This blog covers everything related to self defense including but not limited to training, techniques, principles, martial arts, hand to hand combat systems, weapons, various scenarios, tips, sparring, psychology of combat, the list goes on. It is not restricted to just one fighting art but welcomes every reader regardless of experience to gain knowledge on self defense.
In this blog post, i'll discuss the basic most fundamental principles of self defense in a step-by-step guide with helpful resources. It's important that you understand the process of how to defend yourself. Why? If you don't, you could face time in prison or some other punishment for looking like the assailant rather than the victim. The process is as follows:
* Avoid conflict - Avoiding a violent situation should be your first priority. If you for example are many feet away from a knife attacker and you draw your gun, the authorities will ask "well why didn't you run away when you had the chance?" If you have a way to retreat and you don't take it, you are going to look like the assailant. If you can safely escape be it on foot, in a car, or bike then do so unless it puts you in more danger.
* Attack only when attacked - Under no circumstances can you make the first attack unless you are in physical danger (ex. armed robbers, kidnappers, etc.) Until your assailant throws the first strike, you cannot legally defend yourself. Some schools teaching combat for self defense tell you that it's best to strike first if a potential attacker is in your face. In reality, this isn't self defense according to the law. If someone is insulting you and getting aggressive, it makes no sense for me to throw a punch in order to "defend myself." Self defense only applies if you are responding to an attack at the present moment. If someone wants to fight you and you say "let's take it outside...", you are no longer practicing self defense because you are consenting to it. If someone is in a road rage and you apply a wrist-lock, you are no longer practicing self defense because you are initiating the attack. It doesn't matter if someone was "asking for it" or you needed to "teach em a lesson..." Nothing justifies you making the first attack period.
* Prove your innocence - You'll need to prove your innocence under a court of law by providing evidence that you acted in a lawful manner. Video recordings, eye-witness accounts, etc. of you trying to defuse a violent situation and avoid conflict are all examples of proof of your innocence. Keep in mind that your aggressor can also do the same so it might turn into a legal battle over who acted in self defense.
* Use proportionality - As i said before in previous posts, the amount of force used must be proportional or equal to the attack. A non-lethal threat must be met with non-lethal force. A lethal threat can be met with lethal force. Some self defense schools don't follow this principle and that's what will get you into legal trouble. This video is an example. Shooting someone multiple times because he or she punched you isn't using proportional force. Keep this in mind at all times.
* Address the most immediate threat - You must attack in self defense at the present moment you are being attacked. Not before an attack happens. Not after an attack happens. If someone's threatening your life, you have no business attacking that person because there's no threat involved. If you get beaten up in a brawl and your attacker leaves, you cannot get up to continue attacking then claim self defense. That is retaliation. If you do not, your claim to self defense fails.
* Use reasonable force - You must always be reasonable when acting in self defense. Stabbing someone with a knife because you "feared for your life" is not a reasonable justification for using deadly force. If you get caught up in a gun fight with an active shooter, you are using reasonable force. Why? 1) The active shooter has already proven him or herself to be a deadly threat evidenced by killing innocent civilians 2) The active shooter is using deadly force via. firearms. If you act in a way that a reasonable person would not act in self defense, it's going to look bad on your part.
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It might be obvious that a big part of self defense is hand to hand combat. Nevertheless its important to understand why that is so. Is hand to hand combat required? No but I'll give you a few reasons why you should learn some bad hand to hand combat skills.
One of the reasons you should learn hand to hand combat is for the advantages it brings. You can knock someone out, keep attackers at bay, do weapons disarms, and alot more. You also have control over the degree of deadly force you use. You can't get that from weapons alone or a one size fits all approach. Deadly weapons only have a high degree of lethal force for killing your attackers. If you read my post "why relying on weapons will get you killed" (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2016/12/why-relying-on-weapons-will-get-you.html) then you understand why relying weapons alone for self defense isn't a smart idea. Even in situations where deadly weapons are involved, hand-to-hand combat will be useful in creating distance between you and your attacker as you use your own weapons.
As for the one size fits all approach, people tend to underestimate attackers who mean them harm. If you were to ask people what they'd do if they were attacked,some of the answers you'll get will be "well i'd just kick him in the balls..." Not denying the effectiveness of a groin strike but it's easier said than done. There's several variables that affect whether you are successful or not. Your attacker might be wearing a jock strap, move out of range, have a high pain tolerance, or be on drugs. How likely are you to land a groin strike in a chaotic situation with a moving attacker? Even if you land a groin strike but that's not enough to take him or her down, what will you do then?
Here's one very fine example where relying only on weapons did not work. A police officer approaches a man who is a former heavyweight boxer and the boxer decides to attack him. The officer uses pepper spray which fails then his gun. The officer fires and lands a direct hit but the boxer keeps fighting. The boxer disarms him and attempts to shoot him but the gun jams then uses it as a melee weapon. From what it seems like, the officer has no training in hand-to-hand combat which is a huge disadvantage in this situation. The only thing that saved the officer were his peers.
While you might not get attacked by a heavyweight boxer or be put in this situation, the point is your attacker is unpredictable. There's no one solution that's going to work for every situation as far as the physical aspects of combat go. If your weapons don't work or you get disarmed like in this situation, your in deep trouble. Hand to hand combat helps build confidence and understanding of what to do in case your first attack doesn't succeed.
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It seems that in today's self defense community, people have forgotten about the simplicity of combat. I see so many self defense schools teaching techniques and what to do in X or Y situation. Not enough time is spent on teaching the importance of self defense principles and understanding them. I'll give you a few reasons why i rarely teach techniques and choose to teach principles instead.
