TOO BAD it isn’t as easy as looking at a man and dead-bang identifying him as a Bad Guy.  True, some bad guys look downright evil and are.  But attackers come in all sizes, shapes, colors, and cultural backgrounds.  They dress like, well, me.  Probably better.  Sadly, many women are ravaged by men whom they have learned to trust, even love.  It probably matters little to the girl or woman who is being beaten, stabbed, shot or killed that the miscreant is her husband, or her husband’s most trusted friend, one of her colleagues, or a date who had behaved like a perfect gentleman all night until this very terrible pinpoint in time.

FACT IS, trust and a smile are great masks of violence, and, as such, are powerful weapons in an evil man’s arsenal.

SO, THE PROBLEM IS how can you effectively know or predict that someone is a risk to your safety?  Is there a way you can avoid an attack and escape and evade the bad guy on the scene?  At the very least, delay and weaken the oncoming attack by increasing your distance and using barricades on the scene to discourage any assault?  There are no silver bullets, of course, no guarantees, but let me suggest developing your own Profile Of A Potential Attacker?  While not a sure thing by any definition, profiling will accomplish several valuable elements in your Escape and Evasion Plan:

·         Profiling requires you to be observant, to be aware of people around you, of danger signs, of changes in the environment or maybe body language in others.  Profiling, then, puts you at an advantage because being aware, assessing yourself and others, anticipating, or having a pre-determined survival plan are keys to avoiding and preventing an attack.

·         Profiling will give you a Trigger for your pre-determined survival strategy.  Once the bag guy meets 2 or more of the profile Signatures Of Danger and makes a move toward your PSZ (personal safe zone), you know what to do,

·         Profiling is Step One.  Step 2 will be following either your pre-determined survival plan, and/or an escape procedure I will write about in a future blog.

THE STALKER-ATTACKER’S DISTINCT PATTERN.

1. The BG (bad guy) will establish an Ideal Hunting Ground and take an innocent-looking observation post from where he can “mark” potential victims (Victim Profile in a future post).
   • Ideal Hunting Grounds Include:  Shopping Centers; Laundromats; Hospitals; Child Nurseries; Real Estate Offices; Convenience Stores, Wherever Women Can Be Found Alone Or Accompanied By Children (women have difficulty fighting and protecting a child simultaneously).
2. After selecting a woman as an “Easy Mark,” he will begin to follow her.
3. He will track her and match her walking pace.
4. Invariably, he will look around, scanning the area for witnesses before contacting his prey.
5. He will invade her PSZ without invitation or her permission (This is a key signature of danger.  Normal males/people never do this!  In the rare case that they do, they will always back off when you firmly tell them to “Back Off, now!”).
6. Before he invades your territory or just after doing so, he will invariably Test you with questions, statements, whatever, designed to accomplish three strategies:

Ø       To Test You.  This “interview,” for lack of a better term,” precedes the attack over 96% of the time and it is designed to see if you are going to be an easy mark, an ideal victim.

Ø       To Distract You.  The attacker wants to attack you at your weakest, and that is usually when you are distracted by looking away from him and at something else.  The best way to do that?  Questions, like:  “Hi, mam, where is the Industrial Center Building (get her to point and look away)?”

Ø       To Enhance the Element Of Surprise when he does attack.

1. Testing usually does not occur when the bad guy attacks you when you are first going in or coming out of a location (First In/First Out) because you are already distracted (First In/First Out is a prime time for the Bad Guy to attack).
2. He will almost always ambush in a location with low-witness content.

THE TWISTED SCRIPT OF A STALKER/ATTACKER:

1.      THE ATTACKER DEPENDS ON VICTIM COMPLIANCE.  If you can make him sense that you will not give in easily, he will often break off the attack.

2.      HE HAS A PRE-PLANNED FANTASY SCRIPT OF HOW THIS ATTACK SHOULD GO.

3.      THE LONGER THE BAD GUY IS ABLE TO CARRY OUT HIS “SCRIPT,” THE MORE CONFIDENCE HE GAINS.

4.      THE ATTACKER IS OFTEN STUNNED, CONFUSED BY ANY QUICK, DECISIVE COUNTER-ATTACK THAT VIOLATES HIS “SCRIPT.”

5.      BUT THE LONGER A FANTASY SCENARIO IS ALLOWED TO GO ON (BY A PASSIVE-VICTIM RESPONSE), THE MORE CONFIDENT THE BAD GUY BECOMES IN HIS SCRIPT.  THE MORE HE IS EMPOWERED BY THE VICTIM.

