Praise for How Not to Get Hit

“There are countless books written on self-defense. Not all are non- sensical, but  many are. Nathaniel Cooke has clearly thought  a great deal about the subject and distilled its essence in a way that is wholly admirable.”

Robert Twigger, author of Angry White Pyjamas

“Self Defense books are a lot like Rock n’ Roll, it is all 4/4 time. The secret lies in the presentation, the way you meet your audience and communicate with them. I like, “How Not To Get Hit, The Art Of Fighting Without Fighting.” I like it a lot – because it reaches me, just like good rock n’ roll.

Nathaniel Cooke does a terrific job of making statistics mean something in, “How Not To Get Hit.” The second section of the book is the question and answer with people who deal with violence and its aftermath on a daily basis, and it is enlightening for those people that don’t live in that world.

The last third of the book brings principals and actions together, in a meaningful manner you can use.

Lastly the graphics, illustrations, and pictures are, well, fun easy to understand, and engaging.

There are thousands of rock n’ roll songs on the air waves, and there are many, many books on self defense. “How Not To Get Hit,” is a tightly crafted and well done book. I recommend this book the same way I recommend Led Zeppelin II, to people “Sure you like the Zoso album but listen to this.”

You should listen too – well actually read, “How Not To Get Hit.”

Kris Wilder
Co-Author, The Little Black Book of Violence: What Every Young Man Needs to Know About Fighting

“From the very first this is a welcoming read. It does not make the reader feel inferior in any way, which in my opinion is a largely overlooked aspect of Self Defence. If you are expecting a book filled with ‘How to’ diagrams and instructions then think again. This is a book aimed entirely at educating you in how you think about violence and how we as human beings create and respond to confrontation. Even the ‘Physical’ aspects are laid out in a very straight forward, to the point and easily digestible format.

Only when you are reading the chapter on statistics does it become remotely difficult to read and even that is serving it’s purpose. If you are a beginner you will absolutely benefit from this book. If you are experienced you will still take plenty away from it. I for one will use elements of the approach taken in this book, to help students absorb and understand some of the more ‘complex’ aspects of the psychology that are laid out so effectively in this book. But don’t take my word for it. Buy the book and enjoy it for yourself.”

Douglas Graham, 50/50 Self Defence (Amazon.co.uk)

“At the end of the day, I liked this book. Like all books there are weaknesses, and as I said, points I disagree with, especially with his use of an overly long title.

But for men who don’t generally feel like they need to attend a self-defense course, this is a great book. For people entering the security profession for the first time, this is a good resource for better understanding the psychology of an attack, and dealing with intoxicated individuals, and I’ll be recommending it to those new to the profession.”

Full review: http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/how-not-to-get-hit-a-book-review

Pacific Jujitsu

“I have recently purchased this book and so far I started to browse and next thing I knew I was half way through the book before I had to put it down for toilet purposes. I carry it around with me now as I look forward to reading each page after the next. This is a very informative book and is extremely well written and a must for anyone, not just the Martial Artist.”

Owen Percy, Cardiff (Amazon.co.uk)

“As someone who is familier with the Hanbo and Bo I thought this book would be a “bit of a laugh” how wrong I was, its well written, easy to understand and gives a totaly new perspective to “self defence”. In fact I was so impressed with it I now advise all my students to read it after all if you can get out of truble without fighting thats got to be good news!”

P. J. De Maziere, Worcester (Amazon.co.uk)

“I bought this book as a fun present but ended up keeping it for myself 🙂 It has some really useful tips on how to get out of sticky situations but more importantly, how to avoid them altogether! Anyone who’s been bullied or initimdated at school, work or home should read this. It teaches you the difference between arrogance and confidence, and you finish it feeling just a few inches taller (with a few handy stats to quote to boot).”

Jane Rigby, Bristol (Amazon.co.uk)

“Love the idea, have been incorporating more and more of the same or similar ideas into my curriculum. You are absolutely correct in many of the areas I briefly looked over and utterly love the quote from Sun Tzu at the end of your clip about the 100 battles.”

Darren Friesan, owner of Civilian Preservation Technologies/Mandirigma Filipino Martial Arts Academy, Costa Rica

“If you have ever thought or worried about being a victim of physical violence this book is a must read. This book completely changes the way you think about personal safety and the safety of your loved ones. For what is a difficult subject this book is light hearted and a fun read that would recommend to anyone.”

Mr E Ley, Bristol (Amazon.co.uk)