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The Little Black Book of Violence: What Every Young Man Needs to Know About Fighting [Paperback]

Lawrence A. Kane , Kris Wilder , Lt. Col. John R. Finch , Marc "Animal" MacYoung , Rory Miller
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)

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Book Description

April 16, 2009
Book of the Year Award Finalist - Foreword Magazine
Best Books Award Finalist - USA Book News

The Little Black Book of Violence will arm you with the knowledge and good sense to make informed choices in hazardous situations. While some yahoo spewing insults about your favorite sports team is worlds apart from a drug-crazed lunatic lunging at you with a sharp knife in his hands and bloodlust in his eyes, there is a large gray area in between these two extremes where hard and fast rules do not always apply. This is where wisdom, oftentimes hard-earned wisdom, makes the difference between good decisions and bad ones.

Every time you engage in violence, no matter how small or trivial it may appear to be at the time, it has the potential of escalating into something extraordinarily serious. What is really worth fighting for when you might find yourself spending the rest of your life behind bars, confined to a wheelchair, or trying to dig yourself out of bankruptcy from beneath the crushing weight of a civil lawsuit? It is important to ask yourself, “Is this really worth fighting over?” While in some instances the response could legitimately be “Yes,” more often than not it ought to be “No.”

More than mere techniques, this book fills in crucial information about street survival that most martial arts instructors don’t teach or even know. You will learn how to use awareness, avoidance, and de-escalation to help stave off violence. Despite the best intentions, however, you may still find yourself in situations where you have no choice but to fight and others where it is prudent to do so. Consequently you will also learn smart things you might want to try and dumb things you should attempt to avoid during a physical confrontation.

In addition to learning strategies and techniques for defending yourself on the street you will also learn how to manage the aftermath of violence, including performing first aid, interacting with law enforcement, managing witnesses, finding a good attorney, navigating the legal system, dealing with the press, and overcoming psychological trauma.

Men, who commit about 80 percent of all violent crimes, are twice as likely to become victims of aggressive behavior as women. While written primarily for this at-risk demographic, this comprehensive tome is essential reading for anyone who regularly deals with violence, thinks they may encounter a hostile situation, or who simply wants to increase their ability to survive a dangerous encounter.



Frequently Bought Together

The Little Black Book of Violence: What Every Young Man Needs to Know About Fighting + Facing Violence: Preparing for the Unexpected + Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence
Price for all three: $43.21

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Kane and Wilder's book will save lives. It will keep others out of prison. As an attorney, a self-defense instructor, and someone who has experienced violence, I was most impressed with the practical and realistic information" (Alain Burrese, J.D., former U.S. Army 82nd Airborne, author )

"An exceptionally modest title for a volume so comprehensive. Kane and Wilder maintain an engaging, readable, and occasionally humorous style that makes the book not just incredibly useful, but hard to put down as well." (Barry Eisler, author )

"Every parent of an adolescent should read this." (Julie Van Dielen, Producer, Law Enforcement Training for In the Line of Duty )

"A very cool yet frightening perspective on violence; a book where the dreams of heroism and adventure are acted upon with proper forethought and intellect." (Martina Sprague, martial arts instructor, author )

From the Author

Praise for The Little Black Book of Violence:

"This book will save lives. It will keep others out of prison. I commend both Kane and Wilder for providing this much-needed resource." -- Alain Burrese, J.D.
 
"Reminiscent of Musashi's Book of Five Rings, Little Black Book of Violence gives the reader insight way beyond punching and kicking back. Well done and comprehensive." -- Kancho John Roseberry
 
"Every parent of an adolescent should read this." -- Julie Van Dielen
 
"This wonderful book fills a necessary void of knowledge in the realm of martial science. I rate it at five out of five stars. Bravo!" -- Jeffrey-Peter A.M. Hauck, J.D.
 