6.      MANY BAD GUYS WILL BREAK OFF THEIR ATTACK WHEN A WOMAN REFUSES TO ACT LIKE A VICTIM.

7.      BAD GUYS ALWAYS HAVE A VICTIM PROFILE IN MIND.

GOOD PLACE TO STOP.  NEXT POST: 

THE VICTIM PROFILE.

STAY SAFE UNTIL THEN.

HAMMER

In my last post we talked about a predictable, reoccuring 4-Stage Cycle of Domestic Violence..  Today I thought we could talk a bit about what a victim of DV can do if (he or) she finally decides, Okay, Asshole, enough is enough!

Before we get into that, though, we should emphatically point out that making that decision to fight back is a seminal point in turning the tide against being a victim.  It is no easy decision and it might require a change in how you think about yourself, your spouse, marriage as an institution, the criminal justice system, your mores, et al.  I could write all day about that, but, for now, we need to think about what you can do if faced with an irate spouse striding toward you with that maniacal look on his face, his fist clenched, his mind at ease with that feeling of entitlement that assures him that you deserve an ass whipping and he has been anointed as just the man to do it!

Step 1.  SPONTANEOUS SELF DEFENSE.  Rare is the woman who gets assaulted on her first date with a guy and who continues to date the jerk.  Even the most committed asshole (excuse my language, please, but you have to admit, any man who is a committed woman-beater also is a total asshole) understands that you have to earn your victim’s trust and admiration before you put your foot in her ass.  At some point, however, once the clod knows you are under his power, he will exercise control, start interrogating you, and, when your answer displeases him, will bitch slap you senseless.  After the initial slap the beatings will get worse and worse, usually ending in hospitalization, sometimes your death.  Don’t allow the attacks to proceed beyond the initial slap, I say.  I know it is easier said than done, but, hell, I never said it would be easy.  I don’t care if you are dating seriously or married, respond to the initial attack as if you were attacked by a stranger.  Block the punch, if possible, but (I know this will be tough after the initial shock of being struck, but gather yourself) put up your hands, establish a good, balanced fighting stance, take a deep breath, move your feet and gain some distance, and verbally tell him to Stay Back!  If he steps in and re-attacks, follow what I have advocated in all my Self Defense For Women postings to date.  If he assaults you, please consider filing charges and following through with them!  If you read the previous post, you can predict he will apologize and try to court you all over again.  Resist this.

Step 1.  STOPPING THE HABITUAL ATTACKER.  Okay, you have been attacked before by your partner.  Maybe you have tried to use the Criminal Justice System, but either found out that a Protection From Abuse (PFA) Order is often the trigger for many pathological woman-beaters escalating the violence and intensity of their attacks, or, like many, you did not follow-through.  Thank God, though.  You have finally decided once and for all to fight back. 

• Physically Fighting Back Should Be a Last Resort.  Before you use hands, feet, or weapons to defend yourself, consider other options, such as:

Ø     Counseling and/or shelter from one of the many support groups for women.

Ø     Filing charges with a magistrate.

Ø     Contacting his parole/probation officer, if applicable.

Ø     Talk with family, friends, gain a support system, and

Ø     Get Out Of Dodge!

