Personal Protection Systems

Woof, Woof

Surviving a Dog Attack

As a result of a vicious dog attack here in Victoria not to long ago, I decided to do some research on what I could share with my students should they be confronted with a dog attack. Although there was lots of information on the Internet about this topic (some urban myth), I decided to personally speak with three experts in the field; Sgt Jim Simpson (an ex K-9 handler with our department), and his wife Erin who is a professional civilian K-9 trainer (including protection work) with many many years of experience, as well as one of our animal control officers here in the city, and this is what they had to share with me, combined with some information that I found on the Internet, which they confirmed as desirable:

1. Although when faced with a threatening dog our first instinct is to run, this is something that we do not want to do, why????? , Because it will cause the dog’s prey drive to kick in thus further inviting an attack.

1. Do not talk to the dog in a way that will reveal your own anxiety or stress/fear ( i.e nice doggie, it’s okay, that’s a nice puppy) this will often add fuel to the fire. Instead, remain very calm; appear confident or better yet intimidating. Do not provoke, but present yourself as a force not to mess with. If the dog challenges, challenge back. If the dog continues to move towards you, move at him aggressively shouting “no”, “sit”, “down”, “go home”. All commands that most dogs have heard and that may work to your advantage. By moving towards the dog you are far better prepared for an attack than if your were running away.

1. If the dog does not move forward, move away from a threatening dog, walk backwards for an extended distance, and then turn and walk in the direction that you were intending, constantly checking over your shoulder to ensure the dog is not following.

1. If you can grab an improvised weapon such as a stick, use it like a spear rather than swinging it like a bat, due to the fact that many dogs will be able to evade an arcing swing. Target the throat and ram it in if possible. Also some dogs will retreat if you bend down as if picking us a stone and going through all the motions of throwing it at the dog……or actually do wing one at him.

1. If you have time to remove a jacket or sweater don’t wrap it around your arm, but keep it in your hands to throw over the dogs head and face as they attack. Another option for a jacket was to unzip it, open the jacket out with both hands, (making yourself look much much bigger) and again move aggressively towards the dog thus becoming the attacker.

1. If the dog latches on, use a weapon such as EDC knife (cutting across throat) or strike the dog across the bridge of the nose, but if you can’t do either, really work your thumb and fingers around the dog’s throat and squeeze, you can cut of their air supply and cause them real stress

1. Most, but not all, dogs that are showing aggression, especially if hackles are up, are actually much weaker than they appear and will back down if abruptly challenged. If the dog is a genuinely strong dog, which will not be “scared” off, then one must ENGAGE in the fight. Stop thinking about escaping and think about overpowering taking on the attitude that if someone’s going down, it WILL be the dog.

Darren

A Follow up:

A part of my research for the above posting was to actually quarry for a police dog (100 plus pounds of goal oriented teeth and muscle);

• Several times wearing a full bite suit,

• Several times wearing just a bite sleeve, and

• Several times the handler placed a special type of muzzle on the dog where it could not bite me, but still allowed the dog the ability to attack (me not wearing any bite suit)

Even though I was protected from the dog via a bite suit or bite sleeve, Survival Stress Reaction and most of its effects to the body clicked in upon the dog being sent in to attack, but like any other reality based training, the more familiar I got with how the dog would attack, the better I was able to manage SSR to some degree. Some of the things I empirically experienced:

• When a dog that size hits, it hits like a freight train and unless you have a good foot base, you will likely be knocked to the ground. Thus another reason not to run away from an attacking dog

• When the dog takes hold, it will shake and tug violently not unlike a shark (this is one reason why I now call police dogs land sharks)

• If running away, the dog will usually go after the legs and or buttocks, but if facing the dog it will usually take the closest arm. Again another reason to not run away, and if facing the dog, to keep your strong side back thus protecting your strongest attributes/tools

• Going after the eyes was challenging at best to do, due to the violent shaking and tugging actions that the dog WILL make. I found it easier (but still very challenging) to after the eyes if the dog took an arm, but if it took a leg , hitting the top of the nasal bone was the only viable target

• If the dog broke hold, it would immediately re-engage the closest target it could sink its teeth into until the handler gave the command to out.

After speaking to the experts, I learned that most dogs are not goal oriented and attacked trained, and it is because of this fact that the recommendations in my first posting will “likely” work on most breeds of dogs. To emphasize the points of being aggressive and looking bigger, our ERT team leader has shared with me that there has been a number of calls that they have attended where there was supposed to be a “vicious” trained attack dog (including Pit Bulls), but upon entry, just making lots of noise and being very aggressive was enough to send all these dogs (up to this point in time) to high tail it out of Dodge with their tail tucked between their hind legs.

If, however, you are faced with a professionally trained protection dog that is goal oriented, they will engage with rage no matter how much noise you make, or how intimidating or big you make yourself look. In fact, these types of dogs are specifically trained to ignore these factors through operant conditioning. Thank God these types of dogs are few and far between. Most dogs will attack from a fear base rather than a confident base thus the reason for my original posting.

Darren

Ps: some of the B***sh*t being passed of as defences against an attacking dog that I found on the Internet are pure fantasy (ie wrap your legs around the dog and squeeze). This became even more apparent after having a “real” dog chew on you like a milk bone. Food for thought, excuse the pun !!!!!!

January 18, 2009 at 6:52 pm | Uncategorized | No comment

Winning Mind, Warrior Spirit

The Science and Art of Combatives Training

First and foremost, I would like to thank Brian Willis who is both a warrior and a combatives scholar who directly influenced the spawning of this article. Brian is a true innovator in the training of the mind and spirit of warriors. I am proud and honored to call Brian a friend and teacher.

As many of you know, much of what I write and teach surrounds the very important issue of combat psychology. I truly believe that physical training, although important, is not good enough for “winning” a street encounter. An instructor I heard once stated, “ there are far more people who have survived a violent physical encounter who had no combatives training, than there are those who do train in combatives or self protection.” In my opinion, the keystones for self-protection are a Winning Mind and Warrior Spirit.

Winning Mind:

So what does it mean to “WIN”???? The best combatives definition for WIN comes from Lou Holtz who stated that “win” is an acronym for, WHAT is IMPORTANT NOW. In combat, no truer words have been spoken. This is why having the ability to adapt, overcome, and improvise is so important in battle. Winning isn’t always pretty, but who said fighting for your life or body would be. It is an unfortunate reality that many who do not train in a true reality based system of self-protection, form their ideals of combat based upon dojo etiquette and Hollywood fantasy. If you do not find yourself in harms way as a result of job employment or lifestyle, then viewing violence that has been caught on video is but one way to bring the ugly, vicious, and brutal reality of street violence into the emotion of training. More on emotion in training a little later in this post.

Hunter Armstrong coined the phrase, “One Mind, Any Weapon”. In John Steinbeck’s book; The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights, he wrote, “ This is the law. The only purpose of fighting is to win. There is no possible victory in defence. The sword is more important that the shield, and skill is more important than either. The next weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental.” Strong words that need to be heeded by all that study combatives.

Warrior Spirit:

As instructors and students of combatives, we need to understand that we all have within us the warrior spirit. Our mission is to develop, foster, and nurture that warrior spirit through realistic physical and psychological training. Defining Warrior Spirit is not always easy, but two authors have encapsulated the essence of this often-misunderstood attribute:

“ A warrior is on permanent guard against the roughness of human behaviour. A warrior is magical and ruthless, a maverick with the most refined taste and manners, whose worldly task is to sharpen, yet disguise, his cutting edge so that no one would be able to suspect his ruthlessness”

The Power of Silence, Carlos Castaneda

“ The Warrior fights because he believes that he is fighting for something good, something positive, something that will improve the quality of the world around him. The warrior never forgets that he is an example and so will always act accordingly. He is a leader, and when there is no one else to lead, the warrior must lead himself forward to a different, higher standard.”

