Rick

Okay this one is because I love the author and it is fun to look through the collection of very painful submission holds.  If you ever get to see the video that accompanied it, you will know what I mean.  It is now hard to find at a cheap price and you really need to...

I am sure everyone who has been reading these will be shocked that my next book is another one by Rory Miller: Training For Sudden Violence: 72 Practical Drills.”  Eventually I will run out of Rory books but expect to see a few more. My recommendations have...

I am going to return to another author previously recommended for this one: “Cheng Hsin T’ui Shou: The Art of Effortless Power” by Peter Ralston. The first couple of chapters deal with the principles of Cheng Hsin.  He then follows with a chapter on “A Consideration...

Back to Rory Miller again where he offers a massive gift of how to approach principle-based teaching: “Principles-Based INSTRUCTION For Self Defense (and maybe life)” By Rory Miller. I truly believe that if you understand why things work you have a far better chance...

You can read the review or watch the video clip.   This is Book Recommendations Part 23: Something new and a must have – Randy King’s New on-line Violence Foundations course Yes, an on-line course I kind of broke the “just books” recommendations when I recommend Rory...

I have found a great deal can be learned from the body mechanics found in Taiji, they may not fit what you do if it is style specific but they are an interesting exploration regardless if you like to explore and learn. In Taiji (Tai Chi) there are a number of...

My next book is one I acquired and read years ago and enjoyed greatly. Flipping through it now I can see why. You don’t have to agree with everything that is in this book, but each part will have you pondering. The book is: “The Sword Polisher’s Record: The Way of...

In 2012 Rory Miller published “Force Decisions A Citizen’s Guide: Understanding How Police Determine Appropriate Use of Force.” I think this book is a must read for everyone especially today with all that is going on.  There are other good use of force books but...

Stepping away from the reality base I want to look at a piece of writing that I have enjoyed and learned from.  We can learn a lot from old martial arts masters and there will be a few of those in my recommendations. I am recommending: “Miyamoto Musashi: His Life...

I did say I would probably do this again and I am, I am recommending a DVD rather than a book and yes, it is Rory Miller again, this time his video “Logic of Violence: Think Like A Criminal.” I thought I would drop back to very real for this post and Rory is as real...

I know many of the reality based self defence folk have a dismissive attitude for Aikido because it lacks realistic attacks.  The attacks in Aikido represent lines of force but there is truth to the fact they don’t look much like real assaults; however, there is...

This next book is different, and I will admit it may not be to everyone’s liking.  It is the opposite to a book on techniques clearly described and illustrated, it is a book with no techniques and a book that the first read may not seem to be clearly described or...