Walk into most martial arts schools and you’ll be likely to see classes full of kids. You might even see classes mixed with kids and adults. Sights like these turn many adults away from the possibility of actually training themselves and even reinforce common misconceptions about martial arts. There are so many great reasons that disprove these misconceptions, and you owe it to yourself and your body to read this article and to open your mind to at least the possibility of training martial arts.

1. You may think you’re too old to start.

You’re never too old to start training martial arts – whether your 18 or 78, your body will thank you for it! There are so many physical benefits to training martial arts; it’s difficult to know where to begin. First of all, training martial arts increases flexibility. Increased flexibility will give you better posture, more ability to relax your muscles and lower occurrences of injuries. Even if you’re currently physically active, martial arts will bring your physical conditioning to a new level. You’ll be working your entire body and reaching a variety of muscle groups with each workout. When training martial arts, there isn’t a need to “alternate” muscle groups because the workout is always changing. Finally, training martial arts is a great way to burn those extra calories and to lose weight.

2. You suspect that you’re not in the physical condition necessary to do such an activity.

If you find the right school and the right instructor, your training will move at a pace that’s compatible with your abilities and conditioning. This will allow you to move as fast or as slow as you need to remain comfortable in your training. Training martial arts with the right instructor will also lessen your chances of suffering an injury. Your instructor will be there to monitor your moves to make sure you’re not making a mistake that could potentially be injurious.

3. You think it will be easier to just join a gym and lift weights.

You could get many of the same benefits of training martial arts by joining a gym, but there are some benefits of martial arts that cannot be replicated elsewhere. Martial arts give you a full body workout – both cardio and conditioning – at every session. At a gym, you have to plan ahead to make sure you’re reaching every muscle group during conditioning and still have time to do a cardio workout as well. In addition to that, training martial arts with an instructor is like having a personal trainer with you at all of your workouts.

Training martial arts also gives you a mental workout like nothing else. While most people say that any physical activity can reduce stress, martial arts goes one step further. The inner balance needed to participate in these activities puts you in tune with your body, better than any other physical activity. You cannot do martial arts while reading a magazine or day dreaming about your upcoming vacation. You will be focusing on the here and now and that will help you clear you mind and better be able to deal with the daily stresses of life after your workout.

4. You don’t want to have a class with a bunch of kids.

If you cannot find a school that can give individual instruction, you can look for classes that are strictly for adults. Classes like this often become people’s highlight of the week. You’ll soon find yourself looking forward to the fun and excitement of getting together with your “group”.

5. You don’t think you have the time to spend on a new activity.

The focus and concentration you develop while training martial arts will carry over into all parts of your life. You may not realize it now, but the hours during the week that you spend training in your martial art will actually help you make better use of your time outside of your training. You’ll be able to focus on your job, home and family. You’ll be able to concentrate and get your tasks done more efficiently. Training martial arts is also a spiritual experience that can help you have inner peace – yet another quality to help you get through your busy schedule more easily.

Still not completely convinced that adults can successfully start martial arts training? Do some research and find a great school in your area to give it a try. I’ll even make it easier for you. Just contact me and I’ll send you my free guide on how to choose a martial arts school.

Sincerely,

Mr. Robert Jones
Master Instructor
The Academy of Kempo Martial Arts

For more information on this article or others go to Articles on Martial Arts.

Robert Jones runs three successful martial arts schools located in Bellevue, Lynnwood, and Kent Washington. He has been helping families make positive changes in their lives through martial arts for over 20 years. He has also written A Guide on How to Pick a Martial Arts School.

He can be reached at the Academy of Kempo Martial Arts. 800-508-6141. His schools can be found on the web at Bellevue Martial Arts and Kung Fu.

The most surprising statistic that most karate and martial arts teachers discover is the one that tells them "why most of their adult students quit shortly after enrolling." In fact, the greatest percentage of adult dropouts from martial arts classes occurs within the first 100 days!

This has sparked some groups to investigate the reasons behind this phenomena. Surveys have been conducted both in the United States as well as in Canada. Additional inquiries may also have been conducted in places like Europe and Australia as well.

What the researchers found was, to them, incredible. They found that, by and large, the number one reason for adult students dropping out of their programs was…

…no real-world self-defense training early on in their training!

"How could this be?", was the question. The researchers were stunned. After all, they were martial arts teachers and they certainly taught self-defense as a part of their classes.

How could these adults say that they weren’t being taught real-world self-defense techniques?

Perhaps, the problem was not that "self-defense techniques" were or were not being taught. Because, even after these studies were conducted and karate programs started to "import" third-party self-defense packages into their product offering, adult dropouts remained high.

Maybe the problem was in perception. Maybe students just couldn’t see how the "stylized" movements of a centuries-old system could be applicable against a street attack against a stiletto or ‘Saturday Night Special’-wielding assailant.

It’s certain that students were not seeing and hearing what they thought they should in order to believe that they were getting what they needed to survive such an attack. Even if these students don’t know what ‘that thing’ really looks like, their gut-level feeling was that, "this stuff isn’t going to work."

Maybe the problem - what adult students are looking for - is in something even more crucial to learning self-defense against violent attackers. And maybe this "thing" was easier to identify by novices than by trained instructors who had been indoctrinated into sport systems.

Maybe what was lacking in all of these programs was something the real experts like to call…

…Experience!

Regardless of the subject, it’s fairly easy to see when someone has experience with the information they have, isn’t it? I mean, experience in actually applying that information to produce viable, proven results. As the old saying goes, "those who can - do; and those who can’t - teach."

And, what adult students are looking for is someone who "can" AND "teaches" others how they can as well.

Now, this isn’t to say that most martial arts instructors don’t know their arts and the techniques and skills that come with them. Most certainly do. And these people are very good at what they do.

However; there is a huge difference between knowing how to ‘perform’ a skill - any skill - and being able to apply that skill in a particular context. And self-defense is no exception.

No matter how hard they try, most martial arts and self-defense instructors will not be able to convince most adults that they know what they’re talking about without the experience to back it up. Adult students are not children. They have seen far too much in there lives to let these less-than-able instructors slide.

And with the new threat of terrorism being added to the ever-present concern with crime, most adults have no desire to learn martial arts for purely ascetic reasons. They want - no, they demand - and rightly so, that the person they place their trust in, not to mention their very lives, knows what he or she is doing.

So, what’s an instructor to do if he or she lacks actual real-world experience? Should they rush right out and get into a few fights? Should they go hang out in the seedier side of town and wait to be mugged, raped, or beaten?

No, of course not. But, they can, like their students, go in search of real experts - people who have "been there" and who can help them learn what they need to know in order to help the people who come to them for this type of knowledge.

Of course, this may require that they suck in their pride and get a check on the old ego. But, as everyone knows who has been in an actual violent confrontation with a dangerous attacker, you need to "check your ego at the door" if you’re going to survive.

Teaching self-protection skills to others is a huge responsibility. And one perhaps that’s too great for a lot of people who are teaching for purely personal reasons.

There is another option available, however; just in case the primary one is totally unacceptable. And that option is simply to…

…stop trying to teach self-defense if they’re not qualified.

By all means, an instructor can, and should, continue to teach his particular style of martial art. But he should stop trying to convince intelligent, grown adults, that he knows what he’s talking about with regards to surviving a violent attack if he doesn’t. He should remember that people are placing their lives in his hands every time he open’s his mouth, or demonstrates a technique. I’m not sure whether or not many instructors have thought about this. But they should.

After all, most martial arts instructors teach honesty as one of the major tenets and character traits of a black belt master and leader. Wouldn’t this be the "honest" thing to do?

The moral here is that, if a martial arts or karate teacher wishes to teach self-defense - if he or she wants to get and retain adult students looking for this type of training for the long-term, they really have no choice but to do what they must.

They, like every other information-based professional, are in business to provide a service. They must decide what that service is and whether or not it includes real-world self-protection against violent attackers who don’t follow the rules of fairness and respect found in martial arts schools and karate tournaments.

They should also know this…

…no company, whether it’s a furniture store or a martial art school, stays in-business very long if it can’t give its customers what they want and need. Their clients and students may never tell them that they don’t believe or trust them. But, rest assured that if they’re not getting what they’ve paid for, they’re gone.

As a final thought, and one that I live by. What if, some day, "I" must depend on one of my students to protect me from a dangerous assailant for whatever reason. Wouldn’t I want to make sure that what he or she learned was really going to work?

I know I would!

