Bold Rapist Makes Getaway

It doesn't matter where you reside. In the suburbs or the inner city, rape is an ongoing problem that is in the news every night.

Women can take measures to help insure their safety. One is to keep doors and windows locked. Another is to have these points of entry guarded by window alarms and room alarms. They are very affordable and are quite loud enough to wake you up if your home or apartment is entered.

Once the alarms are tripped, make sure to arm yourself with an effective self defense deterrent such as a gun, a telescopic steel baton or a good defense spray that won't contaminate your room, such as Mace pepper gel.

Call the 911 Emergency Hotline immediately and stay on the line giving the operator all of the information that's requested. If you see a stranger in you neighborhood that's acting suspiciously and seems to pose a possible threat. Call the Police immediately seeking advice and assistance. Stay Safe!

Women's Self Defense - Having a Plan

Last week my wife was not feeling well and decided to sleep in the living room. She left the door to the back yard open and had an overhead fan running. Before retiring to our bedroom, I asked her what she would do if some drug addled rapist or a burglar came crashing through the door. Her reply was to get a handgun or at the least one of my tactical folding knives and defend herself.

This might have sounded like a good idea to her at the moment, since I'm an avid gun and knife collector, so I do have those items nearby. The problem was my more direct question; "well exactly what will you do?" She had no good idea. She only knew that there was a handgun "over there someplace" and there was a folding knife as well as some pepper spray, in the drawer of the end table.

She's no trained knife expert and even though I'd walked her through the steps of locating the handgun and bringing it to bear on an attacker many times, she really had no inkling of it's exact location, let alone bailing off the sofa, scrambling across the room, locating the gun and pointing it, with any chance of beating someone that crashed through an aluminum screen door.

Just as we all can perform certain tasks like rubbing our eye to remove a dust particle or scratching our arm in the right place without the slightest thought, I told her that this type of reaction, like locating and using a weapon was much the same. It had to become a natural action through many hundreds or even thousands of "dry runs" until it was as normal as taking a step while walking.

We parted with the advice - repeated several times - that she would run screaming to our bedroom where I would be there, waiting and prepared for any eventuality. Don't think you have a plan. Be sure you have a solid plan for self defense and practice your plan until it becomes a natural response!

Self Defense - Taking Away Weapons

It's been awhile since I was able to post de to a leg injury that has kept me off my PC. Things are getting better but I still have to keep this one short.

We have an old saying in martial arts. If an opponent grabs you he has lost one or two weapons and you are at an advantage, If you hurt an attacker's arm or leg, you have taken away some of their weapons - the limbs needed to inflict damage on you.

We advocate the use of Mace pepper spray to take away an assailant's vision and disrupt their breathing. This gives you a distinct tactical advantage.

If you've ever worried about the wind blowing pepper spray back at you or the proximity of the attacker being such that particles will be release into the air and cause you be Maced as well, then worry not. Mace Pepper Gel is the best defense spray you can carry!

It shoots a high pressure gel with pinpoint accuracy up to 18 feet away and sticks to the attacker like bubble gum. They can't get it off and the pain will blind them or cause enough pain to allow you to get out of harm's way.

Mace pepper gel allows no ambient particles to escape into the air and is safe to use anywhere without risk of becoming affected or contaminated in any way. Get some ladies you'll be safer with it. See you again real soon!

See the effects of Mace on Police officers who train using it:

Self Defense Products

Not all among us have the time, dedication and perseverance to become experts in martial arts. We all have the time to become experts with self defense products though. There are some pretty fine deterrents available and they don't cost any more than lunch at a fast food place.

Imagine that you're being assaulted or are on the verge of being assaulted and you have no black belts or a firearm. How will you get away? How will you avoid being robbed, raped or worse? Very simple really, a canister of pepper spray will give you a real punch to deliver into your attacker's face and can save you from becoming a statistic. A severe burning sensation, blinded eyes, disorientation and nausea will stop even the most determined assailant.



