Posted by Scott on September 27th, 2006 — Posted in News
Stephanie Kopf, 16, of Urbandale said she took the class to learn how to defend herself from an attacker.
“I thought it would be good to learn some self-defense,” she said. “We also learned that a pen can be a deadly weapon,” she said. The girls learned that applying pressure from an everyday object, such as a pen, can be a powerful and painful deterrent for aggressors.
Angel Anand, 14, of Urbandale is a brown belt and has been practicing martial arts for about four years. Anand said she thinks it is extremely important for girls to learn how to defend themselves.
“There are a lot of people in the world that will try to take advantage of other people,” she said. “If girls know how to defend themselves, they will be less likely to be taken advantage of.”
Read Entire Des Moines Register article.
I feel much better hearing of these young girls voluntarily, happily, and proudly receiving education in self-defense. This way, they learn to prevent attacks beforehand. Sometimes we forget: You can’t prepare after the fact!
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Posted by Scott on September 19th, 2006 — Posted in News
by Julie Young of DAILYNews
There is nothing more dangerous than a pissed off woman, said Erin Weed, founder of Girls Fight Back, in her lecture on Monday night.
“Girls Fight Back started out as an idea and it has grown into this whole movement,” Weed said of her nationwide personal safety program.
With a mix of humor and personal testimony, Weed presented practical advice for women today, closing with a hands-on demonstration of “how to open a can of whoop-ass.”
“Men and women live in different worlds when it comes to our fear and anxiety,” Weed said. “[Women] scream from the rooftops how free we are, but we’re afraid to walk to our cars at night.”
Weed covered a spectrum of topics relating to women’s self-defense including street safety, being a bad “victim,” home security, social smarts and how to be cyber-savvy.
“The problem with violence against women is that we aren’t talking about it,” Weed said.
By “opening the dialogue on campus,” Weed said students can become proactive against violence.
There are three steps that people can do to protect themselves: trust their intuition, be a “bad victim” and learn to fight, Weed said.
If you’re shaking hands with a guy at a party and get the “creepy vibe,” listen to it, Weed said.
“The two big anecdotes [to street violence] are body language and awareness,” Weed said.
She said women on cell phones can become distracted, which makes them appear more vulnerable to attack.
Weed also cautioned students to avoid putting too much information on the Internet.
“I think technology is great, but our safety protocol needs to adjust with it,” Weed said.
On the party scene, Weed emphasized the importance of sticking together.
“The most dangerous thing we do is to get separated and not look out for each other,” Weed said.
She added that alcohol is the number one date-rape drug, so women should be proactive if they choose to drink.
“A lot of people don’t realize some of the safety measures they should be taking and the risks out there,” said Tess VanDenover, sophomore in psychology.
Several men also attended the lecture, including Thomas Hinkeldey, sophomore in finance and 6-foot-6-inch Jacob Gionet, freshman in computer engineering.
“I think this lecture will be a great check to realize how important women’s safety is in society today,” Hinkeldey said.
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Posted by Scott on September 18th, 2006 — Posted in Self-Defense Advice
by Randy LaHaie
Just about all self defense and police crime prevention sites contain lists of tips to reduce the risk of a violent or criminal encounter. The number of them can seem overwhelming. Where do you start?
A more practical approach to incorporating prevention tips is to understand the principles on which they are based. If you understand the fundamentals of prevention, you will be able to improvise safety strategies “on the fly” that are relevant to your needs.
We are all different and have different concerns and needs. The degree to which you incorporate safety advice depends on your circumstances, environment, risk potential and even your personality.
In this article, I’ll provide you with five categories of prevention tactics. I will then provide you with situation specific tips to help you understand how the fundamentals are applied. Don’t worry about memorizing them. Try to understand how they work. Decide whether the tip makes sense and whether it is useful to you.
Prevention Strategies:
1. Detection
Offenders do not want to get caught. By increasing your visibility to witnesses or by drawing attention to an assailant, it is less likely that a confrontation will be initiated. Awareness strategies and detection devices fall into this category.
2. Intrusion
An assailant can not assault you if he can not get to you. These tactics involve securing your environment to inhibit the assailant’s access to you. Keeping unwanted persons out of your home or vehicle or even placing a barrier between you and an attacker are examples of this principle.
3. Isolation
Offenders are far more likely to attack when you are alone. 96% of rapists check to see if the intended victim is alone prior to attacking. The greater the likelihood that an assault will be witnessed or interrupted, the less likely it is that it will be initiated.
4. Response
Responding to avoid an encounter is far superior to reacting to it once it has been initiated. Response skills start by paying attention to your surroundings and being able to detect and recognize when you are being targeted as a potential victim. This strategy focuses on locating and identifying potential dangers and responding in ways that are likely to discourage volatile situations.
