IS STRIKING THE GROIN AN EFFECTIVE SELF DEFENSE TECHNIQUE?

Many people who write to me ask if attacking the groin is an effective self defense technique to protect themselves with since most self defense schools teach striking this area of the body. The answer to this question is sometimes since there are many variables that have to be in place to make striking this area effective. You have to remember that every man is taught at a very young age to protect this area because it is one of the first areas to get hit, so a simple squeezing the upper thighs together usually can get the job done when protecting this area.

The other variable that needs to be considered is that when someone is wearing clothing such as jeans it changes the effectiveness of your self defense technique drastically. When training most people wear loose clothing such as track pants or a martial arts uniform but on the street most people wear jeans. Now try grabbing or twisting the groin area of someone now, much harder now since that variable came into the picture isn't it? This does not go to say that it is not an effective area to strike but be prepared that it may not work so well for you and that many variables need to be in place for it to work for you.

SELF DEFENSE TIPS FROM IDENTITY THEFT

The results are in the biggest and most problematic crime for 2007 was identity theft and it's growing at a rapid rate. The reason it's on the rise is due to people's lack of knowledge on what to not give out when it comes to information on themselves.
Social networking sites such as Facebook are a great example. When filling out profiles on this site or on any others avoid giving out your date of birth, address, phone number or full name. By having this information on your profile you give criminals everything they need to steal your identity away from you.

HOW TO PRACTICE REALISTIC SELF DEFENSE BITING TECHNIQUES

You have heard me say countless times that one of the most powerful self defense techniques out there is biting. No matter what position you are in this self defense tactic can usually be executed and is very successful without having to have much skill at it.

Now the question is how do you practice this self defense technique? Well there is a realistic way and that is by buying meat such as pork because its the cheapest, frying it up and then practicing biting it and tearing the meat off the pork chop. This will give you a realistic feel on how much force you need behind your bite and tear to get the job done correctly.

FINDING VARIABLES IN SELF DEFENSE TECHNIQUES

A good question to ask yourself whenever you learn a new self defense technique is "If something could go wrong what would it be?" From here you can see if the self defense tactic you are using is realistic or full of fluff. Ask questions such as if the attacker has a longer reach than me could I still do this?, If I was fighting in a confined area could I still move this way? If my attacker was on higher ground would my self defense technique be successful still? If my body was pumped full of adrenaline would I still be able to execute this tactic involving fine motor coordination? By asking these questions and being honest with the answer you will get no surprises when you have to put them to the ultimate test.

SELF DEFENSE FOR YOUR SELF CONFIDENCE

To have confidence is to trust yourself and what you know.
Trust that even if you don't know how to do something that you will
one day. If you don't have confidence in yourself, then you don't
trust yourself. If you don't trust yourself, then who can you trust?

"Experience tells you what do to do, confidence allows you to do it" ~
Stan Smith

SELF DEFENSE STANCE

Whenever in a threatening situation knowing how to properly stand can mean the difference between life and death for you. If you stand square toe to toe with your attacker it will be much harder for you to move out of the line of attack or move backwards when your attacker attacks you.

The best stance to take is the bladed stance or a 45 degree stance so that your body is not directly in front of your attackers. By having your feet face a slight 45 degree angle you are better able to move in any direction quicker and easier than in a square stance and there are less points of the body you have to worry about protecting. Remember to always talk with your hands at chest level so you dont telegraph your intent of attack and you can easily deflect any blows coming your way.

HOW YOU TRAIN IS EXACTLY HOW YOU RESPOND IN SELF DEFENSE SITUATIONS

Last week I spend the entire week training with a cop regarding use of force, restraint techniques and learning different teaching methods. We talked about the importance of training and how you train is how you will respond in a real life self defense situation. We exchanged stories of what we found that worked best for teaching our students and we also shared horror stories of bad training habits, here is one of them.


A cop learns a new gun disarming technique at the academy he begins by putting his hands up then makes a statement while at the same time hitting the gun so he is out of the line of fire. He then grabs and twists the gun away from his partner and takes 4 steps back so he is at a safe distance and points the gun at his partner. He repeats these steps though out the day with his training partner.


He then goes home and gets his wife to play the attacker, he does every step of the technique expect for the last part of stepping back and pointing the gun. Instead due to limited space he just passes the gun back to his wife after he disarms her. He continues training like this for the next two weeks.


Six months later he is walking the beat and has someone pull out a gun on him. Instinct takes over he disarms the attacker then hands him the gun, the attacker shoots him dead. At a later time after all was said and done and the killer was found. During his questioning he stated that he was totally surprised why the cop disarmed him then handed him the gun back. But in all honesty we know why, you respond exactly like how you train so keep your training as real as possible keeping watch for any bad habits.

KNOWING YOUR RIGHTS IN SELF DEFENSE SITUATIONS

Many people ask me what is my rights as a citizen when it comes to use of force and protecting themselves in a self defense situation. Well it is a bit difficult to get into detail on this blog posting on what your rights are when it comes to use of force but to break it down quickly here is a quick explanation. You as a citizen have the right to protect themselves when you feel a threat towards your safety is occurring.


That means that you don't have to wait for an attacker to throw the first punch or kick to be able to physically fight back. A threat is also considered if the person in front of you is verbally threatening you such as saying " I am going to kick your ass" That gives you the legal right to protect yourself physically. Now that does not go to say that you can pull a gun on him and shoot him cause that would be excessive force but you can protect yourself with empty hand tactics if need be.

HOW TO USE YOUR ENVIRONMENT IN SELF DEFENSE SITUATIONS

SELF DEFENSE QUOTE OF THE DAY


"It's hard to beat a person who never gives up."

Babe Ruth

SELF DEFENSE TIP WHILE IN A HOSTAGE SITUATION

So lets say someone attempts to abduct you and succeeded. What do you do now to help yourself to be found? A few tips that can help you is to leave clues around where you have been. Leave pieces of clothing, id and jewelery so police have something to follow and police dogs have a scent to go by. Another tip is to turn on your cell phone, dial someones number and call them. Now hide it either on yourself or in the building you are located in. Even if you can't speak with the person this will raise suspicion and give authorities a signal of what area you are in.

SELF DEFENSE QUOTE OF THE DAY

"With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose." Wayne Dyer

USE OF FORCE LEVELS IN SELF DEFENSE SITUATIONS




Level One

Personnel Presence: The presence of a person can prevent and deter from an assault from happening to another patron by the person running, standing, walking towards an attacker . By using simple body language and gestures that are non-threatening you deal with the situation.


Level Two

Communication: Used with presence, the use of the voice can usually achieve the desired results. Words can be whispered, used normally, or shouted to be effective. The content of the message is as important as your demeanor. It’s always best to start out calm but firm and non-threatening. Choice of words and intensity can be increased as necessary or used in short commands in serious situations. The right combination of words in combination with presence can de-escalate a tense situation and prevent the need for a physical altercation.







Level Three

Control Holds & Tactics: Certain situations may arise where words alone does not reduce the aggression. At this level, minimal force would involve the use of bare hands to guide, hold, and restrain a patron. This does not include offensive moves such as punching, tackling, and choking. Pain compliance holds could apply here, but only after ordinary holds fail to control an aggressive patron


Level Four


Chemical Agents: Sometimes when the suspect is violent or threatening, more extreme, but non-deadly measures must be used in defense to bring the suspect under control or affect an arrest. Before moving to level four, it is assumed that other less physical measures had been tried or was deemed inappropriate. When used by surprise, pepper spray and tear gas is an excellent distraction, allowing the security officer time to get away, call the police, or subdue the suspect.


