Make the Most Important Statement of Your Life

After any altercation, adrenaline and emotions run high. You spend all your life training and preparing for this moment, but what happens after? The world we live in may force you to defend your actions in court. While you focus on the before and during, you better get your AFTER the conflict plan together. Part of training, part of self defense is being able to defend your actions. After any conflict you will be asked to make a statement...be careful, this will be the most important words you will ever speak.

It Doesn’t Have to Make Sense, it's not About Who's Right, it's what you can prove in court to a judge and jury. It’s the way the law works. Eyewitness testimony and your statement will be the key factors in justifying your actions. What you say is more important than how you say it.

In 1996, an unhappy consumer attacked the City Marshal of Lancaster, Missouri with a hammer.(1) The Marshal defended himself and later vented his adrenaline to the responding Sheriff stating, “I hope the son-of-a-bitch is dead.” This led to the Marshal’s conviction for involuntary manslaughter and a sentence of seven years in prison.(2) The story had a happy ending, but a story four years and tens of thousands of dollars in the making, and not a story the Marshal enjoyed very much. The Marshal might have avoided the worst part of the story had he not confused his right to remain silent with the right of free speech.

In the movie, Under Pressure, a woman tried to explain the stalking and implied threats of a neighbor. After a disorganized and unconvincing recitation of ambiguous events she lamely concludes, “I’m not a very good story teller.” Most people tell stories badly. In the aftermath of self-defense there can be a giddy stream of consciousness statement which has more to do with the effects of adrenaline than reality. The basic legal advice is “DON’T.”

The first question is, “What is a statement?” In a nation which counts exotic dancing as freedom of speech, a statement is also broadly construed. In 1996, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that a suspect’s refusal to uncross his legs during questioning could be taken as a statement when later charged with murder.(3) In a separate death penalty case, the court found that the defendant had purchased a used car which sported the bumper sticker, “I’m the person your mother warned you about.” At trial the prosecution argued that the fact he did not remove this bumper sticker revealed something about his character. The Missouri Supreme Court ruled that it was perfectly acceptable for the state to kill this man, in part, because of his failure to remove the bumpersticker.(4) One can imagine the effect of bumper stickers bought in jest such as, “Keep Honking, I’m Reloading.” If this case does not also inspire a re-evaluation of one’s T-shirt collection, nothing will.

There is also the problem of nicknames. As of this writing, a rapper who rejoices in the stage name “C-Murder” is on trial for murder. If I were asked to defend a man named “Murder” or any variation thereof, I would charge more. Massad Ayoob testified in favor of a police officer who had killed a felon nicknamed “Snake.” Captain Ayoob slipped the nickname into his testimony which seems to have had an effect on the jury.

Written statement, a VERY BAD idea!

There is a cynical defense attorney saying: “Anything you say will be misquoted and used against you.” In the movie, My Cousin Vinnie, two, unfortunate Yankees are suspected of murder and during questioning are accused of shooting a clerk. One incredulously asked, “I shot the clerk?” This is taken down and read in court as a confession. Theater audiences laughed, defense attorneys smiled and nodded. There have even been cases where comments by other persons have been attributed to the defendant, and used against him; complete silence is the only bulwark against these mistakes.

The first statement is the 911 call. These calls are recorded and if the call sounds bad for the defendant, it will be played over and over again at trial. In one case, a man cocked his double-action revolver and went after a person who was shooting out windows. When he caught up with the threat he extended his revolver and in the process tripped the light single action trigger pull; arguably an accidental discharge. His 911 call records him saying that he thought he had just shot someone. The 911 operator, trained to keep him on the line and keep him talking, asked why he thought he had shot someone. The man replied, “Lady, I think I’m a pretty good shot.” This callous-sounding statement took accident off the table and the man had to live or die with a self-defense case. This all important introduction to law enforcement must be planned in advance.

The first words out of the caller’s mouth should be the location of the incident. If the battery then dies, or the minutes run out, or some other technological catastrophe occurs the authorities will know that something of interest is at that location, and the caller’s cell phone records can prove that he or she made the call. The next statement is the caller’s name. The core of the 911 call consists of three sentences:

“He tried to kill me.”
“I was never so scared in my life.”
“Send an ambulance.”(5)

The first sentence serves to introduce the roles of the parties, the caller is the victim, the other person the attacker. Being in reasonable fear of life or limb is a prerequisite to acting in self-defense. The phrase “I was never so scared…” is to preclude the prosecutor from claiming that the citizen never said he was scared “until he talked to a lawyer.”(6) The phrase “Send an ambulance” says that the caller does not want anyone to die.

When the police arrive, they will want a more elaborate statement; this should consist only of:

1. He attacked me.
2. I will sign a complaint.
3. There is the evidence.
4. I WANT A LAWYER.

Good Advice.

