Tactical Driving Tips: Take A High Speed Driving Course

If you ever being tailed or in a tactical driving situation here are some things you can do to help yourself out.

Avoid crowds at all costs by driving at a 45 degree angle onto curbs. If you forced to drive through a crowd NEVER try to plow people over you will only get stuck in the crowd and get ambushed. Instead have your doors locked, drive at a slow but constant speed to help move people along that are in front of you.

If people are already on top of your vehicle place one foot on the brake while your other foot on the gas pedal this usually scares off most people and weeds out the crowd. You can then drive slowly out of the crowd and get to safety.

When taking turns accelerate just before the corner, stay close to the inside corner then going into the outside lane.

When being followed quickly turn off onto a side street, drive onto someone’s driveway while immediately shutting off your vehicle and lights then slide down the seat to make your vehicle look unoccupied and part of the neighbourhood.


Own the center of the road to avoid the car getting beside you. If they do brake abruptly so they pass you then reverse and go into the opposite direction.

Being in the center lane also helps you to abruptly turn off into an off ramp at the last moment.


Use these tactics with extreme caution.

Remember you must be completely aware at all times of your surroundings when executing any of these tactics. It is not just about you and the person following you but also of the general public that can be affected by these actions.

Always assess, plan and act and reassess you are completely responsible for any damage caused by these tactics.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Norm Bettencourt

Staying Warm During A Power Outage

Hi everyone,

It’s that time of year again for most of us called winter or for some of us we call it DEEP FREEZE. So in today’s post I would like to discuss simple economic and easy ways to stay warm especially during a power outage.

Wear clothing made of wool

Layer your clothing

Cover your head, neck and feet these areas are especially vital in keeping you warm.

Some old timers will say that kidney wraps are ideal for keeping your body warm. Basically wrap your kidney area with a wool scarf this will help keep your entire body warm.

Stuff your clothing with crumbled newspaper

Cover yourself with a garbage bag just like the individuals that you see outside watching the football game

Urinate in a bottle (try to fill it to the brim) close it tightly and place it in your sleeping bag during a power outage. This will help keep you warm. An alternative can also be done by placing boiling water in a hot water bottle or Nalgene bottle (urine can be used also).

Pitch a tent inside your home during a power outage. You can get even better warming results if you place a tent inside a tent.

Have sleeping bags and emergency blankets handy (the best are the Adventure Medical SOL Emergency Bivvy)

Cuddle next to someone while sleeping.

Completely cover yourself up when sleep only leaving your nose and mouth slightly exposed.

Flex your muscles rapidly to get your blood flowing getting you warm.

Another method of self- warming is the rub you’re mid- section to get blood flowing throughout your entire body

Remember the ground will suck out a lot of your body heat try to stay up off the ground while sleeping. Use mats, blankets, leaves, or a hammock to help do this.

Use emergency and survival candles to warm yourself. Just remember to be very vigilant when using such products inside your home.

Close off all rooms except for the room where you will be situated in while the power is out. Use sunlight to warm this room by having your curtains open during daylight hours.

Use blankets or industrial plastic sheeting to cover cracks of windows and doors to prevent cold air entering and warm air leaving your room.

Those are just a few simple ways to stay warm during this winter season without spending a ton of cash.

Norm Bettencourt

The Art of Shredding A Human Being

Hi everyone

It’s been a while since I posted anything and I apologize for that. I have been extremely busy teaching different combat and first aid courses in the last few months.

In today’s post I would like to discuss a simple yet highly effective tactic called “shredding” or as some like to call it “skinning” or “scratching”.

Here’s how it works basically you want to play passive so your enemy doesn’t see your attack coming but he only feels it, leaving him/her two steps behind you forced into a defensive state.

Bring your hands up to your chest/face level. Next you want go straight for your enemies’ face scratching, skinning and shredding the living hell out of it especially where the eyes are located. This forces your enemies flinch response to take over forcing him/her into defensive mode because they instinctively need to protect their face and eyes causing him/her to close them impairing their vision.

As you do these tactics tear and rip pieces of their face off if possible and try to do as much damage to the eyes. This is a highly brutal and effective tactic that should not be overlooked when it comes to your personal protection

P.S This is also a great way to collect evidence from your attacker for you ladies out there.

There’s no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one.

Norm Bettencourt

Simple, Easy & Cheap Ways To Make Waterproof Matches

Had a friend of mine forward me some information regarding how to make water proof matches. Thought this would interest a few of you reading my posts.

Here is the link below

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Waterproof-Matches

Norm Bettencourt

How To Make A Crossbow Target For $8

Hi everyone

The other day I was practicing target shooting my crossbow while trying not to damage my arrows so I could reuse them and save some cash.

Unfortunately a few of my arrows bent while hitting my target, which is an old wave punching bag. When my arrow makes impact it will go straight through the leather and foam then will make impact on the plastic inner tube which fits over the stand thus bending the arrow.

I looked around to see if I could use a better alternative so I would not damage any more arrows and this is what I found.



This is a simple cheap alternative way to make a crossbow target without having to spend a bunch of cash on a store bought target.

There’s no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one.

Norm Bettencourt

How To Convert A Flare Gun Into A Firearm

There’s no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one

Norm Bettencourt

What Products To Avoid When Buying Survival Supplies

When it comes to survival supplies the one thing I tell people to avoid is any product that requires fuel to make the product work.

The reason for this is simple in a disaster situation fuel will eventually run out, regardless of what type of fuel you are using, which in turn will make your survival supplies useless for you.

Examples of this would be when making a fire…

Use a magnesium flint fire starter instead of using any type of lighter that requires fuel to ignite the flame.

Eventually the fuel will run out from a lighter where a magnesium flint will continue doing its job countless times over.


If you need lighting use solar powered garden lights to lite your home, there is no fuel required.

This also goes with products that involve batteries or electricity such as radios, flashlights or cell phone chargers instead use manual crank power or solar powered ones instead.

When it comes to weapons such as firearms eventually ammo for them will run out.

Have back up weapons and hunting tools that require no ammo or reusable ammo.

