Access to Programs you will have unlimited access to your programs for a limited time. Unless you are in SDTS Membership program (Bronze, Gold or Elite) your access will automatically end after the following duration…
Fast Course = 45 days
Aware Course = 30 days
Reality Check = 30 days
Knuckle duster = 30 days
Family Safe = 60 days
Quick Kills = 60 days
One Shot = 60 days
Protection = 60 days
Guardian Police Combatives 60 = days
Guardian Weapon Retention = 60 days
60 minute SD = 60 days
Operation Phoenix = Life access
WW2 Combatives = Life access
Old School = Life access
Police Training Pack = Life access
Refund Policy – we will refund your purchase per the terms of the individual program – however, be advised, you will not be allowed to purchase ANY OTHER PROGRAMS ever again. The reason is simple, there is nothing preventing you from purchasing and refunding multiple programs and moving through the catalog. For example, you could purchase 60 Minute Self Defense, wait 29 days, get a refund and then purchase One Shot Fight Enders…and so forth. Programs and training are given in good faith and the truth is, if you like one program, you will find extreme value in the others.
60 Day Money Back Guarantee applies to only the primary products like the FAST COURSE or the AWARE COURSE. Any add ons including, but not limited to ELITE Weapon Defense or Quick Kills and all other programs have a 30 day money back guarantee. Any trials of the SDTS Programs have a 30 day money back guarantee ONLY on the first monthly installment. After that the user (you) can cancel at any time without any obligation moving forward, but are NOT allowed any refunds.
Why?
It’s simple, any reasonable person should be able to figure out if this is good for them within a month (honestly you should know in the first 10 minutes). Anyone who hangs on for more than 30 days is either being dishonest (trying to get as much as possible for free) or, well…not too bright. Either way, you had MORE than your chance.
Important Note: Any customer will be black listed and banned for life who:
- Takes multiple trials of any program or membership.
- Issues a chargeback on any program.
- Uses extreme profane or inappropriate language on the training platform.
- Is discovered to be convicted of a crime against children, or sexual assault.
- Declines or issues a chargeback on ANY Operation Phoenix payment.
Self Defense Company Hold Harmless and Assumption of Risk
User voluntarily participating in this Activity. User understands that there are risks associated with my participation in this Activity, such as physical and/or psychological injury, pain, suffering, illness, disfigurement, temporary or permanent disability, death or economic loss. These injuries or outcomes may arise from my own or other’s actions, inactions, or negligence, or the condition of the Activity , The Self Defense Company and Instructors. Nonetheless, User assumes all risks of their participation in this Activity, whether known or unknown to them, including travel to and from the Activity.
User agrees to hold the Self Defense Company, it’s owners and Instructors harmless from any and all claims, loss or damage to my personal property, liabilities and costs, including attorney’s fees, as a result of my participation in this Activity, including travel to and from the Activity (including air travel) or any events incidental to this Activity.
By purchasing the user had read this document, and understands it. User understands the legal consequences of purchase and participation, including (a) releasing the the Self Defense Company, its owners and instructors from all liability, (b) waiving their right to sue the District, (c) and assuming all risks of participating in this Activity, including travel to and from the Activity (including air travel) or any events incidental to this Activity.
“If User needs medical treatment as a result of their participation in this Activity, travel to and from the Activity (including air travel), or any events incidental to this Activity, User agrees to be financially responsible for any costs incurred as a result of such treatment. User is aware that the Self Defense Company, owners and instructors does not provide health insurance for me and that they should carry my own health insurance.
CHARGEBACKS – if you issue a chargeback on any program or item, you will be black listed and scrubbed from the database and you will be banned from the Self Defense Company for life.
Self Defense Company Webinars –
All webinars are NON-REFUNDABLE since they are live events and space is limited. If you miss the event you will have full access to the recording for life so the customer is NOT at a loss.
Self Defense Company Online Specialty and Intro Programs (non-recurring charge)
These are one – time charge programs that include but not limited to: Combatives Fast Course, Reality Check, 60 Minute Self Defense, Family Safe, Guardian Weapon Retention, Guardian Police Combatives, Protector:CSI., Knuckle Duster.