• Recognize the Signs and Prepare.  I am not talking about preparing for a fight so much as getting your mind right for self defense.  For whatever reason, you cannot leave the house, so you decide that you must protect yourself and your children because Domestic Violence is usually generalized.  Children, pets, furniture all get damaged.  Spinal tune your mind and body to breathe, move, concentrate on targets, that you will energize yourself beyond the initial fear. 
• Absolute Commitment To Survival.  If you have to confront him about anything; if you decide to move out while he is there, make sure you have a capable friend or family member with you.  Once you recognize the fact that your intimate is a habitual abuser, do not try anything provocative without someone with you.  Have an exit strategy, if things go bad.  But, if it comes down to a fight, mentally and emotionally consider your intimate partner as The Enemy!  When you planned ahead you strategically placed improvised and/or real weapons (per se) around the house; you planned how to use barricades in the environment  (furniture, doors, etc) to put distance between you and your enemy, but, most importantly, you determined that you would fight without emotional or psychological second thoughts.
• Target Focused Attack.  Notice I am not saying Target Focused Counterattack.  Once he threatens you with harm and takes a step toward you with that look of destruction on his face and his fist raised, take the fight to him.  Set him back on his heels and do not stop until you can safely escape.  As far as what to do and how to do it, either look back at my  previous postings, many of which aptly describe what to do and how to do it, or take a good self defense course. 
• Be Willing.  Or, better than any self defense course or blog site, decide to do it, damn it.  I have no doubt that being willing to do what you have to is far more important than having the skills to be able to defend yourself.  It doesn’t take a lot of training to be able to hit the following targets with the following  personal weapons:, especially when most of his targets are open and he does not expect to be attacked!
• BEST TARGETS (Targets that, when hit ,  will temporarily disable the attacker).

Ø     Eyes.  Thumb, fingers.

Ø     Groin.  Heel of the palm; Knee; Foot; Shin.  Elbow or Heel of Foot while on the ground. Reverse Hammer Fist if he is directly behind you.

Ø     Throat.  Thumb and first 2 fingers joined in a Beak Strike; Ridge of Hand; Web of hand; Elbow.

Ø     Knees.  Side of foot; Heel of Foot; Hammer Fist or Palm Heel Strike from ground.

Ø     Nose:    Hammer Fist; Head Butt; Palm heel Strike.

Ø     Chin and Eyes Together:  Ascending Palm Heel Strike through the Blind Zone (upward from the chest to the chin) into the chin or nose.  Drive the chin up and try to knock hisa head off his shoulders while opening up the fingers and gouging the eyes.

Ø     Element Of Surprise.  In a situation where your intimate has you by the shirt, neck, hands, arms, hair, or is close and is about to pound you, keep your brain working through the fear and concentrate on both open targets and the element of surprise.  Not easy to do, but you are about to get hurt bad, so tough it out:

1.       Hands Up and Beg for him not to hurt you.  Then, use the open hands to drive a surprise Palm Heel Strike into a target.  Remember, if he has you by one hand and the other is raised,  all targets have to be open!

2.       Hands Up and Beg:  Drive an elbow into an open face-target and follow witha Reverse Elbow.  Follow that up with whatever personal weapon you wish to whatever target opens up.

STAY SAFE.

HAMMER

 A recent National Crime Victim Survey showed that of the more than 2,000,000 reported incidents of crime victimization among intimates, women suffered more than 1,540,000 violent victimizations compared with the approximately 150,000 incidents experienced by men.  No Brainer Hammer-conclusion:  For both fatal and non-fatal violence, women are at a far greater risk than men of being victimized by an intimate! 

Need further evidence?  What about this?  In 2005, well over 1/4 of all women murdered in this country were put in the ground by their loving husbands or boyfriends, according to the F.B.I.

I was a state parole officer for years and I, like all law enforcement people, came face-to-face with what we called The Ever-Loving/Ever-Dying Vicious Cycle Of Love.  At least that’s what I called this inexorable self perpetuating Cycle of Domestic Violence.  Many of the victims couldn’t name what violent vortex they were in.  They just knew they were inside something that kept happening over and over, something bigger than themselves, something too many of them only escaped through my intervention – when I put their Old men behind bars – or, sadly, through death.

I am liberating this Ever Loving/Ever Dying Cycle because maybe one or two of my readers can recognize something they are caught up in now and do whatever they can to break the cycle.  Or, mayhap you will someday see this cycle beginning and escape from it before it is too late.

STAGE 1.  TENSION BUILDS.

Time has passed in this relationship and things are not going well.  Your man has become more and more controlling. More and more abusive.  He has already struck you once or twice.  Maybe it was when you came home late from work.  He always interrogates you about your friends, where you go.  The tension has built and built between the two of you.  There is no romance, no flowers, no going out at all.  You have stopped making love.  As the tension builds you know that it is only a matter of time before he beats you again.  Finally, unable to take the tension, you force his hand by challenging him, calling him an ugly name.  It is like:  I know he is going to beat me, so let’s get it over with.

