Fighting With Myself

How did a self-professed, non-violent pacifist become not only an international karate champion but also a well-respected nightclub bouncer in some of the toughest pubs and clubs in Britain? Ian McCranor relives in graphic detail how, in his own words, his alter ego only had to be ruthlessly awesome for a few seconds when violence came calling. From the rough and tough streets of Coventry, England, to the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, Nevada, Ian shares some amazing yet terrifying moments in a life that could have gone very bad, very quickly.

"One minute I was fighting for my life with a group of drunken thugs in a British night club, the next I was helping Daisy Duke with fight choreography for the Dukes of Hazards movie in Agoura Hills, California. It's been one hell of a ride. From teaching fighting techniques to Chuck Norris's competition team to dodging a bullet at the home of a Hollywood stuntman, gunned down by a hired assassin, orchestrated by Joe Pesci's ex-wife.

Ian McCranor focuses on summoning alter egos that everyone has lying just below the surface, which once awakened, can and will steer anyone in a direction they desire.

"As a traditional Karate fighter I loved competing, but I felt like a fake when the real world of street violence came calling. I had to separate the sport from the art, then the art from the truth. Once I understood how to become the person I needed to be for the task ahead I openly admitted I was just an athlete in a combat sport and that was ok. I then started to create alter egos to confront and deal with situations that I couldn't deal with as myself. I spent many years training to become a good fighter, only to realise that I was doing it all wrong, I didn't need to be a good fighter, I just needed to be great at being violent".