Unleashing the Warrior Within, Richard J Machowicz

The true warrior is really a predator with asymmetrical rules of engagement. Warrior Spirit allows us to operate in the gray, but prevents us from stepping into the black. Warrior Spirit is the sheepdog and not the wolf. We protect the flock, those we love, and ourselves from the wolf. Warrior Spirit is often ridiculed by those who never need our services, but yet honored by those who need us when the wolf appears. Warrior Spirit allows us to run towards gunfire to save others, while everyone else is running away. Warrior Spirit allows us to keep fighting even when death is knocking at our door. Warrior Spirit is about being genuine.

Emotion in Training:

To foster Winning Mind and Warrior Spirit, we need to combine emotion and imagination in our training. A popular training ethos echoed by many is, “ train the way you want to fight, and you will fight the way you train.” Without emotion and imagination, such training will be nothing more than playing patty cake with one another. Our goal is to make the trained response the dominant response through repetition combined with emotion and imagination. We NEED to make our training real so that all of our learning modalities are engaged so that in combat what we do is habit or stimulus response based.

There is a reason why the military and some police departments no longer shoot at silhouette targets, but rather human targets.

There is a reason why progressive police departments, military organizations, and even some self protection schools have moved to stress inoculation training

The reason…such training reinforces positive emotions during training. Why is it that those from the traditional arts and even some modern combatives students, when placed into “open mode” dynamic scenario based simulations, have great difficulty translating their skills in time of need??? The answer is simple in my opinion; in their training world they never incorporated realistic emotion and imagination. By training with imagination and emotion, based upon the reality of the street, it allows us to create habits that will carry over to the real world in time of need.

Based upon the above noted, I would suggest a paradigm shift in training ethos from, “train the way you want to fight, and you will fight the way you train”, to “ Train with imagination and emotion, then you will fight the way you train” When training against a knife at your school, don’t picture your training partner, but rather imagine a street thug wanting to gut you just because. Include all modalities: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Such emotional training, combines with scenario based stress inoculation training, allows us to create an emotional attachment that will have huge tactical advantages in the real world.

The Power of Words:

Because emotion and imagination are powerful training tools, we need to ensure as teachers, instructors, and facilitators to learning that we do not circumvent this learning process by using words or language that programs failure. I cannot tell you how many times in scenario-based training I have heard instructors say to their student:

• You’re dead

• You screwed up and just got you and your friends killed

• On the street you would have died

Instead, if the student does something less desirable why not explore solutions, then have them imagine themselves implementing those solutions with emotion and winning. Stress inoculation training can be either a powerful tool for programming win mindset and warrior spirit, or a very strong negative self-destruction process for learning physical and mental defeat. At the conclusion of a scenario based training simulation, where the student does something less desirable, would it not be more productive to leave them with positive options, rather than loosing or dying as their last image. Create expectations for success

Darren

January 18, 2009 at 6:49 pm | Uncategorized | No comment

Tweakers

Dealing With the Drug Induced Or Mentally Disturbed Attacker

In a number of the forums that I surf, one common question that pops up with more and frequency is the issue of having to deal with an attacker that may be high on drugs or experiencing mental health challenges. As can be appreciated, drug abuse and mental health issues are real public health concerns that all communities are facing in today’s real world, due to a variety of social challenges that we face as a society. More and more people are turning to ways to escape from reality (drugs) and more and more of those who have mental health challenges are being released into our communities often being left to self medicate. It is also very common that those with mental health challenges will also turn to illicit drugs to help them cope with their often twisted perception of reality.

As a law enforcement officer with over 18yrs of experience (mostly street level narcotics enforcement) I have seen my share of Tweakers who are experiencing an Excited Delirium state due to drug (usually a Central Nervous System stimulant such as cocaine and crystal meth) or psychosis (bi-polar/schizophrenia) and even a combination of both. Often those in an Excited Delirium state present in the following way:

• Unbelievable strength

• Impervious to pain

• Able to offer effective resistance against multiple subjects

• Overheating (hyperthermia)

• Sweating

• Bizarre and violent behaviour

• Aggression

• Hyperactivity

• Extreme paranoia

• Incoherent shouting

When dealing with those who are tweaking due to drug and or psychosis one should remember wherever possible:

• Keep your distance

• If possible lower the lights (light is a stimulant to those tweaking) this is important for those who may be using white light as a self defence tool

• Slow your speech and lower your voice

• Slow your physical movements (any movement will be seen at 10 times speed by a tweaker and thus seen to be a sign of an assault is imminent to their perception of threat)

• Keep your hands visible

• Keep tweakers talking is possible (cognitive pattern interruption)

• Walk away and create distance slowly

If the above noted pre-contact intervention/ de-escalation skills fail or are inappropriate due to the totality of the situation, remember that pain compliance techniques (unarmed strikes, joint locks, pressure points) “USUALLY” DO NOT WORK on those in an Excited Delirium state. Due to their extremely high tolerances to pain, even breaking techniques (depending upon the bone or joint targeted) may not stop those who are experiencing an Excited Delirium due to drug and or psychosis. I personally have seen those who have had what appeared to be severe disabling injuries (including the loss of vision) continue to fight with pure feral intent.

It is my opinion, that if attacked by a Tweaker who is experiencing an Excited Delirium, they are very capable of causing you death or grievous bodily injury thus making it a deadly force encounter. If escape is not an option, and I cannot get to a real or improvised weapon (Firearm, knife, impact tool), I will resort to the use of a Lateral Vascular Neck Restraint. I, and other LEO’s, have used this technique on several tweakers in the past with excellent results. Be aware, however, that anytime force is used against a tweaker who is experiencing Excited Delirium (including lower lethality techniques) sudden and unexpected death proximal to restraint/self protection is a reality.

Tweakers experiencing an Excited Delirium are very dangerous and extremely unpredictable. Thankfully, these types of subject are very identifiable and such, should be easily seen if one is using “awareness” while out and about. If one cannot avoid, evade, and escape through the art of awareness, and things do go physical, violence of action is an extremely important physical tactic if being attacked by a Tweaker.

Darren

January 18, 2009 at 6:49 pm | Uncategorized | No comment

Threat Pattern Recognition and Early Threat Recognition Skills

No matter the mode of attack (psychological, emotional, verbal, physical), or if the threat is armed or not, what can give us the tactical advantage, especially in the pre-contact phase of a confrontation, is the ability to recognize a threat “pattern”. Because we know that the skilled predator(s) will use the element of surprise to their advantage, there are threat patterns that we should all be aware of that can “alert” us to a potential attack, thus minimizing the threat’s primary advantage, that being the element of surprise.