Level Five


Temporary Incapacitation: To use force under level five means that the situation was so extreme, violent, and immediate that it was necessary to temporarily incapacitate a suspect prior to arrival of the police. This includes the use of all methods of non-deadly force beginning with the empty hand up through and including impact tools. At level five, properly used defensive and offensive moves are allowed under the right circumstances. Choke holds and carotid neck holds can be used, but at great risk. Although still taught at many police academies, neck compressions are very risky and used only in extreme situations.






Level Six


Deadly Force: When you are in immediate fear of death or great bodily injury at the hands of a perpetrator you are authorized to use deadly force in most cases. Check your state & provincial laws to be sure. Deadly force can be applied by your hands, impact tools, or with a firearm. There are no rules, other than negligence, for applying deadly force when it’s justified. However, deadly force is the highest standard and must be justified.

SELF DEFENSE QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I've missed over 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot...and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." -- Michael Jordan

THE WALLET TECHNIQUE FOR SELF DEFENSE SITUATIONS

SELF DEFENSE IS A SEQUENCE OF STEP 1-2-7-10- & BACK TO 5

Your self defense techniques should be effective if you move from step 1 straight to movement 7 missing out all the moves in between. Self defense is about improvisation for if you are being attacked you begin with step 1 of a technique but half way to step 2 you realize it can not be executed you can move on to step 7 and still have an effective self defense tactic even though you missed out on the 6 steps in between those.


When you watch a self defense technique on a DVD or on the web ask yourself if you need to perform all those steps in order to be able to make the self defense technique work for you. For if you answer yes to that question than it's not a realistic self defense tactic to use, even if it works when you perform the steps to it from start to finish. For we know that fighting out on the streets is never about order but about chaos.

THE REASON WHY YOUR SELF DEFENSE WEAPON IS USED AGAINST YOU

Body language says more than your vocal skills does. Take an example of someone telling you that that are going to kick your head in and at the same time they are backing away while saying this. What does this tell you? It says that the loud mouth in front of you is all talk and no action. If he was to say this and at the same time walk into your personnel space then the odds of him attacking you is greater due to his body language matching what he is saying.

Now lets take an example of you waking up one night hearing someone in your apartment stealing something. You grab a pipe that you use as a protective weapon walk up to the man in your apartment and tell him to go or you will use the pipe on him. He moves in and grabs the pipe and uses it on you. Now ask yourself why this happened? Its because he knew you didn't mean business cause you stood there with pipe in hand as an intimidation tool instead of a weapon, because he knew how to read your body language and knew you weren't going to use it on him.

Here is what you should of done, grab the pipe automatically strike the man in your apartment then start telling him to leave. The weapon talks first then your mouth not the other way around. For the intruder will know you then mean business and your mindset is in the right place and the weapon will not be used against yourself. Remember the weapon talks first then your mouth second or your intentions will not be true.

SELF DEFENSE TARGETING INSTEAD OF TECHNIQUES


In my self defense classes I teach certain self defense techniques but make sure that my students understand one key element about what they are doing and that is, never focus on execution of your techniques but to focus on hitting your targets. There are only a handful of targets on the human body that can not be conditioned and these are the targets you want to hit for they will cause a domino type of effect to your attackers body. You may be able to start execution of the first couple of steps in lets say the "Palm Thrust Technique" but most likely will have to improvise and change your game plan because fighting is not about how you perfectly execute the techniques you have learned for this is impossible for fighting is all about improvisation. By focusing on hitting targets instead of performing techniques you keep things simple and more effective in a self defense situation.

SELF DEFENSE CONDITIONING TIP

Many people learn how to break fall using mats, but there is a huge down fall using these when learning how to break fall. The first is that when you land on a mat you tend to get sloppy in your execution and tend to slap your hand and elbow onto the mat. In reality when you land on concrete you would chip your elbow if you were to do this. The other down side to using mats is that you tend to remain "soft" when it comes to conditioning your body. Instead practice from increasingly gradual heights to break fall against a concrete floor so your body is conditioned to land on hard surfaces so it is not stunned or hindered by the impact when your dropped onto the ground in a real situation. For more information on Guerrilla Combatives Conditioning visit www.tactselfdefense.com/index.php#Conditioning

POWER HOUSE KNEES IN SELF DEFENSE SITUATIONS

One self defense technique I love doing espeically in close quarter situations is using my knees to give "Charlie horses" to my attackers thigh or pulling down his head and smashing my knee into his face. A key element into making your knees more powerful and destructive is to bring your leg slightly back then when bringing your knee up and as you make contact to the attacker's head tilt your hips forward, this will increase the impact two fold. Remember to clasp your hands behind your attacker's neck and at the same time you bring one of your legs back, for bringing your leg back helps get all your weight behind his neck pulling his head downward easier and like I stated eariler gives more power to your knee when it makes impact.

SELF DEFENSE FOR YOUR MINDSET

Mental toughness will allow you to oversome adversity, hardship, setbacks and ultimately achieve success in any area of your life. So here are some ways in becoming metally tough so you achieve your goals



• It means when trouble heads your way – you are not permanently knocked on your ass, you get up dust yourself off and keep going.

• It means when your 1st plan doesn't go your way you change to plan B and keep going.

• It means when others criticize you – you refuse to allow someone else to dictate your thoughts or direction, opinions are like assholes everyone gots one and they are all full of crap


• It means you accept 100% responsibility for everything that you do and say

SELF DEFENSE HUMOR

SELF DEFENSE TIPS FOR WHEN GETTING SHOT AT

Self Defense Tactics For When Getting Shot At

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SELF DEFENSE QUOTE OF THE DAY

Don't become a victim of yourself. Forget about the thief waiting in the alley; what about the thief in your mind?

It is not what happens that determines the major part of your future. What happens, happens to us all. It is what you do about what happens that counts.


Jim Rohn

NO WARM UP REQUIRED WHEN IT COMES TO SELF DEFENSE

Now ask yourself this question & answer honestly. Do you need to warm up before you start executing your self defense/martial arts techniques? If the answer is yes then maybe you should be performing other self defense tactics because in the real world before a fight happens your not going to be able to say to your attacker "Hang on I got to warm up first don't want to pull anything while I try kicking you" As foolish as this may sound this is very true when it comes to most self defense techniques on the market today. Remember keep your self defense tactics simple and keep your kicks low, it's not about how pretty you look but how ugly you are.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD IN SELF DEFENSE

With most of my students and readers being already involved in the mixed martial arts they have with them some ideas on how to protect themselves in an all out violent altercation. But when they walk into my training centre that is set up as an apartment and back alley setting they quickly realize what they have learned in mixed martial arts class does not help protect themselves in a self defense situation because there tactics must be changed or altertered to be effective in a real life situation.

Lets take for an example being in the guard postion, in a mixed martial arts class you lay on a mated floor with a partner and do your thing. Now try being in the guard while laying on your couch or in a confined room what happens? You can move or do half the things that you normally could do from being on the ground in a wide open room. So practice the guard when lying on your couch or being in a furnished room and you will see to be effective you have to change things up.