* Principles make you more efficient - When under attack, you don't have time to think about "hmm...i'm going to do this..i'm going to do that...then i'm going to do X technique.." It's going to happen so fast that you will have very little time to react much less act. Let's suppose you are far away and someone pulls a 9 millimeter gun at you in an urban city. What do you do? One of the fundamental principles to defend yourself in that situation is to seek cover and concealment. Soon as you see a concrete wall or anything that can stop bullets, get behind it and conceal yourself. What if someone pulls an AK-47? A shotgun? An AR-15? Throwing knives? Same concept. Get behind cover or anything that hides your presence outside the gunman's field of vision. You don't need to be an expert on firearms. You don't need to invest in years of studying each long range weapon in order to know how to respond. You don't need to have a weapon to find cover and concealment. When your against long range weapons such as firearms, the principle of cover and concealment in response still applies.
* Principles make you fluid - You may have seen Krav Maga practitioners when faced with a gunman, they'll grab the gun as they punch the face multiple times or perform a technique as shown in this video. This looks good but it's not always effective. Your attacker might have high pain tolerance and the adrenaline might make the pain less severe. He or she might even see you going for the gun and move back then shoot you. How would you resolve that with principles? Quickly redirecting the line of attack and establishing firm control over the weapon via. controlling the arm with both hands. If the gunman moves back, you move forward and apply the same principles. Another principle is obstructing your enemy's field of vision. If you got an object (any object) in your hand, throw it in your attacker's vision. You can control the arm and attack at once. As long as you understand principles, you can defend yourself more fluidly. If you forgot a technique or it didn't work, your in a big trouble.
* Principles help you understand combat - It's one thing to know techniques but it's another to completely understand combat. Techniques are static and only work in particular situations. Combat is fluid and changing. What did techniques teach you about maintaining distance? Controlling your opponent? Accuracy? If you keep thinking in terms of techniques and what to do in different scenarios, you won't understand the essence of combat. Want to know the best way to counter a headlock, a chokehold, a bearhug? Preventing that from happening in the first place by keeping your distance. As soon as your attacker tries to go into grappling range, you could use your footwork to get out of range and land a kick to the groin as a stop hit then explosively go for a knock out punch. Creating distance isn't just used in hand-to-hand combat. It also applies to weapons as well. Whether your holding a knife, a gun, a stick, or a rock - you will need to control the distance between you and your attacker to ensure your own safety while maximizing the effectiveness of your attacks.
I'm not saying you should never use techniques but don't depend on them to save your life. It's understanding principles of combat that teaches you how to better defend yourself more efficiently and effectively.
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When it comes to self defense, there arises the issue of whether you should kill in self defense or not. How do you know if you must kill an attacker or not? Should you kill an attacker if your life depended on it?
Generally, you should not kill in self defense. You should at most incapacitate your attacker to prevent him or her from attacking you further and that should be enough to save your life. Only in extreme cases where you have no other choice but to kill your attacker. Should you kill in self defense? It all boils down to these questions 1) Can you do it? 2) Can you provide evidence that killing your attacker is justified in court? 3) Are you willing to accept the consequences of your actions?
The mistake many people make is just assuming that they can kill someone because a law in their state permits it. They think "well the laws in my state permit me to shoot a home intruder..." That might be true but it does not mean that you will be justified in self defense. Once you have killed someone in self defense, you have committed homicide period. The question is whether or not your homicide was justifiable and your life will go through dramatic changes. There will be a police investigation to determine whether or not you are telling the truth. You will be held under suspicion and probably treated as a criminal. You will be questioned and the evidence at the crime scene will be examined. The authorities will ask why you didn't flee or take any other preventive measures before resorting to killing your attacker. You will need to provide sufficient evidence to prove that your attacker was intending to kill you. Your word is not enough to prove that your killing was justified. It's your words against those who prosecute you. If you cannot prove that you committed justifiable homicide in court, chances are you will lose in court. You will be punished and possibly serve time in prison.
That's why simply using guns to resolve every situation is a very bad idea because a gun is a lethal weapon. You cannot simply shoot someone because he or she threatened to kill you or had a knife. You cannot kill someone because an unarmed attacker broke into your house. The level of force used must be proportional to the perceived threat or it's not reasonable. If you shoot someone swinging punches at you then the level of force used is not proportional to the threat. You are using too much force for a situation that did not merit it and could've been resolved through other means via. hand to hand combat or running away.
After you've killed someone in self defense, you must be willing to pay the consequences. It could be time in prison, a fine, guilt, PTSD, loss of a job, the list goes on. Killing seems easy at first but your life might suffer in the long run once your attacker is dead. This case of a woman who shot her boyfriend is just one example where killing brought alot of problems.
Should you kill someone in self defense? It all depends on the circumstances and your judgement. You should never be reckless. You should always have self control in these situations. Did you do everything you could to avoid resorting to taking someone else's life? Is killing your attacker the only way to ensure your safety and end the threat? These are all important considerations to take into account because killing is a choice that will affect you for the rest of your life.
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In my blog post "why relying on weapons will get you killed", you understand why relying only on weapons will get you hurt or killed. In this self defense guide, i will teach you the basic principles in being skilled with weapons.
* Understand the weapon's strengths and weaknesses - By understanding the pros and cons of using a specific weapon or type of weapon, you will learn how to use it wisely. For example, a gun's potential weakness is the potential to jam. In the case it does jam, you will need to resort to another weapon quickly. Weapons can be used as striking tools, projectiles, defensive measures, distractions, the list goes on.
* Understand the weapon's range - Weapons can be long range, close range, or both. Guns for example function in both close range and long range. By understanding the weapon's range, you will understand how to engage or disengage an enemy from a particular range. If you don't engage an enemy in the weapon's strongest range then you are in a bad position. For example, a gun is ideally a long range weapon. Therefore, you will need to engage the enemy in that particular range.
* Learn how to create distance between you and your attacker - In order to use weapons effectively, you will need to draw them first. This requires reaction time and distance. If you don't learn how to create distance and increase reaction time, you will get hurt or killed. You may need to use hand-to-hand combat before you can disengage from an attacker at close range, create distance, and draw your gun at long range.
* Understand when to use weapons and when not to - There's a time and place to use weapons. If deadly force is being used against you then you will need to equalize that with deadly force. If deadly force is not being used against you then you cannot legally respond with deadly force. Sometimes, particular weapons are useless in a specific range. This is why you need to rely on other weapons such as your fists as opposed to relying solely on the weapon for self defense. Look what happens when a cop tries to engage an armed criminal at close range. He tries to reach for his gun but can't get upholstered and gets shot. Had he engaged his enemy in hand-to-hand combat at close range, the outcome may have been different.
* Learn to see everything as a weapon - By learning to see everything in your environment as a weapon, you will never run out of weapons to use. Everyday objects such as cars, walls, trash cans, writing utensils, pipes, sticks, stones, glass, keys, chains, rope, the list goes on can be turned into weapons. With creativity and improvisation, you can use almost anything as a weapon when you understand how weapons are used.
* "Weapons are meant to be felt not seen" - If you reveal your weapon too quickly before engaging an enemy, you give him or her enough reaction time to defend. If you learn how to distract or sneak up on your enemy to create time to quickly draw your weapon, your enemy won't see your attack coming. Keep your weapon concealed until the right moment then draw and attack.
* Keep it simple - Rather than focus on complex techniques, focus on simple attacks and defenses. The principles of attack are the same. You target center of mass and attack your enemy in vital areas of the body from many different angles. Training your reflexes, awareness, speed, timing, power, precision, and applying a strategy or tactics is far more important than technique.
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.
Despite being a Jeet Kune Do practitioner myself, i don't like associating with most of the Jeet Kune Do community. It's not that they are fans of Bruce Lee as i'm a fan myself. It's the fact that the way Jeet Kune Do is being taught today has strayed so much from what Bruce Lee and Dan Inosanto intended. I've seen so many people practicing Jun Fan Gung Fu and i have no problem with that. The problem arises when people try to put Jeet Kune Do in a box and limit it to the material that only Bruce Lee practiced. Some have even gone as far as denouncing what Jeet Kune Do is and what it isn't.
This self limiting and arrogant mindset is preparing a generation of people who are unprepared for self defense. There are many people who have shifted their focus from the process to the product which Bruce warned about. Jeet Kune Do has become a style, not a philosophy. There's a lack of emphasis on creativity, individuality, and finding your own Jeet Kune Do. There's nothing wrong with learning Jun Fan Gung Fu but you should make sure you understand it and most don't. Jun Fan Gung Fu is Bruce Lee's own personal expression. Jun Fan Gung Fu is an example of how the Jeet Kune Do philosophy is applied. It's the basis for understanding Jeet Kune Do. It does not represent Jeet Kune Do as a whole because Jeet Kune Do is different for each individual. Nevertheless, many JKD practitioners will try to fight the way Bruce did. This is impossible. You'll never be able to fight the way Bruce did because everyone has specific needs and distinct abilities. Very few people could move as fast as Bruce Lee and had the same insights in combat as he did. As Dan Inosanto explains, learning Jun Fan Gung Fu helps in understanding Bruce Lee and Jeet Kune Do from a historical framework but after that, you should research your own experience. If Jeet Kune Do to you means learning Jun Fan Gung Fu then that's your Jeet Kune Do. If Jeet Kune Do means mixing up a bunch of martial arts together to another person then that's Jeet Kune Do for him or her. Jeet Kune Do is a process of self discovery that each person ought to tread alone as long as the philosophy is being applied.
Why do i find many Jun Fan Gung Fu practitioners unprepared for self defense? Because they confine themselves to a style namely Bruce's. This goes against his teaching "be like water." Once you become too rigid, your movements become mechanical and predictable. That's not to say you won't win any street fight but you won't be able to deal with every violent situation. MMA is becoming increasingly popular nowadays. Do you think you can defend yourself against an MMA fighter? Do you think you can deal with a knife? A gun? Difficult situations? What about advanced weaponry? If you want to defend yourself effectively, you'll have to be fluid because every situation in combat is different. Jeet Kune Do is about evolution and constantly evolving. It doesn't do anyone good to strictly learn a style or system because the essence of Jeet Kune Do is adaptability.
For these reasons, i don't like the Jeet Kune Do community. I don't like the culture that it's brought up. I don't like how Jeet Kune Do is taught. I don't suggest you take a class to learn Jeet Kune Do because nine times out of ten, your instructor will not teach you the essence of Jeet Kune Do. If you want to learn Jeet Kune Do, learn it from Bruce Lee and Dan Inosanto themselves. Read their source material and apply the philosophy of Jeet Kune Do in your self defense training. Be independent. Absorb what is useful to you and what isn't. Discover who you are as an individual. Only then will you understand the true meaning of Jeet Kune Do.
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.
Active shootings have become more common and have taken many lives so it's of critical importance that you learn what to do before active shootings take place. If you don't have a plan beforehand, you will probably freeze when an active shooter starts firing rounds. This self defense guide teaches you some of the basic and most fundamental keys in dealing with active shootings with a few helpful videos:
1) Situational awareness - Studies show that active shootings are usually planned in advance. Active shooters have some emotional and psychological issues before they go out to commit horrendous acts (see link below.) They also have access to weapons. It's important you keep track of those around you and their body language. Signs such as pulling shirts down, wearing unusual clothing, or leaving bags in certain areas are key to spotting active shooters. Knowing where the exits are and where your attention needs to be are also key elements in situational awareness. If you suspect an active shooting is about to take place, you need to take action.
2) Escape - As soon as you sense shots being fired or smoke grenades being tossed in, you need to escape through the nearest exit as soon as possible. Some active shooters will use smoke to conceal themselves before they shoot civilians. If you have a gun, you don't want to try and engage in a gunfight with an active shooter. This is because if you get killed in the process, you won't be able to effectively help others. You may also be mistaken for the active shooter by the police and killed by accident. If you can land accurate shots as you make your escape then do so but ultimately you will want to get to safety and call for help. Make sure that you run in unpredictable patterns only if the shooter is firing at you. Other than that, run as fast as you can in a straight line to an exit. Be sure to alert others of the danger to prevent them from entering.
3) Hide - If you are stuck inside a building then you need to hide. Before you do, you will need to get as many people following you as possible if they want to survive an active shooting. Get inside a room and lock the doors. Turn off all lights and barricade the doors. Turn off your cellphones and be as quiet as possible. Get down as low as you can in a far corner of the room to avoid gunfire. If the active shooter sees that he or she cannot access the room quickly enough, the shooter might believe there's no one there or not bother trying to break in.
4) Fight - If you are caught in a situation where you absolutely must fight as a last resort then you need a strategy and end the threat by any means necessary. If you have an ally such as a cop or civilian trained in firearms then you need to protect him or her at all costs. If that person dies, you lose a huge advantage over the active shooter. If you are with a group of people then you have a numbers advantage against the active shooter. If you are trained in gun disarming then you need to take the initiative and take out the gunman yourself. Since there's only active shooter, he or she cannot defend against every attacker. Perhaps you could have someone serve as bait to distract the gunman while you take the gunman down and attack until you disarm him or her. Once the gunman is down, you could have the other survivors use weapons or hold the shooter down then disarm him or her. You will need to be resourceful and use cover, concealment, distractions, improvised weapons, among environmental factors when fighting an active shooter.
Practice defending yourself against an active shooter in various scenarios with a partner using a fake gun.
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.
Whether it's a spear, a staff, or any other long thrusting weapon - you will need to learn how to deal with each one using some fundamental principles. They are as follows: 1) Distance control 2) Redirect the weapon 3) Close the gap 4) Control 5) Disarm. That being said, here's some advice on how to defend yourself against a spear attack and even disarm a spearsman.
* Look for an improvised weapon - Look for a weapon that you can use against someone attacking you with a spear. It could be anything such as a gun, knife, rocks, etc. An improvised weapon is better than no weapon especially in these situations. You could use it as a shield, a projectile, or a distraction to blind your attacker's vision as you attack.
* Keep your distance - You have to move around and keep at a certain distance away from the spear. If you are too close, your attacker can make a full committed thrust with the spear and you will get hit. If you stay too far from your attacker, you will eventually get driven back and hurt or killed. Keeping your distance is very critical for what follows next.
* Redirect the line of attack, control the weapon, and close the gap - Timing is of the essence when dealing with a spear thrust or hit. When your attacker makes a committed thrust or hit with the spear, you can move out of the line of attack or simply redirect the line of attack with your hand and grab the weapon. You will want to grab the spear with both hands for better leverage. If you don't then your attacker can redirect the spear or pull away from your grip easily. It's very important to move in close to your attacker's body to avoid having your attacker redirect the spear in your direction. You can kick your attacker in the process as a distraction or in an attempt to get him/her to release the weapon.
* Disarm - Continue to rotate the spear upwards or downwards until the grip is weakened and you can force the spear out of your attacker's hands. From there, you can attack him or her with it.
* Evade when needed - Sometimes you will need to evade a spearsman if you are too far away as the spear can be thrown at you. Be sure to find cover and concealment as quickly as possible.
Spend time practicing with a sparring partner using a fake spear. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.
In this self defense guide, i will teach you how to defend yourself against an attacker wielding pepper spray. When defending against pepper spray, you apply almost the same principles as you would when dealing with a gun (see "self defense against a gunman" http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2016/11/self-defense-against-gunman.html.)
1) Get out of range and line of fire - Pepper sprays have limited range so you can avoid getting sprayed by moving quickly away from your attacker. You also need to move out of the line of fire and into a better position to attack.
2) Take cover - As soon as someone tries to attack you with pepper spray, take cover behind an object or barrier. If none is present, block the pepper spray as you turn your body to the side and close your eyes tightly. This is to prevent the pepper spray from getting into your eyes and affecting you.
3) Attack - The reason why you'll want to block the pepper spray as you would punches is to avoid getting the spray into your eyes but also to avoid any incoming attacks. As soon as you have the opportunity, land your attacks on the person. Even if you get sprayed in the eyes, it will take a few seconds for the pepper spray to take effect. This gives you plenty of time to eliminate the threat quickly. You could grab the arm controlling the pepper spray and break it or takedown your attacker then disarm him or her. When the threat is over, wash the pepper spray out with cold running water and other means.
Practice these principles with a partner using a safe substitute for pepper spray. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.
Suicide attacks are very common in many different parts of the world. There's very little advice on how to defend yourself against suicide bombers. Nevertheless, this guide will try to address how to deal with suicide bombers. Keep in mind that your chances of surviving a suicide attack aren't that high once the bomb has detonated. There are generally two ways a bomb could go off 1) Manual detonation where the bomber him or herself has to trigger the explosion. 2) Remote detonation where someone else detonates the bomb on the bomber from a remote location.
1) Learn to read body language and respond - Your best line of defense is learning how to read body language and prevent putting yourself in a potentially dangerous situation. Once the attack has begun, it's too late so it's critical you focus on preventing the attack before it happens. Be aware of your surroundings and of people's body language. A suicide bomber may be stressed off knowing his or her life will end shortly, afraid of being arrested and compromising the mission, etc. Maybe you notice the suicide bomber pulls his or her shirt down to conceal a weapon via a bomb. Perhaps you may notice bizarre or suspicious behavior. Understand the psychology of a suicide bomber is crucial in survival. According to new research, there's growing evidence that people who become suicide bombers do so because they suffer from psychological problems (PTSD, suicidal tendencies, depression, despair, helplessness, etc.) rather than religious devotion (1). Learn as much as you can about a particular person you find suspicious and avoid him or her if possible.
2) Attack - The distance between you and the suicide bomber will tell you how to respond. If a suicide bomber suddenly stands up, pulls out a detonator, and reveals the bomb or possibly yells a battle cry such as "Allah Ahkbar!", act quickly. If you are very close to that person (close range), close the gap quickly deliver a strike to the face as a distraction (headbutts, elbows, punches, etc.) and control the hand holding the detonator. Hit one of the pressure points responsible for grip. This will cause the bomber to release the trigger reflexively. You could also try to break the arm. Chaim Koppel, an internal security defense system trainer, advises you grab the bomber's shins and pull back (2.) This will cause the bomber to instinctively put his or her hands forward to break the fall but dropping the bomb trigger in the process. If there is an opportunity, you could push the bomber off a building depending on the environment. If you are far away, it's best to throw a projectile such as a knife at the bomber's head. If you use a gun, you risk setting off the bomb. This is very risky and you could be unsuccessful but if it means saving other lives, it's the least you can offer.
3) Take cover - As soon as someone gives away his or her intentions of a suicide bombing, the same concept applies when dealing with a grenade (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2017/01/self-defense-against-grenade-attack.html.) Keep your head and other vital areas protected as you get behind cover. In suicide bomb attacks involving an explosive belt, most people die from the shrapnel and debris than the actual explosion itself (3). Therefore, taking cover is critical to your survival if the option is there.
Watch this video and try to imagine yourself in this particular situation. What would your response be? If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.
If you've read my post "how to fight multiple opponents" (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2016/12/how-to-fight-multiple-opponents.html) then you should have a basic understanding on how to deal with multiple unarmed opponents. Now what if you are faced with multiple armed attackers? I will elaborate on the weapons aspect from my previous post. Assuming that your attackers have some melee weapons as opposed to all guns (i will deal with gunmen in the future), you will have to fight with quickness and efficiency. Some weapons training will be useful in these situations.
1) Understand the range of the weapons - By having a good understanding of each weapon's range, you are better able to utilize them effectively. For example, if you managed to disarm a swordsman then you can now keep a knifeman (close range weapon) at a distance with your sword (long range weapon.) If you have a knife, you need to time your intercepting moves against long range weapons and attack at close range.
2) Prioritize which weapons to disarm first - In order to be effective in fighting multiple armed attackers, you must be good at prioritizing which attackers to take out first. You must asses which weapons are the most deadly and focus on those. For example, you can keep a knifeman at bay because the weapon is for close quarters but you will likely get shot and killed by a gun. Therefore, you must focus on taking out the gun strategically.
3) Attack the closest attacker, disarm, and retrieve the weapon - If an attacker with a bat or knife comes charging at you, take him/her out as quickly as possible and disarm. You need an equalizer so don't just stay there empty handed - grab the weapon quickly and use it. If you already have a weapon of your own then use it. Any weapon improvised or not is better than no weapon.
4) Strategically move around - Like i outlined in my previous post, you will need to line up your attackers and fight only one a time. If you've already disarmed a knife, keep moving around keeping only one attacker in front of you as you close in and attack. Conserve your energy by striking at vital areas and take down your opponent's efficiently (kick to the knee caps, circle kicks, leg sweeps, etc.) If someone pulls out a gun in the middle of a fight, you'll need to use the other attackers as human shields (rear naked chokes, clinches, moving in front of them, etc.) Get close and push an attacker into the gunman as a distraction then quickly take control of the gun.
Practice these basic principles with good sparring partners using fake weapons. Make sure that you are aware of your surroundings and use improvised weapons or even the environment to defend yourself. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.
While you probably think self defense against grenades is ridiculous or useless, explosives have been used by school shooters such as in the Columbine massacre. They had the knowledge and materials needed to make explosive devices. Let's say that you are in a situation and you get attacked by an active shooter or terrorists, how would you respond to a grenade landing near you? This guide will help you.
1) Recognize the threat - Keep a watchful eye on what goes on. Do you see someone carrying a grenade? Do you see suspicious activity? Keeping track of the suspicious people who walk in or around buildings will give you cues of a potential danger.
2) Attack and/or take cover - If by chance, you are at close range to an attacker who pulls out a grenade and is about to detonate it, attack. Trap the hand and take your enemy down. Do an immobilizing strike (strike to the throat, side of neck, temple, and other pressure points) if possible Secure the weapon as you prevent the pin from being pulled and carefully perform a disarm as you secure the arm. I don't recommend punching your attacker in case the grenade falls or the pin is removed as shown in this video because there's so little time. I do however recommend using your enemy as a shield. That being said, reposition your enemy over the grenade if possible and take cover.
If you are at a long distance and a grenade is thrown, sprint then take cover. If you can use a wall or another obstacle to shield you from the blast then do so. If not then your best bet is to get down and tuck your arms in as you close your legs with your feet pointing at the grenade. Why do this? Because even if you avoid the explosion, you can still die from the shrapnel and debris caused by it. By protecting all of your vital areas, you minimize that risk. You should also yell "grenade!" to warn those in the military or those who've been trained to respond to explosives.
3) Escape - Right after the grenade has detonated, you need to escape as quickly as you can to avoid the possibility of gunfire.
Spend time practicing these tips with an object mimicking a grenade.If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below. http://www.paywithapost.de/pay?id=7b715806-c78b-4bfd-badf-4242da2bf8f2
The guns vs. martial arts debate has been a fascinating one even to me. A question people seem to be wondering is "if you have a gun, why learn hand to hand combat?" As i mentioned in my blog post "why relying on weapons will get you killed" (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2016/12/why-relying-on-weapons-will-get-you.html ), i've already listed several key reasons why using only weapons is a bad idea. Why should you learn hand to hand combat?
First, most situations don't require a gun and would be legally or physically dangerous if you do use one. Many people use guns and think about survival than about the legal consequences that follow. According to law, you are generally only allowed to shoot if someone is using lethal force against you. Other than that, you could be convicted of a crime and sentenced to prison. If you want to do time in jail or prison every-time a violent situation arises and possibly get your gun taken away then by all means use a gun for self defense. If you want to learn how to avoid that then you should learn hand to hand combat in addition to firearms training.
The other critical reason why you should learn hand to hand combat in addition to gun self defense is because you need to create distance, time, and speed in order to use your gun effectively. Guns are long range weapons. Fists are short range weapons. If you don't know how and when to use each one appropriately, you may find yourself wrestling with an attacker over your gun. If you can land the first shot with no problems and your enemies scatter then good! If you lose the gun then that's very bad for you. I once saw a video of a gun defense instructor teach students that when faced with multiple attackers, you should punch one guy and then clinch as you fire two shots in him before you shoot at the others. This is very bad advice because the other attackers could hit you from behind and take the gun away from you. By using guns and hand to hand combat together, you are better equipped to defend yourself. When fighting multiple attackers, you beat them up. If someone draws a gun, you could either disarm or use an attacker as a shield before you draw your own gun and fire. If the gun jams or you run out of ammo, you could still use it as a melee weapon and do some serious damage.
