"It's awareness, wits and fists that will keep you safe out there, not some fancy Oriental fighting form," says Animal. Here, he gets down to the fine points and brutal technicalities of blows and targeting - the critical stuff that will keep you from becoming dead meat.
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About the Author
Marc "Animal" MacYoung knows the ins and outs of American violence. He is the author of many books and has appeared in countless videos on street violence and self-defense for Paladin. Reading his books and watching his videos will save you a lot of hassles and a lot of hurt.
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First Sentence
Oh shit . . .-Me, to myself, after hitting Oberon with a blow that would have dropped a bull and having him calmly look at me while he dicided whether or not to get mad. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Oh shit . . .-Me, to myself, after hitting Oberon with a blow that would have dropped a bull and having him calmly look at me while he dicided whether or not to get mad. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This book is a very good and realistic book about the art of self defense. It does not really have very many moves or techniques, although dont let this put you off.
It is all about training yourself to be aware of all the dangers involved in fighting and how not to get in those situations. As they say 'Forewarned is forearmed' and with the information contained in this book thats just what you will be.
I have used and I continue to use the concepts from the book, and I have with this info been able to get out of many ugly situations without any violence.
Its a great book buy it you wont be dissapointed.
By Charles
Format:Paperback
This is a book about how and where to hit people.
The emphasis is on hand strikes, there is very little coverage of kicks, knees, elbows and no headbutting or forearm strikes.
Hand strikes shown are punch, palm, slap, leopard, karate chops, ridge hand strike, phoenix eye, dragon (palm strike that also grabs and tears ) and a bent wrist overhand punch called a hanging punch.
One of the many things martial artists argue over is how to punch, should the hand be horizontal, diagonal or vertical upon impact and what knuckles should take the impact (top 2 or bottom 3) This is one of they very few books to cover this subject but I think things are a lot more complex that what the books states.
There are factual errors in this book, the author says punching people on the jaw is a waste of time when in fact it's one of the best KO points on the body (just go ask boxing or muay thai)
The author is dismissive of blows to the thigh as the resulting cramping of the leg takes too long to happen to be of use and although the cramping of the leg does take a while, the pain can still drop a person instantly in one blow and as far as I know the inside of the thigh can be hit for KOs(there are arteries on the inside of the legs) so in fact the thighs make a good target if hit with powerful kicks.
Certain valuable spots are not mentioned, the most obvious omission is the liver which is odd.
The fact that groin shots are not the guaranteed fight stoppers people think they are is covered, your results can vary depending on the opponent.
The difference between normal violence and life and death situations is covered and how this effects choice of moves and targets.
Defensively there is a explanation of shredding or "rolling with the punches" which is a advance tactic for lessening the impact of blows.
This is a hard book to rate because of the mixed quality information, there is some excellent advice, but the factual mistakes and omission of important target points mean overall I rate it as only OK.
The emphasis is on hand strikes, there is very little coverage of kicks, knees, elbows and no headbutting or forearm strikes.
Hand strikes shown are punch, palm, slap, leopard, karate chops, ridge hand strike, phoenix eye, dragon (palm strike that also grabs and tears ) and a bent wrist overhand punch called a hanging punch.
One of the many things martial artists argue over is how to punch, should the hand be horizontal, diagonal or vertical upon impact and what knuckles should take the impact (top 2 or bottom 3) This is one of they very few books to cover this subject but I think things are a lot more complex that what the books states.
There are factual errors in this book, the author says punching people on the jaw is a waste of time when in fact it's one of the best KO points on the body (just go ask boxing or muay thai)
The author is dismissive of blows to the thigh as the resulting cramping of the leg takes too long to happen to be of use and although the cramping of the leg does take a while, the pain can still drop a person instantly in one blow and as far as I know the inside of the thigh can be hit for KOs(there are arteries on the inside of the legs) so in fact the thighs make a good target if hit with powerful kicks.
Certain valuable spots are not mentioned, the most obvious omission is the liver which is odd.
The fact that groin shots are not the guaranteed fight stoppers people think they are is covered, your results can vary depending on the opponent.
The difference between normal violence and life and death situations is covered and how this effects choice of moves and targets.
Defensively there is a explanation of shredding or "rolling with the punches" which is a advance tactic for lessening the impact of blows.
This is a hard book to rate because of the mixed quality information, there is some excellent advice, but the factual mistakes and omission of important target points mean overall I rate it as only OK.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.7 out of 5 stars
7 reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
An eye-opener where various punches are concerned.
