The Personal Safety Blog

BOOK RECOMENDATION: Deep Survival - Laurence Gonzales

2008-11-21T14:22:00.000-08:00

Deep Survival has made a profound and lasting impression on wilderness travelers and extreme sport enthusiasts. It is being used by the head of training for the Navy SEALs and by wildland firefighters, police, and others.

CONCEPT LESSON LINK: Executive Protection - John J. Enright

2008-11-21T07:28:00.000-08:00

Executive Protection: More than just the Beef
By John J. Enright, Partner
Personal Safety, LLC.

Celebrities, VIPs, high-ranking corporate executives and politicians are often seen in public surrounded by burly men with stern looks, dark shades and earpieces. In the executive protection business, we refer to this as “close protection”. In my former career as a United States Secret Service Agent – assigned for several years to the Presidential Protection Division at the White House – close protection of our “protectee” was just one facet of the multi-layered protocols used to safeguard elected officials and heads of state...

REALITY CHECK: Panhellenic sororities conned in self-defense seminar

2008-11-19T07:21:00.000-08:00

Man provides free safety seminar to sell pepper spray.

The Panhellenic Council sponsored a self-defense seminar last week in Freeborn Hall for hundreds of sorority sisters with an instructor who turned out to be a con artist...

VIDEO OF ASSAULT: Child Kidnap Attempt Foiled by Another Child

2008-11-17T12:33:00.000-08:00

COMMENTARY:
This video illustrates that many predators have a predetermined plan for how they intend to subdue their victim. If the intended victim is able to disrupt the plan somehow, it may be enough to cause the predator to break off the assault.

- E.Kondo

COMEDY BREAK: Board Breaking Gone Wrong

2008-11-15T17:53:00.000-08:00

A short video demonstrating the perils of board breaking with your head.

BOOK RECOMENDATION: On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill - By Lt. Col. Dave Grossman

2008-11-15T17:19:00.000-08:00

On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill. What makes soldiers kill--or not--animates this intriguing survey by a psychologist and former U.S. Army officer. Col. Grossman reveals that only a fraction of soldiers kill during warfare (and feel revulsion when they do); the rest (about 85 percent in World War II) resist by missing the target or refusing to fire.

VIDEO LESSON: Tony Blauer on the Startle/Flinch Response

2008-11-15T13:05:00.000-08:00

Tony Blauer explaining some fundamentals of the Startle/Flinch response and its importance in training for real confrontations.
Tony Blauer on the Startle/Flinch Response

BOOK RECOMENDATION: The Gift of Fear - Gavin de Becker

2008-11-15T12:11:00.000-08:00

The GIFT of Fear In this empowering book, Gavin de Becker shows you how to spot even subtle signs of danger—before it's too late. Shattering the myth that most violent acts are unpredictable, de Becker, whose clients include top Hollywood stars and government agencies, offers specific ways to protect yourself and those you love.

BOOK RECOMENDATION: The 33 Strategies of War - Robert Greene

2005-01-01T20:02:00.000-08:00

Life is endless battle and conflict, and you cannot fight effectively unless you can identify your enemies..."

CONCEPT LESSON LINK: On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheep Dogs

2005-01-01T17:25:00.000-08:00

ON SHEEP, WOLVES, AND SHEEPDOGS - LTC(RET) Dave Grossman, RANGER, Ph.D.,author of "On Killing."
Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age. It does sobecause honor is, finally, about defending those noble and worthy things that deserve defending, even if it comes at a high cost...

VIDEO LESSON: Beware of One Who Has Nothing to Lose.

2004-01-01T19:16:00.000-08:00

Beware of one who has nothing to lose.
-Proverb, Italian

VIDEO LESSON: He Who Strikes First, Strikes Twice

2004-01-01T19:04:00.000-08:00

He who strikes first, strikes twice.
-Proverb, Mexican

COMMENTARY:
This situation, while clearly not self-defense, begins with the combatants first attempting to deter the fight with the use of intimidation. Intimidation is not an effective means to prevent a fight. It does however, provide the opportunity to mentally prepare, and send adrenaline to the body for action.

