The Science of Takedowns, Throws & Grappling for Self-Defense

his book: "The Science of Takedowns, Throws & Grappling for Self-Defense" is one of the many books that I haven't had the time to sit down and fully read yeat. Unfortunately I would like to add, because it do look great. It comes highly recommended by Loren W. Christensen, and that is good enough for me. Some of the books by and with Christensen are: "Timing in the Fighting Arts - Your Guide to Winning in the Ring and Surviving on the Street" (together with Wim Demeere), "Fighter's Fact Book: Over 400 concepts, principles & Drills to Make You a Better Fighter", and "On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and Peace" (together with Dave Grossman). Martina Sprague has also written "Fighting Science: The Law of Physics for Martial Artists". I gather that when someone has understood the principles of push/pull, and can manage to explain it in plain English like Sprague does here, then the book can't be bad!

The book is a systematic, technical and highly thorough description of the mechanics and principles behind takedowns and throws. It also covers (as suggested by the title) the grappling part. not so much as in groundwork, but rather from a self-defense perspective.

The principles that are covered is important stuff like momentum, push/pull, maintaining and breaking balance, positioning, reach (distance), zones, leverage, timing, cirkular and linear patterns of movement, force, mass and more. In other word most of the things that we here have been trying to pinpoint in our teaching for year. We feel that this is the basis of having strong, functional, quality based methods. I will dare to suggest that you are searching a lot in the dark if you do not know the working pricipals behing the techniques.

Through the different chapters the author describes (in text as well as pictures), how to take someone down by using the opponents arms, legs, hands and head. You will also be able to read about the use of weapons, like a stick, to take someone to the ground.

Sprague also covers disractions (like "softening") to be able to get in to and execute a technique. There is a whole chapter dedicated to using throws and takedowns in self-defense, and you will find great point on locking and restraining. Roundin up the book you will find analysis of various scenarios and self-defense situations. A great pedagogical aid in this book is that it also show you things that may go wrong in a given situation and in using a particular method.

This is the kind of book that self-defenss and martial arts teachers and students alike should read and re-read! Christensen expresses it this way: "(...) you not only get your money's worth many times over, but you gain knowledge about the many aspects of the grappling arts that will overlap to all new techniques you learn in the future". What can I say, but to go and get it! The book is close to 300 pages long, so you will be occupied for quite some time here...

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