Jeffrey M. Miller is the founder of Warrior Concepts International, a Pennsylvania-based company specializing in helping private, law enforcement, and corporate clients to develop time-tested and proven self-protection and personal development skills that work in the real-world. He is the author of the highly acclaimed, educational video, Danger Prevention Tactics. His latest book, "The Karate-Myth" shows the reader why most martial arts and self-defense programs don’t work and how to insure your safety in today’s violent world. For additonal information about having this internationally-recognized expert as a guest or keynote speaker for your organization’s next meeting, or to sponsor a seminar with Mr. Miller, you may contact him through his web site or by calling WCI in the U.S. and Canada, at (570) 988-2228.

"There Are No Superior Martial Arts, Only Superior Martial Artists"

I’ve read, heard, repeated and written that phrase so often I can’t even remember where it came from. The reason I like it so much is because it’s true!

This article is not another effort to debate the merits of one self-defense system over another. Nor is it to argue about which style will or won’t work "on the street." All martial arts have components within them that are powerful fighting techniques. It’s important to know which ones they are!

Self-Defense Systems Differ, But Self-Defense Principles Don’t

On the surface, martial arts and self-defense systems seem different. However, if they are legitimate and effective, the principles underlying them are the same.

Principles are the rules about the way things are. They are inarguable, non-negotiable and unchanging. They have nothing to do with the way we think things are or the way we want them to be. Like the laws of physics, they just are.

As "Martial Scientists," our goal is to explore, discover, test and confirm the operative principles that define and influence the reality of combat. Your ability to produce a desired result, in this case to effectively defend yourself, is a direct result of how well you understand and apply the principles of combat and human performance.

What Do You Know About Performance Under Pressure?

This article is about how fear and stress affect fighting performance. Whether you consider yourself a seasoned martial artist, a self-defense enthusiast, or a self-taught "ham & egger" who just wants to stay in shape and boost your confidence, this information is important to know. If you are training for self-defense, you need to select and develop skills that will be effective in the chaos of a violent conflict. This article will help you in that process.

FEAR, STRESS AND SELF-DEFENSE

Stress Is Good, But Only If It Works For And Not Against You

Stress is our response to a real or perceived threat that we inherited from our ancestors. It was, and is, essential for our survival as a species. That survival mechanism, often called the "Fight or Flight Response," is a good thing. If properly managed, it can be a powerful force in fighting off (fight) or escaping from (flight) a violent assailant. However, if ignored or misunderstood, stress can impair our mental and physical performance and compromise our effectiveness in a fight.

What Is "Self-Defense Stress?"

Stress, as it relates to violence, is the response to a perceived discrepancy between a threat and your ability to control it under conditions where the outcome has the potential for death, injury or physical degradation.

The Symptoms Of Stress

Stress causes a variety of psychological and physiological changes. Without getting into the specifics of those changes, the affects of intense stress on performance fall into three categories:

1. Perceptual Distortion - loss of peripheral vision and depth perception, hearing may be impaired, changes in pain sensitivity, etc.

2. Cognitive Impairment - the emotional centers in the brain become predominant and creative or logical thinking is impaired.

3. Motor Skill Deterioration - the ability to perform certain physical actions is impaired by stress. However, other actions can actually be enhanced by stress.

Each of these categories could form an article (or book) of their own. However, for the purposes of this article, I’ll confine myself to information pertaining to the selection and performance of physical skills.

THE KYSS! PRINCIPLE (Keep Your System Simple!)

Why Do Black Belts Get Beat Up?

Why is it that so many martial artists get beat up? I’m sorry to burst your bubble if you thought otherwise but the fact is that many people, even after years of training, have been thumped by "unskilled," intoxicated adversaries. How can that be?

Often people train with a distorted mental map of what it’s like to be in a real, knockdown, drag-out, anything-goes street-fight. They confuse sparring with fighting and find themselves hesitant, overwhelmed by fear or attempting techniques that just don’t work.

The more clearly you understand the realities of a "fight" and the affects of being in one, the better you can prepare yourself for the chaos of personal combat.

Motor Skills Classification

Motor Skills is a fancy name for physical actions or techniques. They can be divided into three categories:

1. Fine Motor Skills - are actions involving small muscles, dexterity and eye-hand coordination. The ability to perform fine motor skills deteriorates at low to moderate levels of stress.

2. Complex Motor Skills - are actions that link three or more components in a sequence that requires timing and coordination. At moderate to high levels of stress, the ability to perform these skills is also impaired. Many martial arts techniques are complex motor skills. This explains why techniques that may work fine in low-stress training fail in a high-stress street-fight.

3. Gross motor skills - are simple, large-muscle group actions like a squats, pushups and push/pull-type movements. This includes basic fighting skills like a straight punch, a hook punch or a Thai boxer’s knee strike for example. Unlike fine and complex motor skills, gross motor skills DO NOT deteriorate under stress. In fact, they are enhanced by the affects of fear and stress.

Obviously we want to rely predominantly on gross motor skills when designing a self-defense response system.

The "Less-Is-Best" Theory

Some self-defense and martial arts instructors believe in the "More-Is-Better" philosophy. They think that learning a high number of techniques will increase the ability to respond effectively to a wider variety of situations; that the more elaborate the fighting system the more adaptable it becomes.

If you hold this philosophy yourself, please forgive my bluntness but…YOU’RE WRONG!!! The More-Is-Better approach does not withstand scientific scrutiny. Complex or elaborate techniques don’t work in a real fight. It’s as simple as that.

In contrast, the "Less-Is-Best" approach is more practical, realistic and consistent with what science tells us about the way we perform under stress. Here are a few of the benefits of keeping the number of techniques to a minimum.

Faster Reaction Time

As far back as the 1800’s, researchers knew that the more responses you have to a stimulus, the longer it takes react. In 1952, a researcher named Hicks confirmed that for every response choice added, the amount of time required to react doubles! This is widely known as "Hicks Law," and has been repeatedly confirmed by subsequent research. In a self-defense situation, the longer you take to respond to a threatening action, the more likely you will be injured and defeated.

Fast Results With Minimal Training

Another issue that supports the idea of keeping your inventory of techniques to a minimum is the amount of time you have to practice and the time it takes to build technique competence. (remember: competence builds confidence which reduces stress!)

Imagine you work on 20 techniques and you train for an hour per session. That means you have 3 minutes to invest on each technique. If however, you reduce the number of self-defense techniques to three (just an arbitrary number), you invest 20 minutes on each technique, conceivably investing 600% more time and repetition on each one. What technique wouldn’t be improved by six times more training?

The Brass Knuckle Effect (Cognitive Clarity)

Imagine you knew you were about to be attacked by a large, strong, psychopathic assailant. There is no way of avoiding the fight. Let’s say your self-defense system consists of 20 different techniques. In the stressful moments preceding the encounter your mind is reeling; trying to figure out the most appropriate course of action.

Keep in mind that your cognitive abilities are impaired by stress. Stress-related "brain damage" prevents you from forming a logical or creative solution to your predicament. What will you do?

Seeing your dilemma, a good friend (if he wasn’t before he is now!) discretely passes you a set of brass knuckles. What do you suppose has just happened to your thought process?

I’ll hazard a guess that the mental fog begins to lift, your stress decreases and your objective becomes clear. It’s now a simple matter of taking those brass knuckles and slamming them repeatedly into vulnerable parts of your opponent’s anatomy. Seems simple now doesn’t it?

The potential of you winning the encounter has been significantly enhanced. That same affect can be achieved without the brass knuckles by sticking to a limited, yet adaptable, inventory of dependable fighting skills.

THE SCIENCE OF STRESS POINTS TO THE NEED TO SPECIALIZE

Virtually all accomplished fighters are known for specific techniques that they excel at. However, if you ignore their "bread & butter" techniques, most of them would be considered "average." Those fighters excel because of their ability to simplify their system and build on their superior techniques.

Knowing what you now know about technique selection and stress performance, what do you think about the merits of "specializing" in a core set of fighting skills? Here’s how to get started.

Explore Your Strengths

Don’t just latch onto a fighting tactic arbitrarily. Evaluate your existing skills and select a strike, a kick, or a finishing hold that seems like a "good fit" for you. What technique to you consistently land or apply when sparring? What is your best or favorite technique? What technique do you feel you would resort to under pressure? Answering these questions will get you started with the specialization process.

Adaptability

Having as few techniques as possible doesn’t mean that you limit your ability to respond to a wide variety of situations. The idea is to take that specialty strike, kick, joint lock or choke and train it in as many different ways as possible. Learn to apply those basic skills at different ranges (striking, clinching or on the ground), against different partners, against different apparatus and in as many drills as you can think of. Learn how to set them up and follow them up. Strive to learn a lot about a little, not vice versa.