Weapons such as knives which will never run out of ammo and can be made into spears.

Crossbows which are also great weapons for you can reuse the arrows. This also goes with sling shots where stones and rocks can be used as the projectiles and there is an endless supply of these.

You can also do this when planting food. Instead of focusing on getting seeds to plant crops focus on recycling foods such as potatoes. Save a few from your crop, let them spout, cut the potatoes and replant them and there you have a new batch of potatoes ready to grow.



By following these simple principles when it comes to survival supplies helps you in the long run be able to provide for yourself and family without worrying about your fuel supply or any additional products.

Norm Bettencourt

How To Be Your Own Body Guard While Traveling This Summer

When people think of a body guard they have an image go off on their head. It’s usually the stereotypical huge goon, who shoots it out with the bad guy to protect his principle/client.

This is what we call the Hollywood version of a body guard which is as far from what an actual body guard does in the real world.

In reality a body guard’s job is to prevent his principle from entering dangerous areas by doing advance work so his principle is never put in danger in the first place.

So here are a few ways on how you can do advance work to be your own body guard.

Make sure to have someone pick up your mail, check on your home while you’re away. Have your lights on auto timers and get a neighbour to park his car in your driveway to make your home look occupied.

Before traveling somewhere look at the crime stats before choosing your destination. Avoid cities and countries with high kidnapping, murder and theft rates. Talk to friends who have traveled to these areas as well.

If you’re doing a road trip plan out your routes and make sure you avoid driving through slum areas. If there is no other option make sure you are not driving an expensive vehicle so you don’t make yourself a target and have your windows rolled up and doors locked with an easily assessable weapon close by.

Have a first aid kit in your car, calculate fuel consumption and where gas stations are along your route so you never run out of fuel and get stranded.

Avoid wearing flashy jewelry while traveling so you don’t target yourself.

Know the tricks of the trade of criminals so you don’t end up suckered and victimized. An example would be a person is laying on the road face-down, most people will stop to help but this is one of the oldest tricks in the book to get someone out of their car to rob them and take their vehicle.

Know which weapons are prohibited in the area you are traveling in

Always travel with a weapon on you and maintain situational awareness.

If staying in a hotel/motel stay no higher than the 4th floor away from pool side in case of a fire. This way the fire department can get to you without any problems or additional obstacles. Remember stay low to the ground when escaping a smoke filled room.

When you get to your room count how many doors down your room is from the fire exit in case of heavy smoke impairing your vision during evacuation.

Always travel with your own person door jam to prevent a forced entry into your room.

Never leave valuables or identifications in your room instead use a safety deposit box, you never know who is actually cleaning your room.

There are numerous other things that you can do to help protect yourself this summer while you’re traveling.

Remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

Norm Bettencourt

The One Critical Aspect To Weapons Disarming

What do you think is one the most critical aspects when it comes to weapons disarming?

If you said never look DIRECTLY at the weapon you are right.

You see when you are in a threatening situation and you focus directly at the weapon that is pointing at you, you will usually be overcome with fear and will freeze up.

In reality the blade of the knife may be only 3.5 inches long but during an adrenalized state it will look more like a machete.

Just take a look at police reports and I will prove this theory right.

Instead focus on the ELBOW of the hand holding the weapon.

This in turn will do a couple of things for you.

1. It will make the situation less intimidating for you because the weapon won't seem so massive in size which in turn will halp you man up and move in to disarm.

2. It will help you disarm your enemy quicker and easier because the elbow is a larger target to focus on instead of a smaller area such as a hand. Making it more accessible to control the hand holding the weapon.


This is just one aspect from a few that comes into play when disarming someone with a weapon but increases your survival rate greatly.


There's no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one

Norm Bettencourt

Controversial Self Defense Topic

Hi everyone,



I like to discuss a topic today that some of you may find offensive and that is how to take a life using a knife or edged weapon when it comes to using justifiable deadly force.

When it comes to using a knife or edged weapon few people know how to use this weapon effectively and to its full potential.

Now once again you would only be using these knife fighting tactics because you had no other choice because you felt that if you didn't stop your attacker you would be killed.

Tip #1

Stab hard so your hand feels in insides of your enemy. Most people watch to much TV and think a light slash or stab will stop someone. The reality is it won't and your enemy will probably not feel that slash or stab until after the fact when his adrenaline is coming down.





Tip #2

Stab and twist the blade. This way when the blade enters the body and you twist the size of the hole/puncture wound doubles in size. This in turn causes maximum damage with minimal effort.

Tip #3

Hit an artery that way you will stop your enemy quickly and effectively. Make sure to squint your eyes and close your mouth when you do this. That way your enemies blood won't blind you and you won't be gagging on his/her blood.

Striking vital areas is essential to stopping an enemy quickly. There have been countless people stabbed multiple times yet continued to fight on because the location of the injury was in a non vital area this in turn leaves you more vulnerable to suffering an injury because your enemy has more fight in him.
Remember the 10 second dead man rule. Even if you drop a guy and he is bleeding to death he/she still has ten seconds of life in them to finish you off.



Tip#4

Very few people actually practice deploying there knife, if you can’t get to your weapon then your weapon is useless. Practice deploying your knife or any other weapon while under the stress of adrenaline.

Have a training partner attack you at random angles and given situations while you try deploying your training knife which should simulate your actual knife that you carry on you every day.

Train also in worse case scenarios such as dropping your knife and trying to retain then using it while fighting off your training partner.

That way when crap hits the fan you have the skills to protect yourself regardless of what happens in that given situation, you will be able to handle it because you have prepared for it.

For more information on this visit http://tactselfdefense.com/the-little-black-book-on-killing/


There's no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one.

Norm Bettencourt

Do You Know What Gun Fire Sounds Like?

A couple of weeks ago Vancouver residents in the Yaletown/Science World area were startled by the sound of gun fire during the late morning hour.

Many residents didn’t even realize what they were hearing was actually the sound of gun fire.

So my question to you is would you know what gunfire sounds like?

Would you know what to do if you were in the same situation that some of these Vancouver residents found themselves in?

