| |||||||||||
|
Newsletter for November/December 2003 Welcome to the new members of Defend University, thanks for subscribing. Inside this issue: Top Ten Car Theft Cities
Top Ten Car Theft Cities The 10 worst auto theft cities in America, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, are: 1. Phoenix, Ariz. The five safest metropolitan areas in the U.S., or its territories, are: 1. Williamsport, Pa. For a listing of the vehicle theft rates in all 336 metro areas of the U.S., click here. Psychological Warfare: The Fake Firearm There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that criminals avoid potential victims that appear to be armed. However, the paradox is that -- as an armed citizen -- no one should know you are carrying a firearm. Being identified as a person carrying a concealed weapon has some pitfalls. You can be identified as a person who a criminal will "need" to shoot first so as to cancel you as a threat to him. You can find yourself in a surprise handgun retention situation because a criminal will attack your weapon to gain control of it versus approaching you in a more "normal" attack. You actually give the attacker an advantage because now he doesn't need to interview you to see if you have a firearm, he already has the answer. However, having identified these concerns, there is plenty of quantifiable evidence showing that American citizens stop criminal frequently with the mere presence of a firearm. This is interesting because it's estimated that more than 6 million attacks a year are deterred because the potential victim had access to a firearm. The defenders didn't even use the weapon, they just had access to it or displayed it. And back to the opening sentence, criminals assiduously avoid people who appear to be armed or capable of resisting. I've seen plenty of stories of people who have successfully bluffed their way out of an attack by acting as if they had a firearm. I can't very well say that this is not a viable tactic -- the fact is it has worked for many people. Personally, I would not recommend it. But, I'm not that good of a poker player either. Street people and experienced criminals are pretty damned good at reading people. They either know when someone is bluffing or they push the limits of personal boundaries to find out if the person is bluffing. They will work their way right up to the edge of starting a fight and back off quickly to see where your level of commitment is. Carrying a concealed weapon entails shouldering a huge responsibility. Not carrying a weapon, but bluffing that you are is a bit like wanting to have your cake and eat it too -- you don't have the responsibility of actually carrying and controlling the weapon, but you want to have it's power to intimidate an attacker. Like I mentioned before, plenty of people have used the fake firearm successfully. But I would not want to be caught short without your weapon should you be forced to use it by an attacker that escalates the situation. Empty Hand Skills at the Core The Japanese word muto describes being caught "without sword". Related to the piece above, there are many times when you won't have your weapon. Indeed, the vast majority of subscribers to Defend University find that they cannot carry weapons at any time. Therefore, you need to make sure that your core self-defense strategy centers on empty-hand skills. We can fill volumes of discussions on exactly what you need to study, but generally, you'll need to be able to protect yourself from strikes, kicks, grabs (including headlocks and hair grabs), tackles, and weapons. (Click here to see the article on the "Preparation Paradox" in the Nov. 2002 newsletter which covers which attacks to expect in more detail). Unfortunately, these core skills are difficult to master and entail hard physical work. Remember, the important things are simple, but it's the simplest things that elude us. Most people will find that this is too much work. I routinely get questions along the line of, "Can't I just carry something that will protect me?" The other requirements are that it be simple, safe, legal, and can't hurt my kids...and I have a wonder pill that will allow you to eat as much as you like and still lose weight safely too... The very nature of self-defense requires that you successfully deal with force. At the most basic level, you'll need to do that with empty hand strategies like controlling distance and protecting your vital areas. Don't neglect your physical security with the superior use of awareness, the judicious use of good locks and controlling your privacy. Add training in driving and weapons and you will be a hard target. Ironically, the more you prepare for trouble, the less likely it will come calling. It won't be easy, but isn't your life and the lives of your family worth the work? Tactics the King, Weapons the Queen Please don't misunderstand my position of recommending empty-hand skills as your self-defense core skill set. If the truth be known, the most important thing you can work on to save your bacon is tactics. Tactics, tactics, tactics. You want to out-think and out-maneuver your attacker. But, because most attacks are "surprise" attacks or attacks which occur precisely because your tactical options are so limited, you need to be able to physically protect yourself in a variety of situations. The internal mastery of hand-to-hand defense means you can never be disarmed. However, using distance, movement and barriers can provide you with the smartest part of your defense. I remember seeing one of the toughest street fighters I know literally run around a car in a deadly "ring-around-the-rosie" encounter when faced with an opponent armed with a tire iron. Turns out that this guy was a smart