Today's message is short and really simple, but it's important. And it's a mistake that I see people make all the time... The mistake is walking around with your hands buried in your pocket. If someone decides to attack you when you're like this, with your best weapons sheathed and out of commission, then you're a sitting duck. It's already tough enough to defend … [Read more...]
Improvised Weapons Found in the Street
Wherever you are right now as you're reading this, look up and try to spot three different improvised weapons you could grab if an attack was imminent. Seriously: if you're at home pretend that you've got 5 seconds to get your hands on something because someone's breaking in. What exactly are you going to grab? And if you can't get your hands on that object, what's your … [Read more...]
Self Defense Against a Stick Attack
Let's talk about self defense against a stick attack. And keep in mind that this information also applies to bats, saps, batons, clubs, tactical flashlights, or pieces of 2x4 lumber. We're just using the word 'stick' as shorthand, because the principles and techniques are the same for dealing with all blunt weapons. First I'll give you the information in video form (this … [Read more...]
3 Great Examples of Verbal De-Escalation
Here's a great video that I found of Dan Inosanto's earliest students, Tim Tackett, talking about 'verbal jiu-jitsu' at Erik Paulson's gym in California. That might sound boring but it's super-crazy important stuff!! He starts out by telling the story of how an acquaintance of his spent 6 years in jail for throwing a single punch. That punch knocked his opponent out, who … [Read more...]
5 Steps to Defend against the Sucker Punch
In your regular training you may practice all kinds of cool blocks and counters to punches, but what about defending against the punch that you don't see coming? The sucker punch! That's a really tricky, and very scary situation. But there are certain precautions and techniques you can use to minimise the danger from this cowardly ambush scenario. In fact, here are 5 … [Read more...]
Self Defense Tips from a Long Time Bouncer
Doormen and bouncers deal with potential violent confrontations every night they're working, and that makes their experiences and insights super-valuable to the rest of us. In this first instalment of 'Tales from the Door' I pick the brain of my friend, training partner and long-time bouncer Chad Skands. Some of the topics we cover include... Specific strategies to … [Read more...]
Avoiding the Street Ambush
You're walking down the street towards your car and some dude gets gets in your face and starts talking to you. Maybe he's asking for change, wants to know what time it is, or is actually being aggressive. Anyway, if he's in your personal space start trying to figure out if this guy is an actual threat or just an annoyance. And if you think that this could go south then … [Read more...]
How to Deal with Fear in the Street
Fear is the mind killer. Well, it certainly can be, if you don’t know how to control it. Many people worry about how they would react if they suddenly had to use their martial arts skills in a real life situation. Even if you train regularly, there is a huge difference between practicing in the safety of a dojo with a partner, and dealing with the wildly unpredictable … [Read more...]
How to Make Sure Your Martial Art Will Work in the Street
You may train in a martial art, but will your techniques really work in the street, in real life, against a real attacker? This is a question a lot of martial artists wrestle with... No matter what martial art you are learning, there are countless techniques you will be trying to master and then combine to serve various purposes. It can be overwhelming, and even once you … [Read more...]
How to Spot a Knife Attack Before It Happens
Some dude gets in your face. You're bigger, stronger, and (probably) better trained than your opponent. No problem, you think to yourself. I can take this guy. You parry his first strike, close the distance, and move in ready to drop him. He lands a couple of blows to your ribs, but they aren’t terribly hard. You knee him and he drops, which is when you notice the blood … [Read more...]
The Myth of the Deadly Groin Attack
There's a persistent myth in self defense training about the groin strike that goes something like this: "Kick the guy in the balls and the fight is over. "It's the one kick wonder. Women especially are often directed to aim for this target as though it's a magic fight ender. It's not, and you are actually putting yourself at risk if you don't realise … [Read more...]
Too Deadly to Spar?
When it comes to self defense, we’ve all heard guys talking about the devastating, “deadly” techniques that are illegal in combat sports. These guys are pretty sure that while they might get schooled on the mats when they have to follow sport rules, but in a real fight, they would certainly win. Of course, because these “deadly” techniques can’t ever actually be tested in … [Read more...]
How Understanding ‘Woofing’ Kept Me Out of A Mexican Prison
There's a concept about human confrontation that I learned many years ago from a book by Marc 'Animal' McYoung. He talked about something called 'woofing', and understanding this has kept me out of quite a few fights (including one that I'll tell you about later in this email). The idea of woofing goes like this... If two dogs are having a dispute then they don't … [Read more...]
Awareness – the Single Most Important Factor in Self Defense
There are many different aspects of self defense, including everything from weapons, to striking, to clinching, to wrestling on the ground. But there's one particular aspect to protecting yourself that's hands down more important than all the rest combined... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yR2iVwkCfM It's not your striking. You might have a killer … [Read more...]
Review of “The Gift of Fear” by Gavin De Becker
This book has remained one of the most widely read books on violence since it was published more than two decades ago. So why should you read it? Gavin De Becker is one of the leading experts in security and violence prevention in America. No, not just because he has a website that says so. He designed the threat identification system that is currently used in America to … [Read more...]