Rating: 
Summary: Should be required reading for cops...
Review: "Put 'em down and take 'em out" is an excellent book on knife fighting. As a Law Enforcement professional, I've used several of Don's suggestions and techniques to disarm knife-wielding subjects. In 15 years of Law Enforcement I've been threatened more times with knifes than any other weapon. Prior to reading Don's book, I used techniques taught in State Police Academies. Using those techniques got me cut in two situations. After reading Don's book, I realized the mistakes I made in those two incidents. Many people have asked me: "Why didn't you just shoot them"? Well in those two situations, shooting wasn't an option due to bystanders, and pepper spray hadn't been introduced. As a Law Enforcement professional I recommend Don's book to all Police Officers, and I feel Law Enforcement Trainers could enhance Defensive Tactics curriculum by incorporating some of Don's techniques into training. The information he imparts can save a cop's life. Likewise I suggest his book to civilians who might come in contact with a knife-wielding punk. However, reading this book (or any self-defense book) isn't enough - you must practice the techniques presented. The best technique is to avoid places or situations where violence is commonplace.
Rating: 
Summary: All I really needed to know about using a knife...
Review: As many previous reviewers stated, this book is pretty short (54 pages of information), but it's probably the best crash-course in knife fighting I've ever seen. A lot of martial arts today that specialize in the knife actually speciallize in what Marc MacYoung calls "knife dueling"; they don't realize how knives are most often used in American culture: for assasination. Whatever you call it, in the US, and I'm sure most of the western world, if a guy pulls a knife on you, he intends to kill you because he sees you as a victim, not an equal. This book is all about one guy with a knife, and one guy without. The techniques are simplistic, but effective, and incorperate empty-hand stragegies and tactics in harmony with the knife. Things compatable with unarmed combat are stance, footwork, trapping, and grappling. This book is about agression and simplicity, and in my oppinion ought to be the foundational book for any knife-fighting or -defense program. The five chapters are "Basics of Knife Fighting", "Knife Fighting Myths", "Knife Attack", "Knife Defense", and "Training". Among the things that are covered are grips, group attacks, set-ups, mental tactics and training, and the stance-footwork-etc. stuff I mentioned earlier. One thing that rubbed me a little wrong was how the guy basically said, "Only my style works, forget anything else." While I would recomend anyone interested in knife fighting get this book, I'd say to not make it your only source of information.
Rating:
Summary: All I really needed to know about using a knife...
Review: As many previous reviewers stated, this book is pretty short (54 pages of information), but it's probably the best crash-course in knife fighting I've ever seen. A lot of martial arts today that specialize in the knife actually speciallize in what Marc MacYoung calls "knife dueling"; they don't realize how knives are most often used in American culture: for assasination. Whatever you call it, in the US, and I'm sure most of the western world, if a guy pulls a knife on you, he intends to kill you because he sees you as a victim, not an equal. This book is all about one guy with a knife, and one guy without. The techniques are simplistic, but effective, and incorperate empty-hand stragegies and tactics in harmony with the knife. Things compatable with unarmed combat are stance, footwork, trapping, and grappling. This book is about agression and simplicity, and in my oppinion ought to be the foundational book for any knife-fighting or -defense program. The five chapters are "Basics of Knife Fighting", "Knife Fighting Myths", "Knife Attack", "Knife Defense", and "Training". Among the things that are covered are grips, group attacks, set-ups, mental tactics and training, and the stance-footwork-etc. stuff I mentioned earlier. One thing that rubbed me a little wrong was how the guy basically said, "Only my style works, forget anything else." While I would recomend anyone interested in knife fighting get this book, I'd say to not make it your only source of information.
Rating: 
Summary: If you want one answer, this may be it ... but is it enough?