TACTICAL SELF DEFENSE TECHNIQUES

When you train do your self defense techniques do maximum damage or are your self defense techniques haphazard. If you are just throwing techniques out hoping to hit or connect to your attacker than they are haphazard. The self defense techniques you execute have to mean business the first time around causing damage right away like blowing out his knee or causing him to gasp for air. Also when you hit someone it will cause a domino type of effect to your attackers body giving you time to follow through with a more devastating self defense tactic. Make sure your self defense tactics do damage on impact instantly.

TACTICAL SELF DEFENSE WEAPONS DISARMING SEMINAR

TACT Self Defense is holding a tactical self defense weapons disarming seminar. Anyone can attend this powerful seminar regardless of there size, strength, athletic ability or previous experence in combat or martial arts. This 2 hour seminar will be held on Saturday Oct 13/07 from 12noon - 2pm at 1350 E. 4th Ave, Vancouver BC, Canada. Teaching realistic knife, gun, needle and bat disarming tactics. Cost is $65.00 Contact admin@tactselfdefense.com for further information and to reserve your seat.

VICTIM BECOMES A VICTIMIZER AFTER TAKING MY WEEKEND SELF DEFENSE COURSE

SELF DEFENSE QUOTE OF THE DAY

"The best way to predict the future is to create it."
Peter F. Drucker (1909 - 2005) Austrian-American economist and author

SELF DEFENSE FROM CHOKES

The #1 thing to do when in a situation with someone trying to choke you out is to tuck in your chin so your attacker cannot take your airflow away. From there try to bite down hard and dont let go on his arm or hand and pull back hard on his figers. As you feel his grip loosen twist away immediately so you are out of the clinch.

Remember you are not fighting in a UFC match you are fighting for your life in the streets where there are no rules so get as dirty as possible to make the situation easier to handle for yourself. For there is no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one.

SELF DEFENSE QUOTE OF THE DAY



"The human physiology is part of the cosmic physiology. Every rhythm of the universe therefore naturally has an effect on the individual and vice versa."
— Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: Founder and teacher of the Transcendental Meditation program

SELF DEFENSE STOMP TRAINING

In many of my self defense tactics I finish off on my attacker by stomping on his kneecap a few times to make sure he cant get back up. When training to get the most realism out of my stomping techniuqes I place a car tire flat on the floor and I stomp on it using my heel of my foot for this is the hardest part of the foot and prevents you from spraining your ankle for if you stomp with any other part of the foot your more pron to an injury. When stompping on the tire make sure when you make contact with the tire that tire flattens out, this then indicates that there is enough force behind your stomp. Remember to raise your knee high up to your chest then drop it down. To put your weight behind the stomp have your torso go slightly forward & down as you stomp.

SELF DEFENSE QUOTE OF THE DAY

Practice doesn't make perfect- perfect practice makes perfect

SELF DEFENSE TACTICS WHEN DEALING WITH A CLINCH

When dealing with a clinch or very close quarter situation many things can occur to hinder your fight plan such as receiving devastating knees to your legs giving you painful "charlie horses". A way to prevent this from happening is to press your hands firmly against his hips giving you distance between you and him to prevent him from being able to knee you, from there you will be able to counter with your own knees to his legs. Remember control hips and you will control his body weight.

SELF DEFENSE QUOTE OF THE DAY


"It is only through your conscious mind that you can reach the subconscious. Your conscious mind is the porter at the door, the watchman at the gate. It is to the conscious mind that the subconscious looks for all its impressions."
— Robert Collier: Self-help author

PRACTICING THE GUARD FOR REAL LIFE SELF DEFENSE SITUATIONS

When people practice the guard or any other ground tactics they practice on a spacious matted floor. This in turn will not help you be prepared when defending yourself in a real life self defense situation because being in the guard postion when on a piece of furniture such as a couch or bed changes they way you move and do things when in that postion. So practice training on furniture to get a better base of what you actually have to do to protect yourself in a street situation instead of a mixed martial arts setting, for they are two very different situations.

SELF DEFENSE QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Do not dwell in the past; do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." -- Buddha

IRRELEVANT QUESTIONS IN SELF DEFENSE SITUATIONS

In self defense situations acting odd, weird or different can give you those extra seconds to catch your attacker off guard. Here is what I mean lets say you have some guy threatening you and out of the blue you ask him "When's your birthday?" or
"What's your favourite colour?" or by just acting dumb can give you the upper hand with catching your attacker off guard. When making these statements your attacker will stop, begin thinking either of the question or wondering what the hell this is about giving you time to follow through with a self defense tactic. Irrelevant questions leads to relevant outcomes. Remember you must be committed in your attack after you ask your question there is no time to waste.

SPITTING IN SELF DEFENSE SITUATIONS

SELF DEFENSE QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Since you usually get what you expect in life, expect the best for yourself." -- Denis Waitley

THE ULTIMATE SELF DEFENSE TECHNIQUE PART 2

Alright so if you have been reading TACT's TAke No Prisoners Blog you know how much I love biting and think it is the ultimate and easiest self defense technique on the planet. But alot of people dont realize how to actually bite properly and email me on how to actually have an effective biting technique. It's not a little bite down on a limb, finger, ear or cheek. You have to clamp down and keep biting as you perform your self defense tactic so your attacker loses focus on hitting or countering you and just focuses on trying to stop you from biting him. You want to bite the body part off if you can. So clamp down and dont like go, be a human version of a pitbull.

SELF DEFENSE QUOTE OF THE DAY

"When you know what you want, and you want it bad enough, you will find a way to get it." Jim Rohn

SELF DEFENSE FIREARMS TRAINING

• Front Sight Firearms Training Institute


• Ignatius Piazza - founder of Front Sight


• Ignatius Piazza Blog


• Front Sight - in Guns & Ammo


• My Experience at Front Sight


• Ignatius Piazza - in Fort Worth Star Telegram


• Front Sight - in Pajaronian Register


• Ignatius Piazza - in Playboy


• Ignatius Piazza - in San Francisco Chronicle


• Front Sight - in Los Angeles Times


• Ignatius Piazza - in Forbes Magazine


• Ignatius Piazza - in El Mercurio


• Front Sight - in Financial Times


• Ignatius Piazza - in Gun World


• Front Sight - in The Mail on Sunday Review


• Front Sight - on USA Today


• Ignatius Piazza - in Las Vegas Sun


• Ignatius Piazza - in Small Arms Review


• Front Sight - in Icon Magazine


• Front Sight - in Sierra Times


• Ignatius Piazza - on World Net Daily


• Front Sight - on CNN


• Front Sight - in Cybercast News Service


• Front Sight - in Gun Web


• Front Sight - in Santa Cruz Sentinel


• Ignatius Piazza - in Las Vegas Life


• Ignatius Piazza - in Las Vegas Mercury


• Ignatius Piazza - in Handvapen Guiden


• Ignatius Piazza - in National Enquirer


• Front Sight - on BBC News


• Front Sight - in US News & World Report


• Ignatius Piazza - in Washington Post


• Front Sight - in El Pais Seminal


• Front Sight - in London Times


• Ignatius Piazza - in Las Vegas Review


• Ignatius Piazza - in Chicago Tribune


• Front Sight - in Black Belt Magazine


• Ignatius Piazza - on Reform America


• Front Sight - in New York Times


• Ignatius Piazza - in Times Democrat

SELF DEFENSE TIP WHEN PINNING SOMEONE FACE DOWN

So lets say you are in a situation where you have dropped a guy face down onto the ground and are waiting for police to show up to take this piece of scum off the streets. How do you restrain and pin him down till police arrive without expelling alot of energy? Well this self defense tactic I am about to show you will do the trick, it's called the X legged restraint.

