Watch My Back - Geoff Thompson

Watch my back, I first came across Geoff's books when Paladin Press published Dead or alive. As a martial artist I was very much interested in the topic of self-defence. As there was a chapter on fear control with a reference to a book dedicated to this subject I then got myself a copy of the book fear. Both books triggered my interest in the story of the author. Watch my Back is Geoff's autobiography of his time as a doorman back when Coventry was one of the most violent cities in western Europe. His story is very much like what mythologist Joseph Campbell called the hero's journey. Like every journey this one also starts off with a calling, after ...  Read the complete review

I count Geoff as a friend, so I don't whether my "review" can really be counted as unbiased. Nevertheless, I feel I need to say a few words about this book to steer potential readers in the right direction. The book is an autobiography of the life of Geoff Thompson, focusing mainly on his time working the doors in Coventry during the 1980s. He became perhaps one of the biggest shakers on the UK martial arts scene in the early '90s and was at least partly responsible for the "Reality Revolution" at the time. Today he has carved his name as a motivational writer, moving off martial arts and more into popular psychology. He has also written ...  Read the complete review

This book was on the bookshelf for a while. I didn' touch it as I thought it was all about violent and fights, I was partially wrong. Geoff Thompson is well known and respected teacher in martial art. This book tells about his early days, struggling to cope with a life of intimidation and indoctrination. He became a bouncer in a notorious nightclub in the 80s, partly to confront his fears and standing up to bullies. In his years as a bouncer, he experienced comaraderie amongst his colleague and was also involved in hundreds of brutal and bloody fights. His fights and reputation became notoriously known in the nightclub circuits and he was soon ...  Read the complete review

This is, as far as I am aware, the first Geoff Thompson (GT) book to be reviewed on DooYoo, which would suggest to me that mot enough of you have read much - if any - of his work. This book is tricky to categorise as it must be described as something between an auto biography and a dramitised insight into what must be one of the most difficult jobs anyone could wish for - Working on a club door. It would be wrong to give away too much of the true story told by GT, so I wont go overboard with details. The tale begins when GT is a small boy, being brought up by his parents in Coventry. His childhood is a gritty one, and his innocence is short ...  Read the complete review