tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48628574507727793342024-02-07T07:18:07.272-05:00Charlotte Self DefenseA blog by self defense instructor Nick Hughes, a former French Foreign Legionnaire para commando, bodyguard and black belt in multiple disciplines. A blog that will cover self protection in general with an emphasis on local crime trends to boot.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-760752278714362592010-09-27T18:08:00.005-05:002010-09-27T18:42:42.376-05:00Got Kids? Judo know the half of it.For those of you who've read my stuff in the excellent (now defunct) European martial arts magazine<span style="font-weight: bold;"> "Fighting Arts International"</span> you might remember my advocating Judo before anyone in Europe or the States had heard of the Gracies and/or Brazilian Ju-Jutsu. I covered how important it is/was to know how to grapple and how to control someone if you're taken to the ground.<br /><br />What prompted the Judo theme is that I got asked again by someone the other day about where to send their kids to train (because I don't teach anyone under the age of eighteen). You'd think, given my love for karate, I'd say the nearest karate school but the answer I always give is Judo.<br /><br />Why? Let's go over the reasons.<br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight: bold;">You learn how to fall safely in Judo</span> (it's called break-falling). Kids being kids, are going to fall off bicycles, out of trees and just running along. Loads of them end up breaking their collar bones, arms and legs as a result. By learning how to fall safely they avoid the breaks (this is the same skill set used by stunt men) which saves them pain and you the expense of taking care of said broken limb and the medical bills that come with it.<br /><br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Judo is cheap!!!</span> A lot of the McDojos lock people into expensive contracts and nickle and dime parents to death. Judo by comparison costs next to nothing.<br /><br />3. Perhaps the most important reason of all - <span style="font-weight: bold;">you react how you train to react.</span> If your lessons are all about punching and kicking and you get into a fight at school you're going to punch and kick. That can lead to all sorts of legal ramifications for you and your child. The youth Judo program doesn't teach joint locks or strangulation like the adult program does. It only teaches the throws and the pins so your child will (hopefully) toss the bully and pin him until someone in authority arrives to break it up. The likelihood of there being any physical injury from throwing and pinning is minuscule as compared to the risk after punching and kicking someone.<br /><br />4. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Judo will wear them out</span>. A lot of the punching and kicking - especially in mid-air - serves to amp kids up and make them hyper. The grappling and throwing of Judo on the other hand is a total workout. You're going one hundred percent against a fully resisting opponent and it takes its toll fast.<br /><br />5. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Judo is an Olympic sport</span>. Tae Kwan Do has recently joined the fold of sports allowed in the Olympics but Judo's been in there for years and is very well respected. Who knows...maybe your kid will represent the country one day in Judo.<br /><br />So, there you have it...five great reasons to get your kids into Judo. It will provide a perfect base for them so, by the time they turn 18 and can train with the likes of me, they'll be great raw material to build from.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-76216755806036065372010-09-16T09:56:00.004-05:002010-09-16T10:00:10.283-05:00New Club StartingApologies for readers of the blog from anywhere but locally but my classes in Krav Maga are starting in Huntersville NC this week. You can find out all the information on the web site located at <a href="http://www.kravmagalkn.com">http://www.kravmagalkn.com</a><br /><br />We're going to be incorporating regular training on avoidance and awareness (aka soft skills) as well as intense training on the hard skills.<br /><br />Introductory classes will be held the first and third Sat of every month at my buddy Greg's Crossfit LKN center.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-67910020151197684102010-06-07T13:54:00.000-05:002010-06-07T14:10:49.365-05:00Selling SafelyRecently here in Charlotte there was a double murder of an elderly couple who went to meet someone to sell their car.<br /><br />A lot of people do this, especially with E-Bay and Craigslist making the process so convenient. However, anytime you go to meet some unknown person(s) to do a deal there's a risk involved.<br /><br />What I'm going to cover here is a couple of steps to minimize that risk.<br /><br />1. Gather intel. You have the person's phone number and name. Google them both and see what shows up. You can, for a fee, do a reverse lookup on their number and see that it comes back to who they say they are. Run their name through the local sheriff's dept and see if they've ever been arrested for anything.<br /><br />2. Sanitize your vehicle. That means take out anything with your name and address on it, any valuables, and anything that could be used against you as a weapon. I've mentioned in other blogs the importance of what your car says about you and how much info a lot of them contain for the bad guys.<br /><br />3. Arrange to meet in a public place. (the victims in this case didn't) That means a mall, a shopping center, a gas station or in front of a police station. Make sure it's when they're open and there's going to be loads of people around.<br /><br />4. Take someone with you...preferably someone BIG. Husband, boyfriend, neighbor's kid, cousin...someone who at least looks the part.