Softcover 978-1-61004-695-4 74 pages, 5.5" x 8.5" photos
DESCRIPTION
For four years, James LaFond conducted a study of violence in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. Following up on The Logic of Steel, his highly regarded look into the reality of edged-weapon attacks, LaFond now presents The Logic of Force, a study of assaults featuring blunt weapons and unarmed attacks.
The Logic of Force tells stories of people who were caught in these blunt-force attacks—victims, attackers, eyewitnesses, and Good Samaritans who bravely stepped in to break up the fights. Chronicled in the vernacular of the street, these stories are gritty, entertaining, and—most important for those interested in self-defense—educational. Violent men are painfully predictable, if we bother to pay attention. This study underscores the importance of tactical awareness—and the high cost exacted for not staying alert. Just in case you do end up in a dangerous situation, these accounts show you what will and will not work in a short, feral, winner-take-all brawl, as well as the disturbing range of blunt-force objects that can be used as improvised weapons to hurt you.
One of the most violent cities in the world, Baltimore can teach all of us valuable lessons about avoiding or surviving violence. The Logic of Force teaches you how to live peacefully among the predators on your street.
AUTHOR BIO
James LaFondworks as a night laborer in Baltimore, where he has been documenting the violent underside of the human population and the relationship of ordinary aggression to the hysteria of contemporary martial arts study since 1966. His wife, Cindy, pays the life insurance bill well in advance of the due date.
Stickgrappler's Note: I am guessing the Paladin site will be shut down at the end of the 2017 year and I'm archiving select Paladin Press pages to my blog to preserve an essential part of martial arts from 1970-2017. Archiving some of my favorite Paladin titles.
The Fighting Edge James LaFond has been training in various U.S., European, Korean, Chinese and Filipino martial arts for 25 years. He is also a veteran boxer and a laborer in one of America's toughest cities. He knows that the martial arts do not present all the realities of real combat and that 30 seconds on the sidewalk is worth three years in the dojo. In this book he explores the practical value, study and application of the martial arts in relation to real violence. What is it like to be in a real fight against deranged, drunk or drugged opponents? What is it like to be punched in the head? What do you do if your attacker is armed and you're not? What about the claims of various martial arts - are they valid? Which martial art is better for real fighting? Reading this book will help you maximize your training and become a better, smarter fighter.
AUTHOR BIO
James LaFondworks as a night laborer in Baltimore, where he has been documenting the violent underside of the human population and the relationship of ordinary aggression to the hysteria of contemporary martial arts study since 1966. His wife, Cindy, pays the life insurance bill well in advance of the due date.
Stickgrappler's Note: I am guessing the Paladin site will be shut down at the end of the 2017 year and I'm archiving select Paladin Press pages to my blog to preserve an essential part of martial arts from 1970-2017. Archiving some of my favorite Paladin titles.
The Logic of Steelis not about the art of knife fighting. Its sole purpose is to illustrate the cold, hard, logical nature and dynamics of real-world edged-weapon encounters as experienced by author James LaFond and more than 90 other people who have found themselves suddenly caught up in a knife fight.
For the past five years James LaFond has been assembling and analyzing data about violence in his Baltimore, Maryland, neighborhood and elsewhere. Here he offers a comprehensive analysis of more than 250 acts of violence that involved the use of an edged weapon, as told from the perspective of the attackers, eyewitnesses, and victims. The action is broken down by weapon type (razors, folders, butchers, balisongs, switchblades, sickles, swords, and improvised slasher/stabbers) and use patterns. The circumstances, motivation, and mechanics of real blade and shank fights are illuminated through the use of gripping (and often comical) first-person accounts, photographs, and hard statistics. Also discussed are the psychology, injury patterns, and legal ramifications of knife fighting, as well as invaluable tips on how to prevent clinches and floor fights from escalating into knife fights, how to survive unarmed against an armed assailant, how to dress for success against a knife fighter, and how to live to fight another day by successfully running away from an armed attacker.
If you want to be able to spot a knifer—and predict his behavior—before it's too late,The Logic of Steelis a must read.
AUTHOR BIO
James LaFond lives, works, and writes in Baltimore, Maryland. He has somehow survived 21 boxing matches and 618 stick fights. If you would like to beat James with a stick, you may find contact information for him at www.jameslafond.com . For related articles, go to this website and click on Harm City.
Stickgrappler's Note: I am guessing the Paladin site will be shut down at the end of the 2017 year and I'm archiving select Paladin Press pages to my blog to preserve an essential part of martial arts from 1970-2017. Archiving some of my favorite Paladin titles.
Posting the nineteenth episode of the TV series, Stingray, to mirror the airdate from 31 years ago on this date of Apr 3, 1987. Seri...
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