One-Strike Stopping Power : How To Win Street Confrontations With Speed And Skill

Rating:
Summary: For the non-martial artist
Review: This book is almost totaly on how to hit weak spots with different parts of your body. It's very cut-and-dry in that respect; you won't see any difficult stances or traditional katas here. But the author was trying to orient it towards people who are afraid of getting hurt and want to learn how to defend themselves in empty-hand situations. It does a pretty good job of succeeding. It's kind of like MacYoung's "Fists, Wits and a Wicked Right", but without the macho showboating. The author starts with an introduction that states, basically, "get in the first shot and run; if he's armed, just run". Can't argue with that logic. Next, weak points of the human body are covered. The author uses what he calls the B.E.A.T. system; Brain, Eyes, Abdomen, and Testicles. While the chapter does reveal an awful lot of weak spots, I think the classifications "Brain" and "Abdomen" are awfully general. Then there are chapters on fist strikes, open hand strikes, knees & elbows, and kicks and stomps. Pretty generic, but useful, stuff. There is some ground fighting covered in the kicking section, but that's because it's all about kicking while you're on your back. Good to know, but there's no grappling; it's hard to kick a guy when he's sitting on your chest. There's a short chapter on pressure point that's a nice addition, and there's nothing mystic about the ones presented here (under the nose, behind the ear, etc.) After that is a chapter on latteral movement and parrying, which provides raw basics for avoiding strikes. There are then two chapters on conditioning, one on the upper body, and one on the lower body. The last chapter, "The Dynamics of the Street", is a must-read for those who want to defend themselves. It is on awareness of the street environment, something most traditional martial arts books fail to address. I'd recomend this book to someone looking for a good basic self defense book, or to a martial artist who wants to know how to use their stuff on the street.

Rating:
Summary: For the non-martial artist
Review: This book is almost totaly on how to hit weak spots with different parts of your body. It's very cut-and-dry in that respect; you won't see any difficult stances or traditional katas here. But the author was trying to orient it towards people who are afraid of getting hurt and want to learn how to defend themselves in empty-hand situations. It does a pretty good job of succeeding. It's kind of like MacYoung's "Fists, Wits and a Wicked Right", but without the macho showboating. The author starts with an introduction that states, basically, "get in the first shot and run; if he's armed, just run". Can't argue with that logic. Next, weak points of the human body are covered. The author uses what he calls the B.E.A.T. system; Brain, Eyes, Abdomen, and Testicles. While the chapter does reveal an awful lot of weak spots, I think the classifications "Brain" and "Abdomen" are awfully general. Then there are chapters on fist strikes, open hand strikes, knees & elbows, and kicks and stomps. Pretty generic, but useful, stuff. There is some ground fighting covered in the kicking section, but that's because it's all about kicking while you're on your back. Good to know, but there's no grappling; it's hard to kick a guy when he's sitting on your chest. There's a short chapter on pressure point that's a nice addition, and there's nothing mystic about the ones presented here (under the nose, behind the ear, etc.) After that is a chapter on latteral movement and parrying, which provides raw basics for avoiding strikes. There are then two chapters on conditioning, one on the upper body, and one on the lower body. The last chapter, "The Dynamics of the Street", is a must-read for those who want to defend themselves. It is on awareness of the street environment, something most traditional martial arts books fail to address. I'd recomend this book to someone looking for a good basic self defense book, or to a martial artist who wants to know how to use their stuff on the street.