5. Reaction
Reaction involves taking immediate physical actions when you confirm that you are being attacked or about to be. The more you know about what to do to ward off a physical assault, and the sooner you plan those actions, the more likely you will be successful at defending yourself and escaping to safety.
Get more prevention tips at protectivestrategies.com.
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Posted by Scott on September 17th, 2006 — Posted in News
According to Abigail Leichman of MCT News Service, self-defense classes have won eager acceptance from women.
A biker chick beat up Elizabeth Kennedy about 20 years ago. Nobody’s messed with her since.
“I said, ‘If a girl can do this to me, I will never let it happen again,’ and that’s when I started training,” Kennedy recalled.
Now she’s on the board of directors of the Long Island, N.Y.-based American Women’s Self-Defense Association. The group offers instructor certification in rape prevention and aims to get self-defense training included in middle school gym classes for girls.
“Fifteen or 20 years ago, we were still convincing women they had the right to defend themselves,” Kennedy said. “Nowadays, women come into training accepting that it’s just a matter of learning how.”
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Posted by Scott on September 14th, 2006 — Posted in Self-Defense Advice
I don’t watch Dr. Phil. (In fact, I try to not watch TV at all.) Nonetheless, he publishes some great self-defense tips on the health section of his website. You can find some below:
When something shocks us, we typically freeze, and that’s what the bad guys rely on. The key to not freezing is having a plan. Marni Levine is a fourth-degree black belt in karate and is the highest ranked female instructor in Krav Maga; a self-defense method used by the Israeli Defense Forces and U.S. law enforcement agencies. Dr. Phil invites her on the show to go over some typical scenarios and the do’s and don’ts of protecting yourself from an attacker.
The scenario:
You’re in a parking garage and you’re loaded down with lots of shopping bags. This is an ideal opportunity for an attacker.
Do:
Walk toward your car with your keys ready. Don’t be distracted with your shopping bags.
If he’s asking for your property — purse, money, car keys — give it to him.
Run, preferably toward a well lit, public area where there will be people.
If he’s trying to get you into your vehicle, fight! Scream, scratch, bite, kick, strike — do as much damage as possible to stun the attacker, so you can run away.
Use your environment. In survival confrontations, everything at hand can be used to help you escape. Throw your keys, purse, coins, sand, gravel, rocks at the attacker’s face. Use it as a distraction so you can escape.
Don’t:
Don’t get into a vehicle with the attacker. You never want to let him take you to a second location. Statistically, it is not in your best interest. If you get into the vehicle, he has a much better opportunity to drive to a quiet place where you’ll be 100 percent at his mercy and have no way of getting help. Even if he’s pointing a knife or gun at you, do whatever you can to get away. It’s much more likely that he will leave to find an easier target than chase you and draw attention to himself.
The scenario:
You’re at the ATM and have just gotten cash. As you walk away, you’re distracted with putting your money away.
Do:
Always be aware of your surroundings. The number one self-defense technique is being aware of potential threats. Know what the possible dangers are. Note where the exits are.
Notice the people in your area. Make eye contact — aggressors tend to back down if they notice you noticing them.
Put your money into a pocket immediately.
If you see a suspicious person nearby watching you, change your route and walk in the opposite direction.
Act confident. Do not act or look like an easy target.
Don’t:
Don’t be oblivious of your surroundings.
Don’t count your money or be putting it in your purse as you walk away. This distracts you and is a perfect opportunity for the attacker.
Don’t wander without direction. Walk briskly, head up, with purpose. Don’t look intimidated.
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Posted by Scott on September 13th, 2006 — Posted in Martial Arts, Self-Defense Advice
Bodyteen.com has an extensive collection of self-defense advice for teens. The site includes Diagrams, instruction, and practical advice on avoiding danger, defending your body, and kicking ass when you’re left with no other choice.
As Bodyteen wisely advises, always consult your physician prior to beginning any exercise or physical training program. Should you experience any strain stop immediately and seek the advice of a licensed health care professional.
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Posted by Scott on September 11th, 2006 — Posted in Politics & Commentary
by Scott Hughes
Today marked the fifth anniversary of the tragic 9/11 attacks that killed 2,819 citizens. This is not a day for celebration, but is rather a mournful day. The horrible memories of that terrible day still plague the hearts and minds of people worldwide.
As with all avoidable tragedies, we must fight through our pain, and solve the problems that originally led to the tragedy. We must not let our pain debilitate us into just awaiting the next avoidable tragedy.
