Common Sense Self Defense

I was traveling home and a Police car came flying past me! I wondered where he was going in such a hurry?

I arrived at home shortly afterward and walking inside, I found my wife on the phone with a friend who has a police scanner. A 19 year old youth was killed in an auto accident, just moments earlier. Now I know where that police car was headed.

I thought about how painful this Christmas would be for the family of the youth who lost his/her life. What a terrible blow this holiday season would be for so many years to come for the family.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope that you'll all be careful in your travel and in your celebrations. Common sense self defense dictates that you be aware and if you drink, please don't drive. See you in 2010!

Self Defense for Women - Alternatives

Last week we looked at the Kubotan as an impact striking device. As mentioned, it can be used to strike vulnerable areas on an attacker or used as a handle to swing your keys in a raking motion.

Previously, we looked at the use of simple OC pepper spray to blind an opponent while you make a getaway or mount a counter defense.

Today let's escalate your self defense alternatives. I own a couple and there are many out there, but my favorite self defense / EDC (every day carry), small fixed blade knife is the RAT IZULA, named after the fiery bullet ant of South America.

It's very versatile and can be worn as a neck knife, lashed to any sort of bag or camping gear, in a pocket, on a belt - your imagination is the limit. The kit comes with the basic knife, a well made sheath, a fire-starter, an emergency whistle, paracord for wrapping the handle and more.

I purchased mine from Knife Works at a very affordable price. I chose the black model depicted above. But, they come in Pink, Desert Tan, Olive Drab, or Stainless.

The IZULA is a workhorse for a small knife and will take all the use and abuse you can throw at it. IMO, it's a must have survival knife in the woods or in the streets. Just watch the video below to see the IZULA in action!

There are plenty of cheap knives available and they are always useful tools to have on hand. See you soon!

Self Defense For Women - Alternative Weapons

When I began my karate training over 36 years ago, my Sensei always mentioned that everything around us was a weapon. He would expound upon the virtues of an ashtray or a shot-glass to the attackers head. An umbrella used in a stabbing manner or a cane used to strike an opponent - just about anywhere.

In self defense courses for women, there is usually some mention of the use of keys. Keys can be used between ones fingers to rake or stab at an assailant's face or eyes. Most often, the use of Kubotans are demonstrated as keychain weapons. You can use the lightweight kubotan by itself with a tight grip, to concentrate a tremendous amount of force in a strike, to soft areas of the body. They're usually available with pointed or flattened tips at the striking end.

With your keys on a kubotan you hold this nifty little weapon and swing them into an attacker's face, producing a high velocity rake that may offer you the opportunity to run away, or mount a counter attack if you feel you have no other option.

Everyday objects are all around us and they can indeed be used as weapons. All it takes is a little bit of creativity and the determination to survive to make them work. See you soon!

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!

Women's Self Defense: Pepper Spray and Mace

Let's end our series on grabs ladies. We've covered a multitude of grabs and escapes in our previous posts.

If I see or think of a really simple one that I haven't mentioned or displayed - I'll add it. There are so many but teaching them via a keyboard can be quite difficult.

Today I'd like to share a video by Chemin Alldredge, who is featured in a few of the videos I've posted. She offers sound advice on the use of Pepper Spray and Mace.

You can purchase the exact canister of Mace that she is displaying in this video. Just click your mouse on "Pepper Spray and Mace" in the previous paragraph and you're there!

So let's listen to what Chemin has to say about this potent self defense spray. See you soon!

Defending 1 or 2 Handed Frontal Grabs

Women's self defense doesn't have to be "hard" or employing the use of a lot of physical strength. If you read my techniques for escaping grabs in the previous post you should have that idea already.

In today's segment we're going to watch a young lady employ a slight shifting movement of her position and employ her hands in deflecting movements, known as parries.

Parrying an attacker will usually give you a nice edge, since the assailants momentum will cause them to become unbalanced and sometimes lead them to a different direction than they intended. This allows you to push them away, strike them or simply make a quick escape.

I hope you enjoy this video. It is short but you know what they say about a picture right? We'll be back with you soon to display a couple of other scenarios that tie into the one you're watching today. 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!