Train to Momentary Exhaustion

A good way to see how well a technique holds up under stress is to train it to extreme fatigue. You can bring on the physiology of intense stress by exerting yourself. I call this "blitz training" in the heavy bag article: "There’s nothing like a swift kick to the bag." on my site at:

http://www.protectivestrategies.com/heavybag.html

Blast out a technique or combination repeatedly for a specified duration or until you can’t do it any more. I can guarantee that gross motor skills will be the only ones conducive to this type of training.

Keep in mind that you wouldn’t do this training all of the time. You need time to recover between intense workouts like this.

Obviously you must be healthy and in good physical shape to do in this training. Refer to my disclaimer page for precautions before following this advice.

http://www.protectivestrategies.com/disclaimer.html

Simplicity Is Not Inflexibility

A final note in keeping things simple is that the process of specialization doesn’t mean that you stop learning, experimenting or that you abandon your existing training program in lieu of a "bare-bones" self-defense program.

If you are proud of your traditional martial arts system stick with it. If you love to jump up, spin around and kick things, then by all means, go for it! Just don’t confuse techniques that will work in a street fight with those that won’t. Apply the science of stress performance by adding specialty training to the degree that you want to develop practical self-defense skills.

SO WHAT? HOW TO USE THIS INFORMATION

Using The "KYSS! Principle" To Evaluate A Potential Specialty Technique

Now its time to put this stuff into practice: Based on the priority you place on "fighting skill." (there are several other benefits and reasons to train) Take a good, hard look at the skills you have in your inventory and the amount of time you plan to invest in training.

Decide on what proportion of your training you want to dedicate to self-defense. Design your system based on the following "KYSS Criteria."

=> is the technique a "gross motor skill?"

=> do you have confidence in your ability to perform the skill under pressure?

=> What technique is most successful for you in training sparring or competition? (however don’t confuse those activities with fighting)

=> Is the technique applicable in a wide variety of situations, at different ranges, in different environments, ring clothing that you were during your day-to-day activities?

=> Are you able to construct a wide variety of training drills to build adaptability and flexibility in your chosen techniques?

=> Are there techniques that you’ve selected that are redundant?

=> Do you understand the underlying principles and biomechanics of performing and applying the skill with optimal efficiency?

CONCLUSION

Stress in a combative situation is a given. Expect it. It’s going to be there. Your performance is the result of how confident and well prepared you are in addition to how well designed your self-defense response system is. Attack the problem of stress performance this way:

=> Simplify your system through specializing in a handful of effective and adaptable techniques.

=> Artificially create stress in your training sessions to inoculate yourself to it to some degree (more on this in future articles) and…

=> Select gross motor skills that will be efficient under stress.

Knowing what you now know about stress performance isn’t it obvious that the "KYSS! (Keep Your System Simple!) Principle" is worth incorporating into your training? Scrutinize and evaluate your inventory of fighting skills and select those that meet the KYSS criteria and you will improve your performance in a combative situation dramatically. The bottom line of what I want you to take away from this article is that if you are training for self-defense Keep Your System Simple!

Take care, train smart and stay safe,

Randy LaHaie Protective Strategies

============== Self-Defense Quote =================

"There are no superior or inferior martial arts, there are only warriors and non-warriors"

"Each martial art is based on doctrine, a set of broad and general beliefs. People who study a single doctrine tend to shut out ideas from other sources and convince themselves that their’s is the one true way of fighting. They become slaves to the very doctrines they profess."

Forrest E. Morgan, Maj. USAF
Living The Martial Way
A Manual For The Way A Modern Warrior Should Think
================================================================

Randy LaHaie is the president of Protective Strategies and has been teaching reality-based self-defense for over 30 years. He is the author of several "Toughen Up Combative Training Guides" (http://www.ToughenUp.com)

Subscribe to his FREE SELF-DEFENSE NEWSLETTER at http://www.ProtectiveStrategies.com

It’s sad to think that we have to consider arming or equipping ourselves to feel safe. The truth of the matter is however, that violence can happen to anyone. A Personal Safety Device can help you avoid or escape a sudden attack. Should you carry one and, if so, what should you carry? Only you can decide.

The market is flooded with all kinds of gizmo’s and gadgets; guaranteed to ensure your safety and promising to instantly neutralize a violent assailant. Some are legit. The majority, unfortunately, are junk! Even good ones, if you don’t understand their proper use and limitations, can be a liability. How do you tell the difference?

If there is one thing I want to emphasize in this article, it’s this: if you are developing a realistic personal safety strategy, focus primarily on YOURSELF… not on a tool, toy or gadget. Your brain and your body are your most powerful personal safety "devices." Your development in each of the "Seven Components of Self-Defense," will have the greatest impact on your legitimate safety and sense of security.

If you are considering a Personal Safety Device, do your homework. Research what’s available and evaluate your options rigorously. Find one that you are comfortable with and suits your ability and personality. Easier said than done right? When evaluating the merits of a PSD, ask and answer the following questions…

================== PSD Evaluation Questions ==============
1. Is it legal?
2. Will I carry it all the time?
3. Will it be immediately available when I need it?
4. Do I have legitimate confidence in my ability to use it?
5. Is it as effective as it has been held out to be?
6. Could it be taken away and used on me?
7. Am I physically, mentally and emotionally prepared to use it?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let’s take a look at each question in greater detail:

1. IS IT LEGAL?

Are you willing to run the risk of being arrested and criminally charged for being in possession of an illegal weapon on the off chance that someday you may need it to protect yourself? Before investing in a PSD, find out if it’s legal to possess and carry where you live. A phone call to the community services branch of your local police department should be able to provide you with this information.

2. WILL I CARRY IT ALL THE TIME?

My guess is that people seldom leave their homes thinking, "Gee, I think I’ll go out and fend off a robber, rapist or mugger today!" What happens to most PSD’s is that they are quickly forgotten about and find their way to the bottom of a purse, the glove box of your car, or the back of a kitchen drawer. They won’t do you much good there! Is the device you are considering something practical enough to carry with you all of the time, discretely, without looking or feeling paranoid? If not, don’t waste your money.

3. WILL IT BE IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE WHEN I NEED IT?

Even if you do carry it all of the time, will you be able to draw and ready it in time to use in the event of a sudden attack? Again, if it’s in your pocket or purse when you need it, it won’t do you much good. Is the PSD something that you will have ready, preferably in hand, if and when you need it?

4. DO I HAVE LEGITIMATE CONFIDENCE IN MY ABILITY TO USE IT?

Military and law enforcement research confirms that people who lack confidence in a technique or device will not resort to it in a stressful situation. Many people have been seriously hurt in violent encounters with a potential PSD in their hand. In the stress of the moment, they didn’t think to use it or doubted its’ ability to impact the situation. Perhaps they were afraid that it would only make matters worse. If you are thinking of carrying a PSD, are you prepared to learn how to use it and practice to become proficient with it?

5. IS IT AS EFFECTIVE AS IT HAS BEEN HELD OUT TO BE?

Over-inflated claims and quick-fix promises are the "cancer" of the self-defense business. Often, unscrupulous self-defense instructors and gadget salespeople exaggerate the benefits and capabilities of their systems and products.

Whenever you hear words like "guaranteed, quick, and easy" or claims that the product will subdue any and all assailants regardless of their size, strength or sobriety, it’s time to call, "bullshit!" Walk away, someone’s trying to rip you off!

Understand the psychological and physiological control principles associated with the PSD. In other words, how is it supposed to impact the assailant’s intent or behavior? What is the science behind the claims being made?

NOTHING works all of the time. Always acknowledge the limitations and potential failure of a PSD and have a back-up plan.

6. COULD IT BE TAKEN AWAY AND USED ON ME?

This is probably the most common concern about personal safety weapons; and it’s a valid one. Are you prepared to use the device aggressively on a predator to protect yourself? Are you knowledgeable and skillful enough to retain the device if he attempts to take it away from you? Never carry a Personal Safety Weapon with the intent to "bluff" your assailant. If you are not prepared to use it decisively, don’t carry it!

7. AM I PHYISCALLY, MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY PREPARED TO USE IT?

Carrying a personal safety device without investing the time to become knowledgeable and proficient in its use is a big mistake. It’s as useful as a pair of boxing gloves to someone who can’t punch or a tennis racquet to someone who doesn’t have a clue how to play the game.

