When Violence Is the Answer: Learning How to Do What It Takes When Your Life Is at Stake

I read through the whole book today and found it a great refresher to what I already know. I'll be honest from the get-go - I didn't spend my money on Tim Larkin's daring book for the true, essential, information packed inside it. I bought it to publicly support the author in his mission of preparing good people to be able to even the odds if/when they find themselves facing imminent danger.Eleven years ago, after being responsible for taking care of two young nephews on a two-day long road trip, it hit me that I wouldn't know exactly what I would need to do if they ever needed my protection. Until then I had always been able to remove myself from threats before situations escalated because I was aware of the social dynamics coming into play earlier than most and I have never been the type to look for trouble. However, when you have to look after another person you can't always get to safety. I started searching and eventually found Tim online and ordered a set of his self-protection training dvds.The principles Tim taught then haven't changed. They do require the mental/emotional shift to understanding violence as being a tool available to anybody when it's what is needed to survive. They are true, simple, and easy to absorb and to recall.Two years later I was fortunate to be able to attend a live two-day training with Tim when he was "Down Under". Totally worthwhile experience because 1) getting on the mats with other students and training the "slow" TFT way really got me "dialled in" as I've never been able to find a training partner here in NZ. 2) It was neat to finally meet Tim - one of the most humble, kind, helpful, guys you will ever meet. A true gentleman is someone who chooses to be gentle not someone who is because gentle is the only option they have. Too many good men in our society today don't know how to use violence successfully to protect the vulnerable from the asocial predators. If that is you, like it was me once, then grab this book and learn how to change that. It does NOT take years of martial arts training. It takes a couple hours of learning the principles and basic physics that every successful act of violence (whether done by a criminal or a hero) is built on.The message of this book is super controversial in these idealistic politically correct times when most of the powers-that-be don't want the average Joe or Jane Citizen to have access to this sort of knowledge. Information that every person should have available to them. This information has not made me a violent person. Rather it has helped me to dump the silly fight fantasies so many of us carry around from watching un-realistic movie fight scenes etc. True violence is always to be avoided unless you absolutely can't avoid it. Tim talks a lot about how to know when that is going down. I worked in development in a more dangerous part of the world for ten years and never had any real problems because although I am bigger than average I would never be found anywhere sketchy late at night with a couple drinks in me. Over there I observed twice that untrained, unarmed, normally peaceful, people can kill hardened criminals when put in a kill-or-be-killed situation if they get to make the first injury. This is why I chose Tim's training over the other options so long ago. It makes absolute sense because that's how things go down in the real world.Overall Tim's dvds and books have given me a more peace-filled existence. How so? 1) I understand that avoidable ego-driven fights can unintentionally turn fatal so easily and quickly because we are all equally vulnerable to serious injury - so I won't be baited into a fight. 2) the knowledge I have about what it takes to use violence successfully means I don't need to carry a weapon to be effective. This gives me unspoken confidence - not the kind that looks for trouble but the kind that crims know to not mess with if they have easier options.Whether you are male or female, young or old, you too can possess that sense of responsible assurance. But only if you understand what you must do when violence is the only answer. I hope to never find myself in such a situation but if I do I have the right software installed in my brain. Thanks Tim!

I do not like violence. But when 9/11 happened, I knew I did not want to be a passenger on one of the three planes that were flown into public buildings with great loss of life; I wanted to be one of the passengers on Flight 93 who fought back. They lost their lives, but did not allow their airplane to be used to massacre thousands more innocent lives.So knowing that karate black belts are awesome fighters (thank you, Chuck Norris!), I started working on a black belt. As I came up to my black belt exam, I realized I still didn't have any idea how to take down a terrorist in an airplane. Perhaps primitive Okinawan karate would have taught this kind of thing, but karate as generally practiced in the USA does not. So I started searching through dozens of other options, finally going to one of Tim Larkins' Target Focus Training seminars with my deputy sheriff son-in-law. After 2 1/2 days of training, we walked out knowing exactly what to do to take down a terrorist in an airplane!This book is that weekend seminar printed and bound, and able to be read in the comfort of your own home. It will not turn you into a testosterone-driven mad man. It will not make you a homicidal felon. It will simply give you the principles you can use to effectively protect yourself and your loved ones in the event of having your life threatened by a violent felon. You will need to do some training, and the training process is deeply explained in the book. For more specifics on the training, search the web for Target Focus Training's series of DVDs.This is the real deal. It is based on very effective principles, and can be used by the largest man or smallest woman. I highly recommend the book and the DVDs.And I still hate violence!

