When All Hell Breaks Loose Part 19

PROFESSOR BRYANS: I've been studying American Combato with Professor Steiner since 1979. I was the first individual to achieve black belt ranking in ACJDT, and am currently the highest-ranking instructor in the system outside of Professor Steiner himself. My current ranking is sixth-degree black belt whereupon I was awarded the t.i.tle of professor in the system. I've been operating my own school since 1992 where I teach all types of people from private citizens to the military and the police. The majority of my students are, and will continue to be, private citizens. I also work with individuals and groups in all aspects of mental and physical conditioning, including drilling of offensive and defensive combat methods, progressive-resistance training (i.e. weights), and mind-set development.

CODY: Exactly what does it take to defend yourself and what are the qualities an individual will need?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: By far, the most important attribute is the combative mind-set. This is not the att.i.tude of the "tough guy" or of the paranoid. It is simply the deeply held conviction of self-respect and understanding that no one has the right to initiate force against another, that force is to be used only in retaliation against unavoidable, unprovoked attack and only against those who initiate its use. As I've heard Professor Steiner say, "Any rational person prefers peace over violence and that all such individuals are pacifists until they are attacked." If you should find yourself under criminal attack and escape is not possible, then you should proceed without hesitation to viciously destroy your attacker by launching your own attack. All students learn during their first lesson to "attack the attacker." The individual seeking defensive, protective capability must know, subconsciously, that the attacker is wrong and that what the attacker is doing is evil and that any action and damage that the defender MUST inflict upon the attacker is right and necessary. Realize that the defender's motive is always defense, but the means is offense. The defender must master a few, simple, direct offensive attack combinations, and commit to relentless, brutal follow-up to their initial attack until the attacker is rendered harmless. Now, the attacker is harmless when he is unconscious, if he flees-don't pursue him-or if the defender can safely escape. Realize also that the defender must absolutely expect to be hurt, perhaps seriously injured, during any self-defense encounter and this is true even for an expert.

These attributes must be coupled with a relaxed alertness that does not allow a surprise attack. When one realizes attack is imminent, one will instantly "attack the attacker" with total surprise. Never should anyone show any aggression prior to being attacked. Don't agree to fight, don't argue, leave the area if possible, or apologize, even if you don't actually feel that way if it will make the peace. But, if you are about to be injured, or an innocent loved one is about to be injured, explode into the a.s.sailant or a.s.sailants with all the destructive fury you can muster.

CODY: You mentioned the importance of fostering a combative mind-set, and the need to "attack the attacker," but how does one develop those abilities in today's world?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: Good question. First, cultivate righteous indignation by questioning the nonsense that is being programmed into all of us through the mainstream channels. When you read a story or hear in the news about an innocent person or family being attacked by the all-too-common sc.u.m that are allowed to roam free, anger and rage should be your reaction. If you think that such a response is inappropriate, you just proved that such programming has been successful. Why isn't rage appropriate when horrors occur daily such as abduction, s.e.xual a.s.sault, the murder of children, home invasions, and attacks on the elderly?. . .and on and on the list goes. These serious crimes are almost invariably committed by repeat offenders who are let loose on the good and innocent people of our nation. Cultivate the combative mind-set, which is prerequisite to any effective self-defense action to be done.

Second, hook up with a good self-defense school that teaches and drills students in simple, adaptive, retainable skills that blind, disrupt the breathing, break bones, rupture internal organs, and create trauma to the monster who attacks the innocent. These simple procedures must be overlearned by repet.i.tive training against an imagined adversary and training dummies and targets until they become second nature if one should ever need them. Developing a few things really well breeds confidence. The need to overlearn the techniques is essential to gaining competence and having an automatic retaliatory attack response if or when the need arises.

CODY: Are these techniques difficult to learn and develop?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: No. Techniques in self-defense have to be simple and direct. If the techniques cannot be understood and learned in a short amount of time they won't be available in an emergency. Once the techniques are learned they must be practiced repeatedly until they become automatic and reflexive.

