Written by Greg Ellifritz
I just finished reading Straight Talk on Armed Defense, edited by Massad Ayoob. It’s a great book and I recommend that all of you pick up a copy.
The book is a compilation of self defense advice from 12 different authors, all authorities in their respective fields of study. It made me happy to see that six of my good friends made the list. It’s cool to see your friends get the recognition they so deeply deserve.
Here’s the book description from Amazon:
John Hearne takes us “inside the defender’s head” and reveals the most effective route to train and prepare for self-defense incidents.
Dr. Anthony Semone discusses post-shooting trauma and necessary steps to develop resilience and symptom reduction following a deadly force event.
Dr. Alexis Artwohl explains why understanding how the mind operates is critical to surviving an attack and the legal and emotional challenges that follow.
Dr. William Aprill describes “the face of the enemy” to help us understand violence and those who traffic in it.
Craig “Southnarc” Douglas details the conditions present during the typical criminal assault and how to incorporate those conditions into your training.
Massad Ayoob discusses power, responsibility and the armed lifestyle.
Tom Givens underscores the importance of finding relevant training, through case studies of his own students involved in armed encounters.
“Spencer Blue,” active robbery/homicide detective, reveals patterns that emerged during his investigations and describes the differences in tactics of citizens who won versus those who lost.
Ron Borsch presents dozens of actual cases of armed and unarmed citizens single-handedly stopping mass murders in progress.
Harvey Hedden provides insight and advice to guide lawfully armed citizens in interactions with law enforcement.
Jim Fleming, Esq. describes the criminal trial process and how it plays out in a “righteous use of deadly force in self-defense” case.
Marty Hayes, JD, provides the critical questions that must be asked to choose a reliable post-self-defense incident support provider.
The book is a goldmine of information by some of the real rockstars of the self protection world.
I found the chapter written by John Hearne to be one of the best. I’ve mentioned John on this page before. He’s a Federal law enforcement officer and firearms instructor for Rangemaster. He has done more research into the field of mental preparation for armed encounters than anyone I know.
The chapter he wrote distilled all of his research into a well reasoned treatise. In his writing he answered the question “Who Wins, Who Loses, and Why” with significant authority.
Everyone interested in self protection should read his contribution. Here’s a quote from John’s chapter that provides a preview of what you will read in the book:
“The primary goal of self defense training should be to expose the brain to all of the situations it is likely to encounter and need to address. This is why simply teaching someone to shoot is inadequate training for self defense. Being able to shoot a fist-sized group on a B-27 in no way, shape, or form resembles the task complexity of being accosted in a parking lot in reduced light by someone who does not telegraph his intentions until the last possible moment and uses a major threat of force.”
I found myself heavily highlighting the chapters from Alexis Artwohl, Craig Douglas, Tom Givens, William Aprill, and “Spencer Blue” as well. Additionally, in his chapter, Ron Borsch provided an exhaustive list of active killer events where armed and unarmed civilian defenders prevailed against the killers. The research in that chapter alone justified the cost of the book.
All the authors made significant contributions to the available self-protection research by sharing their wisdom. Near the end, I was pleased to note that Massad Ayoob recommended my training (along with my friends Craig Douglas and Cecil Burch) in close quarter gunfighting as some of the better classes available for integrating empty hands and firearms skills. Thanks to Mas for the kind words.
Pick up a copy of this book. You won’t regret it.
The book is available on Amazon.com
Some of the above links (from Amazon.com) are affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn a small percentage of the sale price from qualifying purchases. It does not cost you any money.
