Put 'Em Down, Take 'Em Out!: Knife Fighting Techniques From Folsom Prison [Paperback]

Don Pentecost (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1988

Anyone can be the subject of a knife attack. Maximize your chances for survival by learning realistic aspects of knife attack and defense. These deadly techniques were developed in the violence of Folsom Prison and go far beyond what you learn in karate class.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Paladin Press (November 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873644840
• ISBN-13: 978-0873644846
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,546,420 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars All I really needed to know about using a knife..., February 8, 2004

By 

Joseph M Burtner (Kennesaw, Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Put 'Em Down, Take 'Em Out!: Knife Fighting Techniques From Folsom Prison (Paperback)

As many previous reviewers stated, this book is pretty short (54 pages of information), but it's probably the best crash-course in knife fighting I've ever seen. A lot of martial arts today that specialize in the knife actually speciallize in what Marc MacYoung calls "knife dueling"; they don't realize how knives are most often used in American culture: for assasination. Whatever you call it, in the US, and I'm sure most of the western world, if a guy pulls a knife on you, he intends to kill you because he sees you as a victim, not an equal. This book is all about one guy with a knife, and one guy without. The techniques are simplistic, but effective, and incorperate empty-hand stragegies and tactics in harmony with the knife. Things compatable with unarmed combat are stance, footwork, trapping, and grappling. This book is about agression and simplicity, and in my oppinion ought to be the foundational book for any knife-fighting or -defense program. The five chapters are "Basics of Knife Fighting", "Knife Fighting Myths", "Knife Attack", "Knife Defense", and "Training". Among the things that are covered are grips, group attacks, set-ups, mental tactics and training, and the stance-footwork-etc. stuff I mentioned earlier. One thing that rubbed me a little wrong was how the guy basically said, "Only my style works, forget anything else." While I would recomend anyone interested in knife fighting get this book, I'd say to not make it your only source of information.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Concise and almost practical, May 13, 2005

By 

Fazle Arefin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Put 'Em Down, Take 'Em Out!: Knife Fighting Techniques From Folsom Prison (Paperback)

The book is about knife fighting defense and offense, written by a REAL knife fighter who has fought "for real" inside Folsom Prison. Fortunately, the (fighter) author does not waste ink, paper, or time describing his heroic/cowardly actions inside the prison. He portrays an almost pragmatic, mostly a one on one offensive and defensive, knife fighting techniques. He presents everything practically, in my opinion. He also points out why the movie heroes come victorious in a knife fight. He also talks (writes) about the mental factor in a fight. The techniques are uncomplicated and thus easy to grasp. The authors tone is direct and brutal.

The only reason this book earned a five minus one star is because he raped eastern-origin based martial arts. I somewhat agree with the author that predetermined movements, as taught in eastern-origin martial arts, may not save your life. And the assurances of the martial art expert may go down the drain in real (street, alley) fights. The author almost wasted two pages raping martial arts. Taken granted that martial arts alone is not the ultimate savior, did he not realize martial arts helps you with your flexibility, strength, and self-confidence. All these elements must be in the armory of a real fighter.

Some of the lessons learnt from the book: be brutal, don't panic, trash martial arts skills (?), don't follow movie stunts, first hit then stab, assassinate fear and hesitance, mind is the most lethal weapon and vulnerable part of you (my modifications of the author's view)...

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars If you want one answer, this may be it ... but is it enough?, October 19, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Put 'Em Down, Take 'Em Out!: Knife Fighting Techniques From Folsom Prison (Paperback)

Basically one form of attack, with two ways to execute it. Maybe with this you will be successful in 80% of your combat encounters. Maybe it's too simple to rely on. Unfortunately, my knowledge is based on theory only.

From the theoretical standpoint, I think this book is lacking alternate strategies. If there is any transferability from the left jab / right cross in boxing to the left lead / right stab espoused in this book, then, theoretically, one would be setting oneself up for a counter if one ONLY used the technique recommended by this book.

But what do I know? I have not been in a knife fight. My only experience can be based on unarmed combat (street and dojo), supplemented by theory. If you can rely on your right cross to get you through your unarmed fights pretty much of the time, then you probably will like this book, and you may very well be effective pretty much of the time because it's based on the "right cross" / "big gun" principle ... set 'em up with the lead hand, and attack with the rear power hand.

BOTTOM LINE: I'd probably resort to this approach since it is based on realistic experience, the technique is VERY BASIC, and I believe in the author's experience. BASICS are usually the most effective, and it would take a very extremely trained and experienced "sophisticated" fighter to beat a very extremely trained and experienced BUT BASIC fighter.

I gave it three stars because it was average as a book, but as another thing to add to my arsenal, I would give it a 4