While this would work in theory, the chances of you needing a gun in self defense are rare and often pose more problems than solutions. A study done showed that there was no advantage to using guns than other means of self defense.
In conclusion, you can't just simply "point and shoot" without considering the potential consequences that follow such as killing an innocent person by accident.
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.
If you've read my posts on "self defense against a knifeman" (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2016/11/self-defense-against-knife.html) and gun disarming then you'll notice that the same principles apply to knife disarming (ex. redirecting the line of attack, understanding distance, timing, etc.) When training, here are several tips on dealing with a knifeman along with some helpful videos.
Understand the warning signs of a potential attack - A person planning to use a knife will give away several cues through body language. Keep at a distance from a suspicious person. Be aware of your surroundings. You will find in several instances where a seemingly normal person suddenly draws a knife and starts stabbing away at his or her victim.
Use a long range weapon - If you have a bat or stick, use it against your knife wielding attacker to keep the distance while attacking. You could continue attacking or perform a disarm. This video demonstrates how this works.
Practice simple and effective techniques - The reason why many knife techniques don't work against a fully committed knife attacker is because they are too complex and work only against a cooperative partner. If the techniques don't address the possibility that the knifeman may disrupt your technique by moving or fighting back then they are ineffective. It's about quality over quantity techniques. The techniques you learn must address as well as include the line of attack, possible resistance, distance, isolation, timing, and be done with no wasted movement. Ideally, you will want to A) Stop the knifeman's attacking motion B) control the knife wielding arm with both hands C) Move to the side of the knifeman and isolate the arm from the body. D) Disarm. Why would i want to control the knife wielding arm with both hands? If i simply grab the wrist but not the elbow, the knifeman could pull back and stab me. Why would i want to move to the side of the knifeman or behind him or her as i control the arm? If i stay in front of my attacker, he/she could attack me with his or her free limbs (punches, kicks, headbutts, etc.)
Learn how to deal with a knife from behind - If someone holds you at knifepoint from behind, you distract the knifeman before you redirect the knife arm away from your body as you control it with both hands then go for a disarm. Let's suppose that someone grabs you with a rear naked choke from behind and puts a knife to your throat. You must trap the hand without the knifeman seeing, redirect the line of attack away from your body, turn the weapon arm, reposition it, and attack or disarm.
Learn how to deal with a knife on the ground - If you are in a position where the knifeman is ontop of you and is about to strike, you control the knifehand with both hands then buck over as you disarm. If the knife is at your throat, you trap the knife hand as you redirect it then buck and disarm. It's very important that you get out of the bottom position when on the ground because it's very dangerous for you to stay there.
Learn how to deal with slashing - Let's suppose that a knifeman comes charging in on you with fast aggressive slashes. Create distance via kicking legs and practice perfect timing. If the slashes are moving in a predictable pattern (left to right and vice versa) then you intercept the knife hand before or after the knife passes your centerline. If the knifeman is a bit more methodical in his or her approach, you drop down and explosively go for the leg at a reasonable close distance. The knifeman won't expect your movement and will thus not be able to change the direction of the knife attack in time to strike you.
Learn how to deal with ice pick grip attacks - Let's suppose the knifeman comes at you with an ice pick grip and stabs downwards. You could cross your arms into an "X" shape above your head to stop the arm then quickly grab the elbow, turn it, and control the arm as you move to the outside. You could also move to the outside as you redirect the arm away from you then grab the knifeman's elbow and wrist.
Practice stop hits - If someone came in stabbing you at full speed, you could perform a stop hit to briefly stop the knifeman's forward thrusting motion and allow you a split second to control the attacker's arm. A stop hit could be a double palm strike, a hammerfist,a chop, etc. You could also grab the knifeman's elbow and knock the knife out of the wielder's hand.
Avoid the leveraging hand - Some knife attackers will grab your shirt or put you in a rear naked choke that is half applied to use as leverage so they can better strike you with the other hand. Don't get so focused on the knife that you forget about this hand. Why is the leveraging hand dangerous? Because your attacker can control where you move and has a better position to strike you at full speed. It also makes it difficult for you to disarm the weapon. As soon as someone grabs your shirt or wraps his or her arm around your throat, you know it's bad news so you must act quickly. As soon as someone tries to grab you, move to the outside (behind the knifeman or to the side) and attack. If someone manages to grab your shirt, break the grip, and attack from the outside. If someone tries to apply a chokehold, start attacking with elbow strikes, headbutts, punches, etc. You could probably apply a Judo or Jiu Jitsu throw and attack your opponent from there. In this video, you will observe how knife attackers grab ahold of their victims with the free hand while attacking them with the knife.
Attack the knife wielder, not the weapon - Sometimes it's better if you attacked the person holding the knife rather than the knife itself. If someone charges in trying to stab you, move to the side and perform a side kick or trip your attacker over. Knock your attacker off balance before you perform a disarm.
Disrupt the knifeman's balance - By knocking your attacker off balance be it a sweep kick or otherwise and trapping him or her on the ground, you are in a better position to perform a disarm.
Distractions - Use verbal and non-verbal communication to distract your attacker. If you could throw something to block the attacker's vision (a shirt, a bag, keys, etc.), you give yourself a brief moment to go for an attack and a disarm.
Practice timing and controlling the distance - It doesn't matter how fast your knife attacker is, you can still disarm a knifeman with timing and distance control. It's much more efficient to time a stop hit against one out of a thousand quick thrusts than to try and grab the knife hand. Distance is also important but don't keep a distance for too long or your knife attacker will eventually hit you.
