Real Fighting : Adrenaline Stress Conditioning Through Scenario-Based Training

Rating:
Summary: On force on force training
Review: The first third or so of this book is similar to Quinn's first book, Bouncer's guide to barroom brawling. There is some discussion about the realities of real-life fighting, Quinn teaches one technique to the reader, and so on. After that, Quinn starts to discuss the benefits of realistic force on force (FOF) training. The tone of the book changes totally, and it seems that the first third of the book doesn't really belong into this book. It's as if Quinn did not have enough things to say about FOF training, and he had to put some extra material to the book. This doesn't mean that the beginning of the book is not good, though. In fact, I thing that the beginning of the book is the most valuable part (if you are already familiar with FOF training, that is).

As the book is almost ten years old, at the time of writing the material on FOF training (which Quinn calls "adrenal stress conditioning") might have been new information, but today everyone realizes it's importance and benefits. As Quinn concentrates mainly on establishing justification on using FOF training, and because today FOF training is recognized as superior training method, that means this book is at least partly outdated. In the book, Quinn does not tell how to organize FOF training scenarios, nor does he give any other practical advise on the subject. It may be because he considers these things trade secrets, but still the main portion is of little use, if you already realize the benefits of FOF training.

Through the book, Quinn makes references to his earlier book and his instructional videos. I find this kind of advertising a little annoying. If I like the book I am reading, I might buy other books by the same author, but not because the author asks me to. Otherwise, the book is easy to read and there are some war stories from Quinn's bouncer days to spice up the text.

I believe that this book was much more important when it was published, but today the ideas are not new, therefore lessening the importance of the book.

Rating:
Summary: Don't get your hopes up.
Review: The subtitle of this book is "Adrenaline Stress Conditioning through Scenario-Based Training." When deciding to purchase this book, I interpreted this subtitle to mean that the book would provide lessons as to how one can control the innate surge of adrenaline that overcomes people just prior to a violent incident. As a police officer, I know that acquiring this ability to "remain calm under pressure" is essential yet difficult to do. I therefore anticipated learning from this book how to minimize the adrenaline surge in such incidents so as to be more effective. Unfortunately, this book did not provide what I was looking for, in more ways than one. The book does not specifically tell you how to control the adrenaline surge. It tells you that in order to become an effective fighter, you must train to fight in a way that replicates, as close as possible, a real fight situation. That's pretty much it. The author spends most of his writing effort telling stories and citing examples to back up this theory. Now, mind you, the author is very knowledgeable and makes excellant arguments to support his point. The problem is that after about the second or third chapter, you've got the point. I continued to read through the rest of the book hoping to be taught how to control the adrenaline but, the lesson never came. The reason for this is because, according to the author, this lesson must be taught through real life experience. The author frequently refers to the training facility that he runs out in Colorado that does just that. The real kicker, however, is that nowhere in this book does the author tell you any information that would enable you to train at his facility to learn adrenaline stress conditioning. Nor does he tell you how to set up a "Real Fighting" training method of your own. And so, after a little over 170 pages, all that you have learned is that you must train for the real thing by simulating the real thing. I don't give this book a bad review, just an average one. It is an informative book especially if you are new to physical self defense training. Those that are more advanced will probably find that this book does little to improve their skills.

Rating:
Summary: Selling his training method, no techniques in the book
Review: This book doesn't cover very much of anything useful in a fight, it's mostly anecdotal stories and selling his training at his school in colorado. Interesting read, and somewhat informative, but disappointing because it never discusses any methods one can use (except to come to his school in colorado and train for real.)

Rating:
Summary: Dynamite!
Review: This book is pure knowledge from real fights. The book tells you exactly how real fights 'go down', how to avoid the set-up ('interview'), how to strike first when it is going down, and how to handle the adrenaline rush.

There are two things I've been craving for, this book & a nice cup of s o y f e e. You brew just like coffee and NO CAFFEINE! I can't believe it's made from so ybeans cause it taste just like coffee. Look for it online at ww.s o y coffee.com. Like the book, a great find!

This book is very good and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know how to avoid violence in the real world, and if it can't be avoided, to not be the one who loses.

Rating:
Summary: Good Point, But Now Show Us How To Do It
Review: This books main premise is that if you want to survive a real life street encounter you have to train for a real life street encounter and this means training realistically. That sentence took Mr. Quinn 175 pages to cover. This book is just a diatribe on how ineffective the martial arts are for streetfighting because they don't train with any real contact. Mr. Quinn is absolutely, 100 percent correct, but he does not give us any solutions to this problem. From reading this book I am to understand that the only way I can survive a streetfight is to go to Mr. Quinn's Colorado training center and train with him personally. Believe me, if I could I would, but the large majority of people reading this book will not be able to drop everything and go to Boulder. This book was completely unnecessary and would have been better as an article in Black Belt or a similar magazine. When I bought this book I thought I would be getting instructions on how to build to the "Bulletman" suit or how to adapt my martial art to this type of training. Instead the book reads like a lecture from my father, he has a lot of good points but never tells me how to realistically solve my problem. There are a few good points to the book, like the part where Mr. Quinn shows us the backhanded strike and the two usoto gari throws, but other than these very few points the book is not worth what I payed for it. However, the reason I am so disappointed was because after Mr. Quinn's first book, A Bouncers Guide to Barroom Brawling, I expected something as phenomenal as that. Take my advice, ignore this book and go straight for A Bouncers Guide to Barroom Brawling, it is infinitely better than this book and is worth every penny and then some. If you are looking for a book that will try and help you to take your martial art to that next level, check out Marc MacYoungs book on the subject.