Let's go through some of the things Combato students learn in their first private lesson. First, the students must learn how to stand and position themselves when dealing with unknown individuals. Your position should be balanced with one foot back and to the front of the rear shoulder, lead foot slightly turned in with the body at an angle to the potential threat. The relaxed ready position should be learned from both the right and left position to enable you to attack from either side. Next, the hands should be up, mid-chest level or higher, in any configuration that doesn't look aggressive or tie up your hands. Keep your eyes on the individual who has approached, letting your gaze rest easily on the head and shoulder triangle area; and always be aware of the individual's hands. Don't allow the person to crowd you and keep him just out of arm's reach. This way, if the individual were to attack, he would have to step in, therefore telegraphing his movement, and you can attack the attacker where he has left himself open. From this relaxed ready position, you, the defender, will be able to avoid many circ.u.mstances in the first place by being aware, and go to all lengths to avoid physical confrontation. If the attacker should attack, you will have the element of surprise by unexpectedly launching your own preemptive strike. If two or more individuals approach, always step to the outside. Learn to interact in all circ.u.mstances without diverting eye placement, and whatever your hands are doing, let them remain unenc.u.mbered at mid-chest level or higher (in any configuration that doesn't look aggressive). For example, someone asks you for the time, show him your watch, but don't look down at your watch. Never put your hands in your pockets. If a person asks directions, keep your eyes on him and point him in the right direction without turning your back to him.

CODY: Mark, you mentioned the students attacking with a preemptive strike if necessary when they realize they are under attack. How could this be done, I mean, what are some of the techniques the Combato system teaches?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: Yes, let's cover four basic strikes often taught to all beginning students-the chop, the chin jab, the side kick, and the fingertip thrust. First the chop. This weapon is formed by flattening the hand with the palm down, striking with the edge of the hand out. The impact of the blow should come from the edge of the hand near the wrist where the metacarpal bones meet the carpal bones. This will give more penetration and focus to the strike. Also, the entire outside edge of the arm, the ulna bone, can be used for the impact point. The throat and the bridge of the nose are great targets for this strike.

The chin jab smash is done by pressing the hand back as far as possible, so the impact point is at the heel of the hand. In this way the head of the attacker, when struck under the chin, is driven up and back, smas.h.i.+ng and breaking the neck. This blow, like the chop, is done close in, half-an-arm's reach or closer. It's an upward strike with the primary target being under the chin. Secondary targets are the eye sockets, the nose, the temple, and the jaw hinge. The chin jab blow is done primarily off the rear side. The chop, with the lead hand, followed by a chin jab with the rear hand, is a practical application of these two basic strikes.

The third technique is the side kick, sometimes called the king of all self-defense moves. The side kick targets the knee joint or lower but the knee joint is ideal. It doesn't matter if it's the front of the knee, the outside of the knee, or the inside of the knee; the knee breaks relatively easy. Now, the kick is done in a side-facing position. The lead foot is lifted up about knee height, perhaps a little higher and close to the standing leg. It's thrusted out in a piston-type action stomping in a downward action through the knee joint. The impact is with the bottom of the heel or with the entire foot, although the heel is best.

The fingertip thrust is done palm down, while flattening out the hand and extending the fingers. Drive the extended fingers in a straight line into the attacker's eyes. This technique embodies simplicity, ruthlessness, and brutality and anyone can do it.

CODY: OK, Mark, you talked about some simple, basic techniques that Combato offers but how do I practice? I mean, do I need a partner to practice with, can I do this alone in my garage; how would you recommend that someone learn these skills?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: Well that's a great question, Cody. What you need is to overlearn some very simple skills and to practice them against an imagined attacker. The techniques can be done in the air, imagining the attacker in front of you, but at some point it will become important to have some sort of object to hit into such as a striking board, a heavy bag, or a striking dummy. You don't need a training partner but a partner can be helpful at times where you're working on certain types of counterattacks such as a front choke escape or a bear hug hold. In these cases, working with a partner should be done at reduced speed and there should be no contact with any of the blows involved, as they're very destructive. If it's effective for self-defense it needs to be destructive. You can't spar with combat techniques.

