Scaling Force: Dynamic Decision Making Under Threat of Violence Author: Visit Amazon's Rory Miller Page | Language: English | ISBN:
1594392501 | Format: EPUB
Scaling Force: Dynamic Decision Making Under Threat of Violence Description
From the Author
Praise for Scaling Force:"If you are serious about learning self-protection, and not indulging some testosterone fuelled, celluloid inspired fantasy, then you need a much wider skill set than most appreciate." -- Iain Abernethy, 6th Dan; British Combat Association Hall of Fame Member"Both Kane and Miller have hundreds of hands-on violent encounters under their belts. They understand the importance of knowing the legal restrictions of force, how to judge the danger, how to choose the right response level, how to articulate those choices and how to navigate the trap-filled aftermath of violence." --Marc MacYoung (nononsenseselfdefense.com) "This book is one of the best I've read about the challenges you'll face. Kane and Miller have been there, done that and have the t-shirt. And they're giving you their lessons learned without requiring you to pay the fee in blood they had to in order to learn them. And that is priceless." -- M. Guthrie, Federal Air Marshal"This is an incredible book that I will insist all my martial arts and firearms students read. It will undoubtedly save lives and hopefully much anguish."-- Ron Breines, Kyoshi, certified firearms/self defense tactical instructor"If you're serious about learning how the application of physical force works --before, during and after the fact--I cannot recommend this book highly enough."-- Lieutenant Jon Lupo, New York State Police"When do you walk away from an insult, try to talk down the angry drunk, take a baseball bat to an intruder, shoot an armed robber? With exercises and anecdotes, Scaling Force explores the motivations, the decision spectrum and the consequences, because there are always consequences."-- Julie Van Dielen, Law Enforcement Training Resources (letrainingresources.com)"Let Kane and Miller, two veterans of countless down-and-dirty confrontations, give you the edge to survive a dangerous situation."-- Loren W. Christensen, 8th dan black belt, author (lwcbooks.com)"Kane and Miller have written a book that provides much more than a cursory look at some very important elements regarding violence. Scaling Force not only provides tools on how to deal with violence, but also when and to what level you should deal with violence." -- Alain Burrese, J.D., attorney, author, former U.S. Army sniper instructor (aikiproductions.com) "While instruction on the mechanics and techniques of self defense and deadly force is readily available from multiple sources, this book gives you so much more. Take advantage of the information compiled from hundreds of case studies to better prepare yourself if the day comes when you have to make that 'life changing' decision." -- Tracy Getty, Certified Firearms Instructor From the Back Cover
Use too much force and you are going to jail.
Use too little force and you're in for a world of hurt.
Conflict and violence cover a broad range of behaviors, from intimidation to murder, and they require an equally broad range of responses. A kind word will not resolve all situations, nor will wristlocks, punches, or even a gun.
In
Scaling Force, the authors introduce you to the full range of options, from skillfully doing nothing to applying deadly force. They realistically guide you through understanding the limits of each type of force, when specific levels may be appropriate, the circumstances under which you may have to apply them, and the potential cost, legally and personally, of your decision.
- Level 1: Presence. Staving off violence using body language alone.
- Level 2: Voice. Verbally de-escalating conflict before physical methods become necessary.
- Level 3: Touch. Defusing an impending threat or gaining compliance via touch.
- Level 4: Empty-Hand Restraint. Controlling a threat through pain or forcing compliance through leverage.
- Level 5: Less-Lethal Force. Incapacitating a threat while minimizing the likelihood of fatality or permanent injury.
- Level 6: Lethal Force. Stopping a threat with techniques or implements likely to cause death or grievous bodily harm.
It is vital to enter this scale at the right level, and to articulate why what you did was appropriate. If you do not know how to succeed at all six levels there are situations in which you will have no appropriate options. More often than not, that will end badly.
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- Paperback: 342 pages
- Publisher: Ymaa Publication Center (October 16, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1594392501
- ISBN-13: 978-1594392504
- Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
- Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Before I was a journalist, I was a police officer. I graduated from a police academy and had a 4.0 in criminal justice for almost two years. This book is fantastic for cops and security guards, but more so for anyone who wants to learn about self-protection. ANY good martial artist will tell you the best way to win a fight is to walk away from it. Sometimes you don't get that option. This is where this book comes in -- Rory and Lawrence tell you HOW to recognize the signs (breathing rates, talking/not talking, posture, etc.) that signal potential violence.
If you're not familiar with the concept of the "victim interview," they do an excellent job describing what that is and how to avoid passing the interview! Essentially bad guys will test potential victims (mugging, rape, assault etc) by testing (interviewing) them first. They may ask you for change, or the time. They may walk too close and see if you stop and confront them... Just as sharks will "bump" a swimmer to determine if they can attack with success, human sharks will do the same, subtly evaluating or "interviewing" you to see if you'll fight back, or lay down and give up. DISCLAIMER: I interviewed Lawrence about this very issue several years ago and that's how I know him. He sent me this book to review since that's what I do now, (in addition to being a ghostwriter).
What makes this such a "hard to put down," book is that both Rory and Lawrence obviously draw on their history of personal encounters and experience with violence and responses to it. I LOVE the case studies, the "actual event" descriptions and the way they use actual incidents to explain the concepts they're teaching. Just a fun read even if you don't do anything with it. You'll learn stuff just by reading.
Another great book by two outstanding authors. Rory Miller ("Meditations on Violence") and Lawrence A. Kane ("Little Black Book of Violence") bring together their combined expertise in dealing with the ugly realities of violence into another book that has the potential to make the world a better place. That may sound like a grandiose claim, but if a few people read this and learn how to avoid/diffuse/walk away from/survive a violent encounter, well, there will be some police officers, EMT's, coroners, spouses, and children whose days won't be ruined by needless bloodshed. The only ones who stand to lose from the publication of this book are the lawyers who line their pockets through representing folks caught in violent encounters.
The book begins with about 50 pages of material that will be familiar to those who have read earlier works by Miller and Kane. This is an abbreviated introduction to different types of violence, situational awareness, and the "legal ramifications of violence." For a fuller treatment of this material, one should read the works by the authors cited above. And for those who have already read them, it's a good reminder of some important principles. As the book makes clear regarding physical self-defense, it's not good enough to learn something once and think you've got it down. So, while this section isn't new, it's time well spent reviewing it.
The remainder of the book takes the reader through their 6 levels of responses to potential or actual violence: presence, voice, touch, empty-hand restraint, less-lethal force, lethal force. Each level is explored thoroughly, with plenty of real-world examples, to offer a realistic assessment of what can (should?) be done in different situations to keep oneself as safe as possible.
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