"Everyone with a pulse should read this book, but it's a must read for teenaged boys, who aren't likely to get this kind of a tutorial at home or school." -- William C. Dietz, bestselling author
 
"A very cool yet frightening perspective on violence; a book where the dreams of heroism and adventure are acted upon with proper forethought and intellect." -- Martina Sprague
 
"Fills in crucial information about street survival that most instructors don't teach or even know." -- Loren W. Christensen, 7th dan
 
"This book is an important work that all youth of any post-elementary school age should read or at least should have portions read to them (with the caution that the graphic nature of some of the words and illustrations could be overwhelming to some adolescents). I like to call this book Scared Smart or at least Scared Thoughtful." -- Michael F. Murphy, School Board Director
 
"A must read for any man or woman who is interested in learning not only how to defend oneself, but how to read other people's aggressions, and understand both the mental and physical aspects of violence." - Staff Sgt. Bryan Hopkins, USMC
 
"An exceptionally modest title for a volume so comprehensive. Kane and Wilder maintain an engaging, readable, and occasionally humorous style that makes the book not just incredibly useful, but hard to put down as well." -- Barry Eisler, bestselling author

Product Details

  • Paperback: 370 pages
  • Publisher: Ymaa Publication Center (April 16, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1594391297
  • ISBN-13: 978-1594391293
  • Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.9 x 9.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #108,153 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder are two wonderful martial arts authors. Khaled Altaher  |  37 reviewers made a similar statement
Overall, this book was well written, well organized, and informative. Bohdi Sanders, Ph.D.  |  18 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
109 of 112 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Little Black Book of Violence, by Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder, fills an interesting niche in the genre of self-defense books. This is a book that is basically designed from the ground up to appeal to young men (ages 15-22'ish). The writing style and attitude the authors take towards the reader immediately reflect this focus, and the book has a very personal style as a result. From the outset, the reader is made aware that the real goal of the book is to help young men avoid the kind of violence that will be detailed therein, hopefully preventing life-altering consequences such as injury, jailtime, or death.

The most impressive thing about the book is that as a deterrent to violent behavior, my bet is that it will likely work for a reasonably large portion of its target audience. While it will likely have very little effect on the real whackos out there, this would be a very useful book for those young men who would make a mistake because they hadn't really thought of the consequences.

I work in a public school, and I can tell you that I can think of half a dozen young men right off the top of my head whom I feel would benefit from this book.

So, that said, the next question must be whether or not this is a book that is worth owning by anyone outside the primary target audience. It is here that I give the book a resounding yes. As a lifelong martial artist and as someone whose primary interests include the fields of self defense and criminal justice, I can say that this has been a very informative read. Kane and Wilder have managed to condense an extremely large topic into condensed, information-packed chunks. They have combined some of the best aspects of books by DeBecker, Miller, Grossman, and others, into a very readable and 'novice-friendly' format. If nothing else, this is a great first book on violence for someone with no other background in the subject.

The book is divided into three sections, essentially corresponding to the three stages of violence.

Section 1, Before Violence Occurs, details the best methods for avoiding conflict before it begins. This section includes chapters on everything from general awareness to peer pressure, and is probably the most important part of the work. If this were mandatory reading in high school health classes, I think we'd all be better off for it.

Section 2, During a Violent Encounter, contains many no-nonsense self-defense tips and techniques. You won't find instructions for doing a flying scissors kick here, but you will find practical advice that might help you get out of a violent conflict alive. There's not much more I could say about this section except that the techniques are grounded in reality, and in the authors' experience as martial artists and security professionals.

Section 3, Aftermath of Violence, is a vital part of the book, and a topic that really deserves an entire book of its own. Kane and Wilder manage a very useful and usable section on feuds, and overall this section maintains the strength present in the other two.

In closing, The Little Black Book of Violence is a highly recommended work on the realities of violence, especially as they pertain to young men. I agree with the quote on the cover of the book - this is a text with the potential to save lives, if we can get it into the hands of those who need it most. If you know someone who is at risk for violence, or if you are the parent of a young man, I heartily recommend this book to you and your loved ones.
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66 of 70 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As a parent, how many times have you faced the dreaded question, "Why?" Suddenly you find yourself stumbling and stuttering over complications and nuances that you can't articulate. What's most frustrating is that after a lifetime of experience, you DO know them on an almost instinctive level. But you can't really explain WHY one course of action is better than another.

