Being the author of several books on the martial arts and fighting, I am always looking for books of exceptional quality to add to my library. If I have a book in my library, it's definitely worth owning. One such book is Marc "Animal" Mac Young's, "Violence, Blunders, and Fractured Jaws."
Once again, Marc gives you a no-holds barred look at the reality of fighting and surviving on the street. This book focuses on the subject of awareness and street etiquette, rather than actual physical techniques. This book is far more important to learn and practice than any of the actual physical techniques that Marc teaches in any of his books. I highly recommend that you purchase this book and read it numerous times before buying any other of Marc's books, and before practicing any of the techniques included in any of his many books. I promise you that if you do this, you will be farther ahead of the game than someone not doing the same thing.
Introduction:
a. The following 9 rules are what the author has compiled through his own personal experiences that apply to surviving on the streets. The author gives a much more detailed explanation of each of the nine rules in this section.
1. Life is predatory.
2. Human life is cheap.
3. You fight to win.
4. Civilized boundaries don't exist.
5. If you want it, and you can get away with it, take it.
6. Altruism and charity don't exist, betrayal and backstabbing do.
7. Jail is nothing more than a pain in the ass.
8. They are scum.
9. They feel that the world owes them something.
b. Awareness is the key to self-defense and therefore survival.
How Operating Systems Work:
The author does a pretty good job of getting his point across using the game of basketball as an analogy for his example of operating in and out of a predetermined operating system.
a. FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics.
Here the author gives you a brief breakdown on what the UCR is, and what it tells you. He also tells you what is perhaps more important, and that is what the UCR doesn't tell you.
b. The Reality of Dragons.
This is a very interesting section that uses dragons as a metaphor for trouble. I was especially fond of the story involving the movie crew at the cemetery. It sure lends credence to the old saying, "GOD looks out for children, drunks, and fools."
c. Awareness and Hyperawareness.
This sections discusses the development of awareness of your surroundings and the environment your in. It also briefly talks about hyperawareness which is something that although obtainable, takes a lot of time and hard work to obtain and can be extremely taxing on the individual.
d. Utilizing your own personal radar.
This can best be described as your own personal early warning system. Kind of like a pre-awareness state, this will help you to avoid "burning out" from being at a constant state of awareness.
e. Logic.
Marc has shall we say a unique way at looking at logic, and one I am not going to despoil by telling you about it here. You'll just have to get the book and read about it. It along with the rest of the book is well worth it.
f. Learn the Ins and Outs of the system.
Keep your mouth shut and your eyes, ears, and more importantly your mind open and learn what there is to know about the system and you will be much farther ahead of the game.
Cultural Operating Systems:
a. Various cultures and religions.
This section I found to be very relevant not only to a self-defense situation, but more importantly to the human race as a whole. Surprising insight that would serve our leaders very well is they actually used it. Like the old biblical saying, "Before you judge someone, stand in their shoes."
Family-Group Operating Systems:
a. This section tells you what to look for, and how to blend into, the environment utilizing the following 13 things.
1. Language
2. Level of Awareness
3. Similar Ideas
4. Similar Toughness
5. Intelligence
6. Food and Eating Habits
7. Nonverbal and Other Body Language
8. Sexual Roles and Interaction
9. Age Status
10. Etiquette
11. Local Talents and Jobs
12. Similar Belief System
13. Similar Energy
b. 4 violence prone groups.
1. The Young
2. Warrior Societies
3. Drug Dealers
4. Police Officers
Personal Operating Systems:
a. 4 bases of violence.
1. Fear
2. Frenzy
3. Tantrum
4. Criminal
b. Nonviolent types.
In this section, part of what Marc goes into is the differences between violent and nonviolent types of people and what usually results when and if the nonviolent person finally is faced with the prospect of being confronted with and possibly using violence.
Welcome to Boomtown:
This is a very in-depth section on developing a surviving mind-set to be used when you are not in your familiar operating system.
a. Awareness of your surroundings and what is going on around you.
Do I need to say more? I don't, but Marc does and you should really pay attention to what he says and how he says it. Read and learn!
b. What You Say
This particular section is one that brings up the topic of what can and usually is your greatest enemy, your mouth and what comes out of it. Words can be a great comfort or a catalyst to great violence.
c. CYA
Cover Your Ass! Have truer words ever been spoken. If you don't look out for you, don't count on anyone else doing it.
Etiquette Basics:
This section goes over not only the etiquette that should be basic to every one of us, but also the etiquette that is indignant to certain geographical locations, ethnic and religious groups, etc. Another term for this could be called, in my opinion, respect.
Names, Reps, and Handles:
Nicknames:
1. Earned Nicknames
2. Self-Assigned Nicknames
3. Assigned Nicknames
Reputations:
This can and usually ends up being a double-edged sword.
Tacking, Scarring, and Piercing:
1. Tattooing:
Marc goes into some brief history and street etiquette concerning tattoos and their use and sometimes misuse. Although tattoos have taken on a whole other meaning in the past several years, with everyone from pre-teens to grandmothers lining up at the local shops.
2. Scarring and Piercing:
Marc gives you a real brief overview on both of these topics.
Gambling:
Marc gives you a terrific overview of the do's and don'ts of gambling and the people that are around that kind of activity. On a personal note, I am a firm believer in never gambling. It usually leads to too much trouble of one kind or another.
Turf, Territory, and Hoods:
a. Personal Space.
One of the many items discussed in this section is the personal space you feel you need in order to be comfortable. This is generally considered to be 2 to 4 feet. With less than 2 feet reserved for family, lovers, and very close friends.
b. Rural vs. Urban reactions.
Depending on the situation and the location where you are at, an individual's reaction may be radically different from another.
c. Defending your personal space.
Various methods of defending your personal space once it has been broached are discussed in fairly good detail and with some excellent examples.
Magick, Religion, and Juju:
a. Doesn't matter if you believe it, because they do.
Marc really gives the reader a much needed lesson on learning to respect someone else's beliefs even if you don't adhere to those same beliefs. This can go along way in saving your bacon when dealing with certain types of individuals.
Eye Contact:
This section like the other sections in this book is very well done. The information provided on eye contact and other nonverbal signals is very enlightening and very useful in any day-to-day situation, not just in self-defense.
Women:
This section is so very important for every man to read, and to follow the advice given in it. Women can be a boon to a man's existence, or they can be a bane. Both possibilities are very real and you had better choose your woman with great care.
Untouchables:
This is generally described as a group or certain types of individuals who are considered to be untouchable by the main stream of society because of the services that they provide for everyone in that society.
Awareness Building Techniques:
Marc goes over several different methods for building and practicing your own personal awareness. As Marc so often states, "Awareness is the key to survival."
This book is perhaps the first book you should purchase on the subject of self-defense. In as such, that the value of principles behind the execution of the technique is far more valuable than the actual technique itself.
Shawn Kovacich has been practicing the martial arts for over 25 years and currently holds the rank of 4th degree (Yodan) black belt in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do. Shawn has also competed in such prestigious full-contact bare knuckle karate competitions as the Shidokan Open and the Sabaki Challenge, among others. In addition to his many accomplishments, Shawn is also a two time world record holder for endurance high kicking as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. Shawn is the author of the highly acclaimed Achieving Kicking Excellence? series and can be reached via his web site at: http://www.chikara-kan.com
Marc can be reached via his web site at: No Nonsense Self-Defense
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