Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsThis Is What You Need To Know Yesterday...
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2017
I read through the whole book today and found it a great refresher to what I already know. I'll be honest from the get-go - I didn't spend my money on Tim Larkin's daring book for the true, essential, information packed inside it. I bought it to publicly support the author in his mission of preparing good people to be able to even the odds if/when they find themselves facing imminent danger.
Eleven years ago, after being responsible for taking care of two young nephews on a two-day long road trip, it hit me that I wouldn't know exactly what I would need to do if they ever needed my protection. Until then I had always been able to remove myself from threats before situations escalated because I was aware of the social dynamics coming into play earlier than most and I have never been the type to look for trouble. However, when you have to look after another person you can't always get to safety. I started searching and eventually found Tim online and ordered a set of his self-protection training dvds.
The principles Tim taught then haven't changed. They do require the mental/emotional shift to understanding violence as being a tool available to anybody when it's what is needed to survive. They are true, simple, and easy to absorb and to recall.
Two years later I was fortunate to be able to attend a live two-day training with Tim when he was "Down Under". Totally worthwhile experience because 1) getting on the mats with other students and training the "slow" TFT way really got me "dialled in" as I've never been able to find a training partner here in NZ. 2) It was neat to finally meet Tim - one of the most humble, kind, helpful, guys you will ever meet. A true gentleman is someone who chooses to be gentle not someone who is because gentle is the only option they have. Too many good men in our society today don't know how to use violence successfully to protect the vulnerable from the asocial predators. If that is you, like it was me once, then grab this book and learn how to change that. It does NOT take years of martial arts training. It takes a couple hours of learning the principles and basic physics that every successful act of violence (whether done by a criminal or a hero) is built on.
The message of this book is super controversial in these idealistic politically correct times when most of the powers-that-be don't want the average Joe or Jane Citizen to have access to this sort of knowledge. Information that every person should have available to them. This information has not made me a violent person. Rather it has helped me to dump the silly fight fantasies so many of us carry around from watching un-realistic movie fight scenes etc. True violence is always to be avoided unless you absolutely can't avoid it. Tim talks a lot about how to know when that is going down. I worked in development in a more dangerous part of the world for ten years and never had any real problems because although I am bigger than average I would never be found anywhere sketchy late at night with a couple drinks in me. Over there I observed twice that untrained, unarmed, normally peaceful, people can kill hardened criminals when put in a kill-or-be-killed situation if they get to make the first injury. This is why I chose Tim's training over the other options so long ago. It makes absolute sense because that's how things go down in the real world.
Overall Tim's dvds and books have given me a more peace-filled existence. How so? 1) I understand that avoidable ego-driven fights can unintentionally turn fatal so easily and quickly because we are all equally vulnerable to serious injury - so I won't be baited into a fight. 2) the knowledge I have about what it takes to use violence successfully means I don't need to carry a weapon to be effective. This gives me unspoken confidence - not the kind that looks for trouble but the kind that crims know to not mess with if they have easier options.
Whether you are male or female, young or old, you too can possess that sense of responsible assurance. But only if you understand what you must do when violence is the only answer. I hope to never find myself in such a situation but if I do I have the right software installed in my brain. Thanks Tim!
