Action Against Violence

HERE comes the tough part for parents.  Parents who have taken on the role of Safety Coaches.  Parents who’ve tught their kids skills and techniques to avoid the adult predator, a set of principles and values to adhere to help their child to escape and evade miscreants who stalk our schoolyards and neighborhoods. 

IF you are a Safety Coach for your child, more likely than not you have made every effort not to frighten your child.(see the last post) when you advocate tactics to avoid child predators.. 

BUT now it’s time to go one step further.  You have to teach your kid(s) what to do if and when the Bad Guy (BG) actually grabs him or her.  What do to when everything you’ve imparted to them – things about which I have written in past posts – have gone south (things like being observant; ignoring the adult when he speaks; keep moving; indirect eye contact; never ever leave the original scene with the BG, et al).

WHAT TO TEACH YOUR CHILD TO DO WHEN THE PREDATOR GRABS HIM/HER.

• BREATHE and, THINK. The BG wants you to freeze and become a “piece of wood” that he can easily carry off to a secondary crime scene.
• HAVE A PRE-DESIGNED PLAN OF ACTION.  Trust me, if your child has no escape or fight plan, I have no doubt he or she will not be able to come up with a plan when the BG grabs him/her (First Touch).  The heart rate will explode beyond 200 BPM and the child will freeze in place, becoming the Ideal Victim.
• KEEP TALKING.    The BG wants a victim who is not only an “inanimate object,” but also a quite one at that.
• INVITE WITNESSES.  On the off-chance there are other adults or children nearby, let them know you are in trouble.  “Help me, he is not my father!”

PHYSICAL COUNTERMEASURES:  Delaying the Predator in the Crime Scene.

• PUT OUT THE FIRE.  John Hall, the ingenious founder of Kid Escape, advocates that children be taught to perform acts designed to delay the predator’s ability to drag their victims away from the crime scene based on his understanding that the BG’s objective is speed, silence and victim-inactivity.  Using fun training games, teach your child to pretend his or her’s shirt is on fire and he has to roll on the ground to extinguish it.  Roll away from the BG.
• HUG LIKE A BUG.  “Putting Out the Fire” is a great delaying tactic, plus, it is not easy for an out of shape adult to capture the child when he is rolling on the floor.  However, eventually he will catch the kid.  When he does reach down to grab the child, teach him or her to roll toward him and quickly hook his or her hands around one leg and his or her feet around the other.  Shrimp up, duck his or her head and hold on for dear life. 
• SELF DEFENSE IS NOT AN INJURY-Free Activity.  Yes, if you are wondering, the abductor, desperate now, will likely try to strike and kick the kid, probably will drag him or her along the ground trying to dislodge the child.  Teach your child that the objective is to make the BG spend as much time and energy in the initial scene, betting that the delay will force him to break off the attack.  As hard as this will be, and as frightening is the prospect, teach the child that the primary goal is to remain in the First Place and to never, ever leave the scene with the predator, even if it means suffering injury.
• TARGET THE NOSE, EYES, THROAT. Conventional self defense against an adult predator is futile.  But Safety Coaches can teach their child how to effectively gouge eyes, head butt noses and drive a good Beak Strike, Web Strike or Side Hand into a throat.  Great  primary targets that even children can strike (or even bite) when the BG leans in to carry him or her off (More about the fabulous Beak and Web Strikes in a future post).
• HOOK ONTO TO ANYTHING TO KEEP FROM BEING CARRIED OFF. Children can save themselves by using the Hug Like a Bug tactic to keep from being dragged off a chair, a bicycle, a bed, etc.  Grab onto the object and hold on for dear life.  Make the BG pick you and the bike, bed, chair, whatever and tote it to his car.  Grab a tree branch, tree trunk, Stop Sign, telephone pole on your way to his car, also.
• FIGHT HIM EVEN IF HE GETS YOU INTO HIS CAR:

Ø       Make yourself into dead weight as he carries you, and, then, as he tries to shove you into the car, twist and spin and try to drop, just like a cat who doesn’t want to be held.

Ø       When he opens the door he has to ease up his grip on you.  Drop your head and upper torso forward and down quickly.  At the same time twist and squirm, and for a second you will slide a bit.  Now, quickly, hook onto his belt or waist with your hands and slide toward the ground.  Work your way down and now grab onto one of his legs and slide down.  I call this Drop, Lock and Roll.  If done right, the child can slide all the way down the BG’s leg, hook onto the ankle with his or her hands, and, eventually drop his or her legs until he or she can hook them around the other leg. 

Ø       The Element of Surprise.  The BG, if he is not expecting this, and, who would? Will be weakened by this act.

Ø       If the BG tries to throw the child into the front seat feet first and is holding his around his or her midsection, the child can delay the predator again, this time by placing  the feet against the front seat and pushing backwards.  He or she can also grab the seat belt at the top of the apparatus and hold on to that.