The shorter attacker, reacts instantly to the trigger to act (in this situation, the trigger to act may have been nothing more than the blink of the eye of the opponent, or it may have been an internal a mental trigger) and lands a knockout blow. Given the closeness of the combatants, and the fact that they both had their hands down, either one had the ability to land a knockout blow.

An important point to keep in mind is that if you are the one who is struck first, then you should immediately expect an incoming followup strike from your opponent. If you are the one who strikes first, then you need to followup with additional strikes.

- E. Kondo

WEAPONS THAT MISS THE POINT: The Sap Cap

2003-01-01T16:32:00.000-08:00

The Sap Cap.

VIDEO LESSON: It's Not the Size of the Dog in the Fight...

2001-01-01T18:59:00.000-08:00

It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.
-Twain, Mark

IN THE NEWS: Loring Park Victim Clings to Life After Attack

2000-01-01T19:53:00.000-08:00

http://wcco.com/local/attacks.D.Arcy.2.362450.html
A Gang Of Four Mercilessly Beats Wheelchair-Bound Double Amputee- Sue Turner Minneapolis (CBS) ―

A Minneapolis man -- a wheelchair-bound double amputee and paraplegic -- has been fighting for his life for more than a week after being mercilessly beaten by four street hoods whose apparent motivation was more the thrill of violence than the theft his money.D'Arcy Washington, 33, was repeatedly beaten with a tire iron on at 11:15 p.m. Oct. 11 near the intersection of Ontario and Lyndale after he parked his truck on the I-94 service road near Loring Park in Minneapolis. A witness' 911 call probably meant the difference between life and death for the father of six children. Police describe the suspects as four African American males ranging in age from 18 to 30.

NEWS STORY LESSON: 18 Year Old Sexually Assaulted

2000-01-01T17:57:00.000-08:00

http://www.nbc4.com/news/14601044/detail.html?rss=dc&psp=newsPOSTED
12:14 am EST November 15, 2007UPDATED: 6:38 am EST November 15, 2007FAIRFAX

COUNTY, Va. -- At least one, possibly two, sexual predators were on the loose in Fairfax County on Wednesday night, police said.Wednesday morning, a man wearing a ski mask attacked a woman. On Wednesday night, police said the same man may have carried out several more attacks across Northern Virginia.An 18-year-old woman said she was assaulted while walking on Industrial Road at about 5:45 a.m. The Springfield-area victim was approached from behind by a man. (Selection of Victim) She said he forced her off the road (Physical Attack) and into a remote area, where he sexually assaulted her (Completion of the Crime).

WEAPONS THAT MISS THE POINT: The Defense Wrench

2000-01-01T16:41:00.000-08:00

Defense Wrench.

CONCEPT LESSON LINK: Self-Defense - The Legal Definition

2000-01-01T11:27:00.000-08:00

Self-defense is the protection of one's person or property against some injury attempted by another.

The right of self-defense (also called alter ego defense, defense of others, defense of a third person) is the right for civilians acting on their own behalf to engage in violence for the sake of defending one's own life or the lives of others, including the use of deadly force.

self-defense definition

Use of reasonable force (as compared with the attacker's force) in protection of one's person, family, property, or anyone else against attempted or threatened attack. Legal doctrine of self defense justifies a preemptive action taken in the reasonable belief of immediate danger, without making any retreat, and may (specially in case of provocation) condone killing of the perpetrator of a murderous attack.

VIDEO LESSON: He Who Fights and Runs Away ...

1998-01-01T18:52:00.000-08:00

For he that fights and runs away, may live to fight another day, but he, who is in battle slain, can never rise and fight again.
- Goldsmith, Oliver

COMMENTARY:
An example what happens when the self-defense stages of DETER and DISRUPT are not followed up by DISENGAGE.

In this situation, the caribou after a well executed DETER & DISRUPT, lost sight of the fact that the immediate goal of self-defense is to DISENGAGE. It appears that even caribou suffer from over confidence, and are consumed by the desires of the "ego". Although, it is possible that the caribou having faught countless battles of domination with other male caribou, "forgot" that unlike his usual combatant, the bear's immediate goal was to eat him.