STAGE 2.  VICTIM RAGE.

Prophesy fulfilled.  You get your beating and this time it seems worse than ever before and his rage lasts longer.  You are pretty hurt and feel what is natural and right.  You feel rage and something else.  Shame.  This is it, you tell yourself and you call the police, or the asshole’s parole agent.  You demand action.  And, like in Stage 1, you get what you ask for.  Your man is locked up.

STAGE 3.  LOVE RETURNS.

Your man calls and writes from prison.  When he can’t contact you, his friends and family do.  He is sorry.  He thinks only of you now as his hearing or trial nears.  He sends you flowers.  Candy.  It has been so long since you have heard those words, those promises.  At first and even at second, you reject him.  Scold him.  But now he keeps calling, and he says that he never would have struck you if it weren’t for those terrible, nasty words you chided him with that day he struck you, kicked you, pistol whipped you, cut you up so badly.  Friends and family reiterate that it, after all, was your words that drove him insane that day.  Only you have the power over him to affect him that way.  After all, he loves you.  Guilt, shame and self loathing start to take hold and you are a victim once again, although you see yourself now as the victimizer.  In the end you realize that maybe you can use his remorse as a way to rekindle the love and the passion—

STAGE 4.  BACK TOGETHER.

If you have any connection to the Criminal Justice System, you already know the rest of the story.  She/You either refuse to follow through by testifying at the Parole/Probation Hearing, or magisterial court.  You drop the PFA.  He is back home, and, just like you hoped, he is more attentive, more responsive than ever before.  You know that this is the way it is going to be forever——

ERR.  OR NOT.  Empirical studies, but more importantly, my 34 years of experience tells me that in time the cycle must and will repeat itself.  It is a self fulfilling prophecy, more or less.  Not only that, the Tension Building Stage will build and erupt quicker each time the cycle is repeated.  In time, actually, there will hardly be that stage.  It will get to the point that the woman will come home late and will be too slow in her explanation regarding why and she will be attacked.  What’s more, the attacks will escalate in violence until there will be no follow-up stages. 

No tension required.  Until death or jail intervenes.

Stay Safe.

Hammer

I’VE BEEN OUT OF TOWN to beach towns in Jersey and Maryland the last 10 days or so..  Since it was Bike Week in both towns, I ran into several cops I have both trained and worked with and we shot the bull over more than a few beers in more than a few bars.  After a while the discussions usually turned to law enforcement, asshole-bad guys and training, in that order.

INVARIABLY, however, whenever I talked about self defense training I was confronted by what I call the Never-Never Land of Self Defense Training.  What I mean by that is the conventional attitude of many, if not most, of the trainers I have worked with, even studied.  That being when I discuss some of the surprise and unconventional Attack Countermeasures (Fighting Arts) I teach, what I always get is Man, I would never, ever teach a student, especially a woman or kid, to do that!

JUST TO BE CLEAR, this is not an isolated phenomenon.  It happens all the time, even with well respected use of force instructors.  And, not only that, more often than not, these misguided souls with scary, closed-in minds not only go directly to Never-Never Land, but look at me as if I suggested improving students’ footwork by teaching the Electric Slide.

ERR, HOLD THE PHONE.  Now that I think about it,  I did put a coed self defense class of college students through a rendition of the Electric Slide to teach the concept of perpetual movement, or at least not cementing oneself to the ground during a fight.  So, mayhap I am a nut boy.  Personally, I don’t think so, but you can be the judge.  The important thing you probably are asking yourself right now, though, is exactly why is this important to me?  What can I take from this Never Land Principle that may help me survive a violent attack?

THE NEVER LAND PRINCIPLE, simply put, teaches this:  There is no such things as NEVER (or, for that matter, ALWAYS) in the world of self defense!  Trust me on this.  There are an infinite number of methods, techniques and/or moves that will work for you against even the strongest and most determined attacker.  And many of these moves are on the Never Land List of way too many trainers, meaning these instructors will adamantly tell you never, ever—-

·         Get too close to the attacker, or allow him to get too close to you.

·         Purposely go to the ground or allow the Bad Guy to take you to the ground.

