Rating: 
Summary: An Excellent Book on Real Self-Defense/Protection
Review: The truth hurts, and never more so after you have read this book. Real Fighting is more than just the technqiues you learnt in the martial arts, it's about fighting for your survival. There are no Queensbury rules, and what you subconsciously thought were rules, then you're truly mistaken.Geoff has given a vivid and real perspective on the art of self-defense which should be read by any serious martial artist. Don't be fooled that learning the martial arts for "donkeys" years will make you more prepared for the streets, because it won't. The real thing will be totally different. This books gives an excellent all round overview of the subject of "self-protection", with real interviews from both sides of the stories (gang fights, muggings, rapes etc). The more you know, the more prepared you are for the real thing. It's not an ego trip kinda book, showing you loads of locks, holds, strikes, etc that will guarantee success... first and foremost, it is about awareness and what this entails. It also delves into the mental side of self-protection and it's aftermath. The book won't guarantee you absolute safety, but knowledge is power and this books holds some of the keys. The only gripe I have about the book, is the editing. For a professional book, it is quite poor. There are formatting errors and spelling mistakes, etc which breaks the reader's concentration. I found this quite annoying at times. It is as though there was no proof reading before printing. Aside from that, I highly recommend this book to those looking for serious self-protection.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding book, a real eye opener
Review: This book goes into the minds of muggers, rapists, and killers and shows you how they pick their victims. It really makes you think about how easy it is to become a victim, and also how you can prevent it. The only problem with this book is that it didn't spend enough time talking about these things.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book
Review: This is a fast read and a great eye-opener. The whole theme really is about awareness and should get readers into questioning how they deal with real life and how they train in the martial arts world. Not the strongest on technique but the book is re-readable and should be a standard book in any martial arts instructor's book shelf. Highly recommended, especially at that price. Now if only the other books would get back into print...
Rating:
Summary: Good source of knowledge.
Review: When I first skimmed the book, I was shocked by the photos of the various physical techniques being demonstrated. Then as I began to read the book, the photos were of different techniques that were possible. Thompson does get in to some detail as to the effectiveness of the various techniques that could be performed. Some of the techniques I find questionable, but over all the book can be informative to a person wanting to learn more about self-defense.
Rating:
Summary: Good source of knowledge.
Review: When I first skimmed the book, I was shocked by the photos of the various physical techniques being demonstrated. Then as I began to read the book, the photos were of different techniques that were possible. Thompson does get in to some detail as to the effectiveness of the various techniques that could be performed. Some of the techniques I find questionable, but over all the book can be informative to a person wanting to learn more about self-defense.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and penetrating
Review: Whether you are a total beginner or a black belt, this book is esential reading if you want to "know thy enemy"---that is, understand the psychological and behavioral patterns of street criminals which is often just as important as nuts-and-bolts techniques. Speaking of which, Thompson's section on techniques is the only weak point in this book, and why I'd give it 4 not 5 stars. Closed fist punches to the head and chambered side kicks do not belong in a book that's supposedly geared for the general untrained public that just wants some basic basic self-defense ability. I would've expected open-palm strikes, elbows and knees, perhaps some basic sweeps and low leg kicks instead. My advice is, read this book for its psychological training, and get your hand-to-hand training from a self-defense or reality-based martial arts school. (Meaning: avoid Tae Kwon Do and most schools of karate. Wing Tsun, Muay Thai, Penjak silat, Brazilian jujitsu, or any form of Mixed Martial Arts would be more useful.)
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and penetrating
Review: Whether you are a total beginner or a black belt, this book is esential reading if you want to "know thy enemy"---that is, understand the psychological and behavioral patterns of street criminals which is often just as important as nuts-and-bolts techniques. Speaking of which, Thompson's section on techniques is the only weak point in this book, and why I'd give it 4 not 5 stars. Closed fist punches to the head and chambered side kicks do not belong in a book that's supposedly geared for the general untrained public that just wants some basic basic self-defense ability. I would've expected open-palm strikes, elbows and knees, perhaps some basic sweeps and low leg kicks instead. My advice is, read this book for its psychological training, and get your hand-to-hand training from a self-defense or reality-based martial arts school. (Meaning: avoid Tae Kwon Do and most schools of karate. Wing Tsun, Muay Thai, Penjak silat, Brazilian jujitsu, or any form of Mixed Martial Arts would be more useful.)
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