Jack Reacher's Rules

“You don’t throw my friends out of helicopters and live to tell the tale.”

Hit early, hit hard.

Stand with your back to the sun so that it’s in your enemy’s eyes.

Make the first shot count.

Get your retaliation in first; show them who they’re dealing with.

Say you’ll count to three—then throw your punch at two.

Never revive a guy who has just pulled a gun on you.

Train yourself to use aggression in the face of danger.

“Soon as he was neutralized, it was two against one. And I’ve never had a problem with those kind of odds.”

When confronted by two or more opponents, know that the one who does all the talking is the leader. Hit him first and hit him hard; then the others will think twice.

Cheat. The gentlemen who behaved decently aren’t there to train anybody. They are already dead.

“Then I cheated. Instead of counting three I headbutted him full in the face.”

If plan A doesn’t work, move on to plan B.

If you have to fight five guys, then identify the ringleader. Any five guys will have one ringleader, two enthusiastic followers, and two reluctant followers. Put the ringleader down, and both of the keen sidekicks, and it’s over. The reluctant pair just run for it. It never gets worse than three-on-one.

“Attacking me was like pushing open a forbidden door. What waited on the other side was his problem.”

Look at each opponent in turn. Serene self- confidence works wonders.

Try not to get into a fight when you’ve just put on clean clothes.

Stay alive, and see what the next minute brings.

Never get distracted from the job at hand.

Use the first precious second for the first precious blow. Fight, and win. Fight, and win.

Don’t think ahead—if you think about the aftermath, you usually don’t get that far.

“His eyes were closed, which made it not much of a fair fight, but those are always my favorite kind.”

Make the first shot count.

Look like you mean it, and people back off a lot.