There are also formulations by Mace that really pack a wallop. Police Mace in the "Triple Action" spray combines OC pepper, tear gas and a UV marking dye to assist the Police in identifying the attacker. We urge you to build up your self defense product arsenal and you can't start with a better choice than pepper spray!

Self Defense For Women - Foot Stomp

I hope you ladies had a chance to have a good look at the chart that was presented in the previous post. It details many vital areas that you can strike with your hands, elbows, feet and knees. Even more pain or injury can be inflicted with the use of a striking device such as the Kubotan.

The Kubotan concentrates your power and channels it to a small impact surface which greatly multiplies the force applied to the attacker's vital area. Martial arts practitioners have used the Kubotan or Yawara for centuries. Modern versions are very lightweight, discreet to carry and give you a lot of bang for your buck!

Today we'll look at another simple, yet effective way to disable an attacker without even chipping your beautiful manicures. Enjoy it - it's a great technique for your self defense toolbox. See you soon!

Simple Tools For Self Defense

The best way to defend yourself is not to be in a situation where you might be attacked. We have been discussing some defense maneuvers to counter punches and slaps to the head area. We'll be getting back to that next post.

It takes a certain amount of skill or practice to block a strike and effectively apply self defense measures. Let's back track a bit shall we?

A woman can defend herself very well if she is aware of her surroundings and is equipped to retaliate quickly.

I would suggest that every woman has a good quality and very bright flashlight. This illuminates "would be" attackers and also makes tasks performed in the dark, much easier. Being discovered quickly can confuse and dissuade predators from attacking.

Beside her flashlight, a woman should have some sort of self defense deterrent. I recommend that a canister of Mace be carried as well. This gives you a bit of distance ladies, so you can inflict a dose of pain, yet don't have to make contact or wrestle around with an attacker.

We'll be back soon with more good self defense instruction. See you soon!

Women's Self Defense - Assessment

Women who are keen on having the ability to defend themselves, will want to make as they say in Alcoholics Anonymous, a fearless and searching inventory of their physical fitness, abilities, as well as some intangibles such as; to what limit they will go in defending themselves, how hard and how long they would devote themselves, to training in pursuit of self defense skills.

Some women I have in mind may be 18 to 25 years old and should be in top condition and able to practice punches and kicks, running (away) or wielding a telescopic steel baton for instance. This however isn't always the case. Many women are getting fit and strong well into their 40's. So each woman must be brutally honest and make an assessment of their physical fitness levels, as well as their desire to take a self defense seminar, purchasing some sort of bag or other device, made for practicing punches, kicks, elbows and knee strikes.

For women who feel strongly about taking a proactive role in defending themselves and are in average to above average state of fitness, I'd recommend a few crash courses in women's self defense. These can be found in many local martial arts clubs, in the newspaper or seen on flyers, posted in public places such as supermarkets and stores. Take more than one and you may find that you learn much more from one instructor versus another. This is not to say that one is better than another, but just as each of us are individual human beings, so are martial arts clubs, seminars and so forth. You will find that you learn much better from one endeavor than from another. So check out what's going on in your area and take a friend to pal up with and learn a few things that may help in keeping you safe.

Then there are many women, who by the level of their fitness, age, mobility and mentality, can't get out and take this type of training. This group can have the same desire to defend themselves as the former but for one reason or another can't. For you ladies, I'd suggest learning to use a handgun properly or purchasing a self defense aid such as a stun gun or pepper spray. These items can keep you from being victimized as well.

For those who have a desire to be able to effectively defend themselves, you're already very aware of crime against women, prepared to learn self defense and motivated. This is excellent. From this point, do your self inventory, note your abilities and limitations and make a choice of which direction your path will be to a more secure life.

Physical training along with a bit of leverage such as a stun gun or pepper spray is great, but a 75 year old Granny with sharp eye and a good six-shooter is deadly. See you soon and stay safe!

