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How To Defeat Extreme Violence
D I S C L A I M E R O F L I A B I L I T Y A N D W A R R A N T Y
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C O P Y R I G H T
T E R M S A N D D I S C L A I M E R
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword ......................................................................................... 8
Chapter One: Facing Your Own Fears ........................................... 11
Why You Might Not Like This Book .......................................... 13
War Is Hell ................................................................................. 14
Chapter Two: Defeating Violence ................................................. 15
Violence Doesn’t Discriminate .................................................. 15
Is It Necessary To Get Violent Yourself? ................................... 16
Why Did Standard Self Defense Fail? ........................................ 18
Chapter Three: What Are Criminals Really Thinking When They
Attack? .......................................................................................... 23
An Inside Perspective ................................................................ 24
Why Are the Criminals Winning? .............................................. 25
Get Ready for a Fight ................................................................. 27
Chapter Four: Don’t Confuse Antisocial with Asocial ................... 28
Why there are Different Responses? ......................................... 29
Antisocial Violence.................................................................... 30
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Asocial Violence ........................................................................ 30
Confusing the Two .................................................................... 31
Chapter Five: Knowing When to Engage ....................................... 34
When it’s Okay to Act ................................................................ 35
Chapter Six: Competition or Destruction? .................................... 37
The Bully vs. the Nerd ............................................................... 37
The Schoolyard Shooter ............................................................ 38
Violence Isn’t a Competition ..................................................... 39
Killers Don’t Quit ...................................................................... 45
The Terror of Competition; the Pleasure of Predation ............. 45
Chapter Seven: Why You Can’t ..................................................... 46
Fear and Courage ....................................................................... 49
Filthy Lies .................................................................................. 49
Chapter Eight: Spiritual Enlightenment, Competition and One-
Way Street Violence ...................................................................... 52
Martial Arts: An Empty Bottle of Violence with a Childproof Cap
................................................................................................... 53
Combat Sports: Violence Made Palatable .................................. 55
Violence: Not Just “Anything Goes” but “Do Your Worst” ........ 56
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Chapter Nine: The Reasons behind Violence ................................ 59
Chapter Ten: Everyone’s a Badass ................................................. 65
Violence in the Antisocial Realm .............................................. 68
To Injure or Not to Injure .......................................................... 71
Manipulating Social Conventions ............................................. 77
Chapter Eleven: The Absence of Choice ........................................ 79
When No Choice Matters ........................................................... 81
Part Two: The Principles of Violence ............................................ 82
Chapter One: Fight or Flight ......................................................... 82
Facing Fear ................................................................................ 85
Chapter Two: It’s all About the Injury .......................................... 87
The Injury Manifesto ................................................................. 88
What is Injury? .......................................................................... 93
Chapter Three: Why You Must Learn to Kill ................................. 94
Your Body Weight ..................................................................... 95
Your Willingness to Do the Deed .............................................. 95
Remembering That He’s a KILLER ............................................ 96
Lethal Force ............................................................................... 97
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Chapter Four: Overcoming the Stigma of Violence ....................... 99
How Much Is Too Much? ......................................................... 100
Chapter Five: Violence is the Ultimate Survival Tool ................. 102
A Tool for Survival .................................................................. 104
The Golden Rule of Violence: Injure Him Now! ...................... 105
Chapter Six: Violence Isn’t Hard; the Kill Is Simple .................... 107
Showmanship Doesn’t Get the Job Done ................................. 109
Chapter Seven: Access the Meat .................................................. 111
Chapter Eight: The Hardest Lesson ............................................. 117
Stop flinching … Stop Looking Away … Learn ........................ 118
Part Three: Putting the Principles of Violence into Action ........ 120
Chapter One: Roadblocks, Plateaus, & Epiphanies ..................... 120
Chapter Two: Training for Life ................................................... 125
Three Common Training Mistakes .......................................... 126
The Principles of the Patriot Self Defense Program ................ 129
Chapter Three: Is It Time to Fight or Work Out? ....................... 133
Fighting Is Fighting: It’s Not a Workout ................................. 134
Worry About What Matters ..................................................... 135
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Chapter Four: A Dead Guy offers No Value ................................. 137
Chapter Five: MURDER ............................................................ 139
Chapter Six: It’s Not About Being Good or Evil ........................... 143
What’s at Stake? ...................................................................... 147
Good Training Looks like This: ............................................... 149
Chapter Seven: It’s Time to look at the Truth ............................. 151
What Does Intent Mean? As Hard As You Can ........................ 155
Building a Better Monster ....................................................... 157
Chapter Eight: Scenario Based Training or The Hard Knot? ....... 160
Chapter Nine: Kill the Unknown ................................................. 163
Part IV: Finding Peace ................................................................. 166
Chapter One: Prevention ............................................................. 166
Use Common Sense .................................................................. 168
Chapter Two: Take Back Your Control ........................................ 169
Stupid Is As Stupid Does .......................................................... 170
A Final Word on Antisocial Violence ...................................... 172
Chapter Three: How to Treat People ........................................... 174
Chapter Four: Finding Peace ....................................................... 177
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Leaving Fear Behind ................................................................ 179
Afterword: The PSD Difference ............................................... 180
We Are a Team ........................................................................ 182
We Have Nothing to Prove ...................................................... 183
Because We Care… .................................................................. 184
You Are a Real Person to Us .................................................... 185
We Offer Principles That You Can Use .................................... 185
It’s all About the Facts ............................................................. 187
That’s why We Adapt to Change ............................................. 189
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Foreword
Three women die every day at the hands of a boyfriend or
husband …. More than 15,000 people are murdered annually in
the United States alone …. Rape affects more than a third of
the female population … and savage school shootings are
becoming a common tag on the nightly news.... These are only
some of the statistics that should have you shaking in your
boots. Violence is becoming a part of everyday life in
mainstream America. It does not matter whether you live in
the center of a big city or the outskirts of a small town,
violence is creeping into every neighborhood. No one is safe
anymore. That is why it is time to learn how to fight back.
If you are looking for a book filled with standard self defense
techniques, which are aimed at warding off a common thug or
thief, then this is not the book for you. This book packs a
bigger punch (pardon the pun). It is a book designed to level
the playing field. Within these pages, you will learn how a
killer thinks and what he does. Plus, you will learn how to use
his ideas against him.
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This book will turn you from prey into predator. By learning
the principles of violence, you can turn even the most
dangerous encounter in your favor and walk away with your
life.
Violence is cruel and violence is messy. As much as we might
all prefer to deal with it in a more tasteful and civilized
manner, the reality is that few people survive real violence,
unless they are willing to return violence with violence.
It would be nice if a few martial arts moves or fancy self
defense tricks were enough to thwart a deadly attack. But those
who study violence –real violence — know that the self defense
methods so many people train with and rely on are not enough
to stop a sociopath. The only thing that can prepare you for the
worst kind of attacks is to use the principles of violence itself.
This book does not promise to make you feel good about your
training. You won’t leave thinking “yea, I’m ready to kill
someone.” As a matter of fact, it will probably make you
struggle more than a little. That’s good. Until you can force
yourself to face your worst fears and address the realities of
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violence, you don’t stand a chance of walking away from such
an encounter. When faced with a real world killer the only
thing to do in order to survive is to take him down and thus
render him helpless against your own violent counterattack.
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Chapter One: Facing Your Own Fears
It is difficult to comprehend the depravity and savagery of a
sociopath. What most of us deem unthinkable is all the
craziest people among us think about… dream about … and
plan for.
Our lack of understanding leaves us vulnerable. When faced
with real violence, too many of its victims just don’t know
what to do. They aren’t cowards; they are just too shocked to
react – and this costs them their lives.
By picking up this book, you have taken the first step to
remaining victim free. The moment you acknowledge that you
wouldn’t know what to do in a life or death situation, you
become more powerful.
I have trained a lot of people how to survive the most brutal
attacks, but none have been as welcoming as the people I
reached in Asia. No matter where I travelled along the
continent – Singapore, Jakarta, Manila or Hong Kong – the
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people understood my message: violence is the only way to
combat violence.
Were my Asian clients more cold hearted than my American
ones? Absolutely not! But they were more understanding.
Why? Because in this region of the world, the kind of violence I
train for is real. The threats of political assassination,
terrorism, kidnapping, and more are imminent. Everyone is at
risk and everyone knows it. Even the most average amongst
the population feels a keen need to learn what to do, should
they find themselves a target of extreme violence.
Americans do not understand violence so well. Sure, we may
see horrific things on the news, yet most of us prefer to keep a
safe distance from the realities of the danger that surrounds
us, convincing ourselves that what is happening all around will
not happen to them, until they are faced with the cruel
realities of the world. We can no longer leave the problem of
violence for someone else to fix or even figure out. We each
must take responsibility for our own safety and learn how to
combat violence with violence.
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Why You Might Not Like This Book
Not everyone is going to like what I have to say in these pages.
There are those who believe that violence can never be
justified and there are those who think violence should always
be used to even up a fight. Neither of these people is right.
What I want both people to understand is that violence is bad
– very, very bad and I know that (maybe better than most
people). It should be avoided at all costs. It is not the answer to
anything but the absolute worst of circumstances. While
violence is an effective way to save yourself from a life and
death situation, it should be reserved for only the worst
encounters. Still, it should be used when needed.
If you hate violence and don’t think anyone should use it
(ever); or if you think violence is fine and you deserve to use it
whenever you feel threatened, then you aren’t going to like
what the rest of this book has to say. Still, I hope you keep
reading because I have some important things to share.
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War Is Hell
War is a perfect example to illustrate my point here. You can’t
win by arresting the enemy, when he has his sights on your
destruction. He must be overpowered and taken down.
A soldier does not enjoy the kill, but he wants to survive and
does what is necessary to do so. The same is true for anyone
who faces a deadly enemy – whether on the battlefield or your
neighborhood. When encountering real world violence, it is
vital to take down your attacker, before he can inflict any real
damage on you.
Violence can save you when the need arises. It shouldn’t be
used to respond to any antisocial behavior. It should be
reserved for those rare times, when not to use it could mean
your life.
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Chapter Two: Defeating Violence
All it takes is five seconds - five seconds to live and five
seconds to die. Research shows that in a serious altercation
with a violent attacker the victim has about five short seconds
to react in order to even stand a chance at surviving.
With so little time to think, it is vital that you have trained
your body to react without hesitation and with complete
confidence.
Violence Doesn’t Discriminate
Why do I advocate the use of violence when faced with a
dangerous (and by that I mean deadly) conflict? The reason is
simple: violence works. Criminals know that; this is why they
are so effective. Now you can use the violators own secret
weapon against them.
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Violence works on anyone. It doesn’t matter how big you are;
how strong you are; or even how smart you are. Violence
doesn’t discriminate. Everyone is vulnerable to it – even the
one doing the attacking. Learn how to turn the tables on the
attacker and you can turn from victim into victor.
Is It Necessary To Get Violent Yourself?
If using the same kind of violence against your attacker is
leaving a bad taste in your mouth, consider these scenarios:
John was a veteran police officer with more than a decade’s
worth of self defense training. That training did him no good
the evening he stopped a drunken driver during his shift.
Angry and out of control, the driver lunged at John, slamming
him against the pavement. Despite using the standard self
defense methods he had been taught, this large (and strong)
police officer was overpowered, beaten until he was left with
lifelong injuries to his head and spine.
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While reviewing the footage from his cruiser cam, it was
determined that officer John followed his self defense protocol
perfectly – yet it failed to save him from debilitating injuries …
Jamie took her self defense training very seriously. A single
woman who lived alone in the city and often worked late into
the night, she knew the importance of being prepared. Jamie
took several self defense classes, where she was taught a
myriad of techniques for real-world situations. Yet, nothing
prepared her for the way her rapist would respond to her
attempts to convince him to stop. He broke her jaw; beat her to
the point of needing reconstructive surgery and left her for
dead…
Both John and Jamie survived their attackers, but their lives
will never be the same. Both tried to handle the situation
without stooping to their predator’s level. Both wished they
had returned violence for violence – maybe then they would
have escaped.
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Why Did Standard Self Defense Fail?
When most people think about self defense, they imagine
learning “techniques” to help them “survive” an attack. At
Patriotic Self Defense Program (PSD), we go a step further,” we
teach you how “to win.”
To win you must learn more than techniques; you must learn
to become comfortable with using violence when faced with
mortal danger.
There are a lot of different kinds of self defense programs out
there: martial arts, aggressive combat sports; and even hard
core hand to hand combat, so how do you choose what will
work?
Before you decide, you have to understand the most common
mistakes people make when choosing a self defense system:
1. Choosing a system that takes years to master. Karate and
martial arts offer some wonderful skills and can be a
wonderful port to enjoy, but if you rely on your martial
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arts training to save you in the years it takes to become a
master, you could be gambling with your life.
2. Choosing a system you have to practice – a lot. Don’t bet
your life on a self defense system that requires practice.
Life gets busy and you need a system that can work next
week … next month … and three years from now whether
you practice it regularly or not.
3. Choosing a system that looks cool. Every time I watch an
action movie, where the hero pulls out his arsenal of self
defense moves, I cringe. It looks great to watch him (or
her) fly through the sky; tumble across the floor; or
otherwise stun the audience with their cool moves. Then I
remember what real violence looks like. It isn’t fancy and
it isn’t cool. What it actually is simply brutal. Criminals
don’t care how their attacks look – they care about
getting the results they are after. Make sure you pick a
self defense program that strives more for results than
looks; otherwise you may end up disappointed – and
dead.
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4. Choosing a competitive course. Everyone loves a good
competition. The problem is competition thrives on
fairness and rules. Criminals do not care about fairness
and they throw the rules out the window every time. If
you are training for a fair competition, you are putting
yourself at a serious disadvantage –and you are going to
lose.
5. Choosing a system that doesn’t fit at all. Are you in top
physical shape right now? If not, do you think a criminal
will wait until you are? No way! If anything he is going to
consider your lack of physical prowess a benefit to him
and he’ll strike even faster. If you check out a program
and notice that the instructor and students all look a
certain way, you can be sure that the program is geared
toward their size, shape and physical aptitude and the
program isn’t going to work well for you. Instead, you
should try and find a self defense program that is a “one
size fits all” course that the average person can use
successfully.
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6. Choosing what’s popular. All-too-often people choose a
self defense program, based on its popularity. This can be
dangerous. Fads come and go, but you need to learn a
solid strategy to combat violence, if you want to survive
an attack.
7. Choosing a system that doesn’t follow real life violence. If
the violence training that you are taking doesn’t look like
the violence seen on the news or in a police officer’s
security footage, then it’s not going to work in real life
situations.
8. Choosing a program that doesn’t train you for multiple
attackers. Statistics show that most violent encounters
contain more than one attacker. Choose a system that can
help you to deal with this type of gang approach.
9. Choosing a program that doesn’t consider weapons. Too
many self defense courses rely on hand to hand combat
only. They seem to forget that most criminals bring along
a knife, gun, or even a stick or bat to the attack. Be sure
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that you are trained to combat with the use of weapons
during a violent encounter.
Being prepared means not making these common mistakes,
when choosing a self defense program.
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Chapter Three: What Are Criminals
Really Thinking When They Attack?
Now you know how not to train for your self defense. So, what
is the best way to train? Like a criminal!
Sane, civilized people like you and me strive to play by the
rules. We know what society requires of us and we try to
comply. Unfortunately, criminals don’t think the way we do.
Their brains work differently. That means they don’t behave in
the way most of us expect.
Sociopaths have a complete lack of awareness about morality
or social behavior. They don’t follow the rules nor do they play
fair. They rely on dirty tricks, while justifying their most
deviant actions. Approach violence (and violent attackers) like
this and you will find yourself a step behind. Be willing to forgo
your morals and go after your attackers or risk becoming a
dead victim.
Intent is the most important thing for surviving a deadly
attack. Training will help, but unless you are intent on hurting
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your attacker, everything else you learn will be useless.
Criminals don’t waste their time training for violence – they
rely on intent alone.
Isn’t it time that you learned how to think and act like a
criminal? It just may be the most important thing you will
need to protect yourself.
An Inside Perspective
Some people think of violence in social terms. They think you
can resolve problems without anyone getting hurt, and without
anyone stooping to the criminals’ level. One of the biggest
mistake victims make, while dealing with a sociopath, is
believing that violence progresses, ending in murder only if
pushed too far. The reality is a sociopath doesn’t rev up his
actions. Sometimes he begins with a punch and sometimes it
starts with the slash of a knife.
The key to your survival when faced with this kind of mad man
is understanding that you can work the same way – jumping
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straight into violence with no warning or warm up. Yes, you
can strike as soon as the encounter warrants it. There is no
reason to wait!
Why Are the Criminals Winning?
A single look at a newspaper and you will notice that the
criminals seem to be overtaking society. Not a day goes by
when there aren’t reports about some murder, rape,
kidnapping or vicious attack. So why are the thugs getting all
of the headlines? Because they hold the power. That doesn’t
mean they are stronger … or even smarter than the rest of us.
They just know what they want and how to get it – through
violence.
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The facts are simple:
• If an attacker pulls a knife the victim gets scared …
• If an attacker pulls a gun, a victim will freeze …
• If an attacker threatens to kill the victim, he’ll get
whatever he wants…
Criminals understand that violence will get them everything
they want and they aren’t afraid to use it.
By now you are probably thinking that I want to turn you into a
criminal. Nothing could be further from the truth. My goal
could not be further from the truth. My goal is not to turn you
into a ruthless killer, but to alter the balance of power.
If you are threatened by a violent stranger, I want you to have
the knowledge you will need to avoid serious injury. I want to
save you from unnecessary pain, loss, or even death.
Doubt prevents people from taking action in violent
encounters. Patriotic self defense program is designed to
replace any doubts, you may have, into confidence. Once you
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know how to predict the results of an injury, you will know
exactly what to do to survive.
Get Ready for a Fight
When it comes to violent conflict, there are no rules. The first
person to cause serious injury wins. When you use violence as
a survival tool, you become the one giving the hurt instead of
getting hurt.
Criminals know how to use violence to their advantage. Until
you stop trying to get out of harm’s way and face your attacker
head on, you will fail to get away.
Yes, there are plenty of self defense techniques being taught
on how to struggle to stay alive during an attack. But only one
thing will ensure your survival: taking down your attacker
before he grabs the opportunity to do the same to you.
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Chapter Four: Don’t Confuse
Antisocial with Asocial
If you have ever encountered violence, you were probably
either an unwilling victim or you were someone who
participated in social aggression (and liked it).
If you were unlucky enough to fall victim to violence, you
likely are uncomfortable talking about it. And may even try to
forget it ever happened. But, if you willingly participated in
some sort of social aggression (like a street fight), then you
probably revel in replaying the incident and like recalling how
you “kicked their ass”. If so, you may always be ready for a
fight.
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Why there are Different Responses?
Those who find themselves unwilling victims do so reluctantly.
They are faced with life and death violence and fight because
they have to – not because they want to. They do not enjoy it
and certainly do not want to relive their encounter.
Those who willingly engage in social aggression take a non life
threatening encounter and respond in violence. They could
handle the situation differently (and more calmly) but choose
not to. This group enjoys the power and control that violence
gives them. It’s an ego boost to hurt someone and they like
that feeling.
I don’t wish raw violence on anyone. The reason I teach its use
and methodology is because you need to understand it in order
to overcome it. And quite frankly, the more competent you are
in the matter, the less likely you will choose violence unless
absolutely necessary.
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Antisocial Violence
Antisocial behavior is loud and boisterous. You recognize it
right away – and it can be avoided if you choose to do so. Even
so, most of the antisocial behaviors can be dealt with using
normal social tactics like negotiation, calming actions, and
even surrender if necessary. Antisocial violence rarely results
in death, unless it is by accident.
Asocial Violence
This is not so when it comes to asocial violence. This kind of
violence cannot be handled with normal social tools, and it
almost always ends in severe injury or death. You cannot
negotiate with a killer or surrender to save your life. The
asocial sociopath is out for blood and he won’t stop until he
gets it.
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Confusing the Two
Once you know the difference between antisocial and asocial
violence, you can spot each without hesitation. Antisocial
violence is about posturing and ego (the aggressor wants
attention and he uses power to get it); while asocial violence is
about survival.
The problem is we often confuse the two. Why? Because it is
hard to comprehend that some people are simply out to
destroy. They aren’t looking to pick a fight or even right a
wrong. They simply want blood.
A bar fight is the most common form of antisocial violence. It
is loud. It is meant for everyone to watch and enjoy. Rarely
does either party want to kill each other; they simply want to
put on a good show and come out the victor.
Asocial violence is very different. It is dark and quiet. It seems
to come out of nowhere, leaving its victim shocked in horror.
There is no warning and there is no posturing. The attacker is
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simply out to destroy; whether it is seen or not doesn’t matter.
The result that matters is death and injury.
To make it easier to tell the difference between antisocial and
asocial violence, look at these characteristics of each:
Antisocial violence:
• is avoidable
• is survivable
• is solvable with the right social skills
Asocial Violence:
• is lethal
• is unaffected by social skills (you can’t negotiate your way
out of it)
• requires decide determination and direct actions
Once you really understand the characteristics of each, the two
aren’t usually confused. Still, some people may think an
antisocial event is really an asocial encounter simply because
the threat is imminent and it is real. After all, if he’s holding a
knife to your throat you may doubt, if you can talk your way
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out of the encounter. However, if the attacker is asking you for
your valuables, while holding the knife, the odds are good that
he is exhibiting antisocial behavior. If you give him what he
wants he may hurt you, but he won’t set out to kill you.
In an asocial encounter, the perpetrator doesn’t bother to tell
you he wants your valuables; he will slice your throat and take
them.
Once a situation escalates to physical violence, dialogue is no
longer an option. Once the knife cuts or the gun is hot, what
may have begun as antisocial behavior becomes asocial
behavior and you must react in kind.
Deciding between the two is relatively easy, if you think of it
like this: if the situation allows you to decide how to respond
you are dealing with antisocial behavior and should try and
avoid violence. But, if the situation demands an immediate
reaction, then you are dealing with asocial behavior and must
use violence to protect yourself.
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Chapter Five: Knowing When to Engage
Life is about choices. When faced with a dangerous altercation,
you can choose to do your best to walk away or you can choose
to engage. If you choose to engage, you can do so verbally or
physically … or in a deadly manner. I may teach people how to
do deadly harm to another, but I firmly believe that if you can
get out of the situation in any other way, then you must opt for
that other way, even if it makes you look like a coward. It is
better for people to think of you as a live coward, then a dead
idiot.
The strategies taught in Patriotic self defense (PSD) program
are meant to stop another human being from permanently
injuring or killing you. They are not meant to prove that you
are stronger or that you can inflict harm. That’s dangerous and
it is stupid. The techniques outlined here are meant solely as a
survival tool, only to be brought out when there is no other
way to ensure your survival.
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One of the biggest questions people ask me when starting their
training is “how will I know when I should use what you are
teaching?” My response is always something like, “when you
don’t cringe at the thought of gouging out a man’s eye.”
That may sound horrific (and it is), but when that is the only
answer you will know it – and then you will know that it is the
right time to use your PSD training.
When it’s Okay to Act
No one wants to hurt another person, especially in the grisly
way I just described above. Of course I hope that you will never
have to use the kind of violence that I train for. But if you face
a life and death situation, at least you can feel confident that
you are ready.
Violence is always the last resort. Your first choice should
always be to either walk away from the situation or try and talk
your way out of it. If your aggressor yells, screams and makes
verbal threats, then the odds are good they are exhibiting
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antisocial behavior and can be thwarted without force.
Sometimes though, they could be psyching themselves out for
the violence to come. Be on the alert to act, just in case this is
the situation.
If you feel as if normal social tactics are not going to calm the
situation, remain quiet. Say nothing. Make no eye contact.
Talking and contacting only makes it more difficult to
disengage and act. When violence is the only answer, you want
to be sure you are ready. And remember, once you strike your
first blow; don’t stop until the job is done. Finish on your own
terms.
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Chapter Six: Competition or
Destruction?
We all know what violence looks like. We hate to see
someone get hurt. Or do we? Take these two schoolyard
instances:
The Bully vs. the Nerd
A bully confronts the nerdy kid. A fight ensues. A crowd
gathers and cheers erupt. Who will win? Everyone wants to
know who will prevail – the bully or the underdog. This is a
test of wills, strength, and fortitude. In other words, it’s a
competition.
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The Schoolyard Shooter
Then, there is the schoolyard shooter. He enters the
schoolyard with a gun and a goal: to kill everyone in his
path. No crowd gathers and no one cheers. This is not a fight
of wills or of strength. It is mayhem and misery. There is no
interest – only terror.
This is the divide between social aggression and asocial
violence. One is a competition while the other is pure
destruction. Confusing the two can be deadly.
The goal of surviving a violent attack like a shooting is to be
the first one to inflict debilitating harm. Notice I didn’t say
the first one to inflict harm here. Sadly, your aggressor may
succeed at hurting you first. Your goal is to incapacitate him
before he can do the same to you.
Destruction is the key. Training for competition may show
you how to hurt someone, but does it teach you how to
incapacitate them? Competition is about bettering your
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athletic scores and gaining ranks. It is about becoming the
best.
Surviving asocial violence requires more. It isn’t about
gaining points or one-upping your competitor. It’s about
shutting down another human being. To be effective you
have to know the weakest part of the body to strike and then
destroy that target area. It’s not fun and it’s not fair; but it is
necessary. This is why some highly athletic and skilled
people have been killed by much weaker aggressors. They
didn’t know what skills should save their life, but their
attacker knew exactly where to strike to do the most harm.
Violence Isn’t a Competition
Watch a competitive sporting match (or fight) and you will
notice sparring; a back and forth of movement and skill.
Violence doesn’t work that way. It doesn’t give the other guy
a chance to return volley for volley (or punch for punch). It
is about knowing the other guy and then stomping on him.
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Competitors play by the rules; violent sociopaths do not.
Cheap shots are the name of the game and in a violent
encounter you have to be willing to use them. Criminals
don’t want to par and they don’t want to win – they want to
destroy. And that is why untrained criminals can _- and do –
take out highly skilled black belts. The black belt was ready
for a competitive fight and the criminal broke every rule to
get what he wanted, i.e., blood.
Rules keep competitors safe. Sucker punches are not
allowed. In the real world, the other guy will produce a knife
and use it without warning. Using destruction in a
competition will get you disqualified. On the other hand,
bringing competitive kills (and rules) to a destruction-based
environment will get you maimed or killed.
If you want to destroy during a life and death encounter be
sure that your training:
• looks like what you see on the news (in other words,
real violence)
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• works when the rules are left by the wayside (if your
training relies on everyone following the rules of play
then it will be useless in a violent encounter)
• includes all of the low bows and cheap shots you can
handle
Going against the rules is the only way to survive an asocial
violent encounter. That is why I have taken the Ultimate
Fighting Championship Fouls and turned them into the
Basics for Operational Success in Violence.
Use these fouls to bolster your violence training and know
what to do, if you ever face real violence. When faced with a
violent offender, be sure to use as many of these strategies
as possible:
• Eye gouging: the eyes are one of the most sensitive
targets that can do the most damage to your attacker.
Don’t be timid here. Gouge with all of your weight and
strength.
• Knee the head of a grounded opponent and then pull
the hair as hard as you can.
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• Attack the groin – use all of your weight and strength.
• Placing a finer in any open orifice or into a cut in the
skin and pulling.
• Breaking fingers
• Strike the spine or back of the head and neck: this goes
straight to the central nervous system and can result in
a serious, life threatening disability, or even death.
• Strike downward with the point of the elbow. By taking
out the muscle aspect of the move, you turn it from a
punch into a body weighted strike. If you can use this
move in a way that lines it up with the spine or neck of
a grounded attacker, you can end the fight with a single
blow.
• Throat strikes of any kind. Grabbing the trachea can do
serious damage.
• Clawing, pinching, or twisting the flesh. Alone this
isn’t enough to stop a killer, but used in conjunction
with a more serious move and you can throw him off
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guard, giving you the chance to strike in a more deadly
manner.
• Grab the clavicle and then use it as a handle while you
push the victim’s head into the ground.
• Kick the head of a downed opponent
• Stomp a grounded opponent.
• Kick the kidney with the heel of your foot. This can
rupture the kidney
• Throw your attacker into something (a fence, a wall, a
parked car, etc.)
• Hold your opponents shorts or glove to keep him in
place and then throw a punch or two
• Engage in any type of unsportsmanlike conduct.
Remember, anything goes when it comes to survival.
• Stomp or kick a downed opponent.
• Abandon all social restraints. Attack at will.
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Although the following things are often used by victims,
they really aren’t a good idea:
• head butting: this can hurt you more than it hurts him
• biting (it can result in giving you a blood borne
pathogen)
• spitting: it doesn’t do any harm but can really anger an
attacker
• being timid: this makes you appear as an even bigger
victim
• using abusive language: you aren’t going to intimidate
your attacker with your words, so don’t bother.
• Quitting: if you quit you are dead. Period.
Real violence isn’t a game. There are no rules. It isn’t a fair
fight, so be sure to fight hard and do whatever is necessary
to win.
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Killers Don’t Quit
In martial arts, one competitor always quits, thus ending the
competition. Once a competitor hits his limit, he stops the
assault. Killers don’t do that. They don’t stop because they
are in pain or fear losing. They stop because they can’t
continue. You have left them unable to get back up.
The Terror of Competition; the Pleasure of
Predation
Competing can be terrifying. When you compete in any
sports activity, you have to worry whether you are skilled
enough; conditioned enough; knowledgeable enough. Not
so when it comes to surviving a violent attack. When
competition is taken out of the scenario you go straight to
the win condition. It doesn’t matter if the other guy is
bigger, stronger or more athletic. All that matters is that you
know how to strike him where it will hurt the most.
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Violence is absent of competition. It offers no performance
anxiety. There is no fear. When you are fighting for your life,
you strike with what you know. Train properly and you will
be ready. It doesn’t matter what the other guy can do – it’s
all about YOU! The pressure to win is off. All you have to do
is become the predator going after his prey.
Chapter Seven: Why You Can’t
Committing violence is easy. Anyone can do it. Yet, most of
us choose not to engage in such barbaric acts. Why? The
answer is simple: we are afraid. Yet, most of us won’t admit
it. We don’t want to look like cowards. That is why we lie to
ourselves, convincing ourselves that we aren’t afraid. There
are other reasons why we steer clear of violence. Here are
some of the most common lies people tell themselves about
their lack of want, when it comes to becoming violent
themselves (and the truth behind them):
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1. I need more training. It sure would be nice to stop a
violent criminal by simply saying, “I need more
training before I can fight you.” We’d all have the out
we need to stop violence in it tracks. The sad truth is, if
you encounter violence, you are going to have to react,
with or without training, so why not be sure you know
what to do.
2. I’m not coordinated enough to take on a violent offender.
You don’t have to move like a trainer to survive an
attack. Why, you can even look like a fool. Who cares?
It doesn’t matter how uncoordinated you are, returning
violence with violence can be done by anyone.
3. I’m too weak. It doesn’t matter how small, weak, or
even disabled you are; you should be trained to protect
yourself. Everyone can find susceptible targets on their
attacker to focus on. There are no physical limitations
to protect your life. When thrust in this situation, use
what you have. Sure you may have some challenges,
but that doesn’t mean you can’t get the job done.
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4. I’m not cut out for violence. Too bad. None of us are. But,
if an attacker decides to jump you with a knife, you
should better have some knowledge on how to
counterattack, or you may die. That guy coming at you
probably isn’t scary under normal circumstances. What
makes him scary is what he is doing. Use the same
intent on him. Intend to scare him and you just might.
5. I don’t have it in me to hurt (or kill) someone. The fact is
that when faced with asocial violence, something bad is
about to happen to you. The only way to keep that bad
thing from happening is to strike hard and fast first.
Remember, these aren’t normal circumstances we’re
talking about. These tactics are only used when your
life is in danger. When that happens you will be faced
with doing what you never thought possible.
Understand that this isn’t you reacting – it is your
training taking over. No, you aren’t a ruthless killer.
But you are a victim, who is turning the tide and doing
what is necessary to survive.
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Fear and Courage
Fear is normal. Nothing is going to stop your heart from
thumping and sweat from pouring from your skin during a
violent encounter. You are going to be afraid and that’s
okay. Heck, it’s normal. That doesn’t mean you cannot
muster the courage to do what is necessary, despite your
fear.
There are no excuses during this time of danger. I’m sure
you don’t want to hurt your predator, but you have to. If you
train to the best of your abilities (and with an open mind),
then you can prevail. But first, you have to learn what to do.
Filthy Lies
There are three lies that I hear people spewing about
training for violence. They each anger me tremendously.
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Here they are:
1. You have to understand the material to make it work.
Violence isn’t intellectual. It is a gut response.
Criminals don’t study the psychological or intellectual
makings of violence – they just do it. Violence operates
where intellect stops. To prepare yourself for violence,
practice violence.
2. Once the technique is automatic, it will be enough. Not at
all. Doing a technique is just the beginning; not the
end result. Knowing how to set up a specific joint break
is not the same as actually breaking the knee or the
ankle. The technique is the placement, but there is still
the work to do. Look at it this way: technique is like
trying to inflict a gunshot wound by obsessively
polishing an empty gun. You’ve gotten the gun ready
but you haven’t actually used it.
3. I’m not ready. Being ready doesn’t guarantee success.
But giving yourself permission to accomplish the deed
will. Once you have the intent to inflict harm you can
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do it; whether you have had one day or one month of
training. Once you give yourself permission to inflict
pain and injury on your attacker, you will unleash your
full force and effort and that will enable you to do what
you intend to do to take your attacker down. Nobody is
ever truly ready for violence. Nobody wants to go there.
But if you do face it, know that you have what it takes
to handle the situation.
Don’t let these (or any other) lies make you doubt your
ability to take down your attacker. PSD will teach you what
you need to know to survive an attack. All you have to do is
let yourself use this knowledge to actually do what is
needed.
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Chapter Eight: Spiritual
Enlightenment, Competition and One-
Way Street Violence
A certain degree of violence has always been necessary. Since
the world began, people used violence to establish dominance
as well as to protect themselves from an uncertain death.
Eventually though, people began to group together, forming
societies that lived, worked, and played together. To keep
everyone under control, these societies began to establish
rules. Over time, the violent tendencies of people took a more
civilized course, as people created organized sports and martial
arts to satisfy their need to overpower one another, without
actually killing them.
If you are one of the people, who thinks that PSD is just
another civilized form of violence, then think again. PSD is not
another form of modernized violence. On the contrary, it is a
return to the root of violence. Instead of trying to teach you
some new way to protect yourself, I’m trying to get you to set
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all of those modern notions of violence aside and get back to
your basic instincts.
Violence is raw and brutal. When faced with it, you must be
able to react in kind; and that will require going back to the
primary instinct to survive.
Martial Arts: An Empty Bottle of Violence
with a Childproof Cap
You might think that I am against martial arts. I am not. What
I am against is teaching people that it is the best and most
useful way to stave off a violent predator. Martial arts were
originally developed to help train elite Asian forces to handle
hand to hand combat. But, as the years went by, warfare
changed. Instead of relying on strength and physical prowess
to win, armies began to use weapons to kill their opponents.
This made typical martial arts techniques obsolete, when it
came to fighting for your life.
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To help preserve the majesty of martial arts, schools began to
sprout up teaching the average person some of the moves,
without the warfare. Add to that a splash of religion and
philosophy and you have a diluted form of martial arts that is
taught today. Instead of teaching warfare, modern day martial
arts teach people how to deal with social belligerents.
Martial arts are great at helping people defuse an antisocial
bomb. They teach how to use verbal warnings and prepared
distances to ward off an attacker. If still attacked, the
techniques practiced can do wonders at blocking standard hits,
kicks, and punches. Yes, martial arts work in an antisocial
environment. The problem is they do not do much, when faced
with an asocial killer.
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Combat Sports: Violence Made Palatable
The human instinct craves some amount of violence. The
problem is most of us simply cannot stomach real violence. To
help combat these two conflicts, society has tried to find ways
to make the violence, we instinctively crave, more palatable.
The result: combat sports. By putting rules to it, violence
suddenly became a contest based on strength, skill, and
mastery – without the killing, of course.
Combat sports allow spectators to enjoy the excitement and
sensation of the school yard tussle, without the brutality of the
schoolyard shooting. Wrestling is a perfect example of this. We
can kid ourselves into thinking we are watching real violence,
but if someone accidentally gets hurt, we are appalled. Real
violence just doesn’t work that way.
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Violence: Not Just “Anything Goes” but “Do
Your Worst”
Don’t get confused here: PSD is not simply beefed up martial
arts or even combat sports, without the rules. PSD is pure,
simple, and basic violence. It isn’t meant to make you feel
good or give you the promise of being able to walk alone at
night, without any worries. PSD is about violence and violence
isn’t a matter of “anything goes.” What it is all about is “Do
your worst.” The distinction is chilling.
Anything goes means exactly that – do whatever you may
choose to do. This means that civilized people will try to get
away with doing less; and that could cost them their life, when
dealing with a sociopath.
Violence, on the other hand, is “do your worst.” This requires
picking the most horrible means to taking down your
opponent. There are no techniques in violence – only action –
horrible, awful action. When choosing violence, you don’t start
small and work yourself up to the worst, if needed (like in
other self defense programs), but start with the worst possible
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injury you can imagine and then continue to do more. This is
the difference between angering your attacker and
incapacitating him.
In violence, the goal is not to beat the other guy, it is about
inflicting harm first (and worst) and not stopping out of pity or
horror. It is about survival.
The mistake many people make is trying to make violence look
pretty and become acceptable. It isn’t pretty and it should
never be acceptable. Violence doesn’t care about novelty,
culture, gimmicky, or psychological distance. There are no
costumes, rituals, philosophy, and civility. All there is hurt and
pain.
We like to think that we can control violence – real violence –
without sacrificing our high moral, human standards. It is
impossible to deal with asocial violence by trying to distance
yourself from the psychological impact of hurting another
person. You can’t talk your way out of an asocial encounter
and you can’t reason with a killer. You can’t be the good guy
and survive. If you aren’t willing to cross the line society has
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drawn regarding acceptable and unacceptable violence, the
odds of your survival are slim.
Instead of playing roles or choosing sides, accept the reality of
the situation. There are no good guys and bad guys: there are
just two human beings working really hard to injure one
another. The person to get it right first typically survives.
It doesn’t take any grand gestures or feelings of superiority to
win at violence. All you really need is intelligently guided
practice to be able to cause injury from a purely bio-
mechanical point of view. You need force and a target and
that’s it. Everything else is extra baggage or junk that will just
hinder your progress.
PSD has no philosophical line. It is up to each individual to
develop their own approach. Philosophy and violence are
incompatible and should never be forced together. Philosophy
is a social construct, while violence is asocial. There is no good
and evil in violence; only success or failure.
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Chapter Nine: The Reasons behind
Violence
Violence is insane and it is committed by insane people. To
admit that you are willing to use it to even save your life
somehow feels like a betrayal to society; as if you are willing
to join “their” club.
It is human nature to try and avoid violence. This includes
trying to reason your way out of it. Most of us believe that, if
we simply can stay out of bad parts of town, be nice to
people, and avoid the insane people among us, we can stay
safe. Unfortunately these tactics don’t always work. This
leaves us with only one choice: how to best survive an
attack, if it comes.
When you think of real violence – the brutal, nasty,
disgusting kind I’m talking about – what pops into your
mind? Savagery? Brutality? What kind of person commits
these acts? The first word that comes to our mind is
“monster.”
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Now, think about using real hardcore violence yourself. Do
you consider yourself a monster? Hopefully not. A true
monster is someone who uses this kind of violence for no
reason. You are being trained to use it for the sole purpose
of saving your life.
A sane, well socialized person trained to use violence as a
survival tool is no more likely to use it inappropriately than
before they were trained. In other words, training for
violence will not turn you into a violent predator. It is not
going to turn on some monstrous switch that suddenly turns
a mild-mannered person into a gruesome sociopath.
On its own violence is not right or wrong. It is where and
how you use it that makes it so. When used as a tool it is
good. After all, it can be used to save you and someone you
love.
Here’s another misconception about violence: that it is an
irrational act, which is only committed by an irrational
person with an irrational state of mind. The truth is that a
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sociopath kills with dispassion. Sane people understand that
violence should not be used as an outlet for their anger and
control those urges.
Violence does not equal insanity either. If you were sane
before training for and understanding violence, you
suddenly are not going to go crazy.
Violence has no rhyme or reasons. The true killer simply
kills to kill. You, on the other hand are training to use
violence as a tool to stop the killer.
Let’s be clear here: there is nothing sexy about beating a
man to death with a tire iron. No matter what spin you try
and put on violence; how you try to explain it away; or make
it look pretty; the fact remains, it is still about maiming,
crippling and killing another human being. There is no nice
way to present that.
Violence is surrounded by euphemisms, all designed to try
and distance the well-socialized from the ugly, brutal reality
of crippling injury. No one likes the idea of inflicting this
kind of violence. It means to stop thinking of the other guy
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as a human and not stopping even when he begs you to. And
no one wants to think they are capable of such misery.
The reason I stress this way of looking at violence is so that
people can see it for what it is. Otherwise, they will be
unable to do what is necessary when faced with a brutal (and
insane) killer.
People like to believe that if we all play by the same rules,
everything will simply “work out for the best.” Until, that is,
they come face to face with someone who doesn’t; care
about the rules. Then you must face yourself and decide
whether you are willing to kill in order to avoid being killed.
It’s not comfortable to consider doing the same things to
your attacker that he is planning to do to you. Most of us
don’t see a difference between saying “I am able and
prepared to kill someone if necessary,” and “I am psychotic
killer ready and willing to kill anyone at any time.” Until you
can see the difference, you are going to find it difficult (if
not impossible) to put your training to the test.
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What does violence mean to you? Here are some of the most
common terms used to describe violence. Look and see
which ones match your own personal mindset:
Martial Arts
Generally speaking, those with a Black Belt hold a certain
amount of respect and social standing among the public.
Somehow, the knowledge of how to fight in a fair contest
seems to outweigh the ability to protect yourself against
pure evil. Although, martial art skills are useful in some
settings, when pitted against a sociopath they simply prove
to be useless.
Self Defense
Learning self defense seems logical: someone attacks you
and you defend yourself. The problem in this scenario
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requires you to remain a victim who is trying to defend
yourself. This puts you at a serious disadvantage.
Self defense teaches people how to slow down your attacker
long enough to get away. But that’s rarely enough. Don’t be
fooled into thinking that self defense and survival is the
same thing, because they aren’t.
Fighting
There are a lot of different ways to fight someone. Some
ways are more brutal than others, but one thing remains the
same: fights usually follow some sort of rulebook and may
even have referees standing on the sidelines. Murders do
not.
Hand-to-Hand Combat
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It would seem like this type of extreme defense would do the
trick when facing mortal danger. Still it lacks in some areas.
Here is the problem: hand to hand implies a back and forth,
give and take, and tit for tat scenario. Think about it, do the
people who engage in the worst violence in our society
(criminals, sociopaths, etc.) engage in this type of hand to
hand combat? No way! They don’t give their victims a
chance to fight back, fair and square. No, they go for it and
so should you.
Chapter Ten: Everyone’s a Badass
The bad guy has suddenly become the one to root for in our
books, movies, and television. Why, even the badass in
sports gets all of the attention these days. Become a wife
beater and you suddenly get more airtime than the guy who
won his sports championship.
People are fascinated with strength and power. We suddenly
look at the anti-hero and celebrate his dangerous streak.
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The bad boy is dangerous and compelling, all at the same
time. In short, we look in awe at the exact kind of character
that would terrify us should we meet up in an alley or
parking lot.
Why are we so enamored by the badass these days? One
reason may be the simple fact that they terrify us. It is this
terror that gains them respect. No one wants to face them,
so they get what they want. Deep down, we each want to be
the one intimidating others. After all, if we can become the
one to be feared, everyone will leave us alone, right?
Unfortunately the answer is no. Being a badass doesn’t make
you immune to violence. All it does is endure that you are
going to fall prey to a bigger badass in the antisocial scene.
It won’t protect you from an asocial killer.
Trying to intimidate people just isn’t a good strategy to
staying safe. It’s a dangerous game, which can quickly
backfire. If you are not prepared to escalate the situation,
your opponent may call your bluff and respond with a bigger
threat. And guess what, that can get you killed in some
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circles. Sane people will back away when dealing with a
badass; criminals, murderers, and sociopaths will not.
Now, let’s flip the scenario around. You are the one being
intimidated and scared. How do you respond? Maybe you
punch him in the face. Maybe you shoot him or worse,
maybe you brutally attack him, rendering him bloody and
lifeless.
You never know how a person will respond to intimidation.
Some act instantaneously, while others simmer for weeks,
months, or even years before unleashing their fury. Either
way, you are in trouble.
So what’s the answer? How do you look scary without
looking for trouble? The answer is to stop looking like a
victim. Look like you know what you’re doing and what’s
going on, while assuming a comfortable unconcerned air. Be
socially remote, not a jerk. Essentially put a no soliciting
sign on your back, one that says you don’t want to be
engaged.
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It’s a hard skill to master but anyone can project confidence,
an “I know how to handle myself” attitude without coming
off as threatening. It is much safer and a lot less harrowing
than running around trying to intimidate and scare everyone
off. Plus it works much better.
When in a social arena, use social skills to treat everyone
like a person. You don’t have to agree with them or become
their doormat. Simply avoid stirring the pot or adding fuel to
the fire.
But, when in an asocial environment, treat everyone like
meat. And don’t confuse the two.
Violence in the Antisocial Realm
There are always consequences of using violence. You are
stuck with physical and emotional trauma, and if you can’t
justify why you used extreme violence to protect yourself,
you could deal with legal ramifications too. That is why I am
so adamant about not using violence in an antisocial
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situation. It is the wrong tool for the job. It’s always better
to disengage and get out of there than to use violence as an
answer.
But what if you can’t escape? What if that antisocial
environment turns ugly and your predator won’t give you an
out? What if you face a situation that could turn dangerous
(and deadly) whether intended or not? You have to decide
whether or not the situation requires quick and efficient
action. Then treat it like an asocial encounter, but
remember these important ideas:
• Don’t pull any punches. The situation may start out as
an antisocial encounter, but once you are forced to
resort to violence, you have to strike hard. You can’t go
easy on your predator; you have to make the targets
nonfunctional.
• Go in at 100%. If you go into the fight hoping not to
hurt your opponent then you won’t; but you could end
up hurt. Go in with the intent to harm and get the
results you need. You can’t afford to screw around.
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Once this guy starts it, you have to finish it. Otherwise,
he could accidently hurt you more than he intended.
Yes, some street fights end with one of the other laying
paralyzed on the ground or even dead. Sure, it may
have been ‘an accident’ but that doesn’t help the
injured guy. If you are forced to engage, be sure to do it
right. Take control of the situation and get it done as
quickly as possible. None of this back and forth
business. Break some bones. They will heal. If you
allow the situation to escalate, someone could get hurt
to the point of no return.
• Aim for non lethal targets. Never start with a fist to the
throat or a knife to the stomach. As a general rule, you
can usually end an antisocial encounter without
attacking lethal targets.
• Understand that once you get physical, your
opponent’s intent may change. What starts out as
teaching you a lesson may suddenly make the other guy
fear for his life, and that change can alter the way he
handles the situation. You don’t want things to get
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serious, which will force him to come at you with
everything he’s got. Once a fight goes physical,
anything can happen. The other guy could pull a
weapon or his friends may enter the mix. Or, you could
use a tactic that is too strong and maim or kill him.
