Self-Defense - Other: Books, Videos

After World War II, training in hand-to-hand combat stopped abruptly, as interest in the Eastern martial arts blossomed. Convinced that these close-quarter techniques, which had been forged in the streets of Shanghai, China, and tempered in the Pacific and European theaters of war, represented the true essence of individual close combat, and concerned that these skills would be lost forever, a handful of men decided to preserve this knowledge. One of these men was Bob Kasper.

A student of the late Charles Nelson, Bob Kasper wrote these two volumes of individual close-combat techniques for his students but never published them. The first volume is on principles and tactics while the second volume concentrates on stance and movement. By offering these two volumes to the public for the very first time, Paladin is not only helping to preserve the techniques designed and battle-field tested by World War II combatives pioneers – a task that Kasper dedicated much of his life to – it is also preserving the work of another close-combat legend, Bob Kasper. Individual Close Combat contains an exclusive new foreword by Kelly McCann, who trained in combatives and knife fighting with Kasper.

Bob Kasper was an avid practitioner of the martial arts for more than 30 years. A former U.S. Marine Corps military policeman and U.S. Army Reserve cavalry scout, Kasper was a founder and director of the Gung-Ho Chuan Association, a brotherhood of Marine Corps veteran close-combat instructors; and founder of the American Karate Jutsu Association. He held black belts and instructor ranks in several martial art disciplines. He died in 2006.
$15.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-685-0 78 pages 5.5" x 8.5" photos

Fight Medicine is the first book that explains in detail what medical professionals, fighters, trainers and managers need to know about diagnosing and treating combat sports injuries.

Injured boxers, wrestlers and mixed martial artists who ignore injuries or fail to seek optimal health care often pay for it with pain, frustration and lost training time. Fighters require specialized medical care from appropriately trained medical professionals. Although there are many well-qualified physicians who take care of athletes, some may not have the specialized training needed to recognize a serious fight injury that can impact a fighter's career. Many health care providers are unfamiliar with the unique issues of fight medicine, such as hand injury, ocular injury, concussion and chronic traumatic brain injury.

Dr. Kelly has packed Fight Medicine with chapter after chapter of solid information on the diagnosis and treatment of a wide array of injuries and ailments suffered by fighters, including bone, joint and soft tissue injuries; neurological and cardiac conditions; pulmonary conditions; and infectious diseases.

Whether you're a doctor who wants to learn more about fight medicine or a fighter or trainer, Fight Medicine will give you the information you need to make the right call.

Dr. Michael Kelly, D.O.. is a fellowship-trained sports medicine doctor, a New Jersey State Athletic Control Board ringside physician for professional boxing and mixed martial arts, a medical advisor for the USKBA, a team physician for professional soccer and a team physician for a number of New Jersey high schools and colleges.
$28.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-673-9 286 pages 5.5" x 8.5" photos, illust.

With the prevalence of mixed martial arts in today's media, the street thug now has a new weapon in his arsenal: grappling. You need to be prepared to deal with the MMA-enhanced street fighter, and this video with Kelly McCann will teach you how to take out any mixed martial artist, from the wannabe wrestler to the proficient brawler. Going far beyond the groundfighting material he taught in his best-selling Jim Grover's Combatives series, McCann shows you combatives-oriented defenses against common MMA set-ups such as the devastating triangle choke, the crippling Muay Thai leg kick, the tackle attempt, and much more. McCann's lesson is that you don't have to fear the groundfighter: defeat him with simple, brutal techniques proven through the experience of real-world violent encounters, not half-baked martial arts moves taught by Walter Mittys wearing black. The Crucible's motto is "Nothing we do is competition legal, because your life's no game." Take that to heart and beat the grappler whichever way he tries to attack you. For information purposes only.