Have the person cross his legs into an X and bring them up to his butt. All you have to do is grab hold of one of his feet with one of your hands to have complete control of both of his legs due to having his legs crossed it automatically ties up both of them. Now with your other leg place it on the back of his neck and onto his chin with all your weight as he will be laying on the ground with his face to the side. This will keep him still due to all your weight being on his neck and chin which in turn controls his head. Like the saying goes control the head and the rest of the body follows. From there he's all yours!

SELF DEFENSE QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Your mental energy is limited by your physical energy. How do you develop more energy of all kinds? You start by putting your body in top physical condition. Unless you do that, all your other activities won't help much--you'll be stuck with the mental and emotional energy that you have now." -- Tom Hopkins

HOW SHEATHS & POUCHES EFFECT YOUR SELF DEFENSE SUCCESS

I believe that you can always use a little extra help when it comes to your self defense and that's why I get my students to carry self defense products on them. But just because you are carring something like a stun gun, pepper spray or a baton doesn't mean your safe and can use it. Why? Because you may not to be able to get to it on time. Here's why first don't store them in zipped up purses or pockets.

Second if they are in a sheath or pouche make sure thay are slightly loose so you can draw or take it out easily and quickly. I have students come in and I will tell them that I will attack from 10 feet away all they have to do is draw/take out there baton/pepper spray from the sheath or pouch. Nine times out of ten they can't take it out on time due to the sheath or pouche being tight around there self defense weapon. So make sure you loosen up your sheath or pouche before placing your self defense weapon inside.

SELF DEFENSE ATTACK METHOD

SELF DEFENSE QUOTE OF THE DAY

"The way to avoid what is strong is to strike what is weak" - Sun Tzu

WHAT DO WHEEL BARROWS & SELF DEFENSE HAVE IN COMMON?

Here is a strength training exercise you can do with a wheel barrow to help condition and give you usable workable muscles for combat self defense situations.

Wheel Barrows: Load a wheel barrow with heavy weights and push them up hill. Up hill being the key because flat surfaces don't provide much of a challenge. You will also find that up hill on grass surfaces provide more friction thus challenging you even more. Make sure you have a heavy duty wheel barrow that can hold alot of weight. Use a wheel barrow that has one wheel in front which makes the balancing and holding of the wheel barrow more difficult and more effective!

By performing exercise routines such as these you condition your muscles to have endurance and strength which is what you need in a combat situation. Remember just because a guy has huge muscles doesn't mean a thing. They are only good for show and short periods of time, he will fatigue quickly in a self defense situation.

SELF DEFENSE IN A SUBMERGED CAR

Countless accidents happen during the summer season due to many people taking roads trips. If you are one of these people and you find yourself in an accident and find that your car has been thrown into a river here are some self defense tips that you can remember when dealing with a submerged car. First take a deep breathe and take your seatbelt off. Second unlock your door. Third roll the window down and get yourself out. If you have power windows leave the keys in the ignition because the battery will still work even if it is under water. This will help you lower your power windows so you can get out of your car. Some of this tips may sound very simple but remember when adrenaline is kicking in full speed into your body the simpliest of tasks can be difficult to remember.

SELF DEFENSE QUOTE OF THE DAY


"We learn by doing." — Aristotle: Influential ancient Greek philosopher

SELF DEFENSE WHEN DEALING WITH TALLER ATTACKERS

THE BEST SELF DEFENSE WEAPONS

I get alot of emails from readers asking me "What self defense product makes the best weapon to protect yourself with?" So I would like to address that today. First I think a gun is the best weapon out there. It covers distance and is a very intimadating weapon to have. My next self defense weapon of choice would either be the stun gun or the baton due to once again being able to maintain a safe distance between you and your attacker. "Sprays" such as mace or pepper spray the user as to worry about wind direction and such when using his products which is the last thing on your mind when dealing with an attacker coming at you.

Remember to also have your self defense product in an easy to reach place and not in a zipped up pockeet or purse, cause regardles of your weapon of choice it will be impossible to get to when you need it most. So if you are looking for such items such as


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SELF DEFENSE QUOTE OF THE DAY

It's not the size of the man in the fight that counts, it's the size of the fight in the man.

SELF DEFENSE FROM KNIVES AND NEEDLES

If you ever have heard of the K.I.S.S slogan (keep it simple stupid) then this self defense tactic fits in perfectly with that saying, for you do not need any type of training when it comes to these self defense tactic. A simple way to protect yourself in the winter season from knife and needle attacks is to simply buy a pair of kevlor gloves. I have used these working in night clubs and by simply wearing these any idiot pulling a blade on you gets a total surprise when you simply grab the knife from his hand without cutting yourself due to the kevlour material. A pair of these gloves which look like regular leather gloves will run you around $70 and is worth the investment when it comes to your safety and security.

SELF DEFENSE FOR SUCCESS



"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure."
— Colin Powell: U.S. Army General and statesman.

SELF DEFENSE QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Action is the high road to self confidence and esteem" Bruce Lee

HOW TO TURN KITCHEN ITEMS INTO SELF DEFENSE WEAPONS

SELF DEFENSE AGAINST YOUR FEARS


People who are courageous work to confront the fears that holds most people back. The two biggest enemies to your success is fear and doubt. Getting rid of your fear and doubt is the key. The key to overcoming your fears. To develop courage, then simply act courageously when you need to. When you act this way repeatedly, you make it a habit for yourself to do the things you fear.

If you do the things you fear, then the death of that fear is certain because it becomes like an everyday event or habit. So face your fears and do the things you fear. The ability to confront your fears means freedom in your life. By overcoming fear and doubt, those two things alone will make you successful in most everything that you do.

SELF DEFENSE QUOTE OF THE DAY

"The game of life is a lot like football. You have to tackle your problems, block your fears, and score your points when you get the opportunity." -- Lewis Grizzard

SELF DEFENSE FROM FAKE COPS

The other day I received an email from a reader asking the question "What do you do if your a female and a cop pulls you over but you think he's a fake?"

Well here are some things you can do to make you safer:

- Indicate to the officers that you have seen them
- Pull into a well lit and pubic area
- As you're pulling in call the police department while driving to see if this is in fact an actual cop car
- Also a good prevention tip to do is to get the darkest tint on your car windows so people can't see who's driving
- If possible try to drive with a partner if you are driving on secluded roads

THE THREE HORSEMEN OF SELF DEFENSE

Self doubt, indecision, & fear the three horsemen that destroy your chances for success in life and in a self defense situation. If you have one of these feelings the other two are nearby. If you have doubt in your abilities as a fighter or are incisive on how you are going to fight your opponent, fear will automatically kick in & take over. Your chances of being victorious before even fighting will be knocked out. These emotions will effect your performance due to the mind / body connection. You will hesitate on fully committing to your techniques & combinations while fighting. You will telegraph your movements due to indecision and your speed of your techniques will slow down due to being stiff & rigid.

