You're leaving a bar when you're cornered by three angry men. What do you do? Your hands shake, your breath shortens-this is the moment most self-defense classes fail to prepare you for. Based on a harrowing real-life encounter and over 30 years of experience as a law enforcement tactical agent and martial arts master, Ben Poller teaches that true self-defense starts long before the first punch is thrown. This book dives into the critical mental aspects of controlling stress, reading pre-attack cues, and using verbal "Jedi mind tricks" to de-escalate chaos. It moves beyond sport techniques to the gritty, effective concepts needed for the uneven terrain of a real street fight-where there are no rules, referees, or tapping out. "Street Self-Defense: Concepts" provides a foundational toolkit, from managing fear and avoiding corners to executing vital escapes from holds, strikes, and ground attacks. Poller emphasizes the "why" behind each technique, ensuring you can adapt under pressure. This isn't about winning a fight; it's about surviving one and getting home safe. Perfect for fans of the practical wisdom in Rory Miller's "Meditations on Violence" or anyone seeking actionable skills from a definitive authority. Ben Poller is a retired Special Agent with the Wisconsin Department of Justice, where he served for 24 years as a founding member of the tactical team and a master defensive tactics instructor. A fourth-degree black belt in Blue Dragon Martial Arts and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu purple belt, he has over three decades of combined experience in martial arts, law enforcement, and real-world violent encounters. Now through his company, Close Quarter Survival Tactics, and as an instructor at Madison College, he dedicates himself to teaching proven, practical self-defense concepts to civilians. He lives in Wisconsin.