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EWR Related Books
The following reviews are based strictly upon their benefit for US civilans learning EWR (Edged Weapons Response). Therefore, a book on classical, military or police EWR may earn a low score even though they are excellent for those applications! A narrow-but-deep EWR focus may score equally well as broad but good. High scores are determined by the discussion of realistic street strategies, tactics, and techniques; as well as the role of environment, psychological factors and the law from a practical, civilian perspective.
***** Highly Recommended for EWR Research
**** Recommended for EWR Research
*** Mediocre for EWR Research
** Poor for EWR Research
* Avoid
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GENERAL EWR BOOKS:
***** ‘Contact Weapons’: Lethality and Defense, Steve Tarani and Damon Fay, Gunsite Press, USA 2004
ONE OF THE TOP FOUR MOST RECOMMENDED EWR BOOKS TO STUDY!
Steve Tarani is one of the top EWR experts. Chapters One and Two deal with general concepts of human survival, force, leverage and human anatomy. Chapter Three deals with personal defense concepts including awareness, mindset, the color code system, environment and attitude. Chapter Four deals with genetics, gross vs fine motor skills, and conditioned response. Chapter Five deals with shock. Chapter Six has a good discussion of fear and adrenaline dumping. Chapter’s Seven and Eight get into the mechanics of strategy and tactics as it applies to responding to contact weapon assaults. Environment is not completely neglected as it is in most other works. Range, footwork and positioning is detailed along with different types of attack and response. Approach is simple and safe compared to most other approaches. The following chapters deal with case studies of actual contact weapon attacks, societies response to violence, and general principles. For people not extensively trained in offensive edged weapons use, Tarani’s approach is simple and more effective than most others for the layperson. He does not neglect the psychological, genetic and mental components of combat and the book offers color photos of bodily harm from specific attacks. An excellent, highly recommended, all-around book for the EWR practitioner.
***** ‘Put ‘Em Down, Take ‘Em Out!’: Knife Fighting Techniques from Folsom Prison, Don Pentecost, Paladin Press, Boulder, CO USA 1988
ONE OF THE TOP FOUR MOST RECOMMENDED EWR BOOKS TO STUDY!
Chapter One: The Basics of Knife Fighting, conveys some basic truths: 1) that determination is more effective than technique, 2) that this is combat and not fighting, and 3) that the mental and emotional components are critical aspects of EWR. Chapter Two: Knife Fighting Myths, discusses many of the common myths in the commercial EWR industry including: 1) Experienced fighters leading with the knife, leaving the thrusting arm extended and stationary, and the free hand being paralyzed, 2) knife against knife, 3) face-off, 4) commando takedowns, and 5) inappropriate use of grappling and kicks. Chapter Three: Knife Attack, deals with offensive knife fighting including: 1) grips, 2) stance, 3) attack combinations, and 4) targets. Chapter Four: Knife Defense, discusses 1) the principles of defense, 2) stance, dealing with arm grabs, 4) grappling, 5) trapping, 6) counter-attack angles, and 7) group attacks. Chapter Five: Training, discusses 1) mental training, 2) basic training, 3) breath control, 4) eye training, and 5) provides a practice drill. This book is 54 pages long, the small size makes this book more of a pamphlet and the photos could be a little better but the content is about as good in this field as there is in print so far. The assertion that experienced knife fighters will never lead with the blade is debatable.
***** ‘Training Mission [1-7]’, Hock Hochheim, Lauric Press
ONE OF THE TOP FOUR MOST RECOMMENDED EWR BOOKS TO STUDY!
This series of seven spiral-bound manuals each contain instruction regarding hand, stick, knife and gun response as well as unarmed combat instruction. What is nice about these modules is that the student learns the wide variety of tactical situations that they may face rather than the exceptionally few presented in most other printed material. Techniques, drills and concepts as well as environment are covered. Everything presented tends to be ‘street real’. Generally, Hochheim provides the most comprehensive EWR program available to civilians in terms of printed material available.
***** ‘Unarmed Versus the Knife’, W. Hock Hochheim, Lauric Press, 2001
ONE OF THE TOP FOUR MOST RECOMMENDED EWR BOOKS TO STUDY!