<br /><br />5. Once you arrive at the meeting place, if you feel bad about the situation or the people you're meeting (now that you've laid eyes on them) feel free to leave. Trust your instincts. (The couple in this instance felt something was wrong and called their daughter to let her know. That was a good step and expedited the capture of the alleged killer but if they'd followed it up with high tailing it out of there they might be alive today)<br /><br />6. Ask to see identification and proof of insurance. Take a pic of the i.d. and send it to someone on your camera phone if you want to be really safe. Also check with your insurance agent about who's covered etc during a test drive. If the potential buyer crashes the car it's a rotten time to find out your coverage doesn't extend that far.<br /><br />7. Don't let them test drive on their own and don't let them outnumber you on the test drive. If you are by yourself and the two of them want to be in the car during the test drive you should be in the back seat and not in the front with someone sitting behind you.<br /><br />8. Remember most of the above also applies if you're going to buy a car from someone online or in the paper. One scam involves the criminals using the address of a foreclosed or vacant home. You roll up and they produce a weapon, take your money and your vehicle and you have no idea who they are.<br /><br />Remember, thousands of people every day do transactions like this and nothing goes wrong. Don't be paranoid about the whole thing but, by the same token, don't be complacent either. The aforementioned steps will go a long way towards alleviating risks.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-52200751863662834322010-02-27T20:22:00.000-05:002010-02-27T20:24:29.747-05:00Criminal Attack Plan RevisitedIt's interesting to note that the latest attack in Charlotte i.e. The Bump and Rape/Rob attack followed the S.I.V.A pattern to a tee.<br /><br />For those who don't remember I wrote about almost all criminals attacking according to the S.I.V.A. acronym which is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Selection, Isolation, Verbal then Attack/Assault</span><br /><br />First he selected his victim looking out for women alone in cars (in one case two women in one car) as they headed home from night clubs.<br /><br />Secondly they isolated themselves when they left the club.<br /><br />Third, he used the ploy of running into their cars the same way another criminal will use a verbal ruse to get close enough to launch his attack.<br /><br />As I've mentioned previously you can avoid the latter part of the program if you are diligent enough with the first three.<br /><br />Could you for example reduce the risk of being selected? Yep. Have a male in the car with you, have a pile of friends in the car, have NRA gun stickers on your vehicle or don't go clubbing until he's been caught. (If you have trouble finding a guy, there used to a company that sold a male mannequin for lone women drivers that you could put in the front passenger seat to create the impression there was a man on board).<br /><br />Next...could you increase your awareness levels when you're on your own? You have to be hyper-vigilant any time you leave the safety of numbers.<br /><br />As for the steps to take during the verbal phase (in this case the fake accident) see the previous blog entry.<br /><br />If you do those three well enough you should never end up in the final phase having to fight your way out of a planned ambush by the bad guy(s) and that <span style="font-weight: bold;">avoidance and awareness is what true self protection is all about.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-66880597463106756452010-02-25T08:43:00.002-05:002010-02-25T09:19:22.827-05:00Bump and Rob Again...Some readers will no doubt remember the bump and rob attacks that plagued Florida back in the late eighties, early nineties. For those of you who don't know, the bad guys would rear end people in rental cars (which could be identified by stickers) and, when the victim got out to survey the damage, they'd be held up and robbed. <br /><br />It culminated in one German tourist woman being killed when the bad guys drove away and ran over her in the process. As an aside the effect on the tourist industry was so great that the authorities went all out, caught the team doing it and banged them away for a long time.<br /><br />Here in Charlotte, early Monday morning, we had two incidents using the same tactic. The perpetrator ran into a car and, when the driver got out, he held her at gun point and forced her to drive to an ATM. When he was unsuccessful getting any money he raped the woman and fondled her passenger.<br /><br />A couple of hours later he struck again and robbed another woman under the same circumstances. Law enforcement believe it's possible he followed them from nightclubs.<br /><br />Channel 14 news here in Charlotte contacted me and we did a piece covering some advice for women in that situation. For those of you who missed it, the advice is as follows (and, incidentally, it's the same procedure for a Blue Light Bandit)...<br /><br />1. Assess what just happened. Is the accident likely? In other words it's hard to stage an accident and make it look real. If there's stuff going on nearby that an inattentive driver might be looking at it when he rear ends you then it could be plausible. If the roads are icy, it could be plausible. If the roads are dry, there's not much traffic and it happens then that should make you wonder.<br /><br />2. Check your doors are locked and windows up.<br /><br />3. Put your hazard lights on and drive to your nearest 24 hour safe haven. (We've talked about this in a previous blog but they're locations where someone is in attendance 24/7 such as hospitals, gas stations, grocery stores, manufacturing plants, police and fire stations etc.)<br /><br />4. While en route call 911 and let them know what happened and what you're doing. Let them know you're a lone female, you're not comfortable dealing with the situation on your own and your intention is to drive to somewhere where there are lights and people.<br /><br />I'm not going to sugar coat this..it's still a tough situation to be in. What are you going to do for example if, while you're figuring out what just happened, the bad guy appears at your window with his gun in hand. I know of one girl, a friend of my ex, who was in that situation and she drove away and nothing happened. A few weeks ago in Charlotte a woman did the same and the bad guy opened fire on the car. <br /><br />My advice is (and that means this is what I would do in that situation) is head down and floor it. Every second you're putting distance between you and the bad guy and handguns are notoriously inaccurate. They also don't have the penetration Hollywood would have you believe. Many police officers have discovered that rounds will bounce off a windshield for example and I've been on a body guard course where we shot an old car up with various rounds to see what would happen and a .380 would even penetrate the door skin.