The question of "Why shouldn't I fight?" is one of those 'uh...err...' subjects. One that you NEED a better answer than
a) because it's wrong.
b) because you'll get in trouble
c) because you can get hurt
Those answers ARE true. But that's the understanding of a person who has a lifetime of experience and has seen what happens to people who used violence.

Your child doesn't have that knowledge or experience.

Explaining why violence isn't the best course is made more difficult because -- to the young person -- the need to establish social status, the hormone cocktail, a not fully developed brain and the fear of losing face is like a tidal wave inside of them. Every nerve in their being is telling them that they HAVE to engage in violence to keep from losing status and face. You telling them that they can get in trouble, doesn't mean much because to them, they ALREADY have trouble and violence looks like THE answer.

Usually it's not. Young people don't realize what a Pandora's Box of trouble violence can -- and will -- open in their lives. But fighting and violence looks like a good answer to someone who doesn't have a lot of life experience. That's why they need you to help guide them.

Now ... you could try to explain to your son (or daughter) all of problems involved with violence OR you could hand him this book.

A book that not only explains in detail why violence sucks, but the life-long repercussions that will arise from it. Now instead of 'Dad doesn't understand,' you have two professionals explaining why Dad is right. You DO understand.

And guess what? Handing your son this book works just as well for single mothers with boys.
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37 of 38 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Information crammed May 1, 2009
Format:Paperback
Although the Little Black Book of Violence might fall into the martial art genre, it's so much more than just another book on how to punch a person there and kick a person here. It's a book that is vitally important to have in your library, whether you're a martial arts newbie, a martial arts veteran, or a person who doesn't train at all but wants to understand what violence is all about.

Most people's understanding of man's inhumanity to man is what they see on TV. But people who have experienced it up close and personal know that the boob tube - dramas, reality videos and news programs - simply do not capture the truth of it, the tangible horror of it, the gut wrenching, eye watering, bladder releasing, and heart thumping essence of real violence. This book does a superb job of teaching you what it's really like, teaching you how to avoid it and teaching you how to survive it when you can't.

There are three sections in the book, the first looks at ways to avoid violence BEFORE it happens, the second examines all aspects of violence AS it happens, and the third looks at all the issues that can happen in its AFTERMATH.

This is an important, information-crammed text on a subject that, sadly, is part of our world, our everyday life. Kane and Wilder have done a superb job here that will save lives.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Why don't more people know about this book?
This book should be mandatory reading for every cop, teacher, judge, and every other person in authority who deals with juveniles on a daily basis.
Published 14 days ago by Dennis Leahy
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for teens
A easy read and fun to look through and review as a resource, best book of its kind out there every teenage boy needs this book.
Published 15 days ago by Kyfishinman
4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing
It's 285 pages give or take and the first hundred are about how to avoid a fight. Entirely wise but certainly not what some would expect. Read more
Published 2 months ago by NickHale
5.0 out of 5 stars Are you being picked on?? Or maybe your neighborhood is more "Hood"...
A total MUST buy book for every Kid/Guy/Man on the planet!

There was a bit too much.. "What will happen to yourself if you protect yourself stuff.. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Gene6
5.0 out of 5 stars Violence is always with us....
Have this book in paper. Love it. One of the best books on the subject. Fair on the subject and informative on how to survive the unexpected act of violence. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Shannon L. Rachford
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!
This is a great book. It is filled with useful and practical information. It has three sections. Pre confrontation, the fight, and what happens after. I highly recommend this book!
Published 4 months ago by John Klug
5.0 out of 5 stars Informative book
Lawrence Kane's book is an excellent read. I would recommend it for any person entering the real world as a good guide toward understanding violence and the reality of self defense... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Joyce Woodward
4.0 out of 5 stars Objective except ...
The Little Black Book of Violence: What Every Young Man Needs to Know About FightingThis book is very informative and as objective as possible given the subjectability of personal... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Staggfury
5.0 out of 5 stars The Little Black Book of Violence
Excellent study on real world violence and how to more successfully deal with it emotionally, mentally and physically. Read more
Published 8 months ago by tansau
4.0 out of 5 stars old men need to know too
Although at 61 years old I am not the target audience for this book, still I found it to be edifying and a good complement to other books on practical self-defense which I've... Read more
Published 14 months ago by mac
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