The Self-Defence Manual
The Self-Defence Manual (SDM) was my first self-defence title. It began life as a somewhat different project and wound up as a collaboration between myself and Dave Birdsall.
SDM contains a fair amount of physical self-defence material, but the overall emphasis is on what might better be termed 'self-protection' or 'personal safety'. The underlying concept is that physical self-defence is the last of several options you have when a threatening situation develops. The goal is to preserve your safety, and it doesn't matter exactly how that happens so long as you succeed. Thus it is not really important whether you manage to 'talk down' an assailant or avoid him completely, so long as you don't get punched in the face.
Many people who teach self-defence use the concept of Awareness (with a capital A for some reason), but awareness is of no use if you are not willing or you do not know how to act upon it. I've heard people say 'oh, I'll be okay, I've got my Awareness' like it was a suit of armour. SDM offers guidance on situational awareness but also on how to make it useful.
SDM uses a series of layered defences that will 'filter out' some threats at each stage. These are:
Threat Avoidance
Deterrence, ie how to avoid being selected as a victim
De-escalation of a threatening situation
Escape & Evasion
Physical Response
The book is an excellent guide for the martial artist wondering what techniques to use in his/her self-defence system, and for the student seeking to understand the underlying principles of self-defence and self-protection. It is also a highly useful personal safety guide for anyone, whether or not they consider physical response approprate. Indeed, SDM is more about NOT having to bash someone in the face than how to do it. If the principles put forward in this book are used properly then the chances of having to defend yourself by physical means are greatly dminished.
SDM is out of print, but I have the remaining copies. It retailed at £15 originally. I can offer individual copies at £5 plus postage, or multiples at a discount. I have a few boxes of 23 left, which are available for £50 plus postage.
Contact me at usspg.sdf AT virgin.net if you're interested.
SDM contains a fair amount of physical self-defence material, but the overall emphasis is on what might better be termed 'self-protection' or 'personal safety'. The underlying concept is that physical self-defence is the last of several options you have when a threatening situation develops. The goal is to preserve your safety, and it doesn't matter exactly how that happens so long as you succeed. Thus it is not really important whether you manage to 'talk down' an assailant or avoid him completely, so long as you don't get punched in the face.
Many people who teach self-defence use the concept of Awareness (with a capital A for some reason), but awareness is of no use if you are not willing or you do not know how to act upon it. I've heard people say 'oh, I'll be okay, I've got my Awareness' like it was a suit of armour. SDM offers guidance on situational awareness but also on how to make it useful.
SDM uses a series of layered defences that will 'filter out' some threats at each stage. These are:
Threat Avoidance
Deterrence, ie how to avoid being selected as a victim
De-escalation of a threatening situation
Escape & Evasion
Physical Response
The book is an excellent guide for the martial artist wondering what techniques to use in his/her self-defence system, and for the student seeking to understand the underlying principles of self-defence and self-protection. It is also a highly useful personal safety guide for anyone, whether or not they consider physical response approprate. Indeed, SDM is more about NOT having to bash someone in the face than how to do it. If the principles put forward in this book are used properly then the chances of having to defend yourself by physical means are greatly dminished.
SDM is out of print, but I have the remaining copies. It retailed at £15 originally. I can offer individual copies at £5 plus postage, or multiples at a discount. I have a few boxes of 23 left, which are available for £50 plus postage.
Contact me at usspg.sdf AT virgin.net if you're interested.
