Charlotte Self Defense

Got Kids? Judo know the half of it.

2010-09-27T18:08:00.005-05:00

For those of you who've read my stuff in the excellent (now defunct) European martial arts magazine "Fighting Arts International" 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.

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.

Why? Let's go over the reasons.

1. You learn how to fall safely in Judo (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.

2. Judo is cheap!!! A lot of the McDojos lock people into expensive contracts and nickle and dime parents to death. Judo by comparison costs next to nothing.

3. Perhaps the most important reason of all - you react how you train to react. 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.

4. Judo will wear them out. 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.

5. Judo is an Olympic sport. 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.

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.

New Club Starting

2010-09-16T09:56:00.004-05:00

Apologies 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 http://www.kravmagalkn.com

We're going to be incorporating regular training on avoidance and awareness (aka soft skills) as well as intense training on the hard skills.

Introductory classes will be held the first and third Sat of every month at my buddy Greg's Crossfit LKN center.

Selling Safely

2010-06-07T13:54:00.000-05:00

Recently here in Charlotte there was a double murder of an elderly couple who went to meet someone to sell their car.

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.

What I'm going to cover here is a couple of steps to minimize that risk.

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.

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.

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.

4. Take someone with you...preferably someone BIG. Husband, boyfriend, neighbor's kid, cousin...someone who at least looks the part.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

Criminal Attack Plan Revisited

2010-02-27T20:22:00.000-05:00

It'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.

For those who don't remember I wrote about almost all criminals attacking according to the S.I.V.A. acronym which is Selection, Isolation, Verbal then Attack/Assault

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.

Secondly they isolated themselves when they left the club.

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.

As I've mentioned previously you can avoid the latter part of the program if you are diligent enough with the first three.

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).

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.

As for the steps to take during the verbal phase (in this case the fake accident) see the previous blog entry.

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 avoidance and awareness is what true self protection is all about.

Bump and Rob Again...

2010-02-25T08:43:00.002-05:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)...

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.

2. Check your doors are locked and windows up.

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

PS: They haven't caught the guy yet so be on your guard.

Refresher

2010-01-21T20:39:00.002-05:00

With 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.

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.

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.

Now you know.

This Makes it All Worthwhile

2009-12-23T23:20:00.003-05:00

One 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.

Last night I received this message from him...

Nick: My sister just called me to tell me she was the victim of a home invasion.

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.

Cops now have his billing info and prints. She was unscathed.

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.

"Marc.

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.

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.)

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 bastid will be out on the streets preying on women.

That's my Christmas wish...

I Hate to Say I Told You So...

2009-12-03T22:58:00.004-05:00

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, Taser and guns etc.

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.

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)

The recent tragedy of the four law enforcement officers being ambushed and slain in Tacoma only confirms the point I made in the blog.

Here are four cops who, if they're anything like most of them in this country, had pistols, Tasers, O.C. 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.

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.

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 yours going to do for you?

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.

PS: I am very happy to say the skidmark 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.

The Danger of the Sporting Mindset

2009-11-29T10:09:00.004-05:00

I 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 MMA trained adversary. He points out in the DVD that with the popularity of MMA training it's becoming more and more likely that you'll end up scrapping with someone who's had such training.

Of course the MMA forums are denigrating the DVD saying that the only way an MMA fighter can be beaten is (and I quote)

a "seasoned" (read truly skilled ) MMA practitioner can only be countered by 1. Luck; 2. Equal or greater skill; or 3. A massive size/strength/injury disparity.

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.

From my perspective, that of someone dealing with the real world and not the ring I'd be thinking of things such as...

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 pre-emptive 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.

At first blush this might seem like a criticism of MMA 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.

That's a little like paint-ballers telling Special Forces guys how to conduct themselves in a firefight.

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.

How To Be Your Own Body Guard

2009-11-22T20:05:00.004-05:00

My friends at Y2 Yoga in Charlotte (at Cotswald Shopping Center next to Charley's) and I are putting on a presentation on Sunday Dec 6th at 5 pm entitled "How To Be Your Own Body Guard."

I've mentioned the process bad guys go through when committing 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.

How to be Your Own Body Guard addresses that and focuses on the avoidance and awareness strategies 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.

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.

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.

Remember...it's at Y2 Yoga in Cotswald Mall next to Charley's restaurant on Sunday December 6 at 5 pm or 17:00 hours.

See you there.

Ignorance is Bliss

2009-11-19T22:53:00.003-05:00

Approximately 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

You're pinning your hope of survival on a tool instead of pinning it on yourself...and that's a recipe for disaster.

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."

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.

Here's a better solution...learn to defend yourself, travel in packs, and stay lucid enough to be aware of your surroundings.

Toughen Up

2009-11-01T20:07:00.004-05:00

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.

STICKER SHOCK

2009-10-12T15:17:00.005-05:00

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?

Monkey See, Monkey Do

2009-09-28T10:42:00.004-05:00

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.

More Bug In Bag Stuff

2009-09-17T17:41:00.003-05:00

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 Price?

2009-09-08T13:36:00.005-05:00

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.

Harsh Reality & Police Shootings

2008-05-29T23:02:00.004-05:00

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.

Apologies

2008-03-25T16:35:00.002-05:00

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.

We interupt this program...

2008-01-23T00:17:00.000-05:00

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.

Here's a great link to a news story discussing Court TV (for my non US readers it's a tv 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.

Pay great attention to the guard who obviously never bothered learning how to fight despite working amongst the most vicious 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 ineffective it is on someone amped up, intent on doing you harm. Also, notice how long it takes him to access the gas canister (a huge problem with weapons as your only solution) and imagine if the bad guy had a knife instead of a clenched fist.

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?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22773900#22773900

More Bugs

2008-01-08T23:42:00.001-05:00

I 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.

Here goes...

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 government 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.

In the same light you might consider a cheap pair of walkie 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.

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.

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.

Next Item

2007-12-19T23:09:00.001-05:00

There's been some great comments coming in about contents for the Bug In Bag first aid kit...look for some more soon.

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.

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 intensely 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. LOL 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 hand gunning.

Next, I keep some Cyalume 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)

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.

As usual, if I've forgotten something feel free to send a reply and I'll see it gets posted.

Bug In Bag cont.

2007-11-20T00:08:00.000-05:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Finally I include some indigestion tablets such as Tums and some anti-diahoerea pills.

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.

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.

The Humble Bandanna

2007-11-18T23:05:00.000-05:00

Alright 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Back to the Bug In Bag

2007-11-08T01:04:00.000-05:00

Alright, as promised, back to the contents of the bug in bag.

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.

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.

What are the critical items for a humans' survival? Food and shelter right. That's what we start with in our B.I.B.

For food I'm going to carry some protein bars, dark chocolate and/or beef jerky. 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 couple of bottles of water. 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.

Next comes shelter. The first thing I put in any B.I.B. is a pair of training shoes. 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.

Next should be some protection from the elements such as wind and waterproof jacket. 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.

A level up from that is a survival blanket 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.

Other items that come under the "shelter" banner include the following:

Gloves: I keep a pair of work gloves handy either for protection from the cold or rough surfaces.

Hat: Either a woolen beanie or a broader one for marching in bright sunlight (mine changes depending on whether it's winter or summer)

Chapstick: Lips will crack fast if you're out in the elements...why be miserable

Sunscreen: Skin will burn equally quickly...have some handy. Bad sunburn can be extremely dangerous

Dust mask: 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.

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.

Over the next couple of postings we'll cover the other essentials for a good pack.

Testimonials

2007-11-06T01:01:00.000-05:00

I 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.

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.

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.

Here's what I received from him the other day...

"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!
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."

Michael

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.

Cruisin' In The Rain

2007-10-25T23:31:00.000-05:00

Well, it's finally raining in Charlotte. It's not going to be for forty days and forty nights which we need but it will be lingering around till at least the weekend.

So, here's a top tip that used to pop up in emails -- you know the ones, forward this to all your friends -- that actually turns out to be true.

DON'T USE CRUISE CONTROL IF IT'S RAINING (OR SNOWING, SLEET, ICY ETC).

What happens is that you can hit a patch of water (hydroplaning) and the loss of traction causes the system to misread the speed the wheels are turning. All sorts of bad things can then happen and before you know it you've crashed.

The proper technique for being caught in a skid caused by hydroplaning is to IMMEDIATELY reduce power by taking your foot off the gas (and no braking right). However, to cut the cruise control off you have to tap the brakes or fiddle round and find the on off button on the dash or control column. By the time you've done either of those two it's too late.

So, bottom line is, DO NOT EVER USE CRUISE CONTROL ON ANYTHING BUT A DRY ROAD.

Some Quick Updates

2007-10-23T23:20:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, I've been promising to get back to the Bug In Bag contents and I will but a couple of quick mentions...

One. I was handing out flyers in a neighborhood the other day for my real job and I noticed quite a few people had their flags up on their letterboxes (for my non-US readers that is something you do here to indicate to the mailman that you have outgoing mail in the box. They collect it here thus saving you the trip to the post office). That, folks, is a big no no. Enterprising ID thieves drive around in the morning and look specifically for mail boxes thus flagged.

They take the outgoing mail and look for anything with names and account numbers on that they can use/sell for the false ID and or checks going to pay bills that they "wash" (a technique whereby they use certain chemicals to wash away the ink you've written in your details with and then re-write it with their name in the "pay to the order of" column and an amount they'd like to receive from you.)

DO NOT, EVER, leave your mail in the box for the postman to pick up. Take it yourself and drop it at the local post office. Half of all ID theft would stop tomorrow if people started doing that one simple step.

PS: I mentioned taxes. Let me just tell you I think I'm one of the only people I've ever met who enjoys paying them. Think about it for a minute though...we live in a society that is a goose that lays the golden egg. We have our trash picked up, sewer systems, running water, firemen that will come and take care of your burning house, policemen who'll be there when needed, roads and highways, and soldiers who are out in some god forsaken place dying so you can go about your day in peace. Just how much do you think a battleship or an F-16 costs? Most, if not all of the aforementioned, comes from money raised by taxes. If I'm contributing in any way shape or form to that then I'm happy to do so.

Sometimes...despite all you do

2007-10-17T10:18:00.000-05:00

Last night I came out of the bookstore and, as I headed for my truck, noticed a car and driver that just didn't seem to fit in. The shopping center contained a book store, a men's clothing shop that sells suits for $3k and up, a nail salon, an art gallery and a planner store. The car was about ten years old with peeling paint, the guy driving was dressed like a thug (wife beater and bling) and he and the car just screamed "We do not belong here" as he drove past. I didn't think any more of it until I got to my truck, noticed the contents of the center console over the front seat and the glove box open.

I immediately assumed it was the guy mentioned above. Whether it was or not is a moot point but some mongrel had been in my car looking for something of value to swipe. I thought he/she must have been after cash as they'd left cds and sun glasses everywhere as well as a suit jacket and a training bag.

Now, readers of my blog know I always stress locking the car even if it's only for seconds so I began to beat myself up. No broken windows must have meant I left the door open inadvertently by not making sure my remote door lock actually engaged.

At this point, figuring nothing was stolen, and no windows etc broken, I put it down to lesson learned and headed for home.

I was about a 1/4 mile down the road when it suddenly hit me. I'd taken my briefcase to a meeting with some investors earlier and hidden it behind my driver's seat...I reached back, and sure enough it was gone.

I returned to the store and went through the motions of checking dumpsters (sometimes they'll ditch the contents), and bushes etc, asking store owners and customers if they'd seen anything and trying to ascertain whether or not any security cameras might have picked the bad guy(s) up.

After a fruitless fifteen minutes I called it in to the non-emergency number and filed my police report which would be necessary for any subsequent insurance claim.

During the call I discovered something frustrating and interesting at the same time. I was telling the officer I must have screwed up and not locked the door and she said "check the lock on the driver's side door hon, it's probably been poked in."

Sure enough to bright new scratches around the key hole and my lock is punched.

Now, I know all about car thieves and their lock punching tricks but, what I did not know, is that on most cars - especially domestics - that trick on the door DOESN'T TRIGGER THE ALARM. The car assumes when the lock turns it must be the owner with the key and disengages it. In other words, despite having an alarm, locking the door and hiding your valuables, the bad guys still might get your stuff.

Afterwards, I answered some voice mails and a good Samaritan called to let me know she found my briefcase about a mile away, broken open and the contents strewn for about a hundred yards down the road. She gathered it all up, found my name and phone number inside (never put your address by the way - reasons why tomorrow) and called to let me know she'd found it.

The morons who'd swiped it were apparently looking for lap tops which, according to the crime incident officer, is the hot ticket item right now. (So be hyper vigilant if you have one). Even more indicative of the fact these clowns had the IQ of a salad bar was that they took a screw driver to the latches which weren't even locked thus destroying the case.

So, lessons learned;

Locking the door and having an alarm may not be enough
Trucks are being hit at a disproportionate rate (apparently the assume there are guns and/or lap tops in trucks)
Domestics are targeted over foreign due to their pathetic alarm/security system
If you have a lap top be hyper vigilant (their are an array of devices for securing them and I may review some of them here some time)
Car insurance doesn't cover contents of the car (unless they're bolted in) Make sure your property such as lap tops, briefcases etc is on your home owner's policy which will cover it in such an event.
Dumb crooks dont' realize that Hartmann briefcases, Mont Blanc pens, and leather planners are actually worth more than your average lap top and/or gun.

Warnings & Updates

2007-10-08T13:40:00.000-05:00

Alright, I know, I'm supposed to be writing about stuff to go in your Bug In Bag but I've been getting my taxes sorted. (More on that in the next post) I did think it prudent though to get the following out in the meantime...

Here's two latest scams to be aware of with regards to your credit cards.

1) The waiter/service person will use their cell phone camera to take a picture of your card. They're also doing this while your card sits on the counter (remember surfing) while ostensibly making a phone call.

2) They take your card, swipe it under the counter and give you back an expired card belonging to someone else.

The defense for the former is be very aware of cell phones in your presence when you use your card. I even know a female Secret Service Agent at the forefront of ID theft etc who refuses to give her card when in restaurants. She gets cash from an ATM beforehand and pays in cash. She should know, she deals with thousands of victims every week.

