Knife Fighting Techniques

Description

If you've ever considered enrolling in martial arts classes but have yet to take your first class, then you need this book. It will guide you through the process of evaluating instructors, choosing schools, selecting the best style of martial arts for your goals, understanding the rules and etiquette, and it will assist you in negotiating better deals for family, friends, children, and yourself. Don't let the mystery that seems to shroud some martial arts hold you back. With this book you'll be fully informed and ready to start your martial arts education.

Reviews

Extremely Informative and Accurate

by Leah Rose from East Coast, USA on 2008-11-13
I have been studying martial arts for several years now - I'm very happy with my school so I didn't need to look for a new one, I just read the book out of curiosity. I was very impressed(and so were my family members who are also martial artists). As the title suggests, the information inside would be extremely helpful to someone who is trying to decide what form of martial arts they should persue, and what they should look for in a school. Included are consice descriptions of many different martials arts forms, which are interesting and helpful. The book also lets you know what you should look for in a school so that you can choose a safe and productive learning environment instead of wasting your money on a substandard or unsafe school.

Excellent and Honest

by Sarah E. Dewitt from "Baltimore, Maryland" on 2007-12-29
This guide is just what I needed to help me figure out where and how to invest my time and money before signing up for classes. It also helped me to choose which martial art form I wanted to study as well as what to look for in a quality school and instructor. Definitely worth the price.

Description

Written by Boye Lafayette De Mente, internationally known for his 60-plus books on the business practices, cultures and languages of China, Korea and Japan, this book distills the training that went into making the samurai of feudal Japan ,one of the most remarkable groups of people in history, with emphysis on modern-day martial arts training that is designed to develop all of the traits that are the most desirable in young people (and old!): respect for themselves and others, diligence, honesty, perseverance and the ambition to make themselves and the world a better place. De Mente is also the author of The Japanese Samurai Code and Samurai Strategies [Tuttle Publishing].

Description

This guide combines Mels many years of experience as a business person, entrepreneur, coach, success strategist and speaker to identify the keys to success in a martial arts school. It is meant to guide a parent though the selection process and make sure they have the information to make an appropriate decision to assure not only a good experience for your child but to allow your child to thrive and grow their life skills through their martial arts training.

Description

As gun control efforts mount, the knife has become the ideal self-defense weapon for many Americans. This book contains all the information you need to select and carry a knife that will conform to your style of dress, image and habits and thus serve you most effectively on the street.

Reviews

Was Expecting More

by Confederate from Bethesda, MD on 2005-07-24
Janich is a precise but impersonal writer who keeps his distance from his readership, which he prefers to keep on a formal basis. The information he conveys, one would think, would be about knives and steel, but he can't resist going back to technique.I bought this book wanting to read what the title promised. I was disappointed. Things he could have appropriately included would be: 1) the qualities of steel. Does it matter if a defensive knife is made from 420 stainless steel or is there anything to be gained from a higher quality steel like AUS 8 or AUS 6? Gerber uses 440A steel for some of its folders, yet 440A really doesn't have a good reputation among knife afficianados; 2) things to look for before buying and using a knife. I recently bought a knife, the blade of which would not remain open. The cause? The base of the blade was ground at the wrong angle for the liner lock to engage. The blade slid along the angle and disengaged, allowing the blade to close on one's fingers; 3) blade lengths, which he arbitrarily sets as 6-inches for a minimum in a defense knife. Yet many find 4-5-inch knives to be adequate.I wish the book would have contained more information on knives and that Janich would have reached into his own personal experience. Even tips on knife sharpening would have been nice.

Level Headed

by H. Row from Arvada, CO United States on 2002-12-02
No matter what your expertise in self defense, the carrying of a knife and the study of Martial Bladecraft (self defense with the use of a knife) Michael Janich is still the most level headed, even keeled instructor out there. He has a lot of expertise in the field and probably more respect from other Martial Artists than any other well known figure in the bladecraft industry. Michael writes reviews for new knife models in several knife magazines on the newstands including "Tactical Knives" magazine. Mr Janich's book, Street Steel: Choosing And Carrying Self-Defense Knives, includes good insight into exactly what is necessary in a carry knife. You probably don't need a sword, by the way. As mentioned, he has designed several respected models of knives for different manufacturers including MOD and Spyderco. I was lucky enough to take a Beginner's course in Martial Bladecraft with Michael. During the break in his course, he brought out 30 to 40 of the recent popular models of folding knives that are on the market. We got to handle the knives and get Mr Janich's thoughts on the pluses and minuses of each model. That information is the basis of this book. This information helps both novice and more experienced people interested in protecting themselves in choosing their carry knife. The information is based on Janich's HANDS ON PERSONAL EXPERIENCE not guesses or knife company hype. THE book to read on the subject!

Think of it as only a buyer's guide.

by from on 2001-12-27
Looking at this book might give one the impression that is a do all, end all book encompassing everything that needs to be known. This is not the case. This book is a somewhat short (100 pages - pictures included), but to the point book about how to properly select personal carry knives. What kind of knife in itself is right for you, how best to carry it, and deploy it in a quick and efficient manner, these are the major points that are gone over in this book. Along with that is what mechanical qualities you should look for when buying one. Only a handful of combat situations are mentioned in order to give perspective.A number of common misconceptions I had nearly sent me into buying a knife that was totally incorrect for my situation. It turns out that though they were visually appealing, they had little or no true tactical combat value. WHEW!Just for the sake of repeating, this book is only like a buyer's guide for a self defense knife. It does NOT detail actual combat strategies, moves, defenses, etc. If that is what you are looking for I would recommend -Knife Fighting : A Practical Course- by the same author.

