Assessing if what-you-are-learning works for self-defense — and why you need to do it. “Everyone knows what something means until there’s a problem” Paul Spiegal Contract Attorney There’s a dangerous problem about both learning and teaching ‘self-defense.’ Mostly it’s about what you don’t know you don’t know. It’s not hyperbole to say this lack … [Read more…]
What is a Movement? What is a Tribe? How can you tell if you are in a tribe or part of a movement? There is nothing inherently wrong with being in a tribe. Human beings are naturally drawn to tribes. Most people are members of a wide variety of tribes. Your family is a … [Read more…]
The Intentional & Unintentional Murderer. I am an undercover operative as well as trained in, and a trainer of, the physiology and psychology of violence. As well as trained in human behaviour and operational areas of the anti-human trafficking profession. The information in this article is sensitive yet supplied to give the general public … [Read more…]
Rory Writes: This was just going to be an example for the last article on reframing, but it grew into an article of it’s own. One aspect of self-defense that is rarely addressed are low level predators and creeping victimizations. The low-level predators are the ones who keep their victims uncomfortable, but never cross … [Read more…]
In the world of street-response to potential violent conflict one often encounters the word “de-escalation.” I want to define that term, not to insult intelligence but to make sure we’re on the same page about a tactic I find of nominal value as it applies to the everyday citizen. De-escalation is, in short, a micro-version … [Read more…]
Making eye contact is something we do many times each day, and we may not even realize it but we all use it to communicate, consciously or not. Eye contact is a subset of body language and this article is meant to be an introduction to this language and how it works, with a particular … [Read more…]
Punch ups, muggings and even fatalities are frighteningly common in a society that is bulging at the waist with unsolicited assaults. Due to astonishing growth-rate of violent crime in Britain, skills in self-defense are almost a pre-requisite if you want to get from the pub to the Indian and home again in one piece. In … [Read more…]
As a self defense teacher/instructor I believe it is important to remember what it was like when we first started learning along with a good understanding of who our audience is when it comes to teaching certain tactics and technical applications as we tend to often get locked down on absolutes. For example, and this … [Read more…]
There is a common misconception that conflict resolution is the same as de-escalation; if you resolve the conflict, you deescalate the situation. The phrase, “putting the cart before the horse”, comes to mind -i.e. how can you resolve a conflict if somebody is still in an emotional and adrenalized state? The answer is, you can’t. … [Read more…]
“Cock Roaches” is my pet name for those low-level pervs who get their kicks by doing stuff that makes women feel uncomfortable or threatened without ever actually doing anything that is actually actionable or reportable. They might stand too close, but never touch. They may touch, but always engineer situations to make it look like … [Read more…]