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Scaling Force: Dynamic Decision Making Under Threat of Violence Kindle Edition

by Rory Miller (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 210 ratings
See all formats and editions
Use too much force and you are going to jail.

Use too little force and you're in for a world of hurt.

Conflict and violence cover a broad range of behaviors, from intimidation to murder, and they require an equally broad range of responses. A kind word will not resolve all situations, nor will wristlocks, punches, or even a gun.

In Scaling Force, the authors introduce you to the full range of options, from skillfully doing nothing to applying deadly force. They realistically guide you through understanding the limits of each type of force, when specific levels may be appropriate, the circumstances under which you may have to apply them, and the potential cost, legally and personally, of your decision.
  • Level 1: Presence. Staving off violence using body language alone.
  • Level 2: Voice. Verbally de-escalating conflict before physical methods become necessary.
  • Level 3: Touch. Defusing an impending threat or gaining compliance via touch.
  • Level 4: Empty-Hand Restraint. Controlling a threat through pain or forcing compliance through leverage.
  • Level 5: Less-Lethal Force. Incapacitating a threat while minimizing the likelihood of fatality or permanent injury.
  • Level 6: Lethal Force. Stopping a threat with techniques or implements likely to cause death or grievous bodily harm.
It is vital to enter this scale at the right level, and to articulate why what you did was appropriate. If you do not know how to succeed at all six levels there are situations in which you will have no appropriate options. More often than not, that will end badly.
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  1. Print length
    354 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    YMAA Publication Center
  5. Publication date
    October 1, 2012
  6. File size
    3922 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Scaling Force:

"If you are serious about learning self-protection, and not indulging some testosterone fueled, celluloid inspired fantasy, then you need a much wider skill set than most appreciate." -- Iain Abernethy, 6th Dan; British Combat Association Hall of Fame Member

"Both Kane and Miller have hundreds of hands-on violent encounters under their belts. They understand the importance of knowing the legal restrictions of force, how to judge the danger, how to choose the right response level, how to articulate those choices and how to navigate the trap-filled aftermath of violence." --Marc MacYoung (nononsenseselfdefense.com)

"This book is one of the best I've read about the challenges you'll face. Kane and Miller have been there, done that and have the t-shirt. And they're giving you their lessons learned without requiring you to pay the fee in blood they had to in order to learn them. And that is priceless." -- M. Guthrie, Federal Air Marshal


"This is an incredible book that I will insist all my martial arts and firearms students read. It will undoubtedly save lives and hopefully much anguish." -- Ron Breines, Kyoshi, certified firearms/self defense tactical instructor

"If you're serious about learning how the application of physical force works --before, during and after the fact--I cannot recommend this book highly enough." -- Lieutenant Jon Lupo, New York State Police

"When do you walk away from an insult, try to talk down the angry drunk, take a baseball bat to an intruder, shoot an armed robber? With exercises and anecdotes, Scaling Force explores the motivations, the decision spectrum and the consequences, because there are always consequences." -- Julie Van Dielen, Law Enforcement Training Resources (letrainingresources.com)

"Let Kane and Miller, two veterans of countless down-and-dirty confrontations, give you the edge to survive a dangerous situation." -- Loren W. Christensen, 8th dan black belt, author (lwcbooks.com)

"Kane and Miller have written a book that provides much more than a cursory look at some very important elements regarding violence. Scaling Force not only provides tools on how to deal with violence, but also when and to what level you should deal with violence." -- Alain Burrese, J.D., attorney, author, former U.S. Army sniper instructor (aikiproductions.com)

"While instruction on the mechanics and techniques of self defense and deadly force is readily available from multiple sources, this book gives you so much more. Take advantage of the information compiled from hundreds of case studies to better prepare yourself if the day comes when you have to make that 'life changing' decision." -- Tracy Getty, Certified Firearms Instructor

From the Author

Praise for Scaling Force:

"If you are serious about learning self-protection, and not indulging sometestosterone fuelled, celluloid inspired fantasy, then you need a muchwider skill set than most appreciate." -- Iain Abernethy, 6th Dan; British Combat Association Hall of Fame Member

"Both Kane and Miller have hundreds of hands-on violent encounters undertheir belts. They understand the importance of knowing the legalrestrictions of force, how to judge the danger, how to choose the rightresponse level, how to articulate those choices and how to navigate thetrap-filled aftermath of violence." --Marc MacYoung (nononsenseselfdefense.com)

"This book is one of the best I've read about the challenges you'll face.Kane and Miller have been there, done that and have the t-shirt. Andthey're giving you their lessons learned without requiring you to paythe fee in blood they had to in order to learn them. And that ispriceless." -- M. Guthrie, Federal Air Marshal


"This is an incredible book that I will insist all my martial arts andfirearms students read. It will undoubtedly save lives and hopefullymuch anguish." -- Ron Breines, Kyoshi, certified firearms/self defense tactical instructor

"If you're serious about learning how the application of physical forceworks --before, during and after the fact--I cannot recommend this bookhighly enough." -- Lieutenant Jon Lupo, New York State Police

"When do you walk away from an insult, try to talk down the angry drunk, take a baseball bat to an intruder, shoot an armed robber? With exercisesand anecdotes, Scaling Force explores the motivations, the decision spectrum and the consequences, because there are always consequences." -- Julie Van Dielen, Law Enforcement Training Resources (letrainingresources.com)

"Let Kane and Miller, two veterans of countless down-and-dirtyconfrontations, give you the edge to survive a dangerous situation." -- Loren W. Christensen, 8th dan black belt, author (lwcbooks.com)

"Kane and Miller have written a book that provides much more than a cursorylook at some very important elements regarding violence. Scaling Force not only provides tools on how to deal with violence, but also when and to what level you should deal with violence." -- Alain Burrese, J.D., attorney, author, former U.S. Army sniper instructor (aikiproductions.com)

"While instruction on the mechanics and techniques of self defense and deadlyforce is readily available from multiple sources, this book gives you so much more. Take advantage of the information compiled from hundreds ofcase studies to better prepare yourself if the day comes when you haveto make that 'life changing' decision." -- Tracy Getty, Certified Firearms Instructor

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01DN0GVN8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ YMAA Publication Center; 1st edition (October 1, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 1, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3922 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 354 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 210 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Rory Miller

    Rory Miller

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    The serious bio:

    Rory Miller is a seventeen-year veteran of a metropolitan correctional system. He spent seventeen years, including ten as a sergeant, with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office in Portland Oregon. His assignments included Booking, Maximum Security, Disciplinary and Administrative Segregation, and Mental Health Units. He was a CERT (Corrections Emergency Response Team) member for over eleven years and Team Leader for six.

    His training has included over eight hundred hours of tactical training; witness protection and close-quarters handgun training with the local US Marshals; Incident Command System; Instructor Development Courses; AELE Discipline and Internal Investigations; Hostage Negotiations and Hostage Survival; Integrated Use of Force and Confrontational Simulation Instructor; Mental Health; Defensive Tactics, including the GRAPLE instructors program; Diversity; and Supervision.

    Rory has designed and taught courses including Confrontational Simulations; Uncontrolled Environments; Crisis Communications with the Mentally Ill; CERT Operations and Planning; Defensive Tactics; and Use of Force for Multnomah County and other local agencies.

    In 2008 Rory Miller left his agency to spend over a year in Iraq with the Department of Justice ICITAP program as a civilian advisor to the Iraqi Corrections System.

    He has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a blackbelt in jujutsu and college varsities in judo and fencing. He also likes long walks on the beach.

    His writings have been featured in Loren Christensen’s “Fighter’s Fact Book 2: The Street” Kane and Wilder’s “Little Black Book of Violence” and “The Way to Blackbelt.” Rory is the author of “Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training and Real World Violence” published by YMAA; “Violence: A Writer’s Guide” published by Samshwords; and the soon-to-be-released “Facing Violence” out in May 2011 from YMAA.