Like animals, which sense fear, humans are no different. The vibrations of fear pass from one mind to another just as quickly & surely as a human voice. Your opponent across from you will sense your fear and use it to his advantage. The three horsemen need to be mastered before being successful in any endeavour.

SELF DEFENSE QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Your attitude determines your altitude!" - Denis Waitly

YOU'RE ONLY HALF AS GOOD AS WHEN YOU TRAIN

Your Only Half As Good As When You Train

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SELF DEFENSE QUOTE OF THE DAY

Fighting is not about give and take it should be over in seconds.

SELF DEFENSE FOR YOUR SELF CONFIDENCE

Don't demand perfection of yourself because it's impossible to achieve. Take a look at most professional athletes such as NBA basketball players they only make half their shots. An NFL quarterback completes only half of their passes, and a major league baseball players reach first base less than 40 percent of the time, that's includes walks.

Give your best effort in everything you do every day and accept your mistakes and learn from them for you are human. Perfection is not only totally unrealistic to expect and it's basically impossible to achieve, and only wears you down in the end. A person who is always thinking about there past on what they could of done better can't focus on there future. It's like driving while concentrating on the rear view mirror, you are going to crash and burn. You got to keep your eyes focused ahead on the road.

SELF DEFENSE ON THE GROUND-HAMMER TIME

If you have been reading my blog for a while now you know that I don't like incorporating punching into my self defense arsenal unless someone is committed to training with me for more than 6 months. All due to the fact that most punches out on the street are useless because they are usually "feather punches" in other words there is no power behind them just a punch of panicky punches going every which way.

On the ground I also find your basic punch useless when you are mounted on top of someone. This is due to very little space between you and your attacker causing a lack of hip rotation when your punch is thrown. A better self defense tactic to use is either to throw an elbow or even better in most cases to throw a hammer fist punch.

This self defense technique is taken from the old school of karate and is similar to your regular fist but instead of hitting with your knuckles hit using the ridge of where your hand is (hit using the pinkie area). This will give more power to your punches due to the fact of how your body and arm or lined up when on top of your attacker.

SELF DEFENSE FOR FRIENDS OF MISSING PERSONS

If you are waiting for a friend and it is not like them to be late or not call and hours have passed without any word from them and you don't know what to do here are some tips.

-Even though you need 24 hours before you can file a missing persons report with the police you can still call them and put them "on notice" if you think your friend went missing

-Call there family and friends 1st but don't freak them out

-Call your local hospitals

-Send someone to that person house to see if they are injured

So if it is out of character for someone you know to not show up, stay calm and follow these steps they will help put some power back into your hands in a powerless situation.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A DIRTY FIGHTER ONLY AN EDUCATED ONE

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF IN HOSTAGE SITUATIONS

HOW TO TRANSFORM OBJECTS IN YOUR LIVINGROOM INTO WEAPONS

HOW TO STOP A HOME INVASION

HOW TO GET MORE REALISM FROM YOUR SELF DEFENSE TRAINING

HOW TO MAKE YOUR KNIFE TRAINING MORE REALISTIC

DEALING WITH WEAPONS IN SELF DEFENSE SITUATIONS

When a weapon such as a knife, needle or gun come into the picture panic and fear can come into the equation. Alot of people end up freezing in fear or feel there bladder loosen up,which is all normal responses that the body has in such a threatening self defense situation. A tip that helps prevent this kind of response from your body is to not focus directly on the weapon but instead to focus mainly on your attackers shoulder area which will move before any other body part moves giving you a heads up that your attacker is going to make his move. Also view his entire body at the same time as you do this, so you are looking at his shoulders but also you can see from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet.

This prevents you from becoming overwelmed when a weapon is placed into the picture because you are not having tunnel vision with the weapon in turn helping you lessen the stress of the situation and being able to deal with the task at hand not only physically but mentally as well. Also remember the importance of going into a controlled rage or killer mode this will help you be in the fight mindset not in the flight mindset preventing fear from taking over.

SELF DEFENSE TRAINING IN THE SHOWER

Here is a training tip that you can practice every time you step into the shower. From my Feb 19/07 post regarding spitting your drink into your attackers face practice in the shower this self defense tactic by filling your mouth with water and spitting it out onto a target such as a tile on the wall to give you better aim. This will come in handy when in a street situation and you have to spit your drink in your mouth into your attackers face. Your aim will be much more accurate and effective. Remember to immediately follow through with a technique for it sets you up perfectly.

SAFEST PLACES TO BE IN YOUR HOME WHEN IN A SELF DEFENSE SITUATION


So where do you think is the safest rooms to be in when dealing with an attacker inside your home? Any ideas? The kitchen and bathroom why because they are loaded with a ton of weapons that you can destroy your attacker with. Here are some items that you can use and turn into weapons.

Bathroom: hairspray, perfume, cologne spray bottles by simply spraying them into your attackers eyes you temporally blind him giving you time to follow through with a technique or to run away.

Kitchen: coffee pots, fry pans, pots, dishes and glasses can be picked up and thrown or used as a club. You also have knives, forks and spoons which you can stab your attacker with.

By thinking outside the box anything can be turned into a weapon and get you out of harms way.

P.S. Don't forget about your safe room for if you can avoid an altercation all together the better.

SELF DEFENSE IS ABOUT YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES

I am including a actual victim impact statement in my post today for readers who still have a tough time thinking of harming and destroying there attacker. This is a victim impact statement form this past week from a friend of mine. A mother who last a 16 year son due to violence. The reason I am sending this is that if you think in a self defense situation that you just want to control your attacker you are basically going to a gun fight with a knife. Meaning your going to get hurt or killed, realize that you may not want to harm someone really bad but if you dont step up to the plate you could end up dead. Leaving your friends and family heart broken, for the rest of there lives. So next time you feel like "I just want to control him" or "I cant hurt someone really bad" think of this mother for she hurts everyday due too the loss of a loved one.




Victim Impact Statement

I can not even begin to describe the emotional pain I have endured since the loss of my beautiful son Matthew. There are no words to explain the pain that emanates from my soul. My life as I knew it, ended on the morning of July 2nd, 2005, when I had to say goodbye forever to my 16 year old son. I would not even get the chance to kiss his beautiful face, or even look into those eyes, as he was covered with blood soaked towels. The only thing I was given to hold were his hands, and even so, the stench of his blood that had seeped into his skin and fingernails remains with me always. Watching my son take his last breath was the most terrifying moment of my life, I wanted it to be me, not this child who had so much to give back to this world, who had so much love to give.

This is my last memory of him before he passed on. Leaving my son’s body at the hospital, and not even getting any of his belongings only exacerbated the situation for me. Not a single item of clothing, jewelry, wallet, nothing was left for me to hold onto to. Driving home from the hospital that day was the longest drive of my life, I knew that his two younger brothers would be anxiously waiting to see their brother coming home with us, with some stitches and cuts, but no, I was left tell them that their brother had succumbed to the brutal assault to his brain and body. I watched his siblings go from being happy little boys, to angry ones, in a matter of hours. Standing in the shower screaming their brother’s name, asking God why? What had they done to deserve this?

