The Way of Guided Chaos: A Simple and Effective Approach to Self-Defense. The title of this book is the best indicator of both the methodology and the philosophy behind it. The art of self defense is rarely as clean and efficient as any good martial arts movie would lead one to believe. Even the best martial artists cannot predict every move of their opponent, nor every element of their surroundings in any given situation. Despite the best preparations, when actual hand-to-hand combat occurs, the best one can hope for is to wrangle or guide the chaos that ensues in your favor. Years of dedicated, painstaking practice to achieve such results is not very practical for the majority of people. Therefore, the next best thing is to master a set of core principal, not simply core techniques, that will enable you to emerge from a confrontation with little consequence.

Lead by instructor Heath Cox, The Way of Guided Chaos lays out the core principals assessed from 20 years of experience in various martial arts (Kung Fu San Soo, Modern Escrima, Matrix Solutions, and Jeet Kune Do). These principals are not rote techniques needed to be memorized, but, simple, fundamental pieces used to defeat any confrontation. Heath Cox explains and displays principals such as proper distance, structural integrity, and reaction that ultimately form together to create the perfect weapon for any given situation.

The first part of the book is laid out by describing stances, effective punching and kicking techniques, as well as the above mentioned principals. The second part of the book is spent depicting various scenarios one might face on the street, just as any good martial arts book should. The difference here is that these techniques are not meant to be static. The author shows how one scenario can unfold in a number of ways and how you can deal with that scenario by adhering to some basic principals. Since every confrontation will be unique, no one set technique can be prescribed to suit a given situation; one must be able to adjust every step of the way. This is the strength of this book. While many books rarely expand beyond a static set of techniques, author Heath Cox shows how adherence to a few basic principals, coupled with good form and practice, can render the outcome of any street confrontation in your favor.