Albert Einstein said, “we cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Unfortunately, as I pointed out in a recent blog, we still continue the same actions that foster terrorism and needless death, as shown by the rise in global terrorism.
Ignoring the inherent link between war and hunger, we still allow 16,000 children to die from hunger every day [1]. Indeed, there is a relationship between the 2,819 innocent people who died on 9/11 from terrorism and the 16,000 innocent children who died on 9/11 from hunger. Yet, we continue to allow innocent children and people to die from these causes: violence and hunger.
Ignoring the link between drug prohibition and terrorism, we still allow an easy funding opportunity for terrorists and other violent criminals, instead of reducing crime and terrorism by repealing drug prohibition.
Instead of actually fixing the conditions that caused and allowed 9/11, we have allowed our leaders to waste resources not only on the $50 billion dollar a year drug war as mentioned, but namely on the war in Iraq. The ousting of the secular tyrant Saddam Hussein in Iraq surely had a positive impact on his local enemies. However, this war has only increased anti-Americanism, hatred, violence, and terrorism. So far, the war in Iraq killed well over 40,000 citizens! So far, the war in Iraq cost United States taxpayers well over $300 billion! So far, the war in Iraq killed over 2,500 U.S. soldiers.
The UN says a $40 billion increase in current aid would provide food, clean water, sanitation, health services, and education to everyone on the planet. That’s less than one seventh the cost of the Iraq war. The 16,000 children who died today could have been fed and educated, instead of the Iraq war. Would a world in which children didn’t starve have less terrorism and hatred? Would a world in which all children were educated (and thus taught how to take care of both themselves and the future children of this world) have less terrorism? So, instead of increasing terrorism by causing the death of over 2,500 U.S. troops and 40,000 Iraqi citizens, couldn’t we have reduced terrorism and violence, and the death of the innocent!
And, we would have had over $270 billion left over.
End the drug war, and we’d have $320 billion left over.
Or instead, perhaps we could return the tax-dollars to the citizens from which they were taken. These citizens could then spend the money on personal DEFENSE, which would actually decrease violence and protect the lives of innocents.
Perhaps we could prevent the next 9/11, rather than facilitate it.
About The Author: Scott Hughes writes this blog.
[1] State of Food Insecurity in the World 2005. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
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Posted by Scott on September 10th, 2006 — Posted in Politics & Commentary
The U.S. spends over $1 billion a day on “defense”, and currently wages a war in Iraq which cost over $300 billion so far. Yet, U.S. figures show a sharp global rise in terrorism.
Additionally, the governments of the United States spend over $50 billion dollars annually to wage a “war on drugs”, despite the common-knowledge fact that drug prohibition funds terrorism.
Perhaps there are more effective ways to spend these hundreds of billions of dollars, if the goal is really to protect U.S. citizens.
(Although, obviously politicians could care less about the safety and security of the common people. The politicians only use such issues to gain votes, so that these politicians can use their power for self-gain and appeasing lobbyists, bribers, and their cronies.)
For example, a large portion of this money could instead have been returned to tax-payers, who then could have spent it on personal self-defense, or other necessities.
While these wars and defense spending may help the likes of Halliburton, Big Oil, and the military-industrial complex, these wars and defense spending seem to increase terrorism and anti-Americanism, thus decreasing the safety and security of United States citizens.
About The Author: Scott Hughes owns an online self-defense store.
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Posted by Scott on September 8th, 2006 — Posted in Self-Defense Advice
SafeCampusesNow.org provides the following self-defense tips:
What to Do if Faced with an Attacker? The decision is yours. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers. If you decide to fight back, you must be quick, determined and effective.
- Target the eyes and groin .Keys, pens and pencils can be jabbed into the eyes, face or neck.
- Smash a lighted cigarette in their face.
- Aim your fist or palm of your hand in a fast, upward motion to the attacker’s nose.
When walking alone, make sure you have some type of deterrent device and be ready to use it if needed. Some examples are:
- Umbrella: Use both hands to make quick jabbing motions to the eyes, neck, and groin.
- Plastic Lemon: It will squirt about 15 feet. Aim for the eyes; momentary blindness may provide time for escape.
- Sharp pointed items: keys, pens, and pencils can be scraped across the face and eyes or jabbed into the eyes, face or neck.
- If you chose to carry personal defense items like mace, pepper spray or a stun gun, make sure that you know how to use the defense items. Hesitation when using these items may give your attacker the opportunity to take the item away and use it on you.
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Posted by Scott on September 5th, 2006 — Posted in Facts and Stats, Politics & Commentary
When over 25% of inmates in the United States are non-violent drug “offenders”, it irks me to see violent criminals walk the streets freely.
Many people don’t understand that the war on drugