DRESS TO KILL

 Again I will open by saying self protection is a life style and every aspect of your life should be used as an instrument for your protection. So with that lets jump into today's lesson dress to kill.

Many of us have received invitations to an event and the first question we have is what is the dress code, formal or not. However at times we fail to realize how our dress and apparel may help or hinder our ability to defend and is your way of dress making you a target.

Let's deal with first how can clothes limit your ability to defend. I have a friend who is a great martial artist and is more than qualified to defend himself however one incident proved that our clothing can become a hindrance to our self protection. My dear friend, while hanging out found himself in a confrontation against multiple attackers in a local night club. This should have been a cake walk, we grew up fighting and testing our skills since we began our training at nine years of age. This time my friend was wearing alligator shoes with the smooth bottoms, this presented a problem he was unable to hold his balance because the sole of the shoes did not have any grip and on concrete this is dangerous. Unable to maintain his balance the outcome was not in his favor he then went to tell me that  even escape was difficult because he could barely run due to the slick surface of the shoes. I have always despised shoes manufactured with the slick bottoms, I never wore them as an adult. I realized this as a martial art student trying to demonstrate my skills to my friends at church while wearing the infamous church shoes as a child. I always look for dress shoes that have a rubber bottom or a shoe with some grip. If you must wear them use the sole grips that can be attached to the shoe to allow more grip, this can work for women shoes as well.

For men and women neck ties, necklaces, scarfs and etc can also affect your ability to respond in a self defense situation. Also with the anti Muslim sentiment today I would advise the women of the faith to make sure that the traditional head wear can not be used against you if grabbed or snatched make sure it breaks away clean and can not be used as a choking device or pulled causing neck injury.

  Not only can your hands become entangled in these articles they also pose as a choking hazard. I hate ties and wore them as little as possible when I worked in corporate America. Heavy chains and necklaces pose the same threat. When exiting your home or place of business I advise to tuck these items. Wearing flashy jewelry can and will make you a perspective target, however items such as rings can be an asset serving as a make shift brass knuckle. My advice to women is that if you wear high heels shoes to work or for a night out on the town take them off and replace them with sneakers before venturing to your car. The high heels in your hand can be a formidable weapon!

Dresses too tight or too lose can be a hazard by either limiting your mobility or exposing you to a tripping hazard. Big floppy hats kill your peripheral vision.

In our modern times women find themselves in the corporate world traveling abroad which presents another danger. I travel abroad frequently and I have encountered hustlers working the airport looking for a victim if not for my training I would have been next. When traveling abroad or even domestically your best course of action is to blend in and not stick out. This is very important when we explore the possibility of civil unrest and other disasters. Gaudy jewelry and name brand clothes draw attention. Dress to be prepared for anything, when traveling I advise not to wear sandals, shorts,  or any other article of clothing that may leave you exposed to the weather or make it difficult to travel to safety.

Allow this article to serve as a basic introduction into the topic of clothing and self defense. The topic goes much deeper than this article such as using clothing as a weapon, concealing weapons using clothing, escape, disguise and many more applications. Remember self protection is life style.

                                                           Train well... Strike, Create space, Escape.

BASIC HAND STRIKES FOR SELF DEFENSE

In the S.T.A.R. self protection system we focus on a few basic weapons, these weapons consist of using the open hand or fleshy part of the hand to make contact keep in the mind the formula to generate force is speed x body weight = power not the closed fist.  For those with out martial art training we suggest not using closed fist techniques this can cause damage to you and leave you unable to finish the fight. Martial artist commit years of training to condition their fist and knuckles in order to withstand the impact of bone against bone.

  I have said before that regardless of the amount     techniques that you memorize the stress caused by an attack can effect how you respond and you will only recall a few. So we concentrate on basic hand strikes such as the palm heel, hammer fist, elbow, finger jab and thumb strike. We also focus on these effective basic techniques because we want to be able to prepare you quickly. Remember, self protection is a life style, our primary goal is to avoid the confrontation by being smart and aware. But if all else fails you will have a data base of techniques to choose from. In following articles we will discuss basic blocks (deflects), kicks, targeting and foot work. View the short video clip and get familiar with these techniques, I will go in depth with each technique in future blog posts. Train well.

                                                             

                                                     Strike-Create Space -Escape  

Be Smart, Stay Safe Avoid Stopping for Gas at Night

If Possible, Avoid Stopping for Gas at Night

                                              
                                                          By Delbert Smith

I was leaving a meeting one evening recently when I over heard one of my colleagues state she had no gas in her jeep and needed to stop at the gas station on the way home.  I immediately questioned her, “You go to the gas station at night?” She nodded to affirm.  I thought to myself - I’d have a fit if it were my woman.  Ever since I’ve been married I’ve made it a habit to gas up my wife’s vehicle weekly in order to avoid her having to ever go herself.  The reasoning is simple: there are a lot of hazards at these gas stations and convenience stores (especially in not so great neighborhoods). I want to give her the best chance to avoid them, especially when she’s alone or driving the kids somewhere without me. 

Obviously, if you’re single or the breadwinner in your family you’ll probably find yourself pumping your own gas more often than not.  Perhaps your Prince Charming won’t be there every time you need to feed yourself, children or vehicle.  Therefore we’ll implement planning that will help avoid any unplanned trips to the gas station. 

Pump enough gas for the upcoming week… 

Pick a day to pump enough gas to get you through the week.  Get familiar with your vehicle’s gas mileage and do the math each week.  If you’ve got to work, pick up kids, and support their activities schedule, determine your miles and gas needed and fill up before the week begins. Add a little extra for unexpected trips or traffic congestion. 

If you must make a gas stop at night, choose wisely

If you find yourself in a situation that you absolutely have to make a gas stop at night, pick one of the larger stations that meet corporate specs.  (Quick Trip, Race Trac, BP, etc.)  Besides having lower gas prices, these types of stations are more likely to have working card readers, working pumps, good lighting and plenty of space.  The extra space gives you a better “line of sight” for other people or vehicles approaching you from any direction.  These stations are also less likely to have people loitering outside of the store, or people using the store solely as a convenience store and are not even there for gas. It would also be beneficial to choose a station that law enforcement seem to frequent for coffee breaks.  

Be aware of people hanging outside the store if you have to actually go in.  Recently, in the Atlanta area a young lady was murdered outside of a gas station.  The moment she parked her car to go into the store, the would-be robbers that were loitering outside of the store began plotting to car jack her.  They even went into the store briefly to pretend to be shoppers.  As the woman emerged from the store one of the robbers followed her to her car – as the other two acted as lookouts.  There was a brief struggle for her keys and she was subsequently shot and killed.  The robbers aborted the attempt at taking her car and ran off.  They were later caught, but this young lady lost her life. 

What bothers me most about this incident (other than the crime itself) is that it was easily avoidable.  She had just gotten off work and it was around 1am.  Although she had the right to stop and get refreshments or personal needs any time of the day she so chooses, her decision to stop that night proved to be poor one.  Apparently, the items she purchased were miniscule ones such as some gum and a scratch off ticket.  Surely these things could have waited.  However, I get the sense that this is something she did regularly and therefore felt comfortable doing so.

In conclusion, always be aware of your surroundings.  Watch the people who are watching you.  If anything makes you uncomfortable, abort mission and get out of there with your life.  Follow the aforementioned suggestions to give you the best chances to avoid a dangerous situation all together.   

Delbert Smith

Contributing Writer

Self defense & Martial Arts Instructor

KIDNAPPING IS ON THE RISE

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When we think of self-protection we have to analyze all threats that are present in our modern society. Kidnapping is a tactic used by street organizations, gangs, extortionists, robbers, rapist and is some times used as retaliation for a personal offense also keep in mind there is no common kidnapping scenario.

Kidnapping is a tactic used to secure either financial gain, information, sex, religious beliefs, revenge or political gain. Knowing the objective of your would be kidnapper can help you survive a kidnapping attempt.

The number one rule when dealing with a kidnapping attempt is to not allow yourself to be taken to a secondary location. You must fight. If your attacker is allowed to take you to another location it will reduce your chance of survival. He wants to have complete control in an environment of his choosing. Scream, bite, yell fire, yell bomb (anything but help), kick do whatever you can to create space so that you can escape to safety. Kidnapping has become very sophisticated, abductors tend to profile their victims based on their motivations. Now lets discuss some tips for prevention. 

BE AWARE: Take preventative safety precautions utilize all of your awareness skills to give you the edge.

STRIKE HARD AND FAST: Fight as if your life is depending on it, because it does.

STAY IN THE NOW:  The would-be abductor initially gains the upper hand on his victim because he has the element of surprise in his favor you must counter this by holding it together mentally so that you can respond effectively. 

UTILIZE SELF PROTECTION TOOLS: Be prepared to resist, use mace (pepper spray), a steel extendable baton, or improvise weapon.

ESCAPE:  Always look for escape routes. If you can get away, get to a safe public place and continue to scream for help.

USE OBSTACLES:  If you can not be outrun your attacker, put something such as — a busy street, a group of people, place anything between you and the abductor.
  
ACT IRRATIONALLY: Yell to draw attention, use words like fire, I'm being kidnapped anything that might call attention to you.

CALL FOR HELP: If you can and if you have a cell phone, dial the emergency number or police.

FAKE IT 'TILL YOU MAKE IT:  When you are weak fake strength when your strong fake weakness. You can make your attacker think they're as unsafe as possible in the attempt to discourage the attack. You can fake weakness to make your attacker think they have the upper hand to lower his guard so that you can either strike or execute your escape.

IF ALL FAILS: If your efforts to thwart the abduction are unsuccessful, there are a number of things you can do to help you survive your ordeal. Gather as much information as you can landmarks, smells, route, sounds, and so on all of this information can help you formulate an escape. If placed in the trunk of a vehicle, feel around most cars now are equipped with a release for the trunk from the inside. Kicking out the taillights to alert others who can call authorities.



                                               STRIKE-CREATE SPACE-ESCAPE

How do the basic human senses play a part in self protection?

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How do the basic human senses play a part in early threat detection? All of your senses are to be utilized as information gathering tools. lets take a look at it how the senses play a major part of your self protection system.

Sight:

  I remember training with one of my self defense instructors, we started out with a jog through the neighborhood. It was a very light jog just to get the heart pumping. Suddenly he said stop and then asked me what did I see. Of course I stumbled trying my best to remember what I have seen. I couldn't answer the question, he then went on to explain the importance of always being aware and to visually scan my sector to detect any possible threats or places that can conceal a threat. That was a very powerful lesson. Your sight is also valuable in detecting irregular behavior or detect bulky bulges in clothing that might conceal a weapon. You can use the same exercise explained above to sharpen your awareness and your memory. Being able to describe an assailant or a vehicle can be vital after a self defense confrontation.

Hearing:

Sound is another early warning system, we just need to be aware of them. Approaching foot steps, the creak of a door opening, rustling clothes, a dog barking and so on can serve as a early detection system by telling you what's happening around you. The most important thing is to recognize the sound, its direction of origin and what made the sound. You can train your hearing everyday while performing your daily routine by acknowledging all sounds and their origin then determine if it is a potential threat or not. Also when walking pay attention to the noises you make and how.

 Smell:

Yes, the sense of smell did make the list. In most cases of a fire the smell of smoke is usually noticed before we see the actual flames. Body odor, cologne, cigarette smoke or trash can also aid in telling you about the environment.

 Touch:

When we discuss touch we are speaking more to our intuition or feelings. That gut feeling that tells you something isn't right. That feeling that someone is staring at you and you turn around and sure enough someone is staring at you. Have the hairs on your neck or arm rise when someone gets to close and this person was not in your range of sight. By training your other senses you strengthen this one.

All of your senses are information gathering tools to educate you about your surroundings and help you identify any potential threats.

                                                       STRIKE-CREATE SPACE-ESCAPE

HOME SAFETY

We all feel secure at home. Are we living with a fake sense of security? Here is great video I found concerning the first line of defense for home security, the lock. We will share more videos and tips for home safety. Watch the video and share your thoughts.

KEEP IT TOGETHER

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 Regardless of the vast amounts of techniques that you may learn from a self defense course or Martial Arts class with out being able to maintain your mental composure all of those techniques will be useless.

 Your greatest asset in self protection is your mind. Violent conflicts will increase your stress level which can make it difficult to respond to an attack effectively.  Stress can cause you to hesitate, become frozen or panic either one can be detrimental to the out come of the confrontation. The main lesson here is keep it together. 

Nothing works better than a relaxed mind and body.  That is why we focus on the mental training first. Keep your wits about you, this will play an essential part in your survival during an attack. You must train your mind to stay calm and not panic. This skill will aid you in your personal life as well as in a self defense engagement. I have found myself in some very dangerous  situations where keeping my mind calm allowed me to quickly access the situation, respond and make it home. 

One exercise to help you maintain a focused mind during conflict is to visualize different scenarios that can happen and the options that you have to overcome them. The scenario can be a verbal conflict, a mugging, a break in, or carjacking. This can help you develop your skill.

 In conclusion, take a deep breath and pull yourself together. Stay in the now, deal with the immediate threat.  Be aware of your surroundings and identify possible threats that will give you a few extra seconds to pull it together. 

                                                       STRIKE - CREATE SPACE - ESCAPE