Wim Demeere
Before I talk about this book, I need to mention a couple of things.
First of all: mankind is violent. It always has been, and it probably always will be. As a species, one of the few constants in our history is the presence of violence. Be it one on one or between tribes, cities, countries, or coalitions of nations, we’ve been fighting among ourselves for thousands of years.
At a personal level, there are varying reasons or pretexts as to why they come to blows:
In the average Western country, violence is actually much less prevalent than it was a mere hundred or two hundred years ago in that exact same place. To put this in the proper context, ask yourself these questions:
Once again, the list is much longer, but for most Westerners, the answer to these questions is “Never.” Just the questions themselves seem absurd to them, even though these things were a part of daily life not that long ago. This doesn’t mean violence is nonexistent in today’s societies—on the contrary. It is still a part of life, but in many cases you can avoid it; in only a very few instances will an aggressor follow you all the way home if you successfully run away from him.
As a consequence, very few people have any actual experience with or accurate knowledge of dealing with violence. For the most part, they get their information on this topic from television shows and movies. Unfortunately, those are perhaps the worst possible sources you can turn to for realistic information on this subject. As a result, people no longer have the skills to cope with violence, regardless of what form it takes.
This informational void has given the opportunity to countless experts to offer their advice on this problem via books, videos, and training programs. Sometimes they offer worthwhile information; more often, the opposite is the case. But the average civilian no longer has the means to separate the good from the bad, as he lacks a realistic empirical framework to do so. This, in turn, has allowed a large number of unrealistic and inefficient teachings to flourish. Along with that, there is the omnipresence of the internet, which allows every single person with a computer to spread the most outlandish ideas on violence.
Just as the glossy magazines have indoctrinated women worldwide to strive for a size four regardless of their body type, this avalanche of faulty information on violence has become part of the collective unconscious.
One of those erroneous ideas is that training drills are useless for self-defense. Though there are indeed some popular drills that offer little of value, nothing could be further from the truth. Warriors, soldiers, and all those who routinely engage in violence have always used drills to hone their skills:
Roman soldiers started their sword training by relentlessly drilling techniques on a wooden post. They were not allowed to practice swordplay with a partner until they had mastered those drills.
“Tent pegging” (piercing and picking up a ground target with a sword or spear while riding in gallop) was practiced by cavalries in Asia and Europe since at least 400 BC.
If warriors from those times, when life was significantly more violent than today, understood the value of training drills, then we should probably do the same today. The only question that remains is, which drills should we use?
That is where this book comes in.
Having trained, sparred, and talked with Rory, I can state from firsthand experience that he definitely knows what he writes about. He has a unique blend of formal and informal training in both martial arts and law enforcement, vast experience in handling extremely violent conflicts, and a sharp analytical mind. All these factors combined make his knowledge and insight invaluable when creating drills or adapting existing ones so they become more effective. With this book, he has done exactly that.
Some of the drills are tried and tested; they’ve stood the test of time, and many instructors use them because they work so well. Others are variations of these drills where Rory made some changes that increased the benefits you derive from them. Many others will be brand new to you, as they are not commonly used in most schools or dojos. But the most valuable thing you will get out of this book is the drill that blows you away and that creates a lasting paradigm shift for not only your training but also for how you view violence. I’m confident you will find at the very least several such drills here.
What is perhaps just as important is how Rory explains the drills in such a way that you can tweak them for your own purposes and specific circumstances. This is the hallmark of powerful training tools: they are versatile enough to be adapted to each individual’s needs. This also means you can continue to get more and more out of the drills in this book as your own skills increase because of your training.
Violence is a huge and complex topic. Training to handle violence is the same, perhaps even more so. The information in this book is a practical guide to help you on that path. I hope you can get just as much out of it as I did.
Enjoy your training,
Wim Demeere
Former Belgian sanda champion, personal trainer, author … and about 220 pounds of solid muscle and skill we lovingly refer to as the BBBB (the Big Blond Belgian Bastard)