This restates part of the 911 call and points out critical evidence. One cannot expect the “CSI” team to be called out to pick up every fiber and hair. If a real forensic team routinely conducted the investigations shown on television, its budget would last about a week.

The demand for a lawyer is both the best thing one can do, and a damaging statement. Anyone who is questioned by police has the right to a lawyer; this includes victims. The problem is that the police, and potential jurors, take a demand for a lawyer as evidence of something to hide. To compound the problem, the victim’s decision to remain silent and demand for a lawyer can be used again him or her in court. In the criminal system, one does not have rights, until arrested; it doesn’t have to make sense, it’s just the law. It is a left-handed fortune that people who act in self-defense are routinely arrested. It may be called something else such as “detained” or given the “Alice in Wonderland” explanation “You’re being handcuffed for your own protection.” Whenever a person is not allowed to leave, he is placed under arrest regardless of descriptive terms. If one is arrested, generations of TV shows advise us to remain silent.

Western Missouri Shooters Alliance President Sheila Stokes-Begley employs a cell phone and CZ75 compact.

If the circumstances are ambivalent, simply state a fear of being sued, and demand a lawyer to protect against frivolous litigation. Bernard Goetz was acquitted of criminal charges in the shooting of four thugs on the subway, but was sued for $43 million and lost. Police are frequently sued by criminals and the explanation is likely to ring a bell.

Self-defense cases bring out the curious, the media in the forefront. Comments to friends will be confused and used against you, comments to family will be mistaken and used against you. Both family and friends can be subpoenaed and forced to testify against you. Comments to the media will be sensationalized and this is never good. The New York City prosecutor’s office had determined not to charge Bernard Goetz, until he made unwise remarks to the news media. At some point a statement must be made. The impression is that the earlier a statement is made, the more reliable it is. In reality, the earlier a statement is made, the less reliable it is. The effects of stress will confuse the statement and even cause temporary amnesia. Inaccuracies in the initial statement will convince authorities that the survivor is both a liar and a murderer. A lawyer must be immediately engaged to organize the statement.

A lawyer is a professional storyteller. He will not tell the client how to lie, he will tell him how to tell the truth, a more complicated process than most imagine. The statement must contain facts which track the elements of self-defense. In the case of defense of home or defense of other persons, there may be other elements as well. Knowledge of the assailant’s reputation for violence would certainly be relevant. The most important element to include is fear. A police statement is no place for macho posturing. One cannot use violence against another person unless in fear of life or limb. The survivor must go over every detail of why he or she was terrified, weak-kneed, pants-pissing afraid. If one does foul one’s pants, a not uncommon event, make sure that goes into the statement. No matter how ineffective a storyteller the survivor might be, the jury is sure to believe that.

(1)1 A City Marshal is a law enforcement officer position used in Third and Fourth Class towns in Missouri.
(2) State v Beeler, 12 S.W.3d 294 (Mo. 2000) at 296.
(3) State v Kinder, 942 S.W.2d 313 (Mo en banc 1996) at 325.
(4) State v Six, 805 S.W.2d 159 (Mo. Ban. 1991) at 167.
(5) Taken from the Western Missouri Shooters Alliance “Stay Out of Jail” card, see www.WMSA.net.
(6) A claim I have heard, even when false.

Kevin L. Jamison is an attorney in the Kansas City Missouri area concentrating in the area of weapons and self-defense.

This information is for legal information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. For specific questions you should consult a qualified attorney.

This Article is From The Armed American Report and written by BY K.L. Jamison

Damian Ross
The Self Defense Company
Self Defense and the law
right to defend yourself

I Get Hit in the Balls a lot

Let's get one thing straight to the women in the audience. To men, their balls are the most important item on their bodies. Take for example when soccer players line up for a free kick. They have a clear choice: protect my nuts or protect my head. 100% without fail, they choose balls over brains. They will take a ball kicked at 100 mph to the face before they will even chance a graze to the nuts. On the list of priorities,the testicles are numero uno.


This is because it causes us the most pain and will cripple any man regardless of size, strength or will. This is a universal truth. Look at every combat system in the world from the Zulus to the Aztecs and you will see the balls are number one on the hit list. Our balls have been under attack since the dawn of time. There is no doubt that before Cain hit Abel with a rock he kicked him in the nuts first.



Recently I've done what most 40 year-olds do when they decide to stop having kids and the condom is NO LONGER an option...I got the big V (that's vasectomy to you young bucks). After almost 40 years of battle, my boys have been put out to pasture.

