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Summary: And from the other end of the skill spectrum . . .
Review: . . . here's a review from someone with very little martial-arts experience (a couple of years of Tae Kwon Do about thirty years ago).It's been suggested that this book isn't suitable for beginners. I disagree; I think it's terrific. John Perkins's Ki Chuan Do ('way of the spirit fist') isn't just a 'martial art'; this is real, practical, hardassed Taoism in action, the kind that trains your body to move like a mind. Even apart from the close-combat stuff, just doing the exercises -- even for a few days -- will make a palpable difference in how you inhabit your body and navigate your environment. (Try the Ninja Walk and the Vacuum Walk for a couple of days and watch your balance improve -- even if it's already pretty good. Combat aside, this stuff is helpful to e.g. hikers who go on difficult trails. Of course this sort of balance/awareness is a kind of 'self-defense' in a hiking context too.) The martial-arts portion is probably not for me to judge, but it makes good sense. Essentially, what Perkins is trying to do is teach self-defense to people who actually want to defend themselves. In order to do that, he's cut to the chase, omitting all the formal stuff that makes sense in a dojo (where you can count on your 'opponents' to fall courteously when you throw them) and taking you straight to the awareness/body-unity stuff (which will help keep you alive and kicking when your friendly neighborhood mugger ungenerously refuses to give you time to assume your favorite fighting stance). If you're already training in a martial art, you don't need to _stop_ or anything; Perkins's 'guided chaos' will simply help you apply your training in a more realistic context. But if you're not already training in one, I think you can feel safe in starting here. Perkins's purpose is, after all, to help beginners develop close-combat skills as rapidly as possible. As with other martial arts but perhaps even more so, the preferred aim in Perkins's Ki Chuan Do is not to go around beating people up but (as Sun-Tzu also recommended) to avoid violence by never letting it start. Perkins doesn't advise fighting unless you're backed into a corner, and he doesn't hesitate to advise running the heck away if it's at all possible. (All in all, Perkin's's book fits well with Gavin de Becker's _The Gift of Fear_ -- a book that, incidentally, appears in Perkins's list of recommended reading.) The most devout peacenik (Perkins's apt phrase is 'pacifist warrior') should be able to get behind this approach. But make no mistake, if you _aren't_ able to get away from an attacker, Perkins wants you to fight like a brain-damaged wolverine on PCP. And he shows you how. He accomplishes this not so much by showing you specific blows and such (which he does, but you can learn about most of them by reading e.g. Fairbairn) but by helping you get your body in the right frame of mind, if you know what I mean. His exercises are designed to bring you to a condition in which you don't need to _stop and think_ for that crucial fraction of a second that might make the difference between life and death. And if you don't have the stomach to deal with e.g. biting, eye-gouging, and scratching, skip this book. It's not for people who enjoy violence, but it's also not for people who refuse to use it even in self-defense. Underneath it all (and sometimes on the surface too) is a deep layer of philosophical Taoism -- not at the level of a college-freshman late-night purple-hazed bull session, but the kind that you grok in your kishkes or not at all. You can read it all you want, but you won't 'get' the Taoist bits if you don't _do_ at least some of the exercises. The book _is_ fun to read, though. Perkins and his collaborators are delightfully iconoclastic and generally good company all around. The well-written text is also accompanied by plenty of genuinely helpful photographs. I'm not competent to decide whether Perkins's approach is appropriate for everyone (although I suspect it is). But if his approach sounds suitable to you, don't stay away from the book _just_ because you're a beginner. That's exactly who Perkins wrote it for.