Here is a quick video and audio clip of the shooting



Here is another clip of an interview with a witness



Here are some quick tips so you know what to do when you hear gun fire…

First familiarize yourself with what gun fire sounds.

Train yourself to respond to the sound of gun fire by going low and getting to cover or concealment.

This can be done by playing actual loud gun fire audio at random intervals while you’re training.

When you hear the audio cue go low and search for cover and or concealment in your training environment.

As I mentioned in a previous post…

Concealment would be a place that you could hide in but wouldn’t stop a bullet.

Cover would be a location that could stop a bullet such as an engine block or thick tree trunk.

This type of training will ingrain in your muscle memory what to do when you hear the sound of gun shots.

The last thing you want to do is question what you are hearing or start running around like a chicken with its head cut off or be stuck on stupid and freeze up.

By using this simple training method you reduce the likelihood of getting hit by a stray bullet tenfold.

There`s no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one

Norm Bettencourt

What do these self defense weapons have in common?

What does a samurai sword stun gun, a remote controlled gun and a homemade spiked baseball bat all have in common?

Simple a criminal record and a lengthy jail sentence that’s what.

Don’t get me wrong I love homemade weapons but I would never think of making or using them for self defense purposes.

Here’s the reason why...

When I go to court to explain my actions all the jury is going to see is someone who has premeditated an assault or murder plain and simple.

If you’re going to use a self defense weapon make sure it’s legal to use.

If you are going to use an improvised weapon make sure it looks “clean” in the eyes of the court.

Use items such as a “hammer” or “wrench” and not a homemade war hammer.

A baseball bat which is next to a ball and glove instead of a baseball bat spiked with nails.

Legit items will do the job in stopping an S.O.B just like those cool homemade weapons… but will allow you to see and spend time with your loved ones because you didn’t break the law when protecting them.

Once again using legit items to protect yourself not only will protect you physically and mentally but legally as well.

You end up being the winner of the battle and the war all at the same time.

When it comes to self defense remember the self defense triangle.

Learn to protect yourself physically, mentally and legally…And don’t get caught up in the hype of the coolest new homemade self defense gadgets it will only land your ass in jail.

There’s no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one.

Norm Bettencourt

Can Water Stop A 50 Caliber Bullet?

How To Look Better In The Eye's Of The Law When Using Deadly Force

I would like to cover proportional use of force and the legalities of using deadly force. First proportional use of force means that you must use the same amount of force that your attacker is using on you. Now this can get complicated but in a nutshell it goes something like this.

If you absolutely CANNOT DISENGAGE from the situation and feel that your life is in jeopardy if you do not stop your attacker’s attack then generally you can use deadly force to stop him/her. Examples of these situations would be if you were against an armed attacker and he/she were trying to stab or shoot you, if you alone were up against multiple attackers or if someone was striking your head continuously against a concrete sidewalk then deadly force would be justified.

Now once you have killed your attacker or controlled the situation then you must stop your assault. An example of this would be you shoot a knife wielding attacker he drops to the ground and drops his knife and is alive but motionless on the ground the situation is now under control. If you stop your attack you’re in the clear pretty much.



If you were to continue to shoot him you could be charged with using excessive force/murder because there was no need to fatally injure your attacker because he was no threat to you after hitting the ground. Now rewind and if after the knife wielding attacker fell to the ground and still attempted to grab his knife while lying on the ground then you would be justified in using deadly force and killing him. Think of it in terms of a balanced scale both sides are even and fair, plain and simple that what proportional use of force is.


“When It Comes To Law The Color Of The Day Is Grey”

Whenever I begin my use of force classes and law classes I always begin with the above quote “When it comes to law the color of the day is grey”. Everyone wants black and white answers but when it comes to law but there are none. It all varies on how well your attorney can represent you and the loopholes that your attorney can wiggle through when pleading your case.

Another big factor when it comes to using deadly force is what you say to law enforcement after the incident has occurred. The answer is easy state that “You feared for your or your family’s life” and say NOTHING ELSE. Simply and politely state that you they will have your full corporation once your attorney is present.




Your attorney goes to law school for many years and knows the ins and outs of how the criminal justice system works and you don’t. Let him do his/her job and make their job easy for once you start making statements coming off an adrenaline dump you’re bound to say something stupid.


This in turn makes your attorney’s job harder and he/she now has to clean up after your verbal diarrhea. Law is not about right or wrong or about truth it’s about loopholes. Stop thinking in terms of “He attacked me first I had to protect myself”. It’s not as simple as that, I have seen innocent law abiding citizens thrown in jail for protecting themselves and at the same time scene guilty criminals get away with murder.

The best advice that I can give you is to take a use of force and basic law/criminal code course with a reputable instructor. That way you can have a good solid base on using force and your responsibilities as a law abiding citizen within your province, state or country.

Note: Call an ambulance and the police immediately after you have used deadly force. It makes you look cleaner in the eyes of the court because you sought medical aid to the person you just harmed.



Note #2: Only use weapons that are legal in your State, Province or Country. Also stay away from black humour signs that you post on your property. These would be signs stating phrases like “Trespasser’s will be shot, survivors will be shot twice”

This also goes with everyday objects used as weapons. Let’s say you keep a baseball bat inside your home an arm’s reach away from your front entrance. One day someone tries breaking into your home you reach for the bat and kill a man.

When the case goes to court the jury will wonder why you would keep a bat next to your front entrance doorway. The conclusion that they will come up with is that you’re out to defend yourself at any cost and without any regard for the law. This in turn can get you thrown in jail.

Instead when storing your bat near the front entrance doorway also have a ball and glove next to it. This will give the impression that the only reason that bat was there in the first place is because you play baseball.


Other weapons you can use could be items that you would find in a common tool box such as an axe, hammer or plumbers wrench. You can also use items found in a kitchen such as a cast iron fry pan or meat tenderizer/cleaver and butcher’s knife. So have a plan to go to these areas of the house when a threat is assessed so you can obtain your weapon.

