How to Win a Fight: A Guide to Avoiding and Surviving Violence [Paperback]

Lawrence Kane (Author), Kris Wilder (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 4, 2011

Two veteran martial arts instructors and a renowned comic book illustrator deliver the ultimate course in self-defense

More than three million Americans are involved in a violent physical encounter every year. In these situations, knowledge is power, and few teachers are better equipped to deliver that knowledge than Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder. Veteran martial arts instructors and masters in their field, Kane and Wilder have teamed up with DC Comics artist Matt Haley to produce a step-by-step guide revealing the secrets of surviving-and preventing-violent encounters.

The defense begins by scanning the environment for dangerous situations and using verbal de-escalation to defuse tense situations. If a fight is unavoidable, the authors offer clear guidance for being the victor, along with advice on legal implications, including how to handle a police interview after the attack.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Gotham; 1st edition (October 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592406319
• ISBN-13: 978-1592406319
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #123,311 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great little guide on avoiding and surviving violence October 4, 2011

By Alain B. Burrese TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

"How To Win A Fight: A Guide To Surviving Violence" by Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder is a very good book on surviving, and most important, preventing, violent encounters. I think those that will most benefit from this book are young males, teenage to thirty, who are dealing with fighting and violence. If only they will read this book, and prove to Rory Miller, who wrote the Foreword, that they are smarter than Miller believes them to be. Read the Foreword and you'll understand this completely. Besides that age group, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand violence and how to avoid or deal with it.

I'm very familiar with Kane and Wilder's books and teachings and was very glad to get an advanced review copy of their newest collaboration. I consider them both to be extremely knowledgeable in both the Japanese martial arts they practice AND real world violence and self-defense. I especially liked their book, "The Little Black Book of Violence: What Every Young Man Needs to Know About Fighting." This book contains the same kinds of lessons, but is shorter and the somewhat gruesome pictures of actual violence have been replaced by illustrations by DC Comics artist Matt Haley. If I was going to give a book about violence to a younger male, maybe someone in their young teens, this is the book I would choose. If you have their "Little Black Book," read this one if you want a quicker refresher course on similar material. And see the comic like illustrations of course.)

According to Kane, this book is about knowing what's worth fighting for, avoiding fights when you can, walking away when you should, prevailing when you must, and then managing the aftermath. That is a pretty good summation of the book. The first section deals with before violence occurs and includes chapters on awareness as your best defense, not letting them get into position to attack, using your words wisely, living to fight another day, and realizing you will get hurt. The second section covers during a violent encounter and provides advice on using only as much force as the situation warrants, four basic techniques to use in a fight, how to make hitting someone count, a few basics regarding fighting for those with little experience (and for those that do), seven mistakes to avoid in a fight, and a couple other things to keep in mind such as girls in fights and effects of stress on intelligence. The third, and last, section of the book deals with the aftermath of violence and contains chapters that cover topics such as knowing your priorities once it is over, basic first aid, why you shouldn't exaggerate or threaten, some basic legal matters, and a couple pages on AOJP (Ability, Opportunity, Jeopardy, and Preclusion) to help you stay out of jail.

"How To Win A Fight" is not just about fighting. It won't make a person a butt-kicking macho tough guy. It could easily be titled "How to Avoid A Fight and Why You Should." The second title might not sell as well. And this book does have more on NOT fighting, and dealing with things related to the fight, than actual techniques or things to do in the fight. Only a third dealt with during a violent encounter, and I'm sure the authors would agree that to prevail in a physical encounter you will need more than this book provides, like actual training in a self-defense program.)

Bottom line, this book really should be read by all young males, because that is the group dealing with these issues and who need this information most. It's a good addition to anyone's self-defense library, especially if you want a lighter version of the authors' "Little Black Book of Violence." I said that earlier book would save lives, and I think this one will too.