CODY: So the entire family can partner up if desired and train together using these simple techniques?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: Yes, but you can never make actual contact with a live person. Blows must be at a very reduced speed in the beginning, and all striking should be done on dummies.

CODY: You mentioned using various types of striking surfaces. Can someone make his own striking board by just wrapping something up with duct tape?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: That's my favorite kind, anything that can be improvised to smash into. You could even pad a doorjamb. The point is to get the feel for hitting something and developing the power to do damage to an attacker. This training, along with the right mind-set, will make it easier to smash into a real human when necessary. Three 2x4s can be glued together (make sure not to use any nails) and buried three feet into the ground. The boards are then padded with carpet, closed-cell foam sleeping mats such as backpackers use, or anything that will get the job done. The height above the ground is about six feet and the striking surface should flex dependent upon each individual's needs.

CODY: What I've stated in this book is the need to practice motor memory skills, not just physical skills, so when someone is subjected to a real-time survival situation, they've gone through that scenario in their mind again and again and again and are more mentally and emotionally prepared to act. It sounds like this is true for Combato as well, is that accurate?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: That's absolutely true, Cody. People want to be entertained by new things and complicated techniques but it's not the way to train for real-world self-defense. In self-defense, the motive is always defense, but the means to achieve this are by offense. Trendy training methods that are popular are not necessarily the best choice, as you know in your field. The things that you see in movies or the cage fights are not conducive to effective self-defense for a number of reasons. Techniques need to be simple, direct, destructive, and highly adaptable, allowing them to be used under a variety of conditions. Using complicated techniques-I don't care if the person is an expert tenth-degree black belt-is going to get the you-know-what kicked out of you if you attempt it against a street predator. You want to keep things simple and develop a few basic techniques. The four techniques we outlined-the chop, the side kick, the chin jab, and the fingertip thrust-need to be overlearned. The process is this; you begin by first learning the technique at a slow rate, perhaps watch it being done, and as you get the technique down you build up speed. But then you do hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of repet.i.tions coupled with the right mind-set. The person's mind-set should be on the complete destruction of the attacker with an offensive spirit coupled with instant action. Techniques for effective, practical, real-world self-defense should be overlearned so they are literally more available as a motor skill to someone who's scared and pumped up with adrenaline. You need to attack and keep on attacking until the attacker is unconscious.

CODY: No secret walk-on-rice-paper thing there, right? Just good old-fas.h.i.+oned work and common sense.

PROFESSOR BRYANS: Absolutely.

CODY: OK. Well, since this is an urban survival book based upon preparing the home, what should readers have at their house to protect themselves should the need arise?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: One of the worst things happening in our society today is home invasions where attackers are coming into homes with the family present to do their dirty work. There are a number of ways that home invaders enter a home. One obvious way is that they kick the door down or perhaps pick the lock or break a window. Oftentimes, however, they manipulate their way into the home in some way. Children especially should be taught never to open the door to any stranger. Of course, the first thing to do in any encounter is to try to avoid it altogether by advanced preparation. First, families should develop specific signals to be used among each other that have various meanings depending on the circ.u.mstances. How, when, and what type of signals will be used is up to the needs and creativity of the family-and it could be at any level of the attack.

IN SELF-DEFENSE, THE MOTIVE IS ALWAYS DEFENSE, BUT THE MEANS TO ACHIEVE THIS ARE BY OFFENSE.

Let's say somebody is at the door and no one knows for sure what the person's intent is. The father or whoever answers the door could have a specific question that could be asked to the visitor that would alert family members that something wasn't right. The signal could also be a light left on or turned off that would signal there was a problem. It could be to the point where a gun is pointed at a family member's head and everything's at critical ma.s.s and somebody is going to make a move, deciding it's time to defend and a statement was made such as, "Geez, guys, can't we talk this over!" And the family knows when that statement comes out ending with the word "over" that they're going to make their move all at once. My family has a specific statement that we use in public. If my wife or daughter notices something that doesn't seem right, and says the signal words, I know to pay more attention to something that I'm not seeing.

