The Ultimate in Women's Self-Defense. [Kindle Edition]

Ricky Sides (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Even if you never do a single exercise in this book, the information contained within its pages could save your life.

The author is a master in the arts of Wing Chun Kung Fu and Chinese Ninja. He studied martial arts from 1980 to the early 1990s under the private instruction of Grandmaster Tony Ragasa Fong.

In the mid 1980s, the author decided to teach a women’s rape prevention seminar. As he delved into research to utilize during the course of that seminar, the author discovered the true scope of the problem women faced. He decided it was time for him to take a more active role in helping women avoid becoming a victim. But when one of his students related to him the details of her own abduction and rape, it took on a more personal aspect for him.

The author, already committed to helping women, dedicated a significant portion of his life toward that goal.

During an intensive private training course with his Grandmaster, the author learned the secret techniques that the masters teach their own families. With the blessings and assistance of his master, the author developed a comprehensive training course for his students.

This book reveals the secrets that Grandmaster Tony Ragasa taught Master Sides. These are the secrets that martial arts masters have taught their own families. The author believes that it is time to share these secrets. To that end, he undertook the challenge to write a book, which would be

The Ultimate in Women’s Self-Defense.

About the Author

I began my martial arts studies by entering private classes in Wing Chun Kung Fu in 1980. I passed my fifth level black belt test on November 25, 1987, and became a master in Wing Chun Kung Fu and Chinese Ninja. For years, I have studied martial arts. During those years, I’ve had the privilege to teach many girls and women. Most of these females ranged in age from eight to thirty. I have taught rape prevention seminars, and demonstrated the techniques that you will learn in this book. I know that these techniques are effective in women’s self-defense. I have taken in and instructed females who frankly seemed hopeless, yet after teaching them the basic concepts contained within this book, they left my private instruction with the confidence that they need never fear rape again. I didn’t always have the desire to teach women these rape prevention techniques. On the contrary, the first three years that I taught martial arts I concentrated almost exclusively on teaching men. However, in August of 1984 something happened to change that. I had just opened a small school in Salem Alabama. In an effort to increase business, I decided to teach a rape prevention seminar free to the public. In preparation for that seminar, I sought out literature on the topic, which I planned to quote at times during the seminar. As I studied that literature, I was stunned at the projected figures on the women who would probably be sexually assaulted at some point during their lifetime. Prior to that introduction to the facts, I confess that I was ignorant of the true scope of the problem. As I continued to absorb all the literature I could get my hands on during that period of research, something within me changed. I no longer wanted to do the seminar to drum up business. I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to do my part to help females of all ages learn to defend themselves against sexual offenders. I contacted the martial arts Grandmaster who had trained me, and told him about what I wanted to attempt to accomplish. After a long conversation, he agreed to teach me the rape prevention techniques that I needed to know so that I could teach the best course possible.

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 616 KB
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0035ROVEG
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #125,232 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #42 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Reference > Education > Testing
  • #68 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Abuse & Self Defense > Rape
  • #82 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Advice & How-to > Health, Mind & Body > Mental Health > Sexual Abuse

More About the Author

Ricky Sides was Born in Florence, Alabama in May of 1958. He has a wife named Sue that he married at age 18. He has one adult son named Larry Dale.

The author studied martial arts from 1981 to the mid 1990s. He has been an avid camper and student of survival. The techniques described in his fight sequences are often from his own personal experience and training. He has taught women's rape prevention seminars in the 1980's that he conducted free to the public.

The author's writing experience includes the " Peacekeeper" series, the "Brimstone" series, "The Ultimate in Women's Self-Defense," and "Adventures in Reading," "Claws," which is a suspense / horror novel that will ultimately serve as the back story for an epic post apocalyptic novel that he will release in 2011. "Claws 2. After the Apocalypse," and "Lina's Story," which is connected to the peacekeeper series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the price and much more,, May 1, 2011

By 

Viva - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Ultimate in Women's Self-Defense. (Paperback)

