“War is a matter of vital importance to the state; a matter
of life or death, the road either to survival or to ruin. Hence, it is
imperative that it be studied thoroughly.” Sun Tzu: The Art of War
Rory Miller takes the very first sentence in the Chinese military
classic and expands upon it in lucid detail. Facing Violence draws readers into
a world and a state of mind that most people in a civilized society imagine but
do not really understand.
The title of the book suggests a guide about fighting, but
that is misleading. Mr. Miller explores the entire continuum of close combat including:
- your personal beliefs and ethics
- the social and resourced based motivations of violent people
- to the legal criteria for self-defense
- the psychology of criminal violence
- your biological and physiological responses
- the mechanics of realistic combat
- the legal, social, and psychological aftermath of a violent encounter
Miller writes in a style that is simultaneously sobering, enlightening,
depressing and insistent. It isn’t really a guide about how to react to potential
violence. It is a well written treatise on avoiding and coping with violence
that every martial artist, gun owner and self-defense enthusiast should read to
calibrate their training to reality.
As a writer, I read this book was to give a more realistic flavor to the characters and situations in my stories that dealt with concepts of violence. As a former, martial artist I highly recommend this book because it help people who have that kind of training adapt the lessons from the dojo into the real world.
Have fun.
Gamal
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