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Summary: ATTACK PROOF trains you to become a "MARTIAL REALIST"
Review: 1--WHO NEEDS THIS BOOK AND WHY You're a non-athlete and know nothing about self-defense and want to learn to protect yourself without devoting years to ritual and regimentation. You're a woman in a man's world of muscle and machismo, and you have neither the genetics nor the disposition for developing an Olympian's physique to deal with a brutal assault. You're a black belt who's been knocked silly in a bar fight. You're a street cop who's been placed on temporary suspension because you shot a kid who refused to succumb to the arm-locks you were taught at the academy. You're a dedicated Tai Chi "push-hands" player who, after 20 years, suddenly realizes two things: 1) that you're no closer to understanding and performing feats of "Chi" then when you started, and 2) you know nothing about fighting. Ask yourself: what do splits, board-breaking, and high spinning wheel kicks have in common? Answer: they all have nothing to do with self-defense. A real attack is basically an assassination attempt on your life. The assailant is free to attack with impunity, since his tactics are not limited. He is not bound to any "rules" of combat, and you shouldn't be either. Ironically, the movement dynamics of a real fight have nothing to do with the way most martial arts are trained, and everything to do with nature. Combat is ugly, nasty, and chaotic. Classical training is very often beautiful, choreographed, and predictable. What does this all mean? Spontaneity is the only realistic way to train. We need to become masters of Chaos, not Kata. 2--HOW IS THIS ACHIEVED? "Attack Proof" introduces a radical principle we call"Guided Chaos." It is a strategy for controlling energy rather than techniques, and becoming a master of random motion. Nevertheless, these principles, by their very nature, are applicable to virtually any style of fighting. Like Bruce Lee's best selling "the Tao of Jeet Kune Do," ATTACK PROOF is a guidebook for the martial development of any martial artist. Guided Chaos is the "grease" that makes all your other training work better Attack Proof provides tactics, exercises and drills that have been devised from principles discovered during my years in forensic research. As a retired N.Y. police investigator, my job was to analyze exactly what happened at homicide scenes. Through this work, I became an expert at what it takes to end a life and to save a life. These principles, combined with over 100 violent confrontations on the beat, plus lifelong martial arts training, illegal pit-fighting, and training from the age of 5 in Native American fighting skills, provided a proving ground for the formulation of the methodologies in this book. Since then, they have been used effectively by federal police, U.S. Marines, SWAT Team members and personnel from state and local law enforcement. Instead of techniques (like: "use an X-block to counter an overhead strike"), we emphasize exercises that improve the student's balance, sensitivity, looseness, hitting power, effectiveness, and the ability to flow spontaneously in a fight without thought. All of these are unique and unavailable in any other martial arts book that we've seen. It can be argued that women stand to benefit more from the methodologies within "Attack Proof" than from virtually any other book. Any large, well-muscled male can mount some kind of defense once sheer terror and adrenaline kick in. Women can't afford to play nice, and can't rely on "fast-food" self-defense, sport karate, "box-ercise" or any watered down form of "new-age" Tai Chi . ABOUT JOHN PERKINS John Perkins has been called by The Trends Research Institute "America's Foremost Self-Protection Expert." He has been training and teaching martial arts and self-defense for over 43 years. Perkins has taught hand to hand tactics to Marine Combat units, Marine Scout Sniper units, and Military Joint Task Force/Counter Drug Forces. He has also instructed law enforcement personnel from the FBI Hostage Rescue Teams, the NYPD, NYC Transit Police, NY State Police, Yonkers PD, and Albany PD. He was a bodyguard to the late Malcolm Forbes, a forensic crime scene expert, and one of the nation's top handgun instructors. Perkins has extensive experience in the martial arts of Hapkido, Taekwon Do, Kyukushinkai, Kenpo Karate, Judo, Jujutsu, Goju, and Tai Chi Chuan. Since 1980, he studied the ancient Greek fighting method of Eleftheri Pali (which translates into English as "ruthless combat") with combat expert George Kaperonis. He was also trained from the age of five in Native American fighting principles. He has battled in illegal Pit Fights (a savage forerunner of today's "Ultimate" Competitions). He is the founder (8th Dan) of Ki Chuan Do which translates into "The Way of the Spirit Fist" or simply Ghostfist. KCD is recognized by the International Combat Martial Arts Federation (ICMAF) through which he also holds a 5th degree black belt in Combat Martial Arts. The ICMAF is an organization dedicated to strict realism in Martial Arts.