You have 30 days to review and enjoy the programs. After 30 days you will have online access for life – no recurring charges. If you require a refund for any reason within the first 30 days please email customerservice@theselfdefenseco.com.
These programs EXPIRE in 30 days. After 30 days you will not be charged again, but you will have to renew your access by placing another purchase or enrolling in an SDTS Membership.
Include your name, email, order number and the specific reason you are requesting a refund.
We will respond and you must confirm your request.
YOU MUST COMMUNICATE using the email with which you registered.
Third party requests (someone other than you) will not be honored.
Allow 5 business days for your refund to be processed.
Operation Phoenix, World War 2 Defendu, Old School Seriers, Police Training Pack expire in one year. After which you will not be charged, however, you will need to renew if you want continues access.
Self Defense Training System Access Memberships
Including, but not limited to: SDTS Bronze, Gold, Elite and Defendu
After the trial period you will automatically be charged. You may cancel for a full refund of your first payment within 30 days of that first charge. After which you may cancel at anytime but you will not be refunded any previous charges regardless whether or not you log in and use the program. This is a training academy – like a gym membership, you may use it as often as you wish.
We provide a service and it’s the customers responsibility to take advantage of that service. It is the same as a cable subscription or gym membership. As long as the consistent service is provided The Self Defense Company has maintained their end of the agreement.
This includes, but not limited to:
Member losing internet access.
Member entering the incorrect email address.
Member getting credit card stolen or lost.
The Self Defense Company offers a 30 day money back guarantee on all of its memberships. If in the first 30 days you wish to cancel, simply email customerservice@theselfdefenseco.com.
Emailing ANY OTHER ADDRESS will not cancel your membership.
If you are canceling because of a technical issue, the Self Defense Company must be allowed 5 business days to solve the problem, if the issue remains unresolved, you will be refunded.
However, if you wish to resume your membership customerservice@theselfdefenseco.com with your name and username OR the email with which you ordered.
Only the person who’s name and email is on the account may cancel or alter the account.
NO THIRD PARTY REQUESTS WILL BE HONORED.
*Attention PAYPAL Customers – If you purchased a program with automatic payments you will need to CANCEL those payments in PayPal directly. The Self Defense Company is not responsible for payments charged by PayPal after your cancelation.
If your credit card/paypal payment declined and you fail to make the next monthly payment you will forfeit any previous payments and your membership will be automatically cancelled after 14 days. You will have several opportunities to make your account current before it is closed. The system will automatically send reminders to the email on file.
The Self Defense Company reserves the right to cancel ANY membership for conduct unbecoming. This can include, but not limited to: harsh language, felony convictions, crimes against children, sex crimes and hate crimes.
Live Training Memberships, Live Intro Lessons and Single Lessons and Lesson Blocks.
You have 30 days to schedule your lesson with your assigned instructor. You may cancel within 48 hours to reschedule. Missed lessons will be rescheduled at the discretion of your Instructor. If you have not heard from your instructor within 5 business days of purchase, email customerservice@theselfdefenseco.com.
Live training memberships are effective 30 days after customer cancels. This means that if they cancel on the 1st of the month they will be charged up until the 30th of the month.
Any chargeback will get you disavowed from the Self Defense Company and you will be blacklisted from the platform.
All content is intellectual property of Damian Ross and The Self Defense Company and can not be downloaded or duplicated without written consent.
Make sure to DOUBLE CHECK YOUR EMAIL on your order.
Your email is linked to your account and incorrectly entered emails will result in your not receiving passwords to log in. The Self Defense Company is not responsible for user error.
Self Defense Company Instructor Program
There is a 30 day refund policy, there will be NO refunds after 30 days. You can cancel the program by emailing your instructor mentor or customerservice@theselfdefenseco.com. It is your responsibility to return any merchandise received back to the Self Defense Company representative. You have 2 weeks (14 days) do do this. If the items are not received, you will not be refunded.
After 30 days you are responsible for making all of the payments. However, if you need to extend time between payments you can up to 30 days. To do this, simply email customerservice@theselfdefenseco.com.