You must prepare physically by practicing the necessary skills and techniques associated with the device (if it requires such skills). You must prepare mentally by knowing when and how to use it and the situations that would make it’s use legal and appropriate. You must prepare emotionally by deepening your emotional and moral resolve to protect yourself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Can you come up with any other questions yourself? Have I left you hanging by not taking you by the hand and recommending MY favorite personal safety devices? If you haven’t noticed by now, my predominant teaching angle is to promote responsibility and independent thinking in my students and readers. Don’t believe me, or anyone else, about what’s best for your safety until you test it out or think critically about it. You must become your own expert, make your own decisions and draw your own conclusions.

==================== So What? ==========================

You should be asking yourself by now, "So what? How can I use this information?" Let me reiterate that I’m against the idea of carrying a PSD as a replacement for the phyiscal, mental and emotional development that self-defense training has to offer. I am not, however, against carrying a PSD as a supplement to a comprehensive personal safety strategy. There are some valid ones out there. In fact, I demonstrate and even sell them at my self-defense seminars.

I also believe in the merits of training yourself to recognize and use "weapons of opportunity" in the event of a violent encounter. A weapon of opportunity is a common, every-day object that can be converted into a weapon during an encounter.

If you are looking for, considering or evaluating a personal safety device, don’t do it blindly or impulsively. Do your homework and some soul searching. Will it serve your needs? Will it improve your ability to respond and your sense of security? Does it "fit" your lifestyle and personality? Only you can answer those questions.

If you are interested in specific reviews or recommendations about PSD’s in future newsletters, let me know and we can explore the issue in greater detail.

Take care, train smart and stay safe…

Randy LaHaie Protective Strategies

Final Note:

I may have created a limited perception what a PSD is. Keep in mind that PSD’s are not necessarily exotic or concealable weapons with the potential to inflict injury. In fact, many of the best one’s are no such thing.

If I had to select just one PSD to carry myself (which I do) or recommend to a loved one, guess what it would be… a CELL PHONE! I could go on for an entire newsletter trumpeting the powerful personal safety benefits of a cell phone and the ability to summon help that they provide.

If you can afford a cell phone, it’s one of the best personal safety investments you can make.

============== Self-Defense Quotable Quote ===============

"Self-defense gadgets don’t cut it. Not even guns work for most people because they can’t use them safely and effectively. The advantage of a survival mind-set over everything else is that it’s always with you and ready for immediate use. That’s crucial and lifesaving because when violence explodes the security of your world, there are no second chances and no time-outs to think it over and decide what to do."

Strong On Defense
Sanford Strong

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Randy LaHaie is the president of Protective Strategies and has been teaching reality-based self-defense for over 30 years. He is the author of several "Toughen Up Combative Training Guides" (http://www.ToughenUp.com)

Subscribe to his FREE SELF-DEFENSE NEWSLETTER at http://www.ProtectiveStrategies.com

There are as many approaches to self-defense as there are reasons why people study it.

What are YOUR reasons and what approach are YOU using? How confident are you that your efforts will produce the results what you want?

What is it about self-defense that interests you?

You must be looking for something or you wouldn’t be reading this, right?

Some people learn self-defense to defend themselves from the violent actions of others! Duh!!!) They want to satisfy the essential need for security and control.

Others are after self-confidence and an improved self-image.

Then there are those who don’t care much about "fighting" at all. They’re just looking for an enjoyable, functional and "cool" way to get into great shape.

Maybe you’re after "ALL OF THE ABOVE." (like me Well then keep reading friend… because I’ve got some thoughts to throw at ya…

===== Two Approaches To Self-Defense =====

There are two broad categories of self-defense information. Whether they spell it out or not, all self-defense books, articles, classes and seminars are based on one or both of two "themes"… a MENTAL APPROACH or a PHYSICAL APPROACH.

The "Physical Approach" is based on "EFFICIENCY." It pursues physical skill development as a self-defense solution. It involves learning punches, kicks, grappling and defensive techniques. Although avoiding a physical altercation is given "passing attention," EXACTLY how to do that is often glazed over or not addressed at all.

Whether you enroll in a martial arts class, sign up for a self-defense seminar or join a boxing club, the focus is to teach you how to physically perform "fight-related" techniques.

"Fitness-based" training, such as Tae Bo, Cardio Kickboxing and Boxercise also fall in this category.

The assumption here is that your BODY is your weapon and the harder you train and the better you get at performing self-defense techniques, the safer and more capable you will be to defend yourself.

The "Mental Approach" is based on "Effectiveness." It is focused on "PersonalSafety" theories, concepts and strategies.

This theory-based approach involves gaining an understanding of predatory situations; how they happen, how they can be anticipated and recognized, how they can be avoided and how to respond if you encounter one.

Your BRAIN is considered your most powerful self-defense weapon, and this training (hypothetically) makes you "SMARTER" and more capable of wise decisions in the stress and chaos of threatening situations.

"Efficiency and Effectiveness" What’s the Difference?

Perhaps the point I am trying to make will be clearer if we come to a common understanding of exactly what I mean by these two terms. Before you read on… think for a moment and come up with your own definition of these terms… Done? Here’s mine…

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Efficiency Is Doing Things Right

Effectiveness Is Doing The Right Things
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Can you see the difference? I hope so, because it’s HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE!!!! Here’s how those terms relate to self-defense training.

===== The Physical Approach To Self-Defense ======

The Physical Approach involves learning and practicing physical skills "efficiently." The faster, more coordinated, more powerful your striking, kicking, grappling and defensive techniques are, the more "successful" you consider yourself.

There are many self-defense courses that deal exclusively with learning techniques, with and without training partners, as a TOTAL solution for all your self-defense problems.

Now don’t get me wrong… I’m not criticizing this approach in any way. I teach physical skills classes and seminars myself.

Learning physical skills can dramatically improve your odds of surviving and escaping a violent situation. It can even reduce the probability of being confronted or attacked.

If done properly, on a regular basis (which I highly recommend), self-defense conditioning and skills training like sparring or hitting a heavy bag, will provide a ton of physical, mental and emotional benefits.

BUT is the exclusive practice of techniques a sufficient "self-defense solution?"

===== Benefits Of The Physical Approach =====

Physical skills training is a GREAT way to get in shape and stay there. If properly done, ongoing self-defense training is a fun and functional, full-body workout.

The self-confidence, fitness, and athletic qualities gained through regular self-defense training will have a positive influence on your "victim profile" (behavior and body language) that you project to a potential predator. It can decrease the probability of being targeted. (Dirt bags don’t pick fights with people they perceive are likely and capable to fight back)

Unlike "single-exposure" self-defense training (where you learn a technique once and never practice it again,) ONGOING self-defense training is proactive.

Regular self-defense training "rewards" you in many ways, even if you NEVER have to defend yourself.

Regular self-defense training "defends and protects" you against more probable and legitimate "threats" to your life, your health and well-being. You are at more risk from poor lifestyle habits and a lack of exercise than you are from a mugger or rapist.

===== Drawbacks to a Physical Only Approach =====

If you limit your self-defense efforts exclusively to physical skills training, you also limit your response options in a volatile situation. You are limited to a "Fight/Don’t Fight" decision. There are more ways to resolve a volatile situations than that (there are 5 actually). Doing the "wrong thing" well (like fighting when you don’t have to) can get you injured, arrested or sued.

Regular self-defense training makes you feel great. You’ll feel confident, energetic and fit. (so how is that a drawback?) Don’t make the mistake of over estimating your potential of defeating an attacker and end up over your head in an encounter with someone who is tougher, meaner and more malicious than you are.

Don’t think that your weekly cardio-kickboxing class has turned you into a "trained killer!"

Even the "best" fighter will be dropped like a bag of dirt if he or she doesn’t develop appropriate awareness and avoidance skills and is caught off guard. Physical skills don’t protect you from unanticipated acts of violence.

===== The Mental Approach To Self-Defense =====

The Mental Approach addresses the "big picture" of predatory situations. In my self-defense system for example, there are "SEVEN" separate and interrelated aspects of a comprehensive personal safety or self-defense system.

The intent of this mental approach is to make you "smarter" and more capable of avoiding, diffusing and responding EFFECTIVELY by doing the RIGHT THINGS in a volatile situation. By the "RIGHT THINGS," I’m referring to the most effective response strategies to successfully resolve a threatening or volatile situation.

Fighting back with physical self-defense techniques is only part of staying safe.

===== Benefits Of The Mental Approach =====

An accurate understanding of the dynamics of predatory situations increases the odds of anticipating, avoiding, recognizing and responding to them. The "best" result to a violent encounter is not when you manage to fight your way out of it. It’s when it doesn’t happen in the first place!

Not all volatile situations can be solved by fighting. Effectiveness in a self-defense situation allows you to assess and evaluate the circumstances and select the most effective response strategy to implement to gain or regain control.

A sense of control that accompanies proper mental training decreases the stress and fear associated with volatile or predatory situations. And that increased sense of control and self-confidence can reduce the potential of being victimized.

===== Drawbacks To A Mental Only Approach =====

An "information-only" approach does not significantly change the body language that you project to a potential assailant. Although some self-defense instructors imply that you can "fake" non-victim body language by walking briskly, standing straight, and "pretending to be confident." That will only go so far. Pretending to be coordinated, strong and physically fit is easier said than done.

Knowing the best response option in a given situation, be it running away or fighting back, is of little value if you can’t successfully pull it off. If you haven’t developed your skills and fitness levels by ongoing self-defense practice, how likely are you to out-run or out-fight an assailant?

===== One OR The Other Is Incomplete =====

You’ve probably figured out by now that ONE OR THE OTHER of these two approaches is an incomplete approach to being able to defend yourself. An optimal strategy is to combine and balance your ability to make smart, effective decisions with the ability to carry those decisions through to a successful conclusion. BOTH mental AND physical elements are required for optimal self-defense success.

Be effective first, then be efficient. A medical equivalent might be to "Diagnose First The Perscribe." To successfully resolve a volatile situation, you need sound judgement to decide on the best course of action AND the physical skills and ability to implement your game plan.

The degree to which you pursue each approach has a lot to do with your capabilities, limitations and the goals you have in relation to your study of self-defense.

If you are smaller, weaker, older for example, your emphasis should lean more toward personal safety strategies and be supplemented with physical skills training. If your self-defense goals are simply to avoid victimization and to stay out of trouble, then learn everything you can about the dynamics of volatile situations.

On the other hand, maybe you are fit, athletic and skillful. Perhaps you already train regularly and feel capable of "holding your own" if you have to defend yourself. If thats the case, here are a couple pieces of advice to consider:

There’s always someone tougher and meaner than you are! Even highly skilled fighters and martial artists need awareness and avoidance skills. Physical techniuqes are of little value if you are set up, sucker punched, or ambushed. NOBODY wins a fight. You may defeat your adversary and "still" be injured yourself. Also, just because you didn’t instigate the confrontation doesn’t mean that you won’t find yourself being criminally charged or civilly sued for defending yourself.

The point I’m trying to make is that the BEST approach to self-defense training is to learn to do the right thing by learning everything you can about the dynamics of predatory situations AND engage in regular self-defense training so that you can "do things right" by developing the skills and conditioning to carry out a desired self-defense strategy.

===== Two Approaches? Two Resources! =====

The questions I get by email and in person, can be divided into two clear categories… "What-Should-I-Do-If…questions" and "How-Do-I…questions." Or in otherwords effectiveness and efficiency.

It is because of these different but complimentary aspects of self-defense that I’ve decided to "split" the focus of my web sites so I can address each in greater detail.

I’m in the process of restructuring of my web sites to assist you in finding the information you are looking for.

http://www.ProtectiveStrategies.com will continue to be "home base" for my self-defense articles and newsletter. The site will maintain a "Get Smart Focus" by dealing with the Big Picture of personal safety concepts and will address all seven components of self-defense:

=> Self-Defense Psychology
=> Self-Defense Intelligence
=> Victim Selection
=> Predatory Recognition
=> Self-Defense Response Options
=> Prevention and Avoidance
=> Self-Defense Training Methods

My new site, http://www.ToughenUp.com/ takes the "Get Tough Focus" of the seventh component: Self-Defense Training Methods to the next level. It provides specific "how-to-train" resources and advice for people who want to incorporate ongoing self-defense training for a variety of reasons.

Randy LaHaie
Protective Strategies

Randy LaHaie is the president of Protective Strategies and has been teaching reality-based self-defense for over 30 years. He is the author of several "Toughen Up Combative Training Guides" (http://www.ToughenUp.com)

Subscribe to his FREE SELF-DEFENSE NEWSLETTER at http://www.ProtectiveStrategies.com

In this article I want to share a few ideas about mental preparation and some correspondence I recently recently received from subscribers to my self-defense newsletter. I’m hoping it will provide some context to your "self-defense readiness" and generate some thinking.

Self-Defense Performance Is The Result Of Mental Maps

I wrote about mental maps in "The Nuts And Bolts Of Awareness."

Our awareness, understanding, decisions, predictions and behavior are directed by the "mental maps" we have about the way the world works. Our knowledge, beliefs, experience and habits are "packaged" in the form of mental maps (also called cognitive blueprints or schemas).

If those "maps" are detailed and accurate, you dramatically increase the probability of effective performance in high-stress situations.

If those maps are inaccurate, have gaps or are missing all together, you run the risk of an improper reaction, over reacting, under reacting or not reacting at all.

We have a term for that in self-defense training. Its called "NOT GOOD!"

Thinking Is Impaired By Stress

What makes matters worse is that people aren’t particularly "smart" in high-stress, urgent, threatening situations. At times like those, you are not operating in the same mental state that you are in while you sit here reading this article.

When the "Fight or Flight Response" (sympathetic nervous system) is activated, your ability to think creatively and logically is impaired. That increases the potential for confusion and mistakes during a dangerous situation.

Invest In Your Safety With Pre-Thinking and Debriefing

Science and psychology confirm that mental rehearsal or visualization has a huge impact on improving our physical and mental performance.

The good news is that self-defense encounters don’t happen often. The bad news is that self-defense encounters don’t happen often! Huh? Before you read that again, let me explain…

Its hard to "get good" at something that never happens. Unlike other activities requiring experience and skills development, you can’t rely on repeated exposure and previous events when preparing for a violent encounter. So how do you improve your self-defense effectiveness?

Physical practice is "part" of the answer… Especially, when you participate in role playing scenarios that simulate the types of situations that you might encounter. But even that isn’t enough to really get "street smart."

What you need to do is create self-defense scenarios in your mind. You need to "pre-think" and decide in advance about what you would do in a critical situation BEFORE it happens.

Think about situations you are most concerned about or likely to encounter and what you would do if they did.

Don’t just leave it to luck. You can’t "worry about it when the time comes" and hope to perform effectively. Remember, your brain is impaired by stress, panic, and confusion! Without some sort of game plan, its unlikely that you will perform well.

The question to ask yourself is, "What would I do if… (and then insert your most likely or bothersome scenario).

Debriefing is what you do AFTER an incident or "close encounter." Don’t just walk away from a threatening situation and hope that it never happens again. Think about it, analyze it and learn from it. Ask yourself two questions:

* What did I do right?

* What would I do differently if it happened again?

That way, even if you handled the incident poorly, you can benefit from it and improve your chances doing better if something similar happens in the future. That, my friend, is the essence of developing effective personal safety skills.

An Email Example Of Effective Debriefing

After reading my "Tough or Smart" article, a subscriber sent me an email about an incident he was involved in.

Even though things turned out OK, the experience continued to bother him and he found himself second guessing his actions and wondering if he should have done something differently.

He began to worry that if something similar happened again, he would be just as confused as he was the first time. As far as he was concerned, the incident was unresolved. I commend him for asking the questions and looking for answers.

If you don’t ask, you won’t know! Whether you reflect on the matter yourself or seek an outside opinion (as Joe did here), it is important to examine the event and learn from it.

Be careful however, about seeking the opinion of someone who does not have the background or qualifications to be offering you advice about anything!

You’ll get all kinds of "ham and eggers" more than willing to give you their off-the-wall advice about what THEY would have done… (you’ll see examples of "bad advice" in the correspondence below)

With his permission, I’ve included our correspondence in this newsletter. To protect his privacy, I’ll refer to him as "Joe." (Pretty creative huh?

I’d like you to read this correspondence from two perspectives:

First, read what happened and put yourself in his shoes… What would you do if the same thing happened to you?

Secondly, read it analytically and observe the "process" involved and the factors that impacted the situation. Stress, confusion, hesitation, second guessing?

Imagine the difference between a "prepared mind" and the mind of someone who thought that something like this would never happen.

OK… I’ll shut up now and let your read the emails:

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Hi Randy,

I just read your new article about "Efficiency" or "doing the right thing" and I found it very interesting.

I just wanted to ask your expert opinion about something that happened to me.

Some months ago, I was driving my car with my girlfriend at 10:30 pm through a main avenue. Being a working day the street was almost empty, although well illuminated. Suddenly, while driving into an intersection we saw a robbery in progress.

A robber was stealing the purse of a middle age woman who was with a young man. A few paces away, another robber was waiting for the first one on a motorcycle ready to drive away. (This is the standard operating procedure for robberies in my town). The first robber already had the purse and was running away, but the young man was pulling the purse, trying to recover it.