CODY: That's perfect! So you have many sets of eyes out there, not just one, if everyone's paying attention to what's going on.

PROFESSOR BRYANS: You bet, and what a feeling to be on top of things to simply avoid an altercation altogether. In addition, the concept of a safe room is a great idea-where there's one room in the house where it would be very difficult for the attackers to break into. This doesn't have to be as extreme as the movie where the woman had a bank vault in her house, but if you have the money, all the more power to you. Having a good carpenter come in to beef up doors and windows in a specific room would be wise. If you're in the middle of building a home, you have all kinds of opportunities to make one small area that is defensible that could be used to retreat into if the need arises.

As mentioned before, the family could have a specific signal for retreating into the safe room. Safe rooms should include provisions that the family thinks are important for their scenario, especially after reading this book, and of course a cell phone or some sort of communications to allow for the alerting of the authorities. Safe-room provisions-in fact, everything regarding a family's preparedness-should not be advertised but should be kept private within the family. No one should know that you have this kind of thing going, which of course is just common sense. When I was a boy, my mother always had plenty of canned food on hand, and there was no emergency or survival situation going on; it was simply based upon common sense.

Now of course the owners.h.i.+p of firearms depends on where you live. Here in Arizona, it's perfectly legal to own and use firearms, but the person thinking about purchasing a home-defense weapon should check local laws before doing so. Certainly, having a weapon to defend yourself makes complete sense, as long as it's purchased and used in a legal way. For home defense, I would recommend a 12-gauge shotgun or a .45 automatic pistol. A woman can manage a 12 gauge if she is properly trained, but a 20 gauge, although not as effective as a 12 gauge, will be sufficient and easier for her to manage. For the shotgun, double-ought (oo) buckshot is most commonly recommended and it's a great round. In some cases, there might be some danger to people in other rooms if this round is used-going through walls and such-and a number four round might be better, but I don't think you can go wrong with either one. It would also be a good idea to have a couple of boxes of slugs on hand as well. The most important thing about firearms is to have one that you're comfortable using and that meets your needs.

As far as precautions around the home, avoiding the confrontation altogether is superior in every way. Take a look at homes around the neighborhood sometime; windows are left open and they just look so easy to break into. Although any home can be broken into, you don't want to make it easier for intruders to do so. It should be difficult and the attacker should have to make a lot of noise. They should have to break windows and give you plenty of warning that they're coming. Various security measures can be done, from roll-down shutters and stronger locks to th.o.r.n.y shrubs at the base of windows to make it more difficult to get into that window. Predators most often are looking for an easy target. Have the best alarm system you can afford, along with adequate lighting around the house, including motion detector lights. If the power goes out, remember that darkness can be helpful; you know your house layout and the a.s.sailant doesn't.

Dogs can also be very effective. Now, if you want to get an attack-trained dog, you need to go to a qualified trainer, as that dog needs to be treated very differently. It can't be socialized with just anybody. Personally, I prefer having an ordinary dog around. A dog is a good alarm; he usually doesn't allow someone to sneak in undetected. Predator types are very frightened of dogs because they know they can't intimidate a dog. Even a little dog is going to yap away. All this is conducive to keeping potential attackers away, as they like to do their evil deeds in the dark and in secret.

CODY: Mark, I know there are a lot of inner and outer "politics," for lack of a better term, in which the concept of self-defense has taken a beating. What would you say to concepts and opinions expressed that look down on the right to self-defense?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: Frankly, Cody, anybody with that type of att.i.tude, I don't care what they think, they're idiots. I think the term that comes to mind is paranoia, and paranoia is when someone is not interpreting reality correctly. They're out of touch with reality; they literally cannot function. Now you tell me, is it paranoia to recognize the fact that there are some dangerous people out there in this world and people are being hurt all the time? To take a reasonable, rational approach and realize that violence could one day come to me and I might need to defend myself so I better be ready to go, I think is quite reasonable.