The defense for number two is simple...religiously check your card every time it's given back to you.

Junior League Event

2007-09-26T10:32:00.001-05:00

I've just returned from Memphis TN where I spoke to the ladies of the Junior League at an event they put on in conjunction with SunTrust bank. (one of the guests has posted a question on the "Bug In Bag" entry).

I must confess I knew nothing about the Junior League before I went but it turns out they're an incredible organization of women volunteers around the country who can count some very famous people in their ranks, both now, and throughout their history.

Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan, Eleanor Roosevelt, Sandra Day O'Connor and Judith Giuliani are just some of the notables who are, or who have been, members.

Anyway, they, in conjunction with the folks at SunTrust, put on a "How To Be Your Own Bodyguard" presentation for both their members and any members of the public that wanted to attend.

We had a great turnout and so a special thank you to all the organizers and attendees.

The next morning we headed off to the local FOX news station to do a small segment on their morning show. Val, one of the local anchors, was kind enough to run through some avoidance measures in the parking lot of the station and the link to the clip is still up on their site as of today.

Tomorrow we'll get back to the bug in bag and some of the equipment you might find useful.

Bug in Bags

2007-09-23T22:15:00.000-05:00

Bug in Bags, or BIBs (and I may have mentioned these in the past) are a vital piece of kit to carry.

Over the next few postings I'm going to go over some of the stuff I carry in mine and how to set your own up.

In case you don't know what one is though, let me elaborate. Any ex SF guy worth his salt will have a backpack lying around his house. If you ask him what it is he'll reply "it's my bug out bag." A bug out bag is a bag that, should it ever be necessary to hit the ground running, you can grab and go. In it will be the essentials to survive out in the wilderness, typcially for about 3 days. They'll have tents, freeze dried foods, a weapon of some description and everthing else necessary for going bush.

A bug in bag is a similar concept except its designed to get you home...infiltration as opposed to exfiltration if you like.

Cast your mind back to the power outage that affected the entire NE a few years ago. People in places like NY were forced to walk miles in the dark in high heeled shoes and suits etc. Same thing happened during 9/11 if you remember.

What if your car breaks down and you have to hoof it somewhere? What if transport is disrupted for whatever reason?

The bug in bag is similar in design to the bug out except it typically doesn't have 3 days worth of food or tents and camping gear. Its job is to keep you alive and well for 24 hours max and get you home no matter what mother nature or the bad guys throw at you.

The bag itself can be any design at all. Mine is a regular old backpack that a school kid would wear because it looks like a regular old backpack that a kid would wear. In other words I purposely avoid the Maxpedition uber commando models because it can indicate to someone savvy enough exactly what it is. Others are specifically designed for that very purpose and are made by companys that supply gear to the military. You decide which ones for you but it should be comfortable enough that you can sling it on and carry it for a few miles. Something you're going to try and hold in one hand is going to get mighty uncomfortable after a while.

Over the next few weeks I'll go over some of the essentials to keep in it and you'll be able to add or delete items depending on where you live (think weather).

If you want you can make this a project...go to the store tomorrow and grab yourself a day pack. Your local camping store is the place to go by the way as there's tend to hold up better and are often waterproof which isn't a bad thing. As I go over the various things to carry and how to use them, you can follow along.

Choices and Consequences

2007-09-20T22:29:00.000-05:00

One of my readers sent me an email about a problem he and his wife have. She's recently had a child and has chosen to work at night in a convenience store so she can stay at home with the child during the day.

Their question was - after having a recent robbery just nearby - what can she do, given that avoidance is not a likely strategy when you have to be behind the counter to serve customers. The robber in question was a physical monster and she's quite petite. Her main concern wasn't the robbery, as she knows to give up the money, but rather being dragged into the back of the store and raped.

As I mentioned to them life is about choices and consequences (at least it should be) and if you choose to work in one of the most dangerous professions in the country then you place yourself in harms way. First defense therefore would be, do I really need the job that badly given the potential risks? What about a job at Target, or the local grocery store stacking shelves? How about one at a call center answering phones at night?

If you do have to be there and the concern is physical violence then you're going to have to learn how to fight. Whether that's with a gun or bare hands depends on a lot of variables including whether or not store policy permits clerks to go armed for example.

Finally, some other solutions were offered. How about secreting a weapon in the store room that you're concerned about being dragged into? What about acqiescing and walking ahead of the guy and then running at the last second and barricading yourself in, or setting up a shelf to pull down to jam the door and buy you enough time to escape out the back, through a skylight etc. Is your cell phone back there so you can call for help while you're barricaded?

That's about all one can do in that situation but given the inherent risk I'd be looking for a safer occupation.

Here by the way, is a quote regarding dangerous jobs. Note how many convenience store clerks are shot every year.

Homicide was the second leading cause of job-related deaths, accounting for 16 percent of the total. Robbery was the primary motive for workplace homicide. About half of the victims worked in retail establishments, such as grocery stores, restaurants and bars, where cash is readily available. (31,000 convenience store clerks are shot every year.)

Where You Gonna Run To?

2007-09-19T23:56:00.000-05:00

Wherever I've bounced in the past I always made it a point to designate an RV point for the bouncers in the event of a fire or other such catastrophe. This way, when the fire chief rolls up and wants to know if all your people got out you can do a simple headcount and let him know yes, or no. If you don't do this, you have no idea if some of your guys got out the back, some are across the street in the parking deck or if any are still inside.

Take a leaf from our book and incorporate the same idea in your self protection plan. In other words, lets assume Charlotte gets hit by terrorists and, just like NY during 9/11 and the power outage a few years later, there is no cell phone coverage, no computer access and maybe you have to walk home because a building collapsed on the parking deck where your car is parked.

How about one of the nuclear power plants getting hit? A mass evacuation is under way and you get home to find your family members have gone already.

What about an event similar to Katrina?

Without cell phones how are you going to contact anyone? Have they headed for the hills, a friends, interstate, the coast or are they trying to find you uptown?

While all of the above are unlikely, once again, it only takes ten minutes to figure out a rendezvous point where everyone will meet. If you're not there after a certain time frame someone will comeback every 24 hours for an hour at a time. Or maybe you'll take a leaf out of the military's playbook and have a second rendezvous in the event the first one is compromised.

Keeping in mind there are still victims from Katrina who have lost track of friends and relatives, how much peace of mind would the ten minutes of planning get you? My guess is the return on your investment would be huge so make it a project this weekend to contact all immediate family members and figure out where you're gonna run to.

PS: Or you can be like me...without any immediate family, I don't have to worry about it. LOL

The Key to Safety

2007-09-11T22:00:00.000-05:00

I locked myself out of the house today. I was walking through the garage to mow the lawn, pulled the door shut behind me and realized the second it was closing that it was latched to lock behind me, and that my keys were inside. Damn!!

To make matters worse my phone was inside so I couldn't even call Onstar to get into me car. Fortunately I did some basic B and E stuff while on the Foreign Legion Commando course and I was able to get in but it got me thinking about keeping the spare outside, and the inherent dangers.

The bottom line is, if you hide it, an experienced crook will find it. Probably in about as much time as it took you to think of your really cool hiding space in fact.

What's the solution? There isn't an easy one other than pay attention (unlike me) and don't lock yourself out in the first place. Leaving keys with neighbors is risky. What if they're not home (like mine wouldn't have been at ten thirty this morning). Worse, what if your house is broken into while you're away. Your neighbors have a key right! Did they take your stuff? There's always going to be a niggling doubt and I wouldn't want to be in either side's shoes. One's thinking "I bet they think it was me" and the other is thinking "I wonder if it was Bob?"

Just promise me you won't be like the little old lady I ran into down in Florida while body guarding one of my very wealthy clients. She had one of those fake rocks you can buy that you hide the key in...only problem was the condo was on the top floor...and there was her fake rock, right outside the doorway, in the carpeted hallway.

PS: Now here's an idea for some enterprising entrepreneur (and if you use it, remember who you got it from and cut me in on the action OK?) Why doesn't some alarm company offer the same service for your house that OnStar does for your car. You have electronic locks (they exist) and when you lock yourself out, you call them, give them your pin and voila, the locks pop open.

Snopes is your friend

2007-09-04T00:14:00.000-05:00

I just received my first ever martial arts scam email. It's from someone enquiring about prices for private lessons etc. What happens next of course is that you get overpaid and are asked to send the balance on to a cousin here in the states. Obviously (at least you'd think it would be obvious) the check you received bounces and you're out the difference.

Earlier this year I helped one of my buddies out who's a head honcho at a bank by speaking to a large group of his clients. This came about due to the fact some of them had lost their savings by falling victim to some of these Internet scams that abound.

I also regularly receive emails from well meaning folks outlining some criminal method of killing/kidnapping etc their hapless victims by hiding under cars and cutting their achilles tendons, leaving paper on windshields, spraying them with drugged perfume and countless other ploys.

Here's the deal; If you receive any email requesting you forward it to EVERYONE in your email list go to www.snopes.com, use the small search feature at the top (by typing in a key word) and voila, if it's a scam, it will be listed right there.

If you receive any email that sounds too good to be true (winning European lotteries, Generals who've selected you to share in millions left to them by their former leader or teaching martial arts lessons and being overpaid etc) do yourself a favor and go to snopes and check it out. You'll save yourself, your friends and the Internet a great deal of aggravation and wasted time if you do.

PS: Now, please forward this blog to EVERYONE in your email list. LOL

Open Houses

2007-09-02T16:22:00.000-05:00

As a realtor (my real job) I take clients who are potential buyers into houses all the time. I also, at the behest of the customer usually, hold open houses.

If you, or anyone you know, is trying to sell their home, and they're going to have a parade of strangers walking through, let them know this tip.

If they have kids, remove any reference to them in the house. A case I'm aware of involves a paedophile who got a slew of information from being inside a home. He was able to glean the age of the child, their hobbies, their names and the names of their parents etc.

Put yourself in the child's shoes a few weeks later. Someone rolls up in a car, knows their name, talks to them about their hobbies, describes their house and their bedroom, uses the parent's names and then says they sent him to pick them up...it would have to be a well trained child to not fall for the ruse.

It's a pain to be sure but, you're going to have to pack all their stuff anyway once the house is sold, so you may as well do it in advance of potential buyers walking through and avoid any trouble.

Self protection is all about avoidance after all and not closing the gate after the horse has bolted.

2 Seconds Could Save Your Life

2007-09-01T13:07:00.000-05:00

I've lived in seven different countries or so to date, and it's no real secret that the UK Police have the best driving course of any police department. Whereas most departments I'm aware of do a day on the skid pan, the basic course in the UK is two weeks (3 weeks for motorcycles) and an additional two weeks for the advanced high speed pursuit guys.

One of the things that is drummed into the officers, both basic and advanced is the necessity to adhere to the two second rule. What is it? Simple. When you're behind another vehicle allow a "two second" gap between you and them.

What that means is when you observe a car in front of you pass an object -- streetlamp, fence post, road sign, road marking etc -- you should be able to count to two before you pass the same object. This will buy you enough time should they suddenly jam on brakes for something or someone on the road.

Unfortunately for me, I live in the worst city in the world (of all those I've travelled through) for tailgaters. My own theory is it's connected to the locals growing up watching NASCAR events and emulating their heroes by sitting on one's bumper. What the idiots who do it don't realize is that, unlike their heroes on the NASCAR track, there is a very real risk that person may need to stop suddenly and then you're going to eat their rear end.

(Want proof of the stupidity of the locals who tailgate? Thirty five of them rear ended one another at Lake Norman a few years ago. A girl on a jet ski on the lake flashed a driver by pulling her top off. He slowed to look and thirty five vehicles all hit one another - which I personally thought was great)

So, next time you're on the road, check you're adhering to the two second rule as it will save you a load of grief one day.

PS: The beauty of the technique is that it doesn't matter if you're on the autobahn doing 175mph or 15mph through a parking lot, it works either way.

I'm Baaack

2007-08-28T21:33:00.000-05:00

Well, as promised I'm back and posting. Sorry for the delay but I got tied up with personal issues and my real job (changing companies is just one of the many things going on at the moment)

I'm going to have to go back through all of my posts and make a log of what I've written about and what's yet to be covered so I don't repeat myself but, having just returned from a trip to NY to catch up with an old mate, (we hadn't seen each other for thirty years), it might be appropriate to do one on luggage.

Many years ago when I was on "the circuit" (the name given to the group of guys who did executive protection for the Saudis et al in London) Heathrow airport was affectionately known as "Thief-Row" due to the group of thieves who "shopped" to order.

If you wanted a certain size coat, a particular camera or other electronics, you put your "order" in to a gang member at a certain pub out near Heathrow. The gang, all baggage handlers, would sift through every one's bags in the belly of the various planes and find your desired item. Once they'd found it, you'd be contacted and you would pick up your purchase. (The gang was eventually busted largely in part to the effort of another friend of mine who did security for British Airways)

In the subsequent investigation my mate told me that he gleaned the robbers went through all the expensive designer label bags first. They generally had higher quality gear in them, and more of it.

The lesson here, therefore, is obvious. Be careful of what bags you use when you travel. As a body guard we always advised clients to leave the expensive jewelry at home when you travelled abroad otherwise it marked you a potential victim. The same goes for your baggage. Do you have Luis Vuitton bags, Hartmann or maybe Coach? It's a red flag to a bull as far as a potential thief is concerned. Think about it. You've got a choice of a grungy looking backpack tied together with string, or an $8,000 Luis Vuitton, which one are you going to grab in the hopes of hitting the jackpot?

Save the designer stuff for that which you keep to hand, or for impressing the neighbors when you tote your own luggage in the car and drive somewhere. Flying commercial with it is just asking to be ripped off.

PS: I do have a Hartmann briefcase, but it travels with me as my carry on. In the belly of the beast i.e. my checked luggage was a very mundane, no name, cheap leather overnight bag.

Still here

2007-06-26T21:32:00.000-05:00

Still haven't sorted out where I'm moving to yet. I'm in negotiations with some folks about setting up a new business and it will be another few weeks before it's all finalized, one way or the other.