- E. Kondo

CONCEPT LESSON LINK: States of Awareness - The Cooper Color Codes

1997-01-01T17:14:00.000-08:00

Most people stumble through life, blissfully unaware of the world around them. They remain preoccupied with thoughts of work, or personal problems, or how to get a date, or other trivialities, with no thought to their immediate environment. By not paying attention to their surroundings, they place themselves in needless jeopardy ...

WEAPONS THAT MISS THE POINT: Vending Machine Disguise

1997-01-01T16:48:00.000-08:00

Vending Machine Disguise.

NEWS STORY LESSON: Teenager Fights Off Sexual Assault, Police Search for 2 Men

1995-01-01T18:12:00.000-08:00

http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/stories/KTVKLNews_20071119_secretwitness.1c238afa.html02:34 PM Mountain Standard Time on Monday, November 19, 2007Silent Witness / Phoenix Police

PHOENIX -- Below is a release by the Phoenix Police Department regarding an attempted sexual assault: The crime occurred at approximately 2:00 a.m. when the victim was driving in the area of 59th Avenue and Glendale. The suspects struck her vehicle with their own, then fired a weapon at her (Selection of Victim). As she attempted to flee they followed her down the access road at 59th Avenue and Campbell where she entered a dead end. Her car was blocked in and the suspects forcibly pulled her from her car (Physical Attack) and tried to force her into their van. She fought them (DISRUPT) and was subsequently thrown to the ground and her clothes partially removed. The suspects attempted to sexually assault her (Physical Attack) and she continued to fight as she was being physically assaulted. (DISRUPT) She broke free (DISENGAGE) and was confronted by the second suspect who was in the victim's vehicle. It was at this time that investigators believe the suspects were interrupted by nearby citizens and fled the crime scene (Completion of the Crime) in their own vehicle. The victim sustained serious, but not life threatening injuries (After Effects)

CONCEPT LESSON LINK: 50 Self Defense Tips For Women

1995-01-01T18:05:00.000-08:00

In the United States, every two minutes a woman is raped.
If you were attacked tomorrow, would you be prepared to fend off the attacker? Would you be able to escape?...

BOOK RECOMENDATION: Sharpening the Warriors Edge: The Psychology & Science of Training - Bruce Siddle

1995-01-01T17:33:00.000-08:00

Sharpening the Warriors Edge: The Psychology & Science of Training is the first text which examines survival and combat performance from a scientific perspective. Author Bruce K. Siddle methodically brings together one hundred years of research which identifies the relationship between survival stress, the heart rate and combat performance.

VIDEO LESSON: Ego Fights Are Not Assaults

1995-01-01T07:37:00.000-08:00

WEAPONS THAT MISS THE POINT: Bulletproof Briefcase

1994-01-01T16:55:00.000-08:00

Bulletproof briefcase.

WEAPONS THAT MISS THE POINT: Blast Knuckles

1991-01-01T17:06:00.000-08:00

Blast Knuckes.

CONCEPT LESSON LINK: The OODA Loop, Observe Orient Decide Act - John Boyd

1990-01-01T18:57:00.000-08:00

The OODA Loop (for Observe, Orient, Decide and Act) is a concept applied to the combat operations process, often at strategic level in both the military and commercial operations. It was created by military strategist and USAF Colonel John Boyd.

COMMENTARY:
The following section of the article on the OODA Loop can be used to interpret the chaos of the fight depicted in the video clip.

"The key is to obscure your intentions and make them unpredictable to your opponent while you simultaneously clarify his intentions. That is, operate at a faster tempo to generate rapidly changing conditions that inhibit your opponent from adapting or reacting to those changes and that suppress or destroy his awareness. Thus, a hodgepodge of confusion and disorder occur to cause him to over- or under-react to conditions or activities that appear to be uncertain, ambiguous, or incomprehensible."