That’s why it is always best to avoid the fight at all. My
recommendation is to always be smart, think things
through, and always exhaust all options if you can. If
only then violence is the only answer, then engage.
To Injure or Not to Injure
When someone comes at you physically, the process is
simple – get in there, cause an injury, and repeat until
finished. Now, what do you do if no physical line has yet
been crossed? What if a gunman orders you to take a seat on
the floor of the bank, or someone blocks your exit from the
doorway? They have yet to actually touch you, yet the threat
is there.
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These are the times when you will have to make a judgment
call. Maybe the jerk at the party can be cajoled to move. The
guy at the bank may be willing to take his money and run,
requiring no interaction with you (or anyone). A terrorist or
a serial killer are other matters altogether.
If your gut tells you that it is time to get physical. Then dive
in full force and start injuring right away. Taking time to
mull it over only gives the attacker more time to gain
control of the situation. The longer a situation is allowed to
go, the harder it is to change its course. However, if you
ascertain it’s a bad situation from the start and you take him
down, he never gets the chance to inflict harm on you or
anyone else.
For any type of hostage-taker situation, the most critical
time is immediately after he comes in contact with hostages.
It is in these first few seconds that he learns if people will
comply or if someone will come after him. It’s your job to
shut him down right away.
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For most people, violence comes out of the blue. One
moment they are walking across the parking lot and the next
moment they are lying on the ground from a whack to the
back of the head or they are grabbed and drug toward a car.
The attack comes when you least expect it.
Victims are usually tired, sick, encumbered, or otherwise
distracted. This gives the attacker a chance to get in there
without being noticed. When you walk around with your
head held high and you look as if you can handle yourself,
you send an unconscious signal to stay away or else.
I remember hearing the story of one client who was in her
early 30’s. She recounted how at the tender age of 20, she
worked in a bad part of town until about 2 in the morning.
She was new to town and really had no idea how dangerous
the streets she walked really were. To make matters worse,
as a waitress she walked home every night with her pockets
brimming with cash tips. She should have been scared. Yet
she told me how she was too stupid to be scared and walked
home bravely every night with never an incident.
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Flash forward 10 years and she found herself in a similar
neighborhood late one night. Smarter now, she was scared
to death. Of course she found herself mugged for her wallet
and jewelry. Why? She assumed it was because she was
smart enough to know to be scared later in life and that fear
made her stand out amongst the criminal crowd.
I agree. When she was younger (and stupider), she walked
with an air of confidence. Being small statured, I assume
that criminals back then figured she knew how to take them
down, otherwise she would have been the prefect prey. It
was her attitude that saved her. Older and wiser in later
years, she was easy to spot and easy to accost.
The lesson here: don’t present yourself like a victim and
don’t act like a badass. The scariest people are the calm and
quiet ones. Predators don’t know how to read that. Are you
too stupid to be scared or do you know or have something
that they don’t know about? Not willing to take the chance,
they move onto an easier victim.
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So what happens when you do find yourself facing a
situation? Maybe that guy at the party won’t let you pass
and you feel physically threatened. Do you try and block his
every move? No. Pick a target and go for it. There’s no
messing around here. Once the threat is imminent, it is your
job to stop it.
Remember, waiting, looking, and blocking are all a sucker’s
game. With every two hits that you block one is bound to get
through. This type of self defense is exhausting and
pointless. Use your energy to accomplish something. Don’t
give him a chance to strike. Take him down the right away.
Outlined below are some of the tactical considerations to
use, when you are executing an initial strike against a
predator. But remember, while they are useful, they are
secondary to just getting it done and causing that initial
injury:
• Strike when he’s not looking. Pick a target and wreck it.
But you already knew that.
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• Strike when he is looking. Let’s say that your attacker is
looking you square in the eye. He has created a blind
spot found at a 45 degree angle of the cheekbones. This
will allow you to strike with surprise. For instance, if
he’s staring at you and you stare back while mentally
preparing to kick him in the groin, he won’t ever see
your boot move. Just be sure not to look down at the
groin before kicking – this will tip him off.
Another limitation of your attacker has to do with the
specific receptors in the eyes that detect motion across a
static background; they gage the rate of travel and predict
where the motion is going. Every human being is hardwired
to see a big roundhouse motion that breaks silhouette and
travels across a static background; which gives them the
chance to intercept a move.
So, don’t break the silhouette. Use straight moves to hit
your target from inside the outline. Do something like step
in and drive your fist into his solar plexus, with your elbow
in nice and tight at your hip.
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You can even manipulate both limitations at the same time.
Claw at your predators eyes by coming up from underneath
his vision, while staying within your silhouette.
Manipulating Social Conventions
Manipulation and violence often go hand in hand.
Sociopaths commonly misuse social tools to make their
victims feel at ease, taking away their power of perception
and offense. Mass murderer Ted Bundy was a perfect
example of this. He often used crutches and casts to lure his
victims into range.
Faking surrender is the most basic form of social
manipulation. Once you convince the other guy that you are
ready to give up, you can strike while his defenses are lower.
This catches him by surprise and gives you the upper hand.
A more insidious way to manipulate social conventions is to
use your social tools to befriend him. Get him close enough
to shake hands and then break him.
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These tricks are easy to use and easy to succumb to. So how
do you make sure you aren’t the one succumbing to them?
Listen to your gut. Instinct is a marvelous tool. Your
subconscious is great at detecting trouble.
Almost every victim of violence reports later that they had
“a feeling” that something wasn’t right, but they ignored it.
Trust your gut and act on it. Strike and strike hard.
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Chapter Eleven: The Absence of
Choice
Violence starts where choice ends. When it comes to antisocial
interactions, you get to choose whether you want to be
involved or not. In the asocial realm, there is no choice. You
are forced into it and once there you cannot get out of it. That
is why it is so important to choose your reaction wisely. Once
you cross the line to violence, there is no going back. You
cannot turn the violent situation around and you cannot close
a broken knee, leg, or wrist. So, always make the choice you
can live with.
Once you know how to take a grown man down, the better
choice is not to do it. I can’t tell you how many times I could
have legitimately knocked down someone in his place, using
the violence I know so well. But it wasn’t worth the aftermath,
and it wasn’t needed to save my life, so I chose to walk away.
You should too when possible.
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When violence means your life, then use it. Otherwise, find
another way. Basically, this means that you have no choice. It
is either kill or be killed. The choice is easy. Violence is your
only option.
Asocial violence comes at you quickly. One moment you are
standing in the parking lot looking for your keys and the next
moment you feel the knife penetrating your skin. Your only
option is to continue to get stabbed or to begin wrecking
targets.
For some people, knowing the difference between antisocial
and asocial interaction is blurred. They are so afraid that they
take every sideways glance and challenge a fight. But, that is
only going to get you into trouble. Thankfully, you shouldn’t
have that problem, if you remember these important facts:
• You don’t have to worry about your pride: You know you
can beat the other guy. Heck, you know how to actually
kill him, so pride isn’t an issue when it comes to walking
away from a fight.
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• Antisocial interactions can seem asocial, and they can
become asocial: If there is any chance of walking away,
then you are dealing with an antisocial event. You can
defuse the anger and make sure no one gets hurt. Or, you
can turn it into an asocial event by making the other guy
feel threatened. When you find yourself asking if you
should react with violence, the answer is almost always
no.
When No Choice Matters
Once you enter the asocial realm, you have no choice but to
react with violence. That’s when you turn to injury to save you.
Injury takes away choice. Violence is the absence of choice.
Once you cross over that line you both are just along for the
ride.
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Part Two: The Principles of Violence
Chapter One: Fight or Flight
Who hasn’t heard of the fight or flight response? It is when the
body is put on high alert against some danger. When
threatened by physical attack, your body’s natural response is
to prepare itself for the attack. But did you know that there are
actually four different kinds of responses? Well, here are:
Response # 1: Fight
When faced with danger, you assess the challenge and the
target and decide to fight back.
Response # 2: Flight
The challenge is assessed and deemed too dangerous, so the
target tries to evade the threat by running.
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Response # 3: Posture
The challenge is assessed and the target decides to feign
posture aggressively (act like a badass), with the hope of
scaring off the perpetrator and being able to avoid the attack,
without either fighting or fleeing.
Response # 4: Capitulate
Unable to fight or flee, the target decides to freeze, lie down, or
otherwise submit, hoping that if he/she appeases, the
aggressor will stop the attack (or at least lack its intensity).
Since most of us are very familiar with the general fight and
flight (responses # 1 & 2), let’s take time to discuss the other
two: posturing and capitulating.
Posturing usually takes place when the target decides that if he
spouts verbal warnings or threats, and looks tough, the
aggressor will back down. The trouble is, the aggressor usually
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just responds in kind; with the two sparring back and forth
until the situation escalates into violence.
Posturing is meant to scare the other person off, but it can be
dangerous, since it delays the flight option and wastes valuable
opportunities to flee.
Capitulate response can be just as dangerous to the victim, but
for other reasons. By literally submitting to the aggressor, the
victim hopes to end the encounter. For instance, if the woman
gives in to the rape, she is hoping that he’ll get what he wants
and will spare her life. This can work in some situations, but
when dealing with an asocial sociopath, submission rarely
works.
If used correctly, however, the capitulate response can be a
good way to put your aggressor in a vulnerable position before
attacking yourself.
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Facing Fear
Fear is a powerful emotion. It can control us, making us
incapable of moving or even trying to fight off a predator. Or,
it can be used to empower yourself and level the playing field.
Criminals use fear to get what they want. You can too. How?
By following these simple rules:
• Taking action. Fear doesn’t have to rob you of your ability
to think or maneuver in the face of danger. Allow yourself
to feel your fear. Feel your heart thumping and your
adrenaline flowing. This is your body’s way of getting you
ready for the job ahead. Use it to focus on completely
destroying the enemy or getting the hell out of there.
With your PSD training, you will be able to use fear and
its physical response to react, rather than freeze. Your
training will tell you what to do next – and you will do it.
• Use violence – it’s for everyone. Every person can be a
predator. The human brain is programmed for violence;
all you have to do is tap into that guttural instinct. You
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were made for survival, so don’t give up the chance to use
your internal power to free yourself from a violent attack.
• Become the attacker. Remember that the one who does
the injuring will prevail.
• Victims get hurt. Defense wounds are found on corpses.
Enough said!
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Chapter Two: It’s all About the
Injury
You cannot successfully defend yourself against a violent
attack, without hurting the other person. It’s that simple. Until
you come to grips with this fact, you will be unable to strike
when needed.
You never know how a predator will act when you strike. Some
will get scared and turn away. Others will get so mad that they
will be ready to kill you. That is why you have to be merciless.
Break his arm, but don’t stop there. Then use that injured arm
to throw him to the ground and then stomp on his head or
neck. Just because he is down doesn’t mean you should stop.
You shouldn’t. Not until he can’t come after you. Going easy
on someone who is out to hurt or kill you isn’t going to help
you in any way. It could even get you killed.
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In violence, every technique and target needs to be exploited
to its fullest. Nothing is out of bounds; one hesitation and you
will become the victim.
The Injury Manifesto
Every use of violence has a single key: injury. Knowing how to
cause injury and the results of those injuries gives you a
distinct advantage. That’s why you need to know and
understand these basic facts about violence and injury:
Violence begins and ends with injury
Injury is the only thing that means anything in violence. It’s
the goal; the end result. It defines the violent act and finishes
it. Violence literally begins and ends with injury.
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To be effective, violence is comprised of a series of injuries:
• the initial injury
• taking advantage of one injury to cause another
• continuing to inflict further injury until the perpetrator is
brought down
Injury puts everything in your favor
Injury gives you options. When you take the lead and inflict
injury you suddenly step away from the role of victim and can
make some choices on how to continue.
Injury is objective
Anyone can see when a leg is broken or an eye has been gouged
out.
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Injury decrements body function
By inflicting injury you stop some part of the body from
working correctly
Injury is permanent
Until the person gets medical help, that injury is going to keep
him down.
Injury is physics and physiology meeting badly
Injury equals excessive force plus vulnerable anatomical
target. Pain and mental states just don’t matter here. Everyone
has a different threshold for pain, so you can’t use that to
gauge your success. What drops one person will barely make
another flinch. That is why you have to do more than inflict
pain; you have to inflict injury.
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Injury doesn’t needs techniques
You don’t need to know any fancy techniques to hurt someone.
All you need is force and a target.
All injuries are equal
It doesn’t really matter whether you go after the eyes, neck,
legs. or knees. Every injury can do the job, if you take
advantage of it.
Injured people move in predictable ways
The body responds to injury (any injury) through specific pre-
programmed movements. There is no conscious choice
involved here. A boot to the groin is going to result in the same
exact movements in every man, regardless of how he wants to
react. This is good news for the person who studies these
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movements. This means you can predict what your assailant
will do immediately after you inflict injury. This can help you
prepare your next assault.
Injured people are helpless
Once you get your assailant down, he will be unable to respond
until the reflex is over. That gives you the advantage to strike
again … and again … and again.
Injury trumps speed, strength, and resolve
An injured person can’t outrun you. It doesn’t matter how
strong or fast he starts out, once injured, the target is
incapacitated.
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Violence begins and ends with injury
In a violent situation, any action that does not result in injury
is worthless. Each and every touch must break something
inside of him. Injure now. Injure again. And don’t stop until he
is non-functional.
What is Injury?
Injury may be the end to all the violence, but what is injury? It
is harm, detriment, and loss to the point, where you cannot
keep going. The kind of injury I’m talking about here doesn’t
just slow down an assailant, it takes them down. In short,
injury is breaking things inside of a person to the point, where
they don’t work anymore … now that’s injury. That’s violence.
This is the way the sociopath approaches the problem, and you
should too.
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Chapter Three: Why You Must Learn
to Kill
Being unprepared for violence can lead to dire circumstances.
That’s why I don’t sugar coat things or try and make violence
seem palpable. I believe it is better to be uncomfortable and
ready than to feel comfortable and be surprised at what real
violence looks like.
If there is one thing I want you to learn from your training, it is
that you must go into every violent situation with the intent to
cause serious injury, and if necessary, even kill. You must be as
brutal and effective as the most heinous thug. That is the only
way to walk away alive. Unfortunately, this is a truth that isn’t
very easy to accept.
Blocking a killer’s advance isn’t going to be enough to get away
with your life. The only way to make him stop is to inflict
serious injury on him. The first step is to have the intent to
harm. The second is doing it. So what steps lie between our
intent and the actual injury?
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Your Body Weight
Once you have the intent to do harm, then you must act fast.
Don’t hesitate. Don’t wait to see what he’ll do next – act and
act swiftly! Use all of your body weight in motion to inflict the
first injury.
Your Willingness to Do the Deed
“But I don’t want to be the bad guy!” I can’t tell you how often
I hear this statement. People recoil at the harsh realities of
violence. They just can’t imagine stooping to that level. Yet,
until you are willing to hit him in the side of the head with a
rock, you aren’t going to be safe.
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Remembering That He’s a KILLER
There’s a big difference between a fighter and a killer. The
fighter wants to one-up his opponent, but the killer wants to
end the other person. The fighter seeks to force submission;
the killer seeks to shut down the other man’s body. The fighter
“kicks ass”; the killer sets out to cause debilitating injury. The
fighter relies on strength, speed, and skill; the killer relies on
stealth and action. The fighter’s skills work best in a controlled
environment; the killer’s skills are effective anywhere.
So what’s my point? Frankly, the fighter doesn’t stand a
chance against a killer. A competitive MMA fighter or martial
arts expert just does not have the skills needed to escape a
murderer. Adopting a killer attitude is the only thing that is
going to help you do that.
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Lethal Force
There is no moral stance that should keep you from doing what
is necessary to protect yourself from a lunatic. Lethal force
may be necessary, so why not train for it? If you find yourself
in life or death situation, killing is definitely in order – but
only when the situation requires it. If it is him or you kind of
encounter, then be ready to use lethal force to stop the
encounter.