<br /><br />Finally, if you do decide to comply, we're back to the old "leaving crime scene 1 for crime scene 2" which we all know is absolutely taboo.<br /><br />PS: They haven't caught the guy yet so be on your guard.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-84590622865822601342010-01-21T20:39:00.002-05:002010-01-21T20:44:53.482-05:00RefresherWith all the rain we're having in Charlotte right now I thought it might behoove us to revisit the advice I posted about using cruise control in the rain.<br /><br />This originally went around the web as an email and a lot of people mistakenly thought it was an urban legend. While it's not as dire as the original email would have us believe it is true that using cruise control when it's raining is a bad idea.<br /><br />If you want to find out exactly why google is your friend but the bottom line is cruise control is BAD WHEN IT'S WET, SLUSHY, SNOWING OR ICY.<br /><br />Now you know.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-66711347652629644112009-12-23T23:20:00.003-05:002009-12-23T23:29:26.449-05:00This Makes it All WorthwhileOne of my mates in Philly is a devout follower of the Fight Survival System that I teach. Marc comes to all the seminars and has been down to Charlotte to attend the first half of his instructor's certification as well as to several of the annual boot camps we do.<br /><br />Last night I received this message from him...<br /><br /><em>Nick: My sister just called me to tell me she was the victim of a home invasion. </em><br /><em></em><br /><em>She woke up on her couch to a man standing over her. Apparently, he told her to "shut the fuck up" and grabbed her breasts. I've shared my FIST training with her so she could stay safe at college. She took the initiative and did exactly the last thing this guy was expecting and beat the shit out of him. After multiple strikes to the face and groin, he fled. She was so amped she she chased him down barefoot in the snow and continued the beating, during the course of which he lost his cell phone.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Cops now have his billing info and prints. She was unscathed.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>FIST WORKS! She's 5'2" 120lbs and destroyed this guy. Thank you for the training to fight and win and thank you for the instructor training so I could share these life saving skills with my sister. When you're out in Philly, I'll be sure to bring her out. Feel free to share this story with others.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>"Marc.</em><br /><em></em><br /><br />I've had several letters and calls like this over the years...a blue belt who scared off and was responsible for the capture of a campus rapist in Australia, an English mate who was nearly mugged by 3 guys here in Charlotte, a Legion buddy who's son learned the stuff I taught him and survived a multiple attack in the UK.<br /><br />They are, undoubtedly, what makes all the years of training, sacrifice and teaching worthwhile (it sure isn't the money as anyone who teaches the real deal stuff will tell you.)<br /><br />I'm crossing my fingers the cell phone leads back to the attacker (and wasn't stolen). I'm also hoping if it does come back to him the DNA test that will undoubtedly be run will link him to other attacks and one less evil <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">bastid</span> will be out on the streets preying on women.<br /><br />That's my Christmas wish...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-15163869880526187572009-12-03T22:58:00.004-05:002009-12-03T23:22:47.725-05:00I Hate to Say I Told You So...For my regular readers you might remember a few posts ago how I talked about the naive girls uptown in Charlotte who, after a sexual assault made the news, stated they'd carry mace, T<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">aser</span> and guns etc.<br /><br />I pointed out that too many people place far too much confidence in their weapons and that bad guys are a) well aware some people carry them and b) work hard at disguising their approach so that when the ambush comes you won't have time to get your weapon to hand.<br /><br />In other words weapons are only any good when you have them in your hand and they're ready to go. (and it's nice if they actually work when you need them to and do what they say on the tin)<br /><br />The recent tragedy of the four law enforcement officers being ambushed and slain in Tacoma only confirms the point I made in the blog.<br /><br />Here are four cops who, if they're anything like most of them in this country, had pistols, T<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">asers</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">O.C.</span> spray, and batons. Count them. That's four different weapons to hand on their belts when the scumbag who killed them got the drop on them.<br /><br />Now, if one of them had his weapon in his hand when the bad guy went to draw his, it would be an entirely different story but they didn't, and we all know how it ended.<br /><br />These were cops folks. People who deal with the scum of the earth on a day to day basis and who train fairly regularly with their weapons. They also tend to have more street smarts than the average person does so, if their weapons didn't do them any good, what are <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">yours</span> going to do for you?<br /><br />You need tons of awareness. Knowledge as to how the bad guys operate and scenario based training otherwise you are kidding yourself. Weapons on their own just don't cut it -- and that includes empty handed ones.