Note: If you’re using a weapon for bludgeoning purposes the heavier the better but not to heavy that it makes it cumbersome for you to use. Also remember the concept of hit & stick when striking someone regardless of it’s with a body part or weapon. You want to hit the person but leave the item doing the striking on the target for a split second so all the velocity and power goes through the target causing maximum damage. Avoid hitting and retracting quickly for there will be no power or damage done by your strikes.

Bottom line it makes you look better in the eyes of the court and avoids juror’s looking at you as if you were a blood thirty killer that premeditated a murder.

Tactical Combat Sandbag Training

Hi Everyone,

As you know when it comes to working out I follow the philosophy of training for “GO MUSCLES” not “show muscles.

In other words make your workouts functional for combat/self defense situations instead of looking pretty so you can pose.

So for today’s tactical training tip I would to discuss a sandbag exercise that will help you become more functional in a combat situation if you have to protect your child.

Here’s what you’ll need…
Canvas military bag along with a bag of play sand inside it. Your typical bag of play sand usually weighs 50lbs make sure the weight of the bag is 15lbs heavier than your child. This will simulate the affects adrenaline plays on your body during a threatening situation.

Next while carrying the sandbag run up a series of stairs two at a time in your home preferably the steps that lead to your safe room. Perform 5 sets of these.


Note: A safe room can be any room in your home that all members can meet at and be secure in until law enforcement arrive.

For the next exercise place the sandbag in your child’s bed then go to your bedroom and lay in your bed.

When you’re ready to perform the exercise get up out of bed and run to your child’s bedroom, lift up the sandbag out of the bed and run to your safe room making sure you have secured the door in the process. Perform 5 sets.

The final set of exercises is to carry the sandbag while defending against an attack. This will give you a good reality check of what you need to do when protecting yourself while holding your child at the same time. Perform 5 sets of these with each set lasting 20 seconds.

You can take 1-3 minute breaks in between sets.

By performing these exercises in this order fatigues and stresses your muscles just like in an adrenalized state.

It also gives you functional muscles because you are going through scenarios that mimic what you will be doing in a real life violent encounter.

Don’t forget to debrief so you can twick problem areas and cut down on your reaction time.

For more information on Tactical Muscle Training visit
http://tactselfdefense.com/tmt-tactical-muscle-training-dvd-2/

There’s no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one.

Norm Bettencourt

“Shark Tooth” CIA Lock Picking Trick

Ever see the FBI and CIA guys on TV pick a lock in seconds… Think it’s bullsh*t?
Think again. It’s real… but you had to go to CIA school to learn the trick until now.

Can you guess what tool they use to pick locks so fast?

Click here to see the lock picking trick now.

Jason Hanson, the CIA Spy Escape expert on TV’s Shark Tank is sharing this normally
classified information for a short time, along with…

How to disable any attacker with a “special” ink pen
How to hide anything, even a gun, in plain daylight
How to gather “DIRT” on anybody
How to access the CIA black market for gear
What to do if you’re kidnapped
How to escape handcuffs
How to disappear in a crowd in seconds
What you need to know about fake IDs
CIA social engineering secrets
How to become a human lie detector
How to hot-wire a car

And MUCH more…

Go check it out NOW before he pulls the info down.
Click Here: https://absoluterights.infusionsoft.com/go/see/tacticalselfdefense

Let me know what you learn,

Norm Bettencourt

P.S. Can you guess the 2 second move that makes you virtually IMPOSSIBLE to hit in a fist fight…
It’s stupid simple but amazingly effective, be sure to grab that part.

P.P.S. Just learning how a CIA agent thinks is worth the read. Almost everything is the opposite of
what you would think. It’s weird.

Go now before it’s too late. This kind of info can’t stay public for long:

https://absoluterights.infusionsoft.com/go/see/tacticalselfdefense

Warning: Your On Your Own When It Comes To Protecting Yourself

Most people are sheep. People who have the sheep complex have a naive notion that if there is trouble the police will be there to help...They usually get there after the fact.

In other words they are sitting ducks. They think that they can talk there way out of a violent situation. Little do they know that you cannot reason with an insane person or they have the mentality "It won't happen to me I live in an upscale quiet neighborhood."

WRONG! Think again because this is you're reality




There's No Such Thing As A Dirty Fighter Only An Educated One

Norm Bettencourt

Happy Mother's Day & Here's A Little Self Defense Gift To All You Mom's

Happy Mother's Day to all you mom's out there. I am going to give you a free Mother's Day gift today. It's Chapter 4 called "What You See Is What You Get" from my book "Secrets of Women Who Survived Violence".

This info can also be applied to all you guys out there as well.

To get more info on my book go to http://tactselfdefense.com/secrets-of-women-who-survived-violence/

Enjoy the read!

Your presence say’s a lot about who you are, how you feel about yourself and if you’re a victim or not. Criminals have certain criteria when it comes to choosing who will be an easy target. If you walk around with the “victim complex” you’re going to attract trouble.


Traits associated with acting timid, afraid and nervous, lack of eye contact are good indicators for criminals that they won’t have a fight on their hands and that person is easy prey.


Victims are very seldom picked by mistake. Usually individuals who show a low sense of self-esteem and worth when they walk around with their heads lowered to the grounds are inviting trouble.


When you’re out and about you want to walk assertively and with purpose and look people in the eye briefly. You want to walk with your head held high; shoulders rolled back and have erect posture. When walking always maintain distance between yourself and the people around you.


Also avoid walking around rigid, standing your ground as you walk or stare at people with a mean look on your face .This is inviting trouble as well because you are presenting yourself as a bully.





“If You Act Like A Victim Then You Will Be Targeted As A Victim”


Victims will put themselves in risky situations that give victimizers easy access to them. To avoid this follow these simple suggestions.


Calling For Help: If you need help yell FIRE! This will attract more attention than yelling Rape! or Help! It is also advisable to post your address by your home phone in an event of an emergency if you need to call 911. When adrenaline is pumping most people will have a tough time remembering their names or addresses.


The Test/Interview: If a situation arises were someone gives you a compliment such as “Do you model?” or asks “Do you have the time?” this may be a test or interview. The best way to answer any question is to keep walking as you answer. Never stop for it may be a set up.