As I breezed through recovery I realized my nuts are pretty tough. I had heard horror stories from balls swelling to the size of grapefruit to non-operational equipment. Regardless of the warnings of my fellow man, this procedure was midnight run. Of course, putting my most prized possession out to pasture has caused me to reflect on the years of service my testicles have provided and I came to one startling conclusion...I get hit in the balls a lot.

It started with my older sister. She began ballet at the age of 5 and was no older than 10 when she realized that the best way to get a boy under control was a battement technique to the family jewels. For those of you who don't know, a battement translates into "beating". This is a generic term for various movements in ballet by which the leg is extended and then returned repeatedly (add fast and hard). My sister mastered this with awe inspiring accuracy. This was also he time I realized my balls were the "chink in the armor". The pain one feels the first time they are hit squarely in the balls is excruciating. Ladies, don't talk to me about child birth..which sucks and defies physics, but you don't run the risk of experiencing that feeling during every physical confrontation.

By age 7 I started wrestling and there was no rest for my little nuggets. While some kids opted for the protection of a plastic cup, I chose the cool kid option to go "sans protection", leaving the fate of my boys up for grabs so to speak. Unfortunately my "devil may care" attitude was not without a price. That fateful day was the day we wrestled the "Purple Wave" from Garfield, NJ.

The first time someone grabs your nuts is really an unforgettable experience. One would hope it would be in the back seat of your dads Oldsmobile, but in my case it was on the wrestling mat with another kid. We were wrestling Garfield and after the first few matches we realized that those kids had a penchant for nut-grabbing, my opponent was no exception. I was on the bottom to start the second period. When the whistle blew I remember trying to stand up when he kid literally reached from behind and squeezed my grapes. What happened next, shocked both of us.

Feeling a foreign hand on the holiest of holy part of my body was like getting hit with a bolt of lighting. I literally launched myself from his grasp. The force I used can only be compared to that superhuman strength that a mother gets when she lifts her car off of her trapped child. Needless to say, I needed no more motivation to finish the match with a victory. There was NO WAY that kid was getting another chance at an impromptu hernia exam.

As I grew, I put my nuts in greater peril. Football, baseball, wrestling and the frequent playground scraps started to condition my juevos to "take the pain" a bit. In high school the hits got bigger and the guys got stronger. During the Region 1 wrestling finals my junior year, that guy spent more time in my crotch than my girlfriend. After the match I felt he should have at least bought me dinner first.


When I was 15, I started karate and not a night went by that someone was in the fetal position gasping for air and writhing in pain. The first thing you discover in karate is that being able to kick high is not really an advantage. When sparring someone who kicks lower than you, they will always kick you in the balls. Take the round kick for example. While you're throwing a high, graceful kick to the head of your opponent, they're frantically trying to return the favor with a kick of their own whch will end up right in your nuts. Because you're extended leg literally will guide their low kick, right into your nuts and if you're cup is not in the right place..you're going down.

Now, let me tell you about people who can't kick high. They're nervous because they can't kick well. Since they're nervous the try harder. Translation: they kick harder. I have fielded more kicks to the crotch than I care to remember. The end result: you may score the point, but they won the fight since you are lying on the ground trying to uncross your eyes. So much for kicking high. I haven't kicked high since 2000.

Later in college I started to work security and get into the trouble that accompanies those types of endeavors. The worst I can recall was the time I was literally picked up by my nuts and slammed down on the sidewalk by a mountain of a guy. That left a mark and introduced me to the effectiveness of frozen peas.

Judo was another torture my gonads were forced to endure. A popular throw is called Uchi Mata or "Inner Thigh Throw". As the name suggests, this throw is MEANT for the inner thigh, but any judoka will tell you it's more INNER than THIGH. People learning this particular throw really try hard. Like most newbies, they adopt an "if its not working throw harder" attitude. Here's the rub, an effective counter for this technique is to advance towards them and jam them with your hip this works against a good fighter since bending over or backing away is NOT an option. Against a poor fighter it puts your balls on the front line. Now you won't get thrown, but something far worse will happen, a calf in the nuts. So you have a choice to make: train for the good fighters OR protect your nuts against the poor fighters. You can only guess I opted for greatness and sacrificed my balls to every inexperienced judo player to attempt the uchi mata.

And if that wasn't enough, I actually purposely "toughened my boys" to take the pain. Check out Module 6 of The Self Defense Training System (SDTS) and you'll see me take the fellas through a little conditioning session (this actually works real well).

In the end, despite my best efforts, I was still able to father two children and lead a happy and productive life. At this point, I would like to thank my balls for putting up with my behavior over the past 40 years and let them know that without them none of this would be possible. I hope they enjoy their retirement and I will see them lounging poolside in Miami.

Some people say I have brass balls, but now you know, they're just tougher than most.