<br /><br />PS: I am very happy to say the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">skidmark</span> who killed them was shot a day or so later. Good riddance...so glad we've been spared the expense of incarcerating him for 14 or so years while he exhausts his appeals and costs the taxpayers a small fortune.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-32603531578800130312009-11-29T10:09:00.004-05:002009-11-29T10:23:35.969-05:00The Danger of the Sporting MindsetI was surfing a friend's forum and they were talking about a DVD by a noted self protection instructor on the subject of defeating an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">MMA</span> trained adversary. He points out in the DVD that with the popularity of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">MMA</span> training it's becoming more and more likely that you'll end up scrapping with someone who's had such training.<br /><br />Of course the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">MMA</span> forums are denigrating the DVD saying that the only way an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">MMA</span> fighter can be beaten is (and I quote) <br /><br /><blockquote>a "seasoned" (read truly skilled ) <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">MMA</span> practitioner can only be countered by 1. Luck; 2. Equal or greater skill; or 3. A massive size/strength/injury disparity.</blockquote><br /><br />This is an absolutely perfect example of the danger of training in a sporting discipline. Notice the angle they come at it with i.e. from an entirely sporting context.<br /><br />From my perspective, that of someone dealing with the real world and not the ring I'd be thinking of things such as...<br /><br />A martial artist should be concerned about...1. A guy with a gun; 2. A guy with a knife; 3. A group of guys; 4. A group of guys with weapons; 5. A sucker punch; 6. A <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">pre</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">emptive</span> strike; 7. An ambush; 8. A mob kicking the crap out of me while I'm rolling round on the ground with someone trying to put them in a cool triangle choke etc.<br /><br />At first blush this might seem like a criticism of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">MMA</span> guys and it's not. I admire anyone who trains hard and puts it on the line, no matter what discipline that is. It is however a criticism of the dangers of a sporting mindset and it is also a criticism of guys who play in the ring thinking they are automatically now qualified to talk about self defense.<br /><br />That's a little like paint-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">ballers</span> telling Special Forces guys how to conduct themselves in a firefight.<br /><br />Self defense/protection training requires a certain mind-set, don't confuse it with the mindset you'll develop in a club that concentrates on sport.<br /><br /><blockquote><p align="left"> </p></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-22298301948804686772009-11-22T20:05:00.004-05:002009-11-22T20:13:32.940-05:00How To Be Your Own Body GuardMy friends at Y2 Yoga in Charlotte (at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Cotswald</span> Shopping Center next to Charley's) and I are putting on a presentation on Sunday Dec 6<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">th</span> at 5 pm entitled "How To Be Your Own Body Guard."<br /><br />I've mentioned the process bad guys go through when <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">committing</span> a crime on my blog before i.e. S.I.V.A. which stands for Selection, Isolation, Verbal and then Attack. Most martial arts systems begin with the fight, or the attack which means they're ignoring fully 75% of the self protection problem.<br /><br />How to be Your Own Body Guard addresses that and focuses on the avoidance and awareness <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">strategies</span> of a body guard modified for civilian purposes and covers how to avoid being selected in the first place, tips and tricks for when you're on your own, and verbal skills for talking your way out of trouble.<br /><br />If you're in town that day do yourself a favour and come check it out. Crime always spikes round the holidays and you can't beat the price.<br /><br />Space is limited and a lot of people are already coming so check first if there's still room and then come along. Bring your friends, wife, mum, sister, spouse etc...it might just save their life or prevent them becoming another statistic.<br /><br />Remember...it's at Y2 Yoga in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Cotswald</span> Mall next to Charley's restaurant on Sunday December 6 at 5 pm or 17:00 hours.<br /><br />See you there.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-54387187512695725272009-11-19T22:53:00.003-05:002009-11-19T23:08:38.912-05:00Ignorance is BlissApproximately a week ago a young woman was assaulted uptown by a sexual predator. Of course, if the information in the media is to be believed, she was on her own walking back to her car when the attack happened and she was under the influence of alcohol.<br /><br />Obviously that's fairly tragic but what bugged me almost as much was the - dare I say it - stupid responses by other young girls they interviewed about the attack.<br /><br />The first one claimed she and her girlfriend are going to buy and carry mace. Now we've talked about this before...mace is pretty much useless. I don't want to rely on something that I have to lick my finger and determine the wind direction before I can use it, something that I might spray myself with under stress (hey, plenty of rookie cops do just that the first time) and, that even if I use correctly, may not work.<br /><br />The second one said she's buying a taser. Yep, that's definitely a step up from the mace product but there's still a HUGE problem and that is that all weapons, no matter what form they may take, have to be in your hand when you're attacked to be viable.<br /><br />Criminals aren't as stupid as some seem to think they are. They know people carry weapons and so they launch their attacks accordingly i.e. they talk their way in and ambush you, or they hide and then ambush you. Either way, unless your weapon is in your hand, primed for use (and that's assuming you're sober right!!) it's about as much use as a snooze button on a smoke alarm.