Product Description

One of the few real self-protection guides on the market today, this book will teach you first and foremost how to avoid violent situations. But should you find yourself in one, it will also show you how to control yourself and your emotions so you can function on a physical level to defend yourself.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #704892 in Books
• Published on: 1997-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 216 pages

Customer Reviews

Fascinating and penetrating
Whether you are a total beginner or a black belt, this book is esential reading if you want to "know thy enemy"---that is, understand the psychological and behavioral patterns of street criminals which is often just as important as nuts-and-bolts techniques.

Speaking of which, Thompson's section on techniques is the only weak point in this book, and why I'd give it 4 not 5 stars. Closed fist punches to the head and chambered side kicks do not belong in a book that's supposedly geared for the general untrained public that just wants some basic basic self-defense ability. I would've expected open-palm strikes, elbows and knees, perhaps some basic sweeps and low leg kicks instead.

My advice is, read this book for its psychological training, and get your hand-to-hand training from a self-defense or reality-based martial arts school. (Meaning: avoid Tae Kwon Do and most schools of karate. Wing Tsun, Muay Thai, Penjak silat, Brazilian jujitsu, or any form of Mixed Martial Arts would be more useful.)

An Excellent Book on Real Self-Defense/Protection
The truth hurts, and never more so after you have read this book. Real Fighting is more than just the technqiues you learnt in the martial arts, it's about fighting for your survival. There are no Queensbury rules, and what you subconsciously thought were rules, then you're truly mistaken.

Geoff has given a vivid and real perspective on the art of self-defense which should be read by any serious martial artist. Don't be fooled that learning the martial arts for "donkeys" years will make you more prepared for the streets, because it won't. The real thing will be totally different.

This books gives an excellent all round overview of the subject of "self-protection", with real interviews from both sides of the stories (gang fights, muggings, rapes etc). The more you know, the more prepared you are for the real thing. It's not an ego trip kinda book, showing you loads of locks, holds, strikes, etc that will guarantee success... first and foremost, it is about awareness and what this entails. It also delves into the mental side of self-protection and it's aftermath. The book won't guarantee you absolute safety, but knowledge is power and this books holds some of the keys.

The only gripe I have about the book, is the editing. For a professional book, it is quite poor. There are formatting errors and spelling mistakes, etc which breaks the reader's concentration. I found this quite annoying at times. It is as though there was no proof reading before printing.

Aside from that, I highly recommend this book to those looking for serious self-protection.

Reality or Fantasy the Choice is Yours:
In all honesty I probably should rate this book 5 stars, given the uniqueness of the content, insights into the criminal mind and the brutal honesty of the author Geoff Thompson. I think of all the martial arts books I checked out of librarys, bought at stores, and magazines I read at supermarket shelves that I was usually to cheap to buy. Of all the materials I collected, read, etc, I really wish there had been a book like Dead or Alive out there for me years ago. Geoff Thompson makes it very clear that knowing hundreds of techniques doesn't create a magic wand of invinsability and that simplicity is often overlooked. Thompson also examines myths, misconceptions, and blatently stupid beliefs held my many who teach traditional martial arts. Technique teaching is only part of this book, Thompson interviews muggers, rapest, and their unfortunate victims and allows readers to understand how criminals choose their prey and how you can safely take percautions to help reduce the risk of being a vicim. Thompson also goes into explaining adrenalyn and how even the most experienced martial artists can find themselves defeated by mistaking their adrenalyn for fear. This book like any other Geoff Thompson book comes with my strong recommendation.