Winning Fights

USA Best Book Award FINALIST - 2018

Winning Fights focuses on 2,500 years of proven fighting principles originating from Eastern concepts and proceeding to the modern era. This book is for pugilists seeking an edge in competition as well as soldiers and law enforcement officers facing conflict. Like The Art of War and The Book of Five Rings, however, many of its lessons also apply to the world of business and negotiation.

The majority of martial art books are dedicated to technique. They feature photos and descriptions of strikes, blocks, evasions, and submissions. While many of these titles are important and influential, it is clear that if our martial study is simply about acquiring new tactics, we risk leaving a void in our training—and possibly in our own character.

Dr. Phillip Stephens conducted extensive research in developing this work. He drew from his years of martial training and his experience as a member of the North Carolina Boxing Commission. He even reached out to combat personnel at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, who offered additional insight on what it takes to prepare for combat—and to prevail.

Dr. Stephens looked beyond the technical to the conceptual and found that winning fights requires twelve core principles: preparation, awareness, commitment, lethality, efficiency, discipline, power, focus, fierceness, surprise, timing, and fortitude.

This book features
• Twelve principles for winning fights
• A survey of Eastern and Western traditions
• An intelligent yet accessible discussion of these concepts

With this book you will
• Learn to see beyond fighting tactics, which change, to fighting principles, which endure
• See your training in powerful new ways

“Winning fights is based on principles, not techniques,” Dr. Stephens writes. “Technique is important, but techniques change, adapt, and evolve. Principles are timeless.”