Books, etc. on Violence, martial arts, etc.

I was asked, "If you have read one book, etc. on violence haven't you read them all?" I wanted to say emphatically, "no!" Instead I gave it some thought because I feel a more complete answer best suits this type of question. A question that can lead a person down a path to greater knowledge - so I say anyway.

I must look at a question like this with the same view I use in all my studies, "perspective." No one person can contain all there is to learn about violence. Even one very well knowledgable and proficient person can only provide their perspective. A perspective is neither right or wrong, just different. It is this difference in perspective that can lead you to a new way of seeing things, a new way of understanding and a new way to train, practice and learn.

Every single source of value to me has tended to express the same thing over and over again. Study, read, learn and from everyone, everywhere and everything you can. Take it in, work it out and then assimilate or discard as necessary - for you.

I am finally reading the book, "How to Win a Fight," by Kris Wilder and Lawrence Kane. Yes, they are saying some of the same things as other books on this subject provide but the one important thing to remember is they are providing a "unique perspective" on that same subject. One might try to say that the book "Facing Violence" provides all you need to understand violence in an academic form but that would be limiting.

Yes, Rory Miller's books are comprehensive and have his unique perspective on them. The theme is the same but because of the different perspectives you will find a good deal to learn. Even if I am nuts reading a well written tome on such a difficult subject will, at the very least, reinforce what you read, learned and understood in the last one read.

See a pattern here (no pun intended)? Repetition in all forms promotes learning, understanding and knowledge. I think I understand something when I get to another perspective it clicks on a bulb in my brain, "oh crap, I didn't think of that or I didn't see that from that point of view, etc." Learning is an ongoing project and gaining perspective from the many perspectives of these authors is going to add to your proficiency, knowledge levels and overall ability to apply it in training, practice and application (all other things being equal).

Note: even when I get some material that appeared to be really beneficial only to discover it has a lot of crap in it I still find jewels of information interspersed between the crud - I call this data-mining.