Populated Areas: Stay in well lit and populated areas. If you’re being followed look back at the person so they know you’re aware of them and could identify them. Also go to a public place and call the police.





Hands Free: When carrying a purse place the purse strap around one shoulder so the strap comes across your chest. Try not to walk with both hands full, if you are in a threatening situation throw a bag to your enemy’s face. Their automatic reaction is to catch it, this will give you time to follow up with a tactic or run away.


Standing Stationary: While waiting for rides try to stay indoors. If you have to wait outside have both hands out of your pockets. Have your keys in one hand ready to use as a weapon, more on this later. Have your back against a wall to give you support if you have to push someone away from you. Your back is also covered and you won’t need to worry about someone coming up from behind you.


Walking/Jogging: Talk on your cell when walking around at night or have a walking and jogging partner and avoid using headphones. If jogging alone stay in well lit areas which are populated and vary your jogging route. Wear reflective material while running against traffic so you can see what’s coming towards you.


Dating: Go on a double date with a friend this way you get to know the person you are dating in a safe environment. Also never want to leave your drink unattended even if someone see’s someone placing something inside your drink they usually will not say anything.



Just take a look at the show “What Would You Do?” and the results will shock you when this situation was done by two actors in a crowded bar. Out of the 20 times people viewed the male actor slipping something into the woman actor’s drink as she was in the rest room only one person confronted the male and mentioned it to the female when she returned.
Note: Place lotion on your skin not only does it make your skin soft and smooth but slippery as well. This makes it harder for someone to grab you.

“Those Who Fight Back Survive And Stay Alive”

Check In Times: You can also have check in times with a friend. If your date asks just tell him that you are checking in with a co- worker if an important call as come in.

Home Turf: Another suggestion is that you do the driving or have the date at your home this way you are in better control of the situation if it gets ugly. An example of this would be to place a pot of boiling water on the stove. If you need to protect yourself throw it on your date. In a later chapter I will go into weapons placement inside your home.

Attempted Abductions: If someone is trying to get you inside their car grab onto a pole or anything bolted to the ground and fight them off at all costs. Those who fight back survive and stay alive those who don’t won’t.


Even if they have a gun the likely hood of them being a marksman and shooting you is very slim. Those who are taken to a secondary location are less likely to survive due to being taken to an isolated area where no one would hear your cries for help.




If you do end up being abducted here are some things that you can do. Try to leave clues wherever you are taken such as a piece of clothing or identification. The police will have an easier time finding your location and can also use dogs to track your scent sometimes.


If you are placed in a trunk either rip the taillight wires out this will increase your odds of having police stop the car and when they do bang the trunk so they know you are inside. You can also punch or kick the taillight out and place your hand out of it and wave to attract attention to the car driving behind you. On newer models there is a safety release switch inside the trunk to open it.


If the abductors didn’t take your cell phone, call for help and leave your phone on as long as possible so authorities can track the cell signal. If you have punched the tail light out look for land marks or street signs to help police better pinpoint your location. If by some odd chance you can place a hair pin or anything of that size into the ignition when your abductor is not around the vehicle do so this will prevent the car from starting. If you are escaping from a moving vehicle face the rear of the vehicle and jump out at angle so the vehicle does not strike you.


Work: Stalking situations from patients or co worker’s and verbal abuse are just a few of the unfortunate realities of today’s workplace. Here are some simple suggestions that will make your workplace a little safer for yourself.



Never assume that a stranger in your area is a staff member or that their authorized to be there. If a person is wearing a badge try to look at the photo; if the person doesn’t fit the description call security or a supervisor. Store your identification, keys and valuables in a secured drawer when you are not using them.


Try to park in well lit areas in a parking lot. When walking to your car, have your keys ready to open your door and disarm the alarm just before you unlock your car, not from afar. You can also start a buddy system when walking to the lot at night. After entering your car lock the doors and drive off immediately.


Stalking: If stalking is a problem tell staff to never give out any information about you no matter who that person say’s he or she is. Let your boss and co-worker’s know what’s going on and file a police report. Keep logs of times, dates and witness’ when the stalker has tried to have contact with you. Have a reference photo so people know whom to look for.



Elevators: When standing in an elevator stand next to the control panel in case you need to trigger the alarm.


Bank Machines: Check your surroundings first before using the bank machine and try using them during day light hours. You also want to only use bank machines in high traffic areas that have good lighting. Have your card ready so you don’t fumble around looking for your card on the street or bank machine area.



Be alert to who is standing behind you look at them in the eye so they know you could give a description of them if you had to. You can also keep an eye on them while using the bank machine by viewing their reflection on the screen. Do not put money in your purse or wallet when walking away from the machine; do this while at the machine.


It is a good practice to have your purse placed in front of you or in your front pocket. If it’s a purse have the flap facing you and keep it snug against your body. When using a bank machine, make sure no one can see you punch in your PIN by placing your hand over the keypad.


When using a drive through bank machine always check your mirrors to see if someone is around. Robbers usually come up from the back of your car at the driver’s side.


Note: Your life is more valuable than money so if you are ever held up just give your money without a fight.


By following these simple guidelines to will present yourself as a hard target. Criminals will avoid you and move on to someone else who is easier to victimize.



There's no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one.

Norm Bettencourt

How To Make16 Different Paracord Survival Bracelets

Here is how to make 16 different paracord survival bracelets from Survival Life.

http://survivallife.com/2014/04/28/how-to-make-paracord-survival-bracelets/

Enjoy

Norm Bettencourt

An Anti Abduction Tactic For Kids

Hi everyone

I received an email from a mother the other day asking me about anti abduction tactics for her children. Now generally I don’t go into teaching self defense to kids but I thought that I should relay the information that I gave this mother to all of you in case you are a concerned parent.

Now since I am a dad of two amazing beautiful kids I have researched and tested countless self defense tactics that apply to children. The best anti abduction tactic for kids that I have come across is this simple yet effective tactic that I am about to mention.

