Loren W. Christensen

In real-world combat, your best technique might not work—and Loren W. Christensen wants you ready for that. Some attackers are too big, too drunk, too drugged, too angry, or too crazy to feel pain like your training partners do. Drawing from decades in martial arts and law enforcement, Loren gives you the tools to survive when nothing goes as planned. This isn’t about sparring—it’s about surviving the nightmare.

"Find out how to combine the latest techniques with centuries-old secrets, resistance exercises and proper body mechanics to make your punches, kicks, blocks and throws more powerful, as well as to defend yourself against explosive power. Double your fighting power by following this proven training regimen."

Self-Defense for Women: Fight Back cuts through the bad advice and gives you real tactics to survive an attack. Martial arts experts Loren W. Christensen and Lisa Place teach powerful, practical techniques using your body and everyday objects to defend yourself and escape. With a focus on mindset, awareness, and physical readiness, this book helps you tap into your instinct to fight back—and win.

"Speed is the most important asset a fighter can have. Find out from a top martial artist and police officer how to develop instantaneous reflexes and explosive speed for punching, kicking, grappling and police defensive tactics. Improve perception, polish timing and double your speed by using these sure-fire techniques."

In FAST HANDS, veteran martial artist Loren W. Christensen combines modern science with real-world experience to help you unlock lightning-fast hand speed. Blending resistance training, isometrics, and mental techniques, he debunks outdated methods and shares speed tricks honed over 28 years in law enforcement. You’ll even get a bonus chapter on turning your knife skills into a blur. 

In Musings on Violence, bestselling author Loren W. Christensen shares hard-won insights on training for violence, surviving it, and living with the aftermath. A martial artist since 1965 and a 29-year law enforcement vet, Loren has faced everything from street thugs to war-zone chaos. This isn’t a how-to—it’s a raw, reflective look at what it truly means to be a warrior.

"[A] comprehensive training program that will not only increase your fighting speed but also enhance the appearance of quickness, keeping your opponent off-guard and making him think you’re much faster than you actually are. From there, he shows you drills, exercises and principles that will increase your natural fighting speed and help you develop not only instantaneous reflexes but also explosive quickness and power in all your strikes."

Defensive Tactics is a straight-talking guide for cops and martial artists who want real-world techniques that work under pressure. Retired officer and martial artist Loren W. Christensen covers everything from joint locks and strikes to weapon retention and ground control. It goes beyond academy training to prepare you for the chaos of the street.

"In one landmark video production, Paladin Press has gathered three of our best-selling video authors: veteran cop and martial artist Loren Christensen, boxing and grappling specialist Mark Hatmaker and kyusho-jitsu expert Vince Morris. The assignment: to teach you the best defenses they could muster against common street attacks, including a haymaker punch, a front kick, a tackle, a rear choke, a side headlock, and a lapel grab and punch."

Loren W. Christensen has lived what he teaches—using martial arts on the streets of Saigon and as a city cop facing riots, fights, and danger daily. He protected everyone from presidents to criminals and learned firsthand about violence and the human condition. Street Lessons shares the hard-earned truths from that journey.

"This book isn't about sport fighting, flashy moves or how to become a better person through a martial art. It presents realistic grappling techniques designed to control and restrain through the application of pain to the joints. Its purpose is to provide today's modern warrior with easy-to-apply techniques that first restrain and then, if taken to their maximum potential, inflict severe physical injury, including torn ligaments and tendons, broken bones and even paralysis or death in extreme cases."

Loren W. Christensen shows you over 300 ways you can add variety to your daily martial arts training routine. Whether you’re a student looking for fun new solo drills to spice up your home training or an instructor in search of new ways to pump up your classes, this book has what you need. It is an incredible collection of drills, techniques, and exercises that will take your workouts to the next level.

"Street Stoppers is your guide to the martial arts most devastating trips, sweeps and throws... throughout the book you'll get inside tips on choosing the right technique, gaining the upper hand over your assailant, avoiding injuries and ending a fight quickly. Because this book is written by 2 expert martial artists who have decades of experience subduing criminals on some of America's meanest streets, you can rest assured that you re getting proven techniques that work."

"Real fights are far more explosive and violent than karate sparring matches. The author learned this the hard way as an MP in Saigon, Vietnam. Learn what will and will not work in the streets, and the changes you must make in your training in order to survive. In a real fight there's only one rule: anything goes!"

"The techniques Mr. Christensen covers, coupled with a state of mental preparedness will equip you with the skills to face most anything life has to offer. Whether it is an opponent in competition or that attack by the shadowy figure who pops into your life when you would least expect it."