In the video, the assailant obscures his intentions with verbal banter. His use of verbal banter causes his victim to also engage in verbal banter. The victim enters a verbal banter OODA feedback loop. Once the assailant determined that the victim was stuck in a verbal loop, he changed the tempo to a physical attack. The victim, still struck in verbal mode, under-reacts, and is easily defeated.
- E. Kondo

NEWS STORY LESSON: Deli Owner Fights Off Alleged Robber With Machete

1990-01-01T18:18:00.000-08:00

http://www.wnbc.com/news/14538424/detail.htmlPOSTED:
6:35 am EST November 8, 2007UPDATED: 8:48 am EST November 8, 2007NEW YORK --

New York City police said a deli owner being robbed at gunpoint refused the man's demands and struck him with a machete (DISRUPT), slicing off a finger and wounding him in the head and arm. Police said the 28-year-old alleged robber was taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he was listed in serious but stable condition Wednesday night. Police have not released his name.The man had a 40-caliber semi-automatic and fired twice during the holdup in Woodhaven, Queens, according to police.

IN THE NEWS: Man in a Wheelchair Disarmed and Fatally Shot a Home Intruder with the Intruder's Own Gun.

1990-01-01T11:03:00.000-08:00

The Associated Press
Article Launched: 10/26/2007 05:42:27 AM MDT

DALLAS—Dallas police say a man in a wheelchair disarmed and fatally shot a home intruder with the intruder's own gun.
The shooting happened just before 3 a.m. Friday at the man's apartment in the Village Oaks Apartments in the Fruitdale neighborhood, south of downtown Dallas.

Investigators say the man was able to wrestle the gun away from the intruder and shoot him. The suspected burglar died a short time later at Baylor University Medical Center.

No identities have been released. Police say the case will be submitted to a Dallas County grand jury for review, but no charges will be filed.

VIDEO LESSON: Physical Assaults Are Not Fights

1990-01-01T07:30:00.000-08:00

CONCEPT LESSON LINK: Self-defense Articles by Chris Bensen

1989-01-01T10:53:00.000-08:00

A collection of articles on self-defense by Chris Bensen.

The Myth of Self-Defense
The Rules for Self-Defense
Pain and Fear
Ferocity & Aggression
Energies of Fighting
Ranges of Combat
Exposive Mobility
Attributes of a Good Fighter
Generating Power
The Best Fighter Wins the Fight

WEAPONS THAT MISS THE POINT: The Ninja Keychain

1988-01-01T17:10:00.000-08:00

Ninja Keychain.

BOOK RECOMENDATION: Meditations on Violence - Sgt. Rory Miller

1985-01-01T18:59:00.000-08:00

Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial ArtsTraining and Real World Violence by Sgt. Rory Miller. Experienced martial artist and veteran correction officer Sgt. Rory Miller distills what he has learned from jailhouse brawls, tactical operations and ambushes to explore the differences between martial arts and the subject martial arts were designed to deal with: Violence.

CONCEPT LESSON LINK: Best Self Defense Weapon? - Mark A. Jordon

1985-01-01T18:34:00.000-08:00

If you are thinking of purchasing a gun, or other "self-protection" weapons, then you know it is Essential to learn how to defense yourself, now more than ever!
Now, I am not going to tell you NOT to buy a gun or pepper spray. But, before you purchase a gun, or any other "self-protection" device, I urge you to read this first!

NEWS STORY LESSON: MSU Student Fights Off Would-Be Attacker

1985-01-01T18:21:00.000-08:00

http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071106/NEWS01/711060371/1280/ELANSING01Kevin
Grasha Lansing State JournalEAST LANSING -

Police are looking for a man they say attacked a Michigan State University student Monday night as she walked along the campus river trail.The 26-year-old woman was listening to her iPod, (Selection of Victim) when the man grabbed her neck from behind (Physical Attack), according to MSU police. The incident happened at about 9:15 p.m. She then grabbed the man's right arm and threw him to the ground. When he tried to stand up, she struck him and kicked him in the groin (DISRUPT), police said. The woman, who was not injured, then ran to her car (DISENGAGE), drove home and called police (DEBRIEF).

WEAPONS THAT MISS THE POINT: The Shotgun Flashlight

1985-01-01T17:32:00.000-08:00

Shotgun flashlight.

