Taiji Quan, 48 Formas Book

Dead or Alive
by Geof Thompson


Originally published in 1996 by highly respected martial artist and former 'bouncer' Geoff Thompson, this is the new edition which came out in 2004.

Thompson's a man who's been there and done it, so is well qualified to write a book of this type. The first part of the book deals with avoidance and awareness, attackers and attack rituals and fear control. Basically telling you how to avoid trouble, which is the ultimate aim. This is not alway's possible, and Thompson then moves onto the more physical aspects.Moving through 'the fence concept' onto fighting,weapon defence [which is mainly written by the late Peter Robins of S.T.A.B [Strategy and Tactics Against Blades],multiple attackers, aftermath, first aid and a useful, interesting chapter on self-defence and the law. Thompson covers it all and leaves no stone unturned. There's also an interesting chapter on real case histories, where some proper scumbags are interviewed, giving you a bit of a chilling insight into their way of thinking. An excellent read which I would recommend to anyone, as you never know when you may need one of the subjects covered in this book.