<br /><br />Sorry, but I just can't see the women I've seen stumbling out of clubs at 2am having the presence of mind to access their weapon for the walk to the car or having the wherewithal to use it given their state of inebriation.<br /><br />You're pinning your hope of survival on a tool instead of pinning it on yourself...and that's a recipe for disaster.<br /><br />The third lass in the story was the worst yet. She claimed she was going to get security to escort her to her car and actually had the gall to say "I know they're needed elsewhere but I'm going to have them walk me there anyway." <br /><br />She's assuming that the rent-a-cops are capable, that they're going to be allowed to leave their posts to provide our prima donna with her own personal escort and that there's enough of them to go around to escort every woman who wants their own body guard back to their car. Not gonna happen.<br /><br />Here's a better solution...learn to defend yourself, travel in packs, and stay lucid enough to be aware of your surroundings.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-362796968090483682009-11-01T20:07:00.004-05:002009-11-01T20:29:30.265-05:00Toughen UpA few weeks ago I was hanging out on the door of a local club with one of my former students who was bouncing there.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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...<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">lol</span>.<br /><br />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 <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">darnedest</span> to get to the other guy so they could fight. All the while the accuser just kept apologizing and trying to shake hands.<br /><br />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."<br /><br />Nope...he wanted a fight so I asked him "got a question for you <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">skippy</span>...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?"<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Develop a thicker skin for god's sake...if you don't care what someone thinks about politics, religion or a particular <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">TV</span> show why should you care what they think of you?<br /><br />If you can do this it will go along way to keeping you out of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">unnecessary</span> fights...and avoidance is a HUGE part of self protection.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-20973125605675685442009-10-12T15:17:00.005-05:002009-10-12T15:27:08.748-05:00STICKER SHOCKI recently read an article about the link between people with stickers on their cars and their propensity for road rage.<br /><br />The study was conducted by a Colorado State University professor one William Szlemko and he discovered that...<br /><br /><em><strong>"The </strong></em><a href="http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080613/full/news.2008.889.html" cmimpressionsent="1"><em><strong>number of territory markers predicted road rage</strong></em></a><em><strong> better than vehicle value, condition, or any of the things that we normally associate with aggressive driving,'</strong></em> quote unquote.<br /><br />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."<br /><br />So, now you know. Give the sticker crowd a wide berth when you see them out there.<br /><br />PS: As a matter of interest...how many stickers are on your car?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-60069175036551110642009-09-28T10:42:00.004-05:002009-09-28T11:06:18.034-05:00Monkey See, Monkey DoI 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.<br /><br />There have been cases where rapists are wearing condoms and making their victims shower before leaving to destroy any <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">DNA</span> 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 <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">DNA</span>. <br /><br />How about home invasions? <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Someone's</span> going to have to convince me the trend isn't a result of watching SWAT and DEA teams on <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">TV</span> 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.<br /><br />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."<br /><br />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."<br /><br />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)<br /><br />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 <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">TV</span>."<br /><br />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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-77684726097030724972009-09-17T17:41:00.003-05:002009-09-17T20:59:50.917-05:00More Bug In Bag StuffBack 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Here's what I consider the bare minimum and, as usual, if you have any ideas please feel free to submit them.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ATMs</span> due to no electricity.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />4. Knife. Doesn't much matter to me if you have a tactical folder, a multi-purpose tool like a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Leatherman</span> 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-17507725929384034622009-09-08T13:36:00.005-05:002009-09-08T13:53:54.376-05:00What 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.<br /><br />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, L<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">eatherman</span> multi-purpose tools etc.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Here's the question to ask...and it's the one I wish the guys on the forum would ask themselves...<br /><br />What does it cost you if you're right and nothing ever happens (and to most people it doesn't)?<br />Nothing at all.<br /><br />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 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">bandana</span>, some water, etc<br /><br />Now...here's where it gets interesting...