Before I share some of the Patterns and Threat Recognitions to be aware of, I believe it is important that the reader review my article on the Anatomy of Fear that can be located at:

http://www.personalprotectionsystems.ca/The%20Anatomy%20Of%20Fear%20and%20How%20It%20Relates%20To%20Survival%20Skills%20Training2.doc

In this article I shared the following:

1. The brain has been “hard-wired” to deal with the emotion of fear/violence

2. One pathway is known as the “high road” in which action can be based on conscious will and thought. This pathway appears to take effect during “progressive” types of fear stimuli. Here a combatives student will be able to apply stimulus/response type training using the OODA model having regards to gross motor skills and Hick’s Law

3. A second pathway is known as the “low road” which is triggered by a spontaneous/ unexpected attack. Here, the brain will take control of the body with an immediate “protective reflex” (downloaded directly to the brain stem where all of our reflexive responses to danger are stored), which will override any system of combat that bases its ability on “cognitively” applying a physical response. This is especially true if the trained response is not congruent with the “protective reflex” (this is exactly what I observed in the 1992 video study that I conducted and mentioned earlier in this article)

When it comes to Threat Pattern Recognition, it is important to note that there are two different threat patterns to be aware of that are, in my opinion, very closely related to the “high road” and “low road” fear response that I have called:

1. High emotional arousal patterns (low road), and

1. Low emotional arousal patterns (high road)

In my article “Ritualized Combat” located at:

http://www.personalprotectionsystems.ca/Ritualized%20Combat.doc

I discussed ritualized combative signs that fell under three specific categories:

1. Assault Not Imminent But Possible

1. Assault is Imminent

1. Signs of submission

It has been my experience, that many of the ritualized combative signs that fall under these three categories (especially the first two), are very much associated with “high emotional” arousal patterns. One only has to review the hours and hours of CCTV videotape of violent encounters on the Internet, to observe these ritualized combative signs in action. Often these signs are visible in the “inexperienced” attacker, or what I like to call the baby predator, or by those who resort to violence, usually based upon ego, and often fueled by alcohol and/or drugs. This form of violence often takes place without cognitive rationale, and can often be seen in the form of a rage attack. These guys, once you understand these “high emotional” arousals, are often very easy to read in the pre-contact phase of a physical encounter.

Having shared the above, it has also been my experience, that many of these ritualized combative signs that can be seen in the “high emotional” arousal patterns, can often be cloaked by the “experienced” covert attacker, who truly understands the tactical advantage of the surprise ambush, thus making their intended target extremely vulnerable to a committed attack. By being aware of the “low emotional” arousal patterns of these experienced attackers, we can again provide ourselves with cognitive “red flags” that can turn a surprise ambush, that works to the advantage of the attacker, into a prepared interdiction via awareness, avoidance/disengagement, non-verbal or verbal communication, or even a committed physical attack using the element of surprise on our part. So what are some of the “low emotional” arousal patterns that I have observed being used by the experienced covert attacker:

A) Stalking behaviour, not unlike what we see in the animal kingdom when a snake approaches its prey

B) Positioning:

The professional will usually use one of four “relative” positioning tactics to set their intended victim up for attack:

1. Closing:

• Most common, walks directly up to target to get as close as they can
• The closer they get the more success he will have in his abilities to overwhelm and control

1. Cornering/ Trapping:

• This is the second most commonly used tactic
• Will want to corner you between himself, you, and any safe exit point

1. Pincer:

• Usually used by two or more criminals
• One circles while the other distracts you
• One attacker follows from behind and while you are focused on them, there is a second attacker just up ahead
• Things to be aware of, two people standing across from one another in a narrow space such as a hallway, staircase, or alley

1. Surround:

• Most common in “packs” or “swarms”
• One in the pack will distract while the others surround
• Instead of a fast swarm, the pack will usually drift towards you so as not to alert you to their intentions

c) The Chameleon Effect:

The professional will often wear clothing and items that help:

• Conceal Weapons (both overt and covert), or make the access to a weapon easier during the acquisition phase
• Conceal the signs of ritualized combat, such as sunglasses (even when it is dark outside or even when inside a building) or hats

d) The Tell:

A fellow police officer that I know in Ontario, was able to identify a subject who was carrying a concealed illegal firearm in a shoulder holster under his jacket, by the way he was periodically (and likely unconsciously) moving the arm in which the firearm was hanging under. My friend was able to notice this because he did the same thing when he carried. This in my opinion is a really good example of low emotional threat pattern recognition. Some other tells could include:

• How is the person carrying a visible weapon such as a knife. Is it a clip-it type knife that blends in color to the garment being worn by the potential threat? Is it a knife (such as a Buck knife) that is kept in a pouch, but the pouch is carried upside down to allow the force of gravity to deploy the knife into the hand quickly, once unsnapped, with very little arm movement; a favorite of some outlaw motor cycle gangs.

• Is the movement of a person’s body (especially hands and arms), consistent with the pre-deployment of a weapon, be it concealed or visible?

While working narcotics enforcement (especially form covert observation posts), I would often use pattern recognition “tells” that were consistent with those who were dealing at the street level; such as head and eye movement, positioning to sell their product, the short walk and talks, which would allow me to concentrate my observations on “primary” targets to watch more closely.

The two goals of this article were:

1. 1. To once again bring to light the high emotional patterns of ritualized combat that are often very visible overt precursors to a physical attack, and

1. 1. To become more aware of the low emotional/behavioral patterns of the experienced attacker, who uses the element of the surprise ambush to their tactical advantage for a committed covert attack.

Threat pattern recognition, and early threat recognition skills, during the awareness phase, are the first steps in staying safe, and can play a very important role in reading behavioral intent. This process can then allow one to utlize avoidance/escape/evasion strategies, or to engage a threat either non-verbally, verbally, and/or physically (including the pre-deployment of a weapon on your part) prior to an actual physical attack by the threat faced.

Darren

January 18, 2009 at 6:48 pm | Uncategorized | No comment

Street 101

Acknowledgements:

In preparing this post, I have attempted to put into writing some of the information that I have gleaned over the years specific to self protection and the “way of the street” In doing so , I had the opportunity to integrate a number of ideas and concepts from others in the field. To say that all of the information in this post was totally mine, would only ignore those people who have made this work possible.

I believe that there is no such thing as the “ultimate” fighting form. Every combative system has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. I believe the secret is to recognize and acknowledge those weaknesses and then go elsewhere to strengthen them. In doing so, there are a number of people who I must thank for the content of this post. Some of the below noted instructors/coaches/teachers I know personally and have trained with, others I only known through their own published works. It is because of these people that I have been able to strengthen my weaknesses and make this post possible:

Albert Carty

Gil Puder

Tony Blauer

Bradley Steiner

Marc McYoung

Peyton Quinn

Sammy Franco

Richard Dimitri

Geoff Thompson

Jim Grover

Jerry Van Cook

Taking It To The Streets:

The Police:

First of all, I am a police officer and have some knowledge in this topic. Most people believe that the police are the first line of defense. In a perfect world this may be true, but the fact is “YOU” are going to be the first line of defense. It is a fact that most police department are far more “reactive” to crime than “proactive.” Although I would love to see a police officer on every corner, the fact remains that this will never happen. In our world, there are more criminals that there are police officers, this is why we call what we do the “thin blue line”. Police officers understand that if the criminal element was to ban together as one cohesive entity, such as what happened in the L.A. riots after the Rodney King incident, there would be little police could do to regain control in the short term.

It is also a sad fact that unlike 30-40 years ago when most of the criminal element feared the police, today most do not and only see us as an “annoyance” to their criminal activity. Most of the experienced criminals know how not to get caught as well. We in policing usually catch the inexperienced, why?, because the experienced criminals have learned from their mistakes. The next sad thing is that even if the police do catch the criminal, many are soon released.

