Updated and with new photographs.
This in not simply a step-by-step guide to winning fights. It is also an in-depth study of the criminal mind at work. Murderers, rapist and muggers reveal why they targeted certain people for attack, which crimes are opportunistic and which are premeditated.
Geoff Thompson uses these interviews, and his own unparalleled knowledge of violent encounters, to teach precautionary measures that everyone can take to make themselves less venerable and explains what victims should do when confronted by an attacker.
The choice is yours: learn from this proven master of self-defence and increase tour odds of remaining alive, or risk being unprepared when a violent predator gets you in his sights.
Dead or Alive has been a very successful book for me. Over the years I have received favorable and consistent sales and excellent feedback. It first came out in 1996 (where did all that time go?) and the publishers thought that it might be a good time to update the book – new cover, new author foreword and any amendments to material that may have dated. ‘No problem,’ I said. ‘I’m right onto it.’
I expected that after reading through the (near) 90,000 words there would be a lot of work involved; after all, a lot can change in eight years. I was wrong. I was pleased (and also disappointed) to see that there was very little that needed to change and absolutely nothing to update, just a bit of polishing and some new illustrations. Pleased because (being frank) it was less work for me (and being very busy that is always a bonus) and disappointed because, well, things should have changed, they should need updating. Shouldn’t they? They should have gotten better at the very least. I was doubly disappointed that they hadn’t. In fact, looking at the current crime statistics, they have gotten worse instead of better. This book – probably the only one of its kind in the world today – is more needed now than it was in 1996 when I first released it. I don’t know why I was surprised by the increase of societal violence; it is after all plastered all over the papers and on the news every day of the week. It is totally normal now to read about armed robberies, killings, rapes and gang attacks in the very next street to your own.
It would appear that what is happening globally is being reflected locally. There is real and immediate danger out there and we need to be aware of it, we need to make our loved ones and friends and neighbours aware of it.
There is a crude urgency in the writing style of this book that I have deliberately not changed in the new edition. When I wrote it way back then I was still very much living and breathing self-protection. I was passionate, perhaps over-zealous in the delivery. Even though I am eight years more practised as a writer and perhaps better able to deliver the same words more objectively, I decided not to. I like the urgency. I think that the zealous undercurrent is entirely appropriate in a subject so life and death.
So here it is. Dead or alive. Your choice. The information in this book is as hot as it is current and – if employed –it might prove life saving.
Geoff Thompson 2004
Table of Contents
AUTHOR INTRODUCTION 8
INTRODUCTION by Peter Consterdine 8th Dan EKGB 9
PROLOGUE by Neil Adams MBE 10
FOREWORD by Christopher Berry-Dee 11
1. Avoidance and Awareness 15
2. Attackers and Attack Rituals: Lessons Learned 34
3. Fear Control 72
4. The Psyche 91
5. Line-ups: The Fence 97
6. Attacking Tools 110
7. Areas of Attack 115
8. Hands and Elbows 120
9. Feet 128
10. Knees 133
11. The Head 137
12. Chokes and Strangles 141
13. Throws 152
14. Ground Work 159
15. Defence Against a Weapon 164
16. Defence Against Multiple Attackers 178
17. The Knockout 181
18. Hurdles and Pitfalls 185
19. Visualisation 190
20. Aftermath 193
21. Case Histories 196
22. Do’s and Don’ts 215
23. First Aid 217
24. Self-Defence and the Law 222
EPILOGUE 227
Appendix: Drunken Style 228
Reviews
A reader...
Most other self-defence books emphasize which fighting techniques to use in a particular situation. This book teaches how to avoid to get in that situation in the first place, and how to react to aggressive statements like "What are you looking at!". It even informs you what to tell the Law in case you won the fight... =
About the Author
Geoff Thompson made violence his profession working as a doorman at some of Britain’s roughest clubs. As the holder of the rank of 6th Dan black belt in Japanese karate, 1st Dan in Judo and equally well qualified in other martial arts he is a TOUGH man.
As well as many books he has written a film script, Watch My back, based on his life and a stage play, One Sock, that inspired The Royal Court Theatre in London’s West End to invite him into their exclusive writers’ group.
In 1997 Geoff was flown out to the United States by Chuck Norris to teach at his international seminar. As an ambassador for the martial arts, Geoff has appeared on national and international TV and Radio - for a couple of years as the BBC Good Morning self defence expert - talking about and, giving advice on self protection and related subjects.
His work is both innovative and thought provoking. He is currently Sub Editor of Martial Arts Illustrated and contributory editor of Men’s Fitness magazine.He has published several articles for mainstream glossy magazines such as Loaded, Maxim, FHM, Arena, Esquire and has published several articles with GQ Magazine (Britain-Paris).
He has also appeared many times on mainstream TV including ITV’s Martial Arts: The Real Story televised in two - one hour programmes. As well as his books and videos He was Martial Arts choreographer for the production 'Hard Fruit' at the Royal Court, London and winner of the EMDA Award for the screenplay of the film 'Watch My Back'.
In 2004 Geoff's short film Brown Paper Bag won a BAFTA.
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Dead Or Alive: The Choice is Yours
by Geoff Thompson