<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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?<br /><br />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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-83069300934060213262008-05-29T23:02:00.004-05:002008-05-29T23:23:40.648-05:00Harsh Reality & Police Shootings<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ok</span>, 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />The police account is being disputed by approximately five witnesses who said the kid didn't pull a gun at all.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">nuthin</span>." Now a police officer shoots someone and all of a sudden there are five witnesses. As the French say "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">quelle</span> coincidence."<br /><br />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...<br /><br />If the kid who'd been shot hadn't chosen a life of crime he'd be alive today...<br /><br />If he'd stopped when the officer told him to, he'd be alive today...<br /><br />If he hadn't been carrying a gun <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">illegally</span> 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)<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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 <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Google</span> 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 <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">illegally</span> and do drugs and you'll be fine. What a novel concept...maybe some of the bad guys should try it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-54183420047374768752008-03-25T16:35:00.002-05:002008-03-25T16:39:54.125-05:00ApologiesSeveral readers have asked me what's happened to the blog.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Hang in there and I'll write again as soon as humanly possible.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-13479890626958250512008-01-23T00:17:00.000-05:002008-01-23T00:25:26.626-05:00We interupt this program...A long time ago I mentioned how a lot of self defense products...some that people put great store in...don't work in the real world all the time.<br /><br />Here's a great link to a news story discussing Court TV (for my non US readers it's a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">tv</span> channel here that focuses on true crime and criminal justice system shows). Watch the first clip of the "poor misunderstood" prisoner attacking the prison guard the second they leave the court room.<br /><br />Pay great attention to the guard who obviously never bothered learning how to fight despite working amongst the most <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">vicious</span> members of society on a day to day basis who uses his mace to try and subdue the prisoner. Notice the mace covering him as much as the bad guy - one huge problem with it - and two, notice how absolutely <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">ineffective</span> it is on someone amped up, intent on doing you harm. Also, notice how long it takes him to access the gas <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">canister</span> (a huge problem with weapons as your only solution) and imagine if the bad guy had a knife instead of a clenched fist.<br /><br />There's a slew of lessons in this one clip...if a picture is worth a thousand words, what's a video clip like this worth?<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22773900#22773900" target="_blank">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22773900#22773900</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-16378756314919475122008-01-08T23:42:00.001-05:002008-01-08T23:57:17.566-05:00More BugsI have been chided by several readers to get on with it regarding the BIB and its contents. Apparently they're putting theirs together and need to know what's next...because I've been slack (read busy) I'll include two items.<br /><br />Here goes...<br /><br />I have a small AM/FM radio in mine and batteries for it. Cell phones were as much use as an emergency brake in a kayak during 9/11. In a real disaster, imagine for example a nuclear power plant going bust, information is your friend. The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">government</span> should be broadcasting alerts and evacuation routes and so on. You can pick one of these up from Radio shack or Target for under fifteen bucks.<br /><br />In the same light you might consider a cheap pair of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">walkie</span> talkies. Years ago they were the size of a large house brick, weighed as much and cost a fortune. You can buy sets for families now to use in the mall and while hiking etc. They are the size of a deck of cards, weigh next to nothing and are incredibly cheap.<br /><br />Now, if you're bugging in yourself you may never use them. What if there's a group of you however? What if one of you is wounded and the other is going to go a few floors up to try and get help? What if you decide to explore different ways out of somewhere and need to remain in contact. The uses are endless so if you've got room - and that will depend on how big you want to make this - definitely consider a set.<br /><br />PS: I've had one reader ask about a bare bones kit because he needs something to stick in his lap top bag. I'll tackle this one as soon as I've got through all the other items but keep in mind food and shelter as primaries. You'd be amazed at what you can cram in a small space by the way. One of my body guard instructors, the great Lofty Weismann of 22SAS fame and the author of the "Survival Book" keeps a survival kit on him at all times that fits in a tobacco tin. I'll take some pics of the one he gave me sometime and post them on here.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-77042922651265164712007-12-19T23:09:00.001-05:002007-12-19T23:42:47.618-05:00Next ItemThere's been some great comments coming in about contents for the Bug In Bag first aid kit...look for some more soon.