What would you do if you were confronted by a violent attacker? Do you know how to diffuse a tense situation before it escalates into violence? How would you respond if your family were confronted by an armed assailant?

If you are unsure about how to answer any of these questions then you have to read the following self-defence guides. Regardless of your age, gender, size or fitness level, these in-depth self-defence resources will teach you some easy to apply psychological techniques and physical moves. So what are you waiting for? Act now to protect yourself and your family from potential threats;

1 – Finish a Fight in ONE Move: Without Any Training

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Finish a Fight in ONE Move: Without Any Training (2014) is a simple, no-nonsense self-defence guide that teaches you a wide range of defensive techniques in a clear and concise manner.

Learn how to detect a potential threat. Prevent yourself from being hit by an attacker. Learn how to effectively use everyday objects as weapons. Identify your attacker’s weak points. Harness your body’s in-built defence mechanisms. Choose the best self-defence class for you. Learn how to diffuse a situation before it even escalates into a fight using basic psychology. Familiarise yourself with the most common forms of attack and how to defend yourself against them. Side-step the number one most life-threatening mistake that most civilians make. You name it, this book will teach you it!

As such, it is no surprise that Justyn Billingham’s Finish a Fight in ONE Move: Without Any Training is a number one self-defence bestseller. No advanced self-defence training or previous knowledge necessary. Simply follow the clear and concise guidelines outlined in this book and you’ll be a bona fide self-defence guru before you know it!

2 – Krav Maga: A Complete Guide for Fitness and Self-Defence

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Written by David Khan, Krav Maga: A Complete Guide for Fitness and Self-Defence (2005) is an illustrated beginner’s guide to the self-defence discipline of Krav Maga. Used by the Israeli Defence Forces, Krav Maga is a form of hand-to-hand combat that is regarded by many as the best self-defence system in the world due to its use of instinctive movements, practical techniques and realistic training scenarios, Krav Maga can be learned by anyone and can prove extremely effective should you need to defend yourself against a potential assailant. In fact, absorbing and applying the methods taught in this guide might just save your life.

3 – The Gift Of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us From Violence

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Want to learn how to spot the subtlest signs danger before a fight even breaks out? Then you have to read Gavin de Becker’s The Gift Of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us From Violence (2000).

Referred to by Oprah as “The US’s leading expert on violent behaviour”, Gavin de Becker is an expert on the prediction and management of violence who has served on President’s Advisory Board at the U.S. Department of Justice as well as on the Governor’s Advisory Board at the California Department of Mental Health. Through his best-selling self-defence guide, The Gift Of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us From Violence, Gavin dispels the common myth that most violent acts are unpredictable and instead offers targeted, realistic and easy to adopt methods that anyone can use to protect yourself and your family against situations which could otherwise escalate into violence.

Learn how to respond when you are approached by a stranger. Familiarise yourself with how to act if you fear someone close to you or if you think that you are being stalked. Learn how to uncover the source of anonymous phone calls or threatening emails. Identify and avoid the biggest mistake you can make when you are engaging with a threatening person. Gavin de Becker’s book outlines all of these essential self-defence techniques in a calm, clear and concise manner so that you can spot potential danger signals and easily avoid them.

4 – Fight to Win: 20 Simple Techniques That Will Win Any Fight

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Want to quickly and easily learn a few basic self-defence moves? Then we advise reading Martin J. Dougherty’s Fight to Win: 20 Simple Techniques That Will Win Any Fight (2013). These simple and easy to learn self-defence techniques are clearly outlined and remain applicable to all manner of real-life stations. Irrespective of whether you have any previous martial arts training or fighting experience, Fight to Win: 20 Simple Techniques That Will Win Any Fight uses clear, concise instructions and easy to follow diagrams so that you can rapidly learn, remember and successfully execute these self-defence techniques should the need arise.

5 –The SAS Self-Defence Handbook: A Complete Guide to Unarmed Combat Techniques

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When it comes to defending yourself, who is better to learn from than a legendary SAS (Special Air Service) operative? The author of The SAS Self-Defence Handbook: A Complete Guide to Unarmed Combat Techniques (2000) is John ‘Lofty’ Wiseman; a former member of the British SAS special forces unit who in 1959 became the youngest person ever to pass selection for the SAS. During his 26 years of service for the SAS, John rose to the rank of Warrant Officer, worked as the Head of Operational Research 22 SAS, formed the SP Team counter hijack unit, founded the SAS Counter-Terrorist Team and even trained the Green Berets. Since his retirement in 1985, John has established a prominent reputation as one of the world’s foremost survival consultants and self-defence authors.

As such, we strongly recommend reading his 1985 self-defence book The SAS Self-Defence Handbook: A Complete Guide to Unarmed Combat Techniques. This illustrated guide enables civilians of all ages, genders, fitness levels and skill sets to learn basic defence techniques that you can deploy should you come face-to-face with a violent attacker. From familiarising yourself with the laws regarding self-defence, to learning mental preparation techniques, following lessons on how to avoid confrontation as well as reading illustrated guides on the self-defence tactics themselves, The SAS Self-Defence Handbook: A Complete Guide to Unarmed Combat Techniques is an incredibly useful resource for safeguarding yourself and your family against potential threats.