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 In this lesson, you will learn:
 
Weapons are equalizers.Take a ninety-eight pound woman and put a 9MM semi-automatic pistol in her hand. Add some instruction and practice coupled with a warrior's mindset and watch out! She will take you down and if she chooses, you won't get up. If she chooses, you won't get up again forever. What just happened? We created a simple scenario where the power of control shifted from the abuser, attacker, stalker, mugger, or rapist to his "intended" victim. With almost thirty years of martial arts experience, I am no match for this woman.  A pistol is a weapon is a tool. It is nothing more. Your self-defense objective is the same whether you use your fists or a weapon. You want to create an opportunity to escape and live long enough to tell stories to your grandchildren. Violence is not your idea. It is their idea. They start. You stop. If your attacker wants your property, you comply. If your attacker wants to physically harm you or someone in your charge, you fight back with a warrior's mindset. You fight and you keep fighting. You fight until you win. You win when he stops. You must prepare yourself mentally to survive. Does it matter if you punch and bite and kick someone to the ground and then stomp versus shooting or bludgeoning or stabbing? Pain is pain. Hurt is hurt. Why would you do such a thing? You wouldn't. If you follow the Action Principles, you are the good guy who only wants to survive. Remember your fighting words, SAS, surprise, aggression and speed. Your attacker figures you for a chump. He has selected you as someone who can be victimized. He is going to be very surprised when you quickly pull out your little Beretta .25 and aim for his family jewels. He may have second thoughts and leave you alone. If he's walking away and calling YOU crazy, this is a good thing. Again, consider the words of Massad Ayoob, law enforcement expert. "All criminals are afraid of just two things: guns and big dogs." Consider that one of these tools is a lot easier to care for than the other.  This is your first big test. This is what you have to spend part of your daily quiet time contemplating. Are you willing to hurt another person, put them in pain long enough that you can create an opportunity to escape? If you are willing to fight, under what circumstance will you stand? Are you willing to defend yourself? Are you willing to defend your loved ones? Are you willing to defend your country? Are you a conscientious objector? You can let the police and Army fight for your right not to fight. You can organize your hootenannies. Ninety-eight percent of the world would love to "Give Peace A Chance." The other two percent would love to enslave you. Remember, all that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. With modern weapons of mass destructions, one zealot or psycho can do a lot of harm to a lot of people.
In Action Principle #88, Honor The Military, I ask you to find one street or bridge or park marker in your community dedicated to one local veteran who gave his or her life for this country. Are you willing to participate? Will you adopt the memory of this one soldier and share his or her story with others? Go online or call your local veteran's office and get the story and pass it on. You may be too young or too old to fight in uniform but you can do this. This is important.
 As you construct possible attack scenarios in the theater of your mind, you consider your options. What will end the violence and allow your escape? What actions on your part will seem reasonable, justifiable and necessary to a jury of your peers? A squeegee man approaches your car and demands a dollar to wash your windshield. You ignore him. He takes out a nail and scratches the hood of your car. A. You can get out of your car and confront him. Horns start blaring and five other squeegee men come to this squeegee man's rescue. B. You shoot, stab or bludgeon and teach this guy a lesson. C. You roll down your window and hit him with pepper spray. He staggers back into the path of on-coming traffic. D. You drive off. You are walking with your wife and young daughter when a mugger jumps from a doorway. He grabs your daughter demanding money. You comply but "contrary to his word" he begins dragging your screaming daughter toward a waiting car. A. You politely ask him to stop. B. You cry and plead with him to stop. C. You forcefully demand that he stops. D. You shoot him in the leg. Which, if any, of these responses are reasonable? Reasonable force is to use only enough force to achieve the desired result and no more. What is the best way to end the violence and escape? A LEO has to be concerned for the attacker's rights. You only have to defend yourself and end the violence. Yet, if you do put your attacker in a "world of hurt" and others perceive your actions as excessive, you may have a legal problem. If you are perceived as a vigilante, you will have legal problems. If you carry a weapon or weapons, this is your business. Keep it quiet. Broadcasting the fact that you are armed will do you no good and potentially a lot of harm.
