the nearby bridge. 

Sometimes, Marc would rather sleep late or watch TV, prompting Jake to teach him that one can only enjoy freedom when they have worked hard enough to experience the benefits that come from it. Marc continues to make progress, gaining the ability to do a single pull-up, going through his flashcards more quickly, and progressing in jiujitsu to the point that he can practice a takedown on a novice and get them to tap out. Jake is sometimes frustrated with him, such as when he realizes that Marc is eating junk food or when Marc tries to argue that he’s not ready for the next step, but Jake consistently pushes him to do both the right thing and the hard thing, and Marc continues to make progress. When Marc hits a plateau, he undergoes grueling exercises to force his body to respond, and before long he is posting new totals, especially for pull-ups. 

As the summer nears its end, Marc has learned to memorize large swaths of information, such as the US presidents and the order in which they served. He also gets over his fear of jumping off the bridge, realizing that fear is a result of momentary inaction, which prompt action can overcome. When summer ends, Jake has to leave, promising Marc that he has given him the tools he needs to succeed on his own and gifting him a watch that has a preset alarm. 

On the first day of school, Marc aces the fitness test, and when he stands up to the bully who thinks he runs the jungle gym, the bully backs down. However, remembering that warriors must also be respectful, Marc then invites the bully to play with him. He joyfully writes to Uncle Jake about the progress he made and how it turned his school life around. He also says that he has written his own warrior code, promising to work hard, maintain discipline, always do his best, and stay humble.