Damian Ross
The Self Defense Company
The Self Defense Training System
Self Defense
Martial Arts

If You're Comfortable, You're Not Learning

If you feel comfortable, you're not learning. Comfort is not to be confused with "natural". Comfortable is that awkward, hyper-self aware feeling you get when you're doing something for the first time...you do remember your first time :)?

Learning leads to growth. Growth leads to advancement and evolution. The only way to really learn and grow is to get outside your comfort zone, try and fail.

Failure leads to success. The more failures you have, the greater your successes will be. Most people quit well before they start to see real success. That is why they are most people. Most people think that being uncomfortable and failing is a result of their ineptitude. They think poor performance is due to their lack of natural talent.

Lack of skill is not lack of talent. Skill is modified behavior. This takes time. The more simple the movement or the concept, the easier it is to modify your behavior. The more complicated and convoluted the longer the behavior takes to master. Pretty straight forward concept.

Learning and growing is the key. It leads to self discovery, self improvement and enriches the lives of the people around you. It keeps you young by reminding you of a time when you didn't know all the answers.

When you stay in your comfort zone your world gets smaller and smaller and gradually shrinks. This is what happens to most people. They hit a point where they work, they live, they basically just exist. Then they reach their 40's and 50's and lose their minds. They become depressed, question their purpose in life and wonder is this as good as it's going to get? They blame their jobs, their spouses and their kids. The count all the missed opportunities and all that they sacrificed so that they could provide a life for their families. The wrap themselves up in self pity and point a finger at the outside world when in reality, they only have themselves to blame.

At the end of the day YOU are the problem. YOU make the choices because YOU decided to play it safe. It's YOUR FAULT. Not your spouse, not your kids, not your job. Regular people make excuses, exceptional people take action. Taking action requires you to step outside your comfort zone. It could be small at first, making a suggestion at work, taking a pottery class- whatever it is, start small and take bigger steps.

Teaching people to protect themselves is not just about learning to kick ass. In fact, that's the easy part. It's a tool to enable people to have more confidence, more self reliance and more self worth. It helps people overcome their fear of the unknown. It's a major step in the right direction.

Today is the day. Do something you would normally say NO to. Do something a little impulsive. STOP sitting on your ass, get out of your comfort zone and SEIZE THE DAY BY THE CAJONES!!!!

Yep, it's Sunday Morning and I'm already full of piss and vinegar.

Damian Ross
The Most Lethal Self Defense Program in the World
The Self Defense Company
The Self Defense Training System
Martial Arts
Self Defense

Combat Arts and Self-Defense has made me a Good Cop.

Combat Arts and Self-Defense has made me a good cop. I can say this without hesitation and doubt. The experiences and skills you take away from combat arts are indispensable in a law enforcement career. So, maybe you used to train and gave it up. Or perhaps you are apprehensive about trying something new. What follows are some reasons to start or get back in the game of combat arts.

1) Experience. The buzz word nowadays is “desensitization.” In other words, knowing what it feels like to get punched, kicked, choked, etc. These are definitely lessons to be learned before they happen for real. A great example can be witnessed in any jujitsu class. A new guy taps from a choke almost immediately no matter how effective the application. This is not because he/she is soft or weak. It is just a totally natural reaction to a sensation he/she has never felt. Revisit this “newbie” in six months and you will see he can hold out for two to three times as long as before. More importantly, he will also know when he is in seriously trouble. These extra seconds make all the difference in the life of a cop.

2) A Valuable Reality Check. It is extremely difficult to move someone who is truly resisting. Combat arts gives you an opportunity to deal with non-compliant subjects on a regular basis. You will see that strength and size do matter. And the pretty techniques are often useless. Simple works.

3) Strategy. This is the biggest advantage, especially with self-defense. Hitting first, hitting hard, and hitting when the opponent isn’t ready, is what wins altercations.

4) The “I’ll just shoot him” mindset- This is a silly thing that often comes from cops’ mouths. In order to use a gun, you have to recognize the threat, draw the gun, point/aim the gun, and then pull the trigger. Self-defense will show you that this often takes too much time before you’re on your ass. Never mind the fact that more than 95% of law enforcement altercations involve physical (hands, feet) or mechanical (spray, taser) force. Your body will be the weapon you use the majority of the time.

5) De-mystifying the Wrist Lock. The only way to know what techniques work is to train honestly. Relying on the wrist locks and come alongs from the police academy as your primary tools is a recipe for disaster. True training will show you these techniques are very limited.


Self-Defense training gives you another weapon on your duty belt. But this weapon serves you both physically and mentally. It can do nothing but help a law enforcement professional.