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below. http://www.paywithapost.de/pay?id=7b715806-c78b-4bfd-badf-4242da2bf8f2
If you've read my blog post on "self defense against a gunman" (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2016/11/self-defense-against-gunman.html) then you have a basic understanding on how to disarm a gunman. In this post, i will give you several tips that will greatly enhance your skills in gun disarming along with some helpful videos. They are as follows:
* Strike first - As long as a gunman hasn't shot you dead upon the 1st encounter, you have the opportunity to act. As soon as you see someone threatening your life as he/she reaches to grab something from his/her pockets, move in and strike first. It could be anything - a knife, a gun, or another weapon you are unaware of. By taking the initiative, you eliminate the threat before it even begins. Don't wait until the gun is drawn for you to act.
* Practice realistic gun disarm training - The problem with many gun disarms is they rely on a compliant partner using a rubber gun with no trigger to fire fake bullets. Why is this ineffective training? Because there's no way for you to test whether or not your disarming techniques work in a situation where the gunman is noncompliant. In a real gun situation, the gun can go off at any given moment. You'll want to determine if the bullets go past you or in you. When your training in gun disarms, you must train with a gun that can shoot bullets in order to mimic a real gunman scenario. That being said, get a practice gun that can shoot fake bullets. It could be an airsoft gun or any other tool as long as it mimics a real gun. By simulating a real gun as much as possible, you learn how to improve timing and judgement. Be sure to also allow your partner to freely resist a disarm and the option to pull the trigger at any moment. Recreate different types of scenarios such as robberies, active shooters, kidnappers, hostage situations, etc.
* Know your enemy - Assess the type of gunman your dealing with. Are you dealing with a murderer? An armed robber? A kidnapper? Active shooter? If it's an assassin,he/she will likely aim from a distance before firing. If it's an armed robber, he/she will approach you making demands. According to police reports, armed robbers rarely plan their moves out well so they most likely had no prior firearms training (1). If it's a kidnapper, he/she will try to subdue you into a vehicle for ransom or other crimes. By determining the kind of gunman you are dealing with, you can decide what the appropriate response will be.
* Communicate verbally and nonverbally - Verbal and non-verbal communication is so important in self defense against guns. When staring down the barrel of a gun, your body language will affect how well you can disarm a gunman. When someone comes up to you at close range making demands, put your hands up like your surrendering. Start talking to your attacker to find out more about him/her by asking "what do you want? Money? My wallet? I don't want trouble.." Communicate non-verbally and verbally that you are not a threat. Why? Because if the gunman sees you are unusually calm despite having a gun pointed at you, he/she may keep at a distance and tread cautiously. Get the gunman to lower his guard before you attempt a disarm. If the gunman is behind you, slowly move to a position where your facing a gunman at close range. If you are pinned to a wall, distract the gunman with your speech as you move away from it. Raise your hands at the gun's level and act like your surrendering so you can quickly redirect the gun away from you. This is all important because your body position will help you perform a successful gun disarm. Most likely, your attacker will not even notice your setting up for a disarm and thus will not take precautions to ensure his or her safety.
* Use distractions - By distracting the gunman, you are taking the focus away from the gun and towards what your saying or doing thus slowing down the gunman's reaction time. It's not a good idea to attempt a disarm right away because you don't know how the gunman will react and how fast. The gun will most likely go off and you may get shot. It's best to distract with gunman with words and actions. If you got money, throw it in front of your attacker as a distraction then disarm at lightning speed. Beg for mercy. Use something to divert the gunman's attention away from the gun before you go in for a gun disarm. It could be words, objects, or attacks.
* Target the gunman's vision, balance, and structure - Gunmen must have proper vision, balance, and structure in order to land accurate shots. Focus on obstructing their vision and disrupting their balance. You could trip him/her over or throw a shirt in the gunman's face before you disarm.
* Practice effective gun disarming techniques - I've seen many ineffective gun disarming techniques and few effective disarming techniques. Ineffective gun disarming techniques don't address redirecting the line of fire, evasion, speed, and firm control over the attacker's weapon arm. Instead you might see instructors teach you to grab the barrel of the gun as you slap the wrist or break the grip through pain compliance without moving out of the gun's line of fire. Realistically, you won't be able to grab the gun from gunman as he/she can simply move back and redirect the gun towards you or just shoot you all together. If the techniques you are learning aren't addressing all of these fundamentals then you ought to learn those that do. The best gun disarm techniques i've learned are simply a two handed grip on the wrist so the gunman can't easily redirect the gun as i move out of the line of the fire. If the gunman moves back, i follow. From there, i can either control the elbow then go into an armbreak from an outside position or quickly grab the gun with one hand then turn it inwards to break the grip. Once the grip is broken and possibly his/her finger, i quickly move back as i make my escape pointing the gun at my attacker. I would not advise moving closer to the attacker's free hand or you'll likely get hit. Ideally, you'll want to move to his/her outside where you'll have better control. You could strike and compromise your attacker's balance.
* Have a back up plan - Sometimes, you won't be able to successfully disarm a gunman and if you do then you'll have to address possible resistance. If you disarm a gunman, are you prepared to shoot? If not then you are better off using the gun as a melee weapon as you engage in hand-to-hand combat. Plus the gunman may have a back up weapon such as a knife. It may go from an attempted disarm to an all out fight for the weapon. Don't get so focused on the gun that you forget about the attacker's body. Focus on addressing both the weapon and the body via. immobilization but always have a back up plan in case your primary one fails.
* Adapt to the distance - If your in close range with no obstacles providing cover or concealment between you and the gunman, go for a disarm. If your far away and find cover/concealment, make a run for it. If your somewhere in between then you must decide how to close the distance. Why would you go for a disarm at close range instead of running from a gunman? Because as soon as you turn your back and run, you would've already been shot than if you rushed in to attack with a chance of surviving. The distance between you and the gunman will tell you how to respond. Practice good judgement and choose your moves wisely.
* Use cover and concealment - In some cases, you don't have to fully engage a gunman when cover and concealment is available. As soon as you see someone pull out a gun from a distance and there's cover or concealment, rush behind it then escape. Cover and concealment provide you with many options (surprise attacks, evasion, protection, etc.)