Tim Larkin often says that violence is usually not the answer, but when it is, it is the only answer.I’ve listened to several of his interviews, watched several of his videos, and read more than one of his books. His message is consistent. 99 percent of conflicts are what he calls “antisocial.” The schoolyard bully. The angry red neck. The drunk guy at the bar. These all can and should be avoided. Violence is not the answer to these encounters. The answer is to stay polite and walk away.What about the other 1%? These are asocial encounters. We’ve moved beyond “monkey politics,” as Larkin calls it. There’s no communication. There’s no social posturing. There’s only a predator, and he intends to get what he wants regardless of what he has to do. Your life, or your family member’s life, is at stake. You can’t talk your way out. You can’t run. Now is when violence is the answer.If you’ve read Larkin’s other books, you won’t find a lot that is new here A slightly different focus, maybe, but the same basic message. But if you haven’t read any of his writings, I highly recommend this one as it is the most up to date.Another note: this book is not full of self-defense techniques. There are general principals, but not specific techniques. As Larkin says, this is not martial arts. You don’t have to know a fancy technique to cause serious injury using just your body.There is a lot of good information in this book—information that could save a life. I read it with interest, and I’m sure I’ll read it again.

Not quite what I expected the book to be. I was expecting to learn about techniques and methodology for self-defense. Really the whole book is about changing your mindset about violence from incomprehensible to a tool. Which makes sense, I'm sure a lot of people need help wrapping their minds around the idea that sometimes the only way to survive is with violence as your ally. The book is very well footnoted, which I appreciate. It just wasn't the training book I thought it was and now it feels a bit like I bought an infomercial because I get all kinds of emails and offers to attend the very expensive training classes or watch the training videos the author has made.

Many people react very adversely to the idea that they should ever inflict violence on another human being - especially if they have never been attacked. Tim Larkin is a perfectly law-abiding socially and personally responsible person. He just happens to be a tough guy as well, who would rather that you survived, than that you lay in the gutter in a pool of blood while the thug went off with your wallet (or just with the psychopathic victory of having dominated and hurt you) - and that you then returned to being a normal civilized person. If you agree - that violence, like a nuclear deterrent, is a last resort, but one that is unfortunate and has to be available in an occasionally ruthless and sometimes unreasonable and violent world - then this book (and/or training courses with Target Focus Training) is for you.

Trouble will at some point find you. Learn how to analyse the situation, acknowledge when there is no other option but to resort to violence and do so effectively.This is NOT a book on fighting techniques although they do get a mention, it is the psychology of violence and how to master the storm when it hits.

This book teaches how to use the tool of violence when, and only when, it is the only option to surviive a violent aggression, helping you to distinguish the situationsof "social violence" in which your ego cold make you behave like a stupid and you can, and must, definitely avoid violence instead

This book is a reflection of the sign of the times. As society breaks down even more it seems that the individual will no longer be able to depend on the law, and will therefore need as much help to protect themselves. This book is a start of that help.

Tim Larkin's system is based around principles, not a list of responses to different situations. I would not refer to it as 'self defence', there is no intention to enter into a fight, you are training to cause massive, disrupting damage. There is no posturing, you just get to work. Definitely something I would recommend.

Good audio book

Excellent book

Empresário desde cedo, lutador de Karatê por mais de 10 anos, já tive que me deparar com agressividade e assaltos com arma na cabeça. Não me assusta nem me intimida, mas é preciso perceber a hora de evitar o confronto e a hora que é necessário o confronto. Sempre melhor evitar, mas quando o objetivo do inimigo é promover danos seja qual for nossa reação... nesta hora nossa vida esta em jogo. Melhor saber o que e como fazer. Espero que nunca aconteça mas... se tivermos que enfrentar um predador... saber como agir pode ser a única chance... Uma faca pode ser mais perigosa que um 45...

