Edit 18/10/16: This guide has received and still receives a lot of views and comment, which is something I'm really happy to see and did not expect. However, I feel the need to point out that even though I still read the comments I no longer play the game; this guide was published in February and I know the game has been updated a few times since.
As such, this guide may very well be outdated and no longer relevant. Let me know in the comments how you go. :)

So you want to play a Strength based character, hit like a bear and end most of your fights in the first round? And you want to finish the game in 100 days on top of all that? Well then my friend, read below.



Disclaimer: This is my first guide ever, so bear (get it?) with me.

Early game is tricky. Refer to this awesome guide by Fugitive Unknown for maximising efficiency in the very first two days.

You will lose your first fight with Bobo no matter what, he's just to strong for now. Restart the game until you get Punch and Block and choose the Strong Arms perk.
Don't bother sparring with Silver when he offers because you don't get anything other than loss of health.
Hit the gym and get to 3 Strength before the first Rookie Fight (and Stamina 2 if possible), you will win that easily. Make sure you eat your pizzas so you can work at the cafe and ignore the construction site. By the second match you definitely want to be 4-1-2 or 3-2-2 and then you should soon be able to join the Bloody Championship. You should win the first fight but the second will be tricky - which is fine, as getting injured will unlock Chinatown. If you don't want to lose the fight, skip it until you get to 4-2-3 or 5-2-3.
Then you'll be on a roll.

You might have got that from the previous section, but you don't want to go full Strength and ignore the other stats. Contrary to Agility builds, you definitely need all three for the Way of the Bear. I finished the game with 15-12-12, but I believe Agility is less important in the beginning and more important in the late game (after you win one of the two championships). I'll put down what I think are good "checkpoints" to reach with your stats:

(Str-Agi-Sta): 3-1-1--->3-1-2 --->4-1-3 or 4-2-2 --->5-2-3 --->6-3-4 --->7-4-5 ---> --->10-5-7 --->13-8-8 --->14-10-10 etc. I believe that Agi at 12 is a must for when you fight all those Agi 14+ opponents in the end.

As mentioned, you want to start with Punch and Block. Then I suggest the following path:
Tactics Learner ---> Uppercut

You're going to use Punch and Block until you unlock Uppercut (replace Punch) but keep an out on your energy: if you run out of it too quickly use Punch. Then
---> Muscle Memory ---> High Punch (you'll never use this though) ---> Skip Attacks ---> Active Skill

Now we're rolling. Use Uppercut, Block and Skip Attacks and you should be having no problems now.
---> Crosspunch ---> Some Motivation ---> Way of the Bear ---> Boxing Punch ---> Closeline

Replace Uppercut with Crosspunch first and Closeline as soon as you get it. You won't be using any attack other than Closeline until you unlock Ruthless Aggression.
---> Triple Punch (doesn't work with Closeline, don't use this) ---> Muscle Memory II ---> Tormentor Strikes ---> Active Skill II

Now you have 4 active slots, which should be Block, Closeline, Skip Attacks and Tormentor Strikes. You can also get Some Motivation II or Exhauster if you want, but I'd suggest getting to Wreck'em as soon as possible.
---> Iron Skull ---> Wreck'em ---> Strength Focus

The fifth skill should obviously be Wreck'em. Iron Skull can be useful is you struggle against Stamina focused opponents. Now you have two choices: a) you go back and you pick up Exhauster (which can replace Skip Attacks if you want) and Some Motivation II before you continue or b) you go on and take Muscle Memory III, Berserker and Some Motivation III. Just make sure you go for the skills in a) before you get Ruthless Aggression as you won't be able to use Block or Skip Attacks anymore. I finally added Knee Crush myself, as I don't think any of the other skills are worth it.

By now you should be pretty much unbeatable. Make sure you pump your agility up for when you face the Ninjas.

This build is extremely strong as long as you balance your stats correctly. The only hard opponents are those that stack Agility, but if your Agi is high enough to get two or three hits in that's all you'll need - on the other hand, high Stamina will give you enough time for those hits to land.

With this build I was albe to win most fights on Round 1, and sweep all the endurance fights from the first try.

I lost 6 fights overall, 1 being the very first fight you can't win, and 1 that I lost on purpose because I didn't want to get the pro card, 2 being sparring fights and 2 in the early Bloody Championship. I never unlocked the potion vendor because I never lost a fight in the Rookie League. I also could definitely have finished the game earlier if I wanted to, as I defeated the crocodiles.