Kelly McCann is one of America's foremost experts on personal and corporate security, armed and unarmed combat, and antiterrorist tactics. As the CEO of Crucible Security Specialists, he and his staff have provided security training for audiences ranging from elite U.S. counterterrorist units to Fortune 500 executives. He is also known to the public as "Jim Grover," former personal security editor for Guns and Ammo magazine and noted author of numerous instructional videos on armed and unarmed close combat and the best-selling book Street Smarts, Firearms, and Personal Security.
$49.95
DVD-R 805966 062334 60 minutes

Following up Paladin's 2001 best-seller The Deadliest Men, More of the Deadliest Men Who Ever Lived profiles more than three dozen of history's greatest individual warriors, including King David, John Wesley Hardin, George S. Patton, Richard the Lionheart, and Manfred von Richthofen, as well as such lesser-known figures as:

• Cassius Marcellus Clay, the abolitionist who was feared for his skill with the bowie knife
  
• Joe Harrison, the San Francisco cab-driver who would pick up any fare, any time, relying on his .41 magnum to keep him alive
  
• Kitty Hesselberger and Dorothy Raynes-­Simson, who fought off a determined Mau Mau attack at their isolated Kenyan ranch
  
• Frank Reynolds, the Chicago police officer who killed more than a dozen men in the line of duty and was said to be the only lawman John Dillinger feared
  
• R.J. Thomas, the Navy SEAL who single-handedly held off a North Vietnamese assault armed only with a .45 automatic
  
• Adelbert F. Waldron III, the Vietnam-war sniper who racked up the highest kill count on record, but whose story has remained untold until now

Each of the warriors herein dominated a violent environment and triumphed against overwhelming odds. They fought for blood, not sport, with the weapons of individual combat: fist, knife, sword, bow, pistol, rifle and machine gun. Most of them fought for something beyond survival – a cause, a code, a creed or a country – while others fought solely in defense of their lives, a worthy enough purpose in itself.

Drawn from books, newspapers, and personal interviews, these action-packed accounts provide an insight into the skills, tactics, and mindset of the greatest fighting men and women the world has ever known.

This book is a collection of profiles of superlative warriors of such strength, skill, courage and ferocity that they could – and often did – turn the tide of battle.

Paul Kirchner has been a writer and illustrator for more than 25 years. His work has appeared in publications ranging from Marvel Comics to The Wall Street Journal to Paladin author Jeff Cooper's books.

Click here for more information and to download a podcast interview with Paul Kirchner.
$39.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-690-4 5.5" x 8.5" 466 pages illustrations

Short-term self-defense training is likely to be useless agains the brutal and merciless attacks of the criminals and crazies that rule the streets today. What most of us need is an equalizer - a simple, effective device that will stop an assailant in his tracks and allow us to escape unharmed. Enter the O.C. pepper spray. But which one is best? Are they really effective? How do you use them correctly? This book tells you all this, and more.
$16.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-794-6 120 pages 5.5" x 8.5" photos

Charles Nelson was revered for his "do-whatever-it-takes" school of self-defense. Many well-known exponents of the fighting arts – Carl Cestari, Bob Kasper and Kelly McCann – learned from Nelson at his school in New York, and thousands more have learned from his famous Red and Gray Manuals. The last of Nelson's manuals, Self-Defense by Charles C. Nelson, is less well known but still quintessential Nelson in its sensible, hands-on approach to self-defense.

Nelson's genius was this: he spent a lifetime studying the way predators attack and then simplifying what he had learned into a system of uncomplicated principles and techniques that work for everyone. The exclusive new foreword by Paul Gerasimczyk, a long-time student at Nelson's school who worked on both the Red and Gray Manuals, traces Nelson's role as a self-defense icon – from his days first learning and then teaching hand-to-hand combat in the Marine Corps to his pioneering role as a civilian self-defense instructor. Now a whole new generation can learn about Nelson's self-defense program from this little booklet, which few people even knew existed.
$10.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-698-0 44 pages 8.5" x 11" illustrations

James Coats has years of experience profiling certain types of criminal activities for various law enforcement and government agencies. Coats combines those skills with wilderness survival training, advanced sleight-of-hand, escape and evasion and special effects makeup to bring you an inventive and informative DVD that could aid you, or someone you love, in a dangerous or life-threatening situation.