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of the DVD set Streetfighting Essentials and others.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Literary Gem from the Minds of Wilder and Kane October 4, 2011

By Shawn Kovacich VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Well I have to say that my first impression of this book came from the title and it instantly reminded me of a line from the movie, War Games which starred Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy, where a then supercomputer almost starts World War III until it realizes that by playing the game Tic-Tac-Toe that the only sure way to win the game is to not play the game at all, thereby averting World War III. This very same concept was also taught hundreds of years ago by the military genius Sun Tzu in his epic tome, The Art of War, in which he basically advises the reader that the only way to guarantee a victory in warfare is not to go to war in the first place.

From a legal standpoint, it is basically against the law to be fighting in the first place, unless it is under the regulated and controlled conditions of a sporting event, such as; boxing, MMA, wrestling, etc. and then it really isn't a fight, but a combative sport. You should never ever be in a fight, but unfortunately you may have to defend yourself, and that is an entirely different matter altogether, and that is what Lawrence and Kris are trying to tell you in this very well written and informative book. Very similar to their highly respected earlier work, The Little Black Book of Violence: What Every Young Man Needs to Know About Fighting.

After a great introduction section that includes a foreword by Rory Miller, author of Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence and his latest book, Facing Violence: Preparing for the Unexpected the authors go into a prologue and introduction which pretty much sets the tone for the entire book. This is followed up by a "Willing To Do" and "Not Willing To Do" list which everyone should read and fully digest in order to understand his/her capabilities when faced with a violent confrontation. There are no right or wrong answers, but I'd being willing to bet that each individual will be in for a few surprises when faced with some very difficult choices. Just be lucky that for now they are on paper because one day they may end up being your reality. This book is then divided up into three sections; Before Violence Occurs, During A Violent Encounter, and the Aftermath of Violence. What follows is the chapter titles under each of the three sections.

BEFORE VIOLENCE OCCURS

1. Awareness Is Your Best Defense

2. Don't Let Them Get Into Position To Attack

3. Your Words Are A Weapon, Use Them Wisely

4. Live To Fight Another Day

5. Food For Thought - You Will Get Hurt

DURING A VIOLENT ENCOUNTER

6. Use Only As Much Force As The Situation Warrants

7. Four Techniques You Can Use In A Fight

8. If You Are Going To Hit Someone, Make It Count

9. Down n' Dirty

10. Seven Mistakes To Avoid In A Fight

11. Things To Keep In Mind

AFTERMATH OF VIOLENCE

12. Once It's Over, Know Your Priorities

13. Know How To Perform First Aid

14. Don't Exaggerate, Don't Threaten

15. Legal Matters

16. You've Got A "Stay Out Of Jail Free" Card If You Use It Wisely

Now I had thought about writing a brief description about each chapter but I soon found out that I was ending up with quite a few paragraphs under each chapter as the information that Kris and Lawrence provides is really quite superb. Therefore I scrubbed that idea in exchange for a brief overall assessment of the material provided throughout the entire book, which by the way is very informative from cover to cover. Yes, I know that I repeated myself there but that really is the point. This book and the information it provides is good, good, good!

One thing that really stood out for me was the use of real-life situations that the authors had been exposed either directly or indirectly which gave solid real world examples of the points they are trying to make concerning the various subjects. The artwork is also very good, and it should be as this book is illustrated by famed DC comic book artist, Matt Haley. Now did I agree with absolutely everything in this book? NO, but it was really close! The few things I disagreed with were more of a philosophical difference than anything and also on one main simplistic area, and that is this:

Over 85% of ALL crimes are directly related to drugs and/or alcohol, therefore it stands to reason that if you want to avoid 85% of all potential problems that you may encounter, stay away from the people, businesses, events, etc. that consume or partake in drugs/alcohol and you will have a much greater chance of avoiding violence than perhaps any other action that you could take. Now this is going to fly directly in the face of your local AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) group, but if you do want to drink, do it in the safety and security of your own home and only with a very selective few friends, if even that. Well that and use some common sense and you will be pleasantly surprised at how much violence you can avoid.

I guess is I had to use one sentence to sum up my entire feelings about this book and describe the significance of what is contained within its covers, I guess it would have to be this, "Pull your head out of the sand or whatever orifice it may be in and read this because the information contained within it could very well one day save your life."

