The Spy and the Rodeo Clown: Sword Play and the Third Game

By Maija Soderholm

This is the third book in a series about the art and training methods of the highly reclusive Eskrimador Sonny Umpad. Sonny was one of the best sword masters of his generation, and sadly passed away in 2006. Sonny emphasized the crucial importance of fight intelligence when lethal weapons were in play, and taught how fighting the mind of the opponent was just as important as fighting their body. The other books in the series, The Liar, The Cheat and the Thief, and The Hustler, introduced Sonny's Random Flow training method, and explored the psychology of the fight. The Spy and the Rodeo Clown introduces a new concept to the art of sword play, the idea of the Third Game, a training method which connects the physical to the psychological, and underpins both the ability to read, and to 'write' an opponent. "In a real sense, this was always the direction Maija's work was headed. Here we have a book on not just how to anticipate your opponent's next steps, but on how to dictate what they'll be. This is like being handed a set of cheat codes. All you have to do is learn how to use them." - Rob Crowley, former MAJ, US Army Special Forces "This third installment of the excellent series can best be summed as "Opportunity Engineering." The how to create those opportunities one can leverage to your advantage. This is learning how to get into the opponents OODA loop and create openings from there. Maija has once again delivered a stellar offering in a seldom taught skill." - Mahipal Lunia Explorer-In-Residence, The Immersion Foundation

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0CR855779
• ISBN13: 9798871267288
• Release Date: December 2023
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.83 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.5" x 6.0"