* When under fire, run in an unpredictable pattern - If you have to close the distance between you and a gunman or evade the gun entirely, run in an unpredictable pattern. Don't run in a straight line because that's a predictable moving pattern. Don't run in a zig-zag motion either because that's also a predictable moving pattern. Use a combination of straight lines, zig zags, head and body evasion, rolls to cover or concealment,etc. at unpredictable patterns. Change the speed of your movements. Slow down before you explosively move out of the line of fire and rush in or out. This makes you a much harder target to hit even for a trained gunman. Timing is very critical so you can only stay moving in one position for about a second or two before the gunman fires an accurate shot. Sometimes moving in a straight line as you run as fast as possible to an escape route or behind cover and concealment is ideal in some situations. This video demonstrates running in a straight line vs. running in a zig zag pattern.
* Know the different lines of fire and how to respond to each one - A gunman will point his/her gun high (at head level), to the middle (around your upper back area, neck, or sides), or low (in your lower back). If the gun is pointed at head level, you evade with head movements and turn to strike as you disarm. If the gun is pointed at your upper back area, sides, neck, or lower back then you would use your shoulders and arms to attack while you control the weapon arm.
* Learn how to deal with a gun to the back - If a gunman puts a gun to your back, you'll want to feel the gun so you can perform the same principles in gun disarming. If you don't feel the gun against your back then you'll have to either back up or at the very least look over your shoulder slightly to see where the gun is if possible. Once you know where the gun is, you apply the same principles you would when the gun is pointed in front of you.
* Learn how to deal with a gun from the ground - If the gunman asks you to get on the ground, you put your hands up but keep his balance in mind. If you turn around with your hands up, strike at the back of the knee with your legs as you control the arm with the gun using your other hand then compromise his/her balance and disarm.
* Learn how to deal with a leveraging hand - Sometimes a gunman will use a free hand to control you by grabbing your shirt with the other hand pointing the gun at you. Your first priority should be the free hand instead of the gun because it's the closest target to you. As soon as you see the gunman try to grab you with the free hand, move out of the line of fire as you grab the leveraging hand then throw your attacker to the ground or use it to slam him/her against a wall. From there, you have excellent control over the gun.
* Use gunman's pressure against him/her - Depending on how much pressure the gunman is exerting, you will want to go with the flow of energy. If the gunman is pushing forwards, move forwards and move out of the line of fire.
* Don't telegraph your moves - If you make it obvious that you are planning a disarm when the gun is jammed into you, the gunman will shoot. Don't give away your intentions such as making eye contact with the gunman. Your pupils can give away your intentions (2). Don't rotate your body when the gun is pushed against you as the gunmen will feel your movements. Make your movements look as natural as possible while appearing submissive. Everything must be done swiftly and without warning.
* Know when to strike and when not to - If you want to perform a successful gun disarm, you must know when to strike and when not to. Don't just assume the role of the victim because there's a gun involved. Are there multiple gunmen? Is the gunman's gun drawn? Is it lowered? Is he/she distracted? Is the safety on? Did the gun jam? Are you in the proper distance and position to disarm the gun? If the gunman gives you a command that compromises your ability to disarm the gun successfully, that's a critical time to strike because you may not get another chance. There are many different variables you must taken into account. If the risks are too great, comply but be patient and optimistic. You have no idea what a gunman or gunmen will do to you once you are no longer useful. As soon as the opportunity presents itself such as the gunman's focus is lost or the gun jams, do not hesitate for a split second. Strike at full force and disarm if possible.
* Use noncomplementary behavior - A woman and her family when confronted with an armed robber, disarmed him by offering a glass of wine. Why does this work? People follow behavioral scripts based on expected outcomes. Criminals (robbers, murderers, etc.) expect you to do two things - comply or fight back. When you do something out of the ordinary expectations, what's the result? Confusion ultimately leading to diffusion. Even if the effects are temporary, noncomplementary behavior gives you a split second to launch an attack of your own.
Gun disarms against long guns:
* Control the gun and use it as leverage to disarm - Long guns such as shotguns are easier to disarm than handguns because they provide great leverage. By repositioning the gun with one hand on the barrel and the other on a handle near the trigger, you make the gunman's grip weaker due to the pressure and can force it out easier. Regardless of the position you are in, you apply almost the same principles as you would a handgun.
Gun disarms against executioners with guns:
* Make requests - People may think that once under an executioner armed with a gun, it's all over but this is far from the truth. From a psychological level, people are more likely to comply to bigger requests if you begin by making smaller ones. This is also known as the Ben Franklin effect (3). Make a small last dying request. Say something like "I'd like a last meal before i die." If your back is turned against your executioner, say something like "..please face me when your killing me..." If your executioner complies, that's when you strike. You can use an eating utensil or broken glass then start stabbing or striking away or rush in on the executioner. As long as you can make seemingly harmless demands, you still have some mental control over your enemy.
* Learn how to deal with the execution style position - If your in the execution style position then it's a sign your probably about to die. You will need to act quickly. From this position, it's better to trap the gun arm and disarm from the ground as you'll be in a better position to control your attacker as you create distance to shoot. If the gunman is behind you, know where the gun is located and move back into your attacker as you trap the gun arm then disarm.
* Use psychology - Not all executioners are necessarily heartless. Some feel guilt over their line of work. Some are forced into it. Interview your executioner. Figure out what kind of person he/she is by asking questions such as "how many times have you done this? Are you getting paid to kill? What do you hope to achieve? Does your family know you do this?" Use guilt trips, reverse psychology, empathy, demand eye contact - get inside your attacker's head. If you can somehow pry into his/her conscience and emotions, you can be a huge influence in whether or not the trigger is pulled. Maybe your executioner will hesitate or even let you go. If you can influence your executioner for a split second, that may give you an opportunity to attack.
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1. http://www.popcenter.org/library/crimeprevention/volume_05/08_morrison.pdf
