Fair Fight? Not likely. Least of all from a criminal who is looking to make a quick profit at your expense. A sad fact is that weapon-wielding thugs victimize 1,773,000 citizens every year in the United States alone. Even martial artists are not immune from this deadly threat. Consequently, self-defense training that does not consider the very real possibility of an armed attack is dangerously incomplete. Whether you live in the city or countryside, you should be both mentally and physically prepared to deal with an unprovoked armed assault at any time. Preparation must be comprehensive enough to account for the plethora of pointy objects, blunt instruments, explosive devices, and deadly projectiles that someday could be used against you. This extensive book teaches proven survival skills that can keep you safe on the street. A multitude of real-life scenarios and case studies analyzing violent encounters will help you to internalize this crucial knowledge. Contents include:   Awareness - Avoidance - De-escalation - Countervailing force - Armed conflict - Managing the aftermath of violence - Weapon features and functions If you are serious about self-defense this book is for you. Everyone, including experienced martial artists, security and law enforcement professionals, and concerned citizens will benefit from this vital information. "Surviving Armed Assaults is a terrific addition to any serious library of self defense books… I'll be drawing on some of the lessons learned here in future John Rain books." -- Barry Eisler, best-selling author John Rain series “The de-escalation and survival skills in this book will set your feet on the right path and put your head in the right place so you don't become a shocking headline in your local paper, or a lead story on the six o'clock news.” -- Kris Wilder, best selling martial arts author “What an excellent contribution to the community! This book will be an invaluable resource for anyone walking the warrior's path, and anyone who is interested in this vital topic.” -- Lt. Col Dave Grossman, Director, Killology Research Group "Surviving Armed Assaults: A Martial Artist's Guide to Weapons, Street Violence, & Countervailing Force gets to the heart of martial arts applications and safety issues, providing an entire book which focuses on proven survival skills, from awareness and avoidance to de-escalation tactics and countervailing force. In having more than just a collection of moves on hand, it encourages survival by all ways possible, making this an outstanding addition any martial arts collection must have." -- James A Cox, Editor-in-Chief, the Midwest Book Review Lawrence is the best-selling author of nine books. A founding technical consultant to University of New Mexico’s Institute of Traditional Martial Arts, he also has written numerous articles on martial arts, self-defense, and related topics for prestigious publications such as the International Ryukyu Karate-jutsu Research Society Journal, Jissen, Fighting Arts, and Traditional Karate magazine. Since 1970, Lawrence has studied and taught traditional Asian martial arts, medieval European combat, and modern close-quarter weapon techniques. During the 26 years he worked stadium security part-time he was involved in hundreds of violent altercations, but got paid to watch football. He is currently a senior strategist at an aerospace company where he gets to play with billions of dollars of other people’s money and make really important decisions. He lives in Seattle, Washington with his son Joey and wife Julie. Loren W. Christensen began his law enforcement career in 1967 as a Military Policeman (Army). He joined the Portland (Oregon) Police Bureau in 1972, retiring in 1997. During his years on PPB, he worked street patrol, child abuse, dignitary protection, Intelligence, street gangs, and in the training unit. Christensen began training in the martial arts in 1965. Over the years he has earned a total of 11 black belts, eight in karate, two in jujitsu and one in arnis. As a professional writer since 1978, he has written 45 books, dozens of magazine articles, and edited a police newspaper for eight years. He has written about martial arts, missing children, street gangs, school shootings, workplace violence, police-involved shootings, nutrition, exercise, prostitution, and various street subcultures. Loren was inducted into the martial arts Masters Hall of Fame in 2011. Loren W. Christensen resides near Portland Oregon.