Kris Wilder - The Little Black Book of Violence

Growing up on gang-infested streets not only gave Marc MacYoung his street name “Animal,” but also extensive firsthand experience about what does and does not work for self-defense. Over the years, he has held a number of dangerous occupations including director of a correctional institute, bodyguard, and bouncer. He was first shot at when he was 15 years old and has since survived multiple attempts on his life, including professional contracts. He has studied a variety of martial arts since childhood, teaching experience-based self-defense to police, military, civilians, and martial artists around the world. His has written dozens of books and produced many DVDs covering all aspects of this field.

• MacYoung, Marc. A Professional’s Guide to Ending Violence Quickly . Boulder, CO: Paladin Enterprises, Inc., 1993.

This is the definitive book about how to handle a violent situation without resorting to extreme force. The author does an excellent job of explaining the different kinds of social violence you might have to deal with and how to handle it effectively. Kane has successfully applied many of MacYoung’s techniques to escort drunken football fans out of a stadium without being hurt, sued, fired, or otherwise getting into trouble!

For those with reasonably advanced martial arts training, you may be better off following whatever system you study while keeping MacYoung’s ideas in mind so that they can’t be pulled on you. If you are not a black belt or don’t care to be, what he writes about is extremely effective with a bit of practice. More than just the techniques, however, his insight into violence, escalato, and mind games is well worth the price of admission. The writing style is cynical, in your face, and very entertaining. The language is, however, a bit crude at times.

• MacYoung, Marc. Cheap Shots, Ambushes, and Other Lessons: A Down And Dirty Book On Streetfighting & Survival . Boulder, CO: Paladin Enterprises, Inc., 1989.

This is a real no-nonsense book on the reality of street fighting from a guy who’s been there, done that, and lived to tell the tale. It’s rude, crude, and very eye opening. Important subjects such as the difference between fighting and combat, set-ups blows, anger, bullies, berserkers, sucker punches, low blows, dirty tricks, and weapons are all covered in detail. The stories and personal insights are entertaining and enlightening as well.

• MacYoung, Marc. Fists, Wits, and a Wicked Right: Surviving On the Wild Side of the Street . Boulder, CO: Paladin Enterprises, Inc., 1991.

More or less an extension of Cheap Shots …, this book is more tactical than strategic. If you are not a trained martial artist, the various techniques, targets, and combat insight can truly enhance your ability to survive a street fight. Once again, the language is by no means politically correct, but still highly entertaining.

• MacYoung, Marc. Floor Fighting: Stompings, Maimings, and Other Things to Avoid When A Fight Goes To The Ground. Boulder, CO: Paladin Enterprises, Inc., 1993.

It is imperative to understand and appreciate the differences between a wrestling match and a real-life struggle for survival on the ground. This book is a no-holds barred look at the reality of ground fighting. We hope that we’ve already managed to convince you that despite what many grapplers think, the ground is a really bad place to be in a fight. This book gives you practical advice to help you avoid going there. It also teaches you how not to get hurt when/if you do. Topics covered include breakfall techniques, offensive and defensive ranges, what happens when you hit the floor, counters, floor-fighting positions, triangle defense, defending against stomps, and striking from the floor, and keeping the other guy down.

• MacYoung, Marc. Knives, Knife Fighting, And Related Hassles: How To Survive A Real Knife Fight. Boulder, CO: Paladin Enterprises, Inc., 1990.

You already know by now that there is no such thing as a knife “fight”; it is really more of a knife ambush, an assassination attempt. Unless you are fortunate enough to run into a dominance display rather than a wholehearted attack, are extraordinarily lucky, or are very highly trained, you will never see it coming should someone attempt to stab you with a knife. That’s why you need to develop superb situational awareness. This means that you need a comprehensive understanding of where, how, and why street thugs conceal their knives to pull off an effective assassination, all topics covered in this excellent book. The information is illuminating and very possibly life saving as well. You’ll learn a bit about how to use a blade offensively too.

• MacYoung, Marc. Pool Cues, Beer Bottles, & Baseball Bats: Animal’s Guide to Improvised Weapons for Self-Defense and Survival. Boulder, CO: Paladin Enterprises, Inc., 1990.

A comprehensive look at improvised weapons you might encounter on the street such as beer bottles, pool cues, baseball bats, brass knuckles, fighting rings, saps, chains, shovels, bricks, and the like. Even hairbrushes and orange juice, two of the more unusual things the author has actually been assaulted with, are covered along with solid principles of how to spot, utilize, and defend yourself from these potentially deadly objects. Importantly, the book also delves into awareness, covering in depth some of the subtle and not-so-subtle cues that people tend to give when preparing to attack as well as patterns of trouble, diversions, distractions, and other things to look out for.

• MacYoung, Marc. Street E & E: Evading, Escaping, and Other Ways to Save Your Ass When Things Get Ugly. Boulder, CO: Paladin Enterprises, Inc., 1993.

Let’s face it, unless you are a law-enforcement professional there are very few legitimate reasons to get into a fight. Rule number one for survival, as we’ve already stated, is “don’t get hit.” The best way to do that is not being there. Before things get ugly, leave. On occasion, however, you can’t just strap on those Nikes, make like brave Sir Robin, and beat a hasty retreat. The bad guys have a nasty habit of getting in the way.

MacYoung shows you how to survive when you’re outnumbered or outgunned. Real life isn’t like a kung fu movie. Rather than wading in with fists and feet flying, you need to learn to apply hit-and-run tactics, use the environment to your advantage, and use your attacker’s weaknesses against them. This book is chocked full of street survival lessons from a guy who knows. His writing style is engaging, entertaining, and sarcastically witty. The knowledge he imparts is realistic, practical, and very important.

• MacYoung, Marc. Taking It to the Street: Making Your Martial Art Street Effective. Boulder, CO: Paladin Enterprises, Inc., 1999.

Real fights have no rules. They tend to be short, fast, and brutal. While the average criminal does not hit nearly as hard as the average martial artist does, they frequently hit harder, faster, and more aggressively than the average martial artist, boxer, or sports fighter has ever felt. Consequently, it is important to understand how to bridge the gap between the structured safety of drills in the dojo and the mayhem of a full-on, back-alley brawl. Contents include the realities of street violence, centerlines, blocking, dealing with kicks, footwork, and dirty tricks, among other important elements. The author not only teaches practitioners how to identify and resolve gaps in their training to make it more effective for real-life encounters, but also provides important tips on what to do after you have survived an attack, dealing with witnesses, legal issues, revenge seekers, and one’s own mental welfare in the aftermath.