WHEN VIOLENCE IS THE ANSWER beinhaltet sicherlich einige unangenehme Gedankengänge zur „herkömmlichen“ Sichtweise von Gewalt und wie man ihr am effektivsten begegnet – und das diese Gedankengänge unangenehm sind macht sie nun einmal als solches nicht falsch.Ob man dem Autor Tim Larkin nach der Lektüre nun beipflichtet oder nicht, Gedanken zu den in diesem Buch dargestellten Themen sollten sich Alle an Gewaltprävention, Selbstverteidigung und Kampfkunst Interessierten definitiv machen. Viele hier adressierten Probleme sind schlichtweg zu wichtig, um einfach abgetan werden.Keine Frage, in diesem Buch werden mitunter Thesen aufgestellt, denen man am liebsten aus Prinzip widersprechen möchte... schließlich wird fast allen von uns beigebracht, das Gewalt nie eine Lösung sein sollte und allenfalls nur zur Selbstverteidigung in klar erkannten Notfällen zum Einsatz kommen darf.So weit, so gut – hieran ist für Larkin auch per se nichts „falsch“, das Problem dieser Sichtweise ist halt nur, dass Jeder dennoch jederzeit Opfer von Gewalt werden kann, und diese Mentalität dann sehr gefährlich ist und einem Aggressor massiv in die Karten spielt… und mitunter eine effektive Verteidigung (egal auf welche Weise diese Verteidigung funktioniert) fast unmöglich macht. Für Larkin ist die herkömmliche Perspektive zur Gewalt ironischerweise die wirksamste Waffe im Arsenal gefährlicher Schlägern und anderer Krimineller.Gerade bei dem, was Larkin hier treffend als asoziale Gewalt bezeichnet (in Abgrenzung zur sozialen Gewalt, für deren Prävention auch Larkin primär gewaltfreie Lösungen propagiert) macht halt für den Autor die Mentalität und die Einstellung zur Gewalt als solche einen kritischen Unterschied – welche mitunter buchstäblich über Leben und Tod entscheidet.Natürlich muss man nach Lektüre von WHEN VIOLENCE IS THE ANSWER nicht zu einem Killer mutieren… aber laut Larkin beinhaltet die herkömmliche Perspektive zur Gewalt und dem Schutz vor Gewalt einige sehr artifizielle und schlichtweg mitunter komplett unrealistische Ideen, welche in der Praxis leider kläglich versagen, mit in aller Regel katastrophalen Resultaten.Nach Ansicht des Autors schützen auch aufwändiges Kampfkunsttraining oder andere Selbstschutz-Maßnahmen nur sehr bedingt vor diesen katastrophalen Resultaten, solange sich die Perspektive zur Gewalt nicht ändert.WHEN VIOLENCE IS THE ANSWER liest sich bei all dem flüssig, und festzustellen ist auch, dass Tim Larkin seine Thesen mit schlüssigen Argumenten untermauern kann. Es mangelt dem Autor sicherlich nicht an Selbstvertrauen und markigen Sprüchen – aber gleichzeitig ist Larkin zu Gute zu halten, dass er durchaus stringent argumentiert.Ohne Frage ist dies ein Buch, welches für einige Kontroversen gesorgt hat und sicherlich auch noch sorgen wird. Genau deswegen würde ich die Lektüre jedem an praktischer Selbstverteidigung und Gewaltprävention Interessiertem dringend empfehlen.Von mir gibt es 5 Sterne – ein Buch, welches man kennen sollte, mit vielen interessanten Gedankengängen.

Tim Larkin unterscheidet in seinem englisch sprachigen Buch zwischen sozialer und asozialer Aggressionen. Im ersten Fall ist Deeskalation angesagt, im zweiten -potentiell tödlichen - ist Gewalt die Antwort. Dieses Buch beschäftigt sich mit der Einstellung zur Gewalt und was wir von Gewalttätern diesbezüglich lernen können.Unterm Strich ein sehr interessantes Buch, interessant geschrieben und auch gut lesbar.

An absolute necessity for ANYONE who is concerned about protecting yourself from someone who wants to hurt you. Tim's long military and professional experience in dealing with predators and victims of violence helped him to refine his teaching technique into a simple to learn set of lessons that require a weekend of your time when you pay his instructors a personal visit and will stay with you for the rest of your life. This book goes a long way to peeling back our attitudes towards violence until we get to the simple core of violence. Violence happens anytime, anywhere and the biggest difference between surviving and being killed is the proper attitude. Once you accept violence is the only answer to violence, if you want to live, the rest of the training is a simple wake up call to recognize you need to put all your force into the same areas of the body that are vulnerable IN ALL OF US. Tim knows those areas and will show you quickly how to show the predator that you are no victim. He will teach you how to focus in on whatever target is suddenly available to you and smash it. Your simple lessons will come back to you, even years later, and you will know in an instant reaction where to strike to create a debilitating injury that will stop the attack and save your life.

This book brings up a topic one would like to ignore. What will I do when I am in a life or death situation? Will I be able to defend myself and my loved ones in a way that does not guarantee defeat from the start? I just hope I will never be in such a situation. An important read because everyone should think about that and make an informed decision about their willingness of self defense - one way or the other.

El arma mas importante la tenemos entre las dos orejas, es nuestro cerebro. En eso se basa el libro, es un libro de defensa personal, pero desde la piscología. Lo recomiendo.

If you value your life or those that you love, this book is a necessary read. No nonsense straight to the point narrative on the mental aspects of surviving a violent encounter.

A great book for the times, very informative. It comes with an accompanying video presentation. Overall the package prepares a person for dangerous situations if they should occur. Better to be prepared than critically injured in a life threatening confrontation with a criminal.