Author is
Ed Kane a New Jersey Detective and Guardian Instructor with The Self Defense Company

To get the Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program CLICK HERE
To get the most lethal Self Defense System in the World CLICK HERE

Damian Ross
The Self Defense Company
Police Defensive Tactics
The Self Defense Training System
Self Defense
Martial Arts

The Right to Bare Hands

Do you need empty hand self defense if you carry a firearm? Is strapping the "great equalizer" on all you need to ensure your safety? The popular belief that firearms enthusiasts from cops to citizens feel is that since they carry a gun, they have no need for empty hand tactics so why bother ever learning?

The people who say this are for lack of a better word, lazy. They have convinced themselves that being able to hit a target with a bullet is all they need for self defense. Their ability to survive depends directly on access to their weapon. In a perfect world, this works. Unfortunately real life situations don't happen in a vacuum. The circumstances that surround their need to draw a firearm, acquire the target and fire boils down to one factor TIME.

Will you have time to recognize a threat, draw your weapon and acquire the target? Will your weapon function correctly and will you actually shoot and stop your target with the ammo you have? If you don't you're in a world of proverbial shit as your firearm is magically transformed into a club. The only question to ask is NOW WHAT?

What happens if you don't have access to your weapon or your enemy is so close you don't have time to draw.

A lot can go wrong and it usually does. You will be taken by surprise, you will have the "OH SHIT" moment (that second when your brain finally processes the attack) and unless you get the jump on your enemy, it's a street fight. I once heard that "Everything outside 10 feet is a gun fight and everything with in 10 feet is a street fight" I think this statement is accurate (give or take a few feet).

Listen, there is no either or argument since ITS ALL SELF DEFENSE!

If you want to maximize your chance of survival you need to adapt a "Whatever it takes and by whatever means" attitude. Your bare hands, your boot a rock or a firearm, survival is what counts. You don't get any points for style.

This month The Self Defense Training System received an incredible review from the US Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) a group of citizens dedicated to protecting their rights by keeping people like you well informed and well trained.

These people get it. Even though they spend hours and countless rounds preparing to defend themselves against violent attacks they're not leaving anything to chance. They know that self defense is RESULT DRIVEN not MEANS DRIVEN. In other words, it doesn't matter HOW you get there only that YOU GET THERE.

Hey, I have firearms, I have pepper spray, edged weapons and a whole other host of nastiness waiting for any scumbag who decides to pick my house and my family as a target. This is the driving force behind The Self Defense Training System. You must condition your self to take advantage of ANY AND EVERY opportunity. You must be willing to do whatever it takes because believe me, that piece of shit who is standing in front of you trying to take what's yours has already demonstrated that he has no regard for your safety and well being.

This is the problem with most people, they can't imagine the reality of violence. Law abiding, good people imagine that their attacker has the same reasoning, logic and values. They imagine the firearm or the fact that they study a martial art is going to be enough. But it's not. The most important skill to develop is your will to survive at all costs. Don't try to project your thought process into the mind of your attacker. It does not work. You are a law abiding upstanding citizen, he is a ruthless animal. You would just as soon reason with a rabid dog than you would a crack head.

Firearm or no firearm, you must be prepared to do whatever it takes period.

Damian Ross
The Self Defense Company
The Self Defense Training System

Who the Hell is Ragnar?

Let's get one thing straight, I am not a long distance runner. I have run great distances in the past because coaches, instructors and superiors have told me to. I run to make weight, I run to pursue and of course, I run when chased. I have never run in a foot race of any kind after the 7th grade until today. 30 years later, my instinct to never back down from a challenge and to always say YES may have flipped my sorry ass from the frying pan into the fryer.

Enter the RAGNAR RELAY. A 175 mile race that was started in 1980 by a guy named Steve Hill who is obviously a sadist at heart and probably not to be trusted. The race is named in honor of Ragnar, a Norse King who is known for pirating and pillaging as only good Vikings do. I don't know what the connection to the race is other than Ragnar was crazy and the maniacs who run this thing are even crazier.

The Ragnar Relay is a 175 mile race over a 24 hour period. The 175 miles are split up between 12 team members. Some teams have 6 but those groups should be ashamed of themselves for being able to run that far and that fast without dying.

Each team members is responsible for 3 legs of the race for a total of 16 miles. The legs are rated from MODERATE, HARSH to VERY HARSH (notice there's no "EASY" if there is, I wasn't assigned one). We're running in the May 15th relay from Woodstock, NY to Bronx, NY. We start at 8:00am and will probably finish up around 9:00am the next morning. So that means running in the middle of the night and at all hours, depending when you're scheduled to run.

12 people in 2 vans, sweating, smelling and eating a lot of prepackaged, complex carb supplements that taste like cardboard and old socks. I can smell the body order NOW! Just like training camp, another memory I would rather leave in the far reaches of my mind with other memories like losing my 4th grade girl friend to Gary Fransiconi.