fighter too. The reality is that the armed defender has a HUGE advantage over the unarmed defender. Facing the armed opponent is one of the most daunting task any martial artist or operator will encounter. Give yourself that advantage and put the bad guy in the spot of dealing with you as the armed opponent. Your weapons training should include impact weapons, edged weapons and firearms. Out of these categories, the firearm is the one that is the most efficient allowing smaller and weaker people the ability to negate the advantages most attackers will have. If you cannot carry a proper weapon because of legal limits, situational limits or safety limits (you have curious rugrats all about), then work on using improvised and environmental weapons. There is a difference between the two. An improvised weapon is one that you have made using an object or objects that were originally not a weapon. An environmental weapon is an object that you "find" in your immediate surroundings that you can use as a weapon. Some examples:
If you can smash someone with it, cut someone with it, or reach out and hit someone with it, then it can be used as a weapon. Open your eyes and discover the possibilities all around you. “There is no doubt that more deadly the weapon, the easier it is to be effective. Still, all weapons practice, like all physical performance, require crisis rehearsal in realism to be effective. What might really happen and where? Under what lighting conditions? On what terrain? What will the enemy use as a weapon?” Hock Hockheim “A small can of OC Spray should be carried somewhere on your person or at least on your vehicle. OC is available in easy-to-carry key ring size canisters. I have one as do my wife and adult daughters and I have taught them to use OC as a ‘stun and run’ technique. What I mean by this is that if they see the threat coming (i.e. awareness!) then move away leaving a ‘wall’ of OC in the air behind them. OC is an oily resin that will hang in the air and stick to anything that walks into it. If the threat keeps coming, then spray them in the face and move away. If movement is not a viable option, then attack with resolve and severity. After all, they started it! A great thing about OC is that it will dissipate in about 15 minutes, causing no bruising injury.” Dave Spaulding
Richard Ryan What’s wrong with this picture?
People don’t react like this when sprayed for real (they turn their head and close their eyes, but they can usually continue their attack). The woman is holding the spray canister in her front hand increasing the chance that it will be grabbed (and believe me he WILL grab for it!)The woman is TOO CLOSE! Standing directly over someone like this is inviting him to grab her and pull her to the ground. I like pepper spray as a tool. It might be one of the best non-lethal weapons that many people can carry because the bad guys think it is more powerful and painful than it really is (chalk one up for misleading advertisements like the one above) However, it is not a self-defense panacea. Like Spaulding's comments (above) I advise you to retreat as you hose down the attacker, creating a fog through which he will have to travel to reach you. Hold the canister in your rear hand with your front hand extended out to defend your space and your spray unit. Keep moving backwards to safety. Use your whole canister! Don't worry about trying to save any -- it doesn't do any good in the can. Let the guy have it all! For a selection of pepper spray units to purchase, go to Defend Gear at www.defendgear.com Airport Security Still Shows Holes On 17 October, all U.S. commercial air carriers were ordered to search their fleets after boxcutters, modeling clay and bottles of bleach were found on two Southwest Airlines flights. The items, as well as some other non-disclosed items, were found on the planes which landed in Houston and New Orleans. A college student named Nathaniel Heatwole was subsequently arrested for the breaches. Preliminary info looks like Heatwole staged the events as a sort of protest since he has a history of activism and had also sent an e-mail warning of his intention. Reports emerged on 16 October that federal agents posing as civilian passengers successfully smuggled illicit items through security-screening checkpoints at Boston's Logan International Airport. Officials did not specify what the items were. The on-duty security screeners were reportedly immediately reprimanded for failing to detect the prohibited items. The checks at Logan were part of an investigation at approximately 15 airports nationwide. Officials stated that Boston's airport performed "no better or worse" than the other airports. No further information is currently available. And it's not just American airports. On 15 October, a report from the Italian civil aviation authority (ENAC) details significant security breaches at major Italian airports. ENAC agents were able to carry prohibited items like knives and other metallic objects through security checkpoints at Rome, Milan, Bergamo, Palermo and Catania airports inside carry-on luggage. In one incident at Rome's Fiumicino airport, a bag with a large fake explosive device passed unnoticed through screening checkpoints at both the domestic and international terminals, as well as staff entrances. Is it Dangerous for Cops to Be Too Nice? "The consistently occurring characteristics of feloniously murdered victim [police] officers were as follows:
Dr. Lawrence Blum, author of Force Under Pressure, How Cops Live and Why They Die. Watch Your Back
Notice that this attacker didn't even bother to drop her cigarette before taking a swipe at the arresting officer.
Go here if you want to access the newsletter archives.
Brad Parker
|
|
|
