Book: Meditations on 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.

AUTHOR(S)

In the course of a week almost everything in my biography is wrong. I’m no longer a tactical team leader, no longer a sergeant working for a corrections agency in the northwest. Just Rory Miller, citizen. Citizen on his way to Iraq. To teach what I have been doing for the last seventeen years in a new place, a new culture, with a new language barrier. I’ve been stuck for a couple of years wondering what the next steps were on my path. This looks like it. This will be very cool.

REVIEWS

Detective Sgt. Tony Urena, SWAT sniper, 6th dan, narcotics officer

"A must read book for LEO’s, Martial Artists...highly recommend!"

Iain Abernethy, 5th dan, Member of Combat Hall of Fame

“One of the best books on self-protection ever written! Outstanding!”

Loren Christensen, 7th dan, Police Officer, author

“A fresh voice writing from the trenches on the realities of real fighting. Listen to him!”

Robert Carver, 6th dan, USMC Ret.

“A stark look into the real world [of violence]. Highly recommended!”

Steve Barnes, author, martial artist

“It’s the real thing!”