Raising Cane: The Unexpected Martial Art

Very useful book. Of a type likely informed and influenced by earlier manuals, perhaps even those going back to later Medieval and Victorian times self defence techniques. In these days of increased knife threat awareness, especially linked to Lone Wolf type terrorist street attackers, one needs to be able to have a ready usable improvised self preservation defence. As there's not always going to be a handy Nahwhale Tusk hanging on a display wall for ready use to fend off a violent attacker. But one might have a walking stick or cane with one. As a famous past late American President once remarked, to 'walk tall and carry a heavy stick.'These days in the United Kingdom especially self defence and self protection have become almost dirty words to offialdom. So it was encouraging to note after the recent London IS inspired terror attacks, that the young gentleman who ably defended himself by fending off a knife attacker with a Nahwhale tusk he grabbed to hand, was commended for his excellent quick thinking. Instead of facing legal threat for its emergency expedient self defence usage. To stop himself from becoming another knife stab victim on that fateful day.

Right, dislikes first... nope nothing springs to mind.Likes, well that's a different matter entirely.Let me start by saying I'm a lifelong martial arts practitioner, and I enjoy collecting books on the subject from a wide variety of sources. This isn't my first book on Cane Fighting, nor i suspect will it be my last. It has however rapidly become one of my favourites.The book is well layed out, easily explained and clearly illustrated. When I ordered the book I was a little unsure about the bubble-men illustrations. But having now read it, the super simple illustration style works really well and the descriptive text is easy to understand, even for a total novice.All in all, highly recommended

I find the critical reviews of this book a little over the top! Yes, a highly trained stick fighting martial artist would have little difficulty overcoming someone that only knew the techniques detailed in this book, but what are the chances that such a person would attack you in the first place? You are hardly likely to be walking down the street and have Ninjas jumping out on you at every corner!! It's surprising how little you actually need to know to defend yourself in the vast majority of situations you may encounter; practise the techniques in this book and you will have that information. If this book saves one pensioner from being mugged by some drug addled waste of space then it's worth buying and studying. I have only given it 4 stars because some of the stick figure diagrams are a not easy to follow, but 'stick' with it, read the description and practise and you'll get it eventually.

I'm a geriatric, arthritis ridden, morbidly obese wannabe thriller writer and thus have a huge research library on armed and unarmed combat. Raising Cane is the only one I'll use in real life. Good simple to learn and well illustrated. Might not help vs ninja cyborg death squads but two twelve year old with a baseball bat and a cash flow problem? Meh, even I'd take my chances!

If you have any background in Quarterstaff, Kali, Fencing, etc., this book will feel like someone turned the lights on in your stick attic. The moves are practical, the advice is sensible and it could save your life some day. As my joints now suffer from the effects of 50+ years of sports and martial arts, I shall be devoting myself to this art fairly exclusively from now on.Sometimes you do need to read the instructions carefully and visualise what the 'stick figure' represents, but it's not hard for anyone with an average IQ to grasp.The methods presented combine Japanese and Filipino arts and are a serious update to the single-stick advice in the Bartitsu manuals.