A few weeks ago I was hanging out on the door of a local club with one of my former students who was bouncing there.
We were outside chatting when one of the patrons left with a buddy and, no sooner had he made it to the corner, he was in a screaming match with two other guys.
There was a fair bit of yelling and then the patron came back to ask our opinion as to whether he was justified in fighting these guys because one of them accused him of being on steroids. The accuser was there also trying to apologize and both mates were trying to calm their respective friends down as well. Usual Saturday night on the door I guess...lol.
The accused steroid user wasn't having any of it...he wanted a fight by crikey...his honor had been sullied...someone had - gasp - accused our intrepid hero of using the juice. (never mind that it looked like he probably was). There he was with his jaw stuck out (stupid idea) raging against his mate, trying his darnedest to get to the other guy so they could fight. All the while the accuser just kept apologizing and trying to shake hands.
The irate patron meantime kept asking us for justification. Finally I got around to answering him. "Mate...you're on 3 cameras and there's cops everywhere...give it a swerve. Go home. Don't worry about it."
Nope...he wanted a fight so I asked him "got a question for you skippy...if you fight this guy and his head hits the bricks and he dies, will it all have been worth it? Will you be sitting in a cell thinking it was all worth it?"
I doubted it but he didn't get the message and still wanted to fight at which point the accuser, his mate and steroid boy's mate had all but had enough and got around to leaving.
Here's the deal...I've been guilty in the past of fighting over some perceived slur to defend my honor etc. but I've learned over the years it probably wasn't worth it for a great many of them.
Develop a thicker skin for god's sake...if you don't care what someone thinks about politics, religion or a particular TV show why should you care what they think of you?
If you can do this it will go along way to keeping you out of unnecessary fights...and avoidance is a HUGE part of self protection.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
STICKER SHOCK
I recently read an article about the link between people with stickers on their cars and their propensity for road rage.
The study was conducted by a Colorado State University professor one William Szlemko and he discovered that...
"The number of territory markers predicted road rage better than vehicle value, condition, or any of the things that we normally associate with aggressive driving,' quote unquote.
The really interesting part I thought, was that the type of sticker had no bearing on his findings. In other words the "earth biscuits" with their "Jesus Saves" "Co-Exist" and "Visualize World Peace" were just as likely to get in a snit driving as the "keep honking, I'm reloading types."
So, now you know. Give the sticker crowd a wide berth when you see them out there.
PS: As a matter of interest...how many stickers are on your car?
The study was conducted by a Colorado State University professor one William Szlemko and he discovered that...
"The number of territory markers predicted road rage better than vehicle value, condition, or any of the things that we normally associate with aggressive driving,' quote unquote.
The really interesting part I thought, was that the type of sticker had no bearing on his findings. In other words the "earth biscuits" with their "Jesus Saves" "Co-Exist" and "Visualize World Peace" were just as likely to get in a snit driving as the "keep honking, I'm reloading types."
So, now you know. Give the sticker crowd a wide berth when you see them out there.
PS: As a matter of interest...how many stickers are on your car?
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monkey See, Monkey Do
I have a huge problem with the propensity of reality TV shows that air details about police, special forces, DEA, forensic processes and so on. Why? Because the bad guys watch them too and they learn from them.
There have been cases where rapists are wearing condoms and making their victims shower before leaving to destroy any DNA evidence. There's another where a rapist smuggled semen out of prison so his brother could plant it on someone else in a bid to prove there must be someone else out there with matching DNA.
How about home invasions? Someone's going to have to convince me the trend isn't a result of watching SWAT and DEA teams on TV raiding the bad guys houses. Some of the MS-13 crew have even been purported to post snipers out the back of the houses they invade lest someone tries to escape that way. That is straight out of the commando play book on taking down a occupied dwelling.
Not too long ago one of my students told me about his mate in uptown Charlotte. "Steve" (not his real name) was walking home with his woman from dinner and a few drinks. Two black guys walking towards them suddenly lashed out...one grabbed her by the neck and put a gun to her head while his accomplice stood back with his weapon concealed behind his hand in front of his waist area and told Steve to hand over all their stuff (watches, phones, wallets, rings etc). The threat for non-compliance was chilling..."hand it over and don't try anything or we'll kill her while you watch, then we'll kill you."
The way the guy stood with his arm round the girl and the other guy stood back made it look, to anyone passing by, like a group of four friends hanging around chatting on the sidewalk. Even a law enforcement buddy of mine said, after seeing a re-enactment, it wouldn't have raised any alarm bells with him."
