Author: Steve Collins
ISBN No: 9781 916 190009
Review date: 23/04/2024
No of pages: 120
Publisher: 5T Publishing
Publisher URL:
www.5TPublishing.com
Year of publication: 09/01/2020
Brief:
Controlled Indignation
price
£18.99
On facing the cover of Steve Collins’ wise and enjoyable latest book, I dwelt on the sub-title, ‘60 years of observations on personal protection and self-defence’. Unless Steve began in the cradle, how could he be old enough for that to be true?! I was shocked to read, early in, that he’s 70. Clearly work as a safety trainer – he’s been in these pages over the years, for example with his REACT training system and work-book – is good for you. Although, as photos from his past show, he once did have more hair, and less grey hair, than now; as indeed we all did.
The production values of this hardback are high, as you would expect from a man who went to art college and worked for years in advertising. The book is part memoir, including his now eight decades in martial arts, and part re-cap of his situational awareness and other counter-violence training. It’s about avoiding confrontation whenever you can, but defending yourself if you have to (‘slaps, rakes and finger jabs are much more effective and versatile than punches’).
Among the plentiful good sense here is the point that violent people give off signals (‘their body will literally betray their intent’). Yet victims often don’t see the danger signs, or if they do, they ignore them; or do see them, but not for what they are. Steve says perceptively that most of us learn self-defence in ‘a sterile environment’, the proverbial church hall on a weekday evening. Martial arts are not self-defence which are not fighting. In reality, a street attacker ‘is not going to give you a chance to use all that good stuff you were shown in the gym’. As Steve lays out, ‘survival against habitually violent people has less to do with physical prowess than knowing how to spot when someone is trying to set you up for a sucker punch’. To sum up; Steve’s methods are for avoiding fighting; and if your efforts fail and you do face a violent attack, his simple tactics can help.
Visit www.ps5.com.
