100 Ways to Defend Yourself in the Street

Emile Andre had already shown the beleaguered citizens of Paris how to defend themselves on the mean streets with his manual "100 Ways to Defend Yourself in the Street Without Weapons." In the interest of keeping his reader well rounded in the art of self defense, he then published the companion volume "100 Ways to Defend Yourself in the Street With Weapons." His simplified arsenal of course includes the combative applications of La Canne with all of the cuts, blocks and ripostes you will need to stay in one piece - even if you don't win points for style while doing so. He goes on to discuss the sword cane, knives and daggers, bludgeons, and brass knuckles (then known to the French as an "American Punch.") He finishes with a brief guide to the defensive use of a pistol, and in all he offers a fine little bare-bones system that would serve a tactically minded citizen well in the present day. For fans of the surprisingly rich world of fin de siecle French combatives and martial arts, Emile Andre's "100 Ways to Defend Yourself in the Street With Weapons" belongs alongside your manuals by Leclerc, LeBoucher, LeCour, and of course the great Charlemont himself.