Martial Arts:An Instructor's Perspective

This book was read on a Kindle.

The Technicals:

Author: Rory Miller

Foreword by Steven Barnes

Chapter 1: The Matrix

Chapter 2: How To Think

Chapter 3: Violence

Chapter 4: Predators

Chapter 5: Training

Chapter 6: Making Physical Defense Work

Chapter 7: After

General:

The author’s experience with violence stems from two areas. The first is his longtime training and teaching in Martial Arts. The second is his employment in the Corrections field. Throughout the book, he weaves the two together and makes comparisons between what most Martial Artists believe, and what occurs in the real world.

I found that the author’s style was direct and sometimes crude. While he does a decent job, it is clear that his forte is not writing. Despite the fact that I  am an avid reader, I found it difficult to read more than a few sections at a time. This was in no way due to the content, but rather the choppy writing. In fact, I found many of his insights very illuminating and useful for my own training. I have been in real fights in my lifetime and I am often surprised by some of the comments made by Martial Artists who have never been in a fight. True violence is far more sudden and brutal than is often possible in the dojo.

It is here that the author excels. The descriptions of his personal experiences in the jail are very helpful. Granted, some of his comments seem jaded due to his many years of dealing with criminals and their mentalities. Chapters one and two are adequate but you will hear the same information later. The best information has to do with the “Monkey Dance”. His breakdown of Violence in chapter three is very effective. He puts things in simple and clear terms and does a good job of getting at the basics of violent acts. It is a must ready for any serious warriors. Chapter four, Predators, is short but to the point. He paints a dismal picture for anyone unlucky enough to find themselves face-to-face with one. Chapters five and six deal with the common problem of dojo training as well as some remedies. I personally found some useful information here but I will admit that most Martial Artists that I have come into contact with would shy away from it. This is because it involves extremely realistic training methods. The final chapter, “After”, is helpful for those involved in acts of violence, but it seemed a little out of place. I think that this was because the author takes such a cold stance throughout the book, and then attempts to switch to being compassionate at the end.

Overall I feel that it was worthwhile to read this book. I probably would not read it again in its entirety but rather use it as a reference. I would suggest that whoever reads it would do well to highlight the useful information so it will be easily accessible later. It’s gritty feel is very appropriate considering the topic and the author comes across as being credible.

I would give it 2 stars out of 5