This is the time to trust your gut. These instincts are what are
going to tell you to move and move quickly. If you don’t have a
gut reaction to the situation, then the odds are good it doesn’t
require lethal action.
It is important not to train for any exact scenarios; the options
are too wide. You may find yourself locked in the trunk of a
car; taken hostage; face a killer in your apartment or any
number of other scenarios. What’s important is not training
for specific incidences, but to train to handle any circumstance
that may come along.
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Once you engage in violence, be prepared to keep going until
he is completely incapacitated. It doesn’t matter if he begs for
you to stop or lies on the floor bleeding. If he’s still moving,
you have to keep going. Otherwise, he may be able to get back
up and kill you.
When should you stop your counterattack? When you have left
your attacker:
Incapacitated: This can mean anything from a broken knee,
broken collarbone, or a bruised spleen. Whatever can get him
down and keep him from coming back at you is considered
incapacitated.
Unconscious: Once your attacker is knocked cold, you can
usually walk away.
Dead: reserved for the most extreme situations, killing another
human being isn’t easy, but is sometimes necessary. Just be
sure that you don’t do this far unless you feel as if you or
others will die at his hand or if you feel as if only the most
extreme measures will stop him.
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Chapter Four: Overcoming the Stigma
of Violence
Violence should never be used frivolously. It should always be
your last resort. Still, when needed, you should be ready to act.
People don’t like to think about the dangers that lurk in the
world. They like thinking about facing them even less. Still,
violence is there and if you ever fall prey to it, you need the
tools to survive. That includes the ability to act (or react) in the
same deadly manner as your attacker. You can’t be afraid of
violence or to use violence.
Remember, violence isn’t good or bad in and of itself. It is how
people use it that makes it good or bad. For instance,
bludgeoning someone to death with a kitchen knife can be
outright murder (bad), or it can be justified homicide (good).
Still, no matter what you call it, the act remains the same and
the victim remains just as dead.
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Knowing how to use violence doesn’t make you a bad person.
Using that knowledge to protect yourself and your family is
good, but using it to gain control and hurt people is what is
bad.
How Much Is Too Much?
Knowing how to kill is a skill that could someday save your life.
Still, it isn’t a skill you necessarily want to brag about. People
may look at you in a funny way or even keep their distance. No
one wants to think that their neighbor or friend is a lethal
killer. Yet, if faced with a madman, wouldn’t they want you by
their side?
Violence is the art of excess, so if you think you can hold back
in a lethal encounter, think again. You can’t control the way
you injure a target. You can’t hold back, offering just enough
force to take him down, but not really hurt him. If you are
going to use violence, then go for it. Otherwise, he may get
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away just long enough to come back at you angrier and more
focused than ever.
You have to figure out what is going to cause an injury and
then optimize the circumstances to get the results you need.
This requires using all of your body mass to create more force.
Penetrate and rotate through the target. This does the most
damage. When you use optimal force, you will get the injury
you want every time. Only extremely bad luck or unusual
circumstances will prevent it.
Some people may say this is overdoing it. That’s the point. The
body only breaks when it is subjected to forces that exceed its
own elasticity. You can’t injure your opponent if you don’t use
violence to excess.
Sufficient violence isn’t enough. You need to be methodical,
brutal, and thorough. Nothing else will work.
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Chapter Five: Violence is the Ultimate
Survival Tool
Violence should never be used to fight someone. It should only
ever be used as a survival tool. No matter how many times I say
this, I still have people come up to me and say things like…
“But what you teach isn’t fighting; it’s hurting and killing …”
“You just don’t teach anyone how to fight fair …”
“You don’t teach self defense; you teach cruelty and violence …”
My reply: Yes, you are right. That is exactly what I teach.
Sociopaths don’t fight fair and they don’t give up. The only
way to beat them is, well to beat them. A fair fight isn’t about
survival; it’s about proving that you are stronger, quicker, and
even smarter. The methods I teach in PSD are about survival.
And, nothing more, simple survival!
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Here’s another thing people don’t understand about PSD. It
doesn’t teach techniques to pull out when a specific thing
happens. Violence is random and you can’t rely on techniques
that work under certain circumstances to save you. The only
thing that is going to save you is a violent response.
The sad thing is that children are taught to control their
violent impulses. That’s good if you are dealing with the daily
frustrations of someone cutting you off in traffic or grabbing
the parking spot you have been so patiently waiting for. It’s
not so good if you come face to face with a sociopath, who
doesn’t play by society’s rules.
In the face of violence, most of us respond socially. We try to
communicate with our attacker in the hopes of avoiding the
confrontation altogether. We may even threaten them with a
tool, but deep down we have no intention of using it with
complete force. These tactics don’t (and won’t) work.
This is why my first order of business in any new PSD class is
to teach clients how easy it is to break those assumed
constraints, when the threat warrants it. Most situations do
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not warrant the use of violence. But, when it does, it is the only
answer. Once you understand that you can stop thinking the
way society has been telling you to think, you can free yourself
from the constraints that keep telling you that violence is only
for the bad guys. Violence is not the best way to survive an
asocial violent encounter, but it is the only way.
A Tool for Survival
Let’s get one thing clear here: you never win a violent conflict,
rather you survive it. Hurting or killing someone doesn’t make
you a winner; it makes you a survivor. The survivor gets to
walk away, while the other guy remains on the ground.
You can only become that survivor, if you are the one inflicting
the most pain. Injuring your attacker isn’t just a good idea, but
it is a necessity. Combine instinct with intellect and you may
stand a chance.
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When faced with a psychotic madman the only thing that
matters is survival and the best way to survive is to use
violence.
Until you know how to use violence as a survival tool, you are
nothing more than an underdog. Once you learn it, train for it,
and are willing to use it, you can level the playing field. You
won’t be just another victim. You will be responsible for
yourself in a way few others are. You have two choices, either
you can be afraid and avoid violence or you can be resolved
and do what’s necessary to survive any attack, no matter how
brutal it is.
The Golden Rule of Violence: Injure Him Now!
Do unto others before they do unto you! If you want to survive
a violent conflict, you have to be willing to jump in with all of
your force and injure him, before he has the chance to do the
same to you. Be the first to inflict injury and you will be a step
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ahead of your perpetrator. That gives you control and control
is key to walking away.
While most of us live our days by restraining ourselves, there
are times when these normal constraints must be forgotten.
When that happens, you have to break free from society’s
shackles and unleash the killer within.
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Chapter Six: Violence Isn’t Hard; the
Kill Is Simple
You might think that without years of self defense training and
loads of experience at hand to hand combat, you simply cannot
take on a murderous psychopath. Nonsense! Untrained people
can beat out even the most trained among us. Why? Because
violence isn’t hard. Anyone can hurt or kill someone, if they
have the intent. There is no skill required. All that you need is
to understand the tool of violence.
Accepting the simplicity of violence can be really hard for
some people. Why? Because no one wants to face the harsh
reality that no one is immune to violence and that anyone can
use it, even the untrained. That is the bad news. But, it is also
the good news. If anyone can use violence against you, then
you can use it against them to get out of a dangerous situation.
And, if even the most untrained person can prevail, then
someone like you, who has at least some knowledge, can feel
confident that they can prevail.
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Most serial killers don’t take PSD training to learn how to kill.
That means you have more training than the average serial
killer, if you are willing to use your training in the right way.
Remember, that killer has the intent to do you harm. If you
don’t react with similar intent, he will overpower you. But, if
you go into your counterattack with the same focus and intent
to injure as he has, you will prevail. Why? Because you have
more knowledge and training than he has.
What does all of this mean? The fact is that there really isn’t
much for you to master in order to protect yourself, all you
have to do is understand the facts:
• violence is simple
• going after your targets with all your force is effective
• violence is simple
• anyone can take down a killer
• violence is simple
• you don’t need years of training to prevail
• violence is simple
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Everything else, including learning different combinations and
configurations to use your body as a human wrecking ball, with
or without tools, is extra credit. Violence is only
communicated in your mind. Once you free your mind from
societal restraints and allow yourself to engage in an injury-
making encounter, you can survive.
Showmanship Doesn’t Get the Job Done
Showmanship may look good on the mat, but no amount of
yells, grunts, glares, or even flips are going to stop a killer.
Inflicting injury is your only hope. You may wish that good
sportsmanship and looking good using a myriad of self defense
techniques would work, but the sad truth is that nine times out
of ten they simply do not. Causing injury to the other guy
works and that’s why I teach it.
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There is no competition, when it comes to fighting for your
life. Your entire focus must be on survival. You should be
willing to do more damage than he does. It’s simpler than you
think because it has nothing to do with thinking … or kill … or
technique. Violence is all about doing.
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Chapter Seven: Access the Meat
Sociopaths look at everyone the same way: as meat to be
butchered. They don’t care if you have a great personality or a
winning smile. They also don’t care if you are a skilled athlete
or a talented artist. All only they care about is the kill.
You might consider sociopaths to be among the world’s most
insane. Don’t be fooled. These people aren’t insane. Most are
very sane indeed. They know exactly what they are doing; they
simply don’t care. That is what makes them so brutal. You can
try to convince them not to kill you. You can even try to appeal
to their sensitive side, but the fact remains that no matter
what you say, they will kill you because that’s what they do –
kill. Don’t believe me? Listen to these words by one of the
world’s most notorious sociopaths, Ted Bundy: “I’m the most
coldblooded son-of-a-bitch you’ll ever meet. I just liked to kill;
I wanted to kill.” He knew what he was doing and just didn’t
care.
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Sociopaths don’t care if they torture you. They could care less
if you are humiliated or in extreme pain. They may actually get
a thrill from seeing you like this. Pleading with a sociopath
won’t get him to let you free. It may actually entice him to
torture you more. Sociopaths pride themselves on being cold
blooded. Murder is their hobby and they enjoy it.
These disgusting human beings look at every victim the same:
as an animal to be slaughtered. They don’t worry about getting
caught. They are a predator out to find some prey.
Consequences are damned.
Want to survive at the clutches of one of these deranged
killers? You have to look at him the same way he looks at you:
as an animal to be slaughtered. You can’t reason with him or
appeal to his sensibilities (he has none). Here are four ways
you can deal with a sociopath:
1. You can try and treat him like a person: Most people
believe that they can change even the worst behavior.
This is a deadly assumption! You can’t talk down a serial
killer and trying will only get you killed.
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2. You can try and overpower him: If you try and overpower
a sociopath, you will lose. This isn’t a competition and he
won’t play fair. He’ll use every dirty trick he can. If you
aren’t willing to do the same, he will beat you every time.
3. You can try and outrun or overpower him: Animals light
like this - trying to overpower one another. If well
matched, the only thing they can do is to keep going until
one gets tired and falters. Meanwhile, the fight is bloody,
brutish, and uncivilized. Taking this tactic could result in
you becoming exhausted first and being overpowered or
even killed.
4. You think of him as a piece of meat: This requires looking
at your opponent as just a physical object and not a
human being. You can’t think about how big, strong, or
skilled he may be. Concentrate on his evilness, if it helps
you to disassociate yourself with the person. This will
allow you to damage him in a way that will render him
useless.
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There are reasons why some people prefer using one of these
methods over another when dealing with others. Interfacing
can be done at a safe distance and concentrating on skills can
also be done from a distance. Although, dealing with physical
abilities must be done on a skin to skin level, those who
consider themselves stronger will feel they are at an advantage
(even though they may not be). Finally, dealing with an
aggressor as a piece of meat allows you to be destructive,
without ever really considering the harm you are doing to a
“person.”
Most people can easily move to an antisocial realm where they
are willing to fight. Getting them to jump the hurdle to asocial
behavior is another matter. Some people are considered
socialists. These are the ones who prefer to deal with conflict
from a distance. They ask a lot of questions and want strict
guidelines for dealing with a predator. They have yet to realize
that the kind of violence they are training for cannot be
avoided. They can’t really plan for it. They can only train their
instincts to react so they don’t have to think about it.
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The duelists are people that are usually trained in martial arts
and seem to rely more on skill and technique than on a gut
response. They prefer to lay out individual scenarios so they
can think through what to do. Concerned with keeping the
attack on a social level, the duelist is often caught off guard
and unprepared when faced with real life violence.
If there is one thing I want you to realize, it is that violence has
little, if anything to do with physical prowess. A 5 foot 110
pound woman is just as capable of gouging out a man’s eye or
stomping on his neck as a 300 pound 6 foot 5 inch man is. Size
doesn’t matter when it comes to violence, intent does.
Strength doesn’t guarantee success, injury does. The first one
to inflict injury walks away.
Normal people don’t want to injure anyone; that’s for the
sociopaths, until sometime an encounter progresses to the
point where violence must be considered. What’s important
then is to figure out where you lie in the spectrum of the
characteristics discussed above. Be honest with yourself. Until
you can face your real thoughts and hang ups about violence it
will be useless to you.
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Studying real life encounters can be beneficial in two ways:
1. It can help you understand your own feelings about
violence
2. It can show you what sociopaths use to render their
victims incapacitated and this knowledge can help you
turn the tables on them.
Understanding violence is reassuring. It is also comforting.
Once you understand it, you can use it to protect yourself –
and that can take away any fear you may have of the world and
help you navigate the big bad world with the confidence that
you can survive anything it throws at you.
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Chapter Eight: The Hardest Lesson
It’s a hard lesson to swallow - if only madmen are allowed to
use violence, then only madmen will have access to the tool.
It’s relatively easy to handle a madman and stop him. You have
to knock him down or kill him yourself. It’s the psychological
element that trips up most of us. We simply cannot fathom
overcoming the terror and chaos playing out in our heads,
when faced with a madman with a gun. Paralyzing fear stops
most people from doing what needs to be done, that is, taking
down the madman. Even the police often hesitate before
shooting a perpetrator. They don’t want to kill him, even when
they know it is their only choice.
Why are we so afraid of responding to violence with violence? I
have no idea! There is one thing I do know: until we all learn
what violence is and how it works the only person with access
to the weapon is going to be the murderous sociopath – and
that’s not good.
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Stop flinching … Stop Looking Away … Learn
I have said it again and again: the one doing the violence
prevails. But what does that mean for you? It means that you
have to be more dangerous than the killer. Anything shy of
that and you become his victim.
Therefore, your goal in training or even reading this book
should be to become the most dangerous person in the room.
It’s that simple. You have to always be the one who is the most
dangerous, the most brutal, and the most in control. This
doesn’t mean you have to go around terrorizing people. You
simply have to know how to cause injury and be willing to do
so. You have to be willing to hurt someone if needed. Pages
ago I said the quiet and calm person is usually the most
dangerous? You have to become that quiet, calm, controlled,
and dangerous person.
Becoming the person who exhibits unflinching intent to get
everyone to run from you rather than go after you and deliver
multiple injuries until your victim drops unable to move is a
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hard thing to consider. But it’s necessary. The lesson is a hard
one: you have to mentally prepare yourself to become the
perpetrator in order to avoid becoming the prey. Violence is a
powerful tool, but only if you are willing to use it. Are you?
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Part Three: Putting the Principles of
Violence into Action
Chapter One: Roadblocks, Plateaus, &
Epiphanies
I have changed the way I look at violence several times over
the course of my lifetime and career. As I learned and
experienced more, my focus grew and my training practices
changed. Now, as I look back, I can see five distinct phases in
the evolution of my thinking and my training focus for using
the tools of violence. This has helped me to streamline my
training, thus making it even easier for the average person to
learn and implement.
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Phase I: Looking at the fantasy of violence
Like most other people, I came to violence, thinking it looked
in real life like it does in the moves. I had been trained in the
martial arts, so my first take at PSD was to make it martial arts
to the max. I wanted an all in one approach that could use my
martial arts skills like I saw in the movies. A few good moves
and bam! My assailant was down. I didn’t want to resort to
brutal violence like a mad man. Instead I wanted to
outmaneuver and outsmart my foe. This was a fantasy.
Real life violence isn’t anything like what you see on TV or in
the movies. I needed to get past this way of thinking and so do
you.