No pepper spray or knife or comb or kick or punch has the stopping power of a gun. There is no better way to keep an attacker at bay and away from you than with a gun. Fact: 2nd Amendment of the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution. "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of THE PEOPLE to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." A gun is a lethal weapon that can instantly take a life and change your life forever. If you choose to own a gun, you must be a responsible gun owner, which means study and practice on a continuing basis. If you carry a concealed weapon, minimum range practice should be once a month. You will see lots of debate among firearm experts about calibers. A .45 caliber bullet will stop most people with one shot. If you have a .22 or .25 or .32 caliber, you may have to fire twice. A .380 or .38 or 9MM caliber is in the middle of the debate. Any caliber is better than any kick or punch. Any well placed round will allow plenty of time for contemplation, facing multiple opponents or leisurely escape. The only good firearm is the one that you have with you, aren't afraid to use and with which you are proficient through regular practice. Most gun fights are over in less than ten seconds within a distance of eight feet and with only one or two shots fired. You shouldn't keep a gun in the house if you think that you would hesitate to use it in a time of emergency. You shouldn't keep a gun in the house if a family member is depressed, suicidal, a drunk or a drug addict. Fact: Americans use their guns between one million and two million times a year in self-defense. However, they only fire those guns in 4% of incidents.
Learn the characteristics of your firearm. Treat every firearm as if it is loaded. Always point the muzzle in a safe direction. Keep your finger off the trigger. Never rely on a mechanical safety. Keep gun unloaded and action open until ready to shoot. Know your target and what's beyond it. Use only the correct ammunition for your firearm. Know what to do in the event of a misfire. Wear protective ear and eye equipment. Keep firearms free from obstructions and well maintained. Don't modify your firearm. Do not mix guns with alcohol, drugs, or fatigue. Source: National Rifle Association
Pepper Spray is an excellent distraction tool, allowing you time to get away. Over 4,000 police departments use pepper spray as a control tool. It is made from oleoresin capsicum, an extract from chili peppers. It must be used at close range and sprayed directly in the eyes or inhaled to be effective. Direct facial contact and inhalation of the spray will induce coughing, choking, and nausea, as well as dilating the eye capillaries resulting in temporary blindness. The mucous membranes will swell to prevent all but life support breathing causing the assailant to be temporarily incapacitated. Skin contact will cause a burning sensation that is aggravated by rubbing the area. A one second burst can affect an attacker for up to 45 to 60 minutes without permanent damage. Most pepper spray victims instinctively fall immediately to their knees and start rubbing their eyes worsening the condition.
Aim for both eyes. Pepper spray is a serious self-defense weapon and not a toy to be used at a party. Pepper spray is prohibited at airports. If you are traveling, pack your pepper spray in your suitcase. DO NOT pack your pepper spray in your purse or carry on because the airport security will confiscate the pepper spray. Pepper spray key chains and pens will both spray about 7 to 12 feet dependent on wind direction.  Spray only at an individual and never into a crowd. At temperatures of 10 degrees or lower, it may freeze. If left in a hot car or direct sunlight, the canister may burst or leak. Pepper spray may not be as effective on an attacker who is drunk, drugged, hysterical or crazy. Be careful of spray backsplash or spray blown-back from the wind. Avoid contact with the attacker as the spray can transfer to you and cause you problems. Use your spray and leave the area immediately. Using the spray is going to make your attacker angry and he can still punch, shoot or stab you. Call the police. If pepper spray gets on you, rinse the affected area repeatedly with cold water. Wash your hands several times and wash your clothes separately. Personal Alarms can prevent mugging or personal harm and summon help in emergency situations. Personal alarms are designed to attract attention to yourself and the problem you may be encountering. Attackers do not want to draw attention to themselves or create witnesses to their criminal acts. Personal alarms provide added protection for outdoor activities at night, including walking or jogging. Walk or run with the alarm in your hand or clip to your pants for immediate access. The alarms are capable of producing high-pitched, extremely loud and piercing noises. They may be battery or aerosol powered and are activated by buttons, switches or pull pins. Personal alarms are safe to have in your home. Children or the elderly can use them. They can't be taken from you and used against you while providing a reasonable amount of personal safety. Stun guns are non-lethal weapons that use high voltage shocks to stop an attacker. Stun guns are designed to scramble the nervous system. The resulting energy loss makes it difficult for the attacker to move. Touching an attacker with the two metal prongs on the stun gun quickly causes temporary loss of balance and mental confusion. The longer the unit maintains contact with the attacker's body, the more effective the device is in repelling the attacker. For 1-2 seconds will cause muscle spasms and a dazed mental state. For 3-5 seconds will cause loss of balance and muscle control, total mental confusion and disorientation leaving him dazed. Your goal is to stop the violence and escape. To be effective, the stun gun must make contact with the skin or body.