For those of you who've sent me posts wondering when I'll be posting again, hang in there...it won't be long.

I did just go to a seminar I was one of the keynote instructors on along with Hock Hockheim, Tim Tackett, Mark Haleck and Big Jim McCann which was held in Kansas City. It was called the Big Five and we had a blast. Apart from some really good training with some really good people I made some new friends which is always nice (especially when you consider my bouncing days when I had way more enemies than mates). Prior to that one I was in Maryland with the guys at Krav Maga doing our annual training session which was also a blast.

One thing I did want to mention is that the word seems to be getting out. I went into one bathroom stall (I want to say Atlanta but with all the connect flights and cancelled flights and re-routing I wouldn't swear to it) and they've begun mounting the hooks far enough down the door that reaching over and snagging anything hanging on it would be relegated to people with really long arms. They've also begun putting shelves in there to put valuables on which is also a huge step in the right direction.

Who knows, maybe one day enough of this stuff will be done right that people won't have to worry about having their stuff stolen.

Got Insurance?

2007-05-30T22:30:00.000-05:00

As promised I've been nothing but sporadic with regards to my postings of late...bear with me, I'm in the middle of moving and will be in limbo until I find my new place.

Thought I'd grab a moment in between loading up boxes of stuff to mention the need for renter's insurance for any readers who rent their digs as opposed to own them.

One of my students, who ironically enough is an insurance agent, was burgled two days ago while he and his room mate were at work. They assumed their landlord carried insurance against just that type of things and he was stunned to find out that's not the case.

Landlords will almost always carry property insurance against the possibility their tenants will inadvertently burn the place down but they never carry coverage for their tenants belongings. As Dan found out the hard way, that falls squarely on the shoulders of the tenant.

The great thing about it is it's cheap. I insured all my stuff (including a $7,000 Rolex) for about $125 for an entire year while renting a place, which covers against fire/flood damage and burglary etc. If you haven't got it, get it and save yourself the headache.

By the way, I have a great referral for any US readers who fall into the tenants without insurance category...email me and I'll send you the link to the people I use for all my insurance needs.

Memphis TN

2007-05-16T22:19:00.000-05:00

Just returned from Memphis TN where I was part of a program for SunTrust Bank speaking to local female business owners on the subject of personal protection.

The other speakers were brilliant, Alan - one of the bank's security specialists - talked about the common Internet scams and Kerry - a female US Secret Service Agent - talked about the ramifications of ID theft.

In the next couple of posts, spotty though they may be, I'll go over some of their stuff as it's always good to know. Also, given the huge amount of people who fall victim to both the Internet scams and ID theft, it's obviously good stuff for everyone to take to heart.

A quick tip that I was going to write about the other day, before it slipped my mind, is that if you carry a wallet, slip a large rubber/elastic band around it if you keep it in your back pocket. It snags just enough that it makes it incredibly hard for a pickpocket to lift it.

Convenience Again

2007-05-13T14:26:00.000-05:00

In my last post I talked about the three enemies of self protection being ego, complacency and convenience.

Yesterday I was at the local mall and I saw a woman putting her toddler in the kids seat in the back of the car. Her pocket book/purse was on the roof of the car, she was bent over inside and totally absorbed with the job of getting her kid strapped in. Had I been a criminal it would have been so easy, given the fact she was so task-fixated, to attack her, or swipe her bag.

The proper way to do that is to get in the car on the opposite side of the child safety seat and lock the doors while you strap in your child. Then get back out and walk round to the driver's side and leave.

Now, how often do you see anyone doing that? Almost never, because it's not convenient.

Criminals are counting on that so I guess it depends whether you want to deal with the inconvenience of the few extra seconds it takes to do it the right way, or the inconvenience of being a victim of serious criminal assault.

PS: Sorry for the spottiness of the posts...have some major personal and business things going on right now which should be resolved in the next few weeks then it will be back to a regular posting schedule.

Our Three Worst Enemies

2007-05-09T23:14:00.000-05:00

We're usually our own worst enemy when it comes to self protection and that's because we know the bad guys are there but we don't do enough about it.

I suppose it's human nature...look at how many people are overweight. They know they are, they know it's bad for them, and they know what they need to do to correct the problem but they don't. Usually it takes a monumental event such as a mild heart attack to wake them up, just as it takes a neighbor being attacked to make them realize the need for some self protection training.

With that in mind I started reflecting on some of my training when I was learning to be a body guard. The big three enemies in executive protection (and self protection) we learned are Ego, Complacency and Convenience.

Ego says "I don't need to learn that stuff. I can handle myself.
Complacency says "It hasn't happened to me yet, so it's not going to"
Convenience says "I know I'm supposed to - fill in the blank - but it's too much work."

Just as we had to check ourselves every day on executive protection teams against those three so must anyone who's serious about not becoming a victim of a violent human predator.

Get Back

2007-05-07T23:23:00.000-05:00

Time and time again I see motorists drive into parking spaces nose first...and then back out. From a self protection view point that's disastrous.

When you arrive somewhere such as the movies or stores you generally have time to back the car into a space i.e there isn't an emergency (or you wouldn't be going to either of those locales)

The emergency, if it comes, will be when you are out and about on regular business and, if it's like most emergencies, every second will count. That's not the time to run to your car and struggle with backing it out.

If it's nose out already, leaving in a hurry will be a breeze.

Secondly, if you go in nose first and are followed to your car the open driver's side door forces you in to what I call "the fatal funnel." You turn to see someone approaching you from behind and there's nowhere to go but into the car. If you'd been nose out you'll have the door between you and the bad guy which gives you options and a barrier of sorts.

We'll cover another trick regarding the door tomorrow but in the meantime, get into the practice of backing in to parking spaces.

Your Fired...

2007-05-03T23:05:00.000-05:00

Most people by now have heard the advice about counting the doors from your hotel room to the fire exit. That's because in the event of a fire most of the hallway will be filled with dense smoke and the only clear area will be about 30 inches down on the floor.

The smoke will obscure the exit signs so your only recourse will be to crawl along the floor counting doors until you arrive at your exit door.

Well, here's some more advice for you concerning hotel fires right out of the body guarding play book...

1. Check out the location of the fire extinguishers on your floor

2. Determine what type of fire they'll put out

3. Look at the card that should be on the handle and check when it was last serviced

4. Look at the gauge and make sure it's fully charged.

5. Familiarize yourself with its operation (some work upside down for example)

This will ensure you don't experience such a snafu as to grab an extinguisher that doesn't work, blows up in your hands, isn't there or doesn't work on the sort of fire you have.

Most people do none of the above but the day you're in a hotel and there is a fire (and it happens more often than you think) you'll be glad you did.

PS: This goes for your place of work as well

S.I.V.A. Cont

2007-05-02T23:48:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the break in transmission...I was just in Florida teaching a two day seminar on target hardening and awareness and avoidance strategies for a group of personal development coaches et al.

The last letter in S.I.V.A. simply stands for "assault" or "attack." If the criminal has chosen you, isolated you and then determined by process of the interview that you are suitable prey the attack will come next.

Typically, in an all out criminal assault such as a rape, a mugging etc, this attack will be in the form of an ambush. In other words, his dialogue during the interview process will be innocuous and designed to put you off guard and the attack will come out of the blue.

In a bar scenario when some drunken clown has singled you out to pick on (and gone through the same steps as above) the verbal portion of the program may go on for some time (with some tit for tat exchange happening) before the assault begins which then becomes the "brewing" form of assault or one in which you had some inkling it was coming.

The purpose of learning S.I.V.A. is that it teaches you to avoid being selected in the first place by lowering your profile, or changing it (more on that at some time in the future); it alerts you to the fact you might be being followed anytime you leave the safety of numbers and to use some counter surveillance measures to detect that happening; and, to recognize seemingly innocuous conversation by a stranger may be the precursor to an attack and to be on your guard.

If you can do that you can change the intended assault from an ambush to one that is brewing by recognizing the signals in advance and, as has been mentioned before, a brewing situation is a lot easier to get out of than an ambush.

S.I.V.A. Cont.

2007-04-26T22:48:00.000-05:00

So far we've dealt with Selection and Isolation when it comes to a criminal's modus operandi. The next step in the attack sequence is the "Interview" or "V" for Verbal.

This is again used in different ways by different criminals. Sexual predators for example will typically say something lewd and, judging by their potential victims reaction, decide to go to the next step. If the victim is shocked, blushes, looks down or gets flustered she's the ideal victim. If instead she reacts with eye contact, a confident voice and a put down then he's going to backpedal and find someone else. Typically they're looking for someone they can control and dominate, not someone who's going to put up a fight and displays confidence.

Criminals intent on violently attacking something will engage in innocuous dialogue designed to befuddle the victim or, alternatively, put them off their guard while they get into range. The old "Do you know how to get to...?" or "Excuse me mate, have you got change for a five?" will typically be used to mask their approach.

Con men will engage in a whole stream of patter designed to dupe their victims out of whatever it is the conman is after but, just like the two other criminal types, they've still gone through the steps of selecting their victim and isolating them.

Role playing is critical in dealing with all of the above. Female students of self protection need to practice so they're not shocked when the "interview" turns explicit. Potential mugging and robbery victims need to learn how to deal with the patter as the potential attacker moves in to the kill zone, and the elderly and the gullible need to familiarize themselves with the types of scams that are out there so they recognize them when they hear them.

PS: My friends wife works for one of the mobile phone companies. Tonight she told us a client came in to cancel his phone as he'd just been robbed in a popular up scale shopping center. Guess what he told her? Yep, you guessed it, "He came out of nowhere." Damn I wish I had a dollar for every time I've heard that line. (for those who don't know what I'm talking about find one of my early blogs on Merlin the Magician.)

S.I.V.A. Continued

2007-04-26T00:18:00.000-05:00

The next letter in the acronym is "I" which stands for Isolation.

Criminals have to get you away from witnesses so, just as the lioness on the hunt causes the herd to run so the weak, old and cripples are left behind, the human predator waits for his victim to leave the safety of the herd.

His victim does this for the most part entirely voluntarily by leaving with his/her shopping bags and heading for the car whilst on a shopping trip.

The other option for the criminal, especially with sexual predators, is removing the victim from crime scene #1 to crime scene #2 for the same purpose.

Two things therefore to remember are, number one, exercise some heightened awareness anytime you leave the safety of numbers and head off on your own. Maybe it's leaving your group of friends after a night out and going off to the parking deck, or maybe it's leaving the bar at night and walking home, either way be a little extra vigilant because you've now firmly set yourself in the sights of any potential attacker.

The second thing, and this is critical, never ever go to the second crime scene. You may die at the first one if you refuse (debatable) but the 2nd one will be a slow death while being tortured and toyed with for hours and possibly even days.

As Paul Pfingst, a San Diego DA said "Murder is one thing, but torture, mayhem, and savagery - it takes more time for these crimes. Every torture case I have prosecuted involved a victim isolated and completely controlled." quote unquote.

SIVA

2007-04-24T23:17:00.000-05:00

We've had a spate of people robbed while walking home from clubs and bars uptown recently, so, I thought I'd devote a couple of posts to how the bad guys select their victims.

The acronym we use is S.I.V.A. which I'll break down over the next four posts. This one will be devoted to S which stands for selection.

A study was done by Grayson and Stein a few decades ago in which they used prisoners who were human predators and showed them video footage of people walking. In prisons on both coasts the predators all picked the same victims within seven seconds of watching them walk. It didn't matter if they were male/female, big/small, tall/short, black/white, dressed well/badly or catholic or protestant.

The results found that gait was very important as the ideal victim tends to be tired, lacks confidence, walks too slow or too fast, shuffles and looks down instead of around.

One of the best ways to understand this is to adopt a predatory mindset and go out and pretend you're a crack addict looking for a victim to rob. Who would you pick? Why?

Who appears shy or vulnerable?
Who is intimidating?
Who is aware of their surroundings?
Who is distracted, alone or task fixated?
Who is reckless or having a great time?
Who else is watching?
Which people need other stimulus (alcohol, conflict, attention etc)

By looking at it from the enemy's viewpoint you'll better understand how to lower your own profile so you're unlikely to be one of the chosen ones.

Ok, next time we'll talk about the "I"

Still Not Getting It

2007-04-19T23:41:00.000-05:00

Before I begin this post let me address a couple of issues that have been raised by people commenting on the blogs.

The first comment was in regard to police ineptitude and the author had heard the second shooting took an hour...an hour in which the police didn't respond until it was all over.

Alright, at first rub that sounds ridiculous. He killed 30 or so people during the second spree so to take an hour would have been one person shot every two minutes??? I heard the gunfire on the witnesses cell phone and it sounded way more rapid to me. Sure enough, I poked round on line and he began shooting at 09:15 am and finished at 09:20...that, if my math instructor didn't fail me, is a far more likely one victim every ten seconds. Given he walked from room to room that sounds much more likely. That gives the cops a five minute window in which to get from one side of the campus where they're investigating the first shooting to the other side, break down the chained doors and go inside. Doesn't sound like police ineptitude to me.

Second comment is still about the guns. Alright...one more time. Can we all agree (gun control argument aside for just one moment) that the only way to effectively stop a gunman is with another gun? Please tell me none of you anti-gun folks would actually suggest another method? So, the best method, nay, the only method, with available guns, is to arm other people such as teachers, and they, like the off-duty cop in the mall, could have put an end to this crap early on.
(In fact one could argue it might never have happened if he'd known there were armed teachers...after all, he didn't go out and start shooting cops who were armed did he?)

Now the gun control argument. Can we also please all agree that the gun genie is out of the bottle. There is no effective way to remove all the guns that are out there. If there was an amnesty, the only people who'd give up their guns would be the law abiding honest ones. Does anyone with a modicum of intelligence deny this? That would mean, just as it has with the drug trade, that crooks would still have them, and, they'd be readily available to anyone with criminal intent.

What you're saying then is you're quite happy for the crooks to have them and quite happy for you not to have them? Which leaves you exactly where when the bad guys go on the rampage? Oh, that's right, hoping it doesn't happen to you and calling the cops, who, once again, will deal with the crime after the fact. See how many kids died at VT waiting for the cavalry to arrive.