I also find that people who are very frightened of the world out there, when they start to learn some self-defense skills-and this really applies to kids-their confidence goes way up. They're finally seeing that, hey, I have some options of what to do; instead of intensifying that fear, it starts to allay the fear. Now they can go about their business with greater awareness, paying attention to what's around them, and, for the most part, there's usually nothing to bring about that fear in the first place. Learning quality self-defense skills reduces fear; it doesn't intensify it. I've trained hundreds and hundreds of people over the last ten years and I find that their confidence increases tremendously and it starts to relieve some of the fear and anxiety that they initially felt. I'm sure it's much the same with your clients and what you do with survival training.

CODY: Yeah, it's true. I think fear is frequently a reflexive response to the unknown. So the more people learn about unknown variables and how to deal with them, the more apt they are to survive a crisis or, better yet, use their training to avoid one in the first place. I know that the Combato system mentions command presence in its training. What is command presence and how can it be developed?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: Command presence is not something you can teach per se, although perhaps you can develop it in someone. Have you ever been in a situation, and I know you have, where there's an emergency and there's a certain person present who takes control and inspires confidence? Take a simple thing such as going into a convenience store to buy a carton of milk. Most people are walking around, staring at their feet, almost apologizing for breathing the air around them, versus someone who has their head up and knows what they're doing and has a no-nonsense demeanor about them. It's not an arrogant thing; it's just simply and confidently going about the things you need to do. As confidence increases through training, command presence comes automatically. You can't affect command presence; you can't fake that kind of thing. Faking confidence is instantly seen as weakness, especially by predator types.

CODY: You mentioned some of the Combato techniques earlier. In the average home there are lots of things lying around. Can people improvise self-defense weapons from common household items, such as a stapler or a pencil, that can be used in an emergency?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: Yes, absolutely. The natural weapons of the body do a number of things. One, they prepare us for situations where we don't have a weapon at hand. But why would you defend yourself against a deadly attack and not use a weapon? A gun is great but might not be available or legal, so learn how to use everyday objects to deliver the knockout you need to stop the attacker. Pens, cell phones, remote controls, bottles, lighters, chairs, books and magazines, dirt, forks and spoons, rulers and more can all be utilized to the defender's advantage.

CODY: How about a pen? I have a pen sitting right here for this interview. How would you use that?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: Well, perfect. So if we're going to chop an attacker in the throat, let's think about what we're trying to do-we are trying to damage the airway. Now if I simply, with my palm down, grasp the pen and let it protrude out, maybe an inch or two, and now chop with the impact point being the pen, doing destruction to the airway or to the eye socket, clearly the effectiveness of that strike has increased. The chin jab smash uses the heel of the hand up under the chin. The key point here is brutally smas.h.i.+ng up under the chin. This book could be held in two hands and the binding driven up under the chin to great effect. Clearly, this would only be justified in a life-threatening situation where no other alternatives exist.

CODY: I mention canned goods in the food section. Could someone hold a can of food and strike with that?

USING A MAGAZINE OR NEWSPAPER AS A WEAPON.

1 Take a magazine or newspaper and roll it up tightly into a tube.

2 Grasp the magazine or newspaper in your striking hand.

3 Let an inch or two of it stick out from your clenched fist.

4 Use the hardened tube to attack the attacker's target areas such as the temple, jaw hinge, eye sockets, etc.

PROFESSOR BRYANS: That would be an excellent weapon. The chin jab held with a can upright in the hand could be driven up and under the chin as a weapon. The can could be thrown in the face of the attacker, a side kick delivered to his knee, followed by a chin jab, followed by another can grabbed to smash the head. The choices are endless. A cell phone in the hand could be used to chop with and so forth.

There are different types of improvised weapons. Some are going to bludgeon, some are going to be impact weapons, and some are going to be cutting weapons. But the point is they all do more trauma to the human body. There are three areas of the body that are generally attacked: the band, temple to temple; the centerline of the body; and the kicking triangle composed of the knees and t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es.

Any type of impact weapon or cutting weapon could be used in the band area, to the eyes for example. Something as simple as a car key can be held and driven into the eye. You need to do the most damage as quickly and ruthlessly as possible to knock the attacker or attackers unconscious or allow you to safely flee the area. As you can imagine, improvised weapons could be the subject of a book in itself. If an item can't be used to directly strike an a.s.sailant it can be thrown into the attacker's face, such as throwing dirt into the eyes, to distract them in order to set up the next defensive attack combination.

