Deus Misereatur

ConCom: Conflict Communication A New Paradigm in Conscious Communication by Rory Miller My rating: 5 of 5 stars Louis L’Amour’s fictional character, Chick Bowdrie, walked a thin line. He could have easily fallen in with the outlaws, and nearly did so, but was grabbed in the nick of time by the Texas Rangers. And so throughout the short stories and novels, Bowdrie’s ability to think within the mind of the bad guys made him a brilliantly competent and successful Texas Ranger. This capacity to think from within the predator’s mind runs throughout Rory Miller’s works, which is what makes them highly beneficial. Miller, a veteran Law Enforcement Officer and corrections sergeant, has pulled together another fine resource in his 168 page paperback, “Conflict Communication: A New Paradigm in Conscious Communication.” This is a book about communicating in tense and tight situations, whether at work, in in the home, at the pub, or on the street. It is written for Law Enforcement Officers, emp...

Scaling Force: Dynamic Decision Making Under Threat of Violence by Rory Miller My rating: 5 of 5 stars Self-defense instruction, martial arts, and Krav Maga are selling like hot cakes on a Saturday morning! Why? Some folks simply want to enhance their self-confidence; others have had their peace of mind stolen by the viral fear-breeding in our culture; a few are mesmerized by the glamorous brutality of “Olympus Has Fallen” or “Die Hard”; and then there are those who have been real victims of violence who never want to be victimized again. Into this mix of motives comes a sensible 342 page paperback, “Scaling Force: Dynamic Decision-making under the Threat of Violence” written by Rory Miller and Lawrence A. Kane, both of whom are seasoned in violent confrontations from a law enforcement and security perspective. “Scaling Force” looks into the bigger scenario of violence and defense, guiding the reader through the various types of violence (social and predatory); situational awaren...

ScalingForce: Dynamic Decision-Making under the Threat of Violence (DVD) Rory Miller and Lawrence A. Kane YMAA $29.95 5 of 5 Stars Riveting, Rattling and Rapid-Fire How do you deal with a hostile set of circumstances? Do you go full-bore when someone starts pushing you and calling your mother names? Do you try to soft touch someone who has pulled out a big-honking bowie knife and is holding it at your gut? How do you know when violent self-defense is proper or not, and deadly force is or isn’t justified? Rory Miller and Lawrence A. Kane, both seasoned in violent confrontations from a law enforcement and security environment, have brought out a 120-minute DVD that approaches this subject in a thoughtful, experienced, and attention-getting way. The format of the “Scaling Force” DVD is very simple. Miller and Kane walk the viewer through each of the 6 levels of force, giving demonstrations, stories from their own experiences and explanations that are clear and easily...

Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training and Real World Violence by Rory Miller My rating: 4 of 5 stars Self-defense and martial arts schools are popping up all over the landscape promising to boost self-confidence, but more importantly, pledging to aid their attendees in self-protection. One will even find classes offered at the local “Y” or as part of a community college’s “Adult Continuing Education” program. The lessons feel right as instructors guide their learners through katas, sweaty times with kicking bags, repetitive maneuvers, and sparring. Sensei and karatekas train in ways of controlled violence that should assist the practitioners in viable personal defense. And yet one element is missing, thankfully for most of us. Just as in football training, all of the practice in blocking, running, strategy and tackling looks good, but it isn’t until being immersed in the mild bedlam of the games that one finds out if they have the mettle to hang tough, if t...

Force Decisions: A Citizen’s Guide: Understanding How Police Determine Appropriate Use of Force Rory Miller YMAA Publication Center, Inc. PO Box 480 Wolfeboro, NH 03894 www.ymaa.com ISBN: 978-1-59439-243-6; $18.95; April 2012 5 stars out of 5: Forcefully Forthright In the face of so much print and electronic media coverage on actions of police officers, it appears that law enforcers are always overstepping the line. The almost automatic assumption is that cops abuse power at almost every step. They’re assumed guilty until proven innocent, and the supposition is that they will not be proven innocent because they pulled a trigger, tasered someone, shed blood, or broke bone. In fact, in the court system a police officer’s testimony is no longer accepted as having more weight of truthfulness than the person being tried. As an aside, my own personal principle, that an officer’s testimony is to be accepted as true unless proven false, has gotten me kicked out of nu...