Ø       Hug Like A Bug Again.  Once again, the idea here is to delay the BG at the scene and/or to make the BG break off the abduction by being a Bad Victim.  Remember:  Teach your kid to act exactly the opposite of how the Ideal Victim (IV) would act.  Remember, the IV is passive, compliant, frightened and silent.  The BG wants nothing to do with a “crazy kid,” who makes a lot of noise; makes eye contact; acts defiant and makes a loud scene.  Here is your child’s opportunity to Make a Scene:

• Use the metal “male” portion of the seat belt to block the door from closing.
• Once the door is closed, but before he can seat belt the child (if he tells the kid to belt himself in, refuse), teach the child to “act” passive and contrite and to lay his or her head on the BG’s shoulder (after all, this is what he wants). 
• When the BG relaxes, the child should crawl into the BG’s lap (I know, crazy, right?).
• And, ASAP, the child Hugs the BG Like a Bug, face to face.  He or she can bite, head butt, reach and grab the keys from the ignition and toss them into the back seat.  Fight for his or her life.
• The predator now has two choices:

Ø       Allow the crazy kid to leave (Role Play with your child.  Teach him how to unlock a passenger car door).

Ø       Drive off with a Crazy Kid hooked to him, face to face (how far do you think he would get on the road?).

Until the next post.  Stay Safe.

Hammer

I WOULD LIKE TO SET SOMETHING STRAIGHT.  The Fighting Arts against a bully (bullies) is benign compared to defending oneself against more pernicious types of attacks, where the Bad Guy’s goal includes your serious injury, humiliation, loss of properties and monies, and/or death.

YET probably, in both the short and long run, just as important.

The goal here is escape and evasion.  End of story, Dog.  Especially when the attack comes within the legal confines of your school (or workplace) where exists a Zero Tolerance against Fighting.  Don’t get me wrong:  if it comes down to a choice between going to the hospital or facing a suspension, I say lay the bully out.  But in 94 plus % of the situations, you can discourage future attacks and get out of Dodge at the same time.

Escape and Evasion – Ten Easy Steps.

1. Prepare.  The bully depends on you being so surprised and frightened by their

                     Attack that you freeze into inactivity.  If you think you have been targeted, decide how you are going to respond when it comes.  Commit yourself to The Plan.  Your plan should include not only a physical response, but your mental and verbal responses also.

1. Look Calm, Confident.  Not the end of the world if you look scared.  Also, not the end if you are scared.  Nevertheless, get together with your Safety Coach (parents, friend, teacher) and rehearse looking confident.
2. Cycle Breathe For Calm.  Train Calm by breathing in through your nose for a count of 2; holding your breath for a count of 2, then exhaling for a count of 2.  Repeat.
3. Keep Remarks Brief.  It is important to say something.  Verbalizing and breathing breaks up your fear and gets your mind and body into Action Mode.  Do not beg.  Make a brief declarative statement. 
   • “Stay where you are, Ace.  I can hear you fine from there.”
   • “What (as in “What are you looking at, Dude, or Dudette?”)?”
   • “What are you looking at?”
   • “You look pretty tense.  What can I do for you?”
4. De-escalate Thru Deflection.  Deflect any and all incoming insults, threats and intimidation through the Art of Deflection (the bully wants you to absorb verbal attacks, to take them seriously.  I want you to Depreciate these Verbal Icons!
   • “I’m ugly?  You bet.  That is the look I’m going for, girl.”
   • “I’m fat?  What the heck happened, girl?  Just an hour ago I looked like Heather Locklear.”
   • “You got yourself some pretty bad data there, Dude (response to a bully saying “you are a fagot and we’re gonna kick your ass all over the schoolyard!”).”

1. DISTRACT.  Escape and evasion can often happen after changing the bully’s channel, a metaphor I use for weakening and slowing him/her down by redirecting his or her mental and physical focus.  There are many Distraction Techniques (defined as weakening the attacker’s motor actions by changing his or her thought process).  Come up with your own distractions, but I have used several great ones to slow my attacker before I executed either a coupe de grace:
   • Coughing and backing up while pointing at the Bad Guy.  Stops ‘em cold.
   • “Hey, man, what’s that logo on your shirt (while backing up and pointing)?”
   • “Nice shoes (while pointing at his or her shoes).”
   • Shout real loud and point at him as he comes toward you.  “STOP!”
2. MOVE.  Don’t get caught flatfooted.  Keep your weight on the balls of your feet and sidle from side to side.
3. TURTLE-UP.  When the attack comes get your hands up and move in, tying up the bully.  Shuffle around with him. 
4. QUICK STRIKES TO OPEN TARGETS.  Deliver a quick strike to an open target.  If he or she is concentrating the attack high, go low.  Scoot your rearward foot quickly forward and drive the toe of your shoes hard into the bully’s lower shin.  Use his or her same side shoulder as a guide to strike that target every time.  This surprise strike will surprise the attacker and weaken his or her grip on you.  More likely than not, he or she will bring his or her head down, which offers a great target for an \ascending Palm Heel Strike to the chin or nose.
5. GO!

Until the Next Post.  Stay Safe.

Ham

I WOULD LIKE TO SET SOMETHING STRAIGHT.  The Fighting Arts against a bully (bullies) is benign compared to defending oneself against more pernicious types of attacks, where the Bad Guy’s goal includes your serious injury, humiliation, loss of properties and monies, and/or death.

YET probably, in both the short and long run, just as important.

The goal here is escape and evasion.  End of story, Dog.  Especially when the attack comes within the legal confines of your school (or workplace) where exists a Zero Tolerance against Fighting.  Don’t get me wrong:  if it comes down to a choice between going to the hospital or facing a suspension, I say lay the bully out.  But in 94 plus % of the situations, you can discourage future attacks and get out of Dodge at the same time.

