Hello all, I've lurked around for a few days now and this is my first post. For the past ten months I have not trained in martial arts, but before that I had spent two years learning Bushi-Kempo Jiu-Jitsu. I have now resumed training in BKJJ. I wish to supplement this with 'real-world' self-defense, and so I've been searching the Net and I have come up with a few names: Marc MacYoung, Geoff Thompson, Peter Consterdine, Sammy Franco, Jamie O'Keefe and Kevin O'Hagan. I've also visited the website of Tony Blauer's SPEAR system and I found it very insightful (plus it looks cool ). Can anyone recommend any books/videos from any of the above? I would also appreciate any comments, positive or negative, on the aforementioned people. Thanks in advance.
Geoff Thompson's books are short to say the least, but interesting all the same. Some of his material is very good, but I don't agree with all of it. I've read Peter Consterdine's streetwise, which I would certainly recommend. Mike
Kevin O' Hagan's 'Grappling with Reality' is a good book in my opinion, which deals with realistic grappling applications under difficult (Ie Street) circumstances. Marc Mac Young's website is excellent and full of great ideas, thoughts and sentiments. A review of the Geoff Thompson book 'Dead or Alive' is here: http://www.martialartsadvice.com/art.php?cat=4&art=91
I'm a little biased here because I train with a Blauer coach. On the plus side though I do know how effective Blauer's material is. And I've seen other Blauer students do some amazing things in self defense situations where others failed (including a live gun defense... granted it was in a workshop environment, but the gun was loaded with training rounds that HURT!). Any information you can get from Blauer's site (or through his publications) is well worth the time. Finding a PDR Coach is even better. And the High Gear Suit... wowzers! Bottomline: I've gotten the chance to see a few unconnected Blauer students demo his material. They all do it well, use common terms and reach the same results. Some of his concept take a bit of time to accept (and often require a martial artists to get rid of a lot of preconcieved notions and ego). I should also mention at this point that I practice traditional Chinese Martial Arts. But I have found the SPEAR concept integrate into the easily (probably because most of this material was all ready out there, Blauer did a phenominal job of bringing all together and providing a vocabulary to use to describe it).
Best Geoff Thompson books / videos Dead or Alive, 3 second Fighter and The Fence, also check out the Animaal Day Videos for training methods, drills to make it real. Jamie O'Keefe, Dogs don't Know Kung Fu, Brillaint insight into practical self defence, aimed at women but anybody can take information from it. Also Pre-Emptive Stike - The alternative to Grappling is well worth a look. Kevin O'Hagen his books and videos are all excellent. Peter consterdines StreetWise book is probably one of the most informative books on SD available that i have read.
