However, there is another story.  There is a story of a police officer who is shot at…he lost his pinky finger.  However, the officer dies from shock because he was afraid of fact of being shot.

You can survive a horrible engagement, but the will to survive must be evident.  It is an internal motivator that comes from deep inside.  You have to believe that you will win a difficult encounter whether the offender has a weapon or not.  If the offender has a knife, a firearm, or any other weapon, the more aggressive you are with them the more likely you are able to win.  And winning is a choice.  It’s the mentality to fight so that you can go home that night.  It’s the mentality of surviving the event no matter what the cost.

Surviving is a Choice.  Would today be the day you make that choice?

According to the FBI Statistical Data for 2009, there has been about 1,320,000 Violent Crimes committed in the United States.  The Violent Crimes category include Murder, Forcible Rape, Aggravated Assault, and Robbery.

According to their “per 100,000 inhabitants“ data:

• 5 People have been Murdered
• 57 People have been Forcibly Raped
• 133 People have been Robbed (Legally, this means with a weapon)
• 263 People have been Aggravated Assaulted ( Legally, this means to hurt someone with intentional and severe harm)

If I have guilted you into doing something to protect you family and love ones, then I have done my job.

You need to have a plan, take precautions, and take action.  Don’t be the person that thinks this will happen to someone else.

Go to your local martial arts school and learn self defense.  Teach your kids about a family safeword. Train your household what to do when there are intruders in the house.  Get your insurance, financial, and legal items in order.

Don’t just sit there and think it won’t happen to you.  Just be prepared - once you are,  you will have the peace of mind that you have done everything possible to protect and secure your family.

On my drive home after receiving my wife’s frantic call, all I was thinking was that I know I locked both the front door and the side door of the house before I left.  Or did I forget to?

When I got home, all I could  see was the shocked expression of my wife’s face, the police fervently searching for evidence, and the mess the burglars left.

As I stood there amongst the mess, I knew then that I did my job as a good home owner of securing my home.  I did lock both doors, but the burglers were still able to get in.

How?

They broke through the window on front door and unlocked the doors themselves!

Lesson number one.  Although doors with windows can be visually appealing, it does lessen the security provided by a fully closed door.

My advice is if you do have a door with windows, you must have a bolt lock that uses a key lock on both sides.  So if a burglar attempts to break into the home by breaking through the door window, without the key he won’t be able to unlock the door from the inside.

Some people may not like this type of lock because it may present safety hazards.  My advice is to keep a key near the door at all times; where it is out reach from the door window but easily accessible to anyone inside.

Preventing intruders from coming inside your home takes constant vigilance, especially during the holidays.  Seriously, take a look at your door locks and consider a change.  It could prevent a very sad Christmas memory from happening.

You hear unrecognizable voices saying, “Hurry up, man” and “Keep you voices down!”

You see reflections of flashlights beneath your bedroom door.

What should you do at this moment?  Should you fight or flee?

As someone who has been studying self-defense for nearly seven years,  I can tell you that if you are like most Americans you are not prepared.  Because self-defense does not start at the moment you are being attacked, rob, assaulted… Self-Defense begins with preparation for situations like the scenario above.

The first line of self defense is your financial security.  What happens during traumatic event is tough enough and to add financial stress can muliply the stress.

My first advice is to get life insurance!  Husbands, Wives, and Parents- If you are like most Americans, you do not have enough life insurance to protect your spouse and families! According to Dave Ramsey, you must have your annual income multiplied by 10 in order to satisfy the needs of your spouse in case something traumatic happens to you.

Suppose the scenario above happens to you and you confront the trespassers to buy enough time for your spouse and children to escape.  However, while doing this brave act you were severely injured or killed.  Not having enough life insurance can hurt your family in two ways.  The lack of a parental figure and the financial strain imposed on the surviving spouse.  Be responsible- Get some life insurance.

The next step is to have both medical and home insurance (or rental insurance).  If you decide to take on an attacker in order to protect your family.  You will get injured…remember that we are dealing with cowards who will violate your property and family.  Criminals come prepared for the worst! So should you!

Medical insurance will cover any cost for any trauma and home insurance will cover any property stolen on broken in the incident.  Remember that there are cost and caps which will differ from insurance company.  It always my recommendation to keep at least $1000 dollars to six months of expenditures in the bank at all times.

After the finances has been established – the next step is to train the family how to respond to such instances.  What are the escape routes?  Where is the final meeting area?  Who calls emergency services?  This is also helpful in instances for fire and earthquakes… having an escape route plan is critical for such instances.

Finally, after everything has been established, the next step is to physical and mentally prepare.  Take self-defense classes.  Excercise so that your body is able to respond in emergency situations.

The human body is great weapon when it is conditioned.  However, it can work against you in times of crisis if you don’t take care of it.  Having a heart attack while trying to save your family can happen!!  Keep your body in shape!  It’s the best thing you can do for your family and your health.