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Summary: EASY, EFFECTIVE & EXPLOSIVE
Review: After reading and practicing the drills and digesting the philosophy in ATTACK PROOF over the last 18 months,I have found that there seems to be no limit on how a person can improve on their fighting skills. The almost rediculously simple looking exercises have enhanced most of my martial arts techniques. The beginning of the book is mainly about using Close Quarters Combat for basic self defense. The authors have super charged my understanding of these basic life saving methods with their detailed and scientific explanations of how the simplest chops and palm heel strikes, among others, can work effectively. The explanation of attacking your assailant at the moment of attack is a life saver. When I got further into the book the more esoteric principles at first seemed difficult to understand, but once I started working out the drills given in the chapters I found a new power to all my strikes and I found that my martial arts friends could not make any of their formal martial arts techniques work against me. I thought that I was dreaming. I have some serious background in close combat and real life fights. Two of my casual students have experienced actual application of the dropping power principles in actual situations. They both work in different bars as professional bouncers and have been able to toss out a number of big, bad customers with ease and without causing permanent damage or bleeding. If you need to know close combat to save your bacon or you want to supercharge your present abilities just get the book and read it and practice with patience. Keep safe, Jack R.
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Summary: Strongly recommended for self-defense
Review: Although I would never claim to be an expert, I have been studying martial arts for over 25 years now. People train for a number of reasons - exercise, improved self-confidence, discipline, philosophy, competition etc. However, if your focus is on learning to protect yourself, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Many people incorrectly believe that violent assaults will be like they have seen on television or in the movies. Each protaganist performs highly skillful techniques which are equally skillfully countered. Many books have been written that continue this myth. This book makes it clear that real fights are chaotic, unplanned, usually short and not pretty. The best way to be prepared for this is to learn to be as comfortable as one can be in such circumstances. Mr. Perkins has developed a number of unique training methods to help with this - the exercises to improve balance and looseness alone are worth the price of the book.
One word of warning. No-one can learn self-defence from a book. Like any skill the only secret is practise. Focus on finding a good teacher who understands the concepts dealt with in this book, rather than a particular style. If you can't find a teacher, try Mr Perkin's video.
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Summary: Innovative, Practical, and Easy to Learn
Review: Anyone interested in self-defense should read this book - regardless of previous martial arts experience. The information is provided in such a logical and interesting way that it should be easy for a beginner, or an advanced martial artist, to benefit from reading it. The first chapter, called "Awareness", provides extremely valuable information on avoiding potentially dangerous situations. The topics include safe jogging, home protection, travel, car jacking, muggings and more. This short chapter alone could keep you from making a mistake that could cost you your life. Then the book really kicks into gear with very well written explanations of the principals behind John Perkins' method of self-defense. These principals are drawn from Close Combat, Tai Chi, Native American fighting and several other arts. There are many drills in the book that develop the physical attributes necessary to survive a violent encounter. Many are very simple to perform and can be practiced alone. The drills teach important (and sometimes advanced) concepts from several martial arts so that the concepts become practical and spontaneous in a shorter period of time than under some traditional training methods. This book contains truly cutting-edge material and, in my opinion, is likely to become a classic text on the subject of self-defense.
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Summary: EVEN BLACK-BELT COPS CAN BENEFIT FROM ATTACK PROOF!
Review: As a cop and a black belt in Close Combat karate, I can tell you that Perkin's art has advanced my abilities far beyond my previous training. I can also tell you from personal experience on my daily rounds patroling NYC subways that locking maneuvers are worthless in life and death battles, and the only reason police have to use them is because the law requires us to use restraint. Believe me, this PC policy can be very dangerous to your health, but that's the way it is. The great thing about Ki Chuan Do as explained in this book, is that most of the drills can be done on your own with no special gear or equipment. The easy to learn basic strikes of Ki Chuan Do come from World War II Close Combat which has more documented kills to its credit in actual warfare (and foreign law enforcement in Shanghai) than any other system known to man. Major Al (who I've trained with) learned boxing in the Marines and he could tell you how much better for self-preservation in warfare Perkin's Ki Chuan Do is. Also NABO Super Welterweight Champion Doug Gray who sparred with 50+ year old Perkins has said: "Perkins teaches the most effective and easy to learn methods of self-defense in existence today."