If your account declines and is not rectified in 30 days, you are no longer an instructor in good standing and you forfeit your right to use any of the Self Defense Company name, logo, brand or material and you are no longer considered a Self Defense Company Instructor.
It is your responsibility to get all necessary pictures, bio, affiliate program and set up your social media based on your instructor mentor’s direction. It is your responsibility to set up your initial call with your mentor with in the first 30 days. It is also your responsibility to get your first level certification within the first year of entering the program.
The Instructor Program involves merchandise, training material and considerable expense to set up your website, social media and network. You will have full access to all of the training, information and coaching from the first day.
The Self Defense Company reserves the right to revoke your membership at any time based on poor conduct, such as but not limited to: felony crimes, fraud and anything that would be considered “un becoming” and instructor.
You reserve the right to appeal any decisions. The Instructor program is a license to teach the Self Defense Company curriculum and use it’s resources. It is not a franchise. The Self Defense Company is not responsible for poor performance and financial success. The examples use are not necessarily typical results.
PRIVACY POLICY
This privacy policy has been compiled to better serve those who are concerned with how their ‘Personally identifiable information’ (PII) is being used online. PII, as used in US privacy law and information security, is information that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person, or to identify an individual in context. Please read our privacy policy carefully to get a clear understanding of how we collect, use, protect or otherwise handle your Personally Identifiable Information in accordance with our website.
What personal information do we collect from the people that visit our blog, website or app?
When ordering or registering on our site, as appropriate, you may be asked to enter your name, email address, credit card information or other details to help you with your experience.
When do we collect information?
We collect information from you when you register on our site, subscribe to a newsletter or enter information on our site.
How do we use your information?
We may use the information we collect from you when you register, make a purchase, sign up for our newsletter, respond to a survey or marketing communication, surf the website, or use certain other site features in the following ways:
• To personalize user’s experience and to allow us to deliver the type of content and product offerings in which you are most interested.
• To improve our website in order to better serve you.
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How do we protect visitor information?
Our website is scanned on a regular basis for security holes and known vulnerabilities in order to make your visit to our site as safe as possible.
We use regular Malware Scanning.
Your personal information is contained behind secured networks and is only accessible by a limited number of persons who have special access rights to such systems, and are required to keep the information confidential. In addition, all sensitive/credit information you supply is encrypted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology.
We implement a variety of security measures when a user places an order to maintain the safety of your personal information.
All transactions are processed through a gateway provider and are not stored or processed on our servers.
Do we use ‘cookies’?
Yes. Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to your computer’s hard drive through your Web browser (if you allow) that enables the site’s or service provider’s systems to recognize your browser and capture and remember certain information. For instance, we use cookies to help us remember and process the items in your shopping cart. They are also used to help us understand your preferences based on previous or current site activity, which enables us to provide you with improved services. We also use cookies to help us compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interaction so that we can offer better site experiences and tools in the future.
We use cookies to:
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If you disable cookies off, some features will be disabled It won’t affect the users experience that make your site experience more efficient and some of our services will not function properly.
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Third Party Pixels and Cookies
When you visit our website, log in, register or open an email, cookies, ad beacons, and similar technologies may be used by our online data partners or vendors to associate these activities with information they or others have about you, including your email address. We (or service providers on our behalf) may then send communications and marketing to these email addresses. You may opt out of receiving this advertising by visiting
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If you wish to opt-out of email marketing from a specific brand that we work with, such as a customer of ours, you can click on the “opt-out” or “unsubscribe” link in the footer (located at the bottom) of any marketing email you receive.
Third Party Disclosure
We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information unless we provide you with advance notice. This does not include website hosting partners and other parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or servicing you, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. We may also release your information when we believe release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others’ rights, property, or safety.However, non-personally identifiable visitor information may be provided to other parties for marketing, advertising, or other uses.
Third party links
We do not include or offer third party products or services on our website.