CODY: I've heard of several scenarios in the news where someone robs a restaurant for instance, and then starts ha.s.sling the people, who choose to do nothing, as opposed to people who started doing things such as throwing salt shakers, gla.s.ses, or ketchup bottles at the a.s.sailant. Is this a good thing to do?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: That would be an excellent thing to do. We don't want to just let the attacker go unchecked in what he's doing. There was an incident a few years ago where people were lain out p.r.o.ne upon the floor to be executed. One of the survivors was interviewed and said there was nothing he could do but lay on the floor and wait to be killed. This is not the combat mind-set. Move, get into action, throw something at the attacker, flee, do SOMETHING, and get into action to get the attacker under stress!

CODY: So it sounds like, as with a lot of my training, that mind-set is everything and with the proper mind-set, you can take almost anything from your environment and use it to your advantage to help stay alive in a self-defense scenario.

PROFESSOR BRYANS: Well put, Cody. Technique is always subservient to mind-set.

CODY: As it's so critical, let's talk a bit more about mind-set. What exactly is a combat mind-set?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: The combat mind-set, simply put, means that a person under attack is going to feel intense rage at the person coming after them and feel very natural in the process of going about destroying them. Really, a mind-set is simply a collection of beliefs pertaining to a certain area. So when you cultivate mind-set in your students, you're perhaps changing beliefs in certain areas about certain things, as I am with my students. There are several areas of belief that often need to be altered in a situation of self-defense. For example, sometimes a person firmly believes it's never right to injure another person under any circ.u.mstance. Or another belief that is often firmly embedded and gets in the way of a person defending himself is that he is not going to succeed and will only make matters worse if he fights back. Of course, in a self-defense situation these are totally irrational. Again, the combat mind-set is simply a belief structure that revolves around a combative situation. The proper response to someone trying to hurt you should be rage, anger, and action.

CODY: So I think it's probably safe to say that every mother, if any harm were to be directed at her children, would have a natural combat mind-set.

PROFESSOR BRYANS: You bet. I'll train women and often they'll say, "Oh, gosh, Mark, I don't know if I can do that attack technique or not." I then ask them what they would do if someone was going to hurt their son or daughter. Instantly their facial expression changes, they start to grit their teeth, and they'll often say something like, "I'd kill that son of a b.i.t.c.h!" I then remind them that they are just as important as their kid. Sometimes the combat mind-set is easier to apply to protect a loved one than to protect the individual herself. Again, we're back to altering belief structures-maybe their self-esteem just needs a little boost.

CODY: In my field, a lot of survival training is bogus as it a.s.sumes the survivor will be a physically fit, twenty-four-year-old Special Forces soldier with a gung-ho mind-set. Is it the same for self-defense training? I mean, what about a typical home where there are going to be women, children, and maybe even grandparents living at the house? Can these people defend themselves?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: Of course they can defend themselves, and, unfortunately, they're going to be the ones who are targeted, as predators will go after the weakest individuals that they feel they can easily victimize. Nothing really changes with these individuals other than it behooves them all to understand that they are in a deadly circ.u.mstance every time. They need to realize that they are fighting for their lives and that they must do the most decisive, destructive thing quickly. Weapons, or at the very least having something in the hand to strike with, will become more important. One of the things to keep in mind with these individuals is that they have a tremendous advantage with the element of surprise if they learn how to use it. No one would ever expect an elderly person to even fight back, let alone fight back effectively. So in a situation where the attacker is threatening, or the attack is mounting, a woman, elderly person, or child can fain compliance, go along with them, convince them that they aren't going to fight back, and thereby create an opening that might not exist for someone like you or me. In other words, the attacker might be less wary and open himself to being attacked with a quick chop to the throat, which would pave the way for more follow-up strikes.