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Summary: ATTACK PROOF IS REAL SELF-DEFENSE FOR REAL PEOPLE
Review: ATTACK PROOF IS REAL SELF-DEFENSE FOR REAL PEOPLE. Not Kung fu movie dreamers or belt hungry wannabes. I train with cops, soldiers, bouncers and other professional security personnel. I am in touch with both Marine and Air Force officers who prefer Attack Proof methods to all other training and who regularly blow their conventional hand to hand instructor's minds when they finally FEEL Ki Chuan Do. I like the on guard position in Attack Proof because it doesn't look like you're "ready to fight" -a bad idea. You want to be sneaky, which is why the text tells you to appear "non-challenging" so you can attack the attacker off-guard. This principle has been used successfully in more documented kills than any other system by none other than Fairbairn and Sykes (Close Quarters Combat--Ki Chuan Do's foundation). I like that the book concentrates on unique methods of delivering and eluding strikes. This is what makes it unique. The strikes themselves are very simple basic close combat strikes from World War II, (see Applegate and Fairbairn and Sykes above) which are covered in many excellent books already out there. A whole book of basic strikes would be redundant. This stuff is not theoretical. It's taught by a former forensic homicide investigator and international bodyguard, who's been in over 100 certified bloodbaths where people were sent to the hospital or morgue, not for handing out traffic tickets or arresting drunks, like many former cops who teach self-defense. His professional specialty was reconstructing homicides from the pattern of blood spattters at a homicide. Some of Perkin's students who are Yonkers, NY police officers (one of the toughest areas in the New York Metro area) have been involved in hundreds more seriously violent arrests and use his training continuously. The fact that Perkins has taken Native American fighting and combat tai chi and combined it into something really different has got to be great for hundreds of U.S. Marines being trained in Homeland Security at Camp Lejeune by co-author Major Al Ridenhour. I am a former student of Jeet Kune Do, as well as Wing Chun. I love Jeet Kune Do and Wing Chun. But Jeet Kune Do does not take free-flowing, spontaneous self-defense principles to the level that Perkins does. True it always comes down to the individual, but everything else being equal, this is the superior method of training with often superior results.
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Summary: Matthew temkin
Review: For authors who claim to teach simple self defense their methods are rather complicated and some of the preachings are overly esoteric. Some good info here, but how many techniques are really needed ( or can be made reflextive) for pratical self defense?
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Summary: Both Books Are Good BUT Together They Are Great!
Review: I bought Tom Patire's Personal Protection Handbook with John Perkins Attack Proof and found them to be a splendid combination. Patire takes more of the safety/awareness approach whether that is on land or in the air. He trains the mind or what he turns "trains the brain" so the senses are more able to read tell tale signs of what is going on around your surroundings. Perkins takes more of the 'martial art' lethal mentality and even though much of it is choreagraph in his book he explains the techniques well and makes some very valid points. In some parts it's a bit much but realizing the threat it is probably needed to be explained like that. I am involved in the security world for my company and found both books to have very valuable information. My wife on the other hand loved Tom Patire's book more because of the stories and the useful tips to teach kids on how to be safe when mom and dad aren't around. I also found Patire's KNOW & GO program cutting edge but Perkins gives you the nasty side and I would think both author's would agree that it's a combination of both that makes it work in today's new world! Overall these two books are matched up very well. Patire for the mind and Perkins for the body. Good job by both authors!
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Summary: staying alive
Review: I have been involved in a good number of fights from push/shove to knives and clubs in my life. I lived in southern Fla. for over 10 years in the eighties and worked as a bouncer in a few rough places. I trained in Judo and various forms of Kung Fu and Karate over a period of 16 years. I have read the books and seen the videos from many of the gurus of "real fighting" many from Paladin Press. Much of the information seemed to have been written by guys who have backgrounds in the real world. Some of the stuff will just plain get you killed. The martial arts that I studied also had some good techniques, but most of them only worked when I knew what was going to happen ahead of time. After reading ATTACK PROOF and applying some of the concepts I found that much of what I already knew worked much more freely without a setup. I can hit much harder than before and can keep my feet as well as my head when the fight is on. I just want to thank the authors of ATTACK PROOF for their great contribution to the world of keeping alive.
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