( 9 reviews )
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Posted: Aug 6 2009
This is the most unusual approach I have ever read in a book about edged weapons. This is not a "how to" book on the art of knife fighting, but rather a book about people's experiences dealing with edged weapon attacks. In this respect, it provides real life tales to stress the lesson being taught. The author writes strictly from a street experience point of view. It is clear he does not care much for cops and some martial artists. This book has very practical and effective lessons that every person needs to learn when it comes to edged weapons. This book deals the reality of knife fights, pure and simple. All of its 14 chapters offers readers actual experiences the author has recorded on the topic of edged weapon incidents. In conclusion, as a retired police officer who has taught officers Knife Handling and Knife Defense, as well as being a lifetime student of the martial arts, I did not care for many of his comments. Nevertheless, the information in this book is of value for anyone interested in surviving on the street. Rating: 4 stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Knife Handling & Knife Defense for Police Officers Course Manual, Tanto Jutsu Techniques, Wakizashi Jutsu, Samurai Aerobics, Pro-Systems Practical Combatives Course Manual Vol. 1,2. Monadnock Defensive Tactics (MDTS)System, PR-24 Police Baton Advanced Technques, Police Yawara Stick Techniques).
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Posted: Jan 4 2009
I just got this book for Christmas this year (2008) and anxiously started reading it as soon as I found out that I had actually got one of the things I wanted this year. "World Peace" wasn't under the tree this year, but who knows, maybe next year. Anyhow, I anxiously devoured this book in about 4 hours and actually couldn't wait to finish reading it so that I could start reading it again, slower and with much more thought than the first time, which is exactly what I did. The author deserves high praise for the effort and research that he did over quite a period of time in order to share it with us in this very well laid out and easily presented format. I really enjoyed the various different accounts that the author presented as well as his commentaries on each one. There was a lot of good information that was presented by the author not only on the surface, but also in between the lines of text as well. You just need to really take a good look at some of it in order to find it, but it is there. This book should be a real eye-opener to some of you, and for others a validation of what you have been saying for awhile now. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in edged weapons and there use along with the following really good books on the subject: Knife Fighting: A Practical Course Knives, Knife Fighting, And Related Hassles: How To Survive A Real Knife Fight Surviving Armed Assaults: A Martial Artists Guide to Weapons, Street Violence, and Countervailing Force Contemporary Knife Targeting: Modern Science Vs. W.E. Fairbairn's Timetable of Death Shawn Kovacich Martial Artist/Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.
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Posted: Apr 26 2008
With all due respect to Mr. LaFond, the picture on the cover of this book does it no justice. This is not another "blowhard martial arts expert" selling the latest weapons disarming techniques. That's not what the book is about at all. Instead, Mr. LaFond started out with a question. What REALLY happens in violent encounters with one or more individuals armed with edged weapons? He documented hundreds of encounters and what he found out may shatter alot of commonly held myths. A few points: -Most people are butchered with junk, items that cost less than $10, including pocket knives, kitchen knives, screwdrivers, cutting razors, scissors, etc... -Many people didn't realize they had been stabbed until the encounter was over. -Most attacks were against unarmed victims, assassination style. (No West Side Story knife duels) Certainly not for the faint of heart, some of the encounters described quite grisly, this book is fascinating if you've ever asked the question yourself, or have endured martial arts wrist manipulation disarming instruction and asked yourself "Would this REALLY work?" The strength and weakness of this book is LaFond is an independent operator. His statistical compilation techniques are not very scientific: the information is from sources that include news accounts, interviews, newspaper clippings, eyewitness accounts, etc...) The strength of the book is LaFond arrives with no preconceived agendas and was obviously not out to sell a self defense method or product. Instead, this was an earnest attempt to answer his own questions. Full of hair raising (and sometimes comical) accounts of edged weapon encouters, with only a few techniques that LaFond things could be helpful in such an encouter, this book makes for some interesting reading if you are interested in the subject, and have reached the age of cynicism and want to know the truth and not the Hollywood version. I certainly respect LaFond's effort. A recommended read.
