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Newsletter for October 2003 Welcome to the new members of Defend University, thanks for subscribing. Inside this issue: Lessons from the Kobe Bryant Rape Case “The only thing that can beat fear is the confidence gained from experience.” Antonio “Nino” Schembri Lessons from the Kobe Bryant Rape Case Some details are coming out regarding the criminal case regarding L.A. Lakers basketball player Kobe Bryant. A detective has testified in a pre-trial hearing about how Bryant allegedly committed the rape. The victim claims that she went to Bryant's room. They engaged in mutual kissing and some petting which she said was "flattering". But when she attempted to break off the encounter and began to head for the door to leave, Bryant grabbed her by the neck (from behind) restraining her movements. Still holding her neck with one hand, he lifted up her skirt with the other and pulled down her panties. He then bent her over a chair and proceeded to penetrate her from behind. She says she was crying and telling him "No" several times. After he completed the rape, she says he forced her to kiss his penis. Regardless of whether the court finds Bryant guilty or whether this scenario is ultimately found to be false, it serves as a valuable teaching tool -- because if it's not true, it certainly could be true. This scenario has a number of elements to it that are found in sexual assaults. So what are the lessons we can learn from this scenario (true or not)?
Again, let me emphasize that this article has less to do with the actual Bryant case and more about what happens during many sexual assaults. Take a look at how this scenario unfolded and integrate the lessons into your training. Lessons from the Pedro Martinez - Don Zimmer Fight Okay, so it wasn't much of a fight. When 70-something New York Yankees coach Don Zimmer charged 32-year- old Pedro Martinez of the Boston Red Sox, Martinez pulled what looks to me like a pretty good takedown. Never mind that Martinez actually started the chain of events that led to the bench-clearing brawl in the American League Championship game. But the video coverage I have seen looks decidedly like Zimmer charged at Martinez with a notion of throwing a punch, but when he decided the distance wasn't right, the short little choppy jab that he started to throw turned into a head-down charge for a high tackle. Martinez deftly controlled Zimmer's head and, borrowing from Zimmer's own forward momentum, stepped back with one foot and spun Zimmer to the ground head-first. This technique is one that Defend University recommends as a counter to tackles. I don't think that Martinez visits the Defend U. site, but the technique worked fine. And, as opposed to counter punching, launching a knee to the face or wrapping Zimmer in a headlock, this takedown was probably the most humane to use against the older gentleman. Law Enforcement Jobs Overseas I've been contacted by PPCT Management Systems, Inc., and Homeland Security Corporation regarding job opportunities for law enforcement personnel overseas. The company is ramping up for a contract with the U.S. Government to provide law enforcement personnel for various jobs in Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, Liberia, East Timor and Afghanistan. The jobs are paying from $60,000 to $120,000 based on the position, prior experience and the country of location. Jobs are available for:
From my previous experience with these kinds of call ups, you'll be expected to respond quickly. You have to be able to go when they call or you'll not get the contract. PPCT is saying that in some countries housing will be provided while in others it will be "on the economy" which means it will be your responsibility and you'll be living outside of the U.S. base. Medical packages are being determined, as well as a rotation schedule and the opportunity to return to your home 2 times per year. Vaccinations and immunizations will be required for traveling and living in each of the above-mentioned countries. PPCT will conduct formal training for the Instructor cadre here in the United States prior to deployment, with pay, Training would entail 4 weeks; 3 weeks of basic academy-style training and 1 week of international law specific to the respective country of assignment. Continuing in-service training modules will be based overseas at locations to be determined. If you are interested in applying for any of these positions, send a complete resume to: recruiting@ppct.com Handgun Laser Sights Increase Hits “Over the last few years, I have had opportunity to watch shooters of every skill level work out with pistols equipped with laser sights. It has been my observation that most shooters, using the laser-equipped handguns, tend to perform to a higher standard. “Well, that’s at the range. What about the real world? According to Clyde Caceres of Crimson Trace Corporation, in a recent year, police officers using laser-equipped handguns achieved a 90+ percent hit rate in actual gunfights. As best as can be determined, police officers [normally] hit what they are shooting at about 20 percent of the time. Anything that can increase success so dramatically deserves consideration.” Mike Boyle Stop Light Hints Carjackings, robberies and vehicle assaults all take place when you are stopped. (Duh, you say. That's a bit like the statistic that all plane crashes happen upon landing...) We're not going to consider the roadblock or when the bad guys ram you into the ditch. You and I would most likely be caught at gas stations, parking lots and red lights -- which is what we want to discuss here. Take some hints from professional protection specialists -- they always have an escape route and they never let anyone line up directly on their car at stop lights. While