·         Appear weak, beg for your life or mercy..

·         Be caught in a situation where one or both hands are holding one or more objects.

·         Comply with a aggressor’s sexual advances.

 SCREW THE CONVENTIONAL, I say. After all there is no blueprint for winning a fight for your life.  Even if there were, the attacker has his own blueprint or strategy, so any dogmatic script you may be working off of will be worthless anyway.  There are just too many variables in an attack scenario. Conventional Wisdom says Expect the Unexpected; I say, Ok, but let’s go another step further and Do the Unexpected.  Doing the unexpected can be anything that comes to your innovative brain, which is capable of coming up with some great moves in order to escape and evade danger, including:

·         When the Bad Guy grabs you and starts pulling you toward him and he is obviously stronger than you, use his superior strength to propel you into his Center Line (vulnerable) targets.  Obeying the conventional wisdom to maintain maximum distance can and usually will get you hurt pretty damned bad.

·         When the attacker is pulling you with both hands toward him and his Center of Gravity is leaning toward you, drop all your weight to the ground suddenly, making certain to keep hold of his hands.  Oftentimes this move will cause the Bad Guy to flip forward off balance.  Conventional wisdom says always maintain a standing position; and I usually agree.  It’s just that sometimes going to the ground is your best move.  There is a good chance you will be assaulted while on the ground, but here all you are trying to do is buy some time and maybe disrupt the Bad Guy’s strategy.  Break up his Fantasy Script.   Besides, as I have said so many times:  Self Defense is not an injury free activity.

·         There are many escapes from the ground, many of which I have talked about in previous posts, but one that drives every “expert” I know totally nuts is the Drop, Lock and Roll.  This move is based on the understanding that predators who attack women, children and even senior citizens want more than anything to hit quick, disable the victim with blinding speed and get him or her out of that initial crime scene quickly.  The Drop, Lock and Roll, then, is designed to delay the Bad Guy and frustrate him until he breaks off the attack.  Here the intended victim drops quickly to the ground and attains a basic Ground Defense Position (feet poised to strike, hands up, head off the deck).  When the Bad Guy approaches, the intended victim can strike the attacker with his or her feet, or, can hook his or her feet around one of the Bad Guy’s shins and then can roll on his or her back until he or she can wrap both hands around the opposite leg, making certain to keep the head down and close to the legs to minimize the Bad Guy’s ability to pummel.  This move is based on an instinctive (untrained) tactic  a woman who was being abducted used to save herself.  She had been beaten badly, was close to unconsciousness, and had nearly lost hope.  But the predator loosened his grip on her as he was unlocking the van door and she was able to reach out and grab a nearby telephone pole.  As the predator screamed at her and beat her she hugged the pole even tighter and then slid down the pole until she could lock into it with both legs.  The attacker beat the woman and pulled her hair but she refused to let go.  Finally, the miscreant, fearful of police or a witness coming by, drove off, leaving the woman hugging the pole, injured and bleeding, but alive,.

·         I’ve rambled on too much here; and for that I apologize.  There are many more ways to do the unexpected, but I have overstayed my welcome, I’m afraid.  To be brief, though, let me flash a few more innovative countermeasures here, including: an intended victim who finds him or herself in a jam doing the following:

Ø      Pretend to beg for mercy with his/her hands in the “surrender position (hands face high, palms facing out, shaking them),” and when the Bad Guy moves in, Wham.  The Surrender Stance is the perfect surprise stance for a series of hard palm heel strikes to the face.

Ø      Caught with your cell phone in your hand by a nasty attacker?  The cell phone is the perfect improvised weapon for a quick strike up through the Blind Spot (from the Bad Guy’s chest to his nose) into the throat.  Be sure to hold the cell phone in low profile to enhance the surprise.

Ø      The guy is drunk and nasty; he is threatening your life and he won’t take “no” for an answer.  Instead of trying to fight your way free of the nimrod, allow him to pull you close.  Lay your inside hand on his opposite shoulder, and, when he least expects it, lock your fingers inside his jaw bone to prevent him from escaping, and drive your thumb into his eye.  Caution:  An Eye Gouge has several degrees – from a slight eye scratch to blinding the victim.  Either way, refrain from using this serious move unless you are fairly sure the Bad Guy means you harm.