Street Steel Review

by Thomas Ekman from Sweden on 2001-12-02
This book goes into details about how to choose fixed and folding blades for self defense. It is oriented towards the selection, not into defense/offense. Some of the knives featured are no longer for sale, but still gives the reader some ideas of what to look for when selecting his defensive blade.This book is yet another example of Paladin Press' large selection of books in this subject. Since I have the Master of Defense knife he designed, the book was a clear must.

Description

Martial Arts have as much, if not more, to offer women as they do men. Unfortunately, there are far too few women in most dojos, possibly because of the perception that these are men-only arts. Ms. Lawler dispels that notion, along with a number of other myths about women in the martial arts. She talks about what to expect, how to pick a good school and instructor, how to practice and train. Once you decide to study a martial art, this book provides solid advice on the day to day aspects of being a female martial artist. It addresses issues as diverse as what type(s) of clothing to wear to class, whether or not to wear makeup, how to deal with male bullies, whether to take class when you are having your period or when you are pregnant. This is an essential "how-to" guide for training. The book covers the whole range of training and does so from a womans perspective.

Reviews

inspiring book

by Nancy Pistorius from on 2006-08-10
I am not a martial artist, yet MARTIAL ARTS FOR WOMEN: A Practical Guide both intrigued and entertained me. Lawler obviously has a zany sense of humor and the many personal anecdotes that she included in her text made MARTIAL ARTS FOR WOMEN a very enjoyable read. The chapter on self-defense contains plenty of practical information about self-defense techniques that any woman could use, even if she is not well-versed in martial arts. And the chapter on physical concerns includes many warm up exercises that would benefit any athlete, not just a martial artist. For someone like me, who is curious about martial arts but has no background in them, MARTIAL ARTS FOR WOMEN is a perfect beginner's book. Yet enough solid information is presented to satisfy the most avid female martial artist.

A great martial arts guide for women.

by W. McMillin from Texas on 2006-03-30
Jennifer Lawler seems to be a proficient writer about martial arts. I had bought my wife the book about TKD and woman before we found this. The wife claims that both books are good but that this one answers more questions about what women face going into the martial arts. She has loaned it out which is always a good sign. I looked through it and wished that I had found it sooner. Worth buying.

She's biased toward taekwondo, not against men

by Timnah the Great from Illinois on 2001-01-14
Lawler's book is definitely biased when it comes to martial arts styles--nearly every technique she describes or warning she gives is obviously more pertinent for taekwondo artists than for any other kind. But she puts her comments about troublesome male sparring partners clearly in context. For example: "Certain guys at certain ages and at certain ranks develop an attitude problem toward women" (p. 132), and "even in the most female-friendly school [and Lawler does not equate *female-friendly* with *wimpy*], women occasionally encounter men who have a condescending or belittling attitude toward them" (p. 34). Both the world of business and the world of martial arts are still mostly populated and run by men. Some female martial artists may never have to deal with prejudice against them, but again, if the pattern holds true, most of us women will at some point have the pleasure of being bullied or denigrated, even in the martial arts. I appreciate Lawler's attempt to put such negative experiences in context, and to give us some idea of how to deal with such a problem if (or when?) it arises.Reviewer Keith Nelson (fish_doc@hotmail.com) wilfully misinterpreted the "rib-cracking" incident. Lawler asserts that her sparring partner "kept walking into [her] reverse punch" (p. 69), but then takes full responsibility for not having enough control to keep from breaking his ribs anyway. She describes how "appalled" she was that she had allowed the injury to occur. She relates how she lost her nerve and was encouraged and coached by *both female and male* sparring partners until she got it back. Then (and only then, because Lawler herself didn't label this man as a bully until hearing it from other women), she reveals that the sparring partner she injured was notorious for sparring too hard with partners he felt were less capable than he was. He quit coming to classes after Lawler broke his ribs. She says: "Occasionally, justice is served in the martial arts, and though I was still wrong and at fault for not using better control and for causing an injury, I felt oddly relieved. It was somehow appropriate that I, who didn't know the man's background, actually served to help him understand what it was like when your partner sparred too hard" (70).It seems to me that Lawler took full responsibility for her own error, while acknowledging that bullying and inappropriate aggression lead only to trouble and should not be tolerated. She encourages women to take problems with bullying, etc., to their instructors first and foremost, and then describes other reasonable tactics women can use if their sparring partners refuse to follow the rules.On the positive side, Lawler repeatedly encourages female martial artists to practice with both female and male martial artists, in order to develop a range of sparring abilities. She relates stories of positive experiences with both female and male sparring partners.Summation: Maybe the book should have been titled "Tae Kwon Do for Women." That criticism seems justified. The "how dare she give women the impression that some men are bullies" criticism is just plain silly.

Like all of Lawler's books: incomplete and biased.

by from on 1999-09-27
[...] A martial arts novice could get better information by spending an hour or two on the internet.Lawler is obviously very knowledgable about Tae Kwon Do, but like all her other books, her bias towards it is obvious and the misinformation hits you in the head like a round kick.For the $ you spend on the book, you'd be better off picking up a bunch martial arts magazines at the grocery store or book store.

inspiring book

by from on 1998-05-20
I am not a martial artist, yet MARTIAL ARTS FOR WOMEN: A Practical Guide both intrigued and entertained me. Lawler obviously has a zany sense of humor and the many personal anecdotes that she included in her text made MARTIAL ARTS FOR WOMEN a very enjoyable read. The chapter on self-defense contains plenty of practical information about self-defense techniques that any woman could use, even if she is not well-versed in martial arts. And the chapter on physical concerns includes many warm up exercises that would benefit any athlete, not just a martial artist. For someone like me, who is curious about martial arts but has no background in them, MARTIAL ARTS FOR WOMEN is a perfect beginner's book. Yet enough solid information is presented to satisfy the most avid female martial artist