Of the numerous self-defense books on the market, many suggest reactions to an attack based on misconceptions and assumptions from sport-based martial arts. Not this one.

The truth is, when you see that fist coming at you, it's generally too late to shift to an effective reactive technique.

But the best defense in any attack is, as most football fans know, a strong and overwhelming offense. Reaction time is seldom as fast as the time it takes to launch an attack, which is why technique-based training often fails. This book, however, teaches you how to develop a proactive and strategic approach to offense that puts you back in control. It's a control that you never relinquish because every move becomes an offensive one that prevents him from attacking you.

In Secrets of Effective Offense, Marc MacYoung, in the grand tradition of Sun Tzu and Clausewitz, draws on his long experience in martial arts, as well as the violent streets of Los Angeles, to teach the strategy and tactical skills necessary to take charge of a dangerous situation by switching from defense to the necessary level of effective offense. This book will teach you to "run the table," like a professional pool player, in any violent confrontation so it is never your opponent's turn to attack.

This book is not designed to teach you an entirely new system or MacYoung's "Ultimate Fighting System" (there is no such animal, and he views that idea as a complete joke).  His goal is to provide a diagnostic tool that makes what you already know far more effective. This book gives you the information to help avoid energy loss, unnecessary movement, wasted time and effort, and ineffective motion. It teaches you the fundamentals that every move must have to deliver power -- no matter what you are trained in. And if these crucial fundamentals are missing, you will be robbed of power.

This book has special value for instructors of martial arts and self-defense because it explains in clear and easily understood analogies many common problems students struggle with. It is designed to be a teaching tool for professionals.

Autographed by author

Secrets of Effective Offense: Survival Strategies for Self-Defense, Martial Arts and Law Enforcement (The Lyons Press) 2005, 256 pages, ISBN 1-59228-369-1

Hardcover, Item# Beffective
 
Book -- $21     Retail: $22.95

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Readers of Secrets of Effective Offense write:

This outstanding tome is really not so much a "how to" book of techniques as it is a set of strategic principles that you can incorporate into any martial style to develop a more effective offense. Written by one of the nation's leading experts on aggression and real-life fighting, it is a clear and comprehensive approach to refining your ability to survive a violent encounter.

Before describing the content of this book it is worthwhile pointing out what an effective offense is and why you ought to care about it: If you get beat down on the street you will be totally at the mercy of your attacker for your continued well-being. You could just as easily wake up in the hospital as you could end up in a box. At a time when an 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient was raped and murdered less than an hour after wandering away from her residence, a father was beaten to death by three teenagers in front of his son, and thousands of other murders, muggings, and beatings took place around the country this very week, there might not be all that much mercy out there for you if you lose a street encounter to the wrong person. Don't get me wrong, this book certainly does not advocate picking fights, but it does show a comprehensive methodology for turning the tables on your attacker if you are assaulted and cannot get away.

As a 30+ year martial artist I did not find a whole lot that I did not already know but I did discover a new lens for viewing the knowledge, one that is quite enlightening. The author's writing style is refreshing and clear, devoid of the cynical platitudes and four letter witticisms that fill many of his previous works. You get all of Animal's experience without his attitude, something that has turned off traditional martial artists from MacYoung's works in the past. It's not that the previous works did not have great content just that they were somewhat hard to read for many folks. That's definitely not a problem here. It's packed with vital information and pleasant to read.

Contents include components of effective power, understanding range, body movement, structure, blocking and deflecting, parrying and countering, pulling, twisting, and takedowns among other subjects. The pictures and illustrations truly complement the excellent text. The book really helps you understand what works and why, set priorities, and develop a mindset that can really work. And it's easy to integrate into what you already know (in fact the author encourages just that). It helps you get your priorities straight and be sure that you can accomplish them. I really believe that this is MacYoung's best book yet. Wholeheartedly recommended!  -- Lawrence Kane, author of The Way of Kata and Martial Arts Instruction

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