The Little Black Book of Violence: What Every Young Man Needs to Know About Fighting

by Lawrence A. Kane

Book of the Year Award Finalist - Foreword MagazineBest Books Award Finalist - USA Book News Written for men ages 15 to 25, this book contains more than mere self-defense techniques. It provides crucial information about street survival that most martial arts instructors don't even know about. Kane and Wilder explain how to use awareness, avoidance, and de-escalation to help stave off violence.Understand how violence happensLearn how it can be avoided without losing faceRecognize how some situations can escalate into violenceDont forget the life-long consequences that violence brings

Genres: Martial Arts, Nonfiction, Self Help, Survival, Crime, How To, Adventure

714 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2009

Reviews

[Bill Coffin · Rating 1 out of 5]

The aim of this book is laudable: to provide the reader with no-nonsense information on how to spot a dangerous situation before it is too late, why getting into physical combat is not a good idea, how to prevail should such a situation become unavoidable, and what the after-effects of that may be. Unfortunately, "The Little Black Book of Violence" is so poorly written, so thin on material, so self-referential and so useless that it renders the reader little more prepared for a violent encounter than he would be had he spent the same amount of time watching fight videos on YouTube. The authors' martial arts qualifications may very well be top-notch, but they have utterly failed at communicating their depth of knowledge. And why not? Ask anyone who studies martial arts and they can tell you that being told what to do and actually doing it are incredibly different things. You could commit this book to memory and gain very little from it. For those who come to this title wanting to know how to protect themselves, the answer is simple: go do some actual training. This book isn't it.

[Steve Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book that goes well with what Rory Miller puts in his books, and with new insights and illustrative anecdotes.

I totally disagree with the silly one star review that said the authors utterly failed to communicate their ideas. They were spot on in most respects.

Where they fell short was in the “how to” techniques. The limitations of print media were such they couldn’t effectively get that across. A future edition could eliminate that in favor of a companion DVD or online series of instruction.

But one star? Nope. Absolutely not. I’m recommending it...and it’s staying in my library.

[Bálint · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is anything but "little". There is so much fluff in it. The first third of the book could have been just summed up with the following: "if you can, run away". The rest of the book is filled with "if you are not a trained martial artists like we are, don't do this". Oh, come on. Plus the anxiety ridden paranoia is seeping through the whole book: everyone is potentially a danger, everyone is potentially out there to kill you. I personally wouldn't want to be living in a state of hyper alertness, which the book (maybe unbeknownst to the Authors?) heavily promotes. With all that said, I found a few good ideas in the book (particularly in the actual fighting part). It's ok, but definitely way too long.

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can be summed up thusly:

1. Do everything you can to avoid getting in a fight.
2. Go for the eyes.

[Miroku Nemeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a bit more than a third through this book (it is not very "little" at 300+ pages). I really feel that it is an important purchase for anyone who cares about protecting themselves and those they love from violence. The authors work with both Mark "The Animal" McYoung and Rory Miller, who are some of the best writers on realistic training for violence. Highly recommended. I have talked to too many people who have been shot or stabbed lately, and I am thinking of really getting serious about trying to develop the best curriculum I can to help people. Essential advice: buy books like these and meditate realistically upon their lessons.

[Scotty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, good book with good messages and lessons, but it could have been about half the length in my opinion. That being said, this read for me much like a textbook. Were I teaching a group of at-risk youth, I would certainly use this book.

[C.S. Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will end up in my teaching library. It's a good, easy-to-read summary of the many different self-defense principles I've been studying over the years. Though the title claims it's for young men, anyone can take away a lot of information from this book.

One caution: the chapter on first aid is woefully out of date regarding bleeding control/tourniquet use (the book was published prior to tourniquets becoming widely accepted) . Please take a First Aid or Stop the Bleed class for more current information.

[Ari Garnick · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's worth the read. The hammering on why the urge to get in fights is not worth indulging and emphasis on conflict avoidance is a good message, and the tips on what to do if you end up in conflict anyway are (or at least seem to be) valuable pieces of information to know in a pinch. That said, parts of the book get super repetitive; it took me much longer to get through this book than it "should have" and I take that as something of a red flag. Less importantly, many of the images have no reason to be there and there is a strangely high number of typos.

[JD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very repetitive in some areas.

