Stevie Nicks was once the star of a self-defense book

For decades, Stevie Nicks has showcased her singing and dancing skills while performing with Fleetwood Mac and on her solo tours. Surprisingly enough, she also showed a talent for martial arts on the cover of a self-defense book. Here’s how Nicks and his awesome high kick found its way into the pages of this 1983 book.

Stevie Nicks has many talents outside of her singing career

While Nicks’ main focus is always her music, she takes the time to hone other skills. After the death of her close friend Robin Snyder Anderson from leukemia, Nicks acquired a talent for painting which she said was a farewell gift from Anderson. She paints dreamlike paintings which have helped her to feel “alone and lost in many ways”, for example Rolling stone.

Nicks also focused his writing skills on developing a television series based on his song “Rhiannon”. The fantasy show would be centered around the Welsh mythology behind the main character. In an ideal world, she wants Harry Styles to play the lead role.

Although Nicks hasn’t taken classes for her ballet skills in years, she uses them every time she performs on stage. She believes that the grace she gained in her childhood ballet lessons was essential to her success as a performer.

“I do it on stage. It’s like, it’s magic. And I learned everything in ballet, ”she said. NPR. “I don’t dance so much on stage. I’m just doing kind of a ballet, you know.

She appeared on the cover of a martial arts book

Part of the grace, strength, and flexibility she developed through ballet helped her in another endeavor: martial arts. In 1983, Nicks appeared in a series of images, including one on the cover, of a self-defense book titled Do not touch ! : A unique new self-defense system against assault for women today. Author, Bob Jones, had worked in security for a number of musical artists, including Fleetwood Mac.

With Do not touch!, Jones aimed to teach fundamental methods of self-defense. To help readers visualize the movements, he employed Nicks in the photographs. According to the book, Nicks ‘interest in Jones’ self-defense methods “in addition to self-defense, was to include them in future stage presentations.”

“This lady was a professional: in two hours, I had a hundred of the most magnificent photos ever given to martial arts, and only one would be on the cover,” Jones said of Nicks, per Far Out Magazine. “That day of filming, I was standing in my martial arts training uniform, wearing my black belt. Then Stevie appeared, her hair styled to resemble a lion’s mane. She was eager to take some serious photos.

The now-out-of-print book also featured photographs by ABBA’s Frida Lyngstad.

Stevie Nicks wasn’t afraid to use his high kick against unruly fans

While Nicks didn’t have to use Jones’ self-defense methods against fans, she shared that she had come close a few times. His heavy platform boots helped increase the intimidation factor.

“If you put on a pair of really strong suede knee-high boots, which have a substantial little platform and a really good heel, then if someone is trying to get you out of that scene, you can seriously hit them.” with this boot. ” she said Variety, adding, “A few times I’ve said, ‘Let go of my hand,’ and some people don’t. And my foot starts to go up, and they get it, like, ‘I don’t wanna get hit with that boot. So I’d better back off. So they have their moments where I feel like they’re a weapon.

Considering the awesome kicks on display in Jones’ book, her fans are lucky that she never had to put on her platform boots to work.

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