I thought for a moment to speed up and hit him with my car in order to abort the robbery but on a second, and very quick, thought I considered the following. a) I could hit both the robber and the victim. b) If I hit the robber and he was severely injured, or worse dead, the complications would be major. c) If I prevented his escape, he may be forced to fight back and might hurt the young man. d) I didn’t want to put my girlfriend in danger, if something unexpected happened. e) The purse wasn’t worth the danger.

Of course, I didn’t rationalize that much at that moment. It was just a quick thought like, "hitting him is dangerous for everybody, the purse wasn’t worth it". So I let them run away with the purse and called the police, but I’m pretty sure they didn’t catch them.

After that I felt bad, since I thought that maybe I should have done something else to abort the robbery and help the victims. I was relatively safe in my car and was driving a 3000 pound weapon. A lot of people have since told me I should have hit him, and I felt a bit like a coward. I worried that I didn’t choose to do the right thing.

I know that I’m not a coward. In fact, on another occasion I have not avoided a fight with a man much heavier and bigger than me to protect my girlfriend, although I’m a very very very reasonable and passive person. But when me or my beloved are in danger, I don’t hesitate to face the problem. Just in that particular case I decided that the right thing was to let them go. And in fact, I still believe that it was the best course of action, although I still have my doubts.

So, I wanted your opinion as an expert. What would be the best course of action in that situation? I don’t want to feel "justified" for what I chose to do, but really want to know the best thing to do in such a case, just in case it happens again.

I would be deeply grateful if you gave me your opinion about this, since I don’t know any other expert in "real life" self defense.

I’m hoping you help me with this. Thanks in advance for your kind attention.

Best regards,

Joe

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Hi Joe,

Based on what you’ve told me, you did EXACTLY what you should have… and what I would have advised you to do, if you’d asked my opinion.

You are right, a purse is not worth the legal and civil hastles and the risk of "making matters worse" by over-reacting to a property crime.

Your decision NOT to attempt to ram the robber (and risk hitting the victim") was a good one. Deliberately ramming into someone with a vehicle is considered a deadly force response and can only be justified if you reasonably believe that it is absolutely necessary to protect yourself or someone else from death or a serious life-threatening injury.

Based on what you’ve told me, the situation was NOT a deadly force encounter and you probably would have gotten yourself into as much legal trouble as the robber if you decided to turn him into a hood ornament!

It would be a different story if someone was being attacked and severely beaten. It would have been different if the assault was of a life threatening nature. Protection of life is our highest priority. Protection of property is not.

In that scenario, the best thing you could do is notify the police and be a good witness. Make note of their physical description, license number and direction of travel so you can provide that info to the police when they arrive.

But to endanger your own safety, the safety of your girlfriend, the safety of the victim and even the safety of the "dirt bags" doing the robbery, is not worth the value of a purse.

Purses and contents can be replaced. People can’t.

Your reaction after the incident is a normal one. Even when you do the "right thing," its common to second guess yourself and wonder if there is something else you could have done.

Your scenario about fighting to protect your girlfriend Joe is a good one. By the sounds of it, your decision to stand up to your adversary WAS the right thing to do… Some things in life ARE worth fighting for and others are not. Its important to know the difference.

Your actions were definitely not "cowardly" Joe. If you ask me (which I guess you’re doing huh? you made a reasonable and effective decision in a stressful and challenging situation.

I think you made a wise decision Joe. Good job.

Randy

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Hello Randy.

Thank you so much for your answer. Your comments about the situation were really interesting, since I’ve always been in doubt about this issue since it happened. I was not only trying to see if I did well, but also to know what is the best course of action in a situation like this one, because its very probably going to happen again sometime in my life. I think that the only way to react correctly to a challenging (and unusual for me) situation is to know in advance what is the right thing and instinctively react based on previous knowledge (and gut feelings, of course). That is why I found your answer so useful for me.

On the other hand, you are right, in some way I was asking you if I acted cowardly As I told you before, a lot of people told me I should ram the guy, when I told them the story. They told me that was what they would have done in that situation. And maybe they would, but I always thought that those people are probably more prone to an "action movie" reaction. By the way, I have to tell you that I’m a latin person, living outside US (that’s why my english is a little deficient), and you know how temperamental we latins are.

I’m very glad to have read your expert opinion about this, and to be sure now about the right thing to do in a similar case. Of course you may post our conversation in your forum and/or newsletters or emails. If this case could be useful for more people, I’d be very glad. Just remove my name and email address, but you may reproduce the rest of the conversation as you please.

Its good you are writing an ebook on this topic. I think that is very important for people to know as much as possible about those situations in order to react properly. I’m a subscriber of your newsletter, so I’ll know when you publish it.

Thanks again for your answer, and have a good day.

Joe

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OK, Now Its Your Turn…

Time for YOU to do some thinking… If you want to share the results with me, I’d be honored…It could have a direct impact on the content and direction of future articles and information products. If not, at least do this exercise for yourself.

Here’s what I’d like you to do:

Write out the single, most likely or worrisome self-defense scenario that you can think of. Nothing bizarre or off-the-wall, but something you legitimately think you could encounter. What is the "ultimate" situation that you feel sparks your interest in self-defense and personal safety? What one incident, do you want to be prepared for if it were to happen?

In as much detail as you want, spell out a threatening, volatile or violent situation (real or imagined) that motivates your interest in self-defense training.

This could be a hypothetical situation or it could be something that actually happened to you or someone you know.

Don’t worry about coming up with a solution or explaining what you would do about it. Not at this point any way. Just spell out as specifically and conceretely and you can, the ultimate situation your are preparing for.

Who is the assailant or how many are there?… Would the person be known to you or a stranger? Would you be alone or with someone who could assist you or might need your protection? What would the "predatory intent" be? (what does your assailant want from you?) Where would it be most likely to happen. What time do you see it happening?

You might feel that exercises like this are silly or a waste of time. Maybe its too much work! I can tell you this, if something does happen and you haven’t given it any thought… stress, confusion, and the "Fluster Factor," WILL impact your ability to do the right thing at the right time.

Consider exercises like this the equivalent of "Self-Defense Fire Drills." Just imagine what would happen if a fire alarm sounded and you didn’t have a clue what it meant or how you were supposed to respond.

Enuff Said.

Take care, train smart and stay safe…

Randy LaHaie
Protective Strategies

Randy LaHaie is the president of Protective Strategies and has been teaching reality-based self-defense for over 30 years. He is the author of several "Toughen Up Combative Training Guides" (http://www.ToughenUp.com)

Subscribe to his FREE SELF-DEFENSE NEWSLETTER at http://www.ProtectiveStrategies.com

Michele was uncomfortable when alone in public and questioned her ability to protect herself. She was tired of being the brunt of lewd remarks, unwanted advances and harassment. She was constantly singled out and bothered by panhandlers and drunken Casanova’s at the bar. She decided to do something about it.

About a year ago, Michele enrolled in a self-defense class at a local community center. She was committed to put an end to people taking advantage of her. She wanted to learn to defend herself and resolve her fears and worries once and for all.

Michele enjoyed what she was learning. She began reading about self-defense and learned more about victimization and what to do about it. She became more interested in her fitness and practiced what she learned in self-defense class. She even hung up a boxer’s heavy bag from the rafters in her basement and pounded on it to "burn off the stress" of a hard day at the office. She was feeling more confident and in control over her life.

On a cold November night, Michele was walking alone to her car at the end of the late shift at her job as a hospital receptionist. Usually, she timed her departure to walk with the other employees but tonight she was too tired to wait and just wanted to get home.

Unbeknownst to her, a predator was lurking in the shadows hunting for an unwitting victim. He spotted Michele walking in the distance. She spotted him too. She had trained herself to be aware of her surroundings and noticed him advancing toward her.

A surge of adrenaline coursed through her. Her knees grew weak and her heart pounded as she fought off the urge to panic. She began to assess her situation and formulate a plan of action. She looked directly at the shadowy figure making it obvious that she was aware of his presence. Walking briskly and deliberately, she continued toward her car well aware that she was being followed.

Do you know what happened next? Nothing! For whatever reason, the predator aborted his plan and renewed his search for someone else; someone who would be easier to catch off guard and control. Exactly why he chose not to finish what he started remains a mystery to Michele.

You were probably hoping for a more dramatic climax to the story weren’t you? If this was a Hollywood movie, Michele would have been attacked and, with an impressive blur of martial wizardry, she would have transformed her assailant into a crumpled, crotch-holding heap on the sidewalk. Sorry, not this time.