Escape and Evasion – Ten Easy Steps.

1. Prepare.  The bully depends on you being so surprised and frightened by their

                     Attack that you freeze into inactivity.  If you think you have been targeted, decide how you are going to respond when it comes.  Commit yourself to The Plan.  Your plan should include not only a physical response, but your mental and verbal responses also.

1. Look Calm, Confident.  Not the end of the world if you look scared.  Also, not the end if you are scared.  Nevertheless, get together with your Safety Coach (parents, friend, teacher) and rehearse looking confident.
2. Cycle Breathe For Calm.  Train Calm by breathing in through your nose for a count of 2; holding your breath for a count of 2, then exhaling for a count of 2.  Repeat.
3. Keep Remarks Brief.  It is important to say something.  Verbalizing and breathing breaks up your fear and gets your mind and body into Action Mode.  Do not beg.  Make a brief declarative statement. 
   • “Stay where you are, Ace.  I can hear you fine from there.”
   • “What (as in “What are you looking at, Dude, or Dudette?”)?”
   • “What are you looking at?”
   • “You look pretty tense.  What can I do for you?”
4. De-escalate Thru Deflection.  Deflect any and all incoming insults, threats and intimidation through the Art of Deflection (the bully wants you to absorb verbal attacks, to take them seriously.  I want you to Depreciate these Verbal Icons!
   • “I’m ugly?  You bet.  That is the look I’m going for, girl.”
   • “I’m fat?  What the heck happened, girl?  Just an hour ago I looked like Heather Locklear.”
   • “You got yourself some pretty bad data there, Dude (response to a bully saying “you are a fagot and we’re gonna kick your ass all over the schoolyard!”).”

1. DISTRACT.  Escape and evasion can often happen after changing the bully’s channel, a metaphor I use for weakening and slowing him/her down by redirecting his or her mental and physical focus.  There are many Distraction Techniques (defined as weakening the attacker’s motor actions by changing his or her thought process).  Come up with your own distractions, but I have used several great ones to slow my attacker before I executed either a coupe de grace:
   • Coughing and backing up while pointing at the Bad Guy.  Stops ‘em cold.
   • “Hey, man, what’s that logo on your shirt (while backing up and pointing)?”
   • “Nice shoes (while pointing at his or her shoes).”
   • Shout real loud and point at him as he comes toward you.  “STOP!”
2. MOVE.  Don’t get caught flatfooted.  Keep your weight on the balls of your feet and sidle from side to side.
3. TURTLE-UP.  When the attack comes get your hands up and move in, tying up the bully.  Shuffle around with him. 
4. QUICK STRIKES TO OPEN TARGETS.  Deliver a quick strike to an open target.  If he or she is concentrating the attack high, go low.  Scoot your rearward foot quickly forward and drive the toe of your shoes hard into the bully’s lower shin.  Use his or her same side shoulder as a guide to strike that target every time.  This surprise strike will surprise the attacker and weaken his or her grip on you.  More likely than not, he or she will bring his or her head down, which offers a great target for an \ascending Palm Heel Strike to the chin or nose.
5. GO!

Until the Next Post.  Stay Safe.

Ham

I WOULD LIKE TO SET SOMETHING STRAIGHT.  The Fighting Arts against a bully (bullies) is benign compared to defending oneself against more pernicious types of attacks, where the Bad Guy’s goal includes your serious injury, humiliation, loss of properties and monies, and/or death.

YET probably, in both the short and long run, just as important.

The goal here is escape and evasion.  End of story, Dog.  Especially when the attack comes within the legal confines of your school (or workplace) where exists a Zero Tolerance against Fighting.  Don’t get me wrong:  if it comes down to a choice between going to the hospital or facing a suspension, I say lay the bully out.  But in 94 plus % of the situations, you can discourage future attacks and get out of Dodge at the same time.

Escape and Evasion – Ten Easy Steps.

1. Prepare.  The bully depends on you being so surprised and frightened by their

                     Attack that you freeze into inactivity.  If you think you have been targeted, decide how you are going to respond when it comes.  Commit yourself to The Plan.  Your plan should include not only a physical response, but your mental and verbal responses also.

1. Look Calm, Confident.  Not the end of the world if you look scared.  Also, not the end if you are scared.  Nevertheless, get together with your Safety Coach (parents, friend, teacher) and rehearse looking confident.
2. Cycle Breathe For Calm.  Train Calm by breathing in through your nose for a count of 2; holding your breath for a count of 2, then exhaling for a count of 2.  Repeat.
3. Keep Remarks Brief.  It is important to say something.  Verbalizing and breathing breaks up your fear and gets your mind and body into Action Mode.  Do not beg.  Make a brief declarative statement. 
   • “Stay where you are, Ace.  I can hear you fine from there.”
   • “What (as in “What are you looking at, Dude, or Dudette?”)?”
   • “What are you looking at?”
   • “You look pretty tense.  What can I do for you?”
4. De-escalate Thru Deflection.  Deflect any and all incoming insults, threats and intimidation through the Art of Deflection (the bully wants you to absorb verbal attacks, to take them seriously.  I want you to Depreciate these Verbal Icons!
   • “I’m ugly?  You bet.  That is the look I’m going for, girl.”
   • “I’m fat?  What the heck happened, girl?  Just an hour ago I looked like Heather Locklear.”
   • “You got yourself some pretty bad data there, Dude (response to a bully saying “you are a fagot and we’re gonna kick your ass all over the schoolyard!”).”