Self Defense For Women - Shirt Grabs

Here we are again working on those grabs. In any self defense for women instruction in a dojo or kwoon, a lot of time is spent on techniques to get an attacker's hands off you in the most efficient manner possible.

In my last post "Defending Rear / Side Grabs" I asked you to follow a link to my own instructions on some very simple and effective techniques for removing grabs from the rear or either side. I covered different hands, like right hand to right side, right hand to left side and so forth. There's a lot of great material there if you have the patience to read it, then imagine the movements and finally to actually practice them.

Today I will show you a video on how too get out of a grab to your shirt. I hope you enjoy it and I'll be back soon with a few more grabs before we move on. See you soon!

Defending Rear / Side Grabs

We're coming at you today with some more grab defenses. Ladies you know that the first thing a man or woman who means to accost you is going to do right? Grab you!

Let's keep working on our self defense against grabs. I am showing you my personal instructions (hard to do in text) by instructing you to click on the words "grab defenses" in the first sentence. That will take you to a lot of great information that you can practice on your own and then try out on a willing subject. Better yet, get a friend, spouse, sister or brother to these on.

Remember these are very effective techniques and to go slowly until the movements begin to flow naturally and there's no thought involved. You are responsible for staying in control and not harming your training partner!

I'll be back in a couple of days with some videos from other ladies who will illustrate their defense against grabs from the rear and the side. See you soon!

Self Defense Alternatives

Before we move on to more grabs I'd like to show you a benign, yet very potent self defense solution for women.

Grabs, as we've been discussing, are what women experience as a precursor to an attack, beating, rape or a mugging among other crimes.

If you want to get unwanted hands off of you in less than a second, I guarantee that this will work for you. It's easy to learn, very inexpensive for the service it provides.

What am I talking about? The Hot Shot 975K volt stun gun. These are tiny, palm sized little dynamos that deliver a heck of a punch. Just a touch will send someone's arm flying off of you.

Held to the body, it will cause large muscle groups to convulse and a few seconds in the abdomen will make anyone feel really bad, or to go down. They are non-lethal.

My neighbor shot a few seconds of video on his digital camera. It's his 90 year old Dad hitting one of the kids with a split second burst. You'll see that it does indeed work and that the volunteer doesn't want anymore either.

The volunteer is a 26 year old Army Sergeant, home on leave for Christmas during his 2nd tour of duty in Iraq. I mention this so you know that he's in shape and can take some abuse.

You can use the link provided above or on the right side to pick up one of these self defense products. They have an on/off safety switch with a red LED light, to let you know it's armed and a large ignition switch on top of the perfectly ergonomic unit. See you soon!

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

In my last two posts I've given a link to my article on the best hair grab defense and then another, with a video on a hair grab defense.

IMO, grabs are the "frontline" of self defense that women all women should know. I want to show two more videos on the hair grab before we move along to other grabs. I'll just post these final two, a rear hair grab first and then a defense against a frontal hair grab in a few days.

Please be advised that the link I posted 3x's down the page, covers a hair grab from any direction. So let's get these last two hair grab defenses under our belts so we can move along. See you soon ladies - don't forget to practice!

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!

Escaping Grabs - Self Defense

I'd like to show you some very easy escapes from grabs today. We'll look at some video on a frontal choke and I'm including some links to articles I've written on escapes from hand grabs that any woman can easily employ.

These maneuvers only take a little bit of practice and the body mechanics are guaranteed to work every time. So watch the video closely and remember what you've seen, then read the enclosed article links. I spent a lot of time on them and I know they always work - for anyone.

We'll spend more time on escapes on our next post. See you back here again 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!

Women's Self Defense Tools

Women can use their hands, feet, elbows and knees as weapons. Everyone knows what a well placed kick or knee to the groin area of an assailant will do. One good shot and the fight is over!

Remember ladies, all you want to do is carve out a second or two in order to make your escape. Barring that, you'd want to follow up with an explosive counter-attack, if you have no avenue of escape.

I'll be presenting a few videos to display each of these simple techniques. Let's start with a good old fashioned kick to the groin.

See you soon ladies!