VIDEO LESSON: The Perils of Carrying a Knife

1985-01-01T13:12:00.000-08:00

COMMENTARY:

This video demonstrates how a simple fight can easily escalate into a stabbing. In this instance, it appears that the "victim", although willing to brandish his knife, was not necessarily prepared to use it. The result was disastrous for him.

The victim displays the knife in classic "come on!" fashion (arms out from body with chest forward). His assailant immediate raises and lowers his arms as if to say calmly "hey man, what's up with the knife?". This gesture is an act of deception designed to lull the victim into inaction.

The "lull" is the assailant's trigger to act. He explosively uses his right arm to pressure and trap the knife hand, while executing a disrupting strike with his left arm. The "victim", mentally unprepared for immediate action, is stunned and drops the knife.

The victim, unaware of the danger of other assailants, grapples with the first assailant. After executing the single stab, the assailants DISENGAGE from the scene with complete commitment.

* Self-defense is not about carrying a knife.

* Self-defense is not about threatening with a knife.

* Self-defense is about have the willingness to do "what it takes" to defend yourself.

WEAPONS THAT MISS THE POINT: Tampon Taser

1982-01-01T17:38:00.000-08:00

Tampon taser.

BOOK RECOMENDATION: Waking the Tiger Within - Scott Flint

1980-01-01T19:28:00.000-08:00

Waking the Tiger Within: How to Be Safe from Crime on the Street, at Home, on Trips, at Work, and at School with New Fighting Terrorism Chapter by Scott Flint. Scott Flint is an accomplished martial artist and self defense trainer. In this book he will teach you ways to increase your awareness, methods to develop your instinctual fighting ability and techniques to keep you safe wherever you go.

CONCEPT LESSON LINK: On Women's Self Defense - Mark A. Jordon

1980-01-01T18:47:00.000-08:00

There are many who say women's self defense is learned better in an exclusively women-only environment. The so-called "experts" say it is less intimidating if women don't have to compete with the men, or, it is easier (more comfortable) to discuss subjects like rape without men present. So, the new trend in self-defense programs is "Women's Self Defense" classes.
I don't buy the reasoning ...

COMEDY BREAK

1980-01-01T15:01:00.000-08:00

This video demonstrates what happens when
Martial arts go wrong.

VIDEO LESSON: Good at Sparring, But Not Good at Self-Defense

1980-01-01T12:50:00.000-08:00

COMMENTARY:
This video demonstrates why many of the skills developed by traditional martial arts sparring do not transfer to self-defense. The victim, showed good offensive and defensive aggression, when sparring in a controlled setting, against an opponent he was mentally prepared to "fight".

But when he is assaulted by a "surprise" attacker in a manner similar to a street attack, he is defenseless. After receiving the initial strike, he falls to the ground, and does nothing to defend himself against the attacker's followup kicks.

The referee attacker, despite years of traditional karate, finishes his victim with a soccer kick to the face, and a stomp to head in true "street fighter" fashion.

-E. Kondo

VIDEO OF ASSAULT: The Carlie Brucia Abduction

1980-01-01T12:29:00.000-08:00

IN THE NEWS: Georgia Rape Victim Fatally Stabs Attacker to Protect Daughter

1980-01-01T11:23:00.000-08:00

11-7-2006 Georgia:

BALL GROUND, Ga. — A woman who was raped and beaten by an old acquaintance fought back, stabbing her attacker to death when he threatened to rape her 6-year-old daughter.

Deputies arrived at the woman's Cherokee County home Sunday night to find Gerald A. Lee, 38, lying dead in the backyard. The woman, whose name is being withheld because she was the victim of a sexual assault, told police Lee broke into the house wearing a ski mask and carrying a shotgun.

Capt. Ron Hunton with the Cherokee County Police said Lee beat the woman with the gun and raped her, then told her that he would move on to her daughter next. He had locked the daughter in the closet of the room where he raped the woman.

When Lee began rummaging through the woman's purse, she ran to the kitchen and grabbed a butcher knife. She fought with Lee, stabbing him several times, Hunton said.