professional bodyguards will debate about whether you should be on the outside lane or the inside lane at lights, they all agree that you should do two things; one, make sure there is room between you and the car in front of you (you should be able to see his back tires) and, two, make sure that you "offset" your car to the one next to you, meaning that you don't line your door up directly with theirs. In other words, they allow themselves a "lane" in which they can pull out of traffic to escape and they stagger their car in relationship to the other cars at the light. The professionals are mostly worried about kidnappings and assassinations of high-profile clients, but you can also benefit from these same tactics at stop lights. While kidnapping and assassination might also be of a concern to you, the reality as a regular citizen is that you are mostly at risk of a robbery or inadvertently triggering a road rage incident. Many altercations begin with eye contact between occupants of vehicles. I know of various home invasions and robberies which resulted from bad guys casing the driver and the car next to them at lights. Don't give the bad guys the opportunity. First of all, try and time your travel between lights to allow you to coast up to the light and to keep moving. I know, in most cities that's almost impossible. But you'll find that you can do it on roads that are less traveled as well as late at night (when it's probably more imperative that you keep moving!) Secondly, use the hints noted above -- keep room between you and the car in front and stagger your door to the car next to you. Again, I've heard executive protection people argue all day long on whether you should be in the far right lane near the curb (the far left lane for our UK friends) so you can take a quick right to escape (or drive up on the sidewalk) or whether you should stay away from the curb so you are less likely to be attacked from the sidewalk or have your vehicle trapped up against the curb. I tend to advocate staying in the lane away from the sidewalk, giving you the option of turning either right or left or simply blowing through the light. Plus, people tend to get bent out of shape when they want to take a right at a red light and you're sitting there, waiting to drive straight. I would also advocate that you consider tinting your windows the darkest shade possible to further obscure the bad guys' ability to case you. Self-Defense Network Tackles Vehicular Assaults Speaking of attacks while in your vehicle... The Self-Defense Network cable TV show got a chance to video tape a special course for an unnamed branch of the Department of Defense which is training foreign embassy personnel in countering vehicular assaults. The course was given at an undisclosed location outside of Las Vegas and included some incredible training in ramming through barricades while under gunfire as well as exiting the vehicles under fire and returning fire. One of the highlights of the show is a demonstration of an assault on a car by instructors Steve Krystek and Pat Burke using automatic fire (one weapon was a M-4 carbine and the other was a HK MP5). The resulting damage to the target and car is sobering. Noted Scotti instructor Anthony Shepherd from Crosswinds gives a chalk talk on how to defeat the barricade if you're the driver and we got a chance to video tape from inside the car while coming under fire and ramming the barricade. Another highlight is a demonstration by the instructors of how to effectively fire at an attacker from inside the car with all of the windows rolled up! (Ask me if my ears are still ringing from that one...) It's a bit tricky, but the solution is elegant to watch. The half-hour show also provided a critique of a real-life fight captured on video of a group of guys cornering a car with two guys and two girls inside. The lessons of the Counter Vehicular Assault class above is applied to the real life example. And finally, there is another instructional segment featuring Steve Krystek teaching the embassy personnel how to defeat a knife attack when they are empty handed. Go here to get to the Self-Defense Network page. The Irony of Combat Sports vs. Combat Arts “Herein lies the great weakness of martial arts that train only with kata. Because the techniques they teach cannot be performed safely in a sparring match or sporting competition, they can only be taught by repetitive drilling on a cooperative partner. Such kata training never develops the attributes that are required to accompany the technique if the fighter is to successfully apply it under combat conditions. In other words, kata simply builds technique, not attributes. This imbalance is the great failing of the traditional martial arts and one that has been readily exposed in MMA [Mixed Martial Arts] combat. Combat sports, on the other hand, allow the students to apply their ‘safe’ techniques at full power and thus they strongly develop the essential attributes that make the successful application of techniques possible. This rationale explains the irony of how an art limited to ‘safe’ techniques can regularly defeat arts packed with deadly or dangerous techniques.” Renzo Gracie Proliferation of Neck Knives “In what the Caliber Press officer survival instructors have called the ‘knife culture’ of modern day America, we see a proliferation of ‘neck knife’ sheaths, a cord or thin chain that dangles from the neck and holds a sheathed knife with either a fixed or folding blade, along the sternum. The knife can be drawn through the front of the garment or by reaching up under the hem of the shirt with surprising speed. It can also work with the knife slung down one’s back.” Massad Ayoob
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Brad Parker
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