1. DISTRACT.  Escape and evasion can often happen after changing the bully’s channel, a metaphor I use for weakening and slowing him/her down by redirecting his or her mental and physical focus.  There are many Distraction Techniques (defined as weakening the attacker’s motor actions by changing his or her thought process).  Come up with your own distractions, but I have used several great ones to slow my attacker before I executed either a coupe de grace:
   • Coughing and backing up while pointing at the Bad Guy.  Stops ‘em cold.
   • “Hey, man, what’s that logo on your shirt (while backing up and pointing)?”
   • “Nice shoes (while pointing at his or her shoes).”
   • Shout real loud and point at him as he comes toward you.  “STOP!”
2. MOVE.  Don’t get caught flatfooted.  Keep your weight on the balls of your feet and sidle from side to side.
3. TURTLE-UP.  When the attack comes get your hands up and move in, tying up the bully.  Shuffle around with him. 
4. QUICK STRIKES TO OPEN TARGETS.  Deliver a quick strike to an open target.  If he or she is concentrating the attack high, go low.  Scoot your rearward foot quickly forward and drive the toe of your shoes hard into the bully’s lower shin.  Use his or her same side shoulder as a guide to strike that target every time.  This surprise strike will surprise the attacker and weaken his or her grip on you.  More likely than not, he or she will bring his or her head down, which offers a great target for an \ascending Palm Heel Strike to the chin or nose.
5. GO!

Until the Next Post.  Stay Safe.

Ham

ACTION AGAINST VIOLENCE

January 21, 2009

SUPER SECRET SELF DEFENSE STUFF – The Highway To Heaven.

According to Tim Larkin, the founder of Target Focused Training,” there are over 170 viable targets on the body that can cause a predictable response when a trauma is delivered to a target.”  Larkin goes on to say that the “key principle is to cause a spinal reflex reaction (an involuntary or automatic response).” 

The spinal reflex reaction (SRR) is a key to successful self defense, especially when it’s executed by a smaller, weaker fighter.  The SRR is a Game Changer, baby. 

So, in my next few posts I will talk with you about a few attack countermeasures that are virtually unknown to the average person, but, even if you are a small inexperienced fighter and not a BPH (Big Power Hitter), if you hit the target, you can change the game – Big Time.   

SUPER SECRET SELF DEFENSE SHIT NUMBER 1:  The Brachial Plexus Origin and the Highway To Heaven.

A quick intro to the Brachial Plexus Origin Nerve Motor Point, It is formed by many nerve fibers stemming from the vertebrae in the neck.  These nerves meet at the side of the neck, approximately three inches from the base.  This nerve pressure point is located on both sides of the neck, each of which are in close proximity to the brain, so hard, accurate strikes can immediately do two crucial things that can change a fight in your favor:

1. Change the attacker’s “channel.”  This is cool, Dog.  The attacker’s brain is on, let’s say, channel 6, his favorite station.  Everything is pretty cool on 6; things are going his way, you are back peddling, he has his script intact, and he is pulling you closer, because on 6, the script reads that he pulls you in, knocks you silly with one more punch, and, once you are knocked out, he will drag you into an alley, rape you, rob you, and—-Whop, Whop—two quick strikes to the side of the neck by the smaller, weaker victim, and now he is on channel 22, and things ain’t going so hot now.  The strikes have not only surprised him, but, more importantly, they have distracted him by changing his thought process, or channel.

      When  the Bad Guy’s thought  process changes it shatters the connection between his brain and his motor functions, thereby weakening him.

1. Stuns the Bad Guy.  While the Distraction I talked about above lasts less than 3 seconds, a Stun will weaken and/or stop the attacker for 3 to 7 seconds.  Why?  Because we are talking stimulation of overwhelming input that is sudden, intense, and unexpected. 

Think of it:  a strike to an always open, vulnerable and easy to access target that can give you anywhere from 2 to 7 seconds to hit other targets that will definitely open up.  Or, in extreme cases, just walk away unharmed.  Where is this magical mystery land?

Take your thumb and run it down from your ear lobe onto the side of your neck.  You will feel a tight cord running vertically toward your shoulder.  Now, press horizontally with your thumb, straight across your neck.  Press fairly hard.  Feel anything?  Indeed.

Consider striking the Brachial Plexus forcefully with your hand or arm and you have a considerable Game Changer here.

This target is perfect for the (intended) victim of an attack where the Bad Guy pulls you in close.  Think about this, Hammer Fans:  The sides of the neck are located at the end of each shoulder, making each a cinch to locate.  Once the Bad Guy pulls you in, wait for your opportunity and drive your strikes into the side(s) of the neck with the Heel of your Palm; Back of your Hand; Inside of your Forearm; and Back of your Forearm.  Use the torque of your hips to add power and aim through the target to the other side (never just hit and bounce off).  Think of the shoulders as The Highway To Heaven.  No matter what you do, if you use the shoulder as a map, you will always find gold at the end of it.

