The best book of its kind on the market today! It enlightened me! The contents cover so much ground that you cannot confine it to one style, it is all styles and yet, paradoxically, it is no style. It is all encompassing and in my opinion one of the most comprehensive books on combat on the market today. Highly recommended!

It`s a great pleasure for me to be writing the preface to this book, On Single Combat, for many reasons not least of those being that the author is a man that I admire very much. But being a nice person, even being a great martial artist, which Keith undoubtedly is, is in itself not enough to warrant me to put my name to a book about my life's quest, the martial arts. For me to make comment and / or endorse it a book has to really impress me. This did far more, it enlightened me.

At first glance you may mistakingly see On Single Combat as being simply about Wing Chun or WingTsun (WT) as Grandmaster Leung Ting`s system is spelled, after all the author is recognised as a world renowned master of the art, but the contents cover so much ground that you cannot confine it to one style, it is all styles and yet, paradoxically, it is no style. It is all encompassing and in my opinion one of the most comprehensive books on combat on the market today. Geoff Thomspon

Geoff Thompson: "The best book of its kind on the market today! 'It enlightened me!' The contents cover so much ground that you cannot confine it to one style, it is all styles and yet, paradoxically, it is no style. It is all encompassing and in my opinion one of the most comprehensive books on combat on the market today. Highly recommended!

Review of Blitz Martial Arts Magazine

~On Single Combat is not simply an index of techniques. Although it contains ample photographs, exercises,diagrams and charts; more importantly it contains the concepts and logic that must laybehind any realistic system of self defence. With profound foreword by internationally acclaimed martial artist and author, Geoff Thompson, the book is undeniably comparable to Bruce Lee's Tao of Jeet Kune Do. Not simply for esoteric value, but because of the clarity and depth of that which lays at the heart of each issue. In addition to his own insights, the author includes quotes from Tsun Tzu's Art of War and the words of Friedrich Nietzche. Each page offers an inescapable doorway to very ancient, very intelligent martial information.
"The best method of self-defence is the one which offers the average man in the street the best protection against everyday aggression and attacks within the shortest time possible." (Page 27.)
To the martial artist looking beyond the surface, this book, with its unassuming black and white cover is worth its weight in gold. Easy to read again and again, On Single Combat immerses the intellect in an explicit logic that will remain applicable for many years to come. "Know your enemy and know yourself, then you will not be endangered in a hundred battles! " (Page 64.)
Not only informative, the content is often humorous, such as when Kernspecht is asked by a Finnish reporter, "which self defence system would you recommend to somebody whose life depends on it? " Kernspecht: "If there is spacethe Smith & Wesson system. They make excellent handguns." (Page 2 7.)
Containing historical photos of the author and other renowned martial artists such as Emin Boztepe and Australia's own Stefan Fischer and Stephan Fox, On Single Combat offers insight for both the beginner and advanced practitioner regardless of style or disposition. These insights include; analysis of the characteristics of an ideal system (aggressive defence), understanding the different zones of combat, how to bridge the gap between yourself and your opponent, how to efficiently transfer force to your opponent, the superiority of wrestling, the unknown quantity of the fighting spirit, footwork and the phases of total combat. i.e. I st phase: Bridging the gap / Fighting with feet. 2nd phase: Fighting with hands. 3rd phase: Fighting with elbows and knees. 4th phase: Fighting with holds, locks, restraints, chokes, throws and counter-throws. 5th phase: I Groundfighting.
Distilled through nearly 40 years of martial arts experience, Keith Kernspecht brings to light Leung Ting's Wing Tsun philosophy in a way that borders the experience of enlightenment. By examining the complex processes which occur in a combat situation the reader begins to fathom the laws that dictate the appropriate reactions of the defender. (1) If the way is clear, go forward! (2) If your way is obstructed, stick to your opponent! (3) If you meet superior strength give way! This martial knowledge is imparted in a way that can be applied to all other arts, and in addition other activities including philosophy, chess, tennis and even team games such as football and rugby. In fact it generates a way of thinking that is not limited in application. The essence of this logic can be applied to understanding the nature of anything. For the average person, trying to make sense of this statement may seem like a formidable task, but the logic is instilled upon the reader little by little; like water seeping between cracks. It offers a huge opportunity for personal growth.

"Your success will be as great as your effort". (Page 272)
Throughout the book, the observations and knowledge of highly successful wrestlers, boxers, karateka, special police units and infamous streetfighters are compared with Kernspecht's own experience as a martial artist, police officer, bodyguard, powerlifter, university professor and instructor to international elite police units such as the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team (USA), SEK and GSG9 (Germany), RAID (France), NOCS (Italy), SEK Cantonal Police, Zurich (Switzerland) and GP (Luxemburg).
"In reality, you will hardly ever see a correctly executed block in a Karate fight or during training in clubs. In my opinion it is practically impossible to defend yourself against the fast punches of eg. a boxer by using Karate blocks." Steve Arneil, 6th Dan
Karate. (Page 104) More appropriate methods of defence are discussed in detail by the author.
The surprising thing that you realise when nearing the end of the book, is that "less is more when things get serious. " Despite the immense amount of information, it is this essence of 'lessness' and direct approach that allows your own mind to begin to fire like an arrow toward the heart of each issue. "The best method of self-defence is the one which is able to cope with the most attacks using the least number of movements. " (Page 30) You actually feel yourself searching for this nature of things in you own time, and applying it to the catalogue of information you already store.
In a nutshell: On Single Combat is one of the most comprehensive books regarding martial theory on the market today. It examines in detail the technique, philosophy and thought behind effective combat, yet paradoxically informs with logic that cannot be confined to one system. The information is easily absorbed, and if application is practised, could easily save your life.
"Learning is like rowing against the current. As soon as you stop, you start going backwards." (Page 247)
For this reason of self-improvement, On Single Combat is highly recommended reading. BLITZ