For the first 6 months after Matthew passed away, my mind would actually try and tell me that it was a mistake, that the boy who died was not actually my son. I fought hard to repress these feelings, sitting by the bay window of our home, waiting, watching for Matthew to come home as I usually did before his death. It wasn’t until I realized that the reasons I was feeling this was because I never got to see his face, not even during his funeral, as the damage to his head/face were too severe. I truly felt as though I were losing my mind, I really believed he was going to come through the front door. I have since been able to grasp that he is gone, but I will never be okay with it, never.

Matthew’s younger siblings lives will forever be changed, nothing will ever give them pleasure, as they tend to have guilt, guilt for having a moment of happiness, when their big brother will never have any of it. It has taken me over a year to even allow my children the luxury of having any kind of social lives, I’m afraid that something will happen to them, afraid someone will hurt them, or even worse kill them. I have become a hovering mother, who must be in constant contact with my children. If they are even 5 minutes late coming in from school, I begin to panic, and have anxiety. My mind starts to think of the most horrible things, and I’m ready to call the police over every little thing. This of course has taken a toll on my relationship with the boy’s, as they don’t understand why they are being punished for being late after school, or for wanting to go visit their friends. The impact this has had on Matthew’s two younger brothers has been severe. Braydan was just nine at the time of Matthew’s death, and has had to try and deal with the pain in his own little way. He has shown his grief by becoming defiant, and angry at the adults around him. He has had to be removed from the only school he has ever known, due to his inability to focus on his academics. His teachers have informed me that he had begun signing his work, and the school sign in sheets as Matthew Martins, when asked why he had done this, he stated that he wanted to live his life as Matthew, and didn’t want for anyone to forget his brother. He even went as far as to dress exactly as Matthew would in hopes of preserving his brothers’ memory in his own little way. Braydan has also kept Matthew’s shoes at the end of his bed since this happened, and every once in awhile he will slip them on, trying to be close to his brother, he also sleeps in his brothers shirts, and has asked that I not wash them, as he finds comfort in the clothing smelling like his big brother.

He has had to have weekly visits to a child Psychologist, to try and get through his grief with Play Therapy. Braydan will now be moved again for the third time since this all happened to the Alderwood Program, a school for children who need constant therapeutic and psychiatric care. I can only pray that he will find some inner strength to get through all of this, but as a mother I fear that this pain will indeed last for what should be the most carefree, wonderful years of his life. He also carries a little framed photo of his brother where ever he goes, he keeps this in his pocket as a little reminder that Matthew is with him.

Mitchell who was just days away from his 13th Birthday will forever be reminded of his brothers’ death, at a time when he should be celebrating. Mitchell has not been well since this happened, and now suffers with terrible anxiety, and depression. Since his brother’s death, he has begun sleeping with his bedroom lights on, and has left school due to bouts of anxiety and not wanting to leave the house. We continue to try and find Mitchell resources to help, but his reluctance to discuss his problems with others has made it difficult. Mitchell now sleeps in Matthew’s room so that he can feel closer to him, all of Matthew’s pictures and posters just where he had left them. Many nights I hear Mitchell crying himself to sleep, and all I can do is hold him, and comfort him. He cries out in pain for his brother to come back, but I can never bring his brother back, or change the events of that horrible night.

.


When Matthew was killed, I was in the first Trimester of my pregnancy, I fought so hard to try and keep strong, but the shock and stress of it all would eventually challenge the life of my unborn child also. At 27 weeks I was under complete bed rest due to premature labor, and bleeding. I was sent into an even greater depression, afraid I was going to have to endure the loss of another child. This pregnancy and my family were the only thing keeping me together through all of this, and I knew that if I lost this baby, it would for certain be my demise. The thought of Matthew not being able to hold or meet his new baby sister caused me so much grief and angst. It was as though I was constantly being tortured every second of the day and night. The boy’s had begun suppressing their sadness as they saw how this affected me on a daily bases. They would hide and cry, or lash out at others in anger; they no longer trusted the adults around them to protect them from their fears.

My career as a Medical Professional working in Acute/Palliative Care was over, I could no longer perform my duties to assist those who needed my constant focus, and total confidence. The constant anxiety of being in the hospital room began to show in my work ethics, and in this field there is no room for error, when someone’s life is at stake. I felt as though I was reliving the final hours of Matthew’s life every time I entered a patients room. I would see him lying there, taking his last breath. I also tried to return to the Clinic I had been at for a few years before and after Matthew’s death, just to try and keep busy. I found that I know longer felt for the patients the way I had once, I could no longer tolerate the transients, drug addicts that would come in to seek medical attention. I would be angry with them, as I felt that perhaps their lifestyle choices were similar to those who had assaulted my son. I also found myself becoming very upset when young men or women would come in after having been assaulted, I could no longer separate what was happening in my life, with that of work. I have since not returned, and must try now to find other employment, and to think that once I thrived, and loved everything about my job, but now I must resort to trying to find something else.

I unfortunately will never trust again, I have a hatred for others that I never had before. I’m so very angry still, and this I have no doubt will take years to overcome. There are those who have asked me if I could ever find it in my heart to forgive the ones who did this, and I truly don’t think I ever will. I pray that my sons face, and the sound of his screams haunt them for the rest of their living days, as I am haunted by these thoughts every moment of the day. I am plagued with night terrors, I can hear Matthew yelling for help, but I can’t find him, I’m in a panic, running, always running towards the sound of his voice, but I can’t find him. I jolt from these night terrors, and cry uncontrollably, as the thought that my son is calling out for me to help him, and as a mother not being there to protect him when he needs me most, is a pain so great, I can physically feel it.




The financial strain that this has had on my family has been tremendous. I was ill prepared for the cost of Matthew’s funeral. I had no idea how we were going to come up with just under 30,000.00 in less than two weeks. A trust fund was set up, and had it not been for the kindness of strangers, and family, my husband and I would not have been able to bury our son in a manner agreeable to our religious beliefs. It has taken my husband and I until now to finally pay back the financial institutes, and our family members. The strain of this and my not returning to work has created unmentionable financial stress on my husband. He must now support me, and the three children on one income.

The toll this has taken on us can never be repaired. I think of all that Matthew would have grown to be, and all that he will never experience in life. Matthew was to graduate from High School the following year, but instead his chair was left empty, his name never to be called, to walk across the stage feeling triumphant. These things we will never have. Matthew will never know what it feels like to fall in love, to marry the girl of his dreams. He will never watch his own children come into this world. Matthew’s life has been robbed of so many things that can never be replaced. Our lives will forever be altered, a life with so many dreams, and aspirations that will never come to fruition.

Not only has our family suffered this terrible loss, but we have had to endure in graphic details all that Matthew suffered that terrible night. The toll that the past few weeks of this trial has taken on our family is horrendous. Not only did we lose Matthew, but we also lost our Father during the trial. My father died not even knowing the outcome of this trial. We must live the rest of our days, with the constant pain of what we have heard, and seen during this time. I can only pray that we will finally have some closure to this matter, and that my beautiful son will Rest in Peace.


Sandra Martins - Toner
3/21/2007

THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPROVISING DURING SELF DEFENSE SITUATIONS

Being able to improvise is an important factor when it comes to being successful in self defense. You want to be able to think in the process when protecting yourself that if one tactic doesn't work move on to another. The key to being able to do this is lies in your self defense training.

So here is a tip, close your eyes and have your training partner quietly walk around you and attack you from any angle without you knowing when and how he is going to attack. Have him change the way he attacks you everytime, either by attacking from the rear, up high or low, by pushing you or by throwing a drink into your face.