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 Advice for Women

Well, you've had a chance to see Dr. Ruthless. What did you think? A real ball of fire huh?

We're going to start looking at some weapons (punches, palms, kicks, knees, elbows) and see how the mechanics of these techniques are learned and employed in a self defense scenario.

Before we do this, I'd like you to listen to a lady who knows what she's talking about okay?

Simple Self Defense Solutions

Well, we've discussed some simple self defense "day one stuff" which are concepts which usually hold true in most cases and there are more to come.

We've looked at some nice videos that illustrate body movements such as having a prepared mindset, turning the centerline, ducking, dropping and exploding into an attacker.

I would be remiss and less than honest with you, if I didn't point out that I have two websites, listed on the right side navigation bar where one can buy self defense products.

Since this blog is all about "Self Defense for Women" and "simple self defense solutions" let me add that there are many ways to gain an edge in a self defense scenario besides hand to hand combat. There are some superb self defense tools that can be purchased for just a few bucks online, that will afford you a real advantage in a combat situation.

I like: "small and potent" in a self defense item. For those women who are very serious minded, you just can't beat a small handgun with a Conceal Carry permit for self defense. They are certainly the best you can do for yourself and with the proper training and will stop 99.9% of attacks cold!

For those who can't or won't use this type of self defense measure, there are many non-lethal items, such as pepper spray which is my favorite recommendation.

I watch a lot of those Animal Attack television shows and there's one thing, short of a gun, that always works in stopping Grizzly Bears, Mountain Lions, Wolves, African Lions and even crazed Chimpanzees from killing people. And what is it we ask? You guessed it - Pepper Spray!

We'll discuss a self defense product from time to time, but for ease of use, non-lethal properties and price, one can't do better than a canister of pepper spray.

See ya soon!

Fighting Back To Survive

Hopefully, any ladies who have stumbled upon this blog, have taken a few minutes to read a few posts and maybe watched a video or two.

In our last post "Self Defense For Women - Striking Back" we discussed that "when an opponent touches or grabs you - they have opened a target area that you can easily strike."

We were also treated to a video by Dr. Melissa Soalt, aka Dr. Ruthless, who encourages women to tap into their primal instincts to survive. I encourage you all to click on her name, visit her website and get to know her.

Attackers can easily have the tables turned against them if you are prepared to tap into your survival instinct and stop thinking "I can't do that." Of course you can!

How many times have we read or heard stories of women lifting an automobile to free a husband or child? Think about it. You have the power within you to accomplish amazing feats.

A woman knows the intention of her assailant right? Ordinarily, the attacker will not know YOUR intentions. For too long, it's been said to comply or just go along with an attacker and let them have their way. This is wrong. This thinking gets women beaten, raped and worse.

You can and will be able to withstand an attack and survive if you prepare yourself!

See you soon....

Self Defense for Women - Striking Back

Dwelling on the concepts that "usually" hold true, we've looked at them all except for one which is really a summing up of the four easy concepts that we mentioned in our post - Self Defense Basics. There are many other truisms but we'll look at this one today and remember - all of them are covered in the videos we've shared.

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

We usually teach beginners that every limb is a weapon. We start off with 4 - "right and left hand," plus "right and left foot." Within weeks, we expand to 8 - including both knees and both elbows. This is really quite easy ladies. You don't need to have hardened knuckles to strike an opponent to the head. A sharp strike with the "heel" of your palm will cause adequate damage to make a fight of things, or escape and get away.

You feet will mostly be shod with shoes of some type, so no worries there either. Elbows and knees are both devastating weapons when brought into play and need no conditioning to render an attacker harmless. In self defense training for women, anything goes and anything is a weapon.

Yes, traditional - hardcore martial artists condition their bodies and all of the striking surfaces they employ. This isn't necessary for you and should only be considered if you would decide to pursue that avenue of self defense discipline in the future.

Let's take another look at a video which illustrates what I've just mentioned. Remember all of the previous posts and videos are useful in learning these simple concepts!

Simple Self Defense for Women

Continuing the concepts that "usually" hold true, let's look again at this one:

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

I have a video below that will display how true this is. If you watch this video you'll see that the attacker has committed to an action and taken some of his weapons out of play.

