Newsletter for January 2004

Happy New Year from Defend University!

Inside this issue:

Murders Up, but Slight Decrease in Crime for First Part of 2003
New Gun Fires Around Corners

The Difference Between Fighting and Training
Risk of Being Caught Still Best Deterrent
The Overwhelming Importance of Winning Mind-Set
2004 Self-Defense Resolutions

"The one who plans, cheats, outsmarts, connives, fools and deceives wins the gun fight."

Hoch Hochheim
 

Murders Up, but Slight Decrease in Crime for First Part of 2003
 

The Associated Press reported that the FBI has said that murders were up slightly nationwide during the first six months of the year, with gang violence contributing to more killings in some of the nation's largest cities.

The number of murders rose 1.1 percent nationwide while overall violent crime declined 3.1 percent. New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia were among the cities with an increase in homicides.

The reasons for the increase vary by city, but experts said there clearly has been a resurgence in gang activity in some places.

The preliminary report, based on reports from state and local law enforcement agencies, does not include raw totals for categories of crimes, only percentages. However, the FBI had figures for some selected large cities.

The six-month totals for 2003 marked the third consecutive time the FBI has recorded a decrease in overall violent crimes but an increase in murders.

The FBI says there were 308 murders from January to June of this year in New York City, compared with 270 during the same span last year. Philadelphia had 20 more murders in the first half of this year, Baltimore 14 more and Newark, N.J., 13 more.

Overall, there were 4.3 percent more murders in the Northeast during the first half of 2003 compared with last year. There also were slightly more homicides in the South and West, with only the Midwest showing a decrease (-1.9 percent).

Many major cities outside the Northeast had fewer slayings, the report showed. Los Angeles, for example, was down by 65, Detroit had 28 fewer and Las Vegas dropped by six.

Even with the national increase in murder, overall violent crime fell.

Aggravated assaults were down 4.4 percent, with forcible rapes dropping 4 percent and robberies less than 1 percent. Property crimes dropped by 0.8 percent compared with the year before, although motor vehicle thefts were up slightly at 0.9 percent. Other property crimes are burglary and larceny.

 

New Gun Fires Around Corners

Units specializing in urban combat will have a new weapon that allows them to stay hidden around a corner, yet still view -- and shoot -- without exposing themselves to danger.

Sources are reporting that Israel is beginning to use the weapon next week while U.S. forces have already begun training with it.  Naturally U.S. SWAT and police teams have expressed interest in purchasing it.,

Israeli veteran Amos Golan thought of the idea for the weapon after he participated in an Israeli army operation in the West Bank during the first Palestinian uprising in the late 1980s.

The weapon swivels at the middle, 63 degrees to the left or right, with the stock, trigger and the small screen at the hand-held end. The entire firing mechanism and a mini-camera with a zoom lens are located at the front end.

The user sees the target on a small TV screen allowing the user to stay behind cover or concealment.

The device can be fitted with different kinds of pistols, including the Baretta 92, which is used by the American army, the Glock and the Colt. It can also be adapted to fit an M-16 rifle or tear gas launcher.

The camera can view 200 to 400 yards, depending on the model.
 

The Difference Between Fighting and Training

“It is important to remember that fighting and training are different animals.  Fighting means knocking out, maiming or killing your opponent without concern for pulling punches, tapping out or displaying good sportsmanship.  Training means developing your body to be able to fight, increasing your endurance, honing your reflexes, learning techniques and then practicing what you have learned.  Very little common ground exists.”

Steven Drape

Risk of Being Caught Still Best Deterrent

Even though noted criminologists like Dr. Stanton Samenow tell us that criminals don't think like us, they acknowledge that the criminals don't want to get caught (as we would well expect).

A recent survey of 1,500 shoplifters by Read Hayes for the Loss Prevention Research Council and the University of Florida reinforces that fact.

The confessed shoplifters said they were most deterred by attentive staff members who provided personalized service.  They also were deterred by other customers who were labeled as either "nosy" or "busybodies" who the shoplifters feared would raise the alarm if they tried to boost merchandise.

Also effective were the use of plainclothes detectives if it was communicated that undercover security officers were being used in the store!   

The use of store logos and stickers on merchandise was judged as the least effective means of deterring shoplifters.

For the rest of us, to deter criminals who would want your possessions or your body, you should always appeal to their fear of being caught.  Most of the time that means you want to "stay with people or go to people".  If you are in a public place, don't allow yourself to be taken somewhere else.  If you are in a secluded or private place, move to or flee to a place that has people.  

You should also consider attracting attention to your predicament.  Even though you cannot count on people coming to your aid, the key is make your attacker believe that someone could be coming.

The Overwhelming Importance of Winning Mind-Set

“When you start fighting, you are either in a winning mind-set or you are not.  If you are not, you will lose.  Something unexpected, like being hit hard when you didn’t think it could happen, can break your focus.  The way to prepare for the unexpected is to use a key word or phrase that you have prepared, one that re-enters your mind into a winning mind-set.  It should be a word or phrase that brings your way of thinking back to visualizing yourself as enduring and winning the fight.  The saying is that a fight is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical, yet most fighters train 90 percent physical and 10 percent mental…The correct ratio may be something like 60 – 40 [physical to mental].  To consistently win fights, you need a lot of mental training – more than most people do.  One pitfall is to waste time thinking about things that are out of your control.  I used to have that problem until I trained with the Olympic sports psychologist.  Now I focus exclusively on things I can control.  This type of mental training figures in every aspect of life and can help everyone attain any type of goal.  Controlling negative thoughts, using positive visualization – these things help with everything from learning a new math lesson to selling more insurance to winning a street fight.”

Randy Couture
 

2004 Self-Defense Resolutions

When putting together your New Year's Resolutions, you might want to consider some for your personal protection and security. 

This year I resolve to:

• Get a paper shredder to destroy mail and offers that contain my personal and financial information;

• Re-key the locks on my doors (if you live in a place which has been previously occupied);

• Only use U.S. Post office mail boxes for my outgoing mail;

• Attend at least one self-defense course or class;

• Purchase or borrow at least one self-defense video or book;

• Adhere to a regular workout schedule;

• Incorporate a flexibility routine into my workout;

• Have the mechanic check the belts, hoses and tires on my car;

• Immediately replace any low batteries in my home's smoke detectors;

• Always put on my seat belt before I put the car in "Drive";

• Stop smoking;

• Never open the door before I've identified who's there;

• Never participate in phone surveys;

• Add weight resistance exercises to my workout;

• Observe or workout in a martial art that is unfamiliar to me (if you are a stand up student, try grappling.  If you are a grappling student, try a stand up class);

• Never walk directly to my car in the parking lot;

• Keep my magazines for my defensive firearm either empty or full;

• Never drive to my house if I even think something is amiss;

• Incorporate windsprints into my running;

• Not get too drunk when I'm out;

• Find a similarly-minded workout partner for regular drilling  of techniques;

• Shoot in at least one action, practical or defensive pistol competition this year;

• Learn how to use an impact weapon and an edged weapon for defense;

• Open my eyes, empty my mind,  and take in what's happening around me;

• Stay alert, stay safe and enjoy all the fruits of this wonderful life!

Go here if you want to access the newsletter archives.

Here's to a safe, healthy and prosperous New Year!
 

Brad Parker