Rating:
Summary: Maybe the best book ever written on self defense
Review: This guy has been a bouncer in some of the toughest bars in the country and he also holds rank in several martial arts, but his take on real world self defense is surprising indeed. He identifies the real problem in defending oneself against a real world assailant and it just isn't about "martial technique" at all. He offers really priceless insights into how to avoid a fight and how to spot an ambush or "interviewer" who's conversation or threats ( woofs) are designed to see if you are safe to attack. This information is priceless, yet I have never even seen this discussed in my whole libray of martial arts "how to do it" books. Yet, when I read this stuff I know I have seen this before myself in every real fight I ever saw . Yet he puts it togeather in a way that makes sense, it's understandable, clear and very practical and usefull on the street. I read his first book, "A Bouncer's Guide to Barroom Brawling" and that one started me really thinking, it dealt with techniques and drills mostly but still presented the basic problem of adrenal stress and how most people are just not prepared to deal with "stand up agression" and how the aggressor knows this and counts on it. But in this last book he gets right down to it, Showing you how and why you must deal with "tough guys" & aggresive and hostile people before the fists start to fly. It also makes very clear what "proper combat mindset" is all about and to shift gears and "be there" if it comes to a real fight. If you are into martial arts, but especially if you are a martial arts instructor, or self defense program instructor, this is adefinitely a must read. But anybody can learn a great deal from it even if they have no intrest in martial arts at all.

Rating:
Summary: Reality bites hard!
Review: This is a very good book. It's an eye opener if you're a martial artist with no real fight experience. Sparring in a dojo or in the ring is not the same as a fight in real life. Peyton is a very down-to-earth person and it's always pleasant to read his works. If you want to ask him questions you can visit his forum at the Geoff Thompson's web site who is another great reality based fighter.

Rating:
Summary: A book that goes down in martial arts history.
Review: Well let me start off by saying I knew most of what was in this book from experience. However if you don't want to find out the hard ways (a series of brutal atacks from "bully" types), then you should invest in this book. Let me explain what you will get. The first part of the book is dedicated to explaining what a "Bully" type personality, and woofing really is. The "Interview" as it is called is peyton word for the intial verbal bashing the Bully type gives you before an attack. Quinn also explains that the "interview" is the process the bully takes to select a victim. Quinn goes indepth by explaining in a straight forward amnner that Bullies aren't looking for what your thinking, but instead looking for a sense of power over another person. Made since to me. It also explained why every smuck in North Carolina had to waste my valueable time picking a fight with me, and why when I made it clear they were going to have to put some work into beating me down then they retreated. Quinn expands on thes thoughts with the effectiveness of senario based training. Quinn explains how senario based training can indoctrinate an indivual in as little as a weeks time. At some points, unfortunaly, it sounds like he is just advertiseing for RMCAT, or it is some kind of manifesto. Still the book was of great value since it explained in frank english the truth about fighting. Most of the self defense books I hve seen only showed me techniques, some were more effective techniques than other. However, in stressfull situations the techniques did me no good. This book explained to me what I actually needed to make those techniques effective. I need to control myself. The battle is decided before the first two sword ever cross.

Rating:
Summary: Real Manly Manhood (control yourself first)
Review: Well let me start off by saying I knew most of what was in this book from experience. However if you don't want to find out the hard ways (a series of brutal atacks from "bully" types), then you should invest in this book. Let me explain what you will get. The first part of the book is dedicated to explaining what a "Bully" type personality, and woofing really is. The "Interview" as it is called is peyton word for the intial verbal bashing the Bully type gives you before an attack. Quinn also explains that the "interview" is the process the bully takes to select a victim. Quinn goes indepth by explaining in a straight forward amnner that Bullies aren't looking for what your thinking, but instead looking for a sense of power over another person. Made since to me. It also explained why every smuck in North Carolina had to waste my valueable time picking a fight with me, and why when I made it clear they were going to have to put some work into beating me down then they retreated. Quinn expands on thes thoughts with the effectiveness of senario based training. Quinn explains how senario based training can indoctrinate an indivual in as little as a weeks time. At some points, unfortunaly, it sounds like he is just advertiseing for RMCAT, or it is some kind of manifesto. Still the book was of great value since it explained in frank english the truth about fighting. Most of the self defense books I hve seen only showed me techniques, some were more effective techniques than other. However, in stressfull situations the techniques did me no good. This book explained to me what I actually needed to make those techniques effective. I need to control myself. The battle is decided before the first two sword ever cross.