You cannot suffer a charge-back to your own body. That means you can feel safe when using the device even if the assailant is touching you. Place the stun gun in an accessible place within your home, car or purse or clipped to your bike or clothing. Even if a child were to get their hands on a device and apply it to themselves, their muscles would go limp in 1/1000th of a second, causing them to immediately drop it. Nevertheless, stun guns are not toys and should be stored away from children. The only reason ancient fighters fought empty handed was that they weren't allowed to carry weapons. Most of these weapons were medieval Japanese farm implements. Nunchucks, tonfas, bo staffs, sectional staffs and sais are fun to train with but are not practical modern self-defense weapons. Learning to throw ninja stars called shurikens is a hobby and not effective weapons training. A warrior with a weapon is a more formidable opponent than a warrior without a weapon. The samurai were very tough but they still carried three weapons on their person at all times. He had a long and short sword and then a chain or dagger.
The best martial arts weapon is the short stick or baton. This is why it has been the first non-lethal weapon of choice for police departments around the world for centuries. The Filipino fighting arts are built around the short stick called an escrima stick. There are drills built around a single stick, double stick and single stick with knife. Striking a hand, elbow or knee can cause considerable pain creating an opportunity for escape. Blows to the head can be lethal. The best and most practical modern baton is called an ASP. It is a collapsible baton that opens from six inches to twenty inches with a flick of the wrist. It is lightweight and easy to carry in car, pack or suitcase. ASP batons cost about $50 and are worth the investment if you are willing to train. SAS = Speed, Aggression and Surprise. You are confronted in a parking lot. You quickly pull out your ASP. You employ speed and surprise. You put on your confident warrior face. You look aggressive. You start screaming, "No, no, I'm going to smash your head in." The attacker decides to attack someone else. Remember that the average attacker is looking for a victim and not a challenge. If robbery is his motive, he wants to win in seconds and escape. If assault is his motive, he wants power and control and not someone who is going to be waving a stick, screaming and who will bite, scratch, poke and gauge. A very short baton that is accessible, durable and very popular is a kubaton. It is a short metal cylinder usually used as a key chain. You now have a handle for your keys to slash at your attacker's face. Kubatons are widely available and sell for five to fifteen dollars. A long baton that is accessible, durable and very popular is a cane. It is legal and can be carried almost everywhere. If they object to your cane, then they have to provide you with a wheel chair. Swinging the cane in a figure eight pattern creates distance between you and an attacker. Grab the cane near its bottom end and swing the hook end like a baseball bat. There are specially made wooden combat canes that sell for between twenty-five and fifty dollars. With the warrior's mindset, you can begin to see almost everything in your environment as possible weapons. Hit and run. Grab and smash with glasses, bottles, hammers, clipboards, staplers, pots, lamps, chairs, tables, pool cues, flashlights, golf clubs and baseball bats.