The Courts:

Even if the criminal is caught red handed committing the crime, the next step is court and the Criminal Justice system, or should I say “The Criminal’s Justice System.” Many criminals see the justice system as an advantage rather than a disadvantage. Why?, because most, including their lawyers, know the ins and outs of the judicial jungle, especially when it comes to a legal technicality or plea bargan. The fact remains that in some countries the criminal has nothing to loose but everything to gain by going to court. In some cases the punishment from the courts, if found guilty, does not deter the criminal from continuing on with their actions. The term “let the punishment fit the crime” seldom exists, but even if convicted to jail, there is a very real chance that the criminal will only have to serve 1/3 of their sentence anyways.

Who is the Street Predator:

So who is the Street Predator? The answer is “anyone”, but the average inmate housed in the Canadian Correctional system for violent crimes is:

• male between the ages of 15-24 years

• 5’9” - 6’0” tall

• 175 – 190 lbs

Most street predators can be split up into two categories; “The Amateur” and “The Professional”

The Amateur:

The amateur is an “ego” based animal who is looking for a fight “just because.” To be preyed upon by the amateur you do not have to be doing anything wrong, you just have to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. This beast is usually very identifiable;

• usually walks with attitude
• elbows pushed away from body
• verbally aggressive and rude to people within a few feet
• confrontations are usually triggered by eye contact

Some of the “Ritualized” combative signs that are apparent from the amateur prior to contact, but not limited to, include:

• splaying arms to express exclamation
• beckoning with finger
• nodding of head, usually accompanies finger beckoning
• bulging eyes
• acquires innate fighting stance
• will close distance during confrontation

The Professional:

The professional street predator is someone who I like to identify as the serial mugger, serial rapist, serial killer. These beasts usually attack for profit and not because they want to fight. These animals are a little harder to identify as they merge into society quite well and usually prey upon targets that have “no” situational awareness. When the professional strikes a target they usually follow a seven step process of target acquisition:

Step #1: victim selection:

• looking for subjects with no situational awareness
• attacks usually occur in sparsely populated locations out the view of witnesses and therefore reduces the chances of being seen heard or caught

Step #2: Victim Stalking:

• Once a target has been identified the professional will usually stalk first
• They are waiting for the time and place that suits their need for privacy and control

Step #3: Victim/Predator Positioning:

• the professional must place themselves in position to either attack by surprise or engage in a “street Interview”
• remember this beast is a lazy animal and does not want to fight but totally overwhelm

The professional will usually use one of five “relative” positioning tactics to set their intended victim up for attack:

1. Closing:

• Most common, walks directly up to target to get as close as they can
• the closer they get the more success he will have in his abilities to overwhelm and control
• this is why the “reaction gap” is so important once you have identified a person as a threat. If the threat has breached the gap when you have told him not to, he has clearly announced that his intentions are not good

1. Cornering/ Trapping:

• this is the second most commonly used tactic
• will want to corner you between himself, you, and any safe exit point

1. Surprise

• Surprise is the primary tactic that an attacker depends upon for full advantage

1. Pincer:

• usually used by two or more criminals
• one circles while the other distracts you
• one attacker follows from behind and while you are focused on them, there is a second attacker just up ahead
• things to be aware of, two people standing across from one another in a narrow space such as a hallway, staircase, or alley

1. Surround:

• most common in “packs” or “swarms”
• one in the pack will distract while the others surround
• instead of a fast swarm, the pack will usually drift towards you so as not to alert you to their intentions

Step #4: Testing the Waters:

• only used if the element of surprise is not available
• here the predator will use one or more “street interviewing tactics” to see if you are a low risk high gain target

1. 1. reasonable request interview:

• will ask you for the time, match, cigarette, spare change, directions
• as you are complying with their request, the attacker moves into a surprise attack position.
• This is a classic “distraction technique”

1. 1. The Distant Interview:

• takes place from a distance
• attacker is assessing your body language and awareness level
• the professional uses this method regularly to identify targets of opportunity
• most criminals are in plain view but because of no “situational awareness” the intended victim fails to recognize the fact that they are there

1. 1. The Escalating Interview:

• usually takes place in a pack situation
• starts off small but builds to the boiling point
• weapons are usually involved
• men are really bad for this because of “ego”

1. 1. the Bully Interview:

• will say things to you such as “ what the fuck are you looking at”
• the attacker hopes that by saying this to you, you will respond in kind thus giving them the reason that they were looking for to engage you either verbally and or physically
• this interview usually starts with the eye glare which then moves to the bully question which then leads to an escalating interview and then goes physical

1. 1. the Bully Interview:

• Continual eye contact made (non-verbal challenge)
• The bully interview: what the fuck are you looking at
• The approach towards you
• The bully question reiterated
• The response from you; usually a verbal challenge
• Escalating interview back and forth
• Actual physical challenge: let’s fucking go right now
• Single syllable replies back and forth
• The actual attack; usually a hooking sucker punch
• During the last few stages prior to actual physical attack, not uncommon to have finger pointing, arm flailing, and slight one or two hand pushes. These are done as an intelligence gathering technique to ascertain your intentions and abilities to fight back

Step #5: The Assesment Stage:

• if after steps 1-4 there is a positive assessment by the professional, they will usually attack using the element of surprise. If there is a negative assessment and the victim appears to be ware of what is going on, the attacker will usually abort their attack and move onto another safe target

Step #6: Using Threats Of Violence:

• If a positive threat assessment has been made by the professional in step #5, it is usually followed by verbl threats which are sometimes aided by a weapon or an accomplice or both
• These threats are very direct and extremely violent in nature using very course language
• The professionals “goal” here is to create a state of “hyper vigilance” to cause you to go into “brain fart” mode. Why ? because the professional understands that the mind guides the body. If they can get you into brain fart mode their in control.
• It is also very common that the attacker will promise not to hurt you if you comply with their requests. Why? They don’t want you to make a scene that increases the risks of them being seen, heard, or caught.

Step #6: the Attack:

• after step #6 the professional now engages
• some of these attacks may be minimal, intended only to freeze you allowing them to take what they want. Most, however, will be frenzied and severe with onw intent, to totally disable or even kill you before you can launch an effective counter attack

Although both the amateur and professional attacker are two different beasts, both will exhibit one or more pre-assaultive signs (Ritualized Combat) that if you know what to look for are real good indicators ( warning bells) to let you know what may be happening.

Ritualized Combat:

Ritualized Combat was termed by a police trainer by the name of Roland Ouellette. Basically, these “body language signs” are rituals that the human body will, in most cases, go through just prior, during, and after a physical confrontation ( not so different from the animal kingdom). These signs are important, why?, because they are really good warning signals to let you know what your potential attacker may be contemplating, even though he may not be “verbally” communicating this fact to you. Ritualized Combative signs have been both scientifically and empirically researched in such fields as “Human Performance” and “Neuro Linguistic Psychology.” Here in Canada, I have used “Ritualized Combative Signs” successfully in the Courts during expert testimony in Self-Defense cases. I also possess hundreds of hours of videotape of actual street fights, and when reviewed both in real time and in slow motion, everyone of the Ritualized Combative signs that I share in my articles and training, are seen prior, during, and after these fights. This is why I believe that all in the self-protection field should know about “Ritualized Combat”. So what are these signs?

Assault Not Imminent But Possible:

• Head, neck, shoulders go back (person making themselves look bigger)
• Face is red, twitching, jerking
• Lips pushed forward bearing teeth (you see the same things in dogs before attack)
• Breathing is fast and shallow (oxygenating the body preparing for fight, flight, hyper vigilance)
• Beads of sweat appear about the face/neck
• Thousand mile glare
• Exaggerated movements
• Finger pointing/ head pecking
• Totally ignores you
• Gives you excessive attention during normal conversation such as direct uninterrupted eye contact
• Goes from totally un-cooperative to totally cooperative ( people do not go from hot to cold they de-escalate over time)
• Acts stoned or drunk
• Directs anger towards other inanimate items such as tables, chairs, walls

If you find yourself confronted by a subject presenting these signs, awareness/self protection strategies should go up, and distance should be created. Your body language should be assertive but not threatening and don’t be afraid to allow the person to vent verbally.