Self-Defense training is not something you learn in one session.  I suggest looking for a martial arts or self-defense school that teaches class regularly and make sure the school has a diversified system comprise of different martial arts that tackles weapons, close quarter combatics, and ground fighting.  It’s a fun way to mentally prepare yourself for self-defense.

As you can see, self defense requires more than just techniques and movements.  You have to be prepared financially, physically, and mentally for the scenario explained above and prepare for the consequences that arise from defending yourself.

You have to responsible for yourself and your family.  I know that you can do it!  Self-Defense is not a game, a sport, or just martial arts training.  It’s about being prepared for horrible moments and having the peace to respond in those moments.

I wish you luck in your endeavors in keeping your family safe!

Signing Out,

Elmer Querubin

If you notice someone is following you and you have that feeling or intuition that something strange is happening.  Turn around, look at the person, and remember his or her face.  If the person is still following you and you are not comfortable – respond by using your voice.

Use your voice using three commands -

1. Halt Command – Stop! Hey! Back-Up! Move!  Fire!… These are all halt commands.  The idea with this command is to simply disrupt any persons train of thought.  You want everyone around you to look at you when you say any these commands.  Draw attention to yourself by elevating your voice.  Scream, if you feel that it is necessary!  You may find that this maybe enough to scare someone away – this is great if you feel uncomfortable in the area.

2. Action Command – An action command is any command that asks the someone to give space.  You can say, “Back up 5 steps! Move to behind that car!”  Any of these commands require the person who is making you feel uncomfortable to move.  The main purpose is to keep a person at a certain distance away from you.  For some, it maybe 6 feet, for others, it maybe 10 feet away.  Regardless, use your voice and demand how far you want them away from you.

3. Ask a Question – Ask them anything!  Ask them what they want!  Ask them how you can help them!  Asking a question is only a distraction for you to plan an escape, prepare for a response of an attack, or determine if the person is legit or a threat.  Let them know that you are not weak, you can help if they need help, but the idea is that asking them a questions puts you in the position of power.  Asking them a questions allows time for you to grab a self defense item in your purse while they are answering the question.

Your voice is like a layer or a buffer in your bubble of safety.  It’s very simple, but very effective because you can project confidence simply by going through these steps.  A criminal does not want to attack someone who will talk and using your voice will give the impression that you will.  That’s good for you and bad for them.  Your voice is an important tool in self defense and it is just as big of a deterant as pepper spray.

The article talked about how the criminals opened the driver’s side door, shocked the driver and her companion with a stun gun, and stole their belongings.

Here’s the lesson from this article:

1. Lock your car door while your driving!
2. Bad guys will be prepared if they want to take something from you
3. Weapons made for self defense can be used against you
4. If bad guys will be prepared- so should you!

This is why I emphasize that having self-defense weapons on hand is not enough!  You need to be aware of your environment and stay vigilant.  Also, I highly recommend that you take a self-defense seminar or attend a self defense school in your local area.

Your local police station and YMCA may have excellent classes that provides that service.  There are many self-defense curriculums that are in existence.  Make sure you attend one which provides a lot of good information and a period to practice the self-defense moves. Good information includes statistics, awareness, tools you can use to survive an attack, and the environment should be welcoming as well.

I believe it is important to be armed with self defense weapons just in case, but it’s even more important to have self-defense training especially if you want to avoid the scenario like the ladies of San Francisco.

Remember to stay vigilant.  Being in your car in traffic doesn’t mean you are safe and secure.  Keep your doors lock and keep watch for idiots coming your way.  You might just keep yoursef from being stunned and robbed.

The ex-boyfriend tailed the car and followed the driver.  The other driver noticed this and drove straight towards a police station and parked there.  The ex-boyfriend then stood in the parking lot across the street and then brandished his knife in front of the driver… in front of the police station!

We all have heard numerous accounts of road rage, including some that ended in vicious attacks. One person cuts off another on the road and the ensuing conflict turns into a violent story on the evening news.

No matter who started the incident, don’t get out of your car to give the person a piece of your mind.

Let it go and let the fault pass or simply look straight ahead and look apathetic if you caused the incident.  But if you notice someone is following you because of the incident you should take some precautions.

Here are some tips if you notice that a driver full of “road rage”  is following you:

1. Never go to your intended destination!
2. Make sure your doors are locked and windows are up.
3. Drive to a familiar area and take three or four turns to lose the other driver.
4. Get a hold of someone you trust, tell them about your situation, and arrange a time and place for them to meet you.
5. If you see a sign that says “Safe Place” this is a great destination to get help.  Fire stations, hospitals, clinics, and police stations  usually have these signs.
6. Take note of the license place and vehicle description, such as:  blue Ford Taurus
7. If you feel totally unsafe and in extreme danger, call the police and take note of the surrounding streets signs, mile marker signs, and general road descriptions to provide to the 911 dispatcher.