Of course at that point there's not much anyone can do. I don't care if you're Jackie Chan on six cups of espresso and Chuck Norris all rolled into one...you are in the kill box of an ambush and there's a good reason they call it that. (This is where S.I.V.A. comes into play...the Selection, Isolation and Verbal portion of that acronym is where the avoidance and awareness comes into play)
When Steve was reporting what happened to the police later he commented on the fact they seemed so organised and had their attack planned...there was non of the usual histrionics and waving guns around, holding them sideways etc. The Sgt taking the report replied that "yes, they're continually evolving and they get most if from TV."
I can only hope that one day a family member, or a member of the media, who think it's cute to air all this stuff becomes the victim of someone who's got their skills watching his show on television. To be hoist by his own petard as it were. How fitting that would be.
There have been cases where rapists are wearing condoms and making their victims shower before leaving to destroy any DNA evidence. There's another where a rapist smuggled semen out of prison so his brother could plant it on someone else in a bid to prove there must be someone else out there with matching DNA.
How about home invasions? Someone's going to have to convince me the trend isn't a result of watching SWAT and DEA teams on TV raiding the bad guys houses. Some of the MS-13 crew have even been purported to post snipers out the back of the houses they invade lest someone tries to escape that way. That is straight out of the commando play book on taking down a occupied dwelling.
Not too long ago one of my students told me about his mate in uptown Charlotte. "Steve" (not his real name) was walking home with his woman from dinner and a few drinks. Two black guys walking towards them suddenly lashed out...one grabbed her by the neck and put a gun to her head while his accomplice stood back with his weapon concealed behind his hand in front of his waist area and told Steve to hand over all their stuff (watches, phones, wallets, rings etc). The threat for non-compliance was chilling..."hand it over and don't try anything or we'll kill her while you watch, then we'll kill you."
The way the guy stood with his arm round the girl and the other guy stood back made it look, to anyone passing by, like a group of four friends hanging around chatting on the sidewalk. Even a law enforcement buddy of mine said, after seeing a re-enactment, it wouldn't have raised any alarm bells with him."
Of course at that point there's not much anyone can do. I don't care if you're Jackie Chan on six cups of espresso and Chuck Norris all rolled into one...you are in the kill box of an ambush and there's a good reason they call it that. (This is where S.I.V.A. comes into play...the Selection, Isolation and Verbal portion of that acronym is where the avoidance and awareness comes into play)
When Steve was reporting what happened to the police later he commented on the fact they seemed so organised and had their attack planned...there was non of the usual histrionics and waving guns around, holding them sideways etc. The Sgt taking the report replied that "yes, they're continually evolving and they get most if from TV."
I can only hope that one day a family member, or a member of the media, who think it's cute to air all this stuff becomes the victim of someone who's got their skills watching his show on television. To be hoist by his own petard as it were. How fitting that would be.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
More Bug In Bag Stuff
Back when I was posting on a regular basis we were in the process of going through the contents of the Bug In Bag. Someone had asked about a small bag and I said I'd get back to them on it, which I will sometime in the very near future.
What I want to cover here though is what do you keep on your person at all times? Bug in Bags are great but there's going to be times when it's just not practical to tote one with you and it will be in the trunk (boot) of the car and you'll be faced with some minor emergency.
Here's what I consider the bare minimum and, as usual, if you have any ideas please feel free to submit them.
1. Cell phone (pretty obvious but they are worth their weight in gold when there's a flap on. Don't forget though that in a big emergency (9/11 and London's equivalent) the system will typically be overloaded and they won't always work.
2. Credit card and cash. Credit cards are always good to have around in an emergency but don't forget some cash as well. In the big power outage (black out) people weren't able to use ATMs due to no electricity.
3. Small key chain flashlight. You've seen them...the tiny LED light that is part of the key chain. These things are a godsend for dropped keys in the dark, finding your seat in a movie theatre etc.
4. Knife. Doesn't much matter to me if you have a tactical folder, a multi-purpose tool like a Leatherman or a Swiss Army Knife but have something. I saw a clip recently where two people trapped in a burning car nearly perished because nobody had a knife to cut them free of their seat belts. Now in some jurisdictions the carriage of a knife can be illegal so make sure you check out the local laws regarding blades. Personally I wouldn't live somewhere that wouldn't let me carry one but hey...that's just me.
That for me is it...the bare bones minimum I carry on a daily basis. Would it be nice to have more? Of course but it's not always practical and it's not always necessary.
As previously mentioned, if you have anything you carry on a daily basis that you can't live without, or find you use all the time, post a comment and I'll make sure it gets aired.
What I want to cover here though is what do you keep on your person at all times? Bug in Bags are great but there's going to be times when it's just not practical to tote one with you and it will be in the trunk (boot) of the car and you'll be faced with some minor emergency.
Here's what I consider the bare minimum and, as usual, if you have any ideas please feel free to submit them.
