Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence | 
 enlarge | Author: Rory Miller
Publisher: YMAA Publication Center
Category: Book
List Price: $18.95
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Rating:  45 reviews
Sales Rank: 20444
Format: Illustrated
Media: Paperback
Edition: illustrated edition
Pages: 180
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 0.6
ISBN: 1594391181
Dewey Decimal Number: 796
EAN: 9781594391187
ASIN: 1594391181
Publication Date: August 25, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Veteran correction officer Sergeant Rory Miller distills what he has learned from jail house brawls, tactical operations and ambushes to explore the differences between martial arts and the subject martial arts were designed to deal with: Violence. Miller explores the complexity of violence, critical thinking, and the mind of the predator. He offers martial arts training guidance and resources, discusses how to overcome personal fears, and how to deal with the aftermath of violent encounters.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 40 more reviews...
The real deal December 31, 2008
Joseph L. D'Agostino (Hershey, PA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I bought this book several months ago. And then I bought another copy for my son. After having read it, my son gave his copy to our good friend, a prison guard in the local county prison. And, after having read the book, our friend told my son that "it is as [Sgt. Miller] says it is."
After having read this book, I deleted my initial review for John Perkins "Attack Proof." No, there is nothing wrong with Perkins' book. In fact, it's categorically awesome--just like "Mediations on Violence" is! I highly recommend both, and I highly recommend that the prospective buyer buy both "Meditations" AND "Attack Proof" and read them one after the other. I removed my initial review because in that review, I recalled an incident in which I had to defend myself. I tried to briefly yet humbly relate how I had to fight to save my life, and how I defeated the huge man who attacked me. But Sgt. Miller has taught me that (1) when I wrote that, though I thought I was humble, I was not; and that (2) outside of the sports arena (i.e., with its "controlled" and "watered-down" fighting), there is no such thing as "a fair fight." Actually, outside of sports, there is no so-called "fight": it's just pure, raw "violence."
Rather than iterate what so many viewers have already said, I'd like to point out a correlation, again regarding "Meditations" and "Attack Proof." Sgt. Miller, in Section 5.5 (The Whole Enchilada) lists "Training Phase 2: Before the Assault." At this point, this is where I find John Perkins' work extremely useful. And, no, I'm not saying that Perkins (or any martial expert) has the definitive answer, but I'm saying that the average person would greatly benefit by incorporating most of John Perkins' techniques into his or her training/preparation regimen.
Specifically regarding Sgt. Miller's awesome work, well, I can say with certainty that this is a "six-star" book. If you're looking for techniques, bravado, and macho, you will not find it here. This man, 5 foot 9 inches, maybe 145 pounds--the same size as I am--is a better man than I'll ever be. The book is well worth the cover price--for the wisdom he demonstrates, the sound knowledge he shares, the huge heart that he carries under his uniform, and the humility that makes him a priceless man.
Joseph L. D'Agostino, author of "Modern Music Systems: a new perspective on music scales, clefs, and chords"
Devastating and Fascinating December 22, 2008
dmk-brooklyn (Brooklyn)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a man with rock solid credentials. He displays a deep, gritty understanding of the subject. He has a prison-yard practicality informed by biochemistry, physiology, psychology and sociology. Sounds like school but it stays real.
I like how Miller makes a distinction between the "monkey dance" of barroom/street style status-seeking and hard-core battle/massacre/psychopath-on-the-loose situations. The charts were welcome and well assembled.
The editorial review is mostly spot on. To clarify one point, the guidance as to martial arts training is mostly: -it won't help against the most deadly violent attacks-. He says, eat well and, if you find a way to condition yourself to recover quickly against surprise attacks with your assailant trying hard to kill you, let him know. Looks like Clouseau had it right.
I am glad to have such a fine communicator studying this boundary. I'll be rereading this one and looking forward to more.
Do you know what you don't know? December 20, 2008
David Becker (Tigard, OR)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Friend Rory's book Meditations On Violence has been out for several months now, and I've owed him a review the whole time. I actually had to write two reviews. The first one boiled down to "ditto what Rory said." This is review number 2, written after a second reading of the book, and I'll still say "ditto what Rory said," but hopefully I'll give you some intelligent reasons why.
I don't trust people who are sure. The smartest people know that they don't know everything.
I don't trust people who are sure, who think they have a subject all figured out, who tell you something is "simple," that you "just," have to do some simple technique. People who say these things are usually hand waving their way past all sorts of complications, and engaging in the all too human, and the quite possibly fatal, error of trying to make a nuanced, complex subject, simple.
If anybody who should be sure about his knowledge of violence, it should be Rory. He's been a Corrections Officer at a major metropolitan agency, and most importantly, he thinks and pays attention.
Rory has been in more fights than most of us have seen on television. But simply being exposed to something over and over again doesn't mean you learn from it. I've known folks with "10 years of experience" on the job who have just lived the same six months over again 20 times. Miller has the particular blend of psychological and physical skills to be good at corrections, the observant mind that it takes to learn something, and the communications skills to teach it to the rest of us.