Now, before anyone goes on again about our guns and our gun culture let me clarify a few things. I am by no means advocating everyone be able to purchase guns 2nd amendment or not. I think there should be an extensive training program, a written and practical exam and an extensive background check. In Sweden before you can go hunting you have to pass a 180 question test, and demonstrate a proficiency with the weapon (against clay pigeons) and show that you know how to safely handle the weapon including loading, unloading and climbing over fences etc. That's brilliant and you'll hear no complaints from me if we wanted to implement that over here. There absolutely should be responsibility that comes along with ownership.

Regarding our gun culture...yep, it can be a problem. There are other countries that have guns readily available that don't have the same problems we do...but, before you start criticizing us too loudly we, and our gun culture did bail the civilized rest of the world out of WWI - which you started, WWII - which you started - and the cold war. Besides which, to put it all in to perspective, a lot more kids are going to die on campuses around America this year from drugs, alcohol and vehicular accidents. Where are all the anti-drug, anti-alcohol and anti-car groups when you need 'em? Want to know the numbers? For alcohol related binge drinking, falls and vehicle accidents 1,400 students will die this year. So, where should we be focusing our outrage?

More Histrionics From Those Who Do Not Know

2007-04-18T23:37:00.001-05:00

There's been a slew of criticism levelled at the police handling of the Virginia Tech shooting. Why didn't they shut the campus down sooner? Why two hours before the first email went out etc.

As per usual the pontificating windbags who've never run a security gig in their lives are full of opinions on what went wrong etc.

Let's make this easy. Imagine for a minute in your home town a disgruntled husband/boyfriend shot his wife/girlfriend and then turned the gun on himself. You, the police officer, are called and, based on what you see think you have a domestic situation. Would you then shut down your city? Would you shut down the entire city just in case? Keep in mind nobody has ever before, in a situation like this, shot two people, then left to mail in their manifesto to the networks and then come back to finish the job.

Want to know what I think. I think that if the police chief had shut down the campus, and nothing had happened, the entire crew screaming out about his ineptitude would now be screaming "why did he have to shut down the entire campus? God, it was just a domestic...what a jackass?"

Yep, they're the whining bastards that will whine no matter what happens.

As for closing down the campus...let's think about that one for a minute shall we. Er...the gunman was on the campus. Kind of like making sure the doors and windows are all locked at home when the rapist is already inside the house. Besides, it's a huge campus not a classroom. How do you lock something down the size of a small town? Oh right, I forgot, the know it all windbags think you could shut down the roads in and out and order everyone to stay in their classrooms. Well, nobody drove into the shooting, they were already in their classrooms...and, as for being locked in, the killer had taken care of that by chaining the doors shut in that particular building so, would one of the whining know nothings please explain exactly how that would have helped?

Alright, sorry if I've offended anyone with the tone of my post but I just get sick and tired of pontificating windbags who surface every time there's a disaster, calamity, or tragedy that haven't ever actually had any experience in what it is they're jabbering about (just how many of the liberal Hollywood actors have ever run a country or led an Army to war?) and begin to wax lyrical on what should be done.

So, just for the record, the cops up there did everything they absolutely could have done with the information they had. If anyone tells you differently ask them how long they've been a police chief.

The Dreaded "Gun Control" Issue

2007-04-17T23:10:00.000-05:00

Obviously both sides have divided into their respective camps to use the shooting tragedy as ammunition (no pun intended) to sling at the other side.

I'm about the only neutral person I know when it comes to this debate because I've lived in countries that have draconian gun laws, and I live here. I've been trained in martial arts and I'm big -- so I'd love a world without guns because I could rule it (just joking) -- but I've also been a member of Special Forces and well trained in weapons.

Here's the bottom line...gun control was already in place at Virginia Tech i.e. nobody is allowed to take guns on the campus except for sworn law enforcement officers. Gun control didn't work very well then did it? All it meant, as it always does, is that law abiding citizens were left defenseless while the lunatic (strange that he didn't abide by the law eh?) went on his rampage.

This begs the question. Could someone carrying on campus have put an end to his rampage before his toll got into double digits? Well the problem has been asked and answered in May of last year in an Oklahoma City mall. A kid pulled a gun and was about to go on a killing spree when an off-duty sheriff's deputy heard the first shot and was able to shoot the shooter first. Nobody knows how many victims there may have been if he had not been present with a weapon.

It's black and white folks...the only way to stop that killer yesterday was to shoot him first.

How about the argument that if we had gun control across the country he wouldn't have been able to get a firearm? Great idea in theory but it hasn't worked very well as far as illegal drugs are concerned has it. In other words, they banned drugs here a long time ago. In fact we declared war on them and that war costs billions. Anybody going to tell me you can't buy any illegal drug of your choice within five miles of your home? Banning guns would achieve exactly the same result. If you're still having trouble wrapping your head round that look at England which has some of the most draconian gun laws on the planet. Want to bet me you can't get guns in England if you're so inclined?

That leaves us right back where we started i.e. law abiding citizens are disarmed while the bad guys walk round with impunity.

How about the police argument? I'll answer that one directly. Virginia Tech has it's own police department. 31 people still died there yesterday and the bad guy didn't die at their hands, he died at his. The Police, like it or not, are only trained to deal with crime AFTER the fact. That may be great for nabbing the bad guys (or not, as the case may be) but it does very little for the victims.

Yes, arming teachers would be controversial and yes, there's an element of risk. If you made it public knowledge that you were doing so the teacher might be the very first victim (keep in mind the German teacher was the very first person to be shot in the German class at Virginia Tech despite not being armed) but, if you didn't tell anyone!!!

If you take guns out of the equation all you're left with is the old "Fight, Flight or Freeze" which would amount to attack the guy unarmed, run and hope he doesn't shoot you in the back or "freeze" which in this case would mean going to ground and hiding -- and hope he doesn't find you and shoot you in your hiding spot.

I don't know about you people but 31 victims who tried all of the above i.e. fighting, flighting or hiding are all dead which doesn't really instill much faith in those methods if that's your answer to the gun/no gun question.

Let me finish by posing this question. If you are a believer in gun control what is your solution to yesterday's problem exactly? Don't just blather on about why guns are bad, and don't accuse me of being some sort of psycho, just come up with a viable option and I'm on board.

I just don't see one when I look at it other than the obvious, arm the faculty.

Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail

2007-04-17T10:34:00.000-05:00

By now most people have heard about the shooting massacre at Virginia Tech yesterday. The shooter has been identified as a South Korean loner and there's a lot of talk by the clueless about poor police response, gun control and a slew of other irrelevant gibberish.

I'll cover some of those issues in upcoming posts but the most important lesson to be learned from this is that you are not safe in your home, at school or where you work. While you may be level headed and sane the guy two cubicles over, or sally from accounts boyfriend, might be complete nutters hell bent on wreaking havoc by killing a bunch of people before taking themselves out.

The bottom line is this...do you have a plan in place in the event someone enters your place of work, worship or study and begins to open fire? If not, why not? I bet if you could talk to anyone of yesterday's thirty one victims they'd be all about implementing plans if they could do it over.

What about the company you work for? Do they have a plan in place? Find out, and, if they don't, suggest they get an expert in to formulate one. If they balk at the expense remind them that the average payout to families after a workplace massacre is around the four million dollar mark. So, should Larry the lounge lizard from marketing lose his job and come back to work and kill his boss and four fellow employees the company will be looking at a 20 million dollar bill.

In the same vein

2007-04-11T08:59:00.000-05:00

If we're going to bring up kubotans we may as well discuss the other ubiquitous magic wand of self defense and that is the tear gas/OC spray on a key chain.

Here's the problem as I see it. With any weapons system you have to practice accessing and using it under stress, unless you end up in the highly unlikely situation of being forewarned that an attack is immanent.

Why is that unlikely? Because career criminals don't like to forewarn their victims...in fact they like to remove as many advantages the victim may have and stack the deck well and truly in their favour and pretty much ambush the victim. This is why so many police reports begin with "He came out of nowhere."

So, can you, while you're reeling from the shock of being hit in the head, find your OC, flip the cap off, and spray it in the right direction? I'd be willing to put money on the fact you can't and I'd also be willing to put money on the fact that the majority of women carrying them round have never even test fired the thing one time.

Here's some other problems with the product. I don't want to use anything that I have to lick my finger first and hold it up to determine which way the wind is blowing. In Marseille as a military policeman I saw a guy on the other side of the Canibierre spray his and the wind took it down the street where it hit a multitude of people who had nothing to do with the initial assault.

Spray it in a car at a bad guy trying to get in and it will blow back in the car and get you. Also, ask any cop who uses it how many times he and his partners have been effected by the stuff as well. Every cop I've ever asked have told me they always end up covered in the stuff. The advantage to them is that it's happened so many times they're pretty much inured to it. How about you? Have you sprayed yourself a few times so you know what to expect?

Sadly it's another one of the "peace of mind, magic wands" that people buy and instantly feel better. Big mistake.

Killer Granny & the snake oil man

2007-04-09T23:05:00.000-05:00

I saw another one today. She must have been seventy if she was a day and she had the ubiquitous kubotan key ring defender as her key chain. (Seen on the right)

Several times I've asked them if they actually know how to use their "magic defense wand" and have yet to run into one who's had any training.

One told me she thought you should hold it and flail them with your keys.

A local defense instructor actually has the gall to sell the version with the spikes on it to Realtors at his self defense for Realtors classes.

Just what that's going to do to a determined crack addict - apart from tick him off - I have no idea. Sadly, they think all they have to do is listen to the expert for an hour, buy the "magic wand" and they're good to go.

Banned On Planes

Even the TSA has been caught up in the hoopla since cops were shown these things years ago at a seminar somewhere. I can just imagine a hijacker taking over a plane with the equivalent of a carpenter's pencil..."Right, fly this plane to Cuba or I'm going to put you in a really painful wrist lock."

But no, that will never happen because they've banned them on planes. You can carry a four foot piece of hickory dowel though...I know because my brother did exactly that flying out of Charlotte a few years ago. He'd come over for some weapons training and I gave him a kubotan to take back home.

We arrived at the security checkpoint, me with a tactical folder (concealed in special way to pass through security) and my brother with his new found kubotan and a four foot hickory quarter staff (known as a Jo for the martial artists reading). The little old lady conducting the security check looked at the kubotan like it was the devil's own invention. "You can't take that with you dear. You'll have to go back to ticketing and give it to them and they'll pass it on to the pilot who'll keep it safe in the cockpit till you arrive at the other end."

We were both stunned! He couldn't take something the size and weight of a carpenter's pencil on board but the Jo - something Robin Hood would have been proud to fight Little John with - was ok. Mind boggling stuff.

So, Do They Work At All?

Well there's a version with OC in it that's not bad, providing you have the presence of mind while being assaulted to disengage the safety clip, orient it in the right direction and find the button at the right end...otherwise, as a key chain they're great. Also, they're not bad for cops wanting to extract drunken red necks who won't let go of the steering wheel out the car window...right Mike?

Charlotte Self Defense on television

2007-04-08T23:42:00.000-05:00

My apologies to my international readers but this post probably won't be of much help to you guys.

Fight Survival is currently being featured on our local cable access channel 21 here in Charlotte for a 13 week series entitled "How To Be Your Own Bodyguard." It runs on Tuesday nights at 10:30 pm for 30 minutes at a time.

We focus on a mix of self protection - the awareness and avoidance strategies used by professional close protection officers to avoid getting in trouble in the first place - and self defense - the hands on physical fighting techniques as taught in my Fight Survival classes.

Our first episode went to air a week ago and I've heard nothing but positive reviews. If you live in the local market and want to check it out please do so and let us have your feedback.

Code Word

2007-04-03T23:39:00.000-05:00

Do you go out at all with your significant other or family members? Then you should have an innocuous code word. A lot of couples have these for parties so that one can let the other know when it's time to go without blurting out "honey, my feet are killing me, these people are bores, and my ass is eating my girdle."

Our recommendation is that you have one for emergency situations as well.

The purpose of the word is to alert them, discretely, that something is about to go down and they should leave you immediately and take any kids you have with them. They should go home, or head to the car, wait thirty minutes and then go and then sit tight till you call them.

You're the professional. It's far easier for you to sense when the proverbial brown stuff is about to hit the fan and blurting that out to them, in earshot of others, can cause panic amongst bystanders or alert the bad guys that you're on to them. By using the code phrase/word you impart the same knowledge without the heads up to people who don't need to know.

The best example I can give is not to use a predetermined phrase at all but rather a pre-determined word that you'd normally never use.

If you opt for an apparently innocent phrase like "honey, did you bring your cash?" for example you might actually want to know if your significant other did in fact bring their cash. While you're expecting a simple yes or no answer she/he is legging it out of the store with kids and parcels in tow.

Try this instead. If your normal term of endearment is "honey" for example use "babe" instead. That way "Babe, did you bring your cash?" isn't likely to be confusing or get mixed up with the legitimate enquiry.

What's Up?

2007-04-03T10:35:00.000-05:00

A lot of people have alarms in their houses but there may be a hole in your defense that you're unaware of.

While an MP in the Legion at the headquarter regiment in Aubagne it fell to us to test and evaluate the security on the Generals' house. When I transferred into the police militaire I discovered nobody had been successful in infiltrating their security for quite some time.

I went by the house and noticed it had a tile roof so I climbed up the back in the butt crack of dawn, lifted some tiles and went through the attic. Guess what? Yep, nobody alarms their attic. It was easy to go through the attic trapdoor and voila, much to the chagrin of the in house valet/security guard I was inside.

So, if you have a security system in the house and the sort of roof that's readily accessible, it might be time to upgrade your system and have the company come put a motion detector up there as well.

In Memory...

2007-04-01T18:25:00.000-05:00

This particular post is dedicated to the memory of a fallen brother Officer Sean Clark of the Charlotte Police Department, his partner Jeff Shelton and all their brother officers and also to their families.

Last night Sean and Jeff were killed in the line of duty.