1. Cell phone (pretty obvious but they are worth their weight in gold when there's a flap on. Don't forget though that in a big emergency (9/11 and London's equivalent) the system will typically be overloaded and they won't always work.
2. Credit card and cash. Credit cards are always good to have around in an emergency but don't forget some cash as well. In the big power outage (black out) people weren't able to use ATMs due to no electricity.
3. Small key chain flashlight. You've seen them...the tiny LED light that is part of the key chain. These things are a godsend for dropped keys in the dark, finding your seat in a movie theatre etc.
4. Knife. Doesn't much matter to me if you have a tactical folder, a multi-purpose tool like a Leatherman or a Swiss Army Knife but have something. I saw a clip recently where two people trapped in a burning car nearly perished because nobody had a knife to cut them free of their seat belts. Now in some jurisdictions the carriage of a knife can be illegal so make sure you check out the local laws regarding blades. Personally I wouldn't live somewhere that wouldn't let me carry one but hey...that's just me.
That for me is it...the bare bones minimum I carry on a daily basis. Would it be nice to have more? Of course but it's not always practical and it's not always necessary.
As previously mentioned, if you have anything you carry on a daily basis that you can't live without, or find you use all the time, post a comment and I'll make sure it gets aired.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
What Price?
I've got a bunch of friends on one self defense forum in the UK that denigrate what they call the tactical underwear brigade.
The allege that these guys (who supposedly wear camouflage all the time) are over the top when it comes to self protection because they tote kit with them consisting of flashlights, first aid gear, Leatherman multi-purpose tools etc.
Now, are there Walter Mitty's running round waiting for an the world to come to an end, jumping at shadows and imagining all sorts of bad things are going to happen any minute? Sure there are...but they're not unique to the self protection world. A lot of them gravitate there because by nature they fear things that can go wrong and learning self protection is one step in making sure bad things don't happen.
However, I think my mates protest too much. Carrying some gear with you, as in the case of the Bug In Bag I posted about last year, is just plain smart in my humble opinion.
Here's the question to ask...and it's the one I wish the guys on the forum would ask themselves...
What does it cost you if you're right and nothing ever happens (and to most people it doesn't)?
Nothing at all.
What does it cost our prepared friend? Let's be generous and call it $100 for a mini-mag, a Swiss Army knife, a small Adventure first aid kit, a bandana, some water, etc
Now...here's where it gets interesting...
What does it cost if something DOES happen and you don't have that kit? What does it cost then? I recently watched a clip of a vehicle on fire here in the States and a bunch of people standing around waiting for the emergency services to arrive to extract the driver and baby trapped in the vehicle.
Finally some off duty para-medics get stuck in (without their gear) and they got 3rd degree burns on their arms while struggling with the seat belts etc. If one of my tactical underwear mates had been on hand he'd have whipped out his blade and sliced the seat belts and everyone would have been saved, sans burns and no time wasted.
What did it cost people trapped in the buildings on 9/11 (the anniversary is coming up by the way) and what about the poor sods trapped underground in England during their recent terrorist attack? No lights, no water, people bleeding (in some cases to death) smoke inhalation, and in pain. I wonder what price they'd have been willing to pay for some of the kit my mates carry on a regular basis?
Laugh all you want...but when the proverbial brown stuff hits the ventilating system the guy with the kit is the one doing all the laughing.
The allege that these guys (who supposedly wear camouflage all the time) are over the top when it comes to self protection because they tote kit with them consisting of flashlights, first aid gear, Leatherman multi-purpose tools etc.
Now, are there Walter Mitty's running round waiting for an the world to come to an end, jumping at shadows and imagining all sorts of bad things are going to happen any minute? Sure there are...but they're not unique to the self protection world. A lot of them gravitate there because by nature they fear things that can go wrong and learning self protection is one step in making sure bad things don't happen.
However, I think my mates protest too much. Carrying some gear with you, as in the case of the Bug In Bag I posted about last year, is just plain smart in my humble opinion.
Here's the question to ask...and it's the one I wish the guys on the forum would ask themselves...
What does it cost you if you're right and nothing ever happens (and to most people it doesn't)?
Nothing at all.
What does it cost our prepared friend? Let's be generous and call it $100 for a mini-mag, a Swiss Army knife, a small Adventure first aid kit, a bandana, some water, etc
Now...here's where it gets interesting...
What does it cost if something DOES happen and you don't have that kit? What does it cost then? I recently watched a clip of a vehicle on fire here in the States and a bunch of people standing around waiting for the emergency services to arrive to extract the driver and baby trapped in the vehicle.