Stay Safe.

Hammer

I have conducted nearly 2000 Self Defense For Women classes since the mid-80’s. That’s thousands of girls and women coming to me for guidance and training on overcoming threats ranging from personal/professional harassment to sexual assault all the way to lethal attacks. In almost every case, the student feels insecure about her ability to prevent and/or survive an assault.  While each comes to me with different levels of strength, power, athletic skills, mental toughness, the key almost always comes down to the student’s willingness, not necessarily ability to not only fight back when the time comes, but to do what is required to do what the attacker least expects – to preempt the assault by taking the fight to the Bad Guy (or girl) with all-out viciousness (see past blogs where I talk about Fighting A-socially).

If you haven’t already puzzled it out by perusing past postings, to me the key to knocking the aggressor out of the fight is the willingness and readiness to recognize the pre-attack signs, to mentally and emotionally gird yourself, and then to have the courage to quickly and decisively explode into the attacker, to take the fight to him, to knock him back on his heels, and to keep attacking until you can escape.

Unfortunately, what I think it comes down to in many of my students is a willingness to examine how theyreally think about self defense, and, of course, making changes where it is required in order to by really prepared to successfully prevailing in a fight for their lives.  I can safely say this, not only because it is my personal belief, but my professional observations and other empirical research shows that of the thousands of women I have trained over the years, over 85% of my students, when tested during scenarios, questionnaires, etc:

• During scenarios, even when they know that the trainer is portraying a stalker or predator, when approached and asked a question (Testing, Distraction Tactic, Pre-Attack Posturing by the Bad Guy):
  1. Freezes in place or fails to move.
  2. When asked, tells the stranger her name and gives other information.
  3. When predictably grabbed, does nothing, and, worse, freezes and stops breathing,
• In scenarios where the woman is surprised by a male popping out of nowhere:
  1. Almost all hesitated before acting.
  2. When the woman did counterattack, over 96% struck once and did not follow up.
  3. A large percentage hesitated then attempted a perfunctory and ineffective counterattack.
  4. A large percentage closed their eyes and began wildly slapping, mostly at air,
• In scenarios where a woman who was on a cell phone when a man, who had been stalking her and now sidled up next to her, only 5% immediately gained distance, verbalized defiance, etc.
• Only 5 to 10% (not sure) of women, who were grabbed from behind or the front “by surprise,” used an improvised weapon that they were holding at the time to aid in their escape.
• 100 Percenters:  With rare exceptions – and most of those were distaff law enforcement people – zero percent of the women:
  1. Verbalized or screamed )”Kai!” “Back off!” ).
  2. Moved tactically as she fought or responded to a threat or pre-attack sign.
  3. Used barricades in the environment to evade or escape or at least buy time, or, better yet, to throw at the attacker, strike him with, etc. (chairs thrown at his feet/waste baskets/tables/desks/knapsacks and backpacks/books/trees/cars (scenarios in parking lots).
  4. 100% failed to try a second tactic (Failure Drill) when the first thing they tried failed.
  5. 100% froze when confronted with an “attack” that was not scripted or trained in a previous class.

There are more empirical data and observations, but I hope the message is clear.  Knowing the profile of the attacker you can do the math.  The above noted responses to male testing and his dependence on Victim Compliance to give him the courage and confidence to wage an attack. It is clear that in order to prevent and prevail against an assault, women have to consider changing the way she thinks about defending herself.  

Stay Safe.

Hammer

.

Survival Fitness and the Effective Self Defense.

In Part I of this posting, just in case you need reminding, I addressed the ubiquitous question (I get in almost every training I do), How much does being strong, fit and in-shape have to do with prevailing against a surprise attack from a larger, stronger attacker?  Briefly - and I am skipping some great information here - my answer was and is, fitness in the circumstance I just described ranks somewhere in the middle of the hierarchy of key factors in surviving, maybe even prevailing in a life-or-death fight.  Mind you, fitness does play a positive role in any street fight, but, hell, I have to be honest here, so let me fire a few crucial factors at you again; and then I will get into Survival Fitness:

Ø     First off, we are talking a Street Fight here, not a sporting or competitive contest.  Literally, everything and anything goes in this venue, including eye gouging; smashing or tearing out testicles, ears, et al. 