When I train law enforcement officers in the Brachial Plexus Stun I limit them to the use of the hands and the forearms, cautioning them against striking with the bony part of their hands, wrists, etc. because striking with the ridge of the hands, et al can cause chipping of the cervical vertebrae.  However, in a self defense situation when you are the victim of an unprovoked attack from close quarters with unimaginable consequences for failing to defend yourself, anything goes, Baby!  You have a cell phone in your hand, drive the hardest end of it into the target.  Use your fists; clasp both hands together and drive both into the target.

One caveat here:  I have been knockled out by good Brachial Plexus stuns during hand-to-hand training session.  Indeed, I have knocked out Bad Guys in real life with it.  But, if not delivered forcefully and using the Fluid Shockwave Principle (described in past posts), the strike may be ineffective unless followed up with other strikes, etc.  It is best that you consult a self defense instructor re this technique and learn it through real hand-to-hand training.

Whatever gets you home safely.  Next Post:  More Super Secret Self Defense Shit.  Until then, stay safe.

Hammer

A COUPLE postings ago I pointed out that there are three principles of managing aggressive job-site behavior.  I’ve already discussed Know the (Aggressive) Student.  Might as well talk up the other two:  Know the Environment and Know Onesself.

MAKES SENSE, doesn’t it?  These principles go hand-in-hand with the primal safety principles I teach in my self defense and subject control training programs.  Namely the 4 A’s:  Assess (the environment, other people and oneself); Aware (of the environment, subtle and obvious changes, etc.); Anticipate (at every opportunity, ask oneself What If?  What would I do, if this or that went down, and, importantly, formulating a Plan of Action before the dangerous scenario exploded in one’s face), and, finally, Take Action. 

THE important thing about the TAKE ACTION component of this safety paradigm is that Taking Action is only likely if the worker performed the other A’s before the need for it actually arose.  In other words, by being aware, assessing oneself and one’s surrounding, and anticipating what one would do, if and when a worse case scenario occurred, the worker is actually taking the required steps to not only engage his or her Intelligent Brain (the Neo Cortex), but to create the necessary nexus, or connection, of the brain – our most important weapon, by the way – with our Motor Skills Operational Center.

If you have been paying attention to past posts, you probably already know that being un-aware, failing to assess, and giving no thought to what one would do if an un-anticipated, close quarter attack occurred would most likely result in a short-circuiting of the necessary, conventional circuit our brain makes when it perceives a threat to one’s safety, resulting in a teacher relying only on his/her Primitive Brain to resolve a crisis of violence.

KNOW THE ENVIRONMENT.  A few of the elements of the environment that could help resolve a critical incident in the workplace(doesn’t have to be violence, either.  Could be a fire, a medical crisis, anything).

• Possible escape routes to allow a person to escape, and, in some cases, to allow others to evacuate.
• Doors and points of entry that can be blocked or locked down.
• Furniture and other stationary or semi-stationary objects that can be used as barriers or barricades to allow a person to put distance between him/her and an aggressor.
• Movable objects and furniture that can be thrown to stop or delay an attackers advance.
• Things and/or people that can be removed from the environment that can lower the stress level.
• Potential weapons in the environment that can be removed prior to an incident (check out your desk area)., or, as an incident is developing (scissors, paper weights, letter openers, staple guns, et al).  Also, weapons and barricades that the worker can use to delay the advance of an aggressor, or even counter-assault an attacker (umbrella, cell phone, attaché or briefcase, et al.).
• Cell phones or other emergency devices that can be used to seek assistance, police, etc.
• Cut and Herd:  A Verbal Judo term for separating the aggressor(s) from the other workers.  Aggressors often feed off the crowd.  More on Cut and Herd in another post.

KNOW ONESSELF is likely the most important defusing principle of the three.  After all, the worker is the only person or element in a crisis that one can exert real control over.  And, truly, the first and most important task one must perform when things are going south is to Defuse Her or Himself Now! 

And, while defusing oneself is crucial, that endeavor should start long before a critical incident starts.  How can a worker defuse her or himself before a crisis?

·        Identify one’s strengths and weaknesses.  Be honest.  What people do you avoid because you fear you cannot handle?  Work on those weaknesses.

·        Identify your triggers!  What are the buttons that can easily be pushed?  If you aint identifying your buttons, someone else is!  I guarantee it.

·        Put A Trigger Guard On those buttons.  Always.  Tell oneself over and over that if and when (Anticipate) an aggressor tests you, you will Cycle Breathe (last post) and not be bothered.  After a while – trust me – the trigger will be a trigger never more.  Matter of fact – and this has happened to me, ‘cause, Dear Readers, I have me sooooo many triggers – once you really and honestly work with your triggers, you will smile when some nimrod tries to push your button, and you will think to yourself, Hey, Ace, there goes another one of those Triggers.  I can’t believe that used to actually bother me.”

·        Cycle Breathe and Slow It Down.  We talked about the importance of breathing tactically and propelling oxygenated blood into the brain.  The crucial thing is to get your breathing housed in your abdominal area rather than the chest.  Without getting too technical here, chest breathing is always shallow, superficial, and tends to be panic-driven in a bad situation, while abdominally-housed breathing is always deep and rhythmic, and, combined with other actions to defuse oneself, lead to an effective and tactical coordination between the brain (Mental Conditioning) and the body.  Also, it is my belief that “every mistake in self defense and subject control can be traced back, in some way, to the idea of rushing into action.  Of trying to get the job done now, before the element of fear can take over—“  As over-simplistic as it sounds, please, just—

·        Relax, Slow It Down, and Let Your Brain, the Greatest Weapon On Earth, Do Its Job.