There are multitudes of strikes that are safe for a woman to employ that won't hurt, while inflicting tremendous pain on an assailant.

Back with more, very soon!

Self Defense for Women: Concepts

Today we continue our foundational series of simple self defense:

"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."

In my 3+ decades of martial arts training, fighting and observing, I've noted that counter-strikes produce the most devastating knock-outs or destructions of target areas.

So what does that have to do with the concept quoted above?

That's simple. If you're aware and a very keen observer, you'll notice that when an attacker commits to a course of action, their body's momentum becomes exploitable.

If an opponent attacks - you have many options to allow that momentum to lead them:

Into empty space ( rotate your centerline - causing them to miss )

Into empty space (step out of the way)

Into empty space (push them down)

Into a counter punch / counter kick ( watch the videos I've already posted again)

These are very subtle self defensive movements that can produce dramatic results.

They can be quite easy to learn in the privacy of your own home or with a friend who is "like minded" and would like to train with you occasionally .

Please read this again and watch the videos again for ideas. In a day or two, I'll post another video and discuss the next concept!

Don't miss it and NEVER become discouraged. Remember, anyone can enhance their self defense skills if they want to!

Self Defense - Removing Targets

If you're just joining us, I outlined some simple self defense concepts that generally hold true. The first one was" "The easiest way to avoid being struck is to remove the target."

I've posted two videos that display how simple movements will allow you to avoid punches, kicks, grabs and various attacks by simply taking a small step, or turning your body. In self defense training for women, we want to make things as simple and as subtle as possible. That's why I asked you to watch the two videos and disregard all of the blocking and counter-punching techniques.

My intention was for you to see how little it takes to make someone's attack. "miss the mark" and fall short of harming you.

The gentlemen in the videos were trained fighters, I am as well, but I can't stress enough, that you don't have to move as much as they demonstrated, in order for your evasive movements to work successfully.

So ladies, by staying loose and keeping your wits about you - you can train all by yourself if you care to, by just practicing a few stepping movements, as well as rotating your trunk or "centerline" to disrupt an attacker and cause him/her to be unable to hit you.

In my martial arts training, many years ago, I was taught that if a punch missed you by an inch - that it was the same as missing you by a mile. Many women have never seen the great Muhammad Ali stand right in front of very large, muscular boxers and never be touched by their punches, as they came crashing toward him from every conceivable angle.

He's often called "the greatest" and he earned that reference, in part, because he was almost "impossible to hit," in the prime of his career. To watch him slip punches is comparable to watching any great artist ply their trade. Watching him avoid punches, taught me more than any other fighter, how easy it could be to move out of harm's way.

In our next post we'll continue to build on our study of self defense by exploring the next concepts:

"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."

We'll have commentary and videos and spend quite awhile on these concepts. I hope you'll stick with us and share this blog with your friends.

Your comments are welcomed and my email address is located in my profile!

Self Defense Tips - Defending the Center Line

Here we are again with another video that illustrates how to protect yourself from strikes to the body.

These attacks (kicks, punches, pokes, grabs) are usually directed toward the "center line" of your body.

You can watch with your audio on or off, but focus on the movements that remove or turn the centerline away.

Disregard all counterstrikes or mention of them. Just concentrate on the ease of stepping out of the way or preferably, "turning the body" to move your centerline out of the way of incoming strikes.

I'd like to mention that the movements displayed are "more than necessary" to defend your centerline. It only take a few inches of movement in the directions illustrated to avoid being struck, or at least dissipate the energy of an incoming blow to your body's center line.

Please keep that in mind - the video below, is geared toward advanced martial arts students but is applicable to women who are interested in learning self defense.

Please enjoy it, think about it and watch it again. Maybe even stand up and try to imitate some of the movements?

Thanks for stopping in. I'll be back soon!

Self Defense Tips - Removing Target Areas

In my last post, I pointed out some generalizations that "usually" hold true.

The first was: "The easiest way to avoid being struck is to remove the target."

I believe that self defense, geared for women, should always start out with natural and instinctive movements.