Ø     The Street Fight goes down spontaneously, and is usually done in about 10 to 30-seconds.  Survival Fitness becomes crucial here, and I will explain why presently, but in this kind of venue, here is what is more important to the preservation of (your) life:

·        Not being surprised.  Meaning always being in a state of 360 degree surveillance and awareness.

·        Willingness to fight, to do whatever it takes to end the thing right now.

·        Designing a Tough Target Personna.  Do not be chosen.

·        Hitting Vulnerable Targets with the nearest personal weapon multiple times using the Harry Hammer’s S.P.E.E.D. Principles (Surprise, Speed, Power, Explosiveness, Escape & Evasion and Distance).  More about SPEED in a future blog.

Survival Fitness, however, is different than simple fitness.  Survival Fitness is a Self Defense or Fighting Arts-Specific fitness regimen because it actually tunes the mind and body for the extreme rigors of a street-fight situation by:

Ø     Training the body to function at a high level outside of the aerobic envelope.  After about 10-seconds of a fight for your life, you will have expended your ATP/PC energy system.  In the program I use and advocate, most of the exercises are strenuous and performed when your muscles are burned-out. 

Ø     Survival Fitness exploits and builds our Fast Tic Nerves and tunes are muscles to continue fighting with little or no oxygen.

DAY 2 and 3 of the Action Fighting Arts Survival Fitness Program

Peruse my last posting for a rundown on Day 1.  Day 2 consists of more explosive-type exercises with a minimum break in between sets.  Guarantee that you will be huffing and puffing as you proceed through the cycle.  Due to the limitations of a blog-posting, I will not go into too much detail regarding reps, the amount of weights, rest breaks.  I will leave that up to each of you.  E-mail me at harrywigder@rcn.com, if you care to learn more:

1.        Chin-Ups and Pull Ups, 3 sets, as many as you can.  You will do more as you get stronger.

2.        Lat-Pull Downs.  10 reps @.  Start with “low” weights and work way up to high-weights, 10-reps.

3.        Seated-Rows.  Once again, 10 Reps @.  About 4 sets.

4.        Dumb Bell Rows, one-hand @ set.  40-pounds, 12 reps. 50 lbs., 10 reps; 60 pounds, 8 sets, all the way to 4 reps 80 or 90 lbs (depending upon your capacity).

5.        Triceps (push-downs).  50 reps, whatever weight (you will be burning and puffing, but it is all good).  15 reps Reverse push-downs.  25 reps overhead dumb bells.

6.        Straight Olympic Bar (45 pounds) Curls (Biceps)  65 lbs, 12 reps; 75 lbs, 10 reps; 85 lbs, 08 reps; 95 lbs 06 reps; 105 lbs 4 reps.  An option here is to work your way back down.

7.        Cable-Curls:  50 reps; 20 Reps and 25 Reps.

8.        Burn, Burn, Burn,  Breathing Heavily. 

9.        T-Bar Pulls:  10 Reps with 45 lb plate.

DAY 3

1.        Hack Squats.  20 Reps; 12 Reps; 10 Reps; 8; Reps; 6 Reps and 4.  Light to heavy.

2.        Vertical Leg Lifts:  Same Rep Sequence as above.  Light to heavy weights.  Burn.

3.        Leg Extension:  12, 10, 8, 6 and 4 Reps.  Light to heavy weights.

4.        Leg Curls:  Same Rep sequence, etc. as in the Leg Extensions.  Burn.

5.        Seated Calf Raises:  5 Sets of 20 Reps.

Try it.  I think you will see positive changes in the look of your body.  You will be a lean, mean fighting machine.   More importantly, your motor performance will improve when it comes to speed, quickness, explosiveness, reaction time and power.  Hey, that’s a coincidence.  Aren’t those the requisites for a good street fighter?

Harry Hammer

SSPEED -A Dynamic Self Defense Equation Against Bullies and Other Predators.

IF YOU have been following my posts, you are familiar with my Tough Target Techniques for avoiding (evading) an attack by a bully, or, in the case of women, a stalker/ predator.  The important thing is, if possible, to evade the attacker without having to fight.  Preparation, Planning, Practice and Prevention - The 4 P’s of the Fighting Arts - comprise about 95 to 98% of successful self defense. 

