The Law of Self Defense

Bibliography:

Branca, Andrew F. “The Law of Self Defense: The Indispensable Guide to the Armed Citizen.” Law of Self Defense LLC. 2013.

Review: This one was quickly added to my self-defense reference list. Although geared toward self-defense as an armed citizen the advice and information is relevant to self-defense in general be it open-handed or weaponized. There is a lot of well written and solid information along with state specific references and data that will assist you in seeking advice from legal professionals not to forget to mention what you can add for value in your self-defense course of instruction. 

I have already added many aspects, etc., to my book on martial arts self defense instruction manual. Not to take thunder from this book but to direct my readers, students and instructors to a more robust way to teach martial arts and self-defense. I highly recommend adding this to your library. 

Writing Violence #3: Getting Hit and Hitting

Bibliography:

MacYoung, Marc. “Writing Violence #3: Getting Hit and Hitting.” Amason Digital Services, inc. NNSD. April 20. 2015. 

Review: Strikers, punchers all, get ready to rock your world because this book provides you a lot of information that will change the way you look at your striking arts system, like karate. 

Over the years I began to understand that what I perceived as power in karate or martial arts was not actually all that powerful. Then I read the short book by Marc MacYoung, Writing Violence: Getting Hit and Hitting where the following quote slapped me in the face and provided me a way to explain why what I was seeing and even practicing actually did NOT mean I was powerful. Mr. MacYoung’s quote,

“Just because it has the external form doesn’t mean it has the internal mechanics that make it work. To the untrained eye, every blow looks brutal, horrible, and damaging. In reality, the level of force is hardly more than pushing or slapping someone - if that.” - Mark MacYoung, Writing Violence: Getting Hit and Hitting

I am barely through one-third of his book and I not only understand my striking system a lot better I can also articulate things better as well. Sometimes coming up with the proper words to describe things that are right as well as the all important things that are wrong is critical in teaching and learning. This book may be a way to write fiction fighting with more realism but it also, in my view, adds truth and realty to how one practices, trains and applies their striking art in reality. 

Get this one karate-ka, get this one you self-defense people and get this one you fledgling fiction action hero authors - it is worth all 2.99 pennies you spend for the kindle version :-)

Firefly Quotes:

Mal: It's nothin'.

Simon: I expect there's someone's face feels differently.

Mal: Well, they tell ya, never hit a man with a closed fist, but it is on occasion hilarious.

If Mal says it is so, then it is so. Just adds validity to Marc MacYoung’s Writing Violence III: Getting Hit and Hitting, right? :-)