On this DVD you will learn:

• How to create and use a quick-change suit to change your appearance
  
• How to escape binds, such as rope and duct tape
  
• How to change your looks without makeup or costumes
  
• Various "on the run" wilderness camouflage techniques
  
• Ghillie suit application and construction
  
• How to escape from the trunk of a car

And much more!
$39.95
DVD-R 689076 751360 99 minutes

James Coats has spent his career consulting for various law enforcement and government agencies, and developing various classified and non-classified tactical technologies. His highly praised work as a skilled illusion designer in the magic industry and his understanding of various forms of tactical equipment and combat tactics are combined on this DVD to bring you an inventive and informative look at equipment that could aid you, or someone you love, in a dangerous or life-threatening situation.

On this DVD you will learn:

• How to convert everyday items into useful tactical tools
  
• How to transform everyday clothing into state-of-the-art urban warrior wear
  
• How to turn children's toys into useful high-tech tactical tools
  
• The latest in bulletproof gear and accessories
  
• The latest in grappling hook technology
  
• The lastest in underwater tactical gear

And much more!
$39.95
DVD-R 705105 915098 62 minutes

NEW! So you want to be a cage fighter? You want to learn what it takes to be successful in the cage or on the street? Then this video is for you. Champion cage fighter Pat Miletich - who had 29 professional MMA wins, a 25-0 Muay Thai record, and was unbeaten in pro boxing - shows you what it takes to train hard, train right, and strike right through your opponent. Being a great striker is more than just being able to throw punches and kicks. In this exclusive Paladin video, Pat takes you through controlling distance in a fight; practical, fight-proven feints and fakes; proper head movement; and the appropriate footwork, all of which combine to make you the complete fighter you strive to be. Pat has been there and done that, and his Miletich Fighting System takes what works, trims what doesn't, and presents you with a proven strategy that you can feel confident using in the ring. Learn the building blocks of dominating your opponent, the offensive and defensive techniques needed to be a champion, and the strategies that will get you there. When you can learn how to hit from Pat Miletich, why would you want to learn from anybody else? For information purposes only.
$59.95
DVD-R 805966 064833 Two disc set 150 minutes

In Survival Driving, Deatherage takes the antiterrorist driving lessons he learned from today's war zones and shows you how to adapt them to your situation, whether you are in Baghdad, Beirut, Bogota or Brooklyn. Using straightforward rules, security checklists, photographs and drawings, he teaches you how to prepare a route analysis, including marking maps and identifying choke points and safe havens; recognize likely attack sites for IEDs, rammings, drive-by shootings and overrun attacks; reinforce and maintain your vehicles to withstand attack by selecting the proper armoring, engine, tires, alarms, windows, locks and more; spot surveillance whether it's fixed or mobile; master the driving basics of steering, braking and accelerating, as well as advanced evasive maneuvers such as forward and reverse 180-degree turns and barricade breaching; and scrutinize military or police personnel at roadblocks or accident scenes to tell whether they are real or fake. Whether you are an enlisted man or reservist about to be deployed, a security contractor or businessman stationed overseas or just a daily commuter who travels on some dangerous roads, you owe it to yourself to take this crash course in survival driving.

Robert Deatherage, Jr. served in the U.S. Army Special Forces in some of the world's most dangerous areas, where he was responsible for the security of GIs and their equipment. Most recently, he was the security manager for an international contractor in various regions of Iraq. He has attended the most prestigious driving courses in the world, including those conducted for Special Forces, FBI and United Nations personnel.
$22.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-554-9 160 pages 8.5" x 11" photos

In this controversial look at strangulation, the author chronicles the history of the Thuggee, a cult of assassins that has stalked India for centuries. Find out how they caught and dispatched their victims, what their tools of terror were, how elements of their art have been incorporated into modern military and martial arts training and much more. For academic study only.

Dr. Haha Lung is a prolific author with a vast storehouse of knowledge about the martial arts and the mysterious cults and killer cadres of the East.
$20.00
Softcover 978-0-87364-843-1 110 pages 5.5" x 8.5" illustrations

The fighters of the great bare-knuckle boxing era were tough men and skilled combatants. They had to be to endure brutal brawls that could last for hours, testing the skills and guts of both participants. In this fascinating tutorial on this poorly understood combative art, martial artists David Lindholm and Ulf Karlsson extract the practical material from historical bare-knuckle boxing and show how it can be applied in modern self-defense.