Assault Is Imminent:

• face goes from red to white ( during a physical confrontation the blood will leave the surface of the body and pool to the big muscles and internal organs of the body needed for survival) In my job as a police officer I see this all the time and when I do one of two things are going to happen, the suspect is either going to fight or run
• Lips tighten over teeth
• Breathing is fast and deep
• Change of stance, their body blades and shoulder drops
• Hands closed into a fist (not uncommon to see the whites of knuckles due to hands being so tight)
• Bobbing up and down or rocking back and forth on feet (this is the bodies way to hide/ mask the initial movement of a first strike)
• Target glace (here you will see your opponent look to where he is going to hit, or where he is going to run/escape)
• Putting head and shin down (body wants to protect the airway, this action does so to a degree)
• Eye brows brought forward into a frown( again the body wants to naturally protect the visual system, this action does so to a degree)
• Stops all movements/ freezes in place
• Dropping center or lowering of body (no different that a cat or dog getting ready to pounce)
• Shedding cloths ( very common, you will see your attacker take his hat, coat, shirt, or bag off just prior to the assault)
• One syllable replies ( go from full sentences to one syllable replies….. reptilian brain is clicking in)

In this group of signs, you have about 1-1.5 seconds to act before your attacker either attacks or runs. If walking and talking your way out is inappropriate or unreasonable, then I teach “First Strike” philosophy, and continue on with a compound attack until your attacker is no longer a risk.

In both the Assault not Imminent and Assault Imminent phases, I do teach my students ( in some situations) to bring to the attention of the attacker what they are seeing why:

1. The attacker may not know what they are doing. A lot of these signs are autonomic in nature, meaning they happen without conscious thought.
2. The bigger reason, I believe, is for this purpose; most attackers will only attack you when they believe that they have the element of surprise. By sharing with them what you see, you take this primary tactic away from them.

IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN YOU SHOULD NOT LET THE PERSON KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SEEING, THUS USING THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE TO YOUR ADVANTAGE!!!!!!!!!!

If you have been able to deescalate the situation you have found yourself in, non-verbally, verbally or physically, also look for these Ritualized Combat signs that are good indicators to let you know that your opponent is no longer thinking about fighting:

Signs Of Submission:

• Putting hands up in front of body with palms facing out…. ( universal sign for stop stay back)
• Face returns to normal skin tone and color
• shaking hand. (almost as if the person has Parkinson’s disease…. This shaking can be slight to extreme ….. bodies natural way to burn out the adrenalin, nor-adrenalin, epinephrine that it dumped into the body for fight,flight,hypervigilance but was not used)
• turning of back with their hands covering their head ( ensure you can see their hands if not create distance NOW)
• backing off
• bowing of head and lowering of eyes
• verbal tone, volume, rate, slows back to normal / full sentences once again
• falling to the ground almost in a fetal position
• grooming gestures ( this one is weird but you will see it time and time again… person will adjust their clothing, play with their hair/mustache/beard, pick lint of their body….. you see this in cat and dogs after they fight and then groom themselves)

In all of the above noted signs, don’t just look for one, but rather clusters of two or more. If you see one and know what to look for, you will see others guaranteed. As a police officer who has been involved in many physical encounters, I can share with you and others that “Ritualized Combat” is a tool that you can use to your advantage. Many of my students , who are not police officers, who have found themselves in ‘situations” have also echoed the tactical benefit of such knowledge. One should also remember that a skilled attacker “may” be able to mask some of these signs, so never drop you guard and fall into a false sense of confidence !!!!!! Also remember that if the voice and body don’t match, always believe the body because the voice can LIE !!!!!! If your attacker is verbalizing the fact that he doesn’t want to fight, but yet he is showing Ritualized Combative signs that show otherwise, he’s a LLPOF ( liar, liar pants on fire)

Some people who don’t know about Ritualized Combat, call it “gut instinct/intuition” They are right !!!!!! The reason it is a “gut instinct/intuition” rather than a known empirical thing, is because no one has explained to them what “Ritualized Combat” is. What is happening in the “gut/ instinct” group, is that their “sub-conscious/reptilian brain” is picking up on these signs (rather than the conscious critical mind), thus turning on the warning bells. Some listen (the more experience), but most do not

Five tactical Advantages Of The Criminal:

Remember, most attackers have five very real advantages over most of their victims:

Advantage #1: Confidence

• will usually not attack unless he has full confidence in his abilities to win the physical encounter
• Confidence comes from ability to use the tactic of the sucker punch or the the ambush to his full advantage

Advantage #2: Experience

• Experience comes from actual street application rather than a training studio or martial arts school
• Experience comes from real lessons learned on the street. Both good and bad

Advantage #3: Competence:

• Most have one or two techniques that they have mastered to some degree
• This mastery comes from actual application in the real world
• Because of this fact, they know what works most of the time, and what does not
• Their combatives training is learned by doing under “real” street conditions

Advantage #4: Tactics:

• a criminal’s tactics are that of simplicity, the simpler it is the better it will work
• when they do physically attack, it is usually a continuous attack until the intended victim has been knocked out or grounded
• physical attacks are usually very brutal and violent
• usually the criminal uses the advantage of FIRST STRIKE

Advantage #5: Psychological:

• Most people believe that this shit will never happen to me and because of this fact when attacked, go into a state of hyper vigilance which is a huge advantage to the attacker

REMEMBER:

The experienced predator on the street, in most cases, has an advantage over you. Respect that !!!! he has things that many martial artists do not have. He has hit real people, in real fights under life threatening conditions many times. You are in his arena, playing his game, by his rules !!!!!!

The street predator keeps his attacks simple and direct. He masters one attack, instead of knowing 100 techniques that he can do in the air, and he knows one or two that he can really land against someone fighting back. And these techniques work in his game plan. Do not play his game; change the rules or you will loose !!!!

So Why Do Street Fights Occur:

Pride and Ego reasons are most common. Why?

• a person perceives that their ego has been challenged
• need to save face by fighting the person who they see as their challenger
• this is especially true if the person who’s ego was challenges is with a peer group/gang. It is important when dealing with groups, a challenge to one, is a challenge to all

Alcohol and Drugs:

• The number one contributing factor as to why fights occur is alcohol and or drugs
• I like to call alcohol “liquid courage”
• Both alcohol and drugs override a person’s thought process to the point where reality and fantasy are one in the same. Both remove a person’s common sense factor

Property, Body, Life:

Here the attacker could want specific things from you including:

Property:

money, wallet, credit cards, jewelry, clothing

Body:

Pride and ego assaults, Sexual Assaults, Enjoyment Of A Violent Act

Life:

Self explanatory

Real Fights Are Not Pretty:

• not choreographed like you see on T.V. or in some martial arts schools
• Most are very sloppy, fast, and gross in appearance
• Most are not back and forth occurrences. The first person who gets in the first good neutralizing blow usually wins the fight
• Even a well trained combatant’s technique will usually get very sloppy after the first or second shots are thrown
• This is why in a street fight, “functionality of technique” is far more important that “perfect technique”. If what you do is pretty and perfect but not functional, what good is it going to be in the real world

Most Street Fights Are Over Very Quickly:

• most fights are usually over within the first 5-10 seconds
• Very rare to see a street fight last longer that 10-15 seconds

Most Street Fights Are Decided By A Strike to The Head:

• most street fighters are head hunters
• they understand that the brain is the computer of the body. You knock it out and the body will follow
• this is why in a street fight you “MUST” protect your head and neck

Most Street Fights If Not Over Quickly, Can Involve Grappling And Ground Fighting:

• if the fight is not over quickly, it can end up in a grapple and then go to ground
• Why?, if a person is getting the shit pounded out of them, they will usually want to close the distance in an attempt to smother/control the punches that they are being hit with
• Once grounded, you will usually be shit kicked “curbed” by the attacker, if he is standing, and his friends if any. These kicks are usually targeted for the head and upper body.
• This is why “ballistic” ground fighting techniques are essential for getting back onto your feet as quickly as possible. Unlike the UFC we can NOT spend a lot of time on the ground
• Remember, once someone starts taking blows, they will smother and grapple to escape the flying fists. Then it goes to the ground where your opponent and/or his friends will start shinning their shoes on your head while you are rolling around. Know how to be a ballistic ground fighter get back up on your feet as quick as you can

The Multiple Opponent Factor:

• Most attackers will not attack unless they believe they have an advantage ( or is psychotic)
• Most attackers will have some kind of back up ( friends or weapons) to help them out if they find themselves in trouble
• If you fall into the trap that you are only fighting one person, you will become tunnel locked, and the next thing you will find out is someone is on your back
• Always be aware of the second or third opponent in a street fight
• MUST always be thinking multiples on the street

The Weapon Reality:

• There are more and more fights taking place where a weapon was brought to use before, during, or after the confrontation. Especially knives
• Always be aware and prepared for a weapon in a street fight at anytime

The Unwanted Friend Factor:

• most fights usually have friends and acquaintances looking on from both sides
• these friends will often attempt to separate combatants in an effort to stop the fight
• this is very dangerous to you due to the fact that as your friend is pulling you away, they are tying you up giving an advantage to your attacker
• this can take place before, during, and after a fight as well
• Although your friends may be trying to help you, unless on the same page tactically, they are in fact placing you at a disadvantage

The Offensive Mindset:

• more often than not, the combatant who strikes first and maintains the offensive mindset, usually win the fight
• in a street fight do not go defensive, attack the attack, go offensive, you deploy FIRST STRIKE and continue with a compound attack. If he gets the first strike in, you want to counterattack the aggressor so viciously that he realizes that now he is the one being attacked and not you
• This is not a cat and mouse game like you see in the movies, no fancy moves and then a theme song as you gaze at your fallen opponent; you have to attack like a banshee and keep on attacking until your safety is assured by the fact that your attacker has no interest in contacting you again

Knowledge and the understanding and application of that knowledge is power !!!!!!!!

Strength and Honor

Darren Laur

Integrated Street Combatives

personalprotection@shaw.ca

January 18, 2009 at 6:47 pm | Uncategorized | No comment

The Situational Awareness Mindset

What is self defence? When this question is asked, the usual answer is “physical techniques which defend one against a physical attack” Although this is a common belief amongst many self defence and martial arts schools, self defence starts way before the actual physical assault.. The first and probably the most important component in self defence is “AWARENSS” of you, your attacker, and your surroundings.

Self defence is a system of awareness strategies combined with physical and mental techniques. Through the awareness mindset, many physical altercations which are commonplace on the street, can most likely be avoided

It is a common strategy that the street predator will look for targets that are totally unaware of their surroundings

The tactic of the “ambush” or the “sucker punch” is what the street predator relies upon and uses to his full advantage. People who are unaware of their surroundings are prime candidates (victims) for this street strategy. If the street predator can catch you by surprise, then it allows him to strike first. Face it, on the street the first person to strike a good stopping blow, will usually,, not always, but in most cases, win the fight

It has been said that a street fight is a war in microcosm, the best prepared for battle will probably win the war. In war, if you can take your enemy by surprise, you will usually have a tactical advantage. Again, this is a tactic that the street predator lives by.

To counter the ambush tactics, an army in time of war sets perimeters. These perimeters are usually manned with some kind of early warning system. Their sole purpose is to advise the main body that if there is an aggressive act initiated against it, there will be time to counter attack.

Just like the army in time of war, you have to be aware of your surroundings at all times. By having this awareness mindset, you will have the insight, knowledge, and time to recognize what is going on around you, and thus have time to deal with any potential problem more effectively.

Through the awareness mindset, you have taken the advantage of the sucker punch, which is the primary tactics of most attackers, from the street predator. By being aware of what is going on around you, two clear messages are being sent to a potential street predator who may be out hunting:

1. I recognize you are there. Because of this fact, their primary tactic of “surprise” is defeated, and
2. To beat me is going to cost you physically because I’m no easy target

These two points are important to understand because the street predator is a lazy animal. Street predators like to pick the easiest targets. Why ? , Because the easier the target, the lower the risks of being seen, heard, or caught, and the higher the gains for getting what it is I want from you. If through the awareness mindset you can portray a “force presence” which says “I’m not a victim”, most street predators (not all) will leave you alone and find easier prey.

The awareness mindset tries to give you the insight and knowledge to recognize what is going on around you, so that you can either deal with the problem effectively, or get out of its way.

Although I am a police officer that has learned the color codes of awareness, I still find it difficult to remember what each color means. This is also very true for students who do not have either a military or law enforcement background. Because of this fact, I have borrowed the levels of awareness that the US/Canadian military use during times of war, which are; “Defence Conditions” commonly known as “Def Cons”

DEFCON #1: (low risk)

Defcon #1 is that state of awareness when you are by yourself or with a group of people that you know in a friendly environment. Here a physical attack is highly unlikely, but you still have a relaxed awareness of your surroundings

DEFON #2: (medium risk)

Defcon #2 is that state of awareness when you find yourself in an unfamiliar or potentially hostile environment. Here, the potential for physical confrontation is always likely, so you want to have your awareness mindsets “switched on”. You need to constantly be scanning your surroundings in an attempt to pick up and recognize those danger signs, ritualized combat, which may alert you to a potential problem. The more time and distance you have between yourself and a potential threat through awareness, the more capable you will be to deal with the problem at hand effectively

DEFCON #3: (high risk)

Defcon #3 is that state of awareness where you know the shit is going to hit the fan. You have formed a reasonable belief, based upon the totality of the circumstances, that the predator(s) is going to attack you physically. It is at this point in time that you should take the tactical advantage and strike first, exploiting the element of surprise to your advantage instead of his.

Defence conditions are the street strategy of awareness which provide you with important informational input prior to a hostile encounter. In the movie the “Terminator” , Arnie wore a set of glasses that would constantly be scanning his surroundings. These glasses would constantly be sending the Terminator information on his surroundings. These “awareness” glasses gave the Terminator the ability to know who and what was around him at all times. Just like those glasses, you need to constantly be scanning your surroundings, using the Defcon model to ascertain things like:

• Who is my potential attacker
• How can he likely attack me
• Can he hit me
• Where can he hit me
• What kind of real or improvised weapon does he have in his reach
• What is going to be my “offensive” action to his possible attack
• What are my possible escape routs

By asking yourself these questions, you have cognitively thought about what your potential attacker might do. In doing so, you are going to be more prepared for his attack, if any should erupt. If you are more prepared for an attack, you are more likely to act. Remember the 7 “P” principal of personal safety

1. Proper
2. Pre
3. Planning
4. Prevents
5. Piss
6. Poor
7. Performance

So how can we increase our situational awareness:

PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS:

Awareness of your surroundings is the key to personal safety.

