Do not buy this book. I was hoping to find innovative and comprehensive techniques in this book, but I was disappointed. This book follows the martial arts book tradition of 75% philosophy and talk and little real technique. However, I do appreciate the author's intent to produce a meaningful work on an important subject. This book was written in the mid 1980's and follows the old karate one-step method of self defense. The author discounts all forms of submission fighting such as jiu-jitsu as ineffective in disarming an attacker and says ground fighting should be avoided at all costs. Hello?! The author's Combato system is the same style of martial arts that has been discredited and destroyed as a system in the octagon since reality submission fighting has become publicized. The author offers very little disarming technique and assumes his counter strikes will stun, paralyze or immobilize the attacker...what if they don't? These same strikes and attacks have proved to be ineffective in publicized no holds barred events. At the very least, the book's content needs to be updated to confront the reality of proven, effective fighting techniques, not one-step, self-defense fantasy. Please, do not take my word for it. Spend the (bucks)on this book and make your own opinions.