Ever try prying your child off a pole or bolted down object? Then you know how hard it is to do. If your child is walking and someone grabs them tell them to hang on to a bolted down pole of a street sign and yell “YOUR NOT MY DAD/MOM”.

If they are riding a bike and someone tries grabbing them and throwing them into a back of a car or trunk once again tell them to hang on to their bike for dear life , keep things simple and similar so they know and remember what to do. This will make it hard to place your child into the vehicle because the bike makes it awkward and difficult to simply place your child into that given space.

This buys them time and attracts attention to their situation.

There’s no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one

Norm Bettencourt

Happy Easter & A FREE Gift For You

Hi Everyone,

I hope everyone had a great Easter. I have decided to give everyone a free Easter gift today by posting Chapter 1 called Less Is More When It Comes To Personal Protection from Secrets of Street Combat. If you want more info on the book just go to http://tactselfdefense.com/secrets-of-street-combat-ebook/
Enjoy the read.






Through that experience with violence I had quickly learned that by knowing multiple personal protection techniques I was actually doing myself more harm than good.


Remembering back to that experience that forced me to put my martial arts skills up against a street fighter I remember feeling the adrenaline dump hit me full blast. My limbs felt heavy, my heart was pounding inside my mouth and I was shaking like a leaf.


I remember thinking to myself at the standoff what technique should I use and trying to go through what I had learned all those years in the martial arts dojo.


For the life of me I could not put two and two together, all the information that I had running around in my head was confused, distorted and all mixed up. I realized later on that this was all due to the effects that adrenaline played on my mind and body.


Years later while doing research to create my system I found out through talking to 911 operators, listening to 911 recordings and watching people perform fine motor skill tasks while under the stress of adrenaline that even the simplest of tasks such as remembering your name can be difficult while under the influence of an adrenaline dump.


There are countless recordings of people under distress telling a 911 operator that there is an intruder inside their home. When the 911 operator asks for there address the caller cannot remember their own address even after living at the same location for over 15 years.


So how will you be able to remember complicated, elaborate techniques such as move to the right, pivot, take a step with your left foot while using your right hand to twist your attacker’s wrist, etc. You’re not. It’s just too difficult to remember on a good day let alone while your life is being threatened.

Through my research I realized that the axiom “less is more” is particularly true when it comes to self defense. That by mastering only a few personal protection techniques instead of countless ones your reaction time will be much quicker. If you know too many techniques your brain will go through all the techniques that you know and will pick out which technique is best to use for that given situation.


Through all of the analyzing that your brain will do shifting through all those techniques that you know it will begin confusing techniques from one another, creating chaos in your mind. This all occurs in a split second inside your mind as your attacker is standing in front of you, this is what is called “Hicks Law”.


“Hicks Law”- The final result is that your reaction time now increases tremendously due to having too many self defense techniques to shift through making you too slow to respond to your enemy’s stimuli.

I remember when a suite in my apartment complex was on fire and everyone in the building was evacuating. A gentleman in front of me was trying to open a locked door but his hand was shaking so bad that he could not place his key in the key hole. This is a task that the gentlemen must have performed thousands of times over in his life time. When he needed to perform it the most he could not due to how adrenaline was affecting his body.



“K.I.S.S Keep It Simple & Similar”

Placing a key inside a key hole is considered a “fine motor skill”. As you can see this is next to impossible to do while adrenaline is pumping full speed through your veins.

The big kicker is that most self defense and martial arts techniques are placed in the fine motor skill category, so how are you going to remember or let alone perform them while under the stress of adrenaline? You’re not.

Another kicker I found out through my experience and research was that your personal protection techniques have to be simple and “similar” in movement from one another so that you can perform them quickly and you can remember them during a threatening situation.

Most personal protection and martial arts techniques require you to perform one task if an individual is holding a knife in his right hand, but if the individual is holding a knife in the opposite hand it will require you to move and do a completely different maneuver to defend yourself.




Note: In 1960 Researchers Franklin Henry and Donald Rogers found that not only does increasing the number of responses affect your reaction time, but also by increasing the complexity of the tasks, induces stress that can adversely affect your reaction time. While doing simple reaction time test, they told each subject to place their finger next to a switch and when they hear a certain sound, they are to flip the switch. After each subject’s time was registered and recorded they used the same group and did the same test but added another task to do after flipping the switch. The subjects were told to flip a second switch after completing the second task. In both tests, the only time recorded was the time it took to push the first button and Henry and Rogers found that the added stress of having a more complex task to perform caused each subject’s reaction time to increase by an average of 31%.


This is much too complicated to remember when your life is on the line and you are feeling the warmth of your urine running down your leg as someone has you at knife or gun point. Your techniques must be similar in movement to one another regardless if you are defending yourself from a punch, knife or gun attack. Remember the K.I.S.S acronym Keep It Simple & Similar.

Do You Know The Difference Between Cover & Concealment?

You hear the sound of gun shots would you know how to keep yourself and family members safe? Most people don't because they cant differentiate the difference between cover and concealment so here is a quick post on the difference between the two.

First if you hear the sound of gunshots get low to the ground and seek preferably cover which constitutes any object or barrier that will protect you from being shot. Some examples would include the engine block area of a vehicle, a solid brick wall, or a concrete planter.


Where concealment only serves to hide or obscure your location. It does not provide ballistic protection. Some examples of concealment include bushes, vehicle doors, the interior walls of most structures, and even darkness.

If you can obtain both cover and concealment at the same time you have increased your odds of avoiding getting shot big time.

So when you walk around during the day play a game in your head and see if you can take a look at different objects in your environment and differentiate them as either cover or concealment.


There's no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one


Norm Bettencourt

Dealing With Stab & Gun Shot Wounds

If you have been slashed or stabbed with a knife the odds of your artery getting cut is low. The reason for this is because most people do not place enough power behind there slashing or stab which is good news for you.

If the knife or weapon is impaled in your body leave the weapon in place for it is acting like a plug, stabilize the weapon by placing bulky dressing around it, use bandages to keep dressing in place while you wait for an ambulance.