SCAN:

Learn to be in the habit of constantly scanning your surroundings – side, front, and behind; close to you and farther away. Practice will make scanning automatic.

DON”T GET DISTRACTED:

It is difficult, if not impossible, to be aware of your surroundings if you are distracted by a, cell phones, headphones, diskmans.

KNOW WHO IS AROUND YOU:

Part of being alert to your surroundings is to beware of people around you. When scanning make brief eye contact (not a prolonged stare which is seen to be a challenge) with people. By doing this, you send a clear message that you know the person is there, thus taking away their primary tactic of surprise.

WALK STRONG AND CONFIDENT:

By carrying yourself in a confident, purposeful, and self assured manner – described as force presence – you immediately convey to a potential attacker that you are not a victim. One must be very careful however, not to be seen as cocky which can be a challenge

USE YOUR SIXTH SENSE:

“sixth sense”, “gut Instinct” whatever you call it, your intuition is a powerful subconscious insight into situations and people, We all have this gift, but many do not listen to its warning. Remember that your intuition is a million years of evolution that the good Lord has given you to stay safe. But far to often it is just denied or trivialized.

KNOW WHERE YOU ARE:

Always know or plan your route beforehand, especially in areas which are not familiar. A “lost” appearance indicates weakness – a sure target

LIMIT YOUR LOAD:

Do not burden yourself with packages, shopping bags, etc. this marls you as a target, and more importantly, restricts the use of your hands and arms if needed for protection.

These are but a few ideas ( I know there are many more) that one can incorporate into their everyday life to increase one’s “situational awareness mindset”

Strength and Honor

Darren Laur

January 18, 2009 at 6:46 pm | Uncategorized | No comment

The Seven Golden Rules of Conscious Choice Violence Avoidance

When you read the paper, watch the news, and surf the self-protection forums, one would think that violence is rampant, and that no matter where you go or what you do in life, the chances of being confronted with violence are always a clear and present danger. Although violence in all of its forms is a reality in today’s world, it has been my experience, as a serving LEO, that there are certain situations (that are controllable by you through conscious choice) that can lead themselves to increased risk that if one was to avoid, would definitely decrease the overall threat of being confronted with physical violence. Known as, “The Seven Golden Rules of Conscious Choice Violence Avoidance” they include:

1) Don’t drink alcohol to excess, and don’t frequent establishments or events where people will likely drink excessively:

The over consumption of alcohol is the number one contributing factor to physical violence in my opinion. It is because of this fact that one should stay away from “known” establishments or events where people will likely drink excessively which includes; bars, special events, and house parties. If you do frequent these types of locations, to limit the risk, leave early before the liquid courage has had time to take full effect.

2) Don’t use illegal drugs, and don’t frequent establishments, events, or frequent areas where people are likely to be found using illegal drugs:

This is the number two contributing factor to physical violence. Drugs, much like alcohol, skew one’s perception of reality. Those who partake in illegal drugs, especially those who use Central Nervous System stimulants such as cocaine, crystal meth, Ketamine are more prone to violent outbursts. It is because of this fact that one should stay away from establishments, events, or even areas of town where drug use is commonplace.

3) Don’t get caught up in the “my dick is bigger than your dick” argument, especially with those who you do not know:

Many acts of violence that I have investigated had everything to do with “Ego” and “Saving Face” and when combined with alcohol and drugs, things can become even more explosive. Remember, you may be right, but in the end you could be dead right. Wherever possible ignore the challenge and walk away.

4) Don’t get sexually involved, make negative comments, or non-verbally challenge another person’s husband, wife, boyfriend, or girlfriend:

Need I say more on this !!!!!!!!!

5) Don’t relinquish control or faculties when dating:

This is directly related to issues surrounding alcohol and drugs. If you can’t control yourself, then others may.

6) Don’t frequent those areas of town or events that have a history of violence:

Every city has a “Red Zone” where most criminal acts are committed. Avoid these areas wherever possible, or if you have to travel within the red zone, heighten you awareness level. There are also public event that also invite the potential for random acts of violence (usually because of the over consumption of alcohol) be aware that while attending these events, your risks of dealing with violence are also heightened.

7) Don’t associate with people who have a penchant for violent or dangerous behavior, have poor self-control, poor judgment, are controlling, deceptive, manipulative, untrustworthy, or participate in illegal activity:

Even if you’re staying away from trouble areas and not starting any problems yourself, if you associate with friends and acquaintances (not to mention family members or significant others/spouses) that are violent or untrustworthy, you’ll end up in bad situations again and again. Look for things like someone who’s always getting angry or upset, who changes friends a lot, can’t drink responsibility, can’t manage their finances, is arrogant and abrasive, is misogynistic or racist, or has a history of fighting and run-ins with the law. This requires being a good judge of character and having the guts to cut someone out of your life if they exhibit some of the warning signs, even if they otherwise seem like a “nice person.” (punisher77 ,Senshido Forum, 2005) It is uncanny how many times I have investigated a fight that was actually initiated by the victim’s friend who fit the above noted criteria. These guys are commonly known as Shit magnets.

Many who read this posting will say, “Damn, I might as well be a hermit because you have taken all the fun out of life.” I’m not saying don’t have fun and enjoy life to the fullest, but what I am saying is that life is about choices, and with those choices come both positive and negative consequences. Many of my friends that I hang with outside of policing have never had to deal with violence, why, because they followed the six golden rules. Those that have had to deal with physical violence, or a criminal attack, did so because they did not take heed of the six golden rules, or were preyed upon by the street predator because of no situational awareness, and were thus targeted as a safe mark. The message of this posting:

AVOIDANCE, combined with SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, will go along way in preventing a violent physical altercation in one’s life. See my article “Street 101” for situational awareness information:

http://www.personalprotectionsystems.ca/The%20Way%20Of%20The%20Street%20Street%20101.doc

Darren Laur

www.personalprotectionsystems.ca

January 18, 2009 at 6:45 pm | Uncategorized | No comment

The Secret

(aka Simplicity)

It seems that everyone is looking for the secret, or the Holy Grail, of combatives. Many Reality Based Self Protection (RBSP) systems and or martial arts (MA), market their wares on the fact that they, and no one else, posses the secrets needed for survival. To me the “secret” is blatantly obvious; the secret is in fact “SIMPLICITY”. Simplicity is not about combative frugality, it is about being focused on combative essentials, understanding that principals stay the same and should be able to be used in diverse applications. Someone once said, “there are far more people in the world who have successfully defended themselves in a use of force situation who had no training, than there are those who do train to defend themselves.” Why????, those with no training defended themselves at a feral level in which simplicity is king at an unconsciously competent level. In fact, I would argue that many who do train in “some” combatives and martial art systems begin to push simplicity aside in favor of form, style, rote, and complexity, and it these demons that cloud one’s mind during life and death combat where the ability to improvise, adapt, and overcome is a needed attribute. Form, style, rote, tradition, and complexity, however, are what tantalize us as human beings especially when it comes to combatives or martial arts training. It is this fragmentation and complexity of many combative motor skill training systems (not all) that defeats us, the complexity of choice, the sensory overload so that the outer chaos of real combat, or what is known as the “Fog Of War”, begins to invade our minds thus causing analysis paralysis at the cognitive level, thus giving the advantage to our attacker. The KEY to combat is to hold in the mind a clear and detailed picture of not the “PROCESS’ but rather the “RESULT”, remembering that combative behaviour will automatically align itself with any deeply and clearly visualized intention.