Google
We have implemented the following:
• Google Analytics
California Online Privacy Protection Act
CalOPPA is the first state law in the nation to require commercial websites and online services to post a privacy policy. The law’s reach stretches well beyond California to require a person or company in the United States (and conceivably the world) that operates websites collecting personally identifiable information from California consumers to post a conspicuous privacy policy on its website stating exactly the information being collected and those individuals with whom it is being shared, and to comply with this policy. – See more at: https://consumercal.org/california-online-privacy-protection-act-caloppa/#sthash.0FdRbT51.dpuf
According to CalOPPA we agree to the following:
Users can visit our site anonymously. Once this privacy policy is created, we will add a link to it on our home page, or as a minimum on the first significant page after entering our website.
Our Privacy Policy link includes the word ‘Privacy’, and can be easily be found on the page specified above.
Users will be notified of any privacy policy changes:
• On our Privacy Policy Page
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How does our site handle do not track signals?
We honor do not track signals and do not track, plant cookies, or use advertising when a Do Not Track (DNT) browser mechanism is in place.
Does our site allow third party behavioral tracking?
It’s also important to note that we do not allow third party behavioral tracking
COPPA (Children Online Privacy Protection Act)
When it comes to the collection of personal information from children under 13, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) puts parents in control. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the COPPA Rule, which spells out what operators of websites and online services must do to protect children’s privacy and safety online.
We specifically do not market to children under 18.
Fair Information Practices
The Fair Information Practices Principles form the backbone of privacy law in the United States and the concepts they include have played a significant role in the development of data protection laws around the globe. Understanding the Fair Information Practice Principles and how they should be implemented is critical to comply with the various privacy laws that protect personal information.
In order to be in line with Fair Information Practices we will take the following responsive action, should a data breach occur:
We will notify the users via email at least within 7 business days, and probably much sooner than that.
We also agree to the individual redress principle, which requires that individuals have a right to pursue legally enforceable rights against data collectors and processors who fail to adhere to the law. This principle requires not only that individuals have enforceable rights against data users, but also that individuals have recourse to courts or a government agency to investigate and/or prosecute non-compliance by data processors.
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All gift cards are compliant with Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rules regarding expiration and non-use fees. Gift cards can be used to purchase any program and expire after 5 years.
If not used in one year, the gift card may be subject to an inactivity fee of $5.00 per month.
In the case of sale of company, bankruptcy of dissolution of company, you may not receive full value for your gift card.
For more information on the FTC guidelines and protections for consumers visit HERE <<
Contacting Us
If there are any questions regarding this privacy policy you may contact us using the information below.
myselfdefensetraining.com email us: customerservice@theselfdefenseco.com
Excellent information.
I wish I was here in time to know him. He was wise and knowing. I miss him and never heard of him before 2017. L-5
Like!! I blog quite often and I genuinely thank you for your information. The article has truly peaked my interest.
An excellent article with very specific information.
I have always followed the adage with my students that very seldom should someone get closer with their hands to your firearm than your hands are. In other words, if you find that someone has caught you off guard (it happens to everyone eventually) and your weapon is on your strong-side hip (as an example) your first movement should be to rotate that hip away from them. If you are forced to be at “contact distance,” with a stranger…at least make sure your “body-width,” is between their hands and your weapon.
Thank you for publishing your article. Awesome info!
Mr.Carl Cestari – even though I never knew him in person, in 2007 I got hold of his Old School series (only parts of it), and that is the very reason why I ended up with a neverending interest in WW2 Combatives.
Mr.Carl Cestari – the Man, the Teacher, the Warrior.
May he rest in our Lords’ arms.
Excellent points! I have run into this exact circumstance when traveling overseas, where other cultures do not have the “personal bubble” emphasis that many Americans have. Attention to reaction space becomes MUCH more imperative in those circumstances.
Just had a good conversation about distance and situational control with a professional boxing instructor last night. Totally on the same page when it comes to the reality of street assault. It was good to know that there are at least some other types of instructors out there who understand the street.
Always watch the persons hands too,I was taught that when I was working as a Detention Deputy.
At 70 it’s probably a bit late to start to learn, but I have to say I would feel a lot more confident if I had a some knowledge of how to disable a attacker or to at least hurt them if they are going to hurt me.