I started training in February. 3, miles, 4 miles, 5 miles, 8 miles, 10 miles, I've been cruising and thought I was doing great, until our first team practice last Sunday.

Our team of 12 consists of 3 old guys (one of which I am) and 9 young bucks: 20 somethings who have not yet felt the effects of the harsh life, endless hours of torture that can only be attributed to violent hobbies, dangerous job obligations and plain old lack of judgment.

Last Sunday we all met for the first time at our team leader, Joe's house. Incidentally, Joe is the one who asked me to run the race within 5 minutes of our meting for the first time...I should have known better.

We started to get to know each other (read feel each other out). In addition to Joe, two of the guys Joe's son Tom and his friend Nick, seemed to be the ones with the running experience. Of course Nick was the guy who hasn't worked out in a while. NOTE: when someone tells you this, be prepared to be sandbagged. People ho train a lot will tell you they haven't been training while people who don't train, tell you they train all of the time.

At this point I know I'm not the fastest in the room. But I'm thinking, I've been training since February, how bad can it be?

We start our 6 mile work out. Tom takes off like a shot, he's so far ahead he can only be tracked by satellite. The two old men of the group me and Joe started side by side (Joe has about 10 years on me but to be honest, the way I ran, you wouldn't know the difference). After a few hundred yards I decide to make the novice mistake of going faster, a decision I will live to regret.

At 2 miles we've spread out a bit. I'm in second and I'm so far in second that I can barely make out Tom's figure on the horizon. Meanwhile I pick up a little red dot in my peripheral vision.

Mile 3, the red dot can now be identified him as Nick "the guy who hasn't run in two months." By mile 3.5 Nick is knocking at my back door and I'm maintaining my pace. At mile 3.75 he passes me and I have a startling revelation...

I don't know how to run!

This kid cruises by me like he's walking, I means as he pulls away he looks like he's literally gliding. I on the other hand am feeling every bump in the damn road.
Ignorance exposed. I realize that I have no long distance running technique whatsoever. 42 years of walking, sprinting, climbing, repelling, fighting and all of the other F words, I can't run.

At this point I come to my second revelation...
I have 2 miles to go and I've been trying to keep up with the marathon man.

As Nick fades in the distance I bare down for the final 1/3 of training.

The last mile sucked, it was all up hill. What pissed me of about this hill is that it wasn't a steep, kick your ass and make you throw up hill. It's a subtle incline that makes you feel like its not really a hill at all. It's just a steady stream of gravity weighing your body down. Like a millstone, pulverizing your body and your will to run.

I'm thinking I should maybe walk.

Just as I'm going to submit, Joe comes out of nowhere and is at my side. So much for stopping. The former Ranger was exactly what I needed to kick it into high gear and finished the Godforsaken workout.

So how fast was I running? Try 8 minute and 59 seconds per mile for 6 miles. That's my est time for 6 miles. Too bad that time paled in comparison to the young bucks 7 minute mile times.

Like I said, I'm not a runner but hell, it's never too late to start new things and meet new challenges. Accepting new challenges is the secret to youth. Learning is the key to being young. Getting out of your comfort zone is humbling but it allows you to understand what it's like to be a beginner, to learn and look awkward doing it. As an instructor, mentor, teacher or supervisor It's important that you do things that take you completely out of your element.

Now I'm off to do another 8 miles...more to come.

To learn more about the Ragnar Relay go HERE

Damian Ross is CEO if The Self Defense Company and founder of The Self Defense Training System.

Almost Self Defense

Tactics always come first, techniques are secondary. While each individual technique has its advantages, whether it’s a punch, a heel of hand, an edge of hand or an elbow, it’s not nearly as critical as the protocol by which you attack.

The vast majority of martial arts and self defense experts don’t consider tactics. In fact, they do the opposite and focus on specific technique. They do this because it is easier to quantify skill. The more techniques you know, the more skill you have. Techniques also make it easier to communicate and compare styles and systems. Individual techniques allow us to evaluate performance of an individual through proficiency. Hey, there is no doubt that the better you perform a technique, the harder and faster you attack, the more successful you will be, but with the wrong tactics, you’ll never have a chance to unleash hell on your target.

Techniques are like rounds in a firearm. They have a single purpose, to destroy your target. Like a soldier going into battle you have tactics to tell you when and how to fire your weapon. The techniques are the means by which you enforce your tactics. They are mindless, just like the bullets in your gun.

The following is a video I pulled from youtube. I only use this because it is an excellent example of a well meaning martial artist with some good ideas and even better intentions. She is an excellent example of what’s out there today. She says some good things but they are combined with some serious tactical flaws. Like most martial artists, she is only half right. She says some of the right things and to the untrained observer, it sounds reasonable. Unfortunately in the world of self defense there is no room for half right. Like my Dad used to say, “YOU CAN’T BE HALF PREGNANT”. It’s an all or nothing proposition, you’re either all right or all wrong.