Hammer

A COUPLE postings ago I pointed out that there are three principles of managing aggressive job-site behavior.  I’ve already discussed Know the (Aggressive) Student.  Might as well talk up the other two:  Know the Environment and Know Onesself.

MAKES SENSE, doesn’t it?  These principles go hand-in-hand with the primal safety principles I teach in my self defense and subject control training programs.  Namely the 4 A’s:  Assess (the environment, other people and oneself); Aware (of the environment, subtle and obvious changes, etc.); Anticipate (at every opportunity, ask oneself What If?  What would I do, if this or that went down, and, importantly, formulating a Plan of Action before the dangerous scenario exploded in one’s face), and, finally, Take Action. 

THE important thing about the TAKE ACTION component of this safety paradigm is that Taking Action is only likely if the worker performed the other A’s before the need for it actually arose.  In other words, by being aware, assessing oneself and one’s surrounding, and anticipating what one would do, if and when a worse case scenario occurred, the worker is actually taking the required steps to not only engage his or her Intelligent Brain (the Neo Cortex), but to create the necessary nexus, or connection, of the brain – our most important weapon, by the way – with our Motor Skills Operational Center.

If you have been paying attention to past posts, you probably already know that being un-aware, failing to assess, and giving no thought to what one would do if an un-anticipated, close quarter attack occurred would most likely result in a short-circuiting of the necessary, conventional circuit our brain makes when it perceives a threat to one’s safety, resulting in a teacher relying only on his/her Primitive Brain to resolve a crisis of violence.

KNOW THE ENVIRONMENT.  A few of the elements of the environment that could help resolve a critical incident in the workplace(doesn’t have to be violence, either.  Could be a fire, a medical crisis, anything).

• Possible escape routes to allow a person to escape, and, in some cases, to allow others to evacuate.
• Doors and points of entry that can be blocked or locked down.
• Furniture and other stationary or semi-stationary objects that can be used as barriers or barricades to allow a person to put distance between him/her and an aggressor.
• Movable objects and furniture that can be thrown to stop or delay an attackers advance.
• Things and/or people that can be removed from the environment that can lower the stress level.
• Potential weapons in the environment that can be removed prior to an incident (check out your desk area)., or, as an incident is developing (scissors, paper weights, letter openers, staple guns, et al).  Also, weapons and barricades that the worker can use to delay the advance of an aggressor, or even counter-assault an attacker (umbrella, cell phone, attaché or briefcase, et al.).
• Cell phones or other emergency devices that can be used to seek assistance, police, etc.
• Cut and Herd:  A Verbal Judo term for separating the aggressor(s) from the other workers.  Aggressors often feed off the crowd.  More on Cut and Herd in another post.

KNOW ONESSELF is likely the most important defusing principle of the three.  After all, the worker is the only person or element in a crisis that one can exert real control over.  And, truly, the first and most important task one must perform when things are going south is to Defuse Her or Himself Now! 

And, while defusing oneself is crucial, that endeavor should start long before a critical incident starts.  How can a worker defuse her or himself before a crisis?

·        Identify one’s strengths and weaknesses.  Be honest.  What people do you avoid because you fear you cannot handle?  Work on those weaknesses.

·        Identify your triggers!  What are the buttons that can easily be pushed?  If you aint identifying your buttons, someone else is!  I guarantee it.

·        Put A Trigger Guard On those buttons.  Always.  Tell oneself over and over that if and when (Anticipate) an aggressor tests you, you will Cycle Breathe (last post) and not be bothered.  After a while – trust me – the trigger will be a trigger never more.  Matter of fact – and this has happened to me, ‘cause, Dear Readers, I have me sooooo many triggers – once you really and honestly work with your triggers, you will smile when some nimrod tries to push your button, and you will think to yourself, Hey, Ace, there goes another one of those Triggers.  I can’t believe that used to actually bother me.”

·        Cycle Breathe and Slow It Down.  We talked about the importance of breathing tactically and propelling oxygenated blood into the brain.  The crucial thing is to get your breathing housed in your abdominal area rather than the chest.  Without getting too technical here, chest breathing is always shallow, superficial, and tends to be panic-driven in a bad situation, while abdominally-housed breathing is always deep and rhythmic, and, combined with other actions to defuse oneself, lead to an effective and tactical coordination between the brain (Mental Conditioning) and the body.  Also, it is my belief that “every mistake in self defense and subject control can be traced back, in some way, to the idea of rushing into action.  Of trying to get the job done now, before the element of fear can take over—“  As over-simplistic as it sounds, please, just—

·        Relax, Slow It Down, and Let Your Brain, the Greatest Weapon On Earth, Do Its Job.

Hammer

As I talked about in my last post, there are simple ways to stop professional harassment (in and around the work place).  Personal harassment is a little tougher since you don’t have anyone to turn to – like a supervisor in an office setting – to leverage the harasser to cease and desist.  Still, most personal harassment can be neutralized with a change in your personal demeanor and by communicating an attitude of I don’t have time for your crap (makes more sense if you read my last post)!