    Less serious:

    How to make a Rory:

    First you take a kid and raise him without electricity or running water or television. Especially television. You get a whacked out doctor to convince his parents that he has a birth defect such that if he ever loses muscle tone his joints will spontaneously dislocate, so you encourage hyperactivity. Instill a love of reading and introduce to meditation at a young age. Teach him to hunt and track. Send him away to college at the age of seventeen painfully aware that he has almost no experience with people. Arrange for him to luck into world-class trainers in his first martial arts. Let him obsess on martial arts even at the expense of his school work. At some point he will get a need to go someplace strange, maybe Reno, and do something different, like be a bouncer. Let him, he'll come back. When he comes back, if he falls in love with the right princess ('cause every thug needs a princess) he'll start doing crazy things like joining the national guard and working in a jail. Let him. He'll discover that he has a way with violent and crazy people and might wind up doing stuff like running a tactical team and teaching officer survival skills and designing classes and teaching jujutsu. If he has an ugly year (and he will) he'll start writing. If he gets really bored he will suddenly quit and go to Baghdad. We're still waiting to see how that part turns out.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Lawrence A. Kane

    Lawrence A. Kane

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Lawrence was inducted into SIG Sourcing Supernova Hall of Fame in 2018 for pioneering leadership in strategic sourcing, procurement, supplier innovation, and digital transformation. In 2022, he was honored with a Top DEIB Leader Walk the Walk Award. In 2023 he earned an EPIC Award for lifetime achievements in indirect procurement from ProcureCon.

    He has been studying and teaching martial arts since 1970, often putting what he learned into action while working stadium security part time. The bestselling author of 29 books, he earned a Beverly Hills Book Award and Presidential Prize, a USA Best Book Award, three National Indie Excellence Book Awards, two eLit Gold Medals, an Independent Press Award, a Next Generation Indie Book Award, and a Living Now Book Awards Gold Medal, among other honors. He has been interviewed by FOX News, The Jim Bohannon Show, Computerworld, Forbes, Art of Procurement, Le Matin, Sourcing Industry Landscape, Information Week, Police Magazine, Negotiations Ninja podcast, and more...

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
210 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

J. Steinmann
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Framework for Evaluating or Planning Self-Defense Training
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2015
Verified Purchase
It took me a while to get Scaling Force. I'm not entirely sure why, except that Rory has a lot of stuff out there, and I can only read so fast. But I recently got my hands on the Scaling Force DVD (review coming soon), and I figured I should read the book for a full comparison. I'm really glad I did...this is another gem from Rory.

In talking about self-defense with martial artists, I've noticed that there are often two big gaps in their training. One is the psychological aspects of self-defense (what we call Fight One in the PDR/SPEAR System). The other, and honestly, probably the most often ignored, is the legal aspects of self-defense (what we call Fight Three in the PDR/SPEAR system). Scaling Force presents a system and method for martial artists to address fight three in a pretty comprehensive fashion.

The Thing Itself

I read this book on Kindle, so I can't comment on what the hard copy version is like. The kindle format generally works well. My only complaint (and it is a minor one) is that the kindle version seems to think that every single section is a new chapter, which meant that the little ticker at the bottom constantly said "one minute left in chapter" or "chapter complete". Like I said, minor complaint.

What's Inside

Scaling Force begins with an overview of some fundamental self-defense principles. Rory's breakdown of social and asocial/predatory violence appears here, as does some information on situational awareness, the IMOP principle and other legal niceties, and an explanation of what the Scaling Force...scale (it's not a continuum, the authors tell us) is. The scale offers six stages of potential responses to a confrontation: Presence, Voice, Touch, Empty Hand Restraint/Physical Control, Less Lethal Force, and Lethal Force.