Alternative Self Defense For Women

I've studied several traditional martial arts for my entire life and there's always something you can find to gain an edge. I have handguns, knives, rattan and steel batons, long & short swords, pepper spray and a stun gun.

I can relate to women who feel vulnerable to attack. As I age, I find that certain skills that I possessed are diminishing. I can't out-muscle a young strong athlete like I did 25 years ago, I must get an "edge" and divert his attention or catch him in an unprepared moment and then deliver a telling blow.

I purchased a 975K volt Stun Master Hot Shot stun gun a couple of years ago for my father who is now 90 years old. Of course my sons and I had to give each other a few poke with it first..ha-ha! I must say that it delivers instant pain to an arm, causing it to release and fly back. After a couple of 1 second bursts on the arm, even my wildest son, who's down with anything, wouldn't take a third hit to the arm. I took 2 on the arm and one quick burst to the abdomen.

Let's say that was all I ever wanted in regard to testing that little monster. The body shock made all of my abdominal and chest muscles contract violently and I recall thinking that "this must be what a heart attack feels like."

We gave Grandpa his Hot Shot stun gun for Christmas and my youngest son - a great sport - took a few more pokes and then called it quits. These things really work.

I purchased one for my car's glovebox. I can think of no better way to remove an arm that's reaching in to grab me than to give the attacker a burst from the Hot Shot.

My batteries have lasted for over a year and it's still crackling like the day I ordered it. They are replaceable at stores like Wal-Mart or Radio Shack. They're easy to find, just take the old ones in and they'll find one that matches. (we got Grandpa some new ones a couple of months back - just to be sure)

The Hot Shot has a lifetime warranty (that's very cool) and is an awesome close quarters self defense tool. They're the size of a pack of cigarettes, have a safety switch with a red LED light to let you know it's armed, and the activation button sits right on top of the palm sized, ergonomic design.

Get one for your glovebox, pocket or purse. You'll be glad you did. See you soon!

Self Defense For Women - Frontal Grabs

Frontal grabs are straightforward and pretty simple to deal with, I've got some nice escapes and counters to share with you today ladies, or guys too.

For instance, what would you do if a guy reaches out and grabs a bunch of your shirt with his left hand, while drawing back his right hand to hit you?

What would you do if you're confronted by an angry attacker and he or she reaches for your shirt, sweater or jacket lapels and grabs you with both hands?

Well, click on the first two words of this post "frontal grabs" and you'll get to read some of my easiest and most effective defenses for frontal grabs!

See you soon with some video to illustrate some more defenses for frontal grabs - promise!

Defense Against Frontal Hair Grabs

This is our fourth and final post on defending against a hair grab. If you've been reading or just happened to stumble into this post, you'll see we started the hair grab defense series with my own personal favorite. Check out this post and follow the link to read it.

Today we're going to watch a short video that works against a frontal hair grab and includes some follow up strikes. If you're ready to try those out, then by all means include them in your practice. Remember that my hair grab defense will work 100% of the time from any direction that your hair is grabbed from and you may want to learn it first.

In our next post we'll be exploring some techniques to easily remove grabbing hands from various other parts of your person. See you soon!

Women's Self Defense - Hair Grab Defense

Today I'd like to illustrate a simple escape from a hair grab that is quite easy to execute. Thanks to the folks in this video, as a picture speaks volumes.

As you will see in this video, just a simple "anchoring" of the attacker's hands and a couple of steps, removes the grab immediately. The mechanics are illustrated quite nicely.

In my next post, I'll be showing you one more hair grab escape by a young woman who is much more advanced in her self defense skills set and then we'll move along.

Don't forget to try these with a friend if you can. They are quite effective and will save you a lot of pain and suffering if a determined assailant "gets in your hair." See you soon!

Women's Self Defense Against Hair Grabs

Most women, (but not all), have plenty of hair to grab in a confrontation. I'd suspect that at some time in a woman's life she's been grabbed by the hair or grabbed another's hair.

