Rory Miller – Meditations on Violence

A Comparison of Martial Arts Training and Real-World Violence. Experienced
martial artist and veteran correction officer Sgt. Rory Miller distills
what he has learned from jailhouse brawls, tactical operations and
ambushes to explore the differences between martial arts and the subject
martial arts were designed to deal with: Violence. Sgt. Miller
introduces the myths, metaphors and expectations that most martial
artists have about what they will ultimately learn in their dojo. This
is then compared with the complexity of the reality of violence.
Complexity is one of the recurring themes throughout this work. Section
Two examines how to think critically about violence, how to evaluate
sources of knowledge and clearly explains the concepts of strategy and
tactics. Sections Three and Four focus on the dynamics of
violence itself and the predators who perpetuate it. Drawing on hundreds
of encounters and thousands of hours spent with criminals Sgt. Miller
explains the types of violence; how, where, when and why it develops;
the effects of adrenaline; how criminals think, and even the effects of
drugs and altered states of consciousness in a fight. Section
Five centers on training for violence, and adapting your present
training methods to that reality. It discusses the pros and cons of
modern and ancient martial arts training and gives a unique insight into
early Japanese kata as a military training method. Section Six
is all about how to make self-defense work. Miller examines how to look
at defense in a broader context, and how to overcome some of your own
subconscious resistance to meeting violence with violence. The
last section deals with the aftermath―the cost of surviving sudden
violence or violent environments, how it can change you for good or bad.
It gives advice for supervisors and even for instructors on how to help
a student/survivor. You’ll even learn a bit about enlightenment.