(I should expand on that, actually. The point the authors are making here is that the scale isn't something you move up through during a confrontation--you just enter at the level that's appropriate. You don't start with level one if level six is what you need.)

This is all very solid information, though long-time readers of Rory's work will find some of it (particularly the social/predatory violence information) familiar, and possibly repetitive. Personally, I find a good review of good information always helpful. For anyone who is reading Miller for the first time, this stuff is invaluable.

The remainder of the book is six chapters, each devoted to a stage on the force scale. Each chapter provides a breakdown of the force level: how it works, what the key concepts are, and some ideas for drills and training at each level. The information here is all very detailed, but it's presented in a way that's easily accessible for a general audience. None of it is particularly style or system specific, and most of it could be integrated into just about any training system without a great deal of strain.

What's Good

The whole thing.

The legal aspects of self-defense have got to be one of the most overlooked areas of self-defense training. Possibly even more so than the psychological aspects (which at least get some lip service). Scaling Force offers a solution for that. More importantly, because the information is presented in a non-style specific way, it's information that can be integrated into any training method that's concerned with self-defense. Just reading the book will probably illuminate some holes in your training. Actually putting this stuff into practice will fill those holes nicely, and expand all of your skills as a martial artist (or as a human being).

It is worth noting that while each chapter contains some drills and concepts for working on that particular level of force, getting into any level in greater detail requires going beyond the scope of the book. Chapter Four, for example, contains a nice discussion on the mechanics and tactics of joint locking, but getting really good at joint locks is going to require some time on the mat, and probably some hands on training with someone who is good at that sort of thing. That's not a complaint--going in depth on every section of this book would make the book so enormous as to be unwieldy.

Who Is This For?

Self-defense instructors, martial arts instructors who think they are teaching self-defense, or people who practice self-defense but don't teach it. Basically, if you are interested in self-defense in any way, this book is a must read.

If you are a martial artist who ISN'T interested in self-defense, this book might still be worth reading, just to understand where the gaps in your training are. You might not care about filling them, but it's better to know they're there ahead of time than to ignore them and find out later.
11 people found this helpful
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sob
5.0 out of 5 stars Mindset CHANGE dead ahead!
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2012
Verified Purchase
Rory Miller and Lawrence Kane have put their heads and collective experience together to author a new book available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Scaling-Force-Dynamic-Decision-Violence/dp/1594392501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349277482&sr=8-1&keywords=scaling+force

It's titled 'Scaling Force', and it's jammed full of good information and advice that will surely help many understand the LEGAL definition of the legal term 'self-defense', and will guide ANY martial artist through the legal maze that may result from the use of your chosen art in an altercation.

This book will also clearly define the many variables that are involved, and the pitfalls that you may face if you choose to use your training - it can come back and bite you! I don't mean to discourage anyone - this is going to be a great read, and for many it will be a revelation! Reading through the who's-who of forewords and beta-reader's quotes will clue you in to the seriousness of the subject matter - quotes from many notable martial artists, including Marc MacYoung, Alain Burrese, Loren W. Christensen and Ian Abernethy get right to the heart of what you have in store for you to consider.

The reality of 'self-defense' as you may be currently taught in the dojo is anything but the reality! Your MA training is incomplete without this text - you are being taught wrong. Simple as that. If your MA dojo is teaching you about the legal implications, they are doing YOU a disservice. Period.

This book will tell you WHY, and teach you about something that used to be called The Force Continuum in Law Enforcement circles. In today's society we believe too much of what we see on T.V. or read on the internet forums. Self-Defense is a buzzword used by many to take your money and in turn provide you with an incomplete program. It's taken me personally a few years to get to this mindset, and trust me - I've invested a lot of hard earned funds into developing solutions that would work for me and with my given set of circumstances. I was lucky to find Rory a few years ago, I own and have read and or re-read ALL of his output to date. I encouraged him to publish a book last year that I felt was important, and that would help many in my field break some new ground. I connect with Rory's writing and experience - he's got an easy manner of expressing difficult concepts and/or ideas. He doesn't sugar coat things, but slaps you in the face with what the reality is - often in a very humorous way, but often with no B.S. or glossing over.