At one point, the attacker threw a pot of boiling tea from the stove on her, Hunton said.

During the fight, Lee went out the back door and then re-entered the house by breaking a window, Hunton said. The woman and Lee fought again in the living room and the hallway, where she stabbed him several more times.

Lee crawled through the house into the back yard and died.

The woman was stabbed several times during the struggle. She was airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta where she underwent surgery Monday and remained in serious but stable condition Tuesday, Hunton said.

The daughter was not injured.

Cherokee County Sheriff Roger Garrison said Lee and the woman went to the same high school about 20 years ago and apparently lost touch through the years. They bumped into each other a few weeks ago.

Garrison said investigators are waiting for the results of toxicology tests that he believes could show Lee was on drugs — perhaps methamphetamine.

NEWS STORY LESSON: Postal Employee Fights Off Attackers Despite Being Stabbed

1980-01-01T09:23:00.000-08:00

http://www.wftv.com/news/9070635/detail.htmlOVIEDO,

Fla. -- An Oviedo post office employee was attacked and stabbed Friday morning. Now police are searching for the two men who did it.The employee was sleeping in his truck (Selection of Victim) an hour before his shift started, when the men pulled him out of the truck. (Physical Attack) The stabbed postal service clerk drove himself to the hospital (After effects) and the men who tried to rob him have not been caught. That same military mentality he developed in the Navy perhaps helped save his life (DECIDE) Friday morning. He said he was taking a nap in his 1959 Chevy pickup when the men attacked him."Two people came up and pulled me out of the truck and accosted me. I just started fighting back, punching, kicking, yelling, whatever it took," (DISRUPT) he explained. Before he knew it, he was on the ground bleeding from two stab wounds. Whoever attacked him ran away (DISENGAGE)."They didn't take any money. They didn't take the truck," he said."Survival is what you're thinking about. I wasn't gonna stand still," he said. (DEBRIEF)

WEAPONS THAT MISS THE POINT: The Shock Jacket

1979-01-01T17:43:00.000-08:00

The shock jacket.

WEAPONS THAT MISS THE POINT: The Lipstick Knife

1976-01-01T17:50:00.000-08:00

The lipstick knife.

CONCEPT LESSON LINK: The Art of War - Sun Tzu

1975-01-01T19:59:00.000-08:00

The Art of War By Sun Tzu Translated by Lionel Giles.

BOOK RECOMENDATION: Book of Five Rings - Miyamoto Musashi

1975-01-01T19:54:00.000-08:00

Book of Five Rings: The Classic Guide to Strategy

COMEDY BREAK - Karate Gone Wrong

1975-01-01T12:01:00.000-08:00

This video is a compilation of karate moments gone wrong.

NEWS STORY LESSON: Girl Stabs Would-Be Kidnapper With Pencil

1975-01-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, November 20, 2007
TUCKER, Ga. -- Quick thinking by a DeKalb County teenager may have saved her life, police said Monday.

Two men tried to kidnap the girl near Tucker Middle School Monday night, police said.
The 14-year-old was on her way home from dance practice (Selection of Victim) when a black van pulled up, and the men tried to grab her (Physical Attack), Police said, adding that the girl got away when she stabbed one of the men in the arm with a pencil (DISRUPT). The girl was not seriously hurt, police said.>

VIDEO LESSON: The Dangers of Mental Submission

1975-01-01T09:40:00.000-08:00

WEAPONS OF MASS CONFUSION: Cell Phone Stun Gun

1973-01-01T17:53:00.000-08:00

Cell phone stun gun.

IN THE NEWS: Woman Hung From Tree,Tortured for Bondage-Porn Video

1970-01-01T19:59:00.000-08:00

http://www.local6.com/news/10755744/detail.html
POSTED: 10:37 pm EST January 15, 2007UPDATED: 1:44 pm EST January 16, 2007

A 31-year-old Central Florida man accused of hanging a woman from a tree and videotaping her torture and rape was attempting to create a bondage-porn video for cash after recently declaring bankruptcy, police told Local 6 News.Deputies said Christopher Joseph Wood brought a woman to a river bank in a wooded area west of Interstate 95 in Brevard County and attacked her."Once they were out in the wooded area he proceeded to force sex on her and then he used a knife to kind of keep her under his control," Brevard County sheriff's Officer Marlin Buggs said.