Phase II: A More Realistic View... but not quite
By this point I was beginning to see past the fantasy of movie
violence and was beginning to see the real brutality and
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nastiness of violence. Still, I continued to try and prepare for
every scenario. If the guy does this, then I will do that. This
required learning more and more techniques. The job seemed
endless and it was. I was beginning to feel as if I could never
learn enough. There was always going to be a bigger badder
guy out there who could take me down. I was reverting right
back into victim mode.
Seeing violence in a more realistic view can be empowering,
but it can also scare you to death. You suddenly realize the
danger you may come up against and the old and scary
brutality the world has to offer.
Phase III: Realizing he’s not so tough – but I am
One of the biggest breakthroughs I’ve had in my violence
training is realizing that the bad guy isn’t my problem – I’m
his problem. This is much easier said than done. Still once you
can come to grips with the idea that you can take him down
(and can begin focusing on causing injury to your opponent),
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you are getting closer to truly understanding violence and
learning with it.
Accepting violence isn’t easy. It goes against our sanity and
our societal rules. But once you get used to the truth, you can
wrap your head around the fact that it’s okay to match violence
with violence, if it means your life. Encounter violence as an
idea before you face it and you will be much better equipped to
move through the shock and fear, get over it, and be fully
prepared to take it head on should the need arise.
Phase IV: Arriving at the singularity of violence
Eureka! Everything has come together. All of the elements of
violence suddenly fit together like a puzzle, allowing you to see
the bigger picture. Every strike, every blow, and every break
leads to the same ending: injury. When you can see this, you
have moved from fighting to injuring. There is freedom in this
change. No longer must you worry about everything that could
go wrong or prepare for all of the ‘what if’ scenarios. All of that
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is out of your control. What is within your control is breaking
the other guy. That is all you need to succeed.
While taking down the bad guy with flair and grace looks good
in the movies, real life dictates a much messier approach.
Phase V: The Sociopathic Angle
The final phase in my training has been to approach violence
from the sociopath’s angle. I am not advocating becoming a
sociopath; simply looking at violence in the same way he does.
This will level the playing field. This simple mindset will allow
you to stop trying to analyze him and his actions and simply
let you move forward and break him.
It took me almost a dozen years and five distinct phases to
figure out this simple training philosophy. You’re lucky; you
don’t have to figure it all out. I’ve laid it out for you. All you
have to do is take what I have learned and use it to your
benefit.
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Chapter Two: Training for Life
Violence isn’t something that you can avoid. If you are unlucky
enough to come face to face with it, you have to follow it
through; and that may mean getting hurt. Every violent
encounter results in being kicked, punched, scratched, or
otherwise injured. That’s just the way it is. The goal is to give
more debilitating injuries than you take. Realistically survivors
rarely walk away, they limp.
Accepting this reality will save your life. It will keep you from
thinking you have lost the fight before you even get started
and from quitting when things get precarious. For instance,
let’s say you have been trained in knife fighting and you get
stabbed. You may think that you screwed up. Too busy
thinking about what you did wrong to allow yourself to get
stabbed, you’ll fail to do what you need to do to get out of the
situation altogether.
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The best way to survive is to ignore what the other guy is up to
and concentrate all of your effort (and power) on causing him
injury. This requires training for violence in the real world; not
the kind of fantasy violence we think we will encounter.
Three Common Training Mistakes
Now that you know what you need to do, you may be
wondering how in the world to train for real-life asocial and
deadly violence. Before you can learn what to do, you have to
learn what not to do. That’s why I have compiled this simple
list of the three biggest mistakes most self defense and martial
arts experts make when training for violence:
Mistake # 1: Training for One-on-One Combat
You do what you train. Whatever you practice is the way you
will handle yourself, when facing an attack. If you have only
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trained to deal with a single attacker, then you will be thrown
off guard when you face two, three, or more combatants. Since
most people tend to attack in groups, it is imperative that you
train for a multiple attacker scenario. In PSD, we train our
clients to become a 360 degree fighter who can keep up with
what’s going on around them during a fight. This means
hunting for your next victim, while fighting off the first one.
Mistake #2: Wasting time conditioning your body
Some self defense courses and martial arts plans require the
body to be in peak physical condition before it can be
successfully used. This is ridiculous. For one thing not
everyone can (or will) get in top condition in time to save
themselves from a brutal attack. Does that mean they should
die? For another, violence is unpredictable, and you never
know what parts of the body will be targeted. What if you work
for months to strengthen your upper body and it is your legs
that your attacker targets? There are more than 70 anatomical
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areas of the human body that provide 200-plus specific targets
that cannot be conditioned. This makes it very easy to cause an
injury, even to the most conditioned athlete.
The simple fact is that it is impossible to condition the body
for violence. Yes, you can train the body to handle trauma to a
specific area under controlled conditions, but when you take
away the controls, chaos ensues. Stop wasting time trying to
control the uncontrollable. Instead, put your energy towards
something useful: learning the 200 areas of the body where
you can inflict injury.
Mistake # 3: Relying on Training Tools
Training tools such as punching bags to offer some help in
building strength, but they simply aren’t a substitute for a real
person. They are useless for violence training. They don’t
move, when they are hit and offer a different kind of timing
than a real-life encounter.
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The Principles of the Patriot Self Defense
Program
To better understand how PSD works, take a few minutes to
look over this basic breakdown of the program’s principles:
Violence Basics
The basics of violence are as follows:
• To succeed, think and act like a sociopath, when faced
with a mortal attack. Be willing to maim, cripple, or even
kill your attacker if necessary.
• Remove the boundaries of rules from your consciousness.
Remember, there are no rules in violence.
• Your only weapon is your brain. Everything else is a tool
• Stop concentrating on the other guys’ tools. Instead focus
on taking out his weapon (his brain). Even if you manage
to wrestle that gun out of his hands, if his weapon (his
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brain) is still functioning, he can figure out a way to kill
you.
• Violence should never be a give and take or back and forth
endeavor. Make it one-sided.
Doing Violence
When involved in a violent attack, be sure to become a doer
and not a taker. Here are a few guidelines:
• be the one doing the violence
• aim small, miss small
• focus on targets and then strike
• never block, always strike
• never hesitate
• use your entire body mass and power to strike
• never quit, keep attacking until the other guy is
nonfunctional
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• always assume there is more than one attacker
• stop concentrating on what is being done to you, instead
concentrate on what is available to you.
Social vs. Asocial Violence
Two very distinct types of violence, here are some guidelines
while dealing with both:
• Never use violence to solve a social situation
• Never posture with violence
• Never use violence to teach someone a lesson
• Walk away from ego-based confrontations
• Use social skills to get out of a bad situation (if you can)
• If the encounter turns asocial, don’t hesitate to use
violence to get away
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Training for Violence
When training for violence, remember these two basic rules:
• Be brilliant with the basics
• Be sure to train for real world violence
This is a great primer for violent conflict. Use it as your
blueprint to better understand violence as well as the PSD
program.
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Chapter Three: Is It Time to Fight or
Work Out?
Many self defense programs are just an illusion. They teach
you set patterns to memorize in response to various attacks
(all staged). The problem is those who learn these moves are
left blindsided, when an attack doesn’t go as planned.
Left to their own devices, most of these students freeze. Why?
Because they have been taught to respond to certain
choreography – they haven’t been taught to fight!
Some may argue that fight training does the same thing. After
all, you learn some moves to help you “fight” the other guy
and then you practice on that. It sounds similar, but there are
some big differences. Instead of relying on specific moves, a
well-trained fighter knows how to react by:
• finding targets and
• striking those targets
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It doesn’t matter, whether he is assaulted in a parking lot or
his own home; whether the assailant uses a gun, knife, or his
hands; and it doesn’t matter how big the other guy is. A well
trained fighter knows how to react and he does exactly that.
There is no hesitation as he looks through his arsenal of moves
stored in his brain. He fights because that is what he has been
trained to do. If you understand this concept, you will be ready
for the fight – whenever and wherever it comes.
Fighting Is Fighting: It’s Not a Workout
You will never hear a well-trained fighter say that he is going
to work out. Why? Because he’s not! He’s fighting. There is a
difference – a big difference.
Using violence as a survival tool and staying in shape have
nothing to do with one another. The fattest, most out of shape
guy can still inflict real damage when using violence as his
tool. Sure, being in good physical shape may give you more
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stamina and even strength, but they are not a requirement for
effectively using violence.
Intent and effective targeting is what matter most in violence.
This allows you to inflict injury despite the fact that you are
overweight; have weak knees and can barely breathe from
asthma. Even if your attacker is in great physical shape, you
can render him incapacitated, if you know what (and how) to
target his body for damage.
Violence is something anyone can use – with or without
physical prowess or even training. Although PSD will help you
learn how to use violence more effectively, you don’t have to
know PSD in order to protect yourself.
Worry About What Matters
Prisons are full of untrained murderers who were very
effective. Violence was just a way for them to get what they
wanted. We could all learn a lot from them in this regard.
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Despite their physical abilities (or lack of such), these
murderers learned to target their victims. You can do the same.
One of the main aspects of PSD is teaching people how to
target specific parts of the body. I often give my clients
homework, telling them to practice locating targets in the
street, mall, grocery store, and office throughout the day.
Practice makes perfect and concentrating on certain
anatomical targets during non-stressful times will help your
brain and body respond faster, when you are under stress.
At the beginning of violence training, most people need work
(loads of work) on their targeting. Until you can do this right,
your fighting skills will be lacking. Once you can hit your
target, you can work on improving the physical dynamics of
increasing the traumas you deliver to those targets. Targets
come first and force comes second. That’s what matters most.
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Chapter Four: A Dead Guy offers No
Value
Violence sickens us. No one wants to be the brunt of a violent
encounter. While antisocial violence may make us cheer for
the underdog, real world violence makes us feel more deeply.
Most people have a natural tendency to identify with the
victim of an assault. Why? The main reason is because we all
know that the victim could have been us. By happenstance it
wasn’t, but next time …
Are there lessons to be learned from victims and how they
handled themselves during an attack? Not really. No two
incidences are alike, so even if you see the mistakes a victim
makes and vow not to make them yourself if put in the same
situation, the fact remains: you will never find yourself in that
exact same situation. That means your response will be
different – it has to be.
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So how do you learn from an attack? Study the perpetrator, not
the victim. The perpetrator is the one who succeeded. He got it
right. This is a scary thought for most people. No one wants to
empathize with the murderer or take their cues from him.
That’s not the point. The point is to learn something and there
is a lot to learn from the person doing the victimizing.
Why do I suggest this method of training? Simply because it
works! If you are going to bet your life on something, shouldn’t
it be a proven method? The person inflicting the pain and
injury is the one using the facts to their advantage. Pay
attention to that. The only thing you can learn from the victim
is how to be a victim. On the other hand, you can learn how to
inflict injury from the one doing it – and that knowledge will
save your life!
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Chapter Five: MURDER
If there’s one thing I have to convince people the first time I
meet them is that I am not a sociopath and I am not trying to
turn them into one either. I understand people’s hesitancy
toward violence and their penchant for wanting to stay as far
away from it as possible. But, it is exhausting to explain to
every group I meet that violence is sometimes necessary, and
when it is, you would better be ready.
It can be hard to fathom why you need to learn to hurt
someone. It can be harder to digest the fact that you need to
know how to kill someone (just in case). Why do I teach
violence? Because I firmly believe that it is what you need to
do if someone is out to kill you. When it comes to murder, it’s
pretty clear cut: violence is your only way out and you had
better know how to use it!
Why is it so hard to wrap our brains around the need for
violence? We’ve been taught that it’s bad, and worse yet, we
have been taught that competition can be used to stop it. To
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you, violence is about dominance and submission. That is what
you have been taught. And that is why I like to start every
violence conversation with one guy shooting another guy.
When you see one person shoot and kill another, you know
exactly what it’s about: killing. The mechanics use the kinetic
energy of the bullet delivered through the anatomy of the
body, wrecking it.
Now, use that same ideology, but instead of using a gun, use
your fist, boot, a pipe, or whatever you have available, as long
as it is doing the work of the bullet – wrecking the anatomy. It
doesn’t matter what does the killing: a gun, knife, head
trauma, or even getting hit by a car; the end result is the same:
death.
This is where many people get hung up. They know a gun can
kill them, but they think they can dodge the car; survive the
knife attack, and ward off a deadly punch or kick. It’s a
mistake. It is time to face the facts: people get stabbed to death
and die from punches to the skull and kicks to the stomach.
Just because your attacker is wielding a gun doesn’t mean he
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can’t kill you – and vice versa. You don’t need a weapon to
take down a predator; you have one: your brain.
I’m going to teach you how to kill murderers. Everything that
fits that narrow model will benefit you; the rest won’t. Murder
is the final word! Fighting and self defense are worthless.
You’re not going to fight for your life. You are going to kill a
murderer.
Now that you are looking at murder in a whole new way, you
likely have some questions. Here, I will discuss the answers.
1. Why would I ever need to know how to kill someone?
Knowing how to kill a murderer is a safeguard, much like
learning to swim is. You learn to swim with the hope you
will never have to use those skills to avoid a drowning;
the same is true for leaning to kill another human being.
2. Won’t I get into trouble if I use this knowledge? It
depends on the situation. If you are attacked in your
home by an intruder or face a gunman on campus, the
odds are no, you won’t get into any trouble. If you kill a
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guy during a backyard brawl or bar fight, then yes, indeed,
you’re in big trouble.
3. But what if he has X and he’s coming at me? Gun or no
gun; knife or no knife, you had better be sure your
attacker is aiming for murder and not just a fight before
you counterattack with deadly force.
4. Does PSD work for someone who knows what you’re
teaching? Injured is injured and dead is dead, regardless
of talent or training. It doesn’t matter what the other guy
knows if you can find and strike your target first.
5. What if he’s bigger, faster and stronger? It doesn’t matter.
Your attacker knows it doesn’t matter and so should you.
Stick with what truly matters (injury) and work with that.
The simple fact is that you don’t try to talk to, beat, or even
fight with murderers. Kill them before they have the chance to
kill you first.
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Chapter Six: It’s Not About Being Good
or Evil
This book is about what works when it comes to survival.
Nothing more and nothing less. I one read a book about self
defense, where the author explained how the reader could pick
and choose the level of seriousness they wanted to use when it
came to learning, practicing, and using the self defense
techniques outlined in its pages. The thought that you can
choose the level of violence that will be used on you (and that
you can use in response) is ludicrous. Worse than that, it’s
dangerous.
To follow this writer’s lead means that you can – and should –
react to a situation with a certain degree of strength and
intensity. Let’s say the event warrants 30% power, and then
you limit your response to 30%. A more serious altercation
may require 50% or 80%. If your life depends on it you would
choose to give your response all your energy and power.
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The problem with this tactic is that what if you think the other
guy is only giving 60% of his power and you react in kind. Only
his 60% actually kills you? You wanted a good chance to stop
the incidence and instead wound up dead.
There are a lot of ways to hold back, and one of them will get
you killed. If you wait to see what the other guy is going to do
first, you could take away your chance to end the altercation
altogether. If you make certain targets like the eyes, throat, or
head off limits because wrecking them could cause your
attacker permanent damage, you give him the opportunity to
do worse to you, and if you go easy on him you prolong the
attack, giving him more of an opportunity to beat you down.
Anytime you don’t give it your all, you reduce your
effectiveness, and this can be dangerous.
It may be impossible of you to commit to taking out a guy’s
eyes or smashing him in the skull for fear of the result. But
what if those are the only two targets you can get to? What if
that is the only way to stop this killer from succeeding?
Delivering light trauma may be worse than delivering no
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trauma. When you play at injuring an attacker all you manage
to do is anger him further, and make his resolve to hurt you
stronger. It’s a dangerous game; the one you should never
play.
On the surface it may seem like PSD only trains for worst case
scenarios, but the way I look at it is that if we train for the
worst, we’ve trained for everything. By getting your attacker on
the ground and keeping him there, you have eliminated every
other scenario and the need to train for it. The attack stops.
End of story!