<br /><br />The next piece of kit you'll need is light. I keep four sources in my bag. The first is a headlamp that's hand free. You've probably seen them, they come with a band that fits over your head like the old miner's lamps and the beauty of them is they free up both hands to work with.<br /><br />The second one I carry is a small Mag lite about six inches long. A great trick with this one taught to me by the legendary Marcus Wynne is to use some duct tape and secure some spare batteries to it. This keeps the spares right where they're needed and provides you with a length of the very useful tape. These tend to be much brighter and more <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">intensely</span> focused than the head lamps are and, if you're concerned about shooting at night, they're much better than the head lamp for obvious reasons. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">LOL</span> The company that makes them has now come out with a kit so that you can replace the twist on/off end with a push button which is much better for combat <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">hand gunning</span>.<br /><br />Next, I keep some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Cyalume</span> lights sticks handy. They're the ones you snap in half to activate the chemicals inside and they're cheap and light so there's no problem carrying a few of them. They can be used for roadside emergency flares, lighting where you can't run the risk of a spark, underwater, to illuminate a pathway or light up a fire escape or as a signalling device to name but a few possible applications. (Keep in mind these are a lot safer during a power outage or blackout than candles tend to be)<br /><br />Finally I keep a small candle. You'll find the right type in a camping store again and they tend to be slow burning and unscented. Unlike the other light sources they provide a surprising amount of heat. During commando training with the Legion we did the survival snow cave trick and got to experience first hand how much heat they can give off in a confined space.<br /><br />As usual, if I've forgotten something feel free to send a reply and I'll see it gets posted.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-88212398434745563492007-11-20T00:08:00.000-05:002007-11-20T00:30:49.899-05:00Bug In Bag cont.The next item to stick in your bug in bag is a small first aid kit. When I body guarded for the band "Warrant" back in the early nineties I used my belt first aid kit more than any other single piece of kit during that tour. You have no way to know how many times band members and road crew would cut, scrape and injure themselves while moving about the stage as it was being set up and torn down.<br /><br />I've seen fancy versions of these things...typically close personal protection specialists will have ones including things like "Quick-Clot" and big wound dressings for gun shot and bomb injuries simply because that's the nature of their particular beast.<br /><br />If you're not living in or near a war zone however you can pick up some great ones at your local camping goods store that include the basics. You can make your own as well by using a zip lock baggie and buying the contents individually at your local drug store.<br /><br />You'll need some pain pills. I prefer Asprin or Aleve personally. Asprin can be used during the event of a heart attack and Aleve doesn't eat away at your stomach like some of its counterparts do. You'll also need a variety of band-aids. I buy them from the butterfly strips all the way up to some six by six inch ones. Next should be some antiseptic wipes and some "after bite" insect sting and itch relieving gel.<br /><br />Next in my kit I include some gauze pads of various sizes both sterile and non-sterile along with first aid tape. You'll need some triple anti-biotic cream, an elasticized bandage and some clips to fasten it. Some other useful items include tweezers and a small pair of scissors. You should also have some safety pins of various sizes and at least one pair of latex gloves.<br /><br />Finally I include some indigestion tablets such as Tums and some anti-diahoerea pills.<br /><br />Again, just as it is with the Bug In Bag itself you should personalize that list of equipment to reflect both the area in which you live and your ability and depth of knowledge with regards to first aid. I have, over the years, both in the military and in my capacity as executive protection agent, met some truly impressive team medics who are worth their weight in gold. If you have never done a first aid course by they way now is the time to sign up for one.<br /><br />If I've left anything out of the first aid kit list, again, just as I asked re the bandana, shoot me an email and I'll amend the list accordingly. I know of at least one switched on medic who reads the blog avidly and I'm sure he'll have some suggestions.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-64167522590075099792007-11-18T23:05:00.000-05:002007-11-18T23:17:09.400-05:00The Humble BandannaAlright we covered the basics in our Bug In Bag so now lets go into detail on a few other items over the next few entries.<br /><br />This time I want to mention the humble bandana and some of its possible uses. To begin with it can be used as intended i.e. just to keep sweat and hair etc out of your face and eyes. Remember the images of the people in New York city fleeing the smoke and dust of 9-11? How about the people trapped in the tube in London during 7/7? A simple means of keeping hair and sweat away can be a godsend while you're working on freeing yourself or somebody else from rubble and wreckage.<br /><br />Another application is for first aid. It can make a fine tourniquet. If memory serves I read about one victim of the London bombing having his leg trapped and him bleeding to death before paramedics could get to them. A bandana used a tourniquet could have meant the difference between life and death. Many first aiders will have been taught never to use one but like most "never" advice there are always going to be exceptions. The simple rule is release it every twenty minutes and allow some oxygenated blood back into the limb in question which will prevent the flesh from dying.