The video starts off great. She is right on point and has some excellent ideas. When I first started watching it I was excited to see something pretty good for a change. At 1:10 in the video, she’s really cooking, great use of verbal skills, setting boundaries. The whole initial presentation is right on the money especially for women and youth citizens.



At 4:40 she starts focusing on techniques and target areas. This is what most martial artists are good at. Identifying vulnerable areas and giving you suggestions on how to attack them. This is usually the primary focus of the self defense instruction, but you are going to see, it’s not the most critical. Then, she falls apart.

TACTICAL MISTAKE 1: at 6:05. Action is faster than reaction.
Here she is grabbed on the arm and advises to yell and pull away if you can. This wastes critical and valuable time. The grab is only the beginning and it PREEMPTS the real attack. You don’t know if it is going to be a punch or a stab. You must assume the worst. You ca not make a spilt second, life or death decision based on what your attacker is going to do. You must attack immediately and ruthlessly in order to maximize your survivability. You must assume the worst case scenario. If an unknown assailant assaults you (physical contact) you have the right to defend yourself.

You will never be able to react fast enough. You have already screwed up by letting him get close to you. You do not have time to try verbal skills or anything else that will give your attacker the opportunity to inflict more damage. You need to begin immediately inflicting damages on your target to maximum your chance of escape or victory. You must attack with harsh intent in order to ensure your survival. Anything less, leaves you dead. Never put your fate in your attacker’s hands. EVER!

TACTICAL MISTAKE 2: at 6:41. Always attack the man.
Like we mentioned before, the grab preempts the real strike. In this case the guy could hold onto her wrist from now until eternity and she would never suffer any damages. The real pain is yet to follow. When you focus on the specific technique, in this case the wrist grab, you ignore the most dangerous part of the scenario…the rest of the attacker!!! While you’re messing around with his grab he will be beating you to death. Now, if it’s your drunk brother in law, OK, you know the guy- he’s not going to kill you (you hope), but if this is some scumbag off the street, you have no choice but to obliterate him as fast as possible. In real world self defense, you don’t even pay attention to the grab. You focus on destroying the man behind the grab.

TACTICAL MISTAKE 3: at 6:50. Loss of finite motor skills.
When you’re stressed your hormone induced fear will make finite motor skills impossible (Read Lt. Grossman’s ON COMBAT). When under fight or flight stress you will only be able to do a few gross motor movements. Small movement like twisting the wrist for a release not only waste critical time, but are nearly impossible in real world conditions. Imagine getting grabbed in a dark parking lot, do you think you will be able to recall wrist release number 1?!?!?! Instead you need to train in methods that teach you to apply a handful of injury causing, skull cracking techniques to any situation. While you’re twisting your wrist, he’s punching you in the face. I don’t know about you but I’d much rather be the one punching his face while he’s grabbing my wrist.

TACTICAL MISTAKE 3 at 7:22: Plan for the worst, hope for the best.
Here she finally talks about striking him. This is putting the cart before the hoarse. Her presentation would have been so much better if she did this first and didn’t bother with the other crap. Or she presented the verbal skills and wrist release as non-violent alternative to familiar attackers like boyfriends and family members. But she offers it as a last resort. In the real world you must always assume the worst: he’s stronger, bigger, has intent and has friends. Assume he is armed, even if you don’t see a weapon. In the latest uniform police report, over 70% of all violent crime arrests a weapon was present. Not used, but on the assailants person. In order to survive and win you must act with these assumptions.

TACTICAL MISTAKE 4 at 7:37. Note on assailants attack: This type of attack is meant to intimidate it’s victim. The arms will not be extending like Frankenstein’s Monster. You will be jacked up and brought in close: nose to nose, eyeball to eyeball. This type of attack is in efficient means of choking but a great way to set up a head butt or a knee to the groin. You will be jack up, banged and bounced around. You’re head will be slammed off of a wall and you will not be standing still.
At 8:05 she assumes he will not be hitting you. Well she doesn’t live in our neighborhood, like I mentioned, knees, head butts and toe kicks into your shin are soon to follow if this guy is a good street fighter.

TACTICAL MISTAKE 5 at 9:30. Assume the worst (again). A bear hug is a violent attack performed by larger people on smaller people. You must also assume that if your assailant assumes this method of attack they have some comfort level with it. She doesn’t talk bout maintaining balance, and a good foundation that without you won’t be able to do a damn thing. Also keep in mind that if you are trying to maintain your balance you WILL NOT BE ABLE TO KICK. Now if my wife were to come up behind me and embrace me like this, no problem, I’d knock her cold. But when a drunk, Division 1AA linebacker grabs me from behind, I’m lucky to be conscious. Now, at the very end she has some more good ideas, but because of critical tactical mistake you will never even have an opportunity to perform these.