Let’s say that you start by breaking his jaw at the Temporal
Mandibular Joint. Somehow the guy stays on his feet. He’s
hurt, but not disabled. Next you come back with a swift kick to
the groin ad he goes down, curled in a fatal position. In a few
seconds, he may be back up so you take this opportunity to
break a few ribs and then strike the side of his neck. He is now
unconscious. Now you are safe and can stop.
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You may have noticed that I didn’t mention any techniques or
specialty moves here. They don’t matter. Injuries matter and
you caused several injuries.
Now, in another case the jaw break may have been enough. He
may have swung around before falling to the ground. Or maybe
you could tell that the groin kick and jaw break were enough to
do him in, so you stopped. Those are judgment calls. Just be
sure that he is not capable of coming back at you before you
stop.
The fact is that just because you know how to kill him, doesn’t
mean you will – or have to. I am not advocating killing every
predator. In reality that usually isn’t necessary. What I do
advocate is using as much violence as you need to get the
perpetrator to stop.
What does this all mean to you? First, it means that you
understand that violence is serious. This isn’t a game we’re
playing and it isn’t a competition. Violence isn’t something to
use to overpower someone and make yourself feel superior and
it isn’t a way to show off. This means you don’t allow yourself
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to get sucked into an antisocial event. You know the
repercussions of violence and you do your best to steer clear of
them.
Violence is a weapon and should be used as such. After all, you
wouldn’t pull a gun out and shoot your neighbor because he
took the parking space, that took you three hours to doing out
during a blizzard, would you? Then you shouldn’t use violence
in that circumstance either.
However, when violence is warranted, your training will let you
use it fully. In those cases, it is justified and warranted.
Violence isn’t about being evil or not. It’s just about survival.
What’s at Stake?
All violence should be treated equally. It shouldn’t matter
whether your attacker has a gun, knife, or is simply using brute
strength to take you down. As you have learned, all can be just
as effective. Why then do so many people think that once a
weapon enters the picture, the stakes have changed? They
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haven’t. A weapon is just a tool like your brain and hands are a
tool. When used in a certain way, they can all be deadly.
When your training dictates its severity on what the
perpetrator has (or doesn’t have) in the way of a weapon, you
are put at a disadvantage. If you only train to gets serious when
a gun or knife is pulled on you, you are setting yourself up to
get killed. Every time you decide a situation warrants violence,
you have to go all in; otherwise you could be the one on the
losing side of the encounter.
Violence is serious – every single time. So be sure you take it
seriously – every single time.
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Good Training Looks like This:
There are three things that I believe good violence training
must contain.
They are:
1. Forgetting the what-ifs: Don’t think about what if you
attacker has a gun, knife, tries some new move on you,
etc. Train as if every scenario is the worst possible one
you can face. If you know how to use it as your target, it
really won’t matter if your attacker has a certain weapon,
strategy, or skill.
2. Don’t worry about your attacker: show no mercy. Don’t
worry that you are going to do permanent damage. Do
what needs to be done.
3. It’s all or nothing: open the trap and then nail your
victim. That is all you have to worry about. It doesn’t
matter how your attacker comes at you or with what tools.
Your need to train with intent in mind – every time.
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When it comes to training for violence, the best things you can
do are buckle down, focus, and free fight to make the tool, that
he has, immaterial.
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Chapter Seven: It’s Time to look at
the Truth
Most of the experienced instructors I know are also the most
calm about violence. This seems crazy since they understand
well that it’s all about killing or to be killed. Yet, they are so
calm, when it comes to violence. Why?
They don’t think about the what-ifs; they don’t obsess about
who’s going to come around the next corner; and they aren’t
afraid that they’ll come face to face with danger. They are calm
because they have trained to know what to do in a violent
encounter and feel confident that they can handle it and
survive.
When you begin your PSD training, you may do so in the hopes
of outwitting a criminal or being able to incapacitate a
murderer. I bet you never thought that a calm spirit would be
one of the benefits of such horrific training.
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PSD strives to create a hard knot of intent within you; one that
can be pulled out if the situation requires it. Once you cultivate
this skill and the will to use it, you can sit back and relax like
my instructors. There’s nothing more to worry about. Should a
situation occur, you can pull out your desire and intent and use
it to stop the perpetrator. Then it’s back to life.
Without intent and the merciless will to injure an attacker,
your training will be useless. Too many people find intent
difficult to muster. There are a lot of reasons why people
struggle to build the kind of intensity of intent needed to use
violence. Here are just some of the reasons why you may be
having a hard time building the level of intent you need:
• You don’t want to go there. You don’t want to hurt
another human being. That’s natural. But when violence
is the only way to survive, an unwillingness to use it could
cost you your life. When training for violence, you have to
find a way to treat your partner with dispassion. Lose your
emotional connection and triggers. Don’t think of your
attacker as a person, but think of him as a target.
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• You worry about what the other guy will do. Injured
people can’t hurt you and they can’t kill you. Stop
worrying about what your attacker is going to do and stop
trying to forecast his next move. A better strategy is to
inflict an injury. People tend to respond similarly to
certain injuries, so if you know the response an injury like
a broken leg will elicit, you can figure out what to do next
without worrying about the unknown. The quickest and
easiest way to stop an attack is to end the
attacker/defender relationship. Instead, cause an injury
and put an end to the whole matter.
• You empathize with your attacker. Stop thinking of your
attacker as a person. Don’t feel sorry for him and don’t
worry about what his injuries will mean to him. You only
have to worry about one thing: whether the person
experiencing the injury is going to be him – or you. One
of you is going down; make sure it is the right one.
• You believe that violence is difficult. Nothing could be
further from the truth. Once the psychosocial issues are
taken out of the equation, violence becomes very, very
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simple. Most people admit that real violence is easier
than training. When allowed to completely go for it, you
can use all of your might. If done correctly, the entire
situation is over before it ever really gets started. What’s
difficult is giving yourself permission to do what needs to
be done: cripple, maim, or kill. It’s your choice.
You can’t force yourself to have the intent to do harm. You
need to think it through and work on letting go of your good
guy image, before you ever face the reality of violence.
Mechanically I can show you how to injure and tear a person
apart, but that’s all I can do, actually doing it is solely up to
you.
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What Does Intent Mean? As Hard As You Can
Intent is that element that causes you to fear your attacker.
Intent is the single minded goal oriented focus that a
sociopath uses to do what he does. He has the intent to do
harm to the exclusion of everything else. Now it’s your turn to
do the same.
So what does intent means to you? It means that from the
moment you realize that you are in trouble (real trouble), you
need to be scouting out targets and carving a path to
destruction until that threat is gone. This will require finding
your targets and smashing them one after another, without
any hesitation. Intent puts you in control. You force him to do
what you want. It makes violence one sided.
Intent is not about emotions. It’s choosing a specific thing and
following through until your goal has been reached. When it
comes to violence, intent requires inflicting injury again and
again until it no longer makes sense to continue.
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Remember, intent is a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you think you
can, then you can and if you think you don’t, then you won’t be
able to. When facing mortal danger, focus on the reality, not
on all of the things that could happen. Don’t concentrate on
what you can’t do; but what you can do. There is always a
target that can be utilized.
Intent is also about how much you’re willing to give of yourself
to accomplish the deed. All survivors have one thing in
common: they believed they could survive. It didn’t matter
how bad the situation was or even how much they were hurt.
They still believed that they could find a way to survive –and
they did. I have never heard a single survivor say “then I quit
and waited to die.” Survivors believe they can change the
outcome and they do just that.
Intent comes down to this simple fact: wanting to cause injury
more than anything else in the world. By focusing your mind in
one direction, onto that single target, your body will follow.
You will use your entire mass to crush his skull or throat. Not
because you were bigger, stronger, or smarter, but because you
believed you could.
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Building a Better Monster
Are you still worried that you will come face to face with a
bigger stronger and more skilled killer and lose the fight? I
can’t say it any differently then I already have: it has nothing
to do with size, strength, or even smartness. All it has to do
with is intent.
The killer goes for the kill and so should you. Maybe he has a
knife and you don’t. So what! That knife is nothing but a tool
and you have tools too, they are your hands and feet. You can
do as much damage with a swift kick to the right place as he
can with a knife.
Maybe it isn’t his size or strength that worries you. Maybe it’s
not even that knife. Maybe what’s really worrying you is the
fact that you are afraid that he will do what you won’t. The real
monster here is intent. If his intent is stronger than yours,
then yes, he is going to win.
Villains usually pull out a weapon to show their intent. It’s a
strategy that works well. Once a gun or knife is pulled out,
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most people crumble, believing there’s no way to beat that.
Nonsense! You can beat that with the right intent.
The point here is that the monster you fear isn’t the man, but
the intent. So why not build a better monster? But how do you
do that? First you have to face your fear that he will have the
guts to do what you are uncomfortable with: inflict injury.
The fact is that your attacker is going to get in a few good
shots. After all, his intent is strong. That means he is going to
do some things to you. Recognize that fact, so you aren’t
shocked by it.
You can’t stop what he’s doing. Until you strike, he’s going to
keep beating you or stabbing you. This isn’t meant to scare
you. As long as you remain a victim, you will remain a victim.
That’s just the truth.
Yes, injury will make you helpless. But you can change the
outcome by inflicting more injury to him than he does to do.
You can make the realities of violence work for you by doing
things to him. He can’t stop what you’ve already done and if
you injure him correctly, he will be rendered helpless.
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I believe that violence is like the driver’s seat that is always up
for grabs. It belongs to the one who jumps behind the wheel
and hits the gas.
The reality is that he can do to you exactly what you do to him.
It’s either going to be him or it’s going to be you. Our goal is to
give you the knowledge you need to make it him. Still things
go wrong and some people die. So what’s the point? The point
is that without violence training, you don’t stand a chance. At
least with PSD, you can have an edge and that edge may be just
what you need to survive. You train to improve your odds.
An edge is only an edge if you apply it properly. That means
accepting the frailty of your body as you harden your mind.
You can’t prevent yourself from getting hurt altogether. Your
attacker starts with intent and will throw everything he has at
you. He knows that, if he gets you first he can take away your
opportunity to fight back. This is why you fear him. But that
fear is your key to unlocking his power and making it your
own.
Turn that fear inside out. Become what you fear and win.
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Chapter Eight: Scenario Based
Training or The Hard Knot?
Scenario based training is training that incorporates all the
yelling and posturing that comes before the actual violence. Of
course, once the violence starts it’s all the same – injury.
I find all that other stuff just plain boring. It’s a waste of time.
It doesn’t matter how loud you can yell you aren’t going to
scare off a crazed predator. And if he’s the one doing the
posturing, you have to decide whether he is exhibiting
antisocial behavior or the more dangerous asocial behavior.
Learning to read the situation is probably the hardest part,
when it comes to dealing with any kind of assault. One of the
key factors in making this decision is deciding (quickly)
whether or not you can live with the consequences of the other
guy’s behavior. Can you live with a broken nose or a broken
rib? Yes, you can. Can you live with a bullet in your chest?
Maybe not!
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It’s all a judgment call, which will be dictated by your comfort
level. Keep in mind that a threat is a threat to your body – not
your ego. A bruised ego isn’t going to kill you and should never
be the reason to inflict injury on anyone; especially a potential
lethal injury. However, if your physical well being (and life) are
at risk, then using violence is justified. It’s the grey area that
you have to figure out on your own.
Although, I believe that scenario based training is a waste of
time, people just seem to love it! The reason is simple: they
like being able to be the defender, instead of the aggressor.
This is not only socially more acceptable, but it can turn the
victim into a hero, if everything works out as planned.
Unfortunately, in most real-life situations, being on the
defensive side of a strike puts you at a disadvantage that you
may never recover from.
Although, scenario based training feels more comfortable, it
doesn’t give you a good look at real violence. Until you can see
violence for what it is and act accordingly, you can’t really
protect yourself.
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I prefer a more realistic approach to training, where my clients
practice how to target and break different areas of the body.
These techniques can be used in any situation, with any size of
attacker and at anytime.
It is the only real scenario you want to use in training. You will
only sharpen your skill set with practice. In violence, the skill
is injury and the more time you have taking control of the
situation and causing injury, your mind and body are learning
how to react quickly and effectively. It won’t matter whether
you are attacked in the daytime or after dark; whether there is
a gun or knife involved; or whether one or three predators
come at you. Once you have trained your body to react with
violence, the only thing you will focus on is finding a target
and breaking it.
The purpose of violence training is not to practice for
perceived threats or specific scenarios, but to practice the art
of injury. With PSD, you will learn to use your mind as a
weapon and your boy as a tool for violence; free of the
knowledge that no matter what comes at you can solve the
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problem and take down your attacker by using violence to your
benefit.
Chapter Nine: Kill the Unknown
Everyone experiences fear. It is a biological fact that is hard-
wired into our psyche. Nature provides fear as a way to help us
steer clear of danger and to recognize when things may harm
us. Fear is nature’s way of protecting us. The problem is, too
many people give into their fears; thus feeding them and
allowing them to grow to the point that they are rendered
useless.
There is one thing I would like you to recognize about fear that
it can be conquered. How? By killing the unknown. Once you
understand violence, the mystery is taken away. Your mind no
longer has to imagine the horror of unthinkable outcomes.
Instead, you can logically think about violence in a way that
will help you strip away the panic. No longer too afraid to act,
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this new understanding can help you decide whether to get
away or stand and fight.
There are two ways in which PSD helps clients overcome their
fear of violence. One is strictly time on the mats, practicing
what to do when faced with a dangerous psychopath. If you
know how someone will react when injured, you will feel more
confident that you can face your fears without trepidation.
This is accomplished by learning the secrets of violence: what
works, what doesn’t work, and what scares you. Every move,
target, and injury should concentrate on what to do next. You
begin by crushing his groin, then tearing his eye, and then
breaking his neck.
Don’t let the imagery of your worst nightmare coming to life
intimidate you. No matter how big and scary your attacker is,
he still is human. His body bleeds, organs crush, and bones
break. You can stop him, Heck, you can kill him.
The other way to overcome your fear is through visualization. I
often suggest to my clients that they outline in their head,
each thing they would do in the event of an attack. Like in the
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example above, maybe you would go for the groin; then the
eye; then the neck. Imagine each step in the process very
slowly. Allow your mind to see what’s happening - his
response and your counter response. Then speed up the attack
in your head, until it gets faster and faster. This type of
visualization will help you see that you do know what to do
and can do it.
When you take the time to map out violence, one option at a
time, you take away the scary unknowns and replace them with
confidence. There is no panic where there is knowledge.
Instead of giving in to your fears, learn to use it. Fear is a great
biological booster. It helps speed up our adrenaline and gives
us a power boost when danger lurks. Use these physiological
changes to your advantage. Don’t fall prey to our own fears.
Overcome them – and overcome the attack.
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Part IV: Finding Peace
Chapter One: Prevention
Americans like to live in a fantasy world that says that if we
just stay in the safety zones of our own neighborhoods,
violence can’t find us. Somehow we think we have the right to
be safe and don’t even consider the fact that whether you are
at home, at work, or on vacation, violence may seek us out.
Think of all the things you do in a normal day that may put you
at risk:
• You leave your car unlocked in the parking lot at work
(anyone could slip in and hide inside until you drive away)
• You leave your garage door open, while you are working
in the yard (an intruder could sneak inside of your home,
putting your whole family at risk)
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• You visit an ATM after dark
• You yell obscenities at another driver when cut off in
traffic (he could pull a gun and shoot you)
Knowing how to fight back when struck is only one aspect of
dealing with violence: the other is learning how to prevent it.
We have already talked about posturing and how this type of
antisocial behavior can turn ugly, when dealing with the wrong
person. Now, let’s talk about ways to keep yourself out of life
and death situations in the first place.
Protecting yourself against violence takes a multi-pronged
approach. Here are just some of the simple ways that you can
prevent succumbing to a violent encounter:
• Keep your vehicle locked at all times (even while driving)
• Don’t flash around money
• Avoid using standalone ATM machines, rather opt for one
inside of a store or building first
• Don’t be drawn into a fight. Choose to walk away, if
possible
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• Avoid dark isolated places
• Leave any establishment (bar, restaurant, etc.) that makes
you feel uneasy
• Pay attention. Keep your eyes open for dangerous
situations and avoid them, when you can.
