Product Description

Fair Fight? Not likely. Least of all from a criminal who is looking to make a quick profit at your expense. A sad fact is that weapon-wielding thugs victimize 1,773,000 citizens every year in the United States alone. Even martial artists are not immune from this deadly threat. Consequently, self-defense training that does not consider the very real possibility of an armed attack is dangerously incomplete.

Whether you live in the city or countryside, you should be both mentally and physically prepared to deal with an unprovoked armed assault at any time. Preparation must be comprehensive enough to account for the plethora of pointy objects, blunt instruments, explosive devices, and deadly projectiles that someday could be used against you.

This extensive book teaches proven survival skills that can keep you safe on the street. A multitude of real-life scenarios and case studies analyzing violent encounters will help you to internalize this crucial knowledge. Contents include:

* Awareness
* Avoidance
* De-escalation
* Countervailing force
* Armed conflict
* Managing the aftermath of violence
* Weapon features and functions

If you are serious about self-defense this book is for you. Everyone, including experienced martial artists, security and law enforcement professionals, and concerned citizens will benefit from this vital information.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #84174 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 360 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781594390715
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"Surviving Armed Assaults is a terrific addition to any serious library of self defense books... I'll be drawing on some of the lessons learned here in future John Rain books." -- Barry Eisler, author

About the Author

Lawrence Kane is the author of Surviving Armed Assaults and Martial Arts Instruction, as well as co-author of The Way of Kata and The Way to Black Belt. He has also published numerous articles about teaching, martial arts, and countervailing force. Over the last 30 years he has studied and taught a wide variety of martial arts including Goju Ryu karate, kobudo, medieval weapons forms, and close-quarters combat (e.g., knife, gun). Working stadium security he has been involved in hundreds of armed and unarmed confrontations. Lawrence lives in Seattle, WA.

Customer Reviews

If you want to reduce your risk of a violent encounter..."on that day"...
If the title "Surviving Armed Assaults" catches your eye because your current situation causes you some concern that you might have to someday; I think buying Lawrence Kane's latest book would be money exceptionally well spent. Why? Within its 329 pages, you will find clearly written, easily understood, and also remembered, hard earned wisdom backed up by numerous real life depictions, and even some mistakes by experts. You could spend thousand of dollars and countless hours in class work and individual practice and yet not gain some of the insights that Kane provides. An example, from pages 133-135 on Verbal Judo, rings true to me as we use VJ extensively in my work with forensic psychiatry. Emphasis on situational awareness and avoidance is also well represented. As as I have written elsewhere in Loren Christensen's book "Warriors"... 'The Cost of It'... of taking a human life, even with justification, may carry with it a very high emotional price. Lawrence Kane provides more than enough well documented examples to help you avoid such a 'cost' for most of us out there "on the pointy end" of life. Read it, then periodically read it again, practice, maintain situational awareness and as necessary follow through via his excellent and comprehensive bibliography / web site data for further information as your personal situation dictates. And don't get hung up on the Japanese translatons or exotic weapons that are also covered primarily for the martial artist readers. You never know when you may meet a crazed person with a sword (page 248)... From my forensic experiences, I could tell you stories, but Kane does it better. Read and heed, you will be safer for doing so; even if you skip the keys defense, pages 238-39, which I, as other reviewers have mentioned, find inferior to a kubaton or the like. Be prepared, as this book may help you do so, and you should be safer "on that day"...

An excellent book with a few minor flaws . . .
First, I want to say that I really liked this book, and think that it's an excellent introduction to basic self-defense concepts. Second, it needs to be clarified that Loren Christensen is not the author -- he wrote the forward.

This is a "concept" book -- which automatically puts it way ahead of most other martial arts texts available (you know, the ones that say, "when the criminal initiates X attack, respond with Y technique"). No, this book primarily delves into essential topics like situational awareness, preparedness, and common sense. Furthermore, a number of informative case studies are referred to. Instead of being like every other martial arts book out there, "Surviving Armed Assaults" doesn't waste a lot of space with questionable techniques. Instead, it says, "Things can be dangerous out there, for example -- THIS might happen, and then what are you going to do?" Most other books barely touch on these subjects (outside of the introduction and back cover), so it was refreshing to see such a thorough presentation.

Sadly, it is not perfect. Being a traditional martial artist, the author can't seem to resist using Asian terminology and showing scenarios involving a number of weapons that it's unlikely you'll encounter on the street (i.e., pole-axe, spear, swords, sai, throwing knives, and even a compound bow!). It is true that people are occasionally assaulted with swords or spears, but I had to chuckle when I saw that the defender was similarly armed. That is a minor complaint.

My major complaint involves several counter-productive suggestions made by the author. First, he advocates the dreaded "Fillipino grip" as a viable alternative to the sabre grip (which he acknowledges to be less than secure) -- if certain practitioners of the FMA have been advocating pointing your thumb at the target (instead of properly wrapping it around the handle) then it must be good to do this, right? I don't think so. Next, he advocates defending oneself by holding one's keys between one's fingers "like a claw" -- I wish the "experts" would stop telling people to do that! Sounds like a really great idea -- until you hit something a few times, thereby cutting up your own fingers (and possibly severing a nerve). I know the author has read MacYoung's books, as he quotes from them several times, but he must've skipped over that part -- as well as the part which advised against "wrapping a chain around one's hand to use as a fistload," which could easily result in crushed and broked fingers. Aside from that handful of errors, this was an outstanding work . . . if the author corrects them in the next edition, it has the potential to be a classic.

If you can overlook the few bits of bad advice, this is one of the better self-defense books currently available. It is especially suited for women and teenagers (although some of the crime scene photos might gross 'em out a bit).

Buy this book first
I had the honor of writing the Forward to Surviving Armed Assaults, an incredibly information-packed book on the subject. It's quite different than others on the market in that while it does offer techniques for self-defense, it's more about strategy, mindset, and fighting concepts and principles. Take it from a guy who has trained and taught the martial arts since 1965, and who has faced not just a few violent encounters in my 25 years as a police officer and a soldier in Vietnam: it's strategy, principles, and mindset that are going to save you.

Kane goes into detail as to how to avoid a confrontation with an armed assailant, the importance of awareness, and the absolute necessity of preparedness. Practicing these things is not as fun as sidekicking and executing throws, but they are proven techniques that will save your bacon.

He also provides important technical information about various weapons. He even talks about explosives. The more you know about the intricacies of the many weapons that can end your day, the better your defense. Knowledge is power.

Lawrence Kane, by virtue of his job, has faced the dragon in hundreds of confrontations with violent people. He has learned from these unique experiences what works and what doesn't. Few people, and even fewer self-defense instructors, have had his real-world contact with highly dangerous assailants (though that hasn't stopped the two-year black belt instructors from teaching ridiculous techniques).

Buy this one first and then buy the technique-driven books.

Loren W. Christensen, author of over 20 books on the fighting arts.