The "Preparation Equals Prevention Theory"

The more prepared you are to deal with a crisis, the less likely you will have to. Preparation equals prevention. People are drawn to self-defense training for varied and personal reasons. Often it’s because they’ve been bullied, harassed or victimized in the past. Sometimes they haven’t been but are concerned about the possibility. People need to feel safe. It is a fundamental human need and necessary for mental health. Many psychologists consider the threat of interpersonal violence to be a "universal human phobia."

Proper self-defense training builds skill, fitness and self-confidence. Students soon become more comfortable with the idea of standing up to their harassers, whether they be a school yard or workplace bully, a drunk at the bar or a panhandler demanding money. They become more aware themselves, their surrounds and their options to deal with volatile situations. They become more indignant that someone would consider them and easy target.

Often, as in Michele’s case, the incidents that formerly plagued them just stop. Why is this?

===== Victim Selection Criteria =====

Psychologists have known for years that human predators select their prey based on signals given off by their potential victims. In a matter of seconds, the predator acquires a sense of who is and isn’t a suitable target. For every victim that is attacked, many more are past over. What are the criteria that predators use to select their victims? I’ll tell you.

What does a predator look for?

Like a wild animal, the human predator wants an easy conquest. He does not want his job to be any more difficult or hazardous than it has to be. He will seek out those he perceives as weak, submissive and unlikely to fight back. He doesn’t want resistance and he certainly doesn’t want to be injured himself. A sign of strength or defiance, whether blatant or implied, is often sufficient to cause him to abandon the predatory process and look for a more "cooperative" victim.

If they can help it, bullies don’t pick fights with people who will pound them into the pavement! They won’t select people who will confront and challenge their behavior. Rapists, muggers, abusers and bullies look for someone they can dominate and control.

Note: Some self-defense programs advocate ALWAYS adopting a defiant and challenging response in a confrontation. Don’t accept simplistic solutions to complex problems. The world doesn’t work that way.

What may dissuade one assailant may infuriate another. A defiant response may create a situation where the assailant feels obligated to carry out his threat or "lose face." People will fight to save face even if think they’ll lose!

As you will learn in subsequent articles, we need to develop a range of skills and apply the most appropriate one for the circumstances encountered.

===== The Grayson/Stein Study =====

In 1984 two researchers, Betty Grayson and Morris I. Stein, conducted a study to determine the selection criteria applied by predators when selecting their victims. They videotaped several pedestrians on a busy New York City sidewalk without their knowledge.

They later showed the tape to convicts who were incarcerated for violent offenses (rape, murder, robbery, etc.) They instructed them to identify people on the tape who would make easy or desirable victims. The results were interesting.

Within seven seconds, the participants made their selections. What baffled researchers was the consistency of the people that were selected as victims. The criteria were not readily apparent. Some small, slightly built women were passed over. Some large men were selected. The selection was not dependant on race, age, size or gender.

Even the convicts didn’t know exactly why they selected as they did. Some people just looked like easy targets. It appears that much of the predator/prey selection process is unconscious from the perspective of both predator and the potential victim.

Video Analysis

Still at a loss of specific selection criteria, the researches had a more thorough analysis of the movement and body language of the people on the videotape. Here is an overview of the results:

1. Stride:

People selected as victims had an exaggerated stride: either abnormally short or long. They dragged, shuffled or lifted their feet unnaturally as they walked. Non-victims, on the other hand, tended to have a smooth, natural gate. They stepped in a heel-to-toe fashion.

2. Rate:

Victims tend to walk at a different rate than non-victims. Usually, they walk slower than the flow of pedestrian traffic. Their movement lacks a sense of deliberateness or purpose. However, an unnaturally rapid pace can project nervousness or fear.

3. Fluidity:

Researchers noted awkwardness in a victim’s body movement. Jerkiness, raising and lowering one’s center of gravity or wavering from side to side as they moved became apparent in the victims analyzed. This was contrasted with smoother, more coordinated movement of the non-victims.

4. Wholeness:

Victims lacked "wholeness" in their body movement. They swung their arms as if they were detached and independent from the rest of their body. Non-victims moved their body from their "center" as a coordinated whole implying strength, balance and confidence.

5. Posture and Gaze:

A slumped posture is indicative of weakness or submissiveness. A downward gaze implies preoccupation and being unaware of one’s surroundings. Also, someone reluctant to establish eye contact can be perceived as submissive. These traits imply an ideal target for a predator.

In his book, "The Danger From Strangers," author James D. Brewer quotes one of the researchers who conducted the above mentioned study, "Grayson is convinced that when people understand how to move confidently they can, ‘be taught how to walk that way and substantially reduce their risk of assault’"

How does this apply to Prevention Theory?

If you read between the lines of this research, the "Preparation Equals Prevention Theory" makes more sense. The traits described above indicate varying degrees of balance, coordination and awareness. They imply a person’s perceived vigilance and potential to fight.

Self-defense study and training develops the qualities of movement that discourage victim selection and project a "don’t mess with me" demeanor. This explains why a person who had formerly been bullied or victimized takes up the study of self-defense and the incidents that originally plagued him or her stop.

Unlike Professor Grayson, I doubt that the solution to reducing one’s victim potential is as simple as taking "walking lessons." Also, contrary to what many self-defense instructors suggest, you cannot simply "pretend" or "fake" confidence and expect to ward off predatory selection.

I doubt that a deliberate attempt to modify the way you walk, move and swing your arms (even if you could do so) would bring about the desired results. Imagine an awkward, out of shape person trying to consciously correct flawed body movements associated to being awkward and out of shape. You can’t fake coordination. You can’t fake balance. You can’t fake strength or endurance. However, each of these qualities can be developed through the study of self-defense and can dramatically reduce the risk of assault.

==== So What? How Can I Use This Information? ====

Much of the predator/prey selection process is subconscious. I believe that it is an evolutionary quality of the subconscious mind that we inherited from our ancestors. It would have been necessary for survival to select a prey that would not turn around and bite your head off! Those who lacked this quality would have undoubtedly been eliminated from the gene pool.

It is unlikely that you can consciously and consistently control non-verbal signals that you project. However, this is not to say that you cannot impact those signals in a powerful and positive way. Here is what you can do.

=> Develop Your Awareness Skills

The predator is looking for a victim who is unaware, preoccupied and easy to ambush. By becoming more aware of your surroundings, you not only increase the odds of detecting a potential predator, but you project an image of vigilance. This, in itself, can terminate the selection process.

=> Get Into Shape

Your level of fitness impacts your ability to defend yourself. First, if you are attacked your ability to successfully escape or fight off the attacker is dramatically impacted by your physical condition. Secondly, a strong, well-toned body will manifest the quality of movement of a non-victim. Finally, fitness impacts your personality in a positive way. The increased self-esteem, confidence and emotional resilience that result from being in good physical condition are non-victim qualities that predators want to avoid.

=> Enroll in a Self-defense Course

There are no superior martial arts, only superior martial artists. Don’t get hung up on picking "the best" style or program. I am a strong advocate of self-defense and martial arts training (either at a club or through self-study) to reduce your risk of assault. For reasons I’ve mentioned, self-defense training reduces the likelihood of having to defend yourself. Learn all you can about confrontational situations and develop tools to deal with them. Incorporate regular practice such as boxing glove drills for example* or learn how to punch and kick a boxer’s heavy bag. Have fun with it.

=> Knowledge is Power:

Knowledge reduces fear and builds confidence. Confidence is a non-victim quality. Read books and articles about self-defense. Do what you can to clarify your "mental maps" of how confrontations happen, how to avoid them, and how to respond if you can’t. The most dangerous attitude in a confrontation is the, "It will never happen to me Syndrome." The fact that you are reading this article already puts you well ahead in the "non-victim game."

Work On Yourself From the Inside Out.

I narrowed the content of this article to the more "straight forward" aspects of reducing your victim potential. There are many other aspects associated to personality and psychology that impact your victim potential and your ability to deal effectively with a confrontation. I will discuss these qualities, and how to develop them, in future articles. In the meantime, do what you can to increase your self-esteem, mental toughness, motivation etc.

Conclusion

Your potential of becoming a victim is influenced, in large part, to the unconscious signals you project to an assailant. Predators, whether deliberately or intuitively, form an opinion about you and how easy you will be to dominate and control. They are looking for a weak, submissive and unaware target that won’t (or can’t) fight back.

You can control the non-verbal signals you project by investing time in the study and practice of self-defense. Your projected body language will take care of itself. You can’t fake it. You must earn it. This is not as difficult as you might think. If you really want to prevent or dramatically reduce the probability of becoming a victim, prepare yourself. Preparation equals prevention!

