Anatomy of a Streetfight [Paperback]

Paul Vunak (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2001

From one of the world's foremost authorities on combat comes a revolutionary book focusing solely on the attributes of streetfighting. Author Paul Vunak, head of Progressive Fighting Systems and a former trainer for the Navy S.E.A.L. team, shows you what it takes to survive a streetfight in the 21st century. Included are a realistic discussion of the reality of a streetfight and a step-by-step guide to topics such as: developing a killer instinct, developing streetfighting strategies and techniques, edged weapons fighting, practical self-defense for women, legal implications of streetfighting, Jeet Kune Do and law enforcement, and even the art of defending oneself by biting your attacker!

Product Details

• Paperback: 125 pages
• Publisher: Unique Publications; 1st edition (April 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865681872
• ISBN-13: 978-0865681873
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #494,698 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Bad But Not Great, June 29, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Anatomy of a Streetfight (Paperback)

In terms of practicality it's not bad. Most people can execute an eye jab, punch or shin kick more effectively than some grappling technique so this book is more realistic in that sense.
If you want effective self defense combine this book with "Strong On Defense".

If anything the practice of these techniques would build confidence in the average person. Would they allow a reader to prevail in a streetfight? Maybe. That would depend on your definition of a streetfight and level of training.

In a scenario with a mugger or robber it would be stupid to fight (UNLESS you believe your life is at stake). The books' techniques seem appropriate for this setting. You should have avoided that situation in the first place though.

In an alternate scenario take some idiot mouthing off in a bar or in a parking lot. Most of the negative reviewers assume that the bad guy is a Grappler or NHB champ (Why I have no idea). These techniques would work in that situation IF you hit first and hit hard. Will the fight go to the ground? Most likely YES! Why? One of the combatants will be unconscious. That's the real reason most fights go to the floor, someone gets knocked out or close to it.

In a streetfight there is no substitute for awareness and commonsense. Is being a Champion Boxer, NHB Fighter or Power Lifter a substitute for these 2 things? NO! Most criminals need only enough strength and speed to pull a trigger, usually in the dark and from a safe distance.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Paul Vunak does it again!, August 7, 2001

By 

LEO E RAMIREZ (CHICAGO, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anatomy of a Streetfight (Paperback)

This book contains vital information concerning street fights and their consequences. Paul Vunak covers everything from the R.A.T system, he taught the Navy Seals, to edged weapons defense and the ever important attribute of killer instinct. He explains the art and concepts of Kino Mutai(Filipino biting and eye gouging) and the issue of HIV and biting in street fights. He also covers issues pertaining to police use of force, and women's self-defense in particular. This book is a must for anyone who is interested in real self-defense

34 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Upon further study - Not convinced, November 20, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Anatomy of a Streetfight (Paperback)

Upon much criticism from my fellow readers, I have purchased this book and read and studied it in depth. I appreciate what Mr. Vunak has done for the martial arts and what this book contributes to the subject. However, I feel this work has failed to convince the reader of the effectiveness of his techniques.

1. I disagree with the assertion that NHB techniques are ineffective in a street fight. NHB techniques are easily adapted to a street fight. NHB events have less rules than boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, sport jiu-jitsu, and judo...NHB competition, while not as lawless as a street fight, is the most realistic laboratory of martial prowess to date. How would Lennox Lewis do in a street fight? Ernesto Hoost? Kurt Angle? Jean-Jacques Machado? Gene Labelle? I think we would all agree that they would perform well...yet they fight with rules more constraining than NHB fighters...but we argue that NHB techniques don't work? Frank Shamrock wouldn't make it on the street? Tito Ortiz wouldn't? Rickson Gracie wouldn't?

2. I find the anectdotal evidence not credible. The author relates a bar fight (pg 15-16) with a fellow instructor and 3 Navy SEALs (who each weighed 300 pounds and all were olympic caliber wrestlers) against 20 bikers in order to disprove the effectiveness of NHB techniques. Are you serious? I have been in the spec ops community for over a decade and have habitually trained and worked with the east & west coast SEALs and have yet to meet a SEAL who is 300 pounds and a former olympic wrestler...but the author managed to find three in one place...are you kidding?

3. The examples presented are not realistic. Page 25 shows a guy throwing a jab and then keeping his arm sticking straight out while he is hit in the biceps, kicked in the knee, punched in the face, kicked in the stomach, and then shin kicked in the leg. The whole time, the person being pummeled never moves or even flinches....So you find this one way beating realistic...with no reaction whatsoever from yoru opponent...but not NHB events? And, by the way, all of these techniques are legal in NHB, but they don't win fights even there.

4. Again, pgs 26-27 are not realistic. The loser of the fight is shin kicked, punched, gouged, head butted and then elbowed...and the guy just stands there like a scarecrow and gets beaten...that's realistic? Your opponent won't react...or fall to the ground? or fight back?

5. Another issue I have is with pgs 28-36. Clearly, the techniques shown only work aganst another fighter using the same, stand up style. You can beat every one of these techniques with just one technique...the double leg takedown.

6. Most of the techniques shown are low percentage moves, hard to master, and not feasible by the average person. Try hitting someone in the bicep as he punches you in the head...try to kick someone in the small of his back as he hits you with a spinning back kick (pg 49). I believe most martial arts techniques are unrealistic and impossible to master. What I want to see for a self-defense technique is simplicity, reliability, and effectiveness.

7. "Kino mutai (the art of pinching and biting)allows us to circumvent the jiu-jitsu game"-pg 54. I disbelieve the claim that biting is the solution to fighting a grappler. Go fight Ryan Gracie, Dan Henderson, and Mark Coleman...just bite them and you will beat them. Are you kidding? The grappler/NHB fighter can make minor adjustments to defeat your biting easily. Pg 56 shows your opponent being bitten on his Lat...are you telling me that that biting can't be easily defeated? The top guy places his forearm on the bottom fighters throat...no more biting...only choking. Pg 58 shows an opponent being bitten on the ear...but he can bite your ear just as easily. Superior body positioning will defeat eye gouging, biting and groin strikes. Just as superior body positioning will allow you to bite, gouge, and groin strike with impunity. BJJ and wrestlers are the masters of body positioning...and dominate NHB events...but you think they can't fight on the street.

8. The criticism is that grapplers can not fight multiple attackers, but stand up fighters can. However, the stand up fighter can't handle one grappler. I would argue you can modify grappling to be as effective as the JKD fighter, using the clinch and tie up to set up your opponent for strikes. Where in this book from pg 1-128 is there realistic (or any, for that matter)examples of fighting multiple attackers? I believe I missed it.

9. Good points. I like the knife and stick fighting techniques...I buy into the defang the serpent philosophy as the underlying concepts are sound and ralistic. I buy the blast attack theory...with your opponent going backwards, he is at a disadvantage and you at a huge advantage. That's why the takedown and clinch in NHB is so effective...your opponent can not react fast or effectively enough to stop you. The philosophies and theories presented throughout this book give much food for thought...an excellent intellectual exercise.

10. Summary. Please consider: Fighting has evolved and the greatest martial laboratory in history is happening in front of our eyes...its called MMA competition. To ignore these lessons are folly. The stand up arts like JKD and Kung-Fu work against themselves only...not the takedown artist. The grappler/NHB fighter can easily adapt his techniques to defeat biting, gouging and groin strikes through superior body positioning...the stand up fighter can't and won't. NHB is not real life, but it is the most realistic training and competition to date. Adapt and evolve or stick your head in the sand like the dinosaur.