[Julian Schrittwieser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes it really clear why you should avoid violence at all costs, how to best avoid it, and what to do if you are in a situation where you have no other choice.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Little Black Book of Violence delivers as promised. It is packed and layered, building on previous works by both authors, among others. Not only is it geared primarily towards young men ready to leave the home, but it actually 'speaks their language,' and I can't imagine it will be percieved as 'talking down' to them.

From reasons not to engage in violence, and ways to avoid it; to what occurs internally and externally, dissecting the chemical cocktail and psychological and sociological roles in interpersonal violence, and what to do afterwards, The Little Black Book has it all, combined with personal accounts and stories pulled right out of news headlines.

When my sons reach the appropriate age, they'll be reading this book. I fully recommend it to those who are graduating high school, or live in inner cities as a teen; as well as those who haven't read anything from these authors.

[Bert Edens · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are rare occasions where I wish I could give a book more than five stars, because I read so many good books. This is undoubtedly one of those times.

This book is an outstanding look at what causes violence, how it can be avoided, how to handle it when it can't be avoided, and how to mop up, both emotionally and legally, once it's over.

A must must must read for all parents with teenage boys or young adults, this would also be a great read for young ladies too. Since so much of what guys do are for the ladies, ego, status, sex, or what have you, I believe it's crucial for the women to know what might be going on in their fella's head too.

Additionally, it's also good for adults in general, as you can learn about circumstances that might be volatile, how to detect and avoid them, etc.

I can't rate this book high enough. It's a must read for anyone and everyone.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com

In America, 80% of violent crimes are committed by men. Men are also twice as likely to become the victims of aggressive behavior. Violence, no matter how trivial it may seem, has the potential to escalate into a grave situation.

This is the reason why Lawrence A. Kane and Kris Wilder, martial arts experts since the 1970s, have written this book. Inside, young adults will find self-defense tips and techniques, street survival behavior, and tricks for de-escalating fights.

This no-nonsense guide to violence is a great addition to a library's collection. The layout is well-done, and the information provided is practical, helpful, and easy to learn.

Those who are interested in self-defense, martial arts, and street smarts will enjoy and learn a lot from reading THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF VIOLENCE.

[Felix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't let the title mislead you, there is nothing "Little" about this book. It is a big read. It is a very helpful reading particularly for those who are bit younger (with ego and temperament problem).

The basic premise of the book is: Know what you are going to lose when you got yourselves into a fight. The 1/3 of the book talks about how to avoid fight / violence in the first place, the other 1/3 is about what to do when you can't avoid fighting and 1/3 summary.

Very useful book - I just wish that the author didn't put so much information in a book, I felt it could be written more succinctly or maybe even split into 2 books.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindle version repeats itself alot. could be formatting strangeness with picture captions etc, or could be that the authors like to hear themselves talk...

Content is very good. not a particularly exciting read, but much of the information is 99% applicable to everyday life. Lots of obsevational and situational awareness tips and tricks that anyone can use.

[r · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book! Highly recommended. The advice given in this book has gotten me out of very tense situations. The author gives common sense advise, but common sense usually deserts us when we are in an aggressive mood. Thanks to this book, I've avoided multiple hospital visits and physical injuries.

[Wayne Edmondson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every young man should read this book. It's a great training manual on situational awareness, preventative measures, and brutally efficient methods of combat if you absolutely have to resort to violence.

[Ciarán · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Don't fight if you can avoid it" that statement is repeated about four hundred and fifthy five billion times. I can't believe how shockingly repetitive this book is, there's literally 300 plus pages of filler with common sense filling up the rest. Dreadful.

[Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great info about violence that helps form realistic expectations for self defense. Book is poorly written with target audience being young men with more testosterone than brains. Factual info is very good despite poor writing and editing.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave 4 stars because the writing is clear and I like how the author looks at the subject of violence from a different direction--how to avoid it. It is somewhat repetitive, but from the standpoint of teaching life-changing behaviors, maybe that's not a bad thing.

[Copernicus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely something I would recommend for the young, male adult.

[Lupo Alberto · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really well written and interesting book, albeit i hope i will never need what the authors teach.

[Jvee]

How will i read here? Please i need help

[Dgg32 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life saving book, indeed.