Fire me off an email. You are never too old to learn. And lack of confidence can be addressed pretty quickly. Would love to help you out my friend.
theselfdefensecompany@gmail.com
Alistair, The Self Defense Company teaches based on principles and not techniques. There is something here for everyone! If the self sefense doesn’t work for everyone then it isn’t true self defense. You can get great training here at any age or level of fitness.
I’m armed 24/7; however, the shower thingy is a bit much. My place is alarmed up and can not be disarmed outside the joint. Even a ‘no-knock’ beat down of my door or broken window, gives me time <10 sec, even naked, to access my 'border repeller by the sink! LOL
Bars of soap in a bag, Rocks in a sock, canned vegetables in a sack create a mace that can be very effective against a knife or even a gun wielding assailant. If the soap gets wet, it will turn to bluck and not work. That’s prison knowledge brother. I knew a guy that would rub soap on the floor, not all over just in certain spots. Work the guy on to the spot. Probably won’t need it, so just clean it up when your done.
Alistar…I am also the ripe old age of 70 and thankful that I know many of the training techniques that Damian puts out there. At our age we are no longer able to go toe to toe with someone younger/ stronger and quicker than we are …so much mor the reason to take just one class at a time online with SDC . I have aught many people from women, martial artists and State Law Enforcement but limit it to @ 20 moves. You do not have to have ten years of training to be effective to eliminate a threat …learn a few and know them well and you will do fine.
David, your comment reminded me of something attributed to Bruce Lee Don’t fear the man who learned 1000 different kicks–fear the man who learned 1 kick and practised it 1000 times… (paraphrased)
David, your comment reminded me of something attributed to Bruce Lee: Don’t fear the man who learned 1000 different kicks–fear the man who learned 1 kick and practiced it 1000 times… (paraphrased)
I appreciate the comments of these older men. What they say here is true. I was thinking of the old prizefighter Jack Dempsey and an experience he had at age 76. Two men jumped him one night on the street, and tried to mug him. As it turned out , he knocked them both senseless! This of course is a rare exception. I am 64 years old and I take care of myself and study Damian’s SDTS. Damian once said that your ability to defend yourself is directly related to your level of physical fitness. For this reason, I exercise regularly and study/train on Damian’s courses. You never know when you will need this stuff so you must always be prepared. This article reminded me of an incident where I was approached by a stranger at a gas station who wanted me to give him a ride to a bus stop (he did not say what bus stop). I did not give him a ride and I was on my guard as well, because this guy was younger and bigger than me. Nothing happened in this incident fortunately. You never know when you will need this material, so you must always be prepared. Thank you for sharing this article.
As Damian says NEVER EVER trust anyone……….assume they arel carrying a weapon(s) which they have the full intention of using, always watch their hands…this simple advice kept me safe for 26+ years.
Thanks Damian,
Best regards,
Steve (Italy)
Thanks Steve – a little mistrust goes a long way :)
Carl strikes again. From the grave, no less!
No shortage of gems here.
Another consideration is to listen to your intuition or gut. There’s always that warning voice before something bad happens. You can’t be aware and perfectly disciplined 24/7. Not gonna happen.
More and more I train myself to operate by feel rather than calculation. Because conscious calculation is too slow. Also, conscious awareness is also not that helpful. Because you can’t consciously process everything around you. But your subconscious does, and of course God does, and you can tune in to your intuition.
With respect to awareness, I find it more useful to be aware of geometric possibilities, rather than try to gauge the threat level of every human around me. So, lines of approach and escape, etc.
With people, I think you have to trust your gut, and read them as best you can. It’s impossible to keep every human being outside your defensive perimeter at all times. But your inner guidance system is incredibly accurate if you pay attention. My instincts have never been wrong, but I’ve ignored them a bunch of times.
I’ve walked into gas stations, or stood next to people in check out lines, and I knew, just by feel, that if I snapped their neck I’d be doing the world a favor. I don’t, of course. But evil has a vibe to it. And it’s not prejudice on my part, because these sick fucks come in all colors, shapes and genders. All 79 Facebook genders.