While it is tactical-focused, it provides tactics for multiple comparative positions (mutually standing, on one knee, on the floor) as well as against many different types of edged weapon attack (with a grab, from a distance, etc.). It also discusses some common carries, draws and deployments – as well as suggested counters. This book complements a video/DVD of the same title.
OFFENSIVE EDGED WEAPON COMBAT:
***** ‘Knife Fighting’: A Practical Course, Michael D. Janich, Paladin Press, Boulder, CO USA 1993
This is a book on offensive knife fighting. Chapter One deals with some basic rules and concepts. Chapter Two discusses grips. Chapter Three discusses stance. Chapter Four discusses footwork and mobility. Chapter Five discusses zones of attack and defense. Chapter Six discusses basic cuts and thrusts. Chapter Seven deals with defensive responses assuming that you are armed with a knife as well. Chapter Eight deals with defensive strategies, counters, and the safety check. Chapter Nine deals with targets. Chapter Ten displays ‘Example Techniques’ which are offensive techniques. Chapter Eleven deals with counter-defenses and discusses how the trained knife fighter damages, cripples and kills the victim when they encounter physical resistance such as a block or parry. Chapter Twelve discusses training drills and apparatus. Controversial content includes the discussion of recommended grip and stance. Janich is highly respected in knife world and his book is recommended reading for all EWR students who are not expert level in offensive knife combat.
***** ‘Knives, Knife Fighting, & Related Hassles’, Marc “Animal” MacYoung, Paladin Press, 1990
One of the best books on how knife fighters on the street carry, draw, hold, and attack with knives. This is not a ‘technique’ book in terms of attack but it is excellent in providing street awareness and street reality in regards to edged weapons assailants.
***** ‘Master of the Blade’, Richard Ryan, Paladin Press, 1999
People learning EWR untrained in offensive edged weapon combat need to know the strategy, tactics and footwork of trained knife fighters. This book is one of the best introductory offensive knife fighting books. While Ryan promotes ‘one’ approach to offensive knife combat, the book, there is much to learn for the untrained. The book also includes some street carries and training methodologies.
CASE STUDIES OF EDGED WEAPON VIOLENCE:
***** ‘The Logic of Steel’, James LaFond, Paladin Press, 2001
One of the very few books that discuss what the streets are really like from a criminal and/or street-fighter’s perspective. Many case studies of edged weapon encounters (many that are not part of police reports) are provided. Using clothing as a shield is also discussed. One of the best books for those desiring to know the mindset and tactics of edged weapon assailants.
PRE-COMBAT STUDY:
***** ‘Safe in the City’, Marc “Animal” MacYoung and Chris Pfouts, Paladin Press, 1994
A small section of this book provides some of the best material available regarding the five stages of attack: intent, interview, positioning, attack and reaction. Not knowing this material in real life often negates all of one’s physical martial training.
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EWR BOOKS TO AVOID
* ‘The Art of Weapons’, by Marc Tedeschi, Weatherhill, 2003
This book is a course in suicide instruction. The armed stances are none that one would encounter by an assailant in real life and the unarmed stances are the basic hard-style fighting stances that are not mobile, nor adapted to protect one’s torso and extended limbs. The attackers depicted attack as if they only studied a hard style empty-hand martial art but with a knife in it with tremendously exaggerated and extended motions. Promoted is the idea that kicking at the knife hand and wrist is OK (not something top EWR experts agree upon) and various types of joint-locking maneuvers (many that require fine motor skills) are promoted with insufficient focus on unbalancing and punishing the assailant. Attacks are frontally at long range with both people wearing Gi’s and there is an acceptance of the idea that it is OK in some circumstances to turn your back on the armed assailant (deathtrap!). While there are some good things presented in the unarmed vs the knife chapter, such as the section on ‘cutting into a block’, the techniques portrayed are indicative of those who have not studied an offensive edged weapon art and thus assume that minimal or no changes in stance, footwork, infighting tactics, and so forth need to be made to one’s existing fighting system. A pity as Tedeschi has performed great service to the martial arts world with many of his other published works that tend to be of much higher quality.
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