CODY: So family members don't need to feel out of place, they could even set up a counter-decoy for the more able-bodied family members to fight back. So there's a place in self-defense for each family member, is that what you're saying?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: That's correct. When you look at actual incidences of self-defense, you'll note that the people who do successfully defend themselves usually are not martial artists or athletes. They are everyday women, children, and elderly people. The common denominator that I see, other than luck, over which we have no control, is that they all take action. Oftentimes women who fight back will defend themselves against rapists. Their mind-set is right and they are not about to be taken into that car or whatever. With this combative mind-set, their chances for success go way up, whether they fight back well or not, they should just fight!

CODY: As far as improvised weapons go, I guess Grandma could use her cane or whatever, right? Nothing changes concerning using improvised weapons with the elderly, kids, or women?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: Correct, other than they are more justified in their use and won't have to fear any kind of legal repercussion if the situation is handled properly when the authorities show up.

CODY: What about a smaller person needing to defend herself against a larger, more powerful attacker?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: First off, keep in mind that people do it all the time. Smaller individuals defeat larger, stronger, more skilled individuals regularly. This isn't a sport; you're not in the ring; you're not squaring off with this individual. Remember that the attacker will have no idea that you are prepared and ready to launch a preemptive attack against him. When looking at a larger person, the smaller person needs to realize that you don't look at the strength of the individual. Look at his eye sockets. Are they any stronger than anyone else's? The throat, not much stronger than anyone else's; the t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es, same thing, and so forth. You have to look at the weak parts of the body, use the element of surprise, and destroy these targets. Perhaps the single greatest advantage that the defender has is the element of surprise.

CODY: Are there any basic a.s.sumptions that one can make regarding an attacker?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: Absolutely. You should always a.s.sume, regardless of your size or strength or ability, that your attacker will be stronger, bigger, more skilled, and faster and that he will be determined to fight to the death. Also, if you're doing everything that this chapter has outlined to avoid conflicts in the first place, there is a very good possibility that you're dealing with a psychopathic personality, a very dangerous individual who would be willing to do anything to you. It's not uncommon that somebody might kill a clerk when they steal a six-pack of beer from a store. a.s.sume that you're dealing with a very, very dangerous adversary every time.

CODY: What should people look for in an effective self-defense school and what kind of questions should they ask the instructor?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: Look for a school that focuses entirely on self-defense, that there is no sporting aspect to what they're doing. It should also be self-defense in the extreme, in other words, worst-case-scenario situations. What if the attacker is highly motivated or high on drugs? If so, it's going to take a lot to stop that attacker. The school's curriculum should focus on offense, attacking the attacker, not on defensive responses of how to deal with an attack once it's already underway. In my school we teach counterattacks such as how to escape choke holds and bear hugs, and many other scenarios, but this is secondary to preemptive striking when attack is imminent. Ask the instructor if they spar, in other words, how the techniques are practiced, if they compete in sporting systems, and how long their cla.s.ses last. You don't want anything to do with sparring, sports-type systems for self-defense. The school should teach ruthless, brutal, violent techniques-it's the only way to stop a violent attacker.

CODY: So what if I drop an attacker? Will I be prosecuted for defending myself?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: Well, first understand that this question can only be fully answered by an attorney. People should consult an attorney in their area about the laws of self-defense. Having said that, laws regarding self-defense differ from state to state. The place you would find the answer to these questions would be on the jury instructions for justifiable homicide. In the state of Arizona, for example, I can tell you that there are a number of things that are looked at-one of the biggest being what was the perception of the defenders at the time they defended themselves. Did they fear for their lives? Also, another thing that is commonly looked at is whether the defender had an escape option but did not take it. If you're ever in a situation where you have the time or the means to escape and you don't do so, you will never have a right to self-defense. It has to be unavoidable, unprovoked self-defense. Another factor in the state of Arizona is whether the defender provoked the self-defense situation in any way. If you get into an argument with somebody, and he pulls a knife and tries to stab you, you have a legitimate self-defense situation. But the legal courts may see it differently: if they decide that you provoked the situation, you will lose your right to self-defense. This all gets pretty complicated. Basically, go out of your way to stay out of trouble and not get into arguments-saying whatever needs to be said to appease the other person and only fighting when there is no other choice.

