Michael Janich has trained SF vets, police and street fighters in the techniques of knife fighting for years. Now this highly successful, comprehensive instruction is available to the average soldier, martial artist or defense-minded citizen who is interested in developing the practical skills required for today's combative streets.
An excellent book that should be in any martial artist's library. Brief and concise, it educates without overwhelming, which I believe is the most solid approach for teaching something as dangerous as knife fighting. As a practitioner of Bandalan Doce Pares Eskrima, I found everything taught in this book to be familiar, and greatly enjoyed reading it, as it gives me another vision of the martial framework which I have trained in for years that will enable me to teach, train others in, and use myself. Janich obviously has a very sound background in FMA (Filipino Martial Arts), though his approach is the egilitarian education of the average citizen in the fostering of a perception, understanding, and means of training that could very well save his or her life. It is an interesting time for me to read this, as am reading Rex Applegate's extremely important combat manual "Kill or Get Killed" now as well, and Janich's critiques of some of his knife fighting claims (the saber grip vs. the "Filipino grip") make a lot of sense.
The experienced martial artist will enjoy it, and it is an excellent introduction for the neophyte or beginning practitioner.
I read this after learning a knife kata. Reading this made me understand and appreciate the kata in ways I wouldn't have otherwise. I also suggest reading, in conjunction with this, the Way of Kata.