The SAS Self-Defense Handbook: A Complete Guide to Unarmed Combat Techniques [Paperback]

John "Lofty" Wiseman (Author)

Book Description

Series: SAS | Publication Date: April 1, 2000

Learn how the survival skills of the SAS can help you defend yourself.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Written by a former Survival Instructor of the SAS (Special Air Service - England's equivalent of the United States Special Forces), The SAS Self-Defense Handbook provides easy-to-follow illustrated instructions - for both men and women - on coping with all kinds of threatening situations, from muggings to knife attacks. The author teaches you strategies for both avoiding conflict and getting out of a dangerous situation quickly and safely. Learn how mental attitude, body language, assertiveness, and the ability to overcome fear can prevent you from becoming a prime target for criminals. Learn which body parts are the most effective weapons in fending off an attacker, and which are the most likely targets for attack. Defend yourself from sudden grabs, strangles, weapons, and road rage. And find out how to deliver the SAS five-second knockout, a defense previously available only to British SAS Special Forces soldiers. (71/2 X 91/2, 160 pages, b&w photos, illustrations)

About the Author

John "Lofty" Wiseman spent twenty-six years in the SAS, several of them as the chief survival instructor.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585740608
• ISBN-13: 978-1585740604
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #340,660 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John 'Lofty' Wiseman served for 26 years with the Special Air Service and was their Chief Survival Instructor. He remains the foremost authority on SAS training techniques for civilians.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Misleading Promotion, May 7, 2000

By 

Sandra McDaniel "fretknot" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The SAS Self-Defense Handbook: A Complete Guide to Unarmed Combat Techniques (Paperback)

This is a book by a good writer who has a remarkable amount of specialized knowledge. His other books- on survival, for instance- display an encyclopedic knowledge of things which will help keep you alive in trying circumstances.

This book is flawed by two problems; one is the misleading hype of the publisher (this is not, as the subtitle suggests, "A complete guide to unarmed fighting techniques"); it is also flawed by the difficulty the author had in deciding what to teach and what to withhold because it was too dangerous to teach a civilian population.

If the book had been subtitled "a basic guide to self-defense", it would have lived up to it's title. And if the author had been able to decide what level of damage was "okay" for what level of threat, it would have been a better book. While he withholds the "dangerous" techniques, he suggests fingers to eyes as a solution to "unwelcome attentions" when a man puts an around her shoulder in a bar.

If that's not dangerous, I misunderstand the effect of fingers thrust into the eyes with the hips rotated for more power.

The publisher should go to Mr. Wiseman as ask him to write a different book, which actually teaches the syllabus with which he is familiar. Since Applegate has published, and reprints of the hand-to-hand combat manuals of the army and marines are easily available, Mr. Wiseman should not feel inhibited about sharing his vast knowledge because the techniques are too dangerous or violent.

In general, this book is a good basic self-defense book if the reader has the sense to realize that the eye-gouges should be restricted to situations of extreme provocation.

If a reader wants to review the spectrum of military self-defense, the reader will be better served with the reprints of the Applegate or Fairbairn books, or reprints of Army Field Manual 21-150, or the Marine hand-to-hand book.

I hope Mr. Wiseman writes another book which fully sets out his knowledge and extraordinary practical experience. I would happily buy it.

52 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good practical introduction, June 16, 2004

By 

magellan (Santa Clara, CA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The SAS Self-Defense Handbook: A Complete Guide to Unarmed Combat Techniques (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book, partly for nostalgic reasons. The line drawings and illustrations showing the self-defense techniques reminded me of an earlier generation of martial arts books back in the 50s and 60s and before, such as Kyose Nakae's Police Jiu-jutsu, the Ratti brothers Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere, Donald Hepler's Self-Defense, Simplified in Pictures, the infamous Ketsugo book ubiquitously advertised in the back of comic books in the 60s, and others.

If you're an experienced martial artist you will probably already be familiar with many of these techniques, but if you're a beginner and looking for a good introduction to the field, this is a good place to start.

