There is a whole bunch of people who fancy themselves as knifers, knife fighters or whatever they wish to call themselves. But what they train for is vastly different from what one will see on the street. Sure, they can get in a ring with someone else with a wooden knife and beat them and feel real macho, but they will be the first to fall when they meet up with someone who does not flash a knife before sticking it in them. Boy, the ring really does not prepare you for that, now does it?

This book is about what people will see on the street, as well as the techniques that the author has found to work when your veins are filled with adreneline, your vison has gone tunnel and your hands are clammy with either sweat and/or blood. It is a reality far removed from the training halls of JKD or any other martial art.

One of the most valuable sections of this book is on common ways of hiding a blade that are used by street scum. It will help you to recognize such grips when used by others before they get a chance to get close to you. If you can not even do this, then all the fancy simawali drills or expensive fighting knives you have will not be worth a bucket of spit.

My only reservation is that this book deals mainly with things that are best conveyed in the written form. Things that are too complicated to describe appear on two videos he has made, but he never mentions the videos in this book. I do not know how he could transfer some of the stuff from the videos to the written word, but I would be amiss in not pointing out that this book, like all books, can not give the whole picture of an activity like knife combat.


cheap seat view of knife use on the street   June 28, 2001
 10 out of 11 found this review helpful

This book, like most of Animal's books, gives the reader a ring side seat into the reality of the street. This is not a book heavy on technique, its a book about about NOT becoming the featured guest at a knifing. The street lessons, to a large extent, ARE what's important. The most "basic and dangerous reality of knife fighting" on U.S. streets is that you are most likely NOT going to see the attack coming, and assuming you do and when it happens, it will be simple, savage and brutal. I've been told that knife use in the U.S. normally isn't based on a duelling mind set. In these cases, the blade is used as a strong arm weapon or as a means of assasination. It may be part of "Escalato" (great name for a bad game...Animal's term, not mine) or part of a "hot interview". Knife on knife is not that common. Knives are ubiquitous, and most criminal elements have a style all their own, most of it related to ambush and surprise. I doubt that the average crack head, thug, street person or 1% biker has trained in FMA's or JKD concepts. I also wouldn't doubt his skill or ability as a knifer. I've personally experienced some of what is written about here and in Grover's "Street Smarts" book. Train in combatives, or JKD and FMA's, or whatever, and train hard, but don't discount what you see here. The stances may look funny, but the guy attempting to shove an ice pick between your ribs or going for your crotch or face with a discarded steak knife could care less about largo mano range, 6 count, hubud, or what angle of attack he's using, much less his stance. He'll be moving fast and he's going to cut and stick you as hard and as many times as he can. Train, learn and prepare. Janich, Hoch, Keating, Worden, Vunak and the PFS crew stress conceptual learning (as does Animal)...that's their legacy to us. Listen to what these guys have to say. Train it and apply it.


Not so good   April 24, 2000
 11 out of 21 found this review helpful

I have learned the basics of knife fighting from well known sources such as Keet Kune Do under Paul Vunak (same system he taught the navy seals) and the stuff in this book does NOT cover the most basic and dangerous reality of knife fighting.(like to get the longest reach with your knife, you hold it with your leading hand of course, and the hand holding the knife is also an effective target to stike with knife to disarm) I am probably not a better knife fighter than Marc is, but there are funny fighting stances that he shows that is totally a joke. Most things covered in the book are stances to conceal a knife so you a appear normal pedestrian, so you can assisinate effectively, while walking towards the enemy. (if you wanna do that just come up from behind the opponent and stab). One thing good is that he seems like he's been in lotsa fights and stuff, got lotsa "street lessons" you might wanna learn.


What a knife fighting book should be like!   April 30, 1999
 9 out of 12 found this review helpful

Just like the other books from Marc Macyoung, in this book there are no specific techniques shown, but the psychic and emotional side of what is called a knife fight. This is the topic some other books I know lack about. Together with the chapters about stances and grips, this is the best base for realistic training you can get.