Lindholm and Karlsson have analyzed the surviving texts and illustrations of the masters of bare-knuckle boxing and organized what they've discovered into a complete program for training, conditioning and applying these skills in a real confrontation. In doing so, they show how bare knuckle is an ideal system for real-world self-defense. It contains strikes, throws, parries and a few basic kicks, so it is simple to learn. The techniques are remarkably powerful, which means you get a good payoff for each shot you land. It works regardless of the clothes you wear, the surface you stand on, the space you will fight in or how many attackers you meet. Bare knuckle is also easy to practice alone or with partners, because you need minimal space and equipment to train and enjoy its benefits.

The bare-knuckle boxing era ended in the early 20th century, when gloves were introduced, stricter rules implemented and oversight organizations formed. This book is devoted to reviving this practical combative art.

David Lindholm has trained in boxing, karate, sport fencing, iaido, kendo, wrestling and tai chi chuan, but since 1996 his main fields have been historical European martial arts and Japanese koryu sword arts. He is the coauthor (with Peter Svärd) of Sigmund Ringeck's Knightly Art of the Longsword and Sigmund Ringeck's Knightly Arts of Combat.

Ulf Karlsson started training in the Japanese martial art Taido in 1984 and has instructed in that art since 1987, currently holding the grade of Godan Renshi. He has also trained in ESDS (Explosive Self Defence System), Ryu Te and most recently the Okinawan martial art Te.
$20.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-700-0 136 pages 8.5" x 11" photos, illust.

In The Tactical Advantage, Gabe Suarez wrote that even the world's best gunfighter will get killed if he exercises poor tactics. Likewise, a dramatic demise is the prize for the man who does not know what he's doing, does not have a well thought-out plan or simply has the wrong mind-set when faced with the need to fight for his life. In The Combative Perspective, Suarez keys in on developing your knowledge about and properly organizing your mental attitude toward combat to improve your odds of winning – not just surviving – such a fight. The principles are as applicable to the bladesman as they are to the rifleman, to the unarmed fighter as they are to the sniper. Suarez' combative perspective has four basic components that he identifies as essential to winning any battle: desire for victory, elimination of uncertainty, development of situational awareness and willingness to act. In this book he examines each in a logical and scientific manner, demonstrating why, when it comes to defending your life, the mental edge is at least as critical to victory as the tactical advantage. The perfect companion to Jeff Cooper's classic Principles of Personal Defense, this is an indispensable guide to achieving that edge.

Gabe Suarez is a veteran of Southern California law enforcement, where he served for many years. His extensive field experience includes single officer patrol, gang enforcement, special operations and tactical training. He was one of the founding members of his department's Special Weapons and Tactical Precision Rifle teams.
$15.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-404-7 112 pages 5.5" x 8.5"

Who were the greatest individual warriors of all time? This book profiles 50, including Alexander the Great, Jim Bowie, Geronimo, Bat Masterson, Audie Murphy and Alvin York, as well as such lesser-known figures as Jelly Bryce, the FBI's top gun during the gangster era; Egil Skallagrimmson, the poetry-spouting Viking warrior; Jean-Louis, the Haitian emigrant who became the greatest swordsman in Napoleonic France; Jose "Pepe" Llulla, the New Orleans duelist who owned a private cemetery said to be filled with his victims; La Maupin, the licentious swordswoman who cut a swath through 17th century Paris; and Lance Thomas, the Los Angeles jeweler who successfully defended himself in five armed robberies. These incredible warriors faced overwhelming odds, survived terrible wounds, pulled off hairbreadth escapes and piled their enemies in heaps. Their stories read like fiction but are all the more compelling because they are true.

Paul Kirchner has been a writer and illustrator for more than 25 years. His work has appeared in publications ranging from Marvel Comics to The Wall Street Journal to Paladin author Jeff Cooper's books.
$30.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-271-5 430 pages 5.5" x 8.5" photos, illust.