Kidding there, but there’s no pattern for me to think it’s personal prejudice. I literally feel like a real violent urge inside me just upon viewing these people or standing next to them. The vibe’s slightly different in each case but overall the same — that is to say, evil. Maybe one’s a pedophile, another a rapist…who knows. Occasionally I catch their eye, and they’ll know that I know, and they also know that I would really love any excuse they could possibly give me…
Operating by feel is a hundred times faster than conscious calculation. Another reason I really practice using my peripheral vision and not my direct vision for striking and shooting, etc. I focus on peripheral awareness combined with physical balance.
In this way, and by operating by feel, which is something you can ALWAYS increase in — the real focus of training — I do believe it’s possible for reaction to beat action. Everyone can be way faster than they think. The proof is touching a hot stove accidentally. The most out of shape person is lightning fast. That’s operating by feel. This can be psychological as well.
Feeling will also trigger you to someone’s intent a split second in advance of their actual action as well.
I once worked at a video store when I was much younger. Once, I was stocking videos and I heard a customer talking to the girl at the register. As soon as this guy started talking, I couldn’t hear everything he was saying, but I knew this guy was full of shit and also a piece of shit. Later on he was revealed to have been a short change artist who scammed the register girl.
My instincts have literally never failed me. But sometimes I will feel guilty about them, or paranoid that I just need to relax a bit. But they’re never wrong. It’s when they seem the most irrational that they’re usually the most accurate. Again, this is by feel. You have to deep down, as a prerequisite, have an obsession with truth and understanding, which gives you a balanced mental platform from which to operate by feel.
There’s plenty of delusional people — way more than less — who can’t tell the real voice from the circus of bitter clowns in their head.
I don’t encounter evil people that often. And I encounter people I dislike immensely all the time. I know the difference. When I get around someone evil, I instantly feel this very primal urge to beat them to death immediately. These are cruel people who enjoy feeding off the pain of others. People such as this only understand the language of fear and pain. And that is the language you speak to them in, if they get chatty. They have no empathy, and no reason. But they do have lots of guilt. Not in the sense that they feel bad, but in the sense that they KNOW they are evil and they do know that the Wrath of God is coming for them inevitably. And maybe it has arrived.
Sadly, the faith in God which probably heightens my sensitivity to begin with, also prevents me from taking them out. But I do work through scenarios in my mind, just in case.
But my main point is that you can follow general safe practices, but you can’t be on 24/7. Like, I say that the best security system is one prepared to handle the full compromise of itself. Because all security can be beaten. Therefore, you anticipate this.
Another reason to focus on training the use of peripheral vision and operating by feel. This requires extreme honesty — Ruthless Honesty I say — which is why I think most people will fail to get that far with it. Although, I’m fairly sure that everyone can relate to having had some internal warning before doing some dumbass thing.
In fact, just recently, I’ve literally unloaded a few dead weights I’ve been carrying around masquerading as friends. I’ve become more ruthless. But I’ve got to be honest — I’ve known it the whole time. It never fails that every year I realize what a dumbass I was the year before. The only meaningful discriminator between peoples is their level of honesty.
So, another way to avoid threats is to avoid frequenting locations with low character — low honesty — people, and to not closely relate to low character and low honesty people. I think most people in jail are there more because of the bad company they kept than because they were really that bad as human beings.
“Bad company corrupts good character.” I’ve seen this with myself. If I tolerate a lower caliber of person around me too long, it does start to pull me down. I do at least recognize it and cut them loose, but it’s amazing to me just how much a person’s vibe can unconsciously influence another person. You really do have to be ruthless in what you tolerate.
I think Warren Buffet said that successful people say no more than any other people. Now, granted Warren Buffet is a gangster and I don’t view him as a good guy, but that’s still a good point. Just a question of what exactly you’re saying no to.
So, operating by feel I think is a useful skill to cultivate, as well as limiting your liabilities. You can’t be perfect, and you can’t be paranoid and keep everyone at arm’s length. But I think if you cultivate Ruthless internal Honesty, you’re going to find that you know and feel things in plenty of time to react. We all have a sixth sense.
It’s still possible to be caught off guard. You’re human. You make mistakes. But you can program yourself in advance that if you are caught off guard you immediately counterattack directly into the line of attack. When you’re literally blindsided, this is your best hope. Even if they’re stabbing you, throwing your body at the knife is better than them stabbing the knife at you. Jam it if you can, but the point is that you will immediately take their balance with this unexpected reaction.