Shawn Kovacich
Creator of numerous books and DVDs.

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish I'd had this book when I was younger . . . October 14, 2011

By Tyr Shadowblade (TM) VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I've made a lot of mistakes in my past. To give you an example, I could never back down from a challenge, even if it was from some mentally deficient mutant with a gut full of whiskey and a couple of sidekicks backing him up. I thought it would be "unmanly" and "cowardly" to do otherwise. After getting stabbed a couple of times, shot once, and having several magistrates proclaim that I was a "bad guy" I was somewhat confused about what I might possibly be doing wrong. After all, I did what I was taught by my Da and Paladin Press and Hollywood, and they certainly wouldn't steer me astray, would they?

Jack London, under the pseudonym "Ragnar Redbeard", once penned a 200+ page rant about manliness called "Might is Right." That, my friends, is the law of the street and the law of elite cabals, but sadly it does not apply to mere peons such as myself, or society as a whole (which probably includes you). I tried to be Righteous and double-cool and ended up spending my 21st birthday in gaol eating the grilled cheese sammich next to a wino with Cartoon Network blaring on the TV at full blast, and let me tell you I would have rather spent that momentous occasion elsewhere doing other things, but no, I had to be the tough guy who didn't let people talk to me in a disrespectful manner.

Are you a tough guy? Maybe if some stranger on the street insults you for no reason you too might feel compelled to teach him some manners? Perhaps your girlfriend felt offended by some oaf and demands you extract an apology forthwith? Or maybe some drunk fratboy at the pub is having a bad day and bumps into you deliberately in hope you'll give him an excuse to pound you? I have been in all of those scenarios. I thought I did quite well. However, society disagreed, and I have paid the price.

But enough about me. Let's talk about you. You do NOT want to make some of the same mistakes I have made. I got REAL lucky a few times. I did not go to prison, I did not get gutted, I did not wind up in a wheelchair, I did not die -- many of my former acquaintances were not so lucky. Stuff goes sideways quick. Once events go into motion they can be difficult to stop. Surprisingly, the UBER SEKRET of self defense is appallingly simple, yet few dare speak of it because it isn't very marketable. The secret is AWARENESS. If you recognize something is dangerous, that makes it less dangerous to you. If you see a potentially dangerous situation, you generally have ample opportunity to avoid it. Especially if you are a teenaged male or young adult, you will receive MANY invitations to fight. Fights frequently escalate to combat. Often knives are involved, and sometimes people die and sometimes they get locked in the dungeon for a very long time. Second SEKRET of self defense? Guess what, junior -- you can actually DECLINE these invitations at least 90% of the time! This will not make you a sissy or a coward, it WILL make you a hell of a lot smarter than I was at your age. By all rights I should be dead or in prison right now, but as I said I got very lucky. You probably will not be as lucky.

A few years back Misters Kane and Wilder wrote a book called "The LITTLE Black Book of Violence" -- which was a joke since it was an oversized paperback roughly a foot square and nearly 350 pages long. I have seen smaller college textbooks. Brilliant book, but apparently daunting to its target audience as it did not sell very well. I gave it 5 stars, saying it was the best introductory text I'd ever seen, and it is no exaggeration to say I've read over 300 self defense / combatives / martial arts books. "How To Win A Fight" is better, even though it is simply a condensation of the same data in a smaller package with tons of extremely well drawn graphic novel style illustrations. You kids today with your youtube and ipods have such a limited attention span you're practically retarded. This book has pictures. You will not be threatened by this book as it isn't even a half inch thick -- but will you actually read and comprehend it? As Rory said in his brilliant introduction: "I don't think you're that smart."

If you are a young man between the ages of 15 and 25, or someone you care about is, you NEED to get this book. Seriously. In many ways this is actually better than the book it was condensed from, and no other book -- even out of print books -- compares. Best introductory self defense book for young men ever written. I know this for a fact. I've read all the others. I will be recommending this book to others and buying a few more copies as gifts.