# Book Recommendation



## Nomad (Nov 12, 2008)

I just finished reading "Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training and Real World Violence" by Rory Miller

http://www.amazon.com/Meditations-V...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226518663&sr=8-1

Great book, and a must read for anyone interested in self-defense, or in how martial arts prepares (and fails to prepare) you for a violent assault.  Very well written, and the author knows what he's talking about as he's been a martial artist for nearly 30 years, and a corrections officer for much of the same time.

This one goes hand in hand with Gavin De Becker's "Gift of Fear" and other classics, and will be a reference I pick up again and again.  

Best quotes in the book include gems like:

In theory, theory and reality are the same.  In reality, they're not.

and

Experience is no substitute for training.
Training is no substitute for experience.

One of the most interesting sections is the last chapter, where he includes a very unpolished and rambling essay that he wrote some years ago which provides a lot of insight into the mindset he describes elsewhere.

Definitely worth a read.


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## Hawke (Mar 22, 2009)

This is an awesome book to pick up.

Might be pretty graphic for others.

Bobbe Edmonds wrote a review on his blog

on December 13, 2008:

Meditations on Violence Review

Definitely a book to recommend to others.


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## stone_dragone (Mar 23, 2009)

Reading this book right now... Awesome work and I highly recommend it to any serious martial artist, whether you study a traditional martial art or more modern adaptations.

I will post more thoughts on it after I finish it.  Anyone else read/reading it?


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## Brian R. VanCise (Mar 23, 2009)

Here is a review from my blog The Instinctive Edge.

http://brianvancise.wordpress.com/2009/01/21/meditations-on-violence/


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## jks9199 (Mar 23, 2009)

I think I've hyped this book before.  Rory Miller has some excellent, hard won points about REAL violence, not the fantasy that many people base their training on.  He's also got a very interesting blog.


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## stone_dragone (Mar 30, 2009)

Finally finished my first run through "Meditations on Violence."  Yes, I know that I read very slow, its how I retain information.

Bottom Line Up Front:  BUY, READ AND STUDY THIS BOOK.  No ****, go to Amazon right now and get it if you don't have it.

I say it was my first run because there is so much incredible insight and brutal honesty in the book that I now need to read it with a few highlighter's in hand so I can take good notes.  

The book itself is broken down very logically by descriptions.  From a tactical matrix of violence (depicting various components of a violent encounter and variables such as preparedness and time available, etc) to how to think about violence (a lot of paradigm shifting information here), recommendations on how train for violence, a good overview f the predator and criminal mind, and even a section on how to make what you are training work a little better.

My favorite section, however, is the last chapter devoted to the psychological and emotional aftermath of delivering or receiving violence.  Being still at Walter Reed Hospital, I have a lot of experience with Soldiers and Marines with PTSD.  

This book has just found it's way onto my "Required Reading" list for any of my students.

An interesting bonus, Miller includes a bibliography of sorts with descriptions of why he cited the book.  The only book that he outright Recommends is Kane and Wilder's "The Way of Kata." Whether by pure coincidence or sublime universal synchronocity, that is the next book that I have on my night stand, purchased about two weeks ago when I was still reading "MoV."


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## Tensei85 (Jun 13, 2009)

Unfortunately haven't read that book yet, Its definitely on my list though.

Thanks for the reps on the book, I'll check it out...


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## Wey (Jun 17, 2009)

Thanks for the insight! I will definitely pick this one up!


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## still learning (Aug 6, 2009)

Hello,  Something to read...

Living the Martial Way...by Forrest E. Morgen, Maj USAF...

Great book....easy to read and understand....common sense stuffs...

step by steps approach to improving your training and daily living..

READ IT....OWN IT...a great book to have....

Aloha,   Hawaiian language has only 12 letters...this book as all 26 of them including engish...


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## still learning (Aug 10, 2009)

Hello, Anothe good book to read?  ...Combat Conditioning by Matt Furey.

Funtional excerises thats works.   NO weight training needed...just Three major excercises...

Hindu squats,  Hindu push-ups, and Back Bridges..and all the varietion of it!

READ the whys!!!

Aloha,


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