But, like all things self defense, psychological and social remedies don’t always do the trick.  Some situations require quick, decisive and unarbitrary (is that a word?) solutions.  Not only that, there are many job-related harassment-scenarios which are not in a “safe” setting where a woman can turn to a supervisor to leverage a harasser to stop the insanity.  What about nurses, social workers, and others who regularly make home visits; female probation officers, child welfare officers, etc., also on home visits?  Those and many others often face what I call Passive Assaults, which could be “harmless” sexual harassment gone out of control.  What follows are 3 Types of Passive Assaults along with some suggestions on how to physically Escape and Evade potential danger in each case:

1. Passive Intimidation usually occurs in the workplace and involves a man standing close to a woman with the intent of either forcing her to rub up against him or block her movement, including egress.  This often takes place in an isolated environment and/or an office area where the woman has to bend over to retrieve files, etc.  In this situation, I suggest the woman to ask the man to please move or stand back, etc.  Assuming this tactic fails, the woman should place her hand closest to the moron on his closest shoulder and place her outside hand on his hip.  Gently apply double pressure downward at a 45 degree angle- either causing his hip and shoulder to open up, or pull both joints toward you – and, oila his gate will open up – I guarantee it – and the woman should immediately walk through and gain as much distance as possible.  I suggest the woman should use another verbal command – “C’mon, man, step back!”  Why gently, you may ask.  The technique works best when the Bad Guy is moved before he even knows he is being moved.  Otherwise he can widen his stance to prevent the techniques from working, and, of course, there is always the chance he will escalate into a physical assault.
2. Flirtatious Contact often occurs in and around the work site, but can also take place in many advantageous (to the Bad Guy) personal situations.  Flirtatious Contact may involve unwanted touching or even palming the woman’s lapel, shoulder, thigh, etc.  Obviously, left unchecked, this type of harassment can easily escalate to serious sexual contact, maybe worse.  Resolving this physically is simple, but it is not easy to describe (briefly) in writing.  The Inverted Finger Lock is a modified joint lock that facilitates escaping by hyperextending the fingers.  Using the example of a Bad Guy who reaches toward a woman’s lapel, the technique involves “handshaking” the middle two finger then twisting the fingers so that the idiot’s palm is facing skyward.  Now, elevate the controlled two fingers and hand toward the Bad Guy’s shoulder.  Trust me, we are talking a lot of pain here; add verbal commands to get back, and maybe even aided by a sharp Front Kick with the toe to his lower shin, a safe escape is probable.  The Inverted Finger Lock has been used to escape serious flirtatious contact in movie theaters, barrooms, isolated park benches, et al.
3. Wrist Grabs have the most serious safety implications of all three Passive Assaults.  They can run the continuum from grabbing a wrist simply to delay a friend or lover from walking away to a man grabbing a woman by the wrists in order to drag her into a getaway vehicle or an isolated spot in order to rape her, or worse.  To escape this assault observe in what direction the attacker’s palms are facing.  A palm down grab will feature the “hole” between his thumb and index finger (the weakest area of the bad guy’s hands) will suggest that she blade her hand(s) and simultaneously step back and power her hand(s) up toward her shoulder(s).  To distract and weaken the Bad Guy’s grip, she would be wise to deliver a knee strike or Front Kick (lower shins) just before she blades her wrists and drives her hand(s) toward her shoulder (make your wrists and forearms as narrow as possible by turning both thumbs up, effectively making your wrists as hard as possible to hold).  To escape a palm up Wrist Grab simply widen your stance, step back, blade your hands, and fling your hands toward your knees.  

In each of the above Passive Assaults the intended victim should be prepared to follow-up with strikes and other moves as a countermeasure to the Bad Guy reacting after a successful escape move.  And, finally, a last thought:  For the sake and time and space in this limited venue, I have left out valuable nuances of self defense.  If you are concerned about these and other types of assaults, seek out a good self defense program.  Nothing teaches like direct hands-on instruction.  Contact me if you are interested in taking a PPCT S.H.A.R.P. (Sexual Harassment Assault and Rape Prevention) Instructor Certification training or a good Self Defense For Women program.  I will hook you up, depending upon your location.

Stay Safe.

Hammer

YESTERDAY I polished off two consecutive Sexual Harassment Assault and Rape Prevention Instructor Seminars in Lancaster, Pa., so with that program still humming in my brain, I thought, heck, why not share some tips for any of you who might face the troubling specter of what the SHARP program considers Professional and/or Personal Harassment? 

First things first.  Let me clarify the profile of a victim of  harassment when compared to other victim-types I have written about in past posts. The ideal target of a sexual predator will be what SHARP calls a Passive Personality Type.  She will habitually allow men and women to invade her PSZ (Personal Safety Zone) without protest; she will exhibit a halting, restricted walking style, and she will be woefully unaware of her surroundings, keeping her eyes cast down much of the time.  There are similarities in the victims of Chicken Hawks – adult men who prey on children – and even teenage bullying.  But, when it comes to Professional Harassment, although the passive woman is still the ideal target, often the victim is selected because she appeals to the male (yes, I know women harass, also, but my main concern is almost always Safety and Survival Strategies for Women) harasser.