I don't have all the details as of yet. Off duty police were the first to relay the news to me at work that two officers had been shot during a domestic. As the night wore on I learned that one of them was Sean, one of my students a few years back who only quit training to focus on fulfilling his lifetime ambition of being a cop. Initial reports said only one had died and the other was touch and go. By the end of the night I found out, sadly, both had died.

Were they killed by stray rounds during a gun battle? Nope. They were ambushed. They didn't even have their weapons out when they were shot from behind at close range by some gutless skidmark.

To aggravate his death Sean's wife is six months pregnant and he has a 3 and a half year old son Braydon who will now have to grow up sans dad. Officer Shelton's wife will now have to live with his death.

Sean was one of the world's genuine nice guys. He didn't do things because you asked him, he did them anyway. I remember first meeting him when I'd hang out with some police officer students doing off duty work and he'd bring water over to us. No one asked for the water...that was just the way Sean was. When you did ask for something...boom, Sean was there, no questions asked. When I moved from the coast to Charlotte a few years back some of my mates at the coast couldn't find the time to help me load the truck. Sean did, only he drove the 300 miles from Charlotte to do so.

My thoughts go out to his family, his friends and his brother officers. I hope yours will as well.

RIP Brother

Good Samaritan...OK, NO!!!

2007-03-29T16:34:00.000-05:00

Last week in Charlotte a guy with his girlfriend stopped to help a stranded motorist. The hapless driver had his hood up and head buried in the engine when the victim in the story stopped to render assistance.

Next thing he knows he has a gun planted in the side of his head, his money is stolen and then, to add insult to injury, the motorist and his three accomplices walked he and his girlfriend round the back of some apartments and made him watch (at gunpoint) while they took turns raping her.

(To prove the depth of planning two of the three rapist actually used condoms)

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, as sad as it may be you must not stop and help anybody. The best thing to do is either call emergency services (if the car you see is stranded on a major road) or, from a distance, ask the person if you'd like them to call someone for them to come and help. Getting out of the car to help yourself is a rookie mistake.

Sign, Sign everywhere a sign...

2007-03-21T23:39:00.000-05:00

We have gestures for almost every type of problem you're likely to face when driving a car. Someone waiting to pull out of a drive in front of you? Wave them out.
Someone just let you in? Wave graciously to say thanks
See someone with their lights off? Flash yours
See a cop lying in wait? Flash your lights at other motorists to let them know
See someone with their turn signal on? Put yours on or turn on your hazard flashers or alternatively open and close your hand and they'll usually figure it out.
Someone cuts you off? Well, you all know that one right?

The only one we don't have a gesture for is to apologize to a fellow road user for something stupid we did...and stupid is often the cause of road rage incidents. Lets say you don't see someone in your blind spot and you change lanes and nearly force them off the road. They're angry and they come screaming up beside you intent on giving you a piece of their mind. What do you do? Scream back or flip them off? Surely not, it was your fault after all. And yet, if you do nothing they're likely to assume you're ignoring them, or don't care, which is only likely to compound the error.

I submit a great idea is to carry a piece of white cardboard in your car with the word "SORRY" written on it in large black marker and keep it accessible. If you do the inevitable and screw up, instead of making matters worse by ignoring the guy, or gesturing in a way that may be mistaken for something else, hold up your sign and smile. I'd be willing to bet a load of money that one simple move would eliminate a slew of road rage incidents across the country every day.

PS: If some enterprising soul reading this decides to market them and sell them at gas stations etc, be nice, give me a cut.

What'cha Reading?

2007-03-20T23:14:00.000-05:00

This is an old bodyguard trick when travelling overseas (sorry for those of you with no travel in your future plans) to help lower your profile.

Buy a local newspaper or magazine and carry it with you. This sends off a signal to locals intent on kidnapping a rich foreign tourist (and remember, you're rich by most third world country's standards) that you are either a) a local, or b) have visited enough to understand the language.

[Can YOU spot the tourists?]

Either of those make you far less appealing as a potential target. You can do the same with local brands of cigarettes (assuming you still smoke) and/or your wardrobe. It's normally way too easy to spot the Americans in a lot of third world shitholes by their clothing, mannerisms, speech volume, and expensive jewelry and luggage. By eliminating or toning down the above you reduce your risk immensely in ever being singled out as a target.

Remember...do everything you can to lower your profile

Nick

Myths of Combat

2007-03-19T23:13:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to attempt to cover all the myths of fighting...there's just way too many but one I can put to rest today is the old "If you're fighting a gang all you have to do is challenge the leader to a one on one fight and he'll accept, otherwise his gang members will assume he's gutless."

Whoever first wrote this gibberish has obviously never had a gang fight in his life. The above would work if the guy leading the gang had any honor, or if they gave you time to talk, or if they cared what you had to say. Unfortunately they have no honor and they don't care one iota about you...all you are to them is some temporary amusement or a food source.

Another myth that goes hand in hand with this one is that if you drop the biggest guy the others will run away. No, they will stomp the crap out of you because you just hurt one of their mates. I have stopped some fights with a technically perfect first technique that has dropped someone so hard the others have taken pause but, they weren't hard core gang bangers inured to violence of frightening degrees.

Now, hitting the biggest one will certainly eliminate one of the biggest threats but it will not scare others away just as challenging their non-existent honor will not work either.

In future entries I'll cover some strategies that have proven effective but for right now let's eliminate advice that just plain doesn't work.

Nick

Interesting Observation

2007-03-18T23:02:00.000-05:00

This isn't so much a self protection tip as it is an observation...one that will resonate with martial artists everywhere. (and maybe insurance agents LOL)

You walk into the office on Monday morning with a black eye, a bruise or a swollen anything.

Everyone asks "Wow, what happened?"

If you reply with "I did it playing basketball, baseball, football, racquetball, volleyball or any other type of ball" the next words out of their mouth will be...

"Did you win?"

Now, if on the other hand you say "I did it in my Judo/Karate/Combatives/Ju-Jutsu or any type of martial arts class" the next words out of their mouth will be...

"You people are crazy" while they shake their head and walk away casting dispersions on your sanity under their breath.

I wonder what the difference is? Do they feel threatened? Are we making them realize they haven't covered that aspect of their life yet and rather than admitting that's a mistake it's easier to lump us into the "they're all crazy category?"

One of my students is an insurance salesman. He occasionally turns up at work with a training related bruise and runs the gauntlet of the head shaking crowd. Pretty funny when you think about it. They're all insurance agents in that office and they'll try and sell you on the benefits of protecting your car, your house and anything else they think needs coverage and yet they haven't covered themselves from the risk of being attacked, mugged, raped, assaulted and so on.

Given if you're killed during a car-jacking/robbery or home invasion you won't live to enjoy your house or your car which one makes more sense to insure first? Call me crazy if you like but I just think the "insurance policy" provided by good self protection training is more important than almost anything else I can think of.

Right On

2007-03-18T22:20:00.000-05:00

I want to preface this post with the fact that I am not in anyway affiliated with OnStar or any company it may be parented by...I don't work for them, never have (probably never will) and certainly don't get any kick backs.

As an addition to my post about the self protection features of SUVs or 4x4s I wanted to talk about OnStar.

It's a service (for those readers in countries that don't have it) that comes in certain brands of cars that will, for a monthly fee, do certain things.

The base fee covers security, the next level offers things like directions and phone service and the premium package has a concierge service for booking restaurants and theatre tickets etc.

In the vehicle are a series of 3 buttons that you push depending on what you need and, when you push them, you are connected, hands free, to a real live operator.

Here's what I love about the system.

1. If your airbags go off, they call the car. If you don't respond they immediately dispatch emergency services. I listened to a chilling recording of a phone call one night on a current affairs program. It was from a woman in Florida who drowned in her car. She had driven off the highway at speed and ended up in the everglades with water leaking into the car. She pulled her cellphone out, and contacted emergency services but they couldn't locate her in time (The current affairs show was about the inability of emergency services to triangulate and locate cell phone signals) The same thing happened here to a girl in nearby Gastonia. She rolled her car into someone's field. When they found her three days later she had written a note to her family while she lay trapped and dying in the car. The OnStar feature in either of those two scenarios would have literally meant the difference between life and death.

2. If your car is stolen the police are called. Once you have a report number they call OnStar and they locate the car via the GPS system. My local Caddy dealer told me about one of their vehicles stolen by four black hip hop fans who cut the wire from the buttons thinking that would disable the tracking. The dealership realized about 5 hours later their car was missing. OnStar got involved and found the would be thieves in Richmond VA heading north. State Troopers were called and they blocked them on the Chesapeake Bay bridge.

3. Should you accidentally lock the keys in the car you call in and give them your pin number. Voila, they pop the locks from their control center.

4. If you or a family member is driving the car and is being followed by a suspicious vehicle or involved in a road rage incident etc they can push the emergency button and relay the info to OnStar who dispatch emergency services again. They also stay on the line till the professionals arrive.

5. Imagine your wife driving the car somewhere and getting lost and ending up in the wrong part of town? That happened to the family in LA that drove into the gang area and were shot for "trespassing" that was in the news a few years back. With the OnStar system you call them and they talk you through the directions step by step till you arrive at your destination.

From a self protection standpoint it doesn't get much better than the above. So, if I'm going to buy a vehicle I'd rather have an SUV and, if I'm going to buy one of them I'd opt for the one with OnStar.

Food for thought
Nick

Good For The Environment? No. For You, Yes!!

2007-03-16T00:27:00.000-05:00

This issue was raised on a forum I'm on and it was about the big bad SUV (or 4x4s for UK readers)

From a purely self protection viewpoint they're the best vehicle you can wrap about yourself.

1. Sitting up so high gives you a vantage point over regular cars and bikes...forewarned is forearmed.

2. You have the ability, should it be necessary, to bug out over sidewalks, curbs, fields and terrain that will leave a normal car gasping for breath and traction.

3. If you're involved in an accident you will probably survive. The "greenie" in the pregnant skateboard that you hit will not. This, understandably, bothers the "earth biscuits" but to my way of thinking it makes me want to buy an SUV immediately. The old "If you can't beat them, join them" springs to mind.

4. If inclement weather descends upon you, whether it be ice, mud, rain or snow etc you have the ability to climb in the truck and go. That's huge from a self protection view point. The guy in the car is caught in the flood waters or immobile...you are not...you'll probably be the guy going out to rescue him (at which point, if he's an "earth biscuit" he probably won't bring up how much he hates you and your gas guzzler)

5. If it becomes necessary you can bulldoze obstacles (cars etc) out of the way be it a road block, road rage or, if you're hemmed in and a car-jacking commences. You can't do that in a normal vehicle.

6. You have the room to load family and all the gear necessary to get out of dodge in the event of a disaster or riot etc and head for the hills (which you can get up thanks to the 4 wheel drive ability of the vehicle)

So, while they may guzzle gas, and they may not be so hot for the environment they are wickedly brilliant from a self protection viewpoint.

Something to think about

Nick

PS: I had an argument with a guy once when I had my Tahoe. He was bitching about the gas guzzling, harming the environment, killing kids and wiping out families in cars. He shut up when I reminded him that every single argument he was making against SUV's could be levelled against him and the car he drove by someone who rode a bike (motorcycle or pedally)
Cars guzzle gas compared to bikes. They're road hogs compared to bikes. The take up a whole lane and usually have one person in them - bikes do not. They kill motorcyclists almost every time they hit one...and they do that on a regular basis, usually because they're on their cell phone...and the list goes on. I also owned a motorcycle at the time and he didn't so there he was, without a leg to stand on.

Newest Scam

2007-03-14T00:14:00.000-05:00

Thanks for all the replies re the frequency of my posts. EVERYONE said one a day is fine so that's what I'll try and come up with.

A new scam I've just become aware of bears discussing.

Here's how it works. You check into your hotel room, the phone rings, and it's the front desk. There's a problem with running your credit card and would you mind confirming the numbers please. The problem is, it's not the front desk at all. Guys are sitting out in the parking lot, after having "surfed" your name (remember that post right?), and calling the front desk asking to be transferred to your room. When you answer they play the part of the front desk and "engineer" getting your info.

You don't know your card is being used for a ton of purchases until either your card maxes out, or you get home a month later and get your statement.

The lesson here is obvious. Be aware of "surfing" but more importantly, be highly suspicious whenever anyone wants your credit card info over the phone unless you've called them to buy something.

Nick

Reader's Help

2007-03-13T00:13:00.000-05:00

In a bid to make this a great blog and worthy of getting people to read it every day I've been reading up on blogs.

One alleged expert said one thing that will kill a blog is posting too often. Now, he didn't say what that meant...he could have meant ten times a day or maybe he means every day.

I couldn't get an answer from him so I figured I'd ask my readers...how much is too much? I try and put up a tip a day for you guys but, if it's too much, let me know and I'll happily cut it back.

Over to you.

Regards

Nick

Pet Peeve

2007-03-11T23:20:00.000-05:00

I was at the bookstore the other day and perused the ones alleging to teach self defense. Sadly, judging by the material within, most of the authors last fights had to be over Tonka trucks in the sandpit at day care.

Can we clear this one up for once? You cannot teach girls wrist locks and armlocks and call it self defense. Well, alright, you can, but you should be sued for misrepresentation when you do.

To begin with there isn't any such thing as an armlock. The technique is actually an armbreak. Remember that all of these techniques derived from fighting for one's life, oft times on a battlefield. Why, in the middle of a battlefield would you take two of your arms to tie up one of the enemy's? How long are you going to do that in the middle of a war going on? Till he cries "uncle" or gives in?

Nope, you broke their arm and thus rendered them "hors du combat" and you moved on to tackle the next guy.

Look at the above picture. What do you honestly think would happen if the "mugger" just stood up? Look at the inverted grip? If he just violently yanked his arm free could she hang on or would she get sliced as the knife passed through her hands, arm and armpit?

Somewhere along the line the breaks became misconstrued as pain compliance techniques...probably because in training you'd take them to the point where the joint started to break - thus causing pain - at which point your training partner would cry out and let you know.