Maybe you get an elbow up, maybe a shoulder, maybe a head butt — but the point is that you must immediately launch your entire body weight directly into the line of attack. This is if you’re caught literally completely off guard. The change of this not surprising and unbalancing the attacker is slim. Element of surprise. You could literally turn an ambush into a counter ambush with this tactic, where they not only completely lose the element of surprise but have it reversed on them to the point they’re off balance and helpless and bleeding out on the ground..
But you would condition this response beforehand. This is where practicing the use of peripheral vision is so great. Peripheral vision is incredibly fast. Maybe it’s me, but any time anyone has thrown a punch at I always felt like it was moving in slow motion. But part of that is the large hooking motion most people use. Straight shots are harder to detect coming in. Another thing that makes the chin jab and heel of hand so much more effective to use on a dime. Straight in with a lot of leverage behind them.
So because it is theoretically possible for all of us to be momentary dumbasses, then condition a response for that possibility. Just in case.
Another way of training by feel is to go periods of time striking a heavy bag blindfolded. This will also increase balance. Could also simulate low light conditions. But because you’re blind, you have to strike by feel. So every shot is indexing, or setting up, the next shot. And you also have to keep better balance because without your sight you’re going to potentially stumble around more. But this also relates to a surprise attack because you have to react blindly in that case.
My next thing is to set up some way to walk thru my house blindfolded shooting at sounds.
I like what Carl said about shooting too. I train to shoot the exact same way I strike or do anything physically. It’s literally all the exact same way. Which is basically a function of balance. I train everyone to operate from balance as the most important thing. Balance while moving. I have what I call my theory of movement and I do everything physical the exact same way. So transitioning between activities or techniques is very simple.
Also, I would keep in mind at all times that your mind is THE weapon, and everything else is an attachment. This includes words.
The attacker’s mind is THEIR only weapon. A mind runs on words. Never forget the use of words as weapons.
So suppose you are caught in your shower unawares, and some clown with a pistol runs in. Are they there to kill you or rob you or make waffles? Who knows. But you can say something weird to freeze their mind and then immediately attack. If you could somehow get them to do some math in their head that would be awesome. But anything that confuses them momentarily.
It’s helpful if your entire reaction is confusing to them. Not hostile or provoking, mind you, but just confusing. This is my number one response to cops. I act like a confused dumb ass. Totally polite, but politely confused. Smart people act dumb, but dumbasses try to act smart. General rule.
So, a guy breaks in with a gun, he’s expecting immediate fear and so on. But if you act confused and perplexed and then ask a fucked up question requiring a mental calculation on his part, you will freeze his brain long enough to close the distance to that brain and then destroy that brain.
So, there’s another idea. But I do like the idea that truly superior security is prepared for the full compromise of itself. After all we’re all morons. Let’s be real. The amount of dumb shit I do — a lot of which knowing better — is staggering. But I can at least admit it, and reduce it, and be aware of it.
Self awareness is THE ultimate awareness. If you’re not self aware, you don’t have much hope, frankly.
So, along the lines of preparing for bad possibilities, are perhaps securing handcuff keys and lock picks and small razors on your person. Maybe you get drugged and wake up in a van, handcuffed. Who knows.
I will say though that ultimately the only real security both now and forever is faith in God. Without that, does it really matter when you die? Let’s be real. So definitely as they say here…Train Honestly. With Ruthless Honesty.
Hey Paul:
I read your entire comment, and talk about GEMS….your comment was an entire MINE of gems!! My lady and I were talking just last night about a scenario, and what I told her fell in line EXACTLY with your gem about taking the offensive when caught off guard and turning the element of surprise back in your favor! I also especially liked the use of peripheral vision! I’ve been doing this instinctually for years! I don’t remember when I made the conscious choice to do this and made it a habit. I’m trying to teach my lady this same thing! Also….the “vibe” thing. Same here! You must be exceptionally handsome and a literal pillar of your community….as am I! 🤪🤪
The information is always on point. Thanks