If you have been shot or grazed by a bullet do not panic most injuries do not hit an artery because most people’s aim is haphazard in a shootout so the injury isn’t necessarily going to be life threatening.

Simply apply direct pressure with a dressing (gauze) on the wound to control bleeding while waiting for an ambulance. If you need to add more dressing do not remove blood soaked dressings for this might cause the clot to be removed and restart bleeding again. Apply new dressings over the old while applying direct pressure.


Note: Direct pressure means applying a great deal of pressure onto the wound so you stop it from bleeding, do not kill yourself with kindness or you may bleed to death.



If you have been shot or stabbed and the injury has penetrated the chest wall you will find it difficult to breathe here is what you want to do.

Cover the wound with a dressing such as a plastic bag or wrap to stop air from getting into the chest.

Tape three sides of the dressing in place; leave the side closest to the ground open to allow drainage. This also helps prevent air from going into the chest cavity through the wound but let’s air escape when the person breathes out. If breathing is difficult after applying this seal raise the open side to let the trapped air out, breathing will ease then.



Note: In worst case scenarios to prevent infection from a gunshot wound use a 3-1 mixture of sugar and Betadine (povidone iodine) to make a paste and place on wound. You can also use the same ratio using sugar and cooking oil or honey instead of Betadine (povidone iodine).



There's no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one.

Norm Bettencourt

Urban Survival

I love this story on the "Tunnel People" it goes to show just how far people are willing to go to survive there circumstances and gives some good ideas in urban survival situations.




Norm Bettencourt

Conditioning Yourself To See Your Own Blood In Self Defense Situations

Hi everyone,

I would like to discuss how to condition yourself so you do not panic when you see the sight of your own blood in combat situations.

This is where training comes in; I believe that how to train for a situation and how you will respond to that given situation. You need to not only train yourself physically in first aid techniques but you need to train in the mental element as well when it comes to dealing with first aid situations.

You must prepare yourself to see your own blood but when SHTF you can remain calm and deal with the task at hand. The body can lose half a gallon of blood and still be able to continue fighting and functioning. Simply pour a half gallon of red Kool-Aid onto the floor and take a mental picture of it, that's how much blood you can lose and still function.

Just because you have been shot or stabbed doesn’t mean you’re going to die and you need to mentally tell yourself that during training scenarios so that survival mindset kicks in when you need it most.



The human body is extremely tough and resilient; I have interviewed countless people who have been shot and stabbed or have been beaten severely who have lived to tell there tale. The human body can take a beating and a lot of the times will not feel any pain until after the fact when you’re coming down off your adrenaline dump.

For individuals who do feel pain or have been injured and are bleeding do not panic, breath you are still alive, focus on what you need to do such as getting to safety. People can survive a gunshot wound to the heart and still live seven seconds after that and with today's medical advances the odds are in your favor.

Here are some suggestions to obtain a survivor mindset;

One way to have the "never say die attitude" is to read stories of people who beat the odds survived a violent attack yet fought after being severely beaten, stabbed or shot. So if the time ever comes and you have been injured your subconscious will kick in, remember these stories of survival and continue to fight because if those people could do it so could you. You must possess the will to survive so that you stay alive.

Also realize that getting hit or shot in the bone hurts but you won't die from those injuries. As well most people when stabbing someone stab people haphazardly To receive a lethal stab wound a major artery must be punctured.

When training in self defense techniques if you get shot or stabbed in scenarios do not stop fighting for if you do you are subconsciously telling yourself that you can’t take the injury and to just give up and die.

Mentally rehearse yourself getting shot or stabbed yet continue fighting your enemy This way if the day comes and you get injured you will continue fighting regardless of what injury you have endured and also the injury won’t be so traumatizing to you.

Remember to breathe to help slow down bleeding and to remain calm in a crisis situation. Here is a simple and very effective tactical breathing exercise that most law enforcement and emergency medical services personnel use.

Tactical Breathing: Breath in through your nose (abdomen should go out) for a 4 count as you say "calm" in your head or whatever your word of choice may be to create the feeling you choose to feel, hold for 4 seconds, then let it out through your mouth for 4 seconds (abdomen should go inwards), and hold for 4 seconds and repeat (mental reminder BREATHE). You can also do this on a different count if it works better for you. This will regulate your body's reactions to adrenaline and help you to remain calm.


There's no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one


Norm Bettencourt

To Punch or Not To Punch?

Hi everyone,


The most popular question I get as a self defense instructor is…

Do you recommend punching someone when protecting yourself in a violent altercation?

The answer I give people is a big fat NO!!

Here’s why first of all most people can’t punch worth a crap when their ass depends on it. What happens in a full blown altercation is that people end up panicking and haphazardly throw out punches as fast as they can hoping it will do some type of damage when it connects to their enemies body. The problem with this type of approach is that there is no weight behind your punches. This is what I call feather punches they basically do nothing for you when it comes to stopping an attacker because there’s nothing behind it.

Another issue with people not knowing how to punch is that people especially in certain martial arts circles are taught to retract there punches when they are about to make contact with their opponent/training partner. The reason for retracting your punches is so that training partners during training sessions or opponents during competitions do not get injured.

Also by retracting your punches you look and sound better while performing your kata (forms). Your gi (uniform) will make a nice crisp sound of a SNAP when you punch making people say wow but in reality you are not letting the power of your punch go through your enemy. What this does is set you up for failure in the real world of violence. When you strike anyone regardless of what body part you’re striking with you should HIT & STICK when attacking someone, more on this topic in a future post.

Another concern when it comes to punching is that you do not have any type of protection such as gloves for your hands when fighting out on the streets. All it takes is hitting the top of a person’s skull or striking any other hard boney part on your enemies’ body or missing your enemies face and instead striking a hard surface such as a brick wall or concrete sidewalk and you now have destroyed your fist. This in turn takes away your weapons and helps your enemy in being able to harm you.

So bottom line don’t punch instead palm strike, hammer fist or execute a plain old bitch slap on your enemy to get better results.

There’s no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one.

