Advanced Ground Control and Restraint

by R. Morris, B. Cheek and K. Pell with G. Thomson

Advanced my arse.

This is a terrible book and is being reviewed so that no-one makes the gross error that I did. Namely buying it.

Apart from the fact that many of the techniques contained within are utter sh!te ranging from the ridiculous ( the kneeling on the outstretched arm one), to the impossible to achieve on a living opponent (many of the double wristlock with choke and knee bar type combinations), to the one-that-was-on-the-previous-page-but -now-I’ve-moved-my-leg-so-we’ll-call-it-something-else. Added to this is the fact that each ‘technique’ is illustrated by one picture. ONE. Great. The people applying the holds are making suitably mean faces though...

The text is in English and French but simply describes the picture, as in "He’s lying there, the other bloke kneels on his arm with one hand on his neck" (not an actual quote). Does this assume that we are somehow unable to see the woefully inadequate photo? Is it implying that the reader cannot determine from a picture where someone’s arms and legs are? There is no discussion of how each hold may be achieved or in what circumstances it could be used. The important points section, usually less than three sentences, frequently gives advice such as "Tori must maintain a tight grip on Uke’s lapel" when illustrating a choke. Well, no shit Sherlock!

In the unlikely event that any of the authors read this let them note: Repeating techniques with different people in the photos and a slight movement of the leg does not make a new technique. Nobody is fooled.

Pathetic, inadequate in all departments. This book is a disgrace to those who wrote it. Martial artists I am assured are very talented and if so, this does not do them justice.

SFUK doesn't work for any of these gentlemen and neither does Dom.