Alright, I'll admit it. I've used them as pain compliance when removing someone from a club and controlling subjects whilst a military police officer. Here's the deal though, I still have to big enough and accomplished enough that when I let the subject go, and he decides to fight, that I can do the job and knock him out if necessary or, a cop, I'm going to control the arm long enough to get cuffs on.

What is our hapless female victim to do? She's being attacked by a rapist (and let's hope there's only one of them) and she puts the lock on him. Now what? You going to lecture him on the error of his ways and hope he repents? You going to wait till the police come all the time controlling this struggling man with superior upper body strength to yours? Are you hoping he cries "Uncle" and accepts defeat? Are you going to take it to it's logical conclusion and break the joint? Could you? Have you ever heard one break? Do you have any idea how strong you have to be to pull it off?

Bottom line is if you are much smaller than your opponent you're not putting locks on him if he doesn't want you to...at least not until you've hit him enough times to stun him. If it takes that to put it on, why not just stun him and make scarce anyway?

Nick

The Sky Is Falling

2007-03-11T21:03:00.000-05:00

The picture to the left is that of a BMW in Germany in which a 20 woman was killed and her Grandparents injured when 3 teenagers threw rocks from an overpass.

Look through Google and you'll find thousands of incidents related to hooligans throwing objects from overpasses...a lot of them result in major damage to vehicles, some to injured drivers and passengers and a few even lead to fatalities.

Here's a good habit to get into when driving under any overpass/bridge...look up and see if you can see anyone up there. If you do, make every effort to change lanes just in case. This is something I do at night anyway, whether I see anyone up there or not.

Another avoidance strategy - assuming you can't change lanes due to traffic - is to rapidly decelerate or accelerate.

Let's assume a worst case scenario...your car is hit and you're still alive and mobile. DO NOT STOP the car. A favourite tactic of gangs in Central and South America is to have their friends wait 400 yards up the road out of view. When the hapless motorist pulls over to inspect the damage, the friends descend upon them and rob/rape/pillage etc. It's only a matter of time before that trend makes its way here. Don't be the first victim of it in your country.

So, just to recap. Scan overpasses as you near them. If you see someone, change lanes and or vary speed. If you do get hit, don't stop until later when it's safe such as in a rest area or gas station. Once again, awareness is going to be your primary defense.

Nick

Surprise or Tea?

2007-03-09T00:24:00.000-05:00

Years ago while on a club door some of the other bouncers and I were discussing all the different sorts of fights there were...multiple assailants, armed assailants, multiple armed assailants and so on.

One of the older hands, a boxer called Mel said "nope, there's only two types and that's slow build or ambush" Many years later I heard it described as a "brewing situation" or "flash."

Brewing of course refers to a slow build up of tension. A good example would be the guy that bumps into someone early in the night and now the two get into a staring competition and various gestures. As the night wears on the staring and gestures become more demonstrative and soon insults are being hurled with threats of "lets take it outside then"

The ambush or flash fight on the other hand comes without warning. I'm aware of a friend of one of my students who was standing at an ATM and turned just in time to notice the lump of wood coming down on his skull. He awoke later with some woman, hanging out a car window while she withdrew her cash, looking down on him with disdain, assuming he was some sort of a bum.

There's no excuse for getting in the former. Self protection is all about avoidance so, if a situation like that is developing, remove yourself from the scene and defuse it. Nobody ever died from being insulted walking away from a potentially violent situation. Plenty have died hanging round trying to fight in them though.

The ambush is another kettle of fish and that's best avoided by judicious use of awareness.

Nick

Surfs up

2007-03-07T23:38:00.000-05:00

"Surfing" is the name given to the crime when someone looks over someone else's shoulder and reads their personal information...might be their pin number, might be their address or account number etc.

Probably the most daring I heard about was the guy - and his family - caught by an alert airport cop in California. He was hanging round the airport with his wife and kids and pretending to film them with his video cam. His cam however had a zoom lens and he'd film people's credit card info when they were holding them up to make calls on the phones that required to pay by card and punch your info in.

He only got busted when the cop, who really needs a pat on the back for being on the ball, saw him two days in a row and thought it odd. He surreptitiously watched for a while, figured out what was going on, and took the guy, and his wife and kids, down.

Another old favourite version of this was (and still is) to go to the airport and stand in line behind someone dim enough to have their name and address label on their luggage. The enterprising crook would make a note of the info and then go hit your house knowing full well you wouldn't discover the crime until you got back from your trip.

What can you do? Awareness is the first step in defense. Now you know to keep your personal info, pin #s and credit cards etc personal i.e. don't wave them all over the place and be careful of who is standing right behind you, and what they're doing.

If you're going to travel, it's true the airlines will make you use a luggage name tag...but no one can force you to put it on the outside of your bag. As long as it is on or in the bag somewhere that's fine. If you have the money, swanky luggage has the leather tag with a flap over the pertinent info so it will only be visible if someone physically peels the tag back and looks. Great to have, and worth the money.

Beware the surfers.

Nick

Kids Stuff

2007-03-06T00:37:00.000-05:00

Parents often ask me what's best for their kids to learn. Despite being a black belt in several styles of karate and an unarmed combat instructor and Filipino martial arts student my answer is always Judo.

To begin with your child will learn how to do break- falls. This skill, highly valued by stuntmen, will save them (and you) hurt and medical bills over the duration of their childhood as they fall off bicycles, and trip on things. Heck, forget childhood, it's saved me many times as an adult as well, not least at all when coming off my motorbike a few times.

Next, it is an Olympic sport. There's always the off chance that your wunderkind will go on to be an Olympic medal winner which is no bad thing.

Third point is that it will wear them out physically so they won't be home bouncing off the walls because they haven't spent any energy today.

Fourth is the fact that the techniques in the kid's programme are non-striking by nature. They involve throws and pins, no joint locks or strangles. Unlike Tae Kwan Do or karate, which teaches striking, this means that your kid's likely response in a fight at school is going to be go grab someone and trip them to the ground where they can be pinned till a teacher arrives.

If "Little Johnnies" trained reaction is to punch and kick instead then he's far more likely to do so in the event of a fight which can mean serious injury to the recipient.

Fifth, Judo is one of those sports that just tends to be populated by "nice" guys. This is invariably due to the fact you can't "hide" in a Judo school. Everyone who holds rank has had to compete (hard) to get it and so there's no fantasists running around convinced they're lethal weapons when they're not. (something sadly you run into often in trad martial arts)

Sixth, Judo is cheap. Because it's a non-profit organization clubs charge a mere pittance for membership. Last time I went I think I paid about ten bucks a month and kids paid a dollar.

Now, is that to say the karate programmes are no good? Not at all. Some of them now are nothing short of amazing in that they make sure the kids are taught discipline, keep their rooms clean, get good grades and respect their elders etc. In Charlotte, Mike Price http://www.cmaakicks.com/ is the go to guy for that stuff. I've recommended several of my friends to Mike and his programme is brilliant so, if it's karate "little Johnnie" must have then go to Mike's. However, if you're looking for the Olympic sport that trains champions and like the idea of your kid not learning how to punch and kick then Judo rocks.

Nick

Goldie gets a Mickey...nearly

2007-03-04T18:07:00.000-05:00

Many years ago while training and working on club doors I trained with a guy called Goldie.

Goldie had an interesting tale to tell and that was while he was at work one night he put his drink down to go and settle down a couple of punters who were yelling at each other. Once he'd got them settled he came back to pick up his drink and a girl in a nearby table said "I don't think that's yours."

Goldie assured her it was and she replied "but I saw some other guy grab it a minute ago and play with it."

Goldie had his wits about him, immediately put the drink down, and later on had it analyzed (via complaints to the police etc) and they found it contained rat poison and LSD. The two guys yelling was a decoy designed to lure Goldie away so the poisoner could carry out his plan.

Now death threats and attempts aren't that rare if you bounce in any sort of heavy establishment...I myself have been stabbed numerous times and shot at twice that I'm aware of, but that was the first time I heard of a poisoning attempt. Immediately I took note of the lesson and made it a hard fast rule...if my drink left my hands even for a second, I'd leave it and go get another.

The reason I bring it up for everyone else is due to the proliferation of stories about "date rape" drugs being dropped in drinks etc. I personally know one woman and her friend who had champagne bought for them by some guys who did so upon learning it was one of the girl's birthday.

The girls in question drank the bubbly and left immediately after and were both violently ill on the way home to the point they had to stop the car and throw up. Given the only common thing they'd both ingested that night was the champagne they were of the opinion later that they had been slipped drugs in the drinks. It was a very common occurrence at the time in that bar in Charlotte so that was the conclusion. I ran it by some cop friends of mine who worked security nearby and they agreed it was the most likely explanation.

So, my suggestions are these a) women, don't accept drinks from strangers unless he buys it and you see the bartender make it. and b) if you put your drink down for whatever reason, buy another one rather than picking up the original. You just don't know what someone might have slipped in it.

Nick

PS: I had another mate, a forty year old businessman and teetotaler, who had his drink spiked by someone with an LSD tab. He nearly died during subsequent hallucinations etc and while in hospital they found out what it was. They tracked it back to one of his colleagues who thought it would be funny to see "Johnno" loosen up a little.

Five Seconds

2007-03-02T00:09:00.000-05:00

A girl in my office was telling me the other day about being attacked by two guys who attempted to drag her into their car, in broad daylight, in a shopping center parking lot.

As I got the details I realized she'd violated two rules of self protection. The first one was that she was task fixated. It turns out she was on the cell phone getting information for an appointment she had to make. The second big mistake was a violation of the five second rule.

When you get to your car have your keys already in your hand, get in, and, within five seconds, lock the doors. Preferably drive away and then stop somewhere safer than a parking lot and make the calls you need to make.

I constantly see (and forgive me but women are the worst offenders) women sitting in their cars balancing their check books, putting on their make up, admiring their new purchases, without the door yet locked or, in worst case scenarios with the door still open.

This is exactly what the girl in question did by the way...door open, foot on the sill, appointment book on the roof of the car, phone under one ear and pen in the other. Because they hit her from behind she wasn't even able to get a description to tell the police.

So, here's the five second rule. When you get to your vehicle you've got five seconds to lock your doors once you're inside. That's it. Do that and you'll make it very hard for people to do what these guys did to her.

Some cars come with programmable locks that will shut automatically once the car reaches a certain speed. Not a bad idea but it violates my five second rule by a long shot. Don't wait for the automatic feature to kick in. Get in, lock the doors. Done, simple and effective.

Remember, you are your own bodyguard.

Nick

Exit, Stage Left

2007-03-01T02:14:00.000-05:00

We used to play a game designed to test awareness when I was on certain teams as a body guard. It's another one that lends itself very well to the civilian world.

It involved going into a restaurant (or any building) and at some point covering up someones' eyes and asking them to point out where the exit(s) was/were. If they couldn't immediately point in the correct direction dinner was on them.

Obviously the need for a body guard to know where the exits are in case of an emergency is fairly evident. What about for you? Well, it's simple self protection again...don't go into somewhere you don't know the way out of.

Also, consider this. In the event of an emergency you may well not be able to look up and see where the exits are. Whether it be a bomb, a fire an earthquake or any other disaster, smoke, flames and people will be in your way. You'll be disoriented and precious seconds will be gained knowing in which direction you need to be heading instead of running round in a blind panic like a headless chicken.

Remember, take care of yourselves...no one else will do it for you.

Nick

More airport stuff

2007-02-28T01:10:00.000-05:00

I got a lot of feedback from people about hanging the coat on the door - and even heard from one chap who wrote me to say he'd actually hung his laptop on the hook of the stall door the morning before he read my blog. Fortunately for him, nobody swiped it but he said he's learned his lesson.

On the subject of laptops there's another airport scam to be aware of. You walk up to the security check point, you place your laptop on the scanner and, just as you're about to step through the detector, someone jumps in front apologizing but claiming they're running late for a flight.

They, of course, are part of the scam. They have their pockets loaded with all manner of metallic objects that set the scanner off and hold everyone up. Meanwhile, their accomplice on the other side has claimed your lap top as his own and is gone.

By the time you get past the hapless guy with all the metal your lap top is gone.

You've been warned.

A Village is Missing its Idiot

2007-02-27T01:05:00.000-05:00

I was walking into a bank the other day and I noticed the ubiquitous "The possession of a weapon on these premises, licensed or otherwise, is an offense."

Now, this sign, of which there are many, begs the question; "at whom are they aimed at?" (no pun intended)

The only person I could possibly see being effected by it would be a law abiding citizen who has passed the background check required to possess a firearm and carry it concealed. He would, being law-abiding, turn round and place his weapon in his vehicle.

Now, here's the bit where whoever placed the sign, proved his worth to the hall of fame of village idiots everywhere. Just how many law-abiding citizens have robbed banks? [Careful village idiots reading this...that's a trick question and the clue is "law-abiding"] The answer, and this again is for the village dunces, is NONE!!!

The bank robbers are breaking the law and are therefore NOT considered law-abiding.

So here's the second part of the question to help the village idiot sign placers realize why they're considered idiots; How many bank robbers, walking up to the bank have seen the sign, stamped their feet in frustration, let out a hearty "Drat, foiled again. I can't take my gun inside for I'll be breaking the law." and then walked away - to rob a bank without a sign maybe?

The answer to both is zero.

So, just to make it really easy in case you still haven't got it. Bank robbers, as a general rule, will not pay much attention to signs telling them not to take guns into banks. Law abiding citizens on the other hand will, but they're not your problem.

Here's one final question to ponder. If the law-abiding citizen concealed his weapon and carried it in anyway, how would you know? (another hint here for you...consider very carefully the word "concealed." It is, what we in the investigations industry call "A Clue.")

You know the really funny bit? In certain states the signs have to be certain sizes and certain colors and usually aren't, which means the guy who put the sign up just broke the law.