Good luck and Stay Safe.

Randy LaHaie
Protective Strategies

Gichin Funakoshi is generally regarded as the Father of Modern Karate.

Among his contributions is a list of 20 core beliefs that every karateka should subscribe to.

At the very top is this one: “There is no first strike in karate.”

The idea is that karate is about self-defense, primarily, and only secondarily is it a fighting art.

Funakoshi didn’t want to spawn generations of bullies. I think it is right to say he wanted to sire gentle men and women, people of refinement; in a word, civilized folks, and not just more barbarians.

Before unleashing fury and destructiveness a person must be sure it is the right thing to do, that he isn’t making a mistake, and that he has exhausted better ways of reducing conflict.

But what if you KNOW someone is coming for you or your family or your nation? What, then?

Can you strike, peremptorily?

Funakoshi is silent about this, at least from the reading of him that I’ve done so far.

But a story comes to mind.

I was exhausted one late afternoon after having flown to Houston, probably for the 40th time in as many weeks, so by the time I reached the rent a car counter at the outskirts of the airport, I was in a terrible mood.

They didn’t have the make and model I had reserved, a convertible as I recall, and being used to getting everything I wanted on the road, I blew a gasket.

The manager felt I was being verbally abusive, and I told him, more or less, when I needed his opinion I’d give it to him.

He asked me to step outside to “Settle this" with him, and I recall saying something to the effect that “I’d be delighted.”

I hadn’t been in a fistfight since high school, and I was probably 25% more massive than this guy, so his “choosing me off” was almost comedic.

We stood face to face, with about two feet separating us, and I could tell he was waiting for me to make the first move.

But I came to my senses after having weighed the idea of defending a lawsuit or worse, a criminal charge in court.

Also, I heard a little voice inside say, “Don’t make the first move!” and I heeded it.

Anyway, I think I grumbled, “This isn’t worth it,” and he told me to never darken their doorstep again.

Many moons later, after studying karate, I learned about Funakoshi’s aphorism: There is no first strike in karate.

And a few things came to mind:

(1) I was pleased I de-escalated and walked away. It’s one of the only ways to “win” a fight.

(2) I always wondered if this guy had karate training, and he was forbearing because of Funakoshi’s philosophy.

(3) I did act rudely, and things hit a flash point because of me.

In any case, I lived to “not fight” again, and so did he, presumably.

Fighting should always be the last resort, and only when we have no other choice. And as far as that question I raised above, I think we should be so attuned to our potential enemies that we can see the stirrings of hostility in them before they ever become an overt threat to us.

By doing so, we can avoid difficulties before they become unavoidable.

Moreover, we should always be aware of how we’re coming across, and restrain ourselves and struggle to be polite, especially when we’re convinced we have the right to act otherwise.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations from Santa Monica to South Africa. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

For information about coaching, consulting, training, books, videos and audios, please go to: http://www.customersatisfaction.com

Royce Gracie Vs. Matt Hughes

No one thought it would have ended the way it did. The legend went down.Looking back, one can’t be surprised with the result. In retrospect, it was inevitable.

Matt Hughes has been training for nearly a decade for a fight with Royce Gracie without even realizing it. When Royce Gracie unleashed Gracie Jiu Jitsu on the MMA world in UFC 1, no one knew what it was or how it worked. By UFC 2 people began to see that there was a pattern to what he was doing. The years that followed sealed Royce’s fate as a marked man.

Fighters were attempting to dissect Gracie Jiu Jitsu, but in reality they were analyzing Royce Gracie’s application of the fighting style. Without setting out to do so, every fighter that wanted to evolve and step up his game by learning to employ and defend Gracie Jiu Jitsu was training to fight Royce. It became Royce Gracie vs. the MMA world.

To Royce’s credit, he remained largely victorious in all of his bouts for years to come. But a man with a bulls eye on his back is bound to get hit once in a while. Matt Hughes was an on target bullet at UFC 60 where he bested the king and pulled out the most significant victory of his career.

But was it fair?

That’s hard to say. Matt Hughes is a tremendous athlete with dedication to his craft and an abundance of skill. Add to that palette an army of trainers teaching students how to defend and counter Royce Gracie’s every move, and Matt Hughe’s victory becomes somewhat destiny.

In theory, another Gracie would have had a much better shot at beating Matt Hughes. Take a look at Renzo Gracie’s incredible performance against BJ Penn, who has been touted as pound for pound the best fighter on the planet by many. Renzo fought tough and nearly pulled out a victory. His different style than Royce’s may have been enough for him to gain victory over Hughes.

Royce is possibly the greatest ever, but even a bullet can be dodged when its target has advanced warning.

A strategy for Royce, which under normal circumstances would seem absurd, would be to do the opposite of what some of the Gracie Jiu Jitsu tactics are. When he should place his body weight a certain way, if he were to suddenly shift the opposite way his opponent would be totally thrown off momentarily. And a moment is all a boa constrictor like Royce needs.

I’ll explain the tactic in the next post. I used it extensively on the AAU Freestyle wrestling tour a few years back. Until then, you can post your comments on Matt Hughes Vs. Royce Gracie at a blog on this topic can be followed at http://www.UltimateFightingChampionship.com

Ray Mardo is a former freestlye wrestling champion who runs the Ultimate Fighting Championship.com Mixed Martial Arts website for everything related to the submission fighting sport.

Ultimate Fighting Championship.com

The stigmas associated with mixed martial arts are hard to shake but quite easy to dispel. Many ask how could anyone want to watch, much less regulate, a sport that allows men to punch, kick, elbow, knee and incapacitate their opponents. Moreover, you often hear detractors claim that this spectacle shouldn’t even be considered a sport and should be forced to cease to exist. Much like many other events and issues in our society, the media isn’t doing their part to educate us consumers. The majority of the opinions and ill will harbored by people towards mixed martial arts, honestly comes from simply being uninformed.

One can only imagine the amount of deaths that there have been in a sport that allows such violence. Any sport that allows you to knock or choke out your opponent must have the highest death toll and critical injury rate of all sports. I hate to break it to all the sceptics but the fact is, there has never been a death in a sanctioned mixed martial arts fight. There has in fact been one death in all of mixed martial arts but this occurred many years ago in an unsanctioned fight. You may be wondering what the difference is. A sanctioning body is an organization that is responsible for the proper implementation of weight limits, rules and medical examinations. They make sure that the 2 fighters are within their weight limits and that they’re physically fit to fight. The event where the participant died did not have a sanctioning body, which in turn means it didn’t have a proper weigh in or physical. The opponent died of a blood clot they had sustained from a fight in an earlier event. The fact is if the event had been sanctioned, this fighter would have had to have a physical which includes a brain scan. This would have resulted in the fighter not being cleared to fight. Mixed martial arts actually uses the same sanctioning bodies that boxing does.

Why is it that boxing, which is much more of a brutal sport, is universally more accepted then mixed martial arts? The fact is again there are many myths and false information out there that cloud society’s vision. Mixed martial arts draws a lot of negative attention due to the size of the gloves the fighters use. The gloves in mixed martial arts are 4 ounces while the average gloves in boxing are 8 ounces. The misconception is the larger the glove the more it protects the fighter. This is partially correct. A larger glove (more padding) will allow a fighter to absorb more punches without causing any cuts. What most people don’t understand is that gloves were not invented to protect the fighter’s faces they were in fact invented for protection of the hands! The impact of a larger glove is much more traumatic then that of a smaller one due to the increased surface. Boxing matches consist of two men repeatedly hitting each other for as much as twelve three minute rounds. Mixed martial arts, on the other hand allows a fighter to hold or take their opponent to the ground where the power in a blow is drastically reduced. Boxing also allows a fighter who has been knocked down, the opportunity to recoup and continue fighting once they can beat the 10 count. Mixed martial arts on the other hand, end a fight when a fighter has been knocked down. The significance of this is the fact that the most damage done to the brain of a fighter is after they suffer the initial concussion. Every blow after this point is highly detrimental and extremely dangerous.

I’m not trying to discount boxing as a sport. I’m merely trying to show you how safe a sport mixed martial arts is. Boxing has had three deaths alone this year. If that makes you wonder how anyone could allow any of these combative sports to exist, I guess you haven’t heard that high school football averages four deaths per year and that doesn’t include the number of paralysis victims per year. Mixed martial arts is far safer then it looks and statistically safer then football, which is a sport that we not only embrace, but often sign our children up for. If mixed martial arts isn’t safe how do we feel about football?

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Martial Arts