The Science of Takedowns, Throws & Grappling for Self-Defense

by Martina Sprague

The odds are, if you are attacked on the street you will have to defend yourself against a bigger, stronger assailant. When this happens, strength alone will not be enough to stop your attacker. This... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1880336804
• ISBN13: 9781880336809
• Release Date: July 2010
• Publisher: Turtle Press
• Length: 268 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 7.1" x 10.1"

Customer Reviews

Excellent text for a beginner, intermediate or advanced student

One of the difficult problems confronting authors writing books on martial arts is how to handle the wide range of audiences. This books ignores that problem by focusing on the concepts themselves. So the sharp beginning student has all the grounding in what is going on just as well as advanced students who may already know from experience that different techniques worked but really had no understanding why or how. The slower students will be challenged by the amount of material covered and the depth it is dealt with -- but they can re-read the concepts until they understand them and work at their own pace. I am pleased the author takes time to give tips on how to fall and safety in general -- something that is sometimes missed in books that just want to get to heart of the subject without realizing some guys don't have a clue about how they can hurt themselves. In addition to the thorough treatment of takedowns, throws and grappling, again with all the background concepts and simple physics necessary to understand what is actually going on, the author has a unique perspective -- smaller guy dealing with a larger opponent. From my experience, this is unusual and extremely helpful. Many books take a one shoe fits all feet approach. Since that one size approach usually works out that the hypothetical average guy is around six feet tall and 180 pounds, both smaller guys and inexperienced guys are at a disadvantage. Some of us smaller dogs don't want to stay on the porch since we can't run with the big dogs. Nice to know we don't have to. Also in a perfect world, all work out partners are your size, but in reality that is rarely the case and more often than not they are heavier than you. Plowing ahead into a guy who outweighs you by 20 or 30 pounds is a sure way to grind yourself down and invite injury. But recognizing that you do not have to muscle the other guy or use a technique in just one way in order to take down a bigger guy is a very helpful and powerful concept. Even big heavies can be more effective using the solid techniques explained in the book, which arebased on simple physics, rather than their size. Consequently, this underlying sensitivity to the reality of a fighting situation makes this book particularly useful. I don't consider myself a sexist, but I seriously wondered if a female author on martial arts would deal with points I considered important. Since fighting seems such a guy thing, I think many guys might share this question. I am glad I took the risk to see for myself. This is without doubt one of the best books around. It is serious and very useful study of the fundamentals of fighting presented from rock solid foundations. So many books simply show techniques and assume you will somehow make them work when that is the last thing on your opponent's mind. This author explains the dots you need to connect in order to make a effective "book" technique work -- just learning techniques are not enough to make them wo

Highly recommended!

This comprehensive book is holistic, easy to understand, and very well written. Like all of Martina's work, the principles and concepts are well-researched and really work. Her work is unique and remarkable because it provides a scientific approach that helps readers truly understand why/how techniques work without being boring, condescending, or long winded. As the title indicates, this book covers all aspects of aspects of throws and takedowns as they relate to self-defense. The author focuses on gross motor movements so that the applications will actually work under stress in actual combat, describes drills to help you master the techniques, and then demonstrates how to apply the principles in various scenarios. An entire chapter is devoted to each major category of takedowns: leg, body/arm, neck, rearward throws, forward throws, empty hand and weapon presses, stick leverage, and knife defense. Principles include shifting the center of gravity, gaining positional superiority, using momentum, utilizing torque, and applying an aggressive mindset. Scenarios include striking attacks (including those initiated with a knife or stick), grabbing attacks, surprise attacks, and preemptive attacks. There are also important tips that should help you train more safely. The only thing I did not absolutely love about this book is that while there are hundreds of photos help clarify the brilliant writing, many of them were grainy and hard to see. That may have just been a printing error on the copy I purchased so I'll not downgrade my evaluation based on that one shortcoming. All in all this is an excellent tome, highly recommended for serious martial artists! Lawrence Kane Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction

Lots of information

Martina Sprague is one of those rare martial arts writers who fill her books with tons of information. She did it in Fighting Science and she does it again in The Science of Takedowns, Throws and Grappling for Self-Defense. You won't find 40 pages of warm-ups and 50 pages of basic punches and kicks. Instead, she jumps right into the meat of the subject and doesn't let up until the last page. Sprague is one of the top analytical martial arts writers publishing today. Just when you think you are familiar with a concept or technique she is discussing and demonstrating, she adds a new piece of information, sometimes big, sometimes small, but always in such a way that makes you go, "Oh, okay. I see why that technique works." Or, "I see now why mine doesn't work."With such subheadings as "The inherent weakness of your stance;" "Positioning preparatory to the takedown;" "Combining linear and circular motion;" "Shoot and gap closure for lower leg takedown;" "Ground mobility exercise;" "Takedown using two points of balance;" "Stick grabbing exercise;" "Center of gravity and momentum in throws:" and dozens more, you not only get your money's worth many times over, but you gain knowledge about the many aspects of the grappling arts that will overlap to all new techniques you learn in the future. This is a book you will reference in the years to come. Good stuff. Highly recommended.

Filled from cover to cover with careful instructions

The Science Of Takedowns, Throws & Grappling For Self-Defense by kickboxing, freestyle, and Kenpo karate black belt expert Martina Sprague is a solidly written, "user friendly", self-defense guide filled from cover to cover with careful instructions, black-and-white photographs, safety tips, and straightforward "how-to" information on defending for oneself when attacked or assaulted in close quarters. Sample scenarios, a wide range of holds and takedowns, defenses and general safety tips, and a great deal more are packed into the pages of this easy-to-understand and potentially lifesaving resource. Also very highly recommended is Martina Sprague's early work: Fighting Science: The Laws Of Physics For Martial Artists...

Finally a grappling book for real people

The Science of Takedowns, Throws & Grappling for Self Defense by Martina Sprague is a great read. This book explains in detail the science behind grappling techniques so that you can learn to create your own moves as well as use the ones in the book. The information on taking the attacker off balance is very detailed and gives several scenarios. I also like the safety tips and the details about common mistakes and how to overcome them. Well written without a wasted word. It is CRAMMED with information. The explanation of concepts alone was worth the investment in the book. My class loved the momentum and first touch drills. If you are only going to buy one grappling book this year, make it this one. No matter what martial art you study or even if you are only looking for self defense training, you will find this book very helpful. I hope the authors next project is "The Science of Striking & Kicking".