PS: I'd like to see a bank advertise that it was open and friendly to gun owners. I'd like to see it go a step further and advertise that all its tellers and managers were armed and all shot together on the weekend. And here's the 64,000 dollar question for the village idiots...how many robberies do you reckon such a bank would have in any given year? (the answer is the same answer as above i.e ZERO)

PPS: As a law abiding citizen transporting vast sums of cash to the bank I have a right to carry to defend my money. When I arrive at the bank (with the sign) you don't provide a lock box for me to put my pistol in so what am I supposed to do with it? Some pit bull lawyer is going to sue a bank for millions one day because his client will be mugged at the door by a bad guy who knows the good guy won't be carrying for lack of a place to put his weapon. You, with your sign, and no safe place for weapon storage, will have denied him his right to self defense. Good luck with that one.

The Infamous Fight or Flight

2007-02-26T23:43:00.000-05:00

I always hear people talking about "Fight or Flight" as if that's the only two options in a fight. So which one is the person who is "paralysed by fear" doing? What about all the people who look up to see a car bearing down on them, or an avalanche who freeze in their tracks until flattened? Were they running or were they fighting?

"Freeze" is a third element that needs to be discussed. In some cases it's intentional and others it's not. I'm no expert but I imagine someone who's never been exposed to a certain event, or even thought about it, might freeze. Take the car for example. You look up and it's coming at you at 35 mph...when would the average person ever have thought about that one happening? Their brain quickly sifts through the memory banks for something...anything and nothing appears. Results, frozen in place until flattened.

Freezing obviously stands us in good stead in other situations. Military personnel are taught to freeze during night ops if a flare is tripped, for movement will give you away faster than anything else. Commandos are taught to use it when moving behind enemy lines and think they may have been spotted. Snipers use the same skill when 'stalking' into place for their shot.

Undoubtedly our cave men ancestors used it to survive being eaten by predatory animals. Many of the latter hunt by sight and freezing is very effective against big game either when hunting them or being hunted by them.

So remember, next time you hear the old "fight or flight" line freeze, and remember the third option nobody ever seems to talk about.

You've been warned

2007-02-25T20:07:00.000-05:00

A common mistake by people using the bathroom is to hang their jacket on the hook conveniently located on the stall door.

The thief waits a few seconds till you get to a point where giving chase isn't going to happen anytime soon, sticks his hand over the stall door and legs it with your jacket in hand.

If you're travelling this can be disastrous as most people keep their tickets and passport inside their coat pocket for easy access while boarding and passing through the ubiquitous security checkpoints.

Either keep wearing it, or use the handicap stall and stick it on the railing provided inside but don't hang it behind the door.

Where You Gonna Go?

2007-02-22T00:11:00.000-05:00

While working in executive protection in the UK I landed the gig protecting soap opera star Emma Sands for her wedding and reception. I had to take her from the registry office all the way out to Pinewood Studios on the day which meant advance work the day before.

That involved walking all over the two locations, liaising with people who needed to be liaised with and, most importantly, planning the route. Paul D who I was working with on the gig, and myself, ran a standard advance which for the uninitiated involves mapping out all the exits, times of traffic lights, alternate routes, whereabouts of hospitals, police stations and so on.

That way, if en route to the reception there's an accident for example, security knows immediately where to go for help.

There's a lesson to be learned here for civilians. Do you (or your significant other) drive home the same way from work everyday? Do they do the same drive on the weekends going to the in-laws for dinner? If so, do you know at any given point in the trip where is the nearest hospital, fire station, police station, 24 hour grocery store or garage etc? They should, and so should you.

Imagine your wife is coming home late one night and is being followed by a car load of thugs? Would she come home and bring trouble with her? Or would she know EVERY location on the way home that's open 24/7 so all she has to do is drive there knowing it will be open and staffed?

[Imagine how long a guy is going to last chasing a damsel in distress into a fire station full of firemen?]

And don't park outside...if it's necessary...if it's life threatening, drive right through the front doors of the place. That will get someones attention.

Nick
Learn to save yourself...no one else will do it for you.

Wedgies

2007-02-21T00:51:00.000-05:00

Connie Francis the singer was robbed and raped in a NY city hotel many years ago and it was her celebrity status that caused it to make the news and not much else. To add insult to injury her bodyguard was in the next room while the attack went on for two hours.

Hotel security is always scant at best. The safes in the room can't be trusted, the safety chains wouldn't stop a determined eight year old and with poor key control nobody knows who can access your room.

One aid that I always carry, either when I travel myself or with clients, is a simple rubber door wedge. They cost less than three dollars and buy you a hell of a lot of peace of mind and they take up almost no space at all in your luggage.

I wonder what would cost more...a bodyguard or the door stop? So yourself a favor and grab a couple next time you're at Lowes/Home Depot and keep them in your luggage. They're worth their weight in gold.

Nick

Putting It To Rest

2007-02-20T00:04:00.000-05:00

I was working security Saturday night and talking with a customer while we had them waiting at the door. He knew I'd been involved in martial arts and asked me if it was true you could hit someone in the nose and drive their nose bone into their brain. Whaaaaa???!!!

Is that one still really floating around? I thought it went out with having to tell people you're a black belt before you hit them and registering your hands with the police as deadly weapons. Apparently not.

So, if you happen to know anyone who still thinks that it's true - or if you think so yourself - here's the deal. NO...YOU CAN'T!

See the big hole where the nose would be? There is no bone! It's normally a piece of cartilage and that's it. Note also how far it is from the brain.

The only thing I'm aware of that could even come close would be someone immensely big, hitting someone very tiny and breaking a small piece of the bone at the top of the nose area and driving a sliver into what is called the cribiform plate. This could, in theory, allow mucus into the brain cavity which could lead to a bacterial infection provided the victim couldn't get to a hospital in 24 hours. But if someone that big is hitting someone that small, I think you've got other things to worry about.

So please, spread the word and lets put that old chestnut to bed.

Security Driving Tip

2007-02-19T00:18:00.000-05:00

This one comes straight out of body guarding 101 but applies across the board.

Whenever you're driving in traffic and you pull up to a car in front, make sure you can see the bottom of his back tyres (tires for the American readers) over the hood (bonnet for the English) of your car.

If you can it means you have enough room to hook your wheels left or right and get out of there should the need arise. If you're so close you can't and something happens you're either going to have to ram the car in front or wait till he moves...neither of which are good options, especially if he's part of a set-up.

Simple technique - the best ones often are - but worth its weight in gold given the amount of car-jackings and road-rage incidents there are in the world today.

Given the amount of time people spend in their vehicles I'll spend a fair amount of time on tips and tricks that will make you safer while you're doing it.

Nick

Pickpockets

2007-02-16T02:43:00.000-05:00

I was talking to a mate today and remembered a portion of my hotel security lecture. In India, when you walk outside one of the very biggest hotels, there is a huge sign strung across the road saying "Beware of Pick Pockets." Conveniently, the sign is in several different languages.

The amusing thing is that it's the local pick pockets who put the sign up!!!

What's the first thing the average tourist does when he sees the sign? Pats his pocket where his wallet is to reassure himself it's still where he put it. In so doing, of course he lets the pickpocket know where it is thus saving the enterprising thief time.

The very best art those from Sth America who target London and Paris during the holiday seasons. They work in teams and quickly pass the lifted wallet from team member to team member. Even if you feel it gone and grab the guy you think has it, it is already five team members away.

According to the copper I trained with in London, they mail them back en masse to a post box in their home town thus insuring there's no evidence to be found during a search at the airport or their flat.

You can make their job a tad harder. Immediately check after you've been "bumped" by anyone. Carry your wallet, or cash, in your front pockets and never an inside pocket on a jacket which is the easiest of all to lift. Ladies keep your pocket books/purses closed at all times. The biker trick of keeping a chain attached to your wallet and your belt isn't bad either. Doesn't look very fasionable but good luck getting one of those away from someone.

One of my mates on a body guard team I worked on had Velcro on his and Velcro in his pocket so it involved a modicum of effort to get it out.

Cut To Shreds

2007-02-14T20:51:00.000-05:00

Do yourself a favour...if you don't have a cross-cut shredder yet get one tomorrow and start using it.

ID theft is a huge problem...and getting bigger all the time. Contrary to what Hollywood would have you believe the bad guys aren't hacking into your computer to get your info...they raid your letterbox and they raid your trash.

As a former Private Investigator a useful tool for us was to take some one's garbage and sort through it. You would be astounded at the amount of personal information people are dumping in their trash, assuming, incorrectly, that's once it's there it's safe from prying eyes. IT'S NOT!!!

When it comes to shredders the best ones are the cross cut shredders. (That means it cuts the paper both lengthwise and longways) Regular strip shredders can be circumvented by taking out the paper and (laboriously) putting it all back together. You can't do that with a cross cut because it makes your documents look like confetti.

What should go in the shredder? Pretty much anything that has an account number on it, phone number, address, PIN, Social Security Number et al.

Don't forget...the hundred dollars the shredder will cost is way cheaper and more convenient than sorting out a stolen identity and all the aggravation that surrounds repairing the damage.

Nick

My Mate Marcus

2007-02-14T00:40:00.000-05:00

If you're reading this blog you probably enjoy the same things I do. If that's the case, and you've never had the pleasure of reading Marcus Wynne's stuff...do yourself a favor and pick up any one of his excellent three books.

Marcus' site can be found here Marcus Wynne and you can read all about this amazing man on his home page.

His books are a tour de force with regards to being realistic and he's one of a rare few men I have a lot of time for.

Nick

PS: He's written a 4th book which is currently at the publishers. I had the good fortune and pleasure to read the first chapter (and now I chew my finger nails waiting for it to come out so I can see how the damned thing ends LOL) when Marcus was here with our mutual friend, and another legend, Dennis Martin.

Millions of Boy Scouts Have it Wrong???

2007-02-13T00:09:00.000-05:00

A lot of people (who should know better) accuse me of being paranoid because I'll sit in a restaurant facing the door, kick a wedge under a hotel door, and use the stall in the bathroom instead of the urinal etc. These same folks all wear their seat belts when they drive however, which just proves that hypocrisy is alive and well in the good old US of A.

Why is putting on a seat belt to protect oneself in the unlikely event of an accident any different than kicking a wedge under a hotel door in the unlikely event of someone trying to break into the room? Why is it any different than popping into the stall instead of using the urinal in the unlikely event of a mugging or assault in the bathroom?

Let's look at the word paranoia. According to the dictionary, it's most commonly a baseless fear of others and I'm not afraid. If I was, I'd be home hiding under the bed. Next, my concerns are not baseless as you've only got to watch the local news or read the paper (Or work as a bouncer, bodyguard or military police officer for instance) to learn about the amount of assaults that take place on innocent members of the public every day.

So either the seat belt user is also paranoid or we're both simply prepared...only I'm prepared for more things than they are.

That's the other thing that I don't get. It's not like taking those precautions take a significant amount of time. How long does it take to take the chair facing the door instead of the other one? How long does it take to walk into the stall instead of standing in the open? How long does it take to kick the wedge under the door of the hotel room? All of them take about the same amount of time it takes to put on a seat belt I reckon and, if you practice them for twenty-one days, just like the seat belt, they become second nature.

The Boy Scouts have it right...BE PREPARED

Nick

Out With The Old, In With The New

2007-02-09T00:08:00.000-05:00

A lot of advice that was good years ago isn't so good now. Take for example the old saw about surrendering your valuables if you got mugged. Remember the line..."your watch won't die for you, you shouldn't die for it."

That used to be great advice. No amount of money in your wallet was worth losing your life over so give it up. Nowadays however a disturbing new trend is occurring. More and more muggers and criminal low-lifes are killing people anyway, whether they hand over their belongings or not. A search of Google will show up examples including the "all over the news" one in Washington DC not so long ago.

The jury is currently out on this but don't expect the forward thinkers of modern self defense to take long to begin advising fight back regardless.

Nick

PS: The old time muggers must be lamenting this change...you know, the ones that used to give you five bucks back for a cab home, providing you asked nicely. Pretty soon, when the word gets around, and everyone starts fighting back, they're actually going to have to start working for their money.

Things That Make You Go Hmmmm

2007-02-05T10:42:00.000-05:00

When I went to school and got caught playing up I was physically belted by the teacher - anything from a wooden duster hurled at my head, to being picked up out of my seat by the sideburn to a physical clout across the back of the bonce. None of it did any physical damage but it bloody hurt.

At that point I was sent outside to stand in the hallway where, if I was spotted by the monitor, taken along to the headmaster's office for a caning. This would be one to six strokes of a bamboo rod across my behind. Again, no lasting physical damage but lots of pain.

He, the headmaster, would then phone my mother who, upon my arrival home would order me to my room, minus an afternoon snack and minus the right to go play with my mates, to await the arrival of my father. (psychological warfare anyone?)

She would, upon his arrival home, relay the message from school and another beating would ensue despite my pretending to be asleep and or other equally useless strategies designed to evoke sympathy. Again, no lasting physical damage from any of the corporal punishment, just hurt at the time and reinforced the message to toe the line or else.

FOUR punishments for one transgression (which, when you figure I was only caught about one in four times was about right)

NOBODY who grew up in that environment ever talked back to teachers, threatened physical violence or took guns to school and shot everyone who pissed them off. We were too damned scared of what would happen to us if we did.

Nowadays we have these wizard politically correct child rearing experts who have decided spanking is bad and parents, who unlike mine, not only won't side with the school when their beloved, perfect, can do no wrong offspring plays up, but actually try and sue the school and the teachers, if they lay a hand on their brat.

And now, said brats go to school threatening teachers, shooting teachers and classmates and teachers actually receive memos warning them not to chastise kids in front of their peers lest they feel disrespected and come back and shoot you. (True story...one of my karate students is a teacher and I saw the memo)

I'll leave you all to draw the necessary conclusions from this but know this, if (and it's a HUGE if) I ever have kids I'll sue the school system every day they don't belt my child at least once.

Nick

Running on Empty

2007-02-03T18:26:00.000-05:00

One of the tips I picked up on one of the body guard courses I did was treat the halfway mark on your gas gauge in your car as your new empty mark. In other words that gas tank should NEVER be less than half full. (or more than half empty, for all you pessimists reading this.)

Think about it for a minute...

You're driving home and notice you're being followed
You're at home and one of the kids has an accident and you need to get to the emergency room asap
The dog/cat needs an emergency ride to the vets
You're driving somewhere, get in a road rage incident and some clown is chasing you trying to shoot you

The list could go on but you get the idea. Having at least a half tank of gas at all times is strategically smart and buys you peace of mind.

