FORCE: CONTESTED AUTONOMY James LaFond & Jeth Randolph Two authors. Two books. One subject with almost limitless applications. Human aggression and conflict: in relationships, the street, the workplace, and beyond. From everyday friction, abuse and bullying to predation, coercion and physical violence, Force examines the struggles for power that shape modern life. How do you recognise predation before it becomes violence? How do you identify coercion, resist intimidation and preserve your ability to act when fear, pressure or dependency begin to narrow your choices? And how much of self-defence is actually about fighting? SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING BEFORE IT BECOMES A FIGHT If you train in self-defence, you probably already know how to hit, grapple, escape or use whatever system you have been taught. But how do you recognise what is happening before physical techniques become necessary? Force: Contested Autonomy explores awareness and recognition as foundations of self-defence: identifying predatory behaviour, understanding coercion and intimidation, and recognising when your ability to choose and act is under threat. Its applications extend far beyond physical confrontation — to bullying, difficult relationships, workplace pressure, social influence and the many ways people attempt to control the behaviour of others. THE NATURE OF FORCE. THE STRUGGLE FOR AUTONOMY. Force is more than physical violence. It can operate through fear, dependency, reputation, money, relationships, institutions and authority. At a deeper level, this is an enquiry into power, freedom and the individual's struggle to retain autonomy in a world that continually seeks to constrain choice. James LaFond (USA), author of the Paladin Press classic The Logic of Steel, and Jeth Randolph (UK), author of several self-defence books, bring perspectives from both sides of the Atlantic to examine the realities facing the modern individual. Their approach connects practical self-protection with a broader examination of human behaviour, power and the conditions under which people retain — or surrender — their ability to act. This volume contains: Liber One: A Field Manual for Contested Autonomy Liber Two: Force Alchemy Together, they lay the groundwork for understanding force, recognising its application and exploring the possibilities of resistance. Force: Contested Autonomy is the first part of Force: An Anglo-American Frictionary, a three-part work moving from awareness and recognition to physical capability and its application. Become harder to surprise, to manipulate and to prey upon. Become a harder target.