It's important that you are frightened for your life, and that you feel that you're going to be seriously harmed or killed if you don't take action. This needs to be made clear to the authorities. So if you are asked if you were afraid of this person, of course you were afraid of the person-drop the macho nonsense.

CODY: Will the elderly or women have any easier time, so to speak, in the courtroom compared to some 300-pound body builder?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: I would have to say no. An elderly person could successfully defend himself and when questioned by the authorities say, "I wasn't afraid of these punks for a moment, they got what they deserved!" The police will have no choice at this point but to arrest the elderly person because there was no perception of fear.

CODY: So what you say when the authorities show up is vitally important.

PROFESSOR BRYANS: Yes, and if someone ends up seriously hurt, you have every right to ask for legal counsel and not talk until you have someone who will advise you about what to say. Unfortunately, that's the system we live in.

CODY: So that gives credence to the Combato system of relaxed ready, too, doesn't it, because it's totally nonthreatening. If someone looked up from a crowd at a defender with their hands up, angled off, and they were saying, "Hey, I don't want any problem with you," that would be good from a legal aspect and yet that person is totally wired and ready to defend himself if necessary. Would you agree with that?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: Yes, I would completely agree with that.

CODY: This is primarily a home-based book on self-reliance, but the chances are high that at some point a member of the family will need to travel to another location, whether to get supplies or to evacuate because of a disaster. That said, what about dealing with a carjacking?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: First, understand that approaching your vehicle, being in your vehicle, and leaving your vehicle are all vulnerable times and should be minimized during times of unrest. Also, recognizing this fact should make you more aware during times of travel involving an automobile.

There are some rules for traveling. Whenever you are approaching your parked car, spot-check your vehicle before opening the door. Look behind the driver's seat to make sure no one is in the vehicle. If there is, escape immediately-do not confront the person-and call the police. The second you get into the vehicle, lock the door and then start the engine. Always maintain your vehicle, which is just common sense, and make sure you have at least a half tank of gas. Gas up at convenient times when it's safe to do so, such as in the daytime.

Should you ever discover that you're being followed, do not stop your vehicle. Keep driving. If you know the location of a police station, go there. Once you arrive, place your hand on the horn and keep blasting it until you get results from the police. Blasting the horn if you're being followed while you continue to drive is an excellent strategy in general, as it will attract attention. Never drive to your home if you're being tailed, leading whoever is following you to your home.

A carjacker is a potentially lethal a.s.sailant, and alertness is the key to avoiding the situation in the first place. Whenever you are stopped at a red light or a stop sign, stay alert to anyone who is approaching your vehicle. If someone approaches, drive away immediately. If an attacker, or a group of attackers, is in front of the vehicle, run him, or them, over.

CODY: What if someone wants to know more? Does the Combato system have any books or training information?

PROFESSOR BRYANS: Yes. There's an excellent magazine that Professor Steiner puts out each month called Close Quarters. The carjacking information we just talked about came from Close Quarters Volume 2, Issue 12, as an example. Our Web site has all the contact information regarding the magazine as well as courses at www.americancombato.com.

The most important attribute necessary to defend yourself is att.i.tude, more specifically, the combative mind-set. The individual possessing this will "attack the attacker."

Techniques for self-defense must be simple, easy to learn and use, and able to knock out the attacker.

Be alert to what is going on around you. If something seems "off," leave the area. If this is not possible and you are approached, go to the relaxed-ready position, keep the individual(s) out of arm's reach, and be ready to attack and destroy the attacker if he (they) attack.

Striking the attacker is highly effective. Four good natural weapons are the hand-axe (chop), the chin-jab smash, the side kick to the knee, and the fingertip thrust.

The general attack zones for striking the attacker are the band, the line, and the kicking triangle.

Once you attack, always follow up. Keep on hitting, tearing, ripping, smas.h.i.+ng, and cutting as you attack, attack, attack!

Use any item at hand (improvised weapons) to bolster the attack.