Among the many martial arts books on offer, precious few are written by experts on the real world of violence - a world that's very different from the dojo environment. Rory Miller is one such author. He established his credentials in blistering form with the outstanding `Meditations on Violence'. Now, in `Facing Violence', he delivers more of the same calm, considered advice in a highly readable and engaging way (and with a touch of deadpan humour that makes his writing all the more readable). If you rate self-protection authors such as Marc MacYoung, Kane & Wilder and Geoff Thompson, Rory Miller is a new voice with a valuable perspective to add, and he sits very naturally in this company.
Having said this, I opened my copy of `Facing Violence' with some trepidation, not because I expected little from it, but rather the opposite. I'd found Rory Miller's first book `Meditations on Violence' so good that I had doubts whether he could reproduce such a feat without retreading old ground (as so many books seem to do). I'm happy to say my fears were groundless. `Facing Violence' covers plenty of important new ground. In particular it gives detailed and sound advice on preparing yourself for violent encounters, not just physically but emotionally and ethically, with considerable thought given to the tricky question for the martial artist: when to fight and when to walk away.
Read this book, add Rory Miller's knowledge to your own, and keep it on your bookshelf next to your other important reality-based martial arts guides.