So if anybody has the "right," to be "sure", it's Rory. But he isn't.
He freely admits the subject of violence is bigger than him. He understands classical martial arts, understands the criminal mind, and understands the kind of street violence that criminals perpetrate, but freely admits that his knowledge doesn't extend to other arenas.
That's huge. I've watched classical martial artists try to shoe horn their knowledge to fit a modern military context. Likewise, I've watched military people bend the map to get their experiences to fit a civilian self defense situation. People get the idea that being an expert in one area of violence makes them an expert in all areas of violence. Not necessarily so. All violence happens in a context, and training for one context may not work if you try to stretch that context to cover another one. Shooting skills that work for "Tier One" operators in the Hindu Kush, may not be the best thing for defending your suburban home. A martial system that was designed to help an unarmed man knock a charging attacker of his horse may need some tweaking to help you defend yourself in an alley.
But Miller knows that, which is one of the reasons why you can trust him. He starts by taking on the idea that violence has become a myth, that most of what you know about violence is wrong. This book was originally named "The Rhinoceros and the Unicorn." It seems that the people who actually saw the Rhinoceros did there best to describe it as a big, scary, gray beast with a horn, but as Miller puts it "over time and distance and by word of mouth, the reality of the rhinoceros slowly changed into the myth of the unicorn."
The problem is, of course, that the unicorn is imaginary. If you train for the unicorn, but get a rhinoceros, you're in trouble.
It doesn't take much to become a "self defense expert." I find that interesting. If I want to teach people to become doctors, I need credentials. If I want to cut hair, I need a cosmetology license, in this state. But all I need to teach people how to defend their lives is the desire and the hubris to call myself an expert. Liability insurance and some certificates with Asian looking writing on them are a plus, but not mandatory.
It's easy to train for the unicorn. It's easy to mistake an intense experience for an authentic experience. Well meaning self defense instructors train their students for the Unicorn all the time, and usually get away with it, because despite what the news will tell you, we live in a safe place. The few students that meet the Rhino may win anyway, through luck, or because they adapted very quickly, which tends to validate training for the Unicorn. The students that meet the Rhino and get gored can be dismissed as unlucky, or maybe they weren't training hard enough.
Miller will introduce you to the Rhino. All violence happens in a social context, and if you don't know the difference between a "monkey dance" and a predatory assault, if you don't have a plan for each one, you're planning for the Unicorn not the Rhino. Where most discussions go wrong is they focus on one "style," or another. Internal vs. External, Chinese vs. Japanese, whatever. This book will make you challenge your mindset, and your assumptions.
This book may be of the biggest benefit to accomplished martial artists who know nothing about violence. That seems like an oxymoron, because, the martial arts are all about violence, right? These guys really know what it's like, right?
Not necessarily so. The problem with most instruction about violence, the problem with most books written about violence, is that there is no reality test. Anybody can say anything, teach anything, and sell it to nice, well meaning folks who can afford monthly lessons, or a $15 soft cover and there are no repercussions for being wrong.
Most people that consume this information don't get into fights, and when they do, and lose, it's easy enough to write it off that they didn't "train hard enough", or even that they "got attacked wrong." I've yet to hear of anybody suing a self defense instructor or author for malpractice, but it might be a breath of fresh air for the industry.
Short of actually getting involved in a violence occupation yourself (I suggest bar bouncing for the part time dilettante), you have to depend on those who have not only actually seen the rhino, but understand what they saw, and articulate it well enough for you to learn something. That would be Miller.
The book doesn't offer easy answers to hard questions. He doesn't tell you to "just" do something simple and it will make the bad man go away. He makes it clear you might train hard, more importantly train right, and you could still loose.
If you're lucky, by the time you finish reading this book, you'll know that you don't know, which is one of the biggest gifts anyone can give you.
Changing your world view... December 9, 2008
Nicholas Guinn (Owasso, OK USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Meditations on Violence (Book)
A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence
Author: Rory Miller
Skill level: Advanced
Available from: YMAA Publication Center (www.ymaa.com)
My initial thoughts:
Meditations on Violence should be required reading for anyone planning on teaching self defense or martial arts as a form of self defense. There is a gap between the dojo and real world violence and Miller's work does a great job of bridging that gap. Cliche as it may be this literature is a true "wake up call". There is some fairly graphic imagery written into the text of this work and it is gritty and "in your face" but is needed to demonstrate that understanding violence can be a more complex issue then we think. This book is very informative and does a great job of explaining the dark side to humanity and the material is addressed in a way that should change your world view.
What you get:
The book has 180 pages divided among 7 chapters. In chapter 1 "The Matrix" the author begins the book by examining violence in a very academic way. I felt that in this way he prepares the reader for the tougher material. It is not till the end of the book that the deeper questions are asked. The psychology of training is well examined and presented as well as the mentality of the criminal and violence as it relates to predators. The author even examines the use of violence on social standing and coins a term that I for one will not soon forget. It is obvious that the author is well versed in violence and it shows in his work.