When Bradley Steiner self-published The Tactical Skills of Hand-to-Hand Combat (Self-Defense) in the mid-1970s, it sold out two sizable printings within eight months. In it, Steiner outlined the 12 tactical principles of self-defense from his American Combato system, which he had created in 1975 and which he still teaches today. A fusion of World War II close-quarter combat, traditional martial arts and realistic self-defense – incorporating lessons from Rex Applegate, W.E. Fairbairn, E.A. Sykes and Charles Nelson, among others – Steiner's program also included modern weapons and the excellent (if unorthodox) "dirty tricks" of alley, street and prison fighting, with which he had become familiar through his training of and association with New York Police Department officers.

An entertaining and enlightening new introduction by the author provides a concise and illuminating history of the early days of self-defense training in the United States. Paladin Press is pleased to add this legendary self-defense manual to its Combat Classics collection.
$12.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-661-4 56 pages 5.5" x 8.5"

In a real street fight, your assailant will most likely try to force you into a clinch: that gray zone between striking and grappling distance. Punches and kicks are less effective in close quarters, and it's easier for a determined opponent to slam you to the concrete at that range. But now, Up Close and Personal from Paladin Press by self-defense experts Richard Nance and David Hallford teaches you the best way to fight and win in the clinch, no matter how large your attacker may be.

Using principles of angle and leverage rather than brute strength, the authors take you through all types of clinches, from the collar-and-elbow tie to the Muay Thai neck clinch, so that whether you initiate the movement or find yourself in the clinch, you will know how to prevail. Up Close and Personal also covers the most effective strikes from the clinch, showing you how to set your opponent up with short elbow and knee strikes before sending him crashing to the pavement. From there, the authors teach both firearm and knife acquisition and retention from the clinch, in case deadly force is warranted.

Up Close and Personal is not a wrestling video: it is a self-defense program designed to teach you necessary skills for real-life combat. For information purposes only.

David Hallford has black belts in several martial arts, is a published author and trains law enforcement agencies in defensive tactics.
$49.95
DVD-R 805966 057033 120 minutes

When he decided to compile Warriors in 2004, Loren W. Christensen identified 37 of the finest warrior authors, warrior trainers and warrior scholars around, and asked them to tell in their own words what being a warrior meant to them. The original contributors came from a diverse mix of fellow warriors, from soldiers, cops and SWAT officers to martial art masters to experts in the fields of workplace violence, theology, and school safety.

Warriors struck a chord among readers all over the country. Reviewers praised the book for providing insight into why, when something bad happens, a few people - the warriors among us - run toward the danger while the majority of us run away. Along with the praise, Christensen also received recommendations for other warriors who should be included in the book. So he decided to expand the book to include the following warriors:

• Kit Cessna, a retired U.S. Army officer who served with C-Squadron Delta and 2nd Ranger Battalion, and who was part of the SWAT response in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
  
• 1st Sgt. Mark Deutsch, who served in Operations Desert Storm, Provide Comfort, and Iraqi Freedom III, during which he and his unit conducted more than 800 combat operations.
  
• Mark Mireles, a two-time recipient of the Medal of Valor, the highest award for bravery given by the Los Angeles Police Department.
  
• Maj. Matthew Hing, a flight surgeon and Airborne infantry physician who currently is serving as the Task Force Eagle surgeon in Afghanistan.
  
• Richard R. McGovern Sr., a combat veteran with both Operations Iraqi Freedom and Desert Storm.
  
• Jennifer Fulford, an officer with the Orange County (Florida) Sheriff's Department, who was shot 10 times in the line of duty in 2004 while trying to protect a young child.

All these warriors speak candidly on what it's like to sacrifice, to train, to fear, to protect ... even to kill ... to accomplish what needs to be done. These warriors don't run and call 9-1-1; they are 9-1-1!

Loren Christensen is a Vietnam veteran, a retired police officer with 29 years of law enforcement experience and a martial artist since 1965. As a writer, Loren has penned 40 books and dozens of magazine articles on a variety of subjects. He can be contacted through his website at www.lwcbooks.com

Click here for more information and to download a podcast interview with Loren Christensen.
$35.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-696-6 452 pages 5.5" x 8.5"