23 Nov 2003
By Joseph M Burtner
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
Ah, my love-hate relationship with Macyoung continues... Mostly, I don't like the tough-guy attitude that goes with these books, but the techniques, while unorthodox, can work if you practice them, and the underlying principles are almost always sound. This is probably Macyoung's most technique-oriented book, and covers mostly targets, devided into general areas (head, neck, limbs). I like the fact that Macyoung addresses the often avoided question of what part of the fist to strike with, and offers several options without really playing favorites. I still don't really think his "hanging punch" is all that great, but it did open my eyes enough to tweek it a little bit to fit me. I'm also not too sure some of the body targets would be available in a stand-up fight. The chapter on "blows" (only hand techniques) only addresses the mechanics of the arm, and not stuff like "tuck in your chin" or "get your hips into it". It's almost a start-up book for fighting, but is kind of limited in it's scope, technically speaking. The only chapter on defense is all about shedding, which is an OK idea, but in order to roll with the punch, you have to get hit first, which isn't exactly my idea of fun. I think of this book as being the unwritten chapter of "Cheap Shots, Ambushes, and Other Lessons", and it's a great companion piece to that book. If you are a "hard" stylist looking to expand your horizons, or a guy trying to get a clue about how to put a hurtin' to someone, it's an alright book on it's own, just not in my personal top ten list.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another "eye opener" for everyone from Animal!
8 Oct 2006
By Shawn Kovacich
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
Being the author of several books on the martial arts and fighting, I am always looking for books of exceptional quality to add to my library. If I have a book in my library, it's definitely worth owning. One such book is Marc "Animal" MacYoung's, "Fists, Wits, and a Wicked Right."
Once again, Marc gives you a no-holds barred look at the reality of fighting and surviving on the street. This book is simply loaded with sound principles and easy to learn techniques for making the most of a bad situation. Marc's not-so-politically correct way of explaining things is always refreshing in today's society where everyone wants to sugarcoat everything so as not to offend anyone. In some ways, I would compare Marc's method of teaching to the comical rants of George Carlin. You may be offended by what he says, but by golly it's the truth. And yes, sometimes the truth hurts.
If you are a strict traditional martial artist with a closed mind then (although this book would definitely be good for you), don't waste your time or money buying it. However, regardless of your training background, if you have an open mind and are willing to look at something from a slightly different viewpoint, then I would highly recommend that you add this book (and others like it) to your personal library.
I am a traditionally trained martial artist in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do, as well as being ranked in several other disciplines. However, unlike a lot of schools that have degenerated down to teaching a diluted "sport" version of these arts, I was fortunate enough to be taught the practical version of each technique alongside the traditional version.
Although a lot of what Marc teaches in this book I already knew, there were just as many things that I didn't know, or was shown from a different view point.
Remember, if you think you know everything, you actually know nothing!
Once again, Marc gives you a no-holds barred look at the reality of fighting and surviving on the street. This book is simply loaded with sound principles and easy to learn techniques for making the most of a bad situation. Marc's not-so-politically correct way of explaining things is always refreshing in today's society where everyone wants to sugarcoat everything so as not to offend anyone. In some ways, I would compare Marc's method of teaching to the comical rants of George Carlin. You may be offended by what he says, but by golly it's the truth. And yes, sometimes the truth hurts.
If you are a strict traditional martial artist with a closed mind then (although this book would definitely be good for you), don't waste your time or money buying it. However, regardless of your training background, if you have an open mind and are willing to look at something from a slightly different viewpoint, then I would highly recommend that you add this book (and others like it) to your personal library.
I am a traditionally trained martial artist in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do, as well as being ranked in several other disciplines. However, unlike a lot of schools that have degenerated down to teaching a diluted "sport" version of these arts, I was fortunate enough to be taught the practical version of each technique alongside the traditional version.
Although a lot of what Marc teaches in this book I already knew, there were just as many things that I didn't know, or was shown from a different view point.
Remember, if you think you know everything, you actually know nothing!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic Marc
8 May 2010
By DAVID GROESBECK
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Having read most of Marc's books,it interesting to note how he's matured throughout his writing career. This was one of his first in the early '90's. It probably reflects the hight of his irreverent yet very insightful style. His presentation of close quarter street combat princples & technique is unsurpassed. The grim reality & consequences of street combat is stressed in his usual grim but darkly hilarious style. Recommend highly.
›
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4.7 out of 5 stars
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