I believe it’s not worth losing your life over a small road incident, especially in instances where no one was hurt.  The fact is if you were cut off and responded appropriately and no one was hurt, then there really is nothing to get worked up about.  Just let the situation go, move on, and most likely you’ll forget about the incident within two hours.

A neighborhood watch program is usually conducted alongside the local police department.  This means there is a police officer that works with the neighborhood in order to make it safer and more secure.  The officer provides the latest criminal information, including the location of the nearest child sex offender. The officer also provides information on security devices and laws related to home security and self defense for the neighborhood watch programs.

Also there are consistant community meetings involving all the neighbors.  In these meetings you get to know the people who live next to you.  You learn about their kids, who is married to whom, where everyone is from, and what everyone drives.  You get a sense of how the neighborhood should feel.

When a community stands together and knows each other they tend to notice and sense when things aren’t going right.  For example, if an unknown person is seen peering into the windows of a neighborhood house, the neighbor can go directly to that person and ask what business they have being at that house.  Or instead of confronting the individual, they can be proactive and call the local police station for a police car to drive by and check out the situation. That type of protection in a community is ideal.

Please consider joining your local neighborhood watch program.  You’ll create relationships with your local police department, make friends with your neighbors, and begin to feel safe about letting your kids play outside again.  It is well worth it to have the feeling of a community and having a neighborhood full of neighbors you truly know.

One day we were at home and I wanted a piece of gum out of her purse.  She said “Just grab it.  It’s in the main part.”  I must have searched for five minutes looking for that pack of gum.  I was moving wallets out of the way, and papers, and mail, and key rings, and keys, and keys, and keys.

Oh yeah, and if I wanted a snack while I was in there, I could of chosen from gummy fruit snacks, multiple different candy bars, or even a pack of pop tarts.

I swear that if I went even deeper I would have ended up in Narnia.  Well, maybe not, but very close.

This made me start thinking about the way men and women carry self defense items.  If you decide you want to take the responsibility of providing your own protection instead of having that provided to you, make sure you practice with those items and are able to fully incorporate them when necessary.

As for me, I always have a pen.  That way I never need to borrow one when needed and it can be used as a “last ditch” kubaton if needed.  It is always in the same place as well, my right front pocket.

Next, I always carry a knife.  Know the knife laws and carry procedures in your area before you decide to carry one.  I use my knife on a daily basis. Cutting open boxes, mail, and fruit when outside my house.  It can also be used as an emergency tool to cut seat belts, to make swaths out of clothing, or as a “last ditch” item when being attacked.  It is always in the same position so I can easily produce the knife when I need it.

Next, my chap stick.  I don’t want chapped lips all day long.  Duh.  I always have a cell phone, which in an emergency could be the difference between getting additional help or having to rely solely on yourself.

Finally, my state allows me to carry a concealed firearm.  I always have it when I leave the house.  I carry it two different ways and have practiced extensively pulling the firearm from each position.  I have made the choice of providing my own security instead of relying on someone else to protect me. Each individual needs to think seriously of the repercussions of using such a weapon, and then make the choice for themselves whether or not to carry.

So, I have told you my EDC, as well as how and where I carry them.  Be prepared.

Ladies, if you carry self defense items in your purse make sure they stay in specific locations so they can be easily retrieved.  The fewer different locations you carry things, the more likely you are to be able to repeat those same muscle movements under a stressful situation.

That goes for both men and women.  Men, we carry less stuff on a daily basis, but it seems like the items change regularly.  Make sure you practice with EVERYTHING you carry.  I only scratched the surface of this topic, but what I wanted was to open up the thought process of how you EDC.

As always, stay safe and God bless.

“You don’t communicate with me.”

“Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“Share your thoughts.”

I’m giving her a hard time and I’ll probably show her this post in about a year, but communication is an extremely valuable tool.  In relationships with people you need good communication skills. Self-defense situations require good communication skills as well.

If you’re with a person you’re familiar with, make sure they know how to respond in a high stress scenario. If your friend, partner, or significant other knows how to defend themselves and is willing to do so, you as a group stand a much higher chance of success in a self-defense role.

Communicate!

Tell each other what you are planning to do. Tell them what you see. Engage your targets in flanking maneuvers. Attack your attacker on his or her most vunerable positions; their sides and rear.  Take the initiative away from your attacker.   Always communicate while you engage or retreat.  With firearms, move, shoot, and overwatch.  Announce to your partner, “Target eleven o’clock.  Cover. Flanking right.”

If you are with a person who relies on you to protect them, instruct them how to move and stay behind you at all times.  Disengage when you are taking care of someone else.  Have them literally grab your jeans or put their hand on your shoulder and tell them to walk backward as you walk backwards.  Tell them which direction to move when changing angles.  Tell them where and how to take cover if you are not able to escape the situation.  Keep yourself between the attacker and the person you are defending at all times.  I can’t stress it enough, communication, communication, communication.

Now, if only I can share my feelings with my fiance’ =)

Stay safe and God bless.