SHARP describes three other types of woman in relationship to incidences of Personal and Professional Harassment, rapes and assaults.  The Confrontational Type is loud, abrasive, and has no problem with dominating males and females in the workplace.  She is hardly ever chosen as a target for sexual assault or harassment, although she may be assaulted because of her abrasive personality.  The Assertive Personality Type oozes self confidence and self esteem, and although she respects the feelings of others, when it comes to harassment, she responds quickly with an “I don’t have time for the crap.  Get it out of my face now!”  The Defensive Personality is normally non-combative, verbally or physically, by nature.  But, when her back is against the wall, or someone close to her is threatened (children), she will fight back.  Along with the Passive Personality Type, the Defensive Personality may often find herself in the grip of some tedious and stressful situation at work, including, inappropriate and unwanted sexual innuendoes, comments; uninvited comments; lewd and lascivious pictures or posters, and, perhaps most vexing and threatening, uninvited and unwanted touching or flirtatious contact, or maybe even having her movements blocked by a male with the intent of having her touch him, rub up against him, or simply feel intimidated in the workplace.

STOP PROFESSIONAL HARASSMENT NOW!

CORRECTING PROFESSIONAL Harassment should always begin as soon as the harassment starts.  A tactful verbal reprimand immediately following an unwelcome advance will often stop any future behavior.  According to PPCT Management Systems, Inc., the type of verbal reprimand will depend upon where the harassment takes place and from whom the harassment comes.  If this fails, the threat of a complaint to his supervisor may be all that is necessary.  In the event that you must go to the supervisor you may want to make sure that the supervisor understands that he/she must provide a safe and harassment free work environment by law.  Of course, not all (professional) harassment comes in an office setting where there is an obvious chain-of-command to turn to.  I am sure that there are nurses, teachers, airline flight attendants, real estate agents, consultants and anyone who is required to make service call to clients who are seriously harassed yet have no obvious superior to turn to.  For these situations, it is crucial to have an immediate, well thought out response that tactfully put a man in his place without him losing face in the process (a strategy that is almost always overlooked by the Confrontation Personality Type).

PERSONAL HARASSMENT is almost always directed toward a woman who is perceived as a weaker personality and someone who will not defend herself.  This type of male usually takes on the personality of a bully.  Personal harassment is usually directed toward a woman’s personal character and can be much more vexing to deal with.  It comes in the form of verbal needling, belittling in front of others, and usually escalates to verbal and physical threats, which should be handled by law enforcement, by the way.  MANAGING PERSONAL HARASSMENT should begin with a change in a woman’s demeanor.  I know this is hard to do, but, to resolve this, it must be done:

1. Decide you are no longer willing to put up with the abuse.
2. This in effect will change to physical aura to I’ve had enough crap, Dude!
3. Prepare a verbal response which is appropriate for the nature of the verbal assault(s) and the environment in which it occurs.
4. Be aggressive in your response and be prepared not to back down unless you perceive your physical safety is in jeopardy.
5. Remember, the idiot with whom you are dealing is a bully and will not stop the abuse as long as there is resistance.

Next Post:  Physical Safety and Survival (The Fighting Arts) Strategies against Personal and Professional Harassment Gone Too Far (Passive Assaults).  Until then, Stay Safe.

Hammer

:

I introduced
the concept of Winology in my opening posting with
true stories about one of my adventures as a state parole agent as well as some
heroism of one of the women from one of my Self Defense For Women classes who
had been violently attacked. Now I thought would be a good time to relate the
stories to the phenomenon of raw violence and what you can
learn about not only surviving it but even prevailing against it.

In other words,
The Basics of Threat Management Skills. Keep in mind, what follows is The
Basics in relationship to the abovementioned stories and illustrations
only. In the next few posts will be a myriad of tips, guidelines, principles,
skills, strategies and techniques designed to arm you, your family, friends
and/or children against violence in almost a hundred various specific areas
of threat (Domestic Terrorism; Domestic Violence; Home Invasions; Counter-Bullying;
Counter Child Abductor Strategies and Techniques; The Fighting Arts For Children;
Teens; Women; Men and/or Seniors, et al.)

Technorati Tags:violence, domestic, bullies, basic, school of winology

Detailed Description
of What we Are all About

IN TODAY’S
MAD and often wicked world along comes Action
Against Violence, your reliable site for articles, essays and free-flowing
discussions, all designed to make you and your family safer. You won’t
find hyperbole here. But you will find key principles and tenets of The
Fighting Arts, a tight cluster of state-of-the-arts threat
management skills and techniques designed for ordinary citizens and
extraordinary law enforcement, military or security personnel who need to avoid
and/or overcome potential or real violence.

Whether you be the concerned
parent of a five year-old child, a senior citizen in a time when crimes against
the elderly are on a sharp incline, or, for that matter, any man or woman in
between, you can find a variety of suggestions on one or more of the following
survival skills:

• KID ESCAPE
  – Escape and Evasion skills against predators and potential abductors
  for boys and girls from aged 5 to 13.
• Self
  Defense For Teenagers.
• The Fighting
  Arts For Women.
• Beyond
  60 – Self Defense For Seniors.
• Managing
  Violence in the Workplace.
• Verbal
  De-Escalation and Defusing Techniques.
• And much,
  much more—