A good drill is to get a mate/spouse/significant other and tell them...if you ever get in the car and I have less than half a tank dinner/coffee is on me, or pay them ten bucks every time they catch you. That will give you the incentive to treat it with the importance it deserves.

Nick

PS: If you have a relatively small gas tank in your car (My Beemer has a 26 gallon tank, my old Explorer had a 15) and can't stand the stopping to gas up all the time change it to the 1/4 full mark.

Buddy Act

2007-02-02T18:58:00.000-05:00

As a recon diver in the Foreign Legion it was drummed into us again and again...never, ever dive without a buddy. If anything happened - cramps, run out of air, trapped, wounded, bitten by something nasty etc - your partner was there to render aid and assistance.

That's not a bad idea for women to adopt when out and about. We'd practice snatch and grabs during commando training - ride up in a van, grab someone off the street for intelligence gathering purposes - and doing it on one person was easy...on two, a nightmare.

Talk to any burglar (or commando) and one guard dog is relatively easy to deal with. Two again, presents a huge problem. It's the same for a human predator trying to get a hold of a victim. Put yourself in his shoes...you have one lone woman walking to her car in a car park...or you have two of them. Who's going to be easier to control and deal with?

I know it's not always going to be possible but, if it's a shopping trip during holidays (crime rate goes up big time during holidays), a night out on the town or going somewhere unfamiliar, plan the trip with a mate.

Nick

Sign of the times

2007-02-01T01:09:00.000-05:00

It's fast reaching the point where bouncers in Charlotte are going to have to work wearing bullet resistant vests.

Two weeks ago, one of my students had a gun pulled on him and his co-worker while they did security at a club. They'd refused a guy entry and so he pulled a pistol and threatened to shoot them.

Sunday night, at a club called Crush, two folks were shot in the legs while on the dance floor. What's even scarier about that one is that the consensus is that it was an accident; i.e some numb skull dropped a weapon they were carrying illegally and it went off. (A perfect illustration by the way, of the cheap nature of thugs and the junk they buy. A good quality weapon wouldn't have gone off just because it fell on the ground)

Another bouncer was shot a few months ago in a parking lot outside the club trying to break up some trouble.

When I did door work years ago the chances of someone coming back with a gun was somewhat slim and it was usually reserved for doorman who'd gone overboard and crossed a line. Now it seems to be for any damn reason at all.

Be careful out there

Nick

Take ten

2007-01-31T10:19:00.000-05:00

One of the things I learnt during my time in the Foreign Legion was that time spent gathering intel was very rarely wasted. It's a lesson I teach my students and people who attend my personal safety presentation.

When you exit the house, pause at the door and take ten to fifteen seconds to observe your surroundings. Does everything look ok? When you exit the mall, same thing, pause for a few seconds, work out where your car is parked, study the path between you and it...is there a group loitering, is there a van parked next to it with the engine idling, is there a gun fight going on between gang bangers? Most people are so absorbed with their purchases that they neglect to do this and next minute they're victims.

This tip saved my neighbor in Wilmington. She'd attended a presentation I did for a group of business women and a few weeks later she came home and did the fifteen second observation routine from her car while sitting in the driveway. She noticed a window open and scuff marks from feet up the front wall of the house. She drove away and called the cops - smart girl - who came and found evidence of an attempted break in. She told me later that prior to that lecture she'd have waltzed inside and possibly turned a break in into a murder by surprising the intruder and causing him to panic.

Nick

Bubba git your gun

2007-01-30T00:55:00.000-05:00

I was at our local gun show one day and wearing a t-shirt with a martial arts logo on it. One (of the big fat tobacco chewing kind) redneck saw the shirt and commented to his mate "Hell, I'd just shoot him...yuk yuk."
I smiled and said "Got your gun on you?"
"Well hell no...you can't bring 'em in heah" he replied
"Exactly" I said and walked off.

And guess where else you can't bring them?

On planes, in airports, anywhere that serves alcohol, in post offices, in banks, on school grounds, into the court house, on government property, into businesses who've posted signs saying you can't and several states in the USA...oh, and gun shows.

I've probably missed a few locations but you get the general idea...anyone who's putting his entire defensive strategy in his pistol ownership and shooting abilities just hasn't thought things through.

Maybe Bubba thought I was putting all of mine in martial arts (which some naive martial artists do) but I own weapons as well and train with them fairly consistently...tactically as well, not just on paper targets that don't move or shoot back.

So what's your plan? Got all your bases covered or just one of them?

Nick

Guns and knives

2007-01-29T13:31:00.000-05:00

I'm sure everyone remembers the classic line in "The Untouchables" when Sean Connery says "isn't that just like a wop? Brings a knife to a gun fight." While it was cute in the film the reality is sadly different. At close range the knife is oft times the winner.

I first ran into this on a body guard course in England run by Dennis Martin and SAS Sgt Lofty Weismann when we did something called the "twenty-one foot" rule down on the range. We had holstered pistols, our opponents had knives. The instant they ran at us our objective was to draw the pistol and shoot them. Twenty-one feet away...how hard could that be? Everyone there assumed it would be like shooting fish in a barrel.

Big surprise...the guys with the blades beat us...every...single...time. Keep in mind that we knew they had knives, and in the real world you usually don't, and two we didn't have any lag time of realizing we were actually under attack. We'd already been told what he had and what was happening. Compare that to the real world when you've got to first take in the fact you're actually under attack, then get lucky enough to see the blade, realize it's deadly force and go for your gun. Can't be done.

Another thing to keep in mind is that we all wore accessible holsters and had been practicing drawing at speed from under a jacket all week long. Where is your concealed piece? In a pocket book, a pocket holster, buried under layers of clothing? What condition do you carry it in? Some people don't have a round chambered when they're carrying? Is the safety on...have you practiced disengaging that under combat stress?

Let's assume for one minute you're lightening Jack and quick enough to get it out and on target (and I've yet to see someone who can) so you get a round off, even two...it's not Hollywood...they're not going to get blown back fifteen feet. Their momentum is going to carry them right into you, hacking and stabbing.

Just like the last post...you better have a plan b if plan a is "hey I carry I gun so I don't need anything else."

Nick

RUN Forrest, RUNNNNN

2007-01-26T00:57:00.000-05:00

One of my pet peeves is the advice I see on a thousand web sites regarding fighting someone with a knife...and that is "just run away" or the ever-cute "use Nike-fu, and run like the wind."

Well, let's start with the obvious...how do you know you're faster than the kid with the knife? There's no way of looking at people and determining who's fleetest of foot until you've run a race. Also consider the kid doing the knifing is probably a skinny drug addict and he's chosen an overweight, Rolex wearing businessman as his victim. Sorry, but I don't want to discover he's quicker by getting a knife between the shoulder blades as I huff and puff down the street.

Where exactly are you running to? In a panic you might just be jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. Are you running away from the well-lit public arena into a blind alley? Are you - as happened once that I know of - about to jump over what you think is a fence to discover an eighty foot drop on to railroad tracks on the other side?

Who's with you? Got a wife/girlfriend wearing six inch heels in a parking lot? "Run honey" or in other words "Every man for himself" said the elephant as he danced among the chickens. How about a couple of kids and a few bags of shopping?

Why are they doing this? Are you a security guard, cop, bouncer, soldier, body guard or a cop by chance? Guess what? They don't hire you to run. They can do that already...they want you because you're the guy that gets paid to go into harms way.

Last...running often activates the prey drive in predatory types. Just as the advice concerning dogs and wild animals is never to run for fear you'll encourage them to chase you, so it should be with predatory human beings.

Does that mean I'm advocating standing and fighting? Not at all. Fighting someone armed with a knife is a truly horrific experience and, without years of very pertinent training, your chances of winning it are slim but, I just don't want you all to walk around with your head you know where saying "someone pulls a knife on me, I'll just run." You'd better have a plan B for the exceptions that I mentioned above.

Nick

PS: Oh, and if you think carrying a gun is the answer you're dead wrong...emphasis on the word "dead." More on that tomorrow

Tactics, Techniques and Mindset continued

2007-01-24T01:16:00.000-05:00

Last post I talked about the importance of learning tactics and mind-set along with techniques.

As promised I want to go into why that may not be enough in this post.

For years I've argued with people in the martial arts (some Big Names) about whether sports versions of the traditional martial arts are valid in the street. They're stance - no pun intended - is that they are whereas I think they're not. The arguments I've heard is that they, in the sporting arena, are dealing with the stress and adrenalin of using their techniques under fire and, that if they have the speed to outscore someone, they can use that speed hitting someone in the street.

Here's my problem with all of that.

If we agree that we need techniques and tactics and mindset to win then we have to explore whether the techniques, tactics and mind-set are the same in the sporting version as the street version.

Well, to put it bluntly, most of the techniques I teach in Fight Survival are those outlawed in competition. To compete with someone we have to make it safe. To make it safe we have to eliminate techniques that have a propensity to severely injure someone else. We take out eye gouging, biting, small joint locks, leg breaks, throat punching, knives and weapons etc. In the street however, in a life and death struggle with three home invaders for example, they're exactly the type of techniques I'll be resorting to.

Competitions on the other hand, in a bid to please audiences, encourage spectacular gymnastic style moves by awarding more points for more difficulty. From tournaments in the seventies, noted for their almost exclusive use of front kicks and reverse punches, we now see moves that would put the average Olympic gymnast to shame.

The techniques therefore are clearly different in the real world and in the ring.

What about tactics?

Two common tactics you'll see at tournaments all the time are a) feigning injury to get the other guy disqualified for excessive contact and, b) getting half a point (what the hell is half a point?) ahead and keeping away from the other guy till the bell goes. Think you can use either of those two in a biker bar? Hardly

In the street we see an entirely different set of tactics. We see people hitting victims when they're not ready - or task fixated - and we see them ganging up on someone to outnumber them. While they're both incredibly effective strategies in the street I can't imagine seeing them anytime soon in the local boxing tournament. Imagine how well you'd do in the UFC or Pride if all you had to do was hit the current champ over the head from behind with a baseball bat while he was signing autographs? What about climbing into the ring with Oscar de LaHoya but bringing along twenty of your mates to help you?

Alright, so the tactics are also different.

Lastly we get to mindset.

Quite simply the mindset in a sporting event is "If I don't win I don't go home with a trophy." In a fight for your life in a parking deck somewhere it's more "If I don't win, I won't go home...ever." Take a bunch of your mates and ask them if they'd like to go paint balling in the woods. Chances are they'll all say yes. Now, see how many of the same bunch are willing to go down the local recruiting office and volunteer for a tour of Iraq. Unless you run with the sort of guys I do my bet is most of them will cry off. Our tournament fighter, with doctors in attendance, rules to protect him, an equally skilled opponent and safe techniques isn't really in fear for his life and that's the difference.

So, tactics, techniques and mindset are all different depending on whether you're in a sporting environment or a lethal one. Don't let the local instructor con you in to believing he's teaching self defense if he's not. Study hard the techniques, the tactics and the mind-set that they're teaching you and ask yourself the important question if you thinks it's preparing you for a real life and death struggle.

Techniques, Tactics & Mindset.

2007-01-23T21:16:00.000-05:00

Years ago I was trying to figure out what you needed, other than techniques, to win a fight. I was trying to fathom that because a lot of martial artists were constantly being beaten by the average street fighter without any formal training.

I boiled it down to three things. Techniques, Tactics and Mindset. The analogy I use to illustrate the difference between them is that of four police officers rushing to an armed robbery in progress. The first cop to arrive has great technique - in this example that means he is a class A pistol shot and can hit flys off a pig's back at 300 yds. He stands in the middle of the parking lot and gets shot by the bad guys before he can even fire a round. Why? Because he lacked the tactical training that would have taught him to take cover.

The next cop has had such tactical training and is also a good shot. He takes cover behind the engine block of the car and draws his weapon, but, faced with a real live human as a target, instead of a piece of paper at the range, finds he can't bring himself to pull the trigger and kill another person.

The third cop has no such qualms...he wants desperately to shoot all the bad guys and he's tactically trained so he knows to take cover to. Unfortunately, because his technique is poor, he shoots himself in the foot, his partner in the leg, the lights of his cruiser, pigeons on the roof and an old lady at the bus stop.

Only the fourth officer, aware enough of tactics to take cover, technically skilled enough to hit what he aims at, and, most importantly with the mental wherewithal to drop the hammer on another human can possibly prevail.

So, what do you learn at your school? A bunch of techniques only? Or are you learning tactics and mind-set to?

Tune in to the next post and I'll explain why, even if you are learning those three, it still may not be enough.

Nick

Merlin the Magician's Been At It Again

2007-01-22T23:03:00.000-05:00

Well I just heard it on the news again...my all time favourite jackass statement from a crime victim. A woman had been hit at the ATM and said on the news "He came out of nowhere."

Apparently Merlin the Magician is alive and well and operating as a criminal all over the world. I mean think about that for a second "He came out of nowhere." What does that mean? You're sitting at the lights, boom, all of a sudden there's a puff of smoke and there he is, the criminal, right out of...well, nowhere! What an act, what a genius...David Blane, eat your heart out.

The true version of that statement should probably read "I was sitting at the lights, PUTTING ON MY MAKEUP, while GABBING ON MY CELLPHONE and EATING MY EGG McMUFFIN when the criminal, who had been watching me for a few minutes, determined that I was sufficiently task fixated to not notice his approach.

Of course a statement like that would actually lay some of the blame for the assault at the feet of our hapless victim which, in America's "I can do no wrong" society just wouldn't fly so instead we go with the Merlin approach.

So, one step to severely lessen the chance of you ever being chosen as a victim by a crook is to keep your wits about you and try not to get task fixated. If you can do that, all the ordinary crooks will leave you alone. Then, all we have to do is get the Lady of the Lake to stick Merlin back in his glass prison and we'll all be safe.

Nick

PS: Maybe the Beatles bumped into him as well...

He's a real nowhere Man,
Sitting in his Nowhere Land,
Making all his nowhere plans
for nobody.