Norm

My Kind Of Vehicle For Off The Grid Living

Hi Guys & Gals

Check out the Earthcruiser at

You Hear Someone inside Your Home In The Middle of the Night

If you ever are faced with someone being inside your home in the middle of the night try to avoid at all costs searching for the burglar. Instead barricade yourself inside your room, call the police and have your weapon of choice ready if need be. This plan of action gives you an advantage over the criminal because he has to come to you instead of you having to go to him which makes him an easy target.

But let’s look at this situation in a worst case scenario setting. What if you had to look for the burglar in the darkness of your home at 3am?

How would you go about searching for him?

Most people say they would turn on the lights and carefully search for the suspect. The reality is if you were to do that you would be placing yourself at a disadvantage. Here’s why think back to the last time you woke up in the middle of the night and you had to go to the washroom. Can you walk straight into the bathroom without turning on the lights not bumping into anything and seeing everything as clear as day?

The reason you can do this is because your natural night vision automatically kicks in when you go to sleep. You can see everything around you in the pitch darkness of the night. If you were to turn on the lights your eyes would have to adjust to the brightness of the light putting you at a huge disadvantage if you ever needed to protect yourself or loved ones. The stimulus of the light would overload your eyesight causing you to squint and close your eyes. That’s the last thing you want to be doing when defending yourself.

So next time you hear a sound in the middle of the night avoid turning on the lights if you have to investigate. You are at an advantage by having night vision the burglar doesn’t.

There’s no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one.

Norm Bettencourt

How Would You Attack With A Knife?

Hi everyone,

Here is a question for you. When it comes to using a knife how would you use it in a life and death altercation?

A) Use it as a threatening tool to keep your enemy at bay?
B) Pull it out and go on the offensive?
C) Use it in a stealth manner?

Let’s look at the different options and see what we come up with.

A) If you use ANY weapon as a threatening tool pretty much considered that weapon used against you. Your enemy knows if you intended to use that weapon that you are holding in your hand you would let the weapon do the talking and not your loud mouth. Consider yourself getting disarmed and having your own weapon used against you.

B) This is a better option but your enemy now knows your intent and what you have to use against him. Your enemy now has a better opportunity to disarm you because he can see what is coming at him. This is especially true if he has a baton or pipe because he can see the location of your weapon, stay away from the kill zone while he disarms you.

C) This in my humble opinion this is your best option, what your enemy doesn’t see will hurt or kill him. As you get into close quarters combat pull it out and shank him

Bottom line it is better to be silent and violent (pardon the expression.) Your odds of getting disarmed are much less for your enemy will not know what’s coming until it’s too late and you have ambushed him countless times with your blade.

There no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one.

Norm Bettencourt

The Brits Knew How To Drop Someone

In today’s post I would like to discuss a super simple tactic that can drop anyone to the ground brutally quick. The tactic is the shin kick it is effective for several reasons.

1. It takes the brain a second to register an attack coming at the height of the waist and up. It takes double that time for the brain to respond to an attack that is coming at the level of the waist down. People have a hard time seeing a shin kick coming and when they do it’s too late.

2. Ever hit your shin on a coffee table leg? Then you know how painful a strike to the shin can be and that strike is not even hard. Imagine now the force five times that power kicking your shin in a violent encounter and what it can do. I have personally dropped guys twice my size with one or two shin kicks.

3. The Brits knew the power of shin kicks and have World Shin Kicking Games since the 1600’s. In the old days participants were allowed to have steel caps on their boots and the first person the break there leg lost. Today the sport is much more civilized. You can check out the World Shin Kicking Games on YouTube.

Regardless if you’re fighting in an elevator, phone booth or tight crowded area shin kicks can be executed in any environment with full effectiveness.

There’s no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one.

Norm Bettencourt

The Military's "Iron Man" Suit

Check this out

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/military-39-39-iron-man-39-suit-may-141715486.html

This Rocket Stove ROCKS!!!

This rocket stove ROCKS!!! It's great for urban survival situations and is super simple to make.



Norm Bettencourt

36 Weekend Preparedness Projects

A buddy just told me about this great DIY preparedness site.

Check it out at

http://diyready.com/36-weekend-projects-for-preparedness-and-survival/?utm_source=Survival%20Life%20newsletter&utm_medium=Referral&utm_content=36projects&utm_campaign=1%2F31

The Element Of Surprise- Don't Let Them Know What Coming

This is an older video but shows the essential elements on how to have the element of surprise behind your attack.



There's no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one.

Norm Bettencourt

Cool Safe Room Idea

Here is a cool safe room idea

http://postris.com/popular-pin/82025/1/repins/30/0/

There's no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one.

Norm Bettencourt

Are You Subconsciously Killing Yourself In Self Defense Situtaions?

Winning The Battle But Losing The War #2

Hi everyone,

Hope everyone had a great holiday season. A few weeks back I was teaching a first aid class and one of my students had asked me if I could only have 3 items on me for first aid situations what would they be?

So in today`s post I would like to discuss my top 3 picks when it comes to my everyday carry items for my first aid kit.

First of all I would like to mention that learning combat or self defense and learning first aid should go together, when violence arises so does the possibility of injuries. So it is vital not only to learn how to fight but to heal as well so take a First Aid Course.

So here are my top 3 first aid item picks

1.Combat Gauze: Quick clot, this stuff helps clot major wounds fast (stab or bullet wounds) need I say more. Some people prefer using a similar product called `Celox` either or I think it is a vital component to any first aid kit.





2.Triangular bandages: These are so versatile you can use them as a sling, splint, bandage or tourniquet just to name a few uses for them.


3. Betadine Povidone Iodine: This is antiseptic for cuts and wounds. You may be able to stop the bleeding but if you can`t stop an infection your screwed. People have lost limbs and sometimes their life over something as simple as an infection.






Note: If you want more in-depth information on these items and how to use them just do a Google search and there is plenty of information on these products.

Remember you may have won the battle (the physical fight) but will you be able to win the war (dealing with your injuries) when SHTF.

There`s no such thing as a dirty fighter only an educated one.

Norm Bettencourt