From there you can open your eyes and start defending yourself. If one tactic doesn't work move on into the next. Try to scan the target areas of where you can attack. By improvising you give yourself more options and opportunities to take out your attacker.

SELF DEFENSE CONDITIONING TIP FOR YOUR CHIN

If you have a weak chin you know how easy it is to get knocked out by a blow. We have seen it countless times with fighters in boxing and mixed martial arts, getting an upper cut to the chin and being knocked straight out. The problem is not actually the chin but with having a weak neck. You see when you are hit on the chin by a blow the head tilts backs cutting blood flow and oxygen to the brain immediiately causing you to get knocked out.

So how do you toughen up your chin or most importantly your neck muscles? By performing resistance exercises for your neck an example exercise would be to go on your hands and knees, face down on the ground, have a partner place his hands on the back of your head and resist you as you try to bring your head up. Perform 4 sets of 15-20 reps to help build more strength in your neck muscles. This will help prevent your head from being jarred back quickly making it harder for you to get knocked out.

P.S. Remember self defense is not about exchanging blows though, but about getting the job done as fast as you can.

P.P.S. Make it a habit of tucking in your chin slightly when in your ready stance this will help prevent you from getting knocked out by a sucker punch. Also if someone attempts to choke you out this is a good defensive move making it harder for the person to get his arms around your neck and giving you more ability to bite your attackers arm.

IN SELF DEFENSE TIMING IS EVERYTHING

When students ask me when it is a good time to attack your opponent I always tell them to always attack first and to not wait for anything to come from his way. This allows you to not have to worry about blocking and defending yourself against a fury of punches, kicks or whatever is coming your way and gets you out of defensive mode onto offensive mode. But there is an exception to the rule and that's when you have to borrow some time to get the upper hand.

Lets say you are a woman and are face down on your knees and your attacker is behind you pulling his pants down. This may seem to be a bad spot to be in but tell yourself that you are in control of the situation and use your power of sweet talk to catch him of guard by telling him you will do anything he says. As he brings his pants down to his knees giving you a good leverage point to drop him down to the ground cause his pants are helping you trip him up.

Now simply grap his ankles or pant legs and pull them towards you at the same time bring your torso up and lean on his legs with all your weight. This will cause him to fall back onto the ground, go with the momentum and get up immediately and stomp down on his kneecap to crush it. By simply waiting for his pants to get down to his knees makes your attack much easy to execute successfully.

REPLY TO LAST WEEKS SELF DEFENSE POST REGARDING "DRUNK OFF DUTY COP"

First I would like to say thanks for all those replies. I received a mixed amount of responses which I was going to post but decided not to since it would make this post alittle lengthy. Half of you readers thought of some good answers and hitting the balls seemed to be a popular answer, which I will tell is not that great of a target since most men are conditioned to protect that area and also clothing plays a big factor when it comes to successful execution when it comes to attacking the balls.

The other half seemed to think being nice was going to get them browny points cause they didnt want to piss off the guy even more. Basic idea on that take is to just it and shut up, bad idea. If you haven't seen the video of a passive woman being attacked by a man in a parkade (sorry dont have the link)she did nothing to defend herself and got the living crap beat out of her. Seemed to get worse with the less she did. You should check out the video it will open your eyes to how important fighting back is.

Now for the answer to what the barmaid could of done to protect herself. Well when she was down on the ground on her knees she could of attacked the attackers knees by having one hand grab his ankle and pull his leg or legs towards herself and the other hand push the same leg away from herself. This tactic I have performed countless times and is very effective. This will cause your attacker to drop onto the ground. Get up immediately and begin stomping on his kneecap to crush it so he cant get up and go after you.

It only takes 12 pounds of pressure to crush the knee and remember the bigger the guy the easier it is to drop someone by the knees cause all his weight is distributed onto them (that's why you hear of alot of heavy people complain of knee pain) If you think stomping the kneecap is to harsh then maybe you didnt see the right video, cause that was a hard core attack on a small woman. Remember you should not be thinking of legal issues or your attackers well being when defending yoursaelf cause you will attack half assed. It like going to a gun fight with a knife, you're going to get killed cause you brought the wrong weapon.

A SELF DEFENSE SITUATION AGAINST A BIG DRUNK OFF DUTY COP

If you haven't seen the images on TV as of yet of the drunken off duty cop who attacked a bar maid then I suggust you Google it and check it out. It shows a few things that people can learn from when it comes to protecting yourself. The first is that when you are being attacked you are usually on your own when it comes to getting any help.

Keep in mind this 115 pound bar maid who was attacked by a 6'2, 215 off duty cop (real tough guy) had 2 patrons inside the pub watching the attack but did nothing to help. The 2nd factor was that even when she stopped somewhat fighting back her attacker didn't in his drunken rage, slamming her around like a rag dool.

3rd most self defense situations are brutal, sloppy and fast, nothing like what you watch in the movies. You also notice on this video footage that the attacker does not care for the well being of his victim, slamming her head violently. So it goes to show that if you walk into a self defense situation thinking of legal consequences or your attackers well being (I just want to stop him not hurt him attitude) your a goner.

So view the footage and email me on what she could of done when it came to protecting herself. Then on next weeks post I will go over the best course of action she could of took to stop this a**hole dead in his tracks.

WHAT DOES SELF DEFENSE AND POKER HAVE IN COMMON?

It's called the poker face and you need to have it when in a threatening situation. The reason why. So you dont telegraph your intent to attack. Every time someone is going to attack they telegraph there intent some how with their facial expressions. Sometimes it's tightening their jaw or making some type of facial expression. This in turn gives your opponent a heads up on what you are thinking of doing and he is able to prepare himself for battle. So how do you go about having a poker face in a self defense situation? By pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth this will help restrict the facial expressions you make while executing your attack putting the element of surprise behind you. Also by pressing your tongue on the roof of your mouth this will help prevent you from biting your tongue if your are hit in the jaw.

SELF DEFENSE FROM A HOME INVASION

Home invasions are becoming more and more popular in this day and age and criminals are getting more creative on how they are entering homes. The newest trend is by knocking on peoples doors and handing out notices stating that they are from a water company or electrical company needing to get inside your home to read a meter.

First of all real workers such as these never need to enter your home to read the meters. Second if someone does try this on you never open the door and call the water or electrical company (call the number not provided by the individual at your door but call the number in the phone book) and ask if someone from the company is scheduled to be around your home.

If the person at the door begins to put pressure on you to open the door then call the police, its a sure signal that they are actually not who they say they are. Workers from companies such as these would understand someone being cautious of letting them in, were criminals on the other hand just get frustrated with the situation.

YOUR SELF DEFENSE WHEN SELLING GOODS FACE TO FACE

When selling goods in the newspaper such as pure breed pets to regular everyday items be aware that people with bad intentions are reading your ads making sure you are their next perfect victim for robbery, sexual assault or murder. Most people when selling items tend to set up meeting times with protential buyers in the privacy of their own homes when their are alone. For people with bad intentions this is a prime time to strike because their will be no witnesses.

So if you are selling any goods make sure you meet protential buyers in a public place or if your item is to big to bring to them have a few people around the home when the meeting takes place with a self defense weapon close by incase of an emergency. You can also make a game plan ahead of time on what you would do incase of an attack. It only makes sense to use your common sense.