<br /><br />If not a tourniqet how about a sling to imobilize someone with a broken arm or collarbone? Those with Wilderness First Responder training will have learned how to use a traction splint to reset a broken bone. The bandana can be used for that and it can even be used in a regular splint as one of the ties.<br /><br />In smoke and dust again, soaked in water it can be used as a sponge or an aid to breathing. Soaked in vinegar it can help alleviate the effects of tear gas or other noxious fumes.<br /><br />There are other uses...one I'm aware of is as a weapons systems, but, rather than me going through them all why don't I open it up to readers of this blog. If you have an application for the bandana that I haven't covered bow about sending it to me and I'll publish them for others to use.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-36611723415332864852007-11-08T01:04:00.000-05:002007-11-08T01:50:28.720-05:00Back to the Bug In BagAlright, as promised, back to the contents of the bug in bag.<br /><br />Obviously what you carry in your bag is going to depend a lot on which part of the country - or planet - you live in. Someone in Canada is going to carry different material than someone in Arizona due to the different weather conditions each may have to confront during extreme climate variations.<br /><br />What I'm going to cover over the next few posts are generic items to any bag no matter where you live and items that serve pretty much only one purpose. That way we can knock the obvious out of the way and then deal with some of the other stuff that is multi-functional.<br /><br />What are the critical items for a humans' survival? <strong>Food and shelter </strong>right. That's what we start with in our B.I.B.<br /><br />For food I'm going to carry some <strong>protein bars, dark chocolate and/or beef jerky.</strong> They all take up very little room and yet provide tons of energy when you might have to hoof it for a few hours. Along with that I'm going to have a <strong>couple of bottles of water</strong>. No need to get fancy with camping gear bottles...a couple of water bottles from the super market work just fine. (I'll touch on these later during the first aid section too but water can be used for washing debris off (remember the images of 9/11 and the soot that covered everyone?) and irrigation of wounds.<br /><br />Next comes shelter. The first thing I put in any B.I.B. is a <strong>pair of training shoes</strong>. Think about it. The whole concept of the B.I.B. is to get you home when you're stranded. That's probably going to mean walking, and lots of it. Look at the people in New York during 9/11 and the black out a few years later. There were stories of people having to walk upwards of twenty miles to get home. Think about where you work, and think about where you live. Now imagine having to walk it in high heels (for the women) or some thin soled leather corporate shoes. Not much fun eh? Much easier in a good pair of trainers.<br /><br />Next should be some protection from the elements such as <strong>wind and waterproof jacket</strong>. My North Face folds up into its own pocket and takes up about as much room as a large grapefruit. A lot of times black outs (power outages) and accidents are going to be caused by bad weather so it only makes sense to have something to protect you from same.<br /><br />A level up from that is a <strong>survival blanket </strong>available in any camping or sporting goods store. These fold up into tiny packets but work brilliantly to keep in the bodies heat (up to 80%) and stave off hypothermia should it become necessary to hunker down for any length of time or help someone suffering from shock.<br /><br />Other items that come under the "shelter" banner include the following:<br /><br /><strong>Gloves:</strong> I keep a pair of work gloves handy either for protection from the cold or rough surfaces.<br /><br /><strong>Hat:</strong> Either a woolen beanie or a broader one for marching in bright sunlight (mine changes depending on whether it's winter or summer)<br /><br /><strong>Chapstick:</strong> Lips will crack fast if you're out in the elements...why be miserable<br /><br /><strong>Sunscreen:</strong> Skin will burn equally quickly...have some handy. Bad sunburn can be extremely dangerous<br /><br /><strong>Dust mask:</strong> These are available in boxes at your local home goods store. Again, think of trying to walk out of a smoke filled building or those images of what people were attempting to deal with on 9/11 and the bombings in London.<br /><br />Alright, that does it for food and shelter for a basic pack. Remember, if you live somewhere with temperature extremes you'll need to consider some additional items obviously.<br /><br />Over the next couple of postings we'll cover the other essentials for a good pack.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862857450772779334.post-39557349721993923902007-11-06T01:01:00.000-05:002007-11-06T01:09:00.374-05:00TestimonialsI know...we're supposed to be going over the items in the bug in bag but something has popped up so let me deal with it and then it's back to the bag and its contents.<br /><br />There is nothing more satisfying than hearing back from a student that the information you gave them saved them from a beating or worse. In this case it's actually a second generation of student.<br /><br />Michael, who sent me the email, was in the Legion with me and got in some training in hand to hand combat during basic training at Castelnaudary.<br /><br />Here's what I received from him the other day...<br /><br /><em>"By the way, Monday evening a gang of 7 or 8 youths tried to rob my son. He did what I trained him to do and got into the street and stopped cars and vans and made a right row - he got a few small cuts and bruises, didn't get robbed and is shook up but ok, which is a bloody good result considering he had a Stanley knife and flick knife to contend with as well as people trying to punch and kick him! <br />Take some credit, I passed on to him the stuff I learned from you in the Legion. The boy has good reflexes cos when I trained with him I really used to lay it on."</em><br /><br />Michael <br /><br />That story, and the others I've received over the years, make all the long hours and no money worth it. Chalk one up to the good guys.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0