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FIGHTING FIT: The Israel Defense Force Guide to Physical Fitness and Self-Defense by David Ben-Asher

FIGHTING FIT: The Israel Defense Force Guide to Physical Fitness and Self-Defense

By

Pub Date: Aug. 2nd, 1983
Publisher: Perigee/Putnam

An unsound, unenjoyable program presented in terse military style. The official manual for the Israeli Defense Forces, this sets out pre-exercise testing to determine level of fitness (recommended clothing: ""full combat uniform, army shoes; or denims or gym clothes, army shoes or jogging shoes""), then describes both group lesson plans and individualized, 20-minute regimens. The latter include such generally discredited exercise notions as ""squat-thrusts"" and two-minute warm-ups beginning with jumping jacks. A significant portion of the guide is given over to ""Self-Defense--Contact Combat,"" which calls for hitting an attacker at vulnerable points (""defender follows with a stomp to the temple or face, or a kick to the ribs with the left foot, while removing knife from the attacker's hand""). There are shelves of more balanced and appropriate fitness guides at hand.