The window to my world

That is a good motto to remember. Glad to see Ted Mazetier follows this motto too.

If I ever have car trouble I would hope there is a Mr. Mazetier around to offer a hand.  Too bad we have scum in society that attempt to pry on people. Mr. Mazetier also showed that many predators want an easy victim, not one that will fight back. A safer approach would have been to use a cell phone to call for help for the people with “car troubles”.

The world could use more people like Mr. Mazetier and fewer of the scum that tried to carjack him.

I’ve done instruction for handgun safety and personal proection, part of a concealed firearms permit in the state where I live. A misconception that some people would have in the class, and one I still see nowadays is that carrying a firearm somehow makes them safer. I want to try and burst that bubble.

Carrying a firearm can be useful tool in defending yourself IF you can bring it into action. Too many people walk around with their heads up their ass and don’t pay attention to the surroundings and thus missing the cues that their could be trouble. Recognizing these cues and help you either avoid or defuse the situation. Predators tend to want an easy target. If you don’t look like an easy target chances are they will avoid. Learn to recognize the cues that they give you. Study the thinking patterns of these type of people and you’ll lots in this area. If that fails know how to attempt to defuse the situation via your posture and language. Hand in hand with this is fear management techniques.

Now those fail and an attack is launched against you, what are you going to do? Many say “draw my firearm and shoot them” which shows a lack of knowledge in what is going to happen in a fight. Action beats reaction, the attacker is acting and you are reacting, unless you were aware enough to get in a first strike such as an eye poke or a palm to their face. The only way you’ll know how to strike first or to defend yourself to give you a chance to draw a firearm is through hand to hand combat training.

Drawing a firearm from concealment is a complex motor skill which is difficult to do under stress unless you really really practice it a lot. Go with the gross motor skills such as palm and elbow strikes to allow yourself to get clear of the attack in order to either get away or then draw a firearm. Just my thoughts on the matter.

Protecting The Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe (and Parents Sane) is by author Gavin De Becker, author of The Gift of Fear. In Protecting the Gift De Becker talks about some similar things from The Gift of Fear, but expands upon to look at the most important job a parent has, protecting their children.

De Becker talks about many things that parents deal with such as picking a babysitter, but offering the insight he has on predicting violent behavior. De Becker also writes about areas parents tend to teach their children and shows how it is actually the wrong thing to teach them and offers an alternative. An example of this is “never talk to strangers.” I was taught this, and remember the kid’s book that De Becker mentions. But assume your child is in trouble, don’t you want them seeking help? De Becker offers advice on what we can teach our children in picking someone to talk to for help.

One part I found helpful is De Becker’s “The Test of Twelve.” These are twelve items relevant to protecting your child from violence and sexual predators. These are things your child should know, excluding the obvious such as address and phone number, before they venture out alone. Anyone responsible for the care of a child should be familiar with these twelve items and talk about them with their child.

In all, a very good book for parents and I recommend it, along with The Gift of Fear.

Jake over at the “An Honest Philosophy” blog has a post I suggest people read.

I was listening to an audio from Tony Blauer, and at one point in it he asked a basic question: What are your 5 self-defense beliefs? Tough question isn’t it?

Now saying I want to be able to defend myself against an attack isn’t a belief, more like a goal. So I’ve been thinking on it and here is what I came up with for my beliefs.

1. I believe I have the right to defend myself.
2. I believe that I can defend myself without using physical force.
3. I believe that my will to survive is greater then the will of my attacker to do me harm.
4. I believe in not being a victim
5. I believe that I will do whatever is necessary to survive

These are always subject to change based on what I learn.