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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top notch!, 18 Jan 2005
By A Customer
Top notch!This is one of the best books on self-protection. It's also one of the few books to span the gap between martial arts and self-protection. Aside from martial arts training, I served as a Guardian Angel on the London Underground in the early 1990s; I have practical experience of being attacked by weapons and the odd gang. If 'Streetwise' had been published then, I might have escaped with less injury! The reviewer who wrote, "the actual combat moves you were hoping for are seriously lacking" has totally missed the most important points of the book. Moreover, having attended training seminars by both Peter Consterdine and Geoff Thompson, I can attest that the "actual combat moves" could never be learnt solely from a book. Whilst some self-protection books now mention the mental side of things, 'Streetwise' goes further by giving practical solutions to dealing with expectation, adrenal response, etc. As you would expect, the physical side is also well covered, but this book goes well beyond simply how to fight. It is true that this book has appalling spelling mistakes and editing. However, it's well worth persevering to read past these, given the excellent content. 'Dead or Alive' by Geoff Thompson is also a highly recommended read. Given the option, it would be worth reading both books, as they cover some different material (e.g. Action Triggers in 'Streetwise' and interviews with perpetrators in 'Dead or Alive'). Peter Consterdine and Geoff Thompson founded the British Combat Association, which produces a newsletter and training, and would be worth joining for more information and to stay up-to-date.
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