Chapter 1 The Matrix - The academic analysis of violence.
Chapter 2 How to Think - This chapter covers our assumptions on violence and how well we think we understand it. It also begins to suggest a better way of understanding real world violence.
Chapter 3 Violence - Describes the type of violence, effects of adrenaline and what Sgt Miller calls the "Chemical Cocktail". Plus the where, when, and why of violence.
Chapter 4 Predators - I for one do not have a lot of exposure to this type of information. It was also very eye opening and explained not only how but some of the why the criminal mind is not quite like ours.
Chapter 5 Training - Does a pretty good job of giving some very helpful training tips. I would have liked to see more drills and such but the author does give you a good foundation to allow the reader to examine existing martial arts lessons in a new light.
Chapter 6 Making Physical Defense Work - Stages of defense, the "Golden Rule of Combat", and effects and actions are part of how the author explains what to train for and how to make it all fit together.
Chapter 7 After - The book closes with a good chapter on some of the aftermath of both violence and the training of violence (self defense). A great chapter to end a book like this one.
My concerns:
This book is briefly graphic in both text and picture and should be a cautious read for anyone with a weak stomach. I wouldn't recommend reading this book if you are not prepared to really take a hard look into the world of violence. At least two written images the author presents had a profound effect on me and something that even though I (academically) know people are capable of this type of evil it is something else entirely to read an account from someone who has experienced it first hand.
There is some use of language but it is well placed for emphasis. From the material in the book I do not agree with the author's philosophy on life but do understand where he is coming from and the simplicity if his point of view. I recommend, as the author does, to make sure you take what is useful from his writing and seek the strength in that message but discard what you do not find useful.
Overall:
This book should be required reading for martial artists and law enforcement agents. Meditations on Violence was a great read, and very difficult to put down. The author gives us much to ponder and many lessons to incorporate into our training and lives. Although the imagery and realism of the material may be harsh and may not be the best thing for all readers. Read with caution, but read it none the less.
For $[...] this book is a must for law enforcement officers and martial artists alike, and is worth every penny.
Respectfully submitted,
Nicholas Guinn
5th Degree Aikijutsu
3rd Degree Applied Shotokan Karate
Owasso, Oklahoma, USA
Copyright 2008 by Nicholas Guinn
The Anti-Victim book November 15, 2008
Brandon Solomon (N. Va, USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Have you ever known anyone who has a blackbelt in an art, only to later get beat up? Have you noticed how the laws are written by people who understand very little about who or what will be affected by their biases? How about the times you find yourself asking about the apparent lack of sanity whenever you watch a news program about just another killing.
This book clearly defines what it is to walk the path of the scoundrel. Not only that, but it also arms you with the tools you'll need to "hopefully" survive an attack from one of these types of people.
All that aside, here's how this book affects myself. I am the captain and president of a University fight club. To remain captain, I have to answer all challenges for my spot by weeks end and in front of witnesses. The reason that I have retained this title for so long is that I bring a level of hate into the ring with me that others simply cannot aspire to. What brought my level up so high was being mugged 9 times in my life and all within the span of 2yrs (BE CAREFUL IN DC). As I adjusted to it all, I noticed a mental change within me and, for a while, I was left confused and out of control of myself but I finally have the answers to what was going on now and I honestly believe that no psych could have given me an explanation that spans every part of our society from the dregs up.
This book is refreshing in so many aspects. It is simply amazing now how many people I recognize as not having a clue about anything beyond their own protective little bubbles of existence.
Sgt. Miller even goes so far as to break down the psychological aspects behind the most ruthless minds that make up the bottom level of society. In another section of the book, the reader is encouraged to assess exits whenever they enter a room and mentally prepare themselves for escape; other mental strategies include preparing for an attack in said space which includes using cover and the environment for your resource in available weapons. Also, it is encouraged to go to a public place and pick out the weakest people in the crowd, what makes them so, what could be taken from them as well as how it could be done; the idea is to recognize what creates a visually weak victim and keep that physical behavior from being your own. Conversely, it is stated that there is always someone in the crowd looking at us to find the weakest victim and with that in mind Miller encourages us to use our intuition and not your brains to pick out those people.
Overall, this book is an amazing resource for what was, until now, an unexplainable subject. Every law maker should read this book before attempting to create the rules by which society is governed. The best quote in this book is, "It is a mistake in self-defense and it is possibly a greater mistake when people try to write law or policy to deal with crime."
Reading the book was tough in some areas due to the author's lack of an editor to smooth out some sentences, but that wasnt a deal breaker and I am pleased to say that I endured. Another thing I noticed while reading this book was that it felt as if I were reading a diary. In fact, it wouldnt surprise me if this book were the author's work journal and later he decided to seek a publisher.. In any area of combat or simple mental preparation, this book is a must.
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