Quotes from Marc MacYoung

I once quoted a man as saying, "Violence is the first option, and the last choice, of the competent.

Yes there are violent and dangerous criminals out there, but there are many more people in the world who will kill you for pissing them off.

By the time I wrote this book I had begun to finally figure out that: a) there was a direct relationship between my behavior and those attempts on my life: b) maybe my previous strategy of becoming better at violence instead of not pissing off people needed to be reviewed: c) that there were knowable 'rules' in different environments: d) you could learn them so as not to run afoul with point A.

you're way more likely to get killed for pissing off someone. And the fastest way to anger people is to break the local rules and—this is the important part—then be obnoxious about not apologizing or changing your behavior when called on it.

begin to channel extra soldiers and support in to the branch, while accepting the refugees.

if necessary, leave. The party may be spoiled, you might not be able to see the end of the movie, etc. so what? It's better than getting your head knocked in or being around to watch the stomping that is about to happen. somebody is going to get seriously hurt. That means hospitals and police—not fun, folks. oddly enough, when you are really tough, it's easier to walk away from this sort of thing.

Start with your hands held out in front of you like you're going to clap. Now spread your arms out a little wider as you point the tips of your fingers at each other.

The man of thought who will not act is ineffective; the man of action who will not think is dangerous." Richard M. Nixon

It is important to realize that fights and interviews are two-way energy exchanges.

For example instead of "Thou shall not kill," try "Thou shall not murder." There's a big difference between those two, and you had better learn it. If you believe in the not-kill part, you're fucked if you meet someone who doesn't. If you adhere to the not-murder view, however, you can, if necessary, kill someone.

Ours is not a justice system. Ours is a legal system.

once the machine is put into gear, it must run its course.

Every other predator has to rely on cunning, camouflage, trickiness, blindshots, selective targeting, stealth, and, most importantly, its prey's lack of awareness.

Criminal violence is the largest percentage of so-called self-defense cases lawyers will handle.

Never make a plan without knowing as much as you can about your enemy. Never be afraid to change your plans when you receive new information. Never believe you know everything. Never wait to know everything. —Robert Jordan, Lord of Chaos

A solid rule when you are playing other people is you do not win big and immediately walk away.

Take what you will from that story, but remember the bottom line: if people don't want to know about something, don't tell them about it.

They are no longer human beings. I don't know any other way to describe them. There is something about them that causes an instinctive reaction of "wrong!" in normal people—

H.P. Lovecraft, wrote of places of evil and filth, of places where slimy things crawled away from the light to nurse on poison and scum.

A key point about how training differs from education, the class is focused on a specific topic.

An effective California prison term I picked up is "gimme five feet!" I usually decorate it with a few colorful adjectives. This tells street people that they've fucked up and picked a homeboy instead of a civilian. A homeboy won't let them get off the first shot; a civilian will. It is critical to remember that these guys know that their asses are on the line. They can't afford to pick the wrong target.

If you look away by looking down it means you're submissive. If you slowly look away to the side, it means you're not looking for trouble, but you're not afraid of him either. It's that subtle, but that real.

If a guy can successfully invade your space and get you to back down, he's won—he's alpha and you're beta.

It is always important to realize that people attack what is unfamiliar to them.