Book Review: Bro-Jitsu The Martial Art of Sibling Smackdown by Daniel H. Wilson

Bro-Jitsu The Martial Art of Sibling Smackdown by Daniel H. Wilson

In a surprising departure for Daniel H. Wilson, Ph.D. in Robotics from MIT, he's written a book about how siblings fight each other for family supremacy (or just for fun). He doesn't look at the whys or wherefores, just what they do to each other (e.g. punching, kicking, taunting, double dog daring, cat butting, etc.). The book is divided into sections on offensive techniques, defensive techniques, and psychological warfare. It has the same tongue-in-cheek style of his other short books like Where's My Jetpack? and How to Survive a Robot Uprising.

Wilson also discusses when to bring in parents as referees and when not to. These tidbits are especially helpful as a parent so I can discern when someone is trying to get out of trouble or get someone into trouble. It will make parents better managers of sibling relationships.

This book is a fun read and brought back sibling warfare memories. I just can't let it fall into the hands of my four- and six-year olds. They don't need any more ideas on how to get on each others nerves!

Sample Text: The Sacred Vow of Bro-Jitsu [pp. 9-10]

• I promise I will never hit my sibling in the face, even if (s)he always breaks my stuff and gets away with it, too.
• I will strive to physically and mentally torture my siblings to make them stronger, better people. But I will do my best to never injure or scar them permanently.
• I will never team up with outsiders against my sibling because we are joined by an unbreakable bond of kinship. Plus, I will be in a lot of trouble with Mom if anything ever happens to my sibling.
• I will continue to refine and improve the techniques of Bro-Jitsu long after reaching adulthood so that my siblings will never grow soft--and so that they will never forget how freaking awesome I am and how much they totally suck.