Hopefully, this has been in play as a child. All too often, women are seen in TV news clips or on the web, at sites like YouTube, fighting and being thrown around because their assailant has grabbed a fistful of that lovely head of hair.

Wife beaters and other male attackers will also use the hair grab to control their victim and it's quite effective! I am old enough to have worn long hairstyles (yup I'm a dinosaur) and I learned the most effective hair grab defense over 30 years ago. It ALWAYS works, with one caveat.

You must have you senses about you. That is to say, you must be keenly self aware and ready to move instantly. If you can manage that attitude about your self defense, you'll never be grabbed by the hair and tossed around again.

There are other things one can do when grabbed by the hair, but this is the most natural and effective defense against a hair grab that I've ever learned, practiced and taught.

Follow the link above and read the material carefully. I promise it'll be worth your time. See you soon!

Self Defense for Women - Palm Strikes

In previous posts and videos we've looked at Dr. Ruthless use the palm strike to devastate her simulated attacker. Pretty cool huh? Doesn't even mess with your new manicure either!

I use the palm strike quite often, even after 36 years of martial arts training. Do I have strong wrists and conditioned knuckles? Of course, but a swift palm strike is so easy and NEVER causes even the slightest discomfort - as opposed to punching a good sized man in his head. That will usually tend to sting the hardest knuckles for a bit.

I'd like you to watch this video to reinforce your knowledge of the palm heel strike and how easy it is use.

I'll be back in a couple of days with some "escapes" which will be shown in a video and links to others that I have written myself on one of my self defense products websites. See you soon!

Establishing Your Base For Self Defense

Having a strong "base" or stance is important in delivering powerful and effective strikes in self defense scenarios.

Used not only for delivering strikes, but when you are well balanced and strong in your stance, you'll find that a solid base will assist tremendously in any type of block, kick or escape maneuver.

Just like the old adage says, "before you build your house - build a strong foundation." We'll watch a video on the horse stance. This is the first stance taught to martial arts practitioners. The meat and potatoes so to speak, of foundational training. It isn't hard and with a bit of practice, you can have a strong foundation too.

Give it a couple of minutes and you'll see for yourself what it looks like and how to begin building your arsenal of techniques from this position. See you soon!

Common Self Defense Weapons for Women

In martial arts, we are taught that "everything" is a weapon. In an attack situation, look to anything available at hand to assist you from becoming victimized from an assailant.

There are many self defense deterrents readily available to use against a stranger who wants to take advantage of you.

I have found another great video, in a series, that I will be presenting. Please feel free to comment, ask questions or shoot me an email. I'm here to help you and have the experience and "no how" to address any of your self defense concerns.

Please forward this site's URL (web address) to your friends if you find it of value!

Self Defense Basics

I remember some early lessons that I still teach today.

These are generalizations that "usually" hold true:

The easiest way to avoid being struck is to remove the target.

If you are attacked, that opponent has committed to a course of action.

The course of action that an opponent has chosen can be exploited.

If your opponent touches or grabs you - they have one less weapon in play than you do.

When an opponent touches or grabs you - they have opened a target area that you can easily strike.

Alright? Those are a few that we'll discuss in future posts. More will follow.

Each generalized concept can be applied to hundreds of self defense scenarios.

We'll discuss or link to many self defense applications for the concepts that I've listed above.

Stick with me ladies, I'm going somewhere with this information. I'll post back soon!

We've Changed Our Theme!

This blog has previously been about crime information and prevention. After much thought, I felt it would be nice to convert to a blog that offers self defense tips that are easy and simple to use.

It's my hope that women, who're the primary victims of crime and have the least amount of time and inclination to go out and learn to "beat people up," will be helped with some of the simple tips and tricks that I've amassed over 36 years of traditional martial arts training.

I also own two self defense product websites, so expect to see some nice products reviewed and linked to, which will make one's life a little more secure.

Come and visit anytime. Feel free to comment or ask a question.

To live without fear is true freedom!