By no means do I mean to embarrass the person on the video, this is just a great example of a well meaning, caring martial artist making typical mistakes that all martial artists do.

The tactics of self defense are the same that apply to combat:
1. Concentration of effort Principle, is a fighting force's edge. Once an aim is identified, earmark enough resources to achieve it and focus them on the task. An old maxim has it that he who defends everything defends nothing; and it is also true that he who attacks everywhere will capture nothing. In self defense, you can’t plan for every specific situation, but you can train to attack the target in one similar manner. This concentrates your effort. For example: training, specific and different defenses for a wrist grab or a collar grab or a choke will dilute your effort, but training to dismantle anyone who puts their hands on you at close range with a few techniques, concentrates your effort.
2. Deception Principle, is the act of allowing an opponent to only react to the wrong circumstances. Diversionary attacks, feints, decoys: There are thousands of tricks that have been successfully used and still have a role in the future. In self defense you may appear to be weak or injured, you may also ask questions or use concealed weapons and tools to distract or injure your target.
3. Destruction of enemy forces Principle states that you will achieve your other war aims (strategic and tactical) most efficiently if you reduce your enemy's forces. Remember that you both have limited resources to deploy in order to achieve your own aims and to prevent the enemy from achieving hers. The destruction of these resources tips the balance against you. In self defense, you MUST always use methods that cause maximum damage to your enemy and minimum damage to you in the shortest amount of time possible.
4. Economy of force Principle, the ability to use all forces effectively. A common principle of war; the attentive commander knows that his troops, equipment and supplies must be husbanded and used carefully, only if there is a good chance of success. Of course, the terrible conundrum is that success only comes when one exposes their forces to risk. Allocate minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts in self defense, anything less than complete commitment to obliterating your enemy will cause you to waste time and energy. A “non-lethal” or “non-violent approach” like a wrist release will divert time, energy and attention away from the real objective: survive and win at all costs.
5. Initiative Principle, or simply "Carpe Diem" translated as "seize the day". This is self explanatory: the failure to act is a failure.
6. Maneuver Principle, consists of the various ways in which troops can be deployed and moved to obtain offensive, mass, and surprise. Place the enemy in a disadvantageous position through the flexible application of combat power. In self defense you must always move forward and take ground. This keeps your enemy off balance and incapable of attacking you. Attack, attack, attack and for good measure…attack again.
7. Mass principle, is the concentration of superior force at a critical point. Concentrate combat power at the decisive place and time. In self defense you put your strongest weapons to their weakest targets.
8. Objectives Principle. Tactics should be directed to achieving a particular outcome such as a successful disengagement from an advancing enemy, or merely causing a greater proportional loss to the enemy than to your own force (attrition). Once an aim is identified, time, resources and effort are expended to achieve it; therefore, these are wasted if the aim is frequently changed. In self defense, it is self preservation with NO regard towards your enemy. When you start to act with your enemy’s safety in mind, it confuses the objective. Your objective is to survive and win at all costs, anything less is gross miscalculation.
9. Offensive Principle. Seize, retain, and exploit the initiative. Direct every military operation towards a clearly defined, decisive, and attainable objective. In self defense, you can not hold back until the threat is gone.
10. Relentless pursuit of foes Principle, is the idea of breaking the enemies morale by relentlessly attacking a foe, not giving them the chance to recover, which brings you that much closer to breaking the enemies will to resist. In self defense you must attack ruthlessly and violently. The more brutal your attack the higher the rate of success.
11. Simplicity Principle Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and clear, concise orders to ensure thorough understanding. In self defense you need only one objective combined with clear and specific actions that can be applied and adapted to any situation. More complicated techniques and ideas leads to confusion. Confusion leads to hesitation and that wastes resources like time and effort. Keep it simple.
12. Surprise Principle, is the act of using stealth and deception in your attacks vs. the enemy. Strike the enemy at a time, at a place, or in a manner for which he is unprepared. In self defense the one who strikes first, usually wins. By using distance and methods of deception you can expose your target’s intentions and create an opportunity for you to attack first.
13. Unity of command Principle, or cooperation, is essential to the pursuit of objectives. For every objective, ensure unity of effort under one responsible commander. Self defense has one goal: survive.

Tactics always come first. It doesn’t matter if it’s on the battlefield or the back ally, the octagon or the parking lot. These are the laws of conflict and can never be ignored.

Damian Ross
The Self Defense Company
The Self Defense Training System
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