I am going to share a couple of videos that will help you to understand what I mean by "removing your targets." In this first video, don't pay attention to anything regarding punching or blocking. Simply pay attention to the movement of the head, waist and legs. Notice that it doesn't take much movement to avoid being struck in the head.

Also, you may get an idea of how easy it is to use your imagination, or to construct simple training aids to assist you in learning these concepts.

I'll be right back with another nice video that I found. It illustrates how turning your waist will cause body strikes to be missed and deflected into space, which allows you to get away or even strike an attacker while he is off balance. See you soon!

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!

Approaching Self Defense Training

Here's some more "day one" stuff for you to consider.

You want to learn to defend yourself right?

Okay - try to be yourself. You're not in competition with anyone so learn at your own pace.

Have enthusiasm for self defense training it may save your life some day.

Be open-minded or an empty vessel as it's said - soak up everything you can and find out what works for you and what doesn't.

It's easier to teach a student, or for a student to learn, if they aren't filled with poor information or preconceptions that must be broken down before any real learning can begin.

Try and identify your strengths and hone them down solidly with practice.

Try and identify your weaknesses and improve on them with practice.

Never be overly aggressive but be thoughtful, deliberate and confident.

Losing your head will lead to trouble in a fight or even a verbal confrontation so be calm and use your head. Your brain is your most powerful tool, so use it first before employing any form of self defense.

Remember self defense training addresses many aspects of life, not just fighting but maybe preserving your reputation, or taking action on something that is physically or mentally healthy.

We defend our body from disease with antibiotics, vitamins, rest, good hygiene, clean living.

We defend our minds by not being given over to rude behavior, unhealthy attitudes, harmful gossip, as well as, various sorts of close minded, biased expressions of ourselves.

Soon, we'll encounter victories in physical and mental forms of self defense due to our superior attitude and superior training.

More to come.....

Self Defense for Women

Let's go over a bit more of our last post's "day one stuff" okay?

This post should have come before yesterday's but you can sort it out right?

One thing I didn't mention to you is that you want to make a serious assessment of how you'll respond to a situation when someone has attacked you or is showing aggression.

When trying to help teach self defense for women we must ask - will you:

Fight back against aggression?

Comply with an attacker?

Check out the situation first?

Make a decision based on the situation?

If you chose any of the last 3 answers, then you have no control over the situation and will have to trust to luck, good fortune, your "people skills," or whatever, to decide your fate.

That's really what's going on - speaking quite frankly. You must resist (fight) in some form or fashion to survive. It's a very brutal world outside your doors and be it verbal, mental or physical aggression, you must decide to resist. This is key to your self defense as a whole!

Say your associate at work comes up and for some reason cracks on you, calls you a bi**ch, for reasons known only to him/herself. Fighting back doesn't have to come in the form of a punch in the mouth okay? There are certainly many sharp come-backs to an insult like that ladies. How about - "do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

You ARE special, you ARE unique and yes, you ARE a beautiful person. There's no reason to suffer indignities that others will try to heap on you everyday. Sometimes, so subtly, that you don't realize it until long after an incident happens.

Self defense is not always about punching or kicking - it's a mindset!

This mindset slowly becomes ingrained into behavior and after some time, it becomes 2nd nature. You don't have to be mean, cruel or nasty to practice self defense. You can defend yourself in daily matters, such as described above with dignity. Your self esteem will soar.

Don't be fearful of hurting feelings

Don't be fearful of harming someone

Don't be fearful of anything

Remember that to live without fear is freedom!

I'll catch you all soon and we'll get started on the simple stuff again.

Simple Self Defense

The first tip I'd like to share with women or anyone for a self defense strategy is to keep things at their most simple and direct levels.

All too often, I'll look at a YouTube video or a self defense technique on a website and be staggered at the amount of information given, to apply a defense measure.

Here's some simple "day one" stuff:

1. If you are afraid of being attacked by someone - avoid them.

2. If you are afraid of being attacked somewhere - don't go there.

3. The best way to avoid being struck is not to be there (move your head, step aside).

4. The best way to avoid being grabbed is by rapidly moving the targeted area out of the way.

5. Resistance is NEVER futile - fighting back greatly increases odds of survival.

Back with more day one stuff in a bit!

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!