How To Be Safe No Matter What

As someone who teaches self-defense and safety, I’m always reading and learning from others to continue my own learning, not to just ensure that I and my family remain safe, but to make me a better instructor as well. I found How To Be Safe No Matter What by Wesley Manko to be a good little book of safety tips and strategies covering a variety of situations. It’s a short book, and one that can be read quickly, and the advice given can definitely help people be more safe.

While I like the book, I don’t feel it quite lives up to its title, “How To Be Safe No Matter What.” As I mentioned, it is pretty short, and there is a lot more to learn on the topic. I also disagreed with some of what Manko wrote, not necessarily because he was wrong, but because he wasn’t complete. For instance, here is a quote on page 33, “The only self-defense that has a proven track record in dealing with multiple attackers is a Russian martial art called Systema (The System), which is currently being used by the Russian special forces because of its effectiveness.” I respect Systema, and have nothing bad to say about it, and I’m aware that it is a style the author has trained in, however I do not believe it is the “only” style that deals with multiple attackers. In fact, I think we all know that it isn’t. Regardless, there are still some very good ideas, tips, and strategies in the book.

There are thirteen short chapters that provide information on safety and related topics, These chapters include A Violent World, Keeping Your Child Safe, Keeping Your Teenager Safe, What to Teach Your Daughter About Dating, How to Keep the Family Safe at Home, How to Be Safe at Work, How to Be Safe on the Street, Preventing Sexual Violence, How to Deal With an Uncooperative Violent Felon, Intuition as Self-Defense, Martial Myths Exposed, Terrorism, Travel, and Truth, and Violence and Spiritual Life.

As you can see, some of the chapters cover topics that have entire books devoted to them. That’s why I say this is much more to learn in some of these areas. This book is a good primer, and does contain practical advice, and for some, it may be all they need. I realize that far too many people never even think of their personal safety until it is too late. If they will just take the time to read this simple short book, it mike make the difference, and that is a very good thing. I do recommend you read this book, and implement the tips and strategies to prevent you and your loved ones from becoming a statistic.