Before I get into my own comments, I note the extremely negative review by one writer who says the book was a complete waste of money and the author mistakenly assumes these techniques will work against larger, stronger, hopped up, homicidal, or psychotic opponents. That's probably true, but that is not a valid criticism. As a self-defense instructor for 35 years myself who's trained in a number of styles and methods, there is no system I've encountered that is guaranteed to enable you to prevail under any and all circumstances and conditions. If they do make these exaggerated claims then they're probably selling you snake oil.

I've also read the Perkins book the reviewer says is far better and am quite familiar with Fairbairn's book and methods, and although these are also fine books and I would recommend you get these also, they don't resolve these issues entirely either although they admittedly have their advantages also--the Fairbairn methods are more vicious, but if you just add the groin rips and strikes, eye gouges, strikes to the throat and temple, and clapping the hands over the ears to break the eardrums (a technique which Fairbairn favored) to these techniques--you'll basically have the best of both worlds. But, contrary to what the other reviewer says, you'd better have a serious self-defense situation if you end up injuring or maiming someone for life or killing the attacker using those techniques--especially if there are witnesses.

Of course, there are many legal complexities and sides to this issue that I can't possibly go into here, but if you're a 100-pound girl or old lady and you cripple some 250-pound guy for life who attacked you, well, even if you get prosecuted by the district attorney, the jury is likely to go easy on you, and you may get off. But if you're a young, 200+ pound, athletic-looking guy with a dubious or disreputable past and you cause serious harm or injury, or worse, well, you can expect to do some jail time. For some reason, the law frowns on the excessive use of force and violence in self-defense even if the two parties involved are admitted scumbags. :-)

But getting back to the issue of survivability against adverse odds, the most that can be said is that a good self-defense course will increase your chances of survival and give you options that you didn't have before. The way I explain it to my students is that in a low-risk or low-level threat or attack situation you should be able to defend yourself fairly well; in a medium-level threat or attack situation you'll hopefully be able to fight the attacker to a draw and at least avoid serious injury, whereas before you might be completely helpless; and in a serious life-and-death situation with a determined opponent who may be bigger and stronger and better skilled or equipped, or have other advantages, you'll at least have a fighting chance whereas before it would have meant passive acceptance of death or serious injury. Remember, your goal in a potentially lethal street encounter is not necessarily to win, which might require more risky techniques and methods, but to avoid losing and escape with your life.

The self-defense techniques shown are simple but effective, and can be learned by most people with a minimum of training. Effective training for self-defense need not be technically difficult or long and arduous in terms of the training, but it does mean that techniques must be kept simple and complex and flashy techniques must be avoided. The self-defense techniques come from many disciplines, including karate, boxing, judo, jiu-jutsu, wrestling, and even tai chi. There's also some good info on nerve centers and pressure points.

But perhaps the most valuable parts of the book are the chapters not on the physical techniques themselves, but on the mental and psychological and other aspects of self-defense. There are separate chapters on What is Self-Defense?, Positive Thinking, and Spotting Trouble. These chapters discuss many other useful and valuable topics, such as self-defense and the law, preventive measures, practicing assertiveness, streetcraft and being streetwise, avoiding many types of risky urban environments and dangers, calming down a confrontation, the eyes and character, the will to win, gangs and drunks, travelling on public transportation, distraction techniques, the effect of alcohol, the elements of surprise, and many others.

I note the author was also the chief SAS instructor for several years in survival tactics. All in all a very well written, thoughtful, practical and well-illustrated book on self-defense and close-quarters combat as taught to the feared and respected SAS commandos.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The SAS know what they are doing, October 20, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The SAS Self-Defense Handbook: A Complete Guide to Unarmed Combat Techniques (Paperback)

The SAS are tough, and want to be alive after they complete
a mission. So, they should be great at writing a book
on self defense. In this case, it was mostly true. I thought
the book was excellent, but take it (the book) with a grain
of salt. If you truly want to learn self defense, join
the marines, or go to a dojo. Sparring with instructions from
a book won't prepare you for the real life situation of
panic, fear, and chaos.
The reason why I give this book high marks is for that reason:
Lofty wants you to focus more on avoiding the situation than
fighting in it. The first half of the book is devoted to avoidance. This is a book everyone should read... if you want to
learn more about fighting, get a 2nd book after this one.
This is the start of learning self-defense, not the end all solution.