WEAPONS THAT MISS THE POINT: The Rape X Condom

1970-01-01T18:25:00.000-08:00

The Rape X condom.

CONCEPT LESSON: Groupthink

1970-01-01T13:10:00.000-08:00

Groupthink is a type of thought exhibited by group members who try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas. Individual creativity, uniqueness, and independent thinking are lost in the pursuit of group cohesiveness, as are the advantages of reasonable balance in choice and thought that might normally be obtained by making decisions as a group. During groupthink, members of the group avoid promoting viewpoints outside the comfort zone of consensus thinking. A variety of motives for this may exist such as a desire to avoid being seen as foolish, or a desire to avoid embarrassing or angering other members of the group. Groupthink may cause groups to make hasty, irrational decisions, where individual doubts are set aside, for fear of upsetting the group’s balance. The term is frequently used pejoratively, with hindsight.

Groupthink in the martial arts: A Kiai Master offers a 5000 dollar challenge that he can beat any MMA fighter.
Kiai Master vs MMA

VIDEO LESSON: Police Takedown

1970-01-01T12:39:00.000-08:00

COMEDY BREAK: From the Movie - Never Back Down

1970-01-01T12:12:00.000-08:00

This video clip is a fight scene from the movie Never Back Down.

CONCEPT LESSON LINK: The Difference Between Fighting and Self-Defense - Marc MacYoung

1970-01-01T11:43:00.000-08:00

An article from the NO NONESENSE SELF-DEFENSE website.

The difference between fighting and self-defense

VIDEO OF ASSAULT: Store Clerk Fights Off Robber with an Ax

1970-01-01T09:46:00.000-08:00

October 23, 2007 -- Suffolk County police say a feisty Long Island store clerk refused a gunman's demands for money and instead chased him out with an ax. The suspect entered the Southhaven Convenience store shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday, wearing a mask and demanding money.The clerk - 5-foot-4 Hafize Sahim (Ha-feeze Sa-HEEM) - retrieved the ax from under the counter and began swinging it, chasing the man out of the store empty-handed. The 27-year-old Sahim told reporters Tuesday that she thought the gun was a fake, which is why she fought back.

NEWS STORY LESSON: Brooklyn Girl Fights Off Would-be Abductor by Biting Hand

1970-01-01T09:39:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

BY ETHAN ROUEN and MICHAEL WHITE DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS Thursday, November 15th 2007, 4:00 AM

A brave 9-year-old girl (Seletion of Victim) fought off a sicko who grabbed her (Physical Attack) in Brooklyn Wednesday by biting his hand and running for help, cops said. The girl was walking from Public School 299 on Woodbine St. in Bushwick to a nearby community center when she was attacked about 3:15 p.m., authorities said. The man grabbed the girl from behind near Bushwick Ave. and Madison St., put his hand around her neck and tried to drag her off, cops said. But she chomped on his left hand (DISRUPT) and he bolted (DISENGAGE), they said.

The Five Stages of Violent Assault

1970-01-01T04:05:00.000-08:00

The 5 Stages of Violent Assault represents a model for understanding the predatory mind in assault situations.

The model is used to make the concepts of assault easier to understand and defend against.

Every situation of assault is different. Therefore the model is merely a flexible guide for providing insight into the criminal mind and behavior.

1. Motivation to Commit a Crime
2. Selection of Victim
3. Physical Attack
4. Completion of the Crime
5. After Effects

Motivation to Commit a Crime

1970-01-01T04:04:00.000-08:00

The beginning stage of the Five Stages of Violent Assault is the Motivation to Commit a Crime.
In this stage, the predator decides to commit a particular crime. The magnitude of the aggressors motivation will determine the level of response necessary for self-defense.

* The steps of DECIDE and DETER are designed to reduce the aggressors motivation level.