Use Common Sense
If there is one thing that can help keep you safe, it is to use
common sense. Don’t look around trouble like a victim. Stay
alert.
While yes, it’s great that you have learned how to injure
someone if attacked, but remember, it’s always best to avoid a
dangerous situation. Violence training is a great tool to have if
you need it, but it is always better not to need it in the first
place.
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Chapter Two: Take Back Your Control
People always comment to me about how likeable I am. That’s
nice, but I can’t help but wonder what’s so surprising about it.
Sure, I’m a nice guy. Why shouldn’t I be? Just because I know
how to kill someone with my bare hands (and have made
teaching these skills to others a lifelong career) doesn’t make
me a horrible person or a bad guy.
Yes, I teach violence, but that doesn’t make me violent. As a
matter of fact, I always tell my clients that learning violence
isn’t going to make you more violent but it is going to make
you more relaxed. Whoa! That’s a concept you may not have
heard before. The truth is that once you learn the facts of
violence, you no longer have to give off an aggressive ‘Fear Me’
message to the world in order to feel safe. The insecurity of a
fear-backed protection mechanism is gone. Instead you are left
with a more self assured feeling of aptitude. You have nothing
to fear, so you can relax and just live life to the fullest.
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Stupid Is As Stupid Does
There are a lot of stories in the news lately about murders.
People getting murdered, people defending themselves and
ending up murdering their attackers, and much more.
Although, there are some stories of asocial murders in the
news, take a closer look. The vast majority of the stories are
about antisocial behavior that turned deadly. You know this by
the outcries of the people involved. As soon as someone says
they didn’t mean to kill him or they didn’t think it would go
that far, it is a sign of antisocial behavior. The asocial
psychopath rarely (if ever) apologizes for what he’s done. To
the contrary, he’s proud of it.
This is an important thing to remember. Just because you are
trained to kill, doesn’t mean you should use your newfound
skill and knowledge to stop an antisocial encounter. The fact is
those who are trained to kill must stay out of antisocial events.
Otherwise you are setting yourself up for disaster.
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PSD training teaches you how to use your skills to cause injury.
Your hands suddenly become as lethal as a gun. Now, you
wouldn’t run in your house and grab a gun because your
neighbor sucker punched you right? So why would you pull out
your PSD tools in the same situation? Once you are trained,
your body becomes a tool much in the same way a gun or a
knife are weapons.
Expect someone to die every time violence is used. That
doesn’t mean they will, but expect that could be the
conclusion. This will make you much more likely to use
violence to settle an argument or other antisocial encounter.
These are skills that should only be brought out in the direst
circumstances.
Personally, I believe that because of my understanding of
violence, I am much more apt to walk away from a
disagreement. I have nothing to prove, so I don’t feel the need
to continue. So the guy calls me a coward? Big deal!
I know I could kill him in minutes; I certainly don’t have to
prove it to the world.
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For those who feel more eager or emboldened by their PSD
training, here is some solid advice:
Now that you are prepared to handle the asocial sociopath and
anything he throws at you, it is time to prepare for dealing
with ordinary antisocial behavior. Think about what triggers
your anger, and add them against the outside world. Recognize
when you’re being pushed into a corner and simply walk away
before you feel trapped. Think about strategies you can use to
defuse an antisocial encounter.
The fact is that the odds are slim anyone is ever going to try
and kill you. I wish I could say the same about some jerk
calling you out. Be sure you are ready for both and know how
to handle both.
A Final Word on Antisocial Violence
Don’t let antisocial violence control you. These are the kinds of
attacks that can be hard to handle. Not because they are more
dangerous to your body, but because they play on your mind
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and ego. Human instinct tells you to stand your ground and
prove yourself right. Resist this urge. Learn to walk away. You
know how to cause serious (even deadly) injury.
This means that you have a unique responsibility that requires
you to step back and avoid
violence if necessary. While this may seem like you are losing
control, it really gives you more control. Once you can
recognize and distinguish between asocial and antisocial
behavior you can make a better choice on how to proceed. Your
ability to walk away can save you a lot of trouble. You become
the one in control and in charge.
You may have begun this course wanting to learn how to use
the tool of violence to preserve your life. I bet you never
thought it would give you the peace of mind and control to do
what you want, without concern.
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Chapter Three: How to Treat People
Does knowing how to use violence make it more apt that you
will indeed use it? In my research, the answer is no. Knowing
the terror and ugliness of violence tends to make people avoid
it even more. You know what violence is what it can do and
you do everything you can to steer clear of it. PSD training may
make you more resolved to use violence when necessary, but
much less eager to.
Understanding violence gives people the ability to walk away
from a fight. Why? Because they know how ugly violence can
be. It’s just not worth confronting someone who simply wants
to bully you.
I remember a story told to me about a man who was accosted
by another. The bully was itching for a fight. The man trained
in violence tried to walk away, but after being hit several times,
knew that the intensity of the encounter was growing and it
needed to be stopped. So he laid out the guy. He didn’t break
any bones or cause irreparable harm, but he did do what was
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necessary to stop the encounter once and for all. He didn’t
want to, but when he felt he had to, he used his knowledge and
skill to get the job done with a single swipe. End of story. It
was over!
Now, this guy took a lot before he reacted with any sort of
violence that’s what this kind of training does for you; it gives
you more patience than the average person can muster. You
are willing to give the other guy the benefit of the doubt, until
he proves that he’s dangerous.
Once you decide that something must be done, it’s time to do
it. There’s a time to be patient and polite and then there’s a
time to get the job done. Knowing how to get it done removes
the uncertainty from the extreme end of the scale. The answer
to what if goes away. You know the end result of every
scenario: the man is brought down using violence.
Some critics of my tactics say that PSD trains murderers. I
disagree. We train people to be resolved, but not to be
dangerous. That means if you don’t have to do it, you don’t
and if you have to do it, you do. It’s that simple! The fact is
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that the more you know about violence, the less likely you are
to engage in it. If you trust your abilities, you have nothing to
prove. Ego is taken out of the equation. It becomes solely
about survival.
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Chapter Four: Finding Peace
The goal of PSD training is not to turn you into a vigilante or
even a killer. The goal is to help you get to a place, where you
forget you even know the stuff. Think of like learning to swim
to avoid drowning. Unless you swim for recreation or sport you
never think about how to swim. When you need to pull out the
skill you do it and then you put it away. It isn’t a part of your
normal conversation or even your daily thoughts.
Violence training should be the same way. You learn the skills;
you know how to use it; and then you tuck that knowledge
away, until it is needed. There’s no need to think about it –
ever, unless you turn around some night and find yourself face
to face with someone intend on hurting or killing you.
The perfection of the skill of violence should bring you peace -
the peace to stop worrying about what you would do if this
happens or that happens. PSD ensures that you know what to
do. Now it’s time to relax and enjoy life.
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It’s ironic to think that learning violence and how to kill a man
with your bare hands could bring you peace. It’s the age old
paradox: if you want peace, you must prepare for war. If you
don’t understand violence, all you will have is the terror of the
unknown to concentrate on. Worse yet, you will come out as
prey.
Understanding violence and knowing when and how to use it
gives you the air of a predator. I’m not talking about swagger
or showing off, but of behaving like someone who knows what
to do. That off puts both antisocial and asocial activity. Just as
predators can smell prey, they can smell other predators.
When you walk around with an air of confidence and
unconcern those hunting for prey will pass you by. They want
an easy mark and those who act like they know how to handle
themselves aren’t easy marks.
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Leaving Fear Behind
The world is a violent place, yet most people are caught off
guard when it happens to them, or they live in a constant state
of fear that they will succumb to its ravages. That’s the great
thing about coming to terms with violence: you can leave the
fear behind. You realize you can’t control it, but you can
control your response to it.
Violence becomes a non-threat in your life. By understanding
what a predator is trying to do, you strip him of his power to
shock you and that makes the predator pass you by. You
suddenly are viewed more as a threat than as prey.
Although, there is always the opportunity that great violence
will find you, those who are not immediate targets have the
unique opportunity to choose their response. You can live your
life free of the worry that you will freeze when faced with a
violent encounter. You can respond with confidence and skill.
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Take back your life. Don’t let others hold you in the grips of
fear. Get the training you need to be able to use the tool of
violence to your advantage.
Be smart about violence. Educate yourself. Madmen and
criminals will always be out there. While they shouldn’t be
ignored, they no longer have to be feared. You hold the power.
Take back your life and live – without fearing what’s around
the next corner.
Afterword: The PSD Difference
Our goal is simple: to train people to survive the most violent
encounter. This is serious business and we know it. Teach you
the wrong thing and you could die. That’s why we take your
personal safety to heart and work hard to base our business
foundation on your survival.
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I am sure that you have looked into several other self defense
programs and are now wondering what sets us apart – why we
at PSD are different? Here are just a few things we can think of:
• Your success is our only motivation: We aren’t trying to
prove anything by winning competitions or becoming
famous. All we at PSD care about are giving our clients
the information to build the skills they need to
understand and overcome violence.
• We listen: While yes, we know our business well, but that
doesn’t mean we don’t listen to our clients’ feedback and
improve our methods where we can. We want you to get
the most that you can from our training program, so we
are more than willing to make changes, if it will help you
better learn what you need to survive the unthinkable.
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We Are a Team
Yes, I have worked long and hard to develop a violence
program that is successful. Still, I understand the importance
of looking beyond myself for help, advice and guidance when it
comes to keeping the PSD program strong, fresh, and useful.
There are no single-minded gurus here; at PSD we work as a
team. That means we listen to others’ opinions and keep track
of new trends in violence, so we can tweak our program to best
meet the client’s needs. If it were just up to me, then PSD
would fail.
Yes, I am the speaker and recognizable face of PSD, but I am
not PSD. The Patriotic Self Defense Program has been
developed using a lot of expert help and opinion. Our team is
made up of skilled instructors, who come from all areas of
interest. Some are scientists, others teachers. A few are
physicians and some just thinkers. But they all have one thing
in common: they could kill a man with their bare hands, and
they know how to communicate that skill to others.
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By combining all of our individual skills and talents, the PSD
team has been able to develop a violence ready program that
ensures that you have the knowledge and ability to survive and
win a violent conflict. You aren’t just getting my opinion on
what you should do, but rather, our team works with you to
figure out what strategies will work for you, so that success is
the only outcome.
We Have Nothing to Prove
The PSD team consists of 44 qualified instructors (10 of which
are master trainers), who have already spanned decades long
careers in self defense and violence prevention/survival. These
people (including myself) have done it all. We have trained the
military, police officers, and elite forces. So what does that
mean? Simply put: we have nothing to prove. We aren’t doing
this to show off, build a career, or even get famous. Our only
goal is you.
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Unlike some other programs, our entire focus is on you, not
ourselves. We don’t have to be here … we want to be here.
Why? Because you are important and we want to make sure
that you have the skills you need to prevail in the face of
violence.
Because We Care…
If the PSD team has already accomplished their career goals
then why don’t they retire? Most of us did. Then we got sucked
back into the industry because people kept calling and asking
for help. We soon realized that the average person was not
being given the techniques and skills they really needed to
thwart a deadly attack. This scared us. It is because we care
that most of us came out of retirement to develop this
program.
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You Are a Real Person to Us
One of the most unique aspects of our program is the fact that
we do not treat a classroom of students as a mass group that
can survive by using the same techniques. That assumption
can be deadly. Instead, we treat each student as an individual,
with individual preferences and abilities. What student A can
handle, Student B cannot. That means we have to find another
way for student B to interact with an attacker. That’s our goal:
to ensure that every student can get a man down and keep him
down in the face of an attack.
We Offer Principles That You Can Use
Just because one of our instructors can break a man’s arm,
crush his knees, or disable him doesn’t mean anything, if he
can’t teach you to do the same. We aren’t your personal
bodyguards and we won’t be there in your time of need. The
odds are you will be alone and it will be up to you to get
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yourself out of trouble. Nobody is going to come to your
rescue.
During our training sessions we take the time to make sure
that you have the principles that you can use. A normal self
defense class might show you a technique and then tell you to
practice on your own. We take a different tact.
Instead of teaching those impressive techniques that experts
can do (but you probably won’t be able to get down without
hours and hours of practice), we have made a conscious effort
to teach the dirty skills that can be applied immediately. That
way, if you are attacked on your way home from class, you will
be able to immediately use what you have learned to avoid
getting hurt.
When you leave one of our classes, the instructor knows (and
so do you), that you are completely capable of using what you
have learned immediately. For instance, maybe we could teach
you how to dislocate an attacker’s shoulder, but that can be a
hard thing for the average person to do, without tons of
practice. Instead, we teach you why a shoulder comes out of
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the socket and how to make that happen, so that you can
accomplish that goal, no matter what the situation is.
That way, if you are unable to use the “fancy technique” for
some reason, you still have the knowledge you need to get the
job done. We don’t give you an empty set of motions to mimic.
Instead, we offer the principles to make those motions useful.
We skip the fancy stuff and simply give you the nuts and bolts
information that you will need to take down your predator.
It’s all About the Facts
Yes, my team knows a lot about violence and how to overcome
it. But that doesn’t mean our opinions are always right.
Everyone has an opinion on how to face a violent attack.
Unfortunately, too many people rely on opinion, even when it
flies in the face of common sense, basic physics, and
physiology. That’s why we leave opinion out of it. Instead of
using super cool techniques that will make us look good, we
opt for real techniques that the average person can use.
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I’ll be honest here; we used to offer some elaborate techniques
for overcoming a knife attack. Our clients loved the new skills
they were learning and they looked good too. The problem was
that the more our team of experts watched video evidence of
real stabbings; scoured police reports, and talked to victims
themselves, we learned that we were wrong.
We were teaching people to react to a knife they knew was
coming. The problem is the vast majority of victims never saw
the knife, until it was too late. What made matters worse was
that many victims actually thought they were being punched
(not stabbed) until they saw the blood. We had to rethink our
strategy.
How can you use fancy knife techniques, if you don’t even
know you are being stabbed? You can’t! And trying to use
those techniques after the attack has begun won’t stop it and it
could make it worse.
The fact is that when this happens, fancy techniques won’t
save you, only knowledge will save you – the knowledge of how
to injure your attacker and render him useless.
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That is why we rely on fact and not opinion when devising our
violence strategies. We double check everything we teach
against actual violence, police and coroners reports, sports
trauma medicine, as well as the experiences of those who have
gone through such an ordeal and survived. If something
doesn’t match up, we come up with another plan – one that
will work. After all, if you are going to bet your life on
something, it should always be the facts.
That’s why We Adapt to Change
Giving you safety techniques can and will get you killed. That
is why we take the time to listen (really listen) to what our
clients have to say. Was our program easy to learn? Easy to
implement? Useful in the face of danger?
We hand out questionnaires that ask the tough questions, and
then we scour over the answers trying to figure out how to
improve our methods and our teaching styles.
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I’ll give you an example. A few years ago, we had a client
commend us on an informal session we conducted outlining
the different angles and body positions you can use to get to an
attacker’s eyes. The client explained that the informal way the
material was presented finally allowed him “to get it.”
That simple comment made us rethink the way we were
presenting our materials and we completely changed our
teaching approach. Yes, it would have been easier for us to
gloss over that simple comment and continue doing things the
way we always had. After all, our program was impacting our
clients. But, our team isn’t; satisfied until we have reached
every person and taught them in a way they can understand.
That feedback made us reevaluate ourselves as teachers and
our program as a whole. Today, we spend a lot less time
teaching the most important ways to target an attacker and the
results have been amazing. People walk out of a half day
seminar empowered by what they have learned, armed with the
knowledge they need to overtake a predator and survive an
attack.
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PSD offers the perfect balance of fact and experience. We can
ensure that you’ll get it right. Our goal is to send you home a
little smarter, a little harder, and a lot better of using the tool
of violence to your benefit.
Your success is your survival and having you make it back
home alive is why we are doing what we do.