SELF DEFENSE TIPS FOR FOREIGN LOTTERY SCAMS

Foreign lottery scams have become a big problem in the past year for many people. I have noticed myself whenever I open up my Inbox to check my emails I find that I have "won" at least a quarter of a million dollars from some lottery in another country. I have also noticed now that it is happening over the phone where a detailed automated message is left saying that I have won a so much money. This scam causes huge identity theft problems to it's unsuspecting victims.

So how do you go about finding out if this is true or not. You can call your Better Business Bureau and get information on the lottery or business that is stating you won a prize. But the best rule of thumb is if you don't live in the country that you have won the lottery from you cannot claim the money because you are not a citizen. Bottom line listen to the old adage...if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.

"SIGNATURE" SELF DEFENSE TACTIC

People who have trained with me know that my favourite self defense "signature" technique to use out on the street is the "drink throw tactic" by simply throwing my hot cup of coffee or drink into my attacker face I put the ball in my court and am able to follow through with another tactic to finish off my attacker. A variation of this technique is to actually place the liquid of the drink inside your mouth when you are threatened by pretending to take a drink. You now can spit it out onto your attackers face and follow through with whatever else you wish. Cheap low and dirty and effective. Remember there is no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one that gets to see another day.

INDIVDUALIZING YOUR SELF DEFENSE PROGRAM

I get many new faces coming into my self defense training centre who have had years of martial arts training behind them but want to learn something tactical that they can use on the streets. When it comes to dealing with people who have had years of martial arts training behind them they tend to have their style ingrained into their muscle memory. They move or turn with certain stances that they're style has ingrained in them. If you are one of these people and are taking up a self defense system don't try forgetting or ignoring those things that are ingrained into your muscle memory because the harder you try not to do something the more you will end up doing it. Instead incorporate the style into the new self defense system you are learning. This in turn will cut down on frustration and also is a more realistic form of training because you cannot erase years of training with a couple of months of training in a new system and expect to remember it especially when adrenaline takes over your body and your subconscious kicks in.

IS YOUR SELF DEFENSE SYSTEM STUD OR DUD?

If you want to find out if your self defense system will be effective out on the street or if you are just looking for a program or school to take a course at. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to find out if the self defense system is good or not.

1. Does the system incorporate fancy kicks or have grappling moves that focus extended periods of time on the ground?-DUD

2.Could you perform this self defense techniques while injured? if not DUD

3. Do the techniques need to be adjusted if varables change? if so DUD

4. Are the techniques simiular in movement from one another so they are easy to remember? STUD

5. Is the self defense system based on a martial arts style? DUD


Make sure you also look at the credentials of the person teaching the course. Each person should have a certificate such as a Black Belt or Instructor rank if not run the other way.

SELF DEFENSE-IT'S ALL IN YOUR ATTITUDE

I get a ton or emails asking me for advice on self defense situations, but there was one that stood out in my mind last week that I wanted to address in this blog. It was a long email so I will cut to the chase of it. The writer did not want to use extreme force or use any self defense weapon such as a stun gun to protect himself because he didn't want to injure the attacker but to only control him.

Many of my students who first walk into the doors of my training center walk in with the same "deadly" attitude and soon learn to change it because it will get them killed. Self defense is 90% mental and only 10% physical if you have an attitude that you only wish to subdue your attacker you won't be able to defend yourself out on the street because you will be in "defensive mode" instead of "offensive mode".

Your attacker does not give a crap about your well being, he will kick, spit, rape and humiliate you if he can. He does not care if you live or die, he only cares about his objective which is your cash, body or what ever his motive is. If you have an attitude of "I don't want to hurt him" then you will have the wrong mindset when defending yourself, making you have less of a fight. You owe it to your family and friends to come home safe. With an attitude less than "I am going to rip your face off for even thinking of picking on me" is like going to a gun fight with a knife, you just aren't properly prepared to handle the situation.

SELF DEFENSE FROM ATTEMPTED ABDUCTIONS

Recently in the news you heard of two children being found after being abducted one after 4 years and the other just recently. Childrens abductions are common but almost as common is abductions in adults going for both men and women. So what do you do if you find yourself in a situation such as this.

1. Fight no matter what so you are not placed inside of a car. Your situation becomes much worse if you are taken to a second location no one will hear your cries for help because usually you are brought to a very isolated area.

2. Do what you got to do when fighting your attacker off, bite, go for his eyes or hang on to a street sign pole for dear life to give you time to attract attention to the situation. Believe it or not it is very hard to get someone to release their grip when they are hanging onto something. Ever try to pull your child away from something, it's difficult isn't it?

3. If you do get placed inside a car place a hair pin or anything small into the ignition this will prevent the car from starting.

4. If you are placed in the back of the trunk their are a few things you can do. On newer models their is usually a release switch inside to open the trunk. If you are in an older model kick or punch the tail light out and stick your hand out and wave to get other cars attantion so they call for help. Or you can simply pull the wires out of the tail lights so it increases the odds of police stopping the car. When they do bang on the hood to attract attention.

5. Try to leave clues such as identification, piece's of clothing so police can get an idea of your location and dogs can pick up your scent.

SELF DEFENSE DURING CLOSE QUARTER SITUATIONS

I tell my students everytime they are in a situation that involves someone punching at kicking at them in a close quarters situation to always follow the golden rule of "staying as close as possible to your attacker". Yes I know it is much more intimidating than distancing yourself from your attacker but here is the reason why. The closer you are from a foot or hand that is hitting you the less force it has upon impact. If you allow distance to come in between you and the striking hand or foot you end up getting hit at the strongest point of the punch or kick. Which ends up doing more damage to your body.

SELF DEFENSE AGAINST STALKERS

Stalking is a growing problem for men and women all around us. Stalkers have been know to do everything from hotwiring a cellphone and GPS to cars so they can track you at anytime or have spyware that reads every email you get, to going even more extreme to killing there victims.

If you are a victim of this crime get yourself an anti stalking kit which includes a notpad to record all encounters with your stalker, mini tape recorder to record conversations and a camera so you can take photos of your stalker to show people who to look out for and to give a copy to police.

Always make a report to police and record as much information as you can in your notepad of times and dates your stalker has tried to contact you. Let your job know that you are being stalked and if anyone fitting the description of the photo you provided tries getting a hold of you or is just spotted around the work place have them call police.

If worse comes to worse and you are conforted by a stalker with a knife or gun and he or she attacks and injures you play dead. Stalkers usually don't stop stabbing or shooting someone till they know the person is dead.

USING CLOTHING AS A SELF DEFENSE WEAPON

Hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year. Todays post is regarding what you can wear and use as a self defense weapon. The first is steel toe boots or just regular boots in general, this also goes for all you ladies out there wearing high heels. this type of foot wear is great for stomping your attackers foot, knee or kicking him with. A few simple kicks to the shin will stop anyone dead in there tracks, trust me I have done this one countless times. the shin kick technique is lke a Swiss Army knife. A technique which can be applied in any situation and will not fail you. The other clothing item you can use is kevlar gloves during the winter months. They will keep your hands warm yet at the same time protect you from needle pricks and help you disarm someone with a kife without getting your hands cut. Some gloves also have lead inside the knuckle area to protect your knuckles and help you get the most out of your punches.