Cold Steel

The simplicity of the techniques in this book are what make it so effective. They are easy to learn and comply with basic body mechanics. Nothing complicated here - no elaborate techniques that take months and even years of practice. Just get yourself a good old basic Ka Bar and go to work. It's that simple.

This is a military training book, and it has five modules. All are short, simple, and straightforward. The five modules teach bayonet, knife fighting, unarmed combat, stick and knife throwing. The modules concerning bayonet, unarmed combat and stick use are uniformly excellent for training front line troops or folks who are going to be in harm's way and who worry more about living until tomorrow than they worry about juries. There is an emphasis on relentless attack, because reaction is slower than action. The techniques shown for bayonet are simple and direct, and work just fine. Ditto unarmed combat (which is not a martial arts or sporting approach) and ditto stick work. The module on knife fighting is controversial, for a few simple reasons. One is that it supposes that there will be two opponents, both armed with BIG knives, and that both will have 'em out and ready for action. Based on those premises, the fencing-type approach to knife fighting makes some amount of sense. And frankly, the knife-throwing module makes little sense to me, because unless you're working for a circus, you're unlikely to have enough knives to throw one and deprive yourself of a weapon. But given the modest cost of the book, and the substantial value of the three discussion areas, and the easy readability, I'm perfectly happy to give it five stars. Look at the module on knife fighting and if you prefer a different approach (you may not have a big bowie in your hand when a problem arises), no problem! And ditto unless you really want to throw away your knife as to the throwing section of the book. But even without the two iffy chapters, the book has substantial historical value, and the techniques presented are valuable. Bear in mind, of course, that if you use the techniques in this book you may need to defend your actions in Court, because this is military-grade h2h; very simple, direct, and brutal.

The knife fighting section on this book seems to be misundertood by many. Yes, knife duels are hard to happen these days, as they probably were as the book was written. BUT, given the MANY lousy books on the matter of "knife vs knife" confrontation published, the system presented by this one is relevant. Because it's simple. If you want to learn to "duel" with knives, try several sparring sessions and try this method. The single "maybe" would be the advocated saber grip, but try and change for yourself. I've seem many friendly matches being won by newbies using this method against more seasoned "knife duelists". And believ, friendly matches is probably the only environment this kind of confront will occur. C'mon, it's 2005! Oh well... if you do not believe in "knife vs knife", like myself, you could skip this one. But there's more in it than knife dueling. The H2H chapter is very good, as is the short baton section. Those two alone are worth the money invested.

This is a complete fighting book, in that it REALLY tells you everything you NEED to know about fighting for keeps. What I like best about it (besides that fact that the techniques work, are easy to learn, the book is inexpensive, etc) is that the stance and many of the movements he teaches are the same for knife, stick, and unarmed combat. Most people who buy these books think that by merely owning them and flipping through them from time to time they automatically become qualified to judge the material. Hence some of the negative reviews. Amazingly enough, you actually have to read, study, and then practice. One review questioned the knife fighting techniques on the basis that they were developed from fencing- as if that is somehow an invalid form of short blade combat. Seemed to work fine for Jim Bowie and his ilk back before the revolver became affordable and reliable. I guess all of the people who died in knife duels using these techniques can get back up now. Another complained that you had to be quick to utilize them. Well, duh. If you actually read the instructions and THEN look at the pictures you will see why these techniques were effective against the Asian martial arts trained Kommies in Korea. Simple, brutal, and devastating. See also "Bowies, Big Knives, and The Best of Battle Blades" and "Everybody's Knife Bible". Combined with "Cold Steel", these three books will teach you everything you need to know about knives and their proper uses. One caveat- don't throw your knife in combat!!! Don't throw any knife unless it is designed for throwing!!! The knife throwing section of this book is novelty fluff, for people with too much time on their hands. Also, his knife grip on page 43 is obviously a misprint, so disregard it. Also also, don't lean your rifle against a tree where you can't get to it,like in the scenario he describes on page 37. If nothing else, your rifle will fall over and you will damage the finish.

This book is the best of the WWII styles. Influenced more by the existing traditions of the Marines rather than judo, it is mostly a weapons based bayonet system. It is easy to teach, yet retains a great amount of credibilty for a hasty boot camp system.

My one-line summary might seem a bit exaggerated, but it is true. This book covers many life saving skills. Although not a lot of techniques are covered, it is a mistake to think of that as a negative. The skills that are covered are all vital skills in hand to hand combat or self-defense. The skills taught for the use of the stick are excellent. The empty hand skills are likewise. One area that seems of concern (judging by other readers comments) is that of knife fighting. Although some may disagree with Styers method of knife combat, I will say that if one was to train hard in those skills and be aggressive, the odds of prevailing in combat would still be high. The truth is, that not many people are skilled with a knife. If you train hard in Styers method you'll cut a person to ribbons before they know what happened. Hard training will always give you more than a fighting chance. You can study this book over and over again and always find more applications for what is taught between it's covers! This book is highly recommended.