Throw and run. Toss at your attacker your coat, paper clips, coins, ash tray, sand, dirt, and plates of food, drinks, salt or pepper. Stab and run. A pen, pencil, fork, spoon, ruler, knitting needle, umbrella tip and screwdriver can be pushed into soft areas of your attacker's body. Slash and run. Go for the face with the edge of credit card, key, knife, comb, box cutter, CD, or fingernail clipper. Whip and run. To gain distance, consider taking off your belt and swinging at your attacker in a figure eight pattern. A belt with a heavy buckle is preferable. Defend and hit and run. Against an edged weapon, wrapping your hand and arm in your coat or scarf may buy you enough time to counter attack.
The next time you are in a boring meeting or waiting for a movie or flight, put your time to productive use. Where are your escape routes? Who in the crowd might help you if trouble developed? What improvised weapons are available? Pick an unfriendly face and work through various attack and counter-attack scenarios in your mind. This is training. You must train to be effective. What obstacles can you put between yourself and your attacker? As we said earlier, it is difficult to catch someone running around a car. Chairs, tables, counters, dumpsters, garbage cans can all have the same blocking effect. Start running. Start screaming. Watch the movies. What can you toss in an attacker's path to slow his progress? Are there police call phones? Are there fire alarms that you can pull? Getting to an elevator might be a very good or very bad idea. If you are faster or more agile than your attacker, drop everything and run. Remember, running may be a good option even if the attacker is armed. Can you push an attacker down stairs or escalators or through a window or out a door? Are there store or other windows that you can break? Can you smash car windows and set off car alarms? Who can you call for help on your cell phone? Can you smash your attacker into a wall or door or pillar or any solid object? The ground is a weapon.
Next to a firearm, the most effective weapon is a knife. Knives are fast, efficient and extremely difficult to defend against. And, while a concealed carry firearm permit may be difficult to obtain, knives are much more accessible to good and bad guys. The most popular self-defense knives are called tactical folders. They are pocket-fighting knives that can be opened relatively easily with one hand. You can buy cheap tactical folders for five dollars but a good model will cost around a hundred dollars or more. Again, a quality tactical folder with a strong sharp blade and a solid locking mechanism is a good investment if you are willing to practice. There are many excellent magazines, books and videos available on knife fighting. If you want to carry a self-defense knife and are willing to practice, you'll want to purchase two of the same knife. One will be your sharp carry knife and the other a drone practice knife. Have the edge on your drone dulled and the tip rounded. You will use your drone to practice your drawing techniques and, if you have a training partner, your slashing/stabbing techniques. Still, even with a drone, be careful. Wearing arm guards and a fencing mask or a hockey mask for practice is recommended.
You do NOT want to get into a knife fight with anyone who is also armed with a knife. If you do, expect to get cut. To win a knife fight, you need agility, accuracy, great footwork and explosiveness. You must resist your natural instinct to create distance and instead close in on your opponent. In a knife fight, proximity beats skill. Your objective in using a knife for self-defense will be speed and surprise. Your complete knife attack should take only two seconds. He won't even realize that you have a knife until you have slashed or stabbed him a few times and are already half way down the block. He will be yelling very bad names at you but will probably be a lot more worried that you have mortally wounded him than in continuing the attack. Many self-defense knives can be purchased with blackened blades. The blackened blade is much harder to see especially at night. And, it is at night or in low light when there is the greatest likelihood that you will be attacked.
Weapons are used in only 25% of rapes with 15% of the time the weapon is a knife and 10% of the time a gun. Therefore, if you have a knife or gun, 75% of the time you will have the advantage. If you have pepper spray or an ASP baton, or keys in your hand you will have an advantage over an unarmed attacker. But, you must commit yourself to weapons practice. You must engage your attacker with speed, aggression and surprise. Go to Lesson 91 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
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Master's Tip:
How do others perceive you? Ask for honest answers. If it's negative what can you do to change it? Are you aggressive? Are you bullying? Are you confrontational? Are you reckless? Are you a heavy drinker or someone who takes drugs? Are you a braggart? Are you "into" guns and knives? After a violent altercation would your acquaintances joke to investigators, "it was only a matter of time."
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