An interesting quote that I read in an article written by a fellow hypnotherapist by the name of Barbara Julian, specific to overcoming the issue(s) of complexity in life, defines simplicity as the ability to:

“ Dance with, rather than resisting or controlling circumstances, until simplicity is achieved as an experience of flow”

In this forum we have read many threads on “flow”, and although Ms. Julian’s article had nothing to do with fighting, it does make the point on the “principal” of simplicity in combat specific to the issue of flow (principals stay the same diverse in application). To me, simplicity in combat is in fact something that I have called “Combative Flow” which is the ability to morph (or as Ms Julian stated “Dance”) with circumstances faced at an unconsciously competent level when the sh*t hits the fan. It is my opinion that form, style, rote, and tradition is what causes complexity and thus truly stunts or even prevents the “dance” of simplicity in combat.

Cerebral Food For Thought

Darren

January 18, 2009 at 6:44 pm | Uncategorized | No comment

The Power Of Semantics

The power of words (semantics) has been the catalyst, in many cases, that has caused countries to go to war. The same holds true for individual self-protection encounters, which are really just a war in microcosm. Time and time again, I have seen physical confrontations initiated by those who fail to understand the power of words, and how what one says can either escalate or de-escalate a physical encounter.

Prior to an actual physical assault taking place, there will usually, not always, be an exchange of words between the attacker and the intended victim. It is during this Pre-physical contact “interview”, that the attacker’s “intent” to fight can often be de-railed through “choice speech”. In many cases, the interview is being used as the “lure” to both entice and goad you into a physical confrontation. The attacker is hoping that no matter what you say, the words you speak will give him the excuse he was looking for to physically engage with rage.

Knowing this, how can we use the power of semantics to our advantage? A fellow Canadian Self Protection instructor, Richard Dimitri (founder of Senshido, http://www.senshido.com) stated and I’m paraphrasing; “ I’m not really interested in the final result or the technique used in a street fight, rather I’m more interested in how it escalated to the point of the physical”. This statement is true brilliance, and something that I have been preaching for years. To many in our field are more concerned about the physical (which, don’t get me wrong, is important) rather than pre-contact psychology. Dimitri’s work in the area of semantics, as it relates to personal combat, is some of the best around and what has spawned this posting on the topic.

So, lets look at some common baited statements that are used to elicit a response from us , and discuss how we can remold them, or as Neuro Linguistic Psychology calls it “pattern interrupt (brain fart) the user to our advantage. Remember, these statements are the bait that the potential attacker wants you to bite at, thus giving them the excuse to physically engage. What we want to do is “DE-RAIL” this mental process to our advantage.

EXAMPLE #1:

“ Do you have a F*****G problem ? “

Here the usual reply is “no”, or no reply at all. Both of these responses, if given, are too finite, and tend to elicit a negative response from the attacker. The key word here is “PROBLEM”, so use this to your advantage by giving a response such as:

“ Yes, I do have a problem. I just got fired at work, and I have no financial way to feed my family, our look after their needs at home.”

IMO, this reply is very powerful in that it answers your attacker’s question in a way that is psychologically very disarming. Identifying the fact that you have a problem that is going to directly affect your family, is something that can be related to by most would be attackers, thus causing the pattern interruption which can lead to diffusion

EXAMPLE #2:

“ What the F**K are you looking at ?”.

Here the usual reply is “nothing” or no reply at all. Again, both of these responses are too finite and tend to elicit a negative response from the attacker. The key word here is “LOOKING’, so use this to your advantage by giving a response such as:

“ I’m sorry if you thought I was looking at you the wrong way, my wife just left me, and my mind is scrambled right now and as a result, I have a habit of staring out in space which people mistake as staring, sorry man,. I didn’t mean anything by it”

IMO, this reply is again very powerful in that it answers your attacker’s question in a way that is psychologically very disarming.

EAMPLE #3:

“ Give me all your fucking money”

If you don’t have any money, never state this fact, by itself, to the attacker. Remember, they have picked you for a reason and have placed themselves in a dangerous situation where they could be arrested and sent to jail if caught. The last thing the attacker wants to hear from you, is that you do not have anything of value for them to take. Instead a response might be:

“ Man, I don’t have any cash with me right now, but I have my bank card that has a $1000.00 limit on it. You can have it, and I will give you the pin number” . OR;

“ Man I don’t have any cash right now, but see this gold ring, it’s worth $700.00, here take it.”

I hope that you, the reader, can see how tactically and psychologically disarming the above examples are. It is because of this “cause and effect” strategy that we can psychologically reverse the intended “lure”, and use it to our advantage to either verbally de-escalate the situation, or use it as a set up for first strike. Due to the fact that only about 10% of communication is verbal, body language used with this tactic must be congruent with what you are attempting to communicate verbally!!!!! If not, the potential attacker will not believe a word you say.

As with any other strategy or tactic, one must practice these skills in realistic scenario based replication training. Proper Pre Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. The power of words, and their application, is a “MUST” for those who seek realistic self-protection training. Remember, winning a fighting isn’t always about the physical !!!!!!

Strength and Honor

Darren Laur

For related information please go to: http://members.shaw.ca/tmanifold/laur.htm and click on SAVING FACE, and COMMUNICATION.

CAVEAT:

I would highly recommend Richard DIMITRI’s work in this area as a blueprint for others to follow. From a NLP perspective, specific to this topic, what he is doing is brilliant. Richard’s work in the area of the physical is also most desirable.

January 18, 2009 at 6:44 pm | Uncategorized | No comment

The Omnipresent Street Assumptions

In a street fight, one should only make three assumptions:

1. The threat faced has trained to fight, so expect the unexpected.

1. The threat faced is likely armed, even if a weapon cannot be seen.

1. The threat likely has friends, so always think multiples, and never become target locked.

Here’s a video that clearly demonstrates these above three assumptions, BUT before you click on the below noted link, please be warned that it contains very graphic footage of an armed robbery where the victim sustains severe knife wounds, and later dies. Although a tragic video, it does offer several learning points:

http://dv.ouou.com/swf/ouou.swf?id=38d7f33d4c29c

• From the time that the victim took the first hit, until he fell on the ground unconscious; 2 minutes and 50 seconds.

• Total number of hits that I could count; approx 13, most of which were straight multiple compounding thrusts into the torso.

Although a tragic video, it does have some things to offer:

1) Once again, multiple (armed) threats….need I say more !!!!!!!

2) Even when cut (even as severely as this guy was), one can still fight back

3) As another trainer has stated, most fights take place within the space of a phone booth. Are you training scenarios where one may be cornered with limited space to move like the victim in this video found himself in?

4) Something tells me that this guy did not want to hand over whatever these predators wanted, and in the end, he likely died for property. Property can be replaced your life can’t……something to think about !!!!!!!!

5) Multiple hits are what kill in an edged weapon encounter……whatever one can do to control the delivery systems (thus minimizing hits taken) and immediately counter attacking, would be more desirable than just counterattacking in an knife encounter. See my article on this topic located at:

http://www.personalprotectionsystems.ca/EDGED%20WEAPON%20TACTICS%20AND%20COUNTER%20TACTICS.doc

6) Blood organ torso shots with a knife are not immediate stops. Although the victim does go down, it took over 2 minutes. This is one reason why I prefer looking for biomechanical cuts with a knife that will limit ones ability to move or counter-attack (Back of neck, hamstrings, pelvic triangle, achilles)

Darren

January 18, 2009 at 6:43 pm | Uncategorized | No comment

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