Few fights get uglier than breaking free from a street attacker's clinch—and Loren Christensen and Mark Mireles know it firsthand. With 75 years of martial arts and over 40 years as cops, they’ve honed techniques to break holds or control suspects who fight like hell to get away.

Total Defense arms you with striking and grappling tactics to survive sucker punches, grabs, tackles, weapons, and more. For each attack, Mark shows how to lock up or takedown the threat, while Loren delivers the brutal strikes to end it fast. It’s like getting two fight manuals in one.

This isn’t about keeping up with the kids—it’s about staying strong, fast, and sharp as you age. In Martial Arts After 40, Loren W. Christensen shares practical training tips for building power, staying flexible, preventing injuries, and fighting smarter, not harder. From core work and mental drills to solo workouts and recovery, this book helps you train longer, safer, and better—no matter your age.

Solo Training 2 by Loren W. Christensen builds on the original with hundreds of new solo drills to boost power, speed, and accuracy. With a focus on core strength and practical, partner-free techniques, it also includes eight targeted workouts to help martial artists level up their training.

"Using a simple angling system as a guide, [Loren] shows you how to instinctively target the vital areas of the face and neck from any angle, in virtually any situation. To ensure that you get the greatest effect from all of your strikes, he also teaches you the tricks of positioning your attacker to set him up for a strike and shows you which striking tools work best for specific targets."

Fighter’s Fact Book 2 takes your training to the next level with hardcore, real-world tactics for surviving the worst. Loren W. Christensen and a lineup of expert contributors cover everything from knife defense and multiple attackers to fighting while wounded and using extreme force when justified. This isn’t theory—it’s a gritty, practical guide to preparing for the fight you hope never comes.

"Focusing on gross motor movements that require a minimum of practice to execute, Christensen shows you how to perform a series of quick, hard strikes that will make your attacker wish he'd stayed at home. From there, he teaches you defenses against some of the most common street attacks, including lapel and wrist grabs, wild haymaker punches, and tackle attempts."

"A surefire way to increase your motivation, strength, speed, explosiveness, endurance and timing - The Way Alone. This book about solo training includes tips on weight training, practicing reps and kata, bag work and cardiovascular training anytime, anywhere."

With over 45 years of experience, Loren W. Christensen delivers 400+ drills, tips, and concepts to boost your martial arts game—no matter your style. From power and speed to self-defense and mental prep, Fighter’s Fact Book helps break plateaus and reignite your training. Whether you’re bored, stuck, or hungry for more, this book gets you moving.

Loren W. Christensen, a martial artist, Vietnam vet, and longtime street cop, brings real-world violence to life on the page. Drawing from decades of experience, he teaches writers to ditch boring or cartoonish fights for gritty, authentic action. This book shows how to study violence and write it in a way that’s raw, visual, and unforgettable.

Timing for the Fighting Arts shows how mastering timing can make every strike faster, stronger, and more effective. Loren W. Christensen and Wim Demeere break down real-world tactics and drills to help you control any fight—whether in the ring or on the street. Timing isn’t just a bonus—it’s your biggest advantage.

"Loren W Christensen - soldier, policeman, martial artist - has called upon his warrior spirit in a wide range of violent encounters: gruelling karate and jujitsu matches, brutal barroom brawls and street fights as a military policeman in Saigon, Vietnam, shootings, riots, and gang warfare as a police officer in Portland, Oregon, and fights in the mean streets."

In The Fighter’s Guide to Hard-Core Heavy Bag Training, Wim Demeere and Loren W. Christensen pack decades of experience into a no-nonsense guide to building power, speed, and endurance. Learn how to choose, hang, and use your heavy bag effectively—with drills that work for MMA, Muay Thai, Karate, and more. Whatever your style, this book will sharpen your fight skills fast.

As a martial artist, your body is your weapon—and how you fuel it matters. Whether you're cutting weight, building muscle, or just trying to eat smarter, this guide covers it all. From diets and supplements to performance and recovery, you'll get clear answers and practical advice. Start here.

"The ripping, poking, pinching and pressing techniques in this book emphasize quick, vicious delivery to the eyes, throat, ears, groin, nerve points and other acutely vulnerable targets on the human body. They range from annoying (to distract an attacker while you set up other moves) to devastatingly destructive, when there are no other options but to cause intense pain and potential injury."

"This is your quick-and-dirty guide to learning dozens of ugly, shocking, and painful—yet simple—ways to short-circuit an attacker and give you time to run or make a counterattack. You won't find finesse moves here; there are no complex body mechanics to study or techniques that you'll need weeks of practice to perfect. It's just pure strike, stun, and escape."