If you even anticipate being in a situation where you're likely to have to use your training, save yourself GRIEF> BUY THIS BOOK AND READ IT. It'll save you money, heartbreak, and untold anxiety. This book is another in a continuing series of books about VIOLENCE - as authored by both Rory and Mr. Kane. They've put out some of the best books on VIOLENCE that I've found on a subject that I thought I knew something about - until I read THEIR books. Now I KNOW differently. I was only kidding myself, and was also steeped in what T.V. has provided me with over a lifetime of exposure. Do yourself a HUGE favor - BUY THIS BOOK - but you better read it and more importantly UNDERSTAND what you are reading!

I highly recommend this book to everyone. Defend yourself FIRST by being well-informed - and this book will set you on that path. Read the quotes provided by many from the MA community and those from the LEO community as well - they pull no punches. Read/consider/re-read, let it all sink in, and read it again. Understanding violence, understanding 'self-defense' as you currently think you know it are likely totally wrong. Really.
9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 22, 2022
Verified Purchase
One of the best book from Rory
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Hammer
5.0 out of 5 stars Ouvrage de Self Defense très complet
Reviewed in France on September 22, 2019
Verified Purchase
Ce livre permet d'avoir une vision globale de ce que doit être la protection personnelle et la défense personnelle. Les thèmes abordés ici sont l'anticipation, la désescalade, le combat et les répercussions post altercation (physiques, psychologiques et juridiques).
La connaissance de ces concepts sera très utile pour les personnes intéressées ou pratiquant la self défense. Ces principes permettront au pratiquant d'aller au-delà des cours pratiques de combat pour acquérir une vision plus générale et plus réaliste du cadre dans lequel s'insère la self défense et l'utilisation de techniques de combat dans la rue.
Ce livre reprend une bonne partie des principes que Rory Miller et Lawrence Kane ont développés dans leurs autres livres, précédents mais cette compilation est très bien structurée.
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yanut
5.0 out of 5 stars Ausgewogen und Relevant
Reviewed in Germany on May 11, 2016
Verified Purchase
Eine Einführung in Gewalt, zu welchen Zeitpunkt wie anwenden und Methoden zum Entschärfen von brenzligen Situationen. Der Titel scheint technisch zu sein (das Buch ist gut lesbar/einfach geschrieben), macht aber Sinn: Der Autor unterscheidet in verschiedene Stufen von Gewaltanwendung: Von der Stimme und Auftreten bis hin zu tödlicher Gewalt. Das Wichtigste ist zu wissen, was in welcher Situation zu tun ist, welche Form von Gewalt adequat und auch legal ist. Sonst hat man als Resultat mal ganz schnell kein glückliches Ende (worst case: Verletze oder Tote, Mordanklage für den "good guy"), wo das richtige Wort die Sache erledigt hätte. Genau dieses Wissen vermittelt das Buch, mit etlichen Beispielen.Sehr empfehlenswert!
4 people found this helpful
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E. Meyer
5.0 out of 5 stars Klar
Reviewed in Germany on June 11, 2017
Verified Purchase
Sachlich und klar, nüchtern und praktisch, aus Sicht eines in der Forensik jahrelang tätigen Arztes in jeder Hinsicht zu bestätigen und daher für den Alltag zu empfehlen. Dem Leser sei dann ein intensives Praktikum bei Fachmenschen empfohlen.
One person found this helpful
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Beek
5.0 out of 5 stars View of a self defence instructor
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 11, 2015
Verified Purchase
Good book, written by people with real world experience, a good addition for anyone involved in self defence training/teaching. Some of the scenarios are very familiar and their 'take' on them was eye-opening. Obvious now its pointed out, but that's the beauty of it, you can feel the authenticity of the authors.
3 people found this helpful
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