Finally some off duty para-medics get stuck in (without their gear) and they got 3rd degree burns on their arms while struggling with the seat belts etc. If one of my tactical underwear mates had been on hand he'd have whipped out his blade and sliced the seat belts and everyone would have been saved, sans burns and no time wasted.
What did it cost people trapped in the buildings on 9/11 (the anniversary is coming up by the way) and what about the poor sods trapped underground in England during their recent terrorist attack? No lights, no water, people bleeding (in some cases to death) smoke inhalation, and in pain. I wonder what price they'd have been willing to pay for some of the kit my mates carry on a regular basis?
Laugh all you want...but when the proverbial brown stuff hits the ventilating system the guy with the kit is the one doing all the laughing.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Harsh Reality & Police Shootings
Ok, it seems I've got a few moments for once to write something down so here goes...and once again, sorry for the long lag between posts.
About ten days ago a kid was shot by a cop here in Charlotte while, according to police, pointing a gun at the cop chasing him while running from the aforementioned officer.
The police account is being disputed by approximately five witnesses who said the kid didn't pull a gun at all.
For some readers my view on this incident might seem harsh but I make no apologies...I never had much sympathy for criminals anyway so here goes.
Isn't it interesting that in the neighborhood in question there have been other shootings yet when the police arrive and ask for witnesses there never are any...that's right folks "nobody saw nuthin." Now a police officer shoots someone and all of a sudden there are five witnesses. As the French say "quelle coincidence."
The bottom line is this, and this is what people in the neighborhood, and critics of the cops handling of the situation, seem to miss...
If the kid who'd been shot hadn't chosen a life of crime he'd be alive today...
If he'd stopped when the officer told him to, he'd be alive today...
If he hadn't been carrying a gun illegally he'd be alive today...(oh yes, I left that bit out...they did find a silver pistol inches from his body immediately after the shooting...that would be the silver pistol the witnesses didn't seem to see)
Carry a gun, commit crimes, run from the cops and get shot...why does anyone have a problem with this? It's all avoidable by the victim and that's the bit the critics seem to conveniently forget.
If you haven't seen the Chris Rock piece on how to avoid falling afoul of the law you need to do yourself a favor and Google it (be warned: the language is a tad salty) ...basically he says "Obey the Law" Stop when you're told to, don't run your mouth, don't carry a gun, don't do drugs, don't hang with people who run their mouths, carry guns illegally and do drugs and you'll be fine. What a novel concept...maybe some of the bad guys should try it.
About ten days ago a kid was shot by a cop here in Charlotte while, according to police, pointing a gun at the cop chasing him while running from the aforementioned officer.
The police account is being disputed by approximately five witnesses who said the kid didn't pull a gun at all.
For some readers my view on this incident might seem harsh but I make no apologies...I never had much sympathy for criminals anyway so here goes.
Isn't it interesting that in the neighborhood in question there have been other shootings yet when the police arrive and ask for witnesses there never are any...that's right folks "nobody saw nuthin." Now a police officer shoots someone and all of a sudden there are five witnesses. As the French say "quelle coincidence."
The bottom line is this, and this is what people in the neighborhood, and critics of the cops handling of the situation, seem to miss...
If the kid who'd been shot hadn't chosen a life of crime he'd be alive today...
If he'd stopped when the officer told him to, he'd be alive today...
If he hadn't been carrying a gun illegally he'd be alive today...(oh yes, I left that bit out...they did find a silver pistol inches from his body immediately after the shooting...that would be the silver pistol the witnesses didn't seem to see)
Carry a gun, commit crimes, run from the cops and get shot...why does anyone have a problem with this? It's all avoidable by the victim and that's the bit the critics seem to conveniently forget.
If you haven't seen the Chris Rock piece on how to avoid falling afoul of the law you need to do yourself a favor and Google it (be warned: the language is a tad salty) ...basically he says "Obey the Law" Stop when you're told to, don't run your mouth, don't carry a gun, don't do drugs, don't hang with people who run their mouths, carry guns illegally and do drugs and you'll be fine. What a novel concept...maybe some of the bad guys should try it.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Apologies
Several readers have asked me what's happened to the blog.
In short, nothing and I'll be back writing again soon but I've been flat out moving, teaching seminars, getting a lesson plan and handbook together for a course I'll be doing nationwide and working on the rewrite of my book on self protection that will be (hopefully) out soon. As if all that isn't enough I'm also running two businesses and working on launching another.
Hang in there and I'll write again as soon as humanly possible.
In short, nothing and I'll be back writing again soon but I've been flat out moving, teaching seminars, getting a lesson plan and handbook together for a course I'll be doing nationwide and working on the rewrite of my book on self protection that will be (hopefully) out soon. As if all that isn't enough I'm also running two businesses and working on launching another.
Hang in there and I'll write again as soon as humanly possible.
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