I've bought this book for merely $1. Yes, just $1 as kindle e-book edition. I can only say that it's worth every cent spent, even at less than $7 of the paper edition. The advices given are good and practical. (You'll know when you read several books on the subjects and, perhaps, try some martial art course.) It is really the $1 well spent indeed. I personally believe that Mr.Sides set the price out of his good heart so that good advice can be easily accessed by any interested women. There are even much higher price, but of poor qualities, books on the subject. I also advise you to watch several YouTube VDOs on the subject, to better the understanding, ranging from woman's self defense to street fight. Especially recommended videos are those regarding aikido and hapkido. If it is only one fighting technique I could recommend, it is certainly aikido! It exploits the force of the attacker to defense oneself. So it suits women perfectly as no true physical strength is required. The heart of its techniques rely on imbalancing attacker, e.g. by diverting his force and then applying techniques to lock his joint or throw and so on. The pain caused to the attacker can be real severe, if you'd want to. Also its emphasis on balancing oneself especially suits woman physically (our hips give us real advantage here). Aikido has no kicking techniques though, thus if you want stronger technique then hapkido could probably suit you, as it has blocking/defensing techniques of aikido and attacking techniques of kickings. Taekwando and karate are, in my opinion, too hard for women. It may not be very effective also as it requires force to fight force. (But try for yourself.) For judo, there's limitation of the weight you could throw. So again, it's aikido that I suggest! And it (aikido) is not as frightening as it may seems, being throw down on the floor, as they will tech you to learn how to land safely. It gives you good sweating, to help lose weight, too! :)

5 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A review of The Ultimate in Women's Self-Defense, May 27, 2010

By 

M. Drane - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Ultimate in Women's Self-Defense. (Kindle Edition)

My name is Michael. I first took an interest in this author's books when I listened to the audio version of his book titled "The Birth of the Peacekeepers." When he released a woman's self defense book, I decided to check it out because of my own martial arts background that spans thirty years.

I studied Shin Nagare Karate and have a third degree black belt in that style. I also studied Shin Shin Jujutsu and have a third degree black belt in that style. Furthermore, I am familiar with, and have studied the following martial arts to varying degrees. Tae Kwon do, Aikido, Eagle Claw Kung Fu, Judo, and Tang Soo Do. I am not ranked highly in these arts, but as I said, I studied them enough to be familiar with them all to varying degrees. I am also familiar with Wing Chun, but don't hold high rank in the style.

Based on my own experience in martial arts, I will state that much of what this book contains is common to all of those arts. There are variations in technique, but that is to be expected during any comparison of various martial art styles. The techniques are sound, or else they wouldn't be so widely in use.

The conditioning to taking a blow and being able to respond with a defensive technique is perhaps the most common element in any comparison. That prevents the victim from panicking and failing to do anything to defend himself after taking a hit. And I don't care how good you are, if you get in a fight, you will get hit.

This book is a good primer for anyone wanting to learn self defense. Much of the advice and techniques are obviously customized so that they focus on women, but the techniques are as applicable for males as they are for females. The mental preparations advocated are a necessity if a student is to be prepared to defend him or herself.

There is one thing that makes this book stand out in my mind. Of all the martial arts books I've studied, this one best covers taking a person from beginner to intermediate skill levels, provided the instructions are followed closely.

I disagree that one training partner is enough for the students. I believe that they'd be much better off with multiple training partners so that they could get used to different sized adversaries and different fighting abilities. This would lead to a better trained student. But I understand that the author was attempting to make this as simple as possible. I doubt he'd advise against multiple training partners. Even so, I'm not sure that one is enough to adequately train a person. For that reason, I can't give the book 5 stars.

I do agree with the statement that even if you never do a single exercise recommended in the book, the knowledge it contains could potentially save your life. For that reason, I can't see giving the book less than 4 stars. There is some very good advice in this book.

5 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to understand!, May 24, 2010

By 

Sierra Rose "Book Goddess" (Rayland, OH) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: The Ultimate in Women's Self-Defense. (Kindle Edition)

My reason for reading this book was originally two-fold. The first is I was intrigued by the author's Peacekeeper series and wanted to see about this book. The second is I have been a long-time reader of varying martial arts books and similiar titles and wanted to see a more recent one.

I had read the martial arts books by Stephen K. Hayes in years past and while the styles and experiance vary greatly I was very pleased with Mr. Sides book and his knowledge of what he wrote.

From the evaluation test to the page explaining pressure points to how women can use varying household items, each chapter is well written, well explained and easy to understand even if the reader has had no previous knowledge of either self-defense or martial arts.

This book is an excellent source for beginners to learn the basics, not only in self defense but also self conditioning. Now, no book is a counter to taking an actual course but this one will prepare you for those courses and also give a look in how to react if attacked before you start those classes.

The review that calls into question the valid issue of pressure points may have merits but striking pressure points will certainly work if struck hard enough and that is what Mr. Sides book tries to instill.