The book is an excellent blend of martial arts and police defensive tactics with a realistic view of what is practical and what is BS. Too many police DT instructors lack a martial arts background and refuse to acknowledge that the vast majority of techniques originated in the asian martial arts systems.

The book is an excellent reference for both the rookie officer and the veteran officer alike. It is also a good refernce for the new DT instructor or one who lacks a martial artist background. I found nothing new or exciting contained in the text, of course, I rarely do in most of the books published today. After 26 years as a martial artist and 19 years as a DT instructor one discovers there are no new tricks, just good ole fashioned basic techniques and concepts practiced at a higher level of effectiveness.

I did enjoy the author's stories and his sense of humor. All of Christensen's books are worth reading. It is an enjoyable and easy book to read, I recommended it to all serious students of self-defense and police officers looking to maintain a tactical edge.


From a Police Defensive Tactics Instructor   April 28, 2001
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

I have been a Police Officer for over 16 years, and a Martial Artist for over 23 years. I have been in charge of teaching Police Defensive Tactics for the last three years and I teach over 200 officers a year. I really enjoyed this book (I also own other Loren Christensen books), and found it funny, fast paced and informative. This book is more geared toward D-Tac instructors and not the student though. I think that this book should be mandatory reading for all Police Brass and I.A. people.

Fast reading, and very well written. Good job Loren.


Sound Concepts and Principles   February 27, 2000
 4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Both of the readers on the Amazon.com site rated this as one of the best martial arts books they have ever read. That is pushing it a bit for me, but there is an awful lot in this book that I agree with and we teach in our classes (for example, don't hit someone in the head with a closed fist). Obviously this book is geared toward the law enforcement and public safety reader, but you will pick up a wealth of information about fighting for real. The author claims to have been in 300-400 fights in his career and he has several valid points about self-defense principles. He seems to have a bit of a love-hate relationship with grappling saying on one hand that it is absolutely imperative to have one of your trainers skilled in jiu-jitsu or judo and, on the other hand, saying that he has never been taken to the ground and feels there is an inordinate amount of danger to be found there. Overall, he covers a wide variety of principles, concepts and techniques. Some good self-deprecating cop stories too.

Brad Parker, Defend University,


Outstanding!   February 1, 2000
This is an outstanding book on police defensive tactics and fighting in general. It's concept driven, not just another book of how-to-do pictures. It will make you think about what you have learned and make you question your beliefs about fighting. I highly recommend it.


for teachers, not students   January 30, 2000
 1 out of 2 found this review helpful

The author deals more with the philosophy of fighting and how to teach it than the practical knowledge that i was looking for. There are just a few pictures which made it very difficult to understand when he would describe a technique. Also, too many "war stories" its not what i wanted in the book.