OF COURSE, we all know that is not always possible.  Predators (for the sake of this post, I will restrict “predators” to bullies and male attackers of girls and women) almost always “tune up” for attacks through Verbal Testing.  Michael Pace, a highly respected self defense expert, agrees, noting that “the preliminary for an attack is The Interview - the threats, questions, insults and/or the ‘woofing—”  Most attacks start off with a “verbal assault because the predator wants to find out what he or she is up against - an easy target or someone who will give him or her a real fight.  A Target Person (TP) who ignores these threats, insults, or questions”will open the door for an immediate physical attack.”

S.S.P.E.E.D TO THE

RESCUE:

MICHAEL PACE calls it “Faked Compliance,” and I call it Feeding the Beast.  Call it what you like, but by faking compliance we are feeding the beast’s expectations.  He is verbally accosting the victim and his/her Tough Target words and body language have not deterred him, so when he grabs the TP (Target Person), he is relaxed, overconfident and certain that the TP is a “free lunch,” or an easy target. 

WHAT FOLLOWS is the SSPEED Counterattack Plan:

1. The Predator grabs the TP by the collar & shakes the “victim.”
2. Upon First Touch (by the Bad Guy) the TP raises both hands higher than the attacker’s, palms out, shaking them side to side in a “please don’t hurt me,” gesture and even says “please don’t hurt me!”  This is Faked Compliance or Feeding The Beast’s Expectation at its best.
3. The Bad Guy - expectations fulfilled - gains confidence in his assault’s inevitable success -moves closer, determined to throttle the victim.
4. At this point - which is First Touch by the attacker- the Target Person (TP) should Explode forward, driving both hands from their “Compliant Position” into the Bully/Predator’s face, striking hard and often quickly (Speed), connecting unexpectedly (Surprise) using quick Palm Heel Strikes to the most painful, vulnerable targets - the nose, eyes, mouth - and/or, combining the very hard heel of each hand with slashing fingertips and nails (to be used for Deadly Attacks only/attacks by bullies are not usually lethal in nature) strikes to the chin and/or nose followed up with eye strikes and gouges.
5. Palm Heel Strikes are ideal for quick (speed) surprise strikes to the face because one can hit from wherever the hands are without changing one’s hand position, plus, the heel of the palm provides a hard and powerful striking area which is both easy with which to strike and a injury-friendly area, even for a novice fighter.
6. If the attacker has grabbed the TP with both hands, there is no earthly way he or she can block these strikes.  Even if  there is one hand free to block, though,  I say go ahead and rain the bully with a storm of strikes - one strike will never ever do the job - until the threat is over.  And, as the bully lets go to protect his vital targets, I guarantee other targets will open.  I say, do it.  Hit them and hit them hard.

S.S.P.E.E.D:  Breaking It Down:

Speed:     Although Power is important in knocking out an attacker, getting to a target first is essential to winning.  There are aspects to speed that I will address is another posting, in this scenario, speed is manifested by striking with the hands exactly where the Bully sees them in the Compliant/Begging For Mercy Position.  In other words, strike from that position without telegraphing the punch by drawing back either hand, which would effectivelt destroy the element of surprise.   

Surprise: The element of surprise is the key to a successful counterattack.  The TP has set up the bully by using the “Compliant Position” and the predator has “taken the bait.”  In my Self Defense classes, the Palm Heel Strikes are Stunning Techniques, and Stuns are described as the “stimulation of overwhelming sensory input that is sudden, intense and unexpected–”  Simply put, this means that the delivering a cluster of speedy strikes to open, vulnerable targets will weaken a bully/predator through a devastating series of Mental Stuns that effectively weakens the attacker, destroys his or her (false) confidence and opens up vulnerable targets.                 

Power:  More on how to create and sustain pure Power in one’s techniques in the next posting.

Explode:  Explosiveness differs from Power in many important ways.  Look for another posting

Escape :  I will address crucial E & E strategies in another posting, also.

Dynamic:  I had to come up with a concept to complete my catchy “SSPEED” acronym.  Being Dynamic, though, means, once a TP is approached, accosted verbally, and set up for an attack, he or she must be <