Selection of Victim

1970-01-01T04:03:00.000-08:00

The second stage of the Five Stages of Violent Assault is the Selection of Victim.
The predator actively chooses a victim for his crime. Part of this stage is the "interview process". The predator interacts with a potential victim to determine suitability for attack.

* The use of DETER is designed to convey to the aggressor to look elsewhere for a potential victim.

Physical Attack

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The third stage of the Five Stages of Violent Assault is the Physical Attack.
The predator initiates a physical attack on the victim. The physical attack requires the opportunity to attack in the form of close proximity to the intended victim.

* Effective use of DETER will deny the aggressor the ability and/or opportunity to launch a physical attack.
* The actions of DISRUPT are intended to foil the physical attack.

Completion of the Crime

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The fourth stage of the Five Stages of Violent Assault is the Completion of the Crime.

The physical attack enables the predator to complete the crime originally planned and/or additional crimes of opportunity.

After effects

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The fifth and final stage of the Five Stages of Violent Assault is the After effects.

This stage is the resulting consequences and after effects of aggression on the victim.

* The goal of self-defense is to minimize the After effects.

The 5 D's of Self-Defense

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DECIDE DETER DISRUPT DISENGAGE DEBRIEF

The 5 D’s divides the entire spectrum of self-defense into five
distinct stages. These stages are defined by the five steps of the
strategy of DECIDE DETER DISRUPT DISENGAGE DEBRIEF.

5 D's - DECIDE

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DECIDE is the preparation step. It is the foundation of
self-defense. It is made up of planning, education, acceptance, training,
conditioning, avoidance, and strategy.

Decide not to be a victim. Use preparation and planning prior to
an act of aggression. Learn about crime and criminal behavior.
Train to respond to all forms of aggression. Practice avoidance and risk reduction. Acknowledge the existence of risk. Condition your body and mind for the realities of violence.

Therefore, I say:
Know your enemy and
know yourself;
in a hundred battles,
you will never be
defeated.

- Sun Tzu The Art of War

5 D's - DETER

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DETER is the prevention step. It begins when you leave an area of safety and continues until the moment of the actions of DISRUPT. It involves repelling all potential aggressors and building your readiness for a physical assault. It is characterized by awareness, intuition, attitude and appearance, assertiveness, body language, boundary setting, and deception.

Deter and prevent an act of aggression. Learn how to de-escalate a confrontation. Project confidence with body language. Be assertive. Practice situational awareness.
Respond to the warnings of intuition. Create safety zones. Utilize boundary setting. Deceive when necessary. Build readiness. Determine Confirmation of Bad Intention.

5 D's - DISRUPT

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DISRUPT is the violent and most physical step of self-defense. Its sole purpose is to create the opportunity to escape. It begins with the trigger to act and involves the concept of attacking the attacker to surprise, shock, or cause injury to your attacker.

Disrupt the aggressor. Respond to the Trigger to Act. Foil his plans. Apply verbal and/or physical techniques. Use tactics such as the employment of weapons of opportunity. Execute a decisive strategy. Attack the attacker. Utilize any means available. Create the Opportunity to
Escape in order to disengage.

5 D's - DISENGAGE

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DISENGAGE is the immediate goal of self-defense. It involves your complete commitment to get away from your attacker. Alternatively, it is the result of your actions that has caused your aggressor to discontinue the attack. It is characterized by your flight to safety, or either the aggressor being unwilling or unable to continue his actions.

Disengage and get away from the aggressor. Respond the Opportunity to Escape. Create an ending. Carryout an exit strategy. Cause the aggressor to break off his actions. Evade and escape. Terminate the aggressor’s ability to engage and cause harm. Flee to safety. Get out of there.

5 D's - DEBRIEF

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DEBRIEF is the long term goal of self-defense. It is the after
effects of an assault. The ultimate purpose of self-defense is to minimize the long term consequences and the aftermath of aggression. This concept includes creating peace of mind.

Debrief and discuss the consequences of aggression. Reduce the after effects. Promote physical and emotional healing. Get legal advice. Seek support and assistance. Learn resilience.