Facing Violence Preparing for the Unexpected

by Miller, Rory; Eisler, Barry

• ISBN13: 9781594392139
• ISBN10: 1594392137
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-05-16
• Publisher: Ymaa Publication Center

Summary

Gold Winner - 2012 eLit Award

Finalist - 2012 USA Best Books Award

Honorable Mention - 2012 Eric Hoffer Award

Survival Favors the Prepared Mind—Robert Crowley

This book stands alone as an introduction to the context of self-defense. There are seven elements that must be addressed to bring self-defense training to something approaching ‘complete.' Any training that dismisses any of these areas leaves you vulnerable.

1. Legal and ethical implications. A student learning self-defense must learn force law. Otherwise it is possible to train to go to prison. Side by side with the legal rules, every student must explore his or her own ethical limitations. Most do not really know where this ethical line lies within them.

2. Violence dynamics. Self-defense must teach how attacks happen. Students must be able to recognize an attack before it happens and know what kind they are facing.

3. Avoidance. Students need to learn and practice not fighting. Learning includes escape and evasion, verbal de-escalation, and also pure-not-be there avoidance.

4. Counter-ambush. If the student didn't see the precursors or couldn't successfully avoid the encounter he or she will need a handful of actions trained to reflex level for a sudden violent attack.

5. Breaking the freeze. Freezing is almost universal in a sudden attack. Students must learn to recognize a freeze and break out of one.

6. The fight itself. Most martial arts and self-defense instructors concentrate their time right here. What is taught just needs to be in line with how violence happens in the world.

7. The aftermath. There are potential legal, psychological, and medical effects of engaging in violence no matter how justified. Advanced preparation is critical.

Any teacher or student of self-defense, anyone interested in self-defense, and any person who desires a deeper understanding of violence needs to read this book.

Author Biography

Rory Miller has been studying martial arts since 1981, He's a bestselling writer and a veteran corrections officer. He's taught and designed courses on Use of Force Policy and Decision Making; Police Defensive Tactics; Confrontational Simulations; and as a sergeant, he led and trained his former agency's Corrections Tactical Team. In 2008 and 2009, he taught methods to operate a secure prison for the Iraqi Corrections Systems, Iraq-Rory Miller resides near Portland, Oregon,

Table of Contents

Contents	p. V
Acknowledgements	p. Ix
Foreword	p. Xl
Introduction	p. Xlll
Legal And Ethical	p. 1
legal (criminal)	p. 2
affirmative defense	p. 2
elements of force justification	p. 3
the threat	p. 6
scaling force	p. 7
civil law	p. 9
articulation	p. 10
ethics	p. 12
the conscious stuff: capacity	p. 13
beliefs, values, morals and ethics	p. 15
the unconscious stuff: finding your glitches	p. 20
through the looking glass	p. 22
Violence Dynamics	p. 25
social violence	p. 26
the monkey dance	p. 26
the group monkey dance	p. 30
the educational beat-down	p. 31
the status seeking show	p. 33
territory defense	p. 35
asocial violence	p. 36
predator basics	p. 37
two types	p. 38
two strategies	p. 39
Avoidance	p. 41
absence	p. 42
escape and evasion (e&e)	p. 47
de-escalation	p. 50
know thyself	p. 50
know the world you are in	p. 53
know the threat	p. 61
the interview	p. 72
de-escalating the monkey dance	p. 73
de-escalating the group monkey dance	p. 76
de-escalating the resource/blitz predator	p. 78
altered mental states	p. 85
rapport building	p. 86
the psychotic break	p. 87
excited delirium	p. 88
fakes	p. 89
hostage situations	p. 91
Counter-Ambush	p. 93
foundation	p. 93
elements of speed	p. 95
the perfect move	p. 99
examples	p. 104
attack from the front	p. 104
attacked from the rear	p. 115
The Freeze	p. 119
biological background	p. 120
what freezing is	p. 123
types of freezes	p. 124
tactical freezes	p. 125
physiological freezes	p. 125
non-cognitive mental freeze	p. 126
cognitive freezes	p. 128
social cognitive freezes	p. 129
the pure social freeze	p. 132
breaking the freeze	p. 132
anti-freeze habit 133
The Fight	p. 135
you	p. 136
this is your brain on fear	p. 137
and this is your body	p. 140
training and you	p. 142
mitigating the effects	p. 143
the threat(s)	p. 145
the environment	p. 148
luck	p. 151
gifts	p. 151
managing chaos	p. 152
discretionary time	p. 153
the fight	p. 154
a letter to johann-on intervening	p. 163
After	p. 169
medical	p. 170
as soon as you are safe	p. 171
hours to months	p. 172
long-term	p. 174
legal aftermath	p. 175
criminal aftermath	p. 175
civil	p. 182
the threatening letter	p. 183
difference	p. 184
psychological aftermath	p. 186
story telling	p. 187
change	p. 189
feelings	p. 190
questions	p. 191
victim power	p. 193
friends, society, and alienation	p. 196
retaliation	p. 203
Afterword	p. 205
Glossary	p. 207
Further Reading	p. 211
on the human monkey	p. 211
on the legal stuff	p. 212
on dynamics of violence and criminals	p. 213
on people	p. 214
other books and resources	p. 216
and, finally, some people	p. 218
Index	p. 221
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.