Review: Basically one form of attack, with two ways to execute it. Maybe with this you will be successful in 80% of your combat encounters. Maybe it's too simple to rely on. Unfortunately, my knowledge is based on theory only.From the theoretical standpoint, I think this book is lacking alternate strategies. If there is any transferability from the left jab / right cross in boxing to the left lead / right stab espoused in this book, then, theoretically, one would be setting oneself up for a counter if one ONLY used the technique recommended by this book. But what do I know? I have not been in a knife fight. My only experience can be based on unarmed combat (street and dojo), supplemented by theory. If you can rely on your right cross to get you through your unarmed fights pretty much of the time, then you probably will like this book, and you may very well be effective pretty much of the time because it's based on the "right cross" / "big gun" principle ... set 'em up with the lead hand, and attack with the rear power hand. BOTTOM LINE: I'd probably resort to this approach since it is based on realistic experience, the technique is VERY BASIC, and I believe in the author's experience. BASICS are usually the most effective, and it would take a very extremely trained and experienced "sophisticated" fighter to beat a very extremely trained and experienced BUT BASIC fighter. I gave it three stars because it was average as a book, but as another thing to add to my arsenal, I would give it a 4
Rating: 
Summary: WASTE OF MONEY
Review: First, of all, this book only has 53 pages, not the advertised 64 pages. Secondly, a good 10 of the pages are pictures, and the pictures are horribly done, with poor lighting, and blurred sequences. The language used by the author, is quite indicative that he was in prison, as the language implemented is grade 3-4 with added expletives to make himself sound tough. The author, Don Pentecost, discredits ALL martial arts techniques and other knife fighting strategies, hailing his own as essential because "hes had experience" His scope of knowledge is extremely small, and views himself as an expert on knife fighting through a few times where he allegedly killed inmates. Whatever!! what a load of baloney. His main focus for knife fighting is to utilize ones temper in the application of explosive force. He also teaches not to think about fighting instead to focus on instincts, and disregard strategy. He advocates fighting to the death in ALL situations, and this book cannot be considered a practical self defense guide, UNLESS IN PRISON what a waste of MONEY
Rating:
Summary: A Needed Addition to the Literature
Review: For anyone who has done free-for-all knife fighting, even in training with rubber knives, the static techniques taught in the classic martial arts become useless fast. This book tells you all you need to know to survive and carefully deconstructs the flawed, and even dangerous, techniques taught in dojos everywhere. It then tells you what you need to be doing in the real world. Many self-defense books advertise this "real world" approach, but "Put 'em Down" actually delivers. It's short but packed with information. Not a word wasted.
Rating:
Summary: painfully real
Review: I have always said since I began my various trainings that I would rather learn from a guy whos has "been there done that bought the t shirt".Don is that guy! The curriculums in this small but helpful(and perhaps life saving! ) book are the real deal told in brutal detail.Only when you've really been there do you get to talk and write about it.And with most martial artists out here,that is just not the case.
Rating:
Summary: Martial Artists take note
Review: I have known fellow martial artists who have tried their techniques out against other martial artists in controlled situations. The logic always kind of escaped me as to why they thought that the person that attacked them would be using the same techniques that they were taught in the dojo. Rather than a trained martial artist, the person trying to play show and tell with your insides is likely to be an ex- con. This book is about the techniques that are taught inside of prison. It just seems logical to me that if you are serious about learning what you might face in a street knife fight, instead of going to Arnis, Kali or Silat sources to see what they do, you go to see what the people most likely to try to kill you are learning. If you are surprised by what you find in this book- great! It is better you learn about it in the comfort of your home and try defending against it in practice than encountering it for the first time on the street. This stuff is very simple, but most of the most effective stuff is. And a lot of it relies on surprise. So by knowing about it beforehand you take away a lot of the advantages the other guy might have.
Rating:
Summary: Should be required reading for cops...
Review: I just got this book in the mail and 15 minutes later I've read it cover from cover (its pretty short). The author's message is very simple: 1)be aggressive and kill anyone you fight with 2)use a 2-step (or 3-step) approach and 3)forget everything you've ever learned. I was with the author until he suggested that learning any fighting style is a waste of time because when you're fighting for your life you should let your subconcious guide you. This 'use the force' nonsense makes me wonder if the author ever learned a system of fighting. I can tell you that I became a far more effective fighter after 3 years of high-school wrestling......, but far more effective than if I had never wrestled. This makes me think that the author's approach on knives is too simplistic and that I'd be better served by looking for an author who has developed an actual system for knife fighting. If you're looking for a good book about learning to fight, read Kill-as-catch-can by Beaumont. If anyone has any suggestions for a better knife-fighting book, please e-mail me. Thanks.
Rating:
Summary: Good advice on knives, maybe
Review: I just got this book in the mail and 15 minutes later I've read it cover from cover (its pretty short). The author's message is very simple: 1)be aggressive and kill anyone you fight with 2)use a 2-step (or 3-step) approach and 3)forget everything you've ever learned. I was with the author until he suggested that learning any fighting style is a waste of time because when you're fighting for your life you should let your subconcious guide you. This 'use the force' nonsense makes me wonder if the author ever learned a system of fighting. I can tell you that I became a far more effective fighter after 3 years of high-school wrestling......, but far more effective than if I had never wrestled. This makes me think that the author's approach on knives is too simplistic and that I'd be better served by looking for an author who has developed an actual system for knife fighting. If you're looking for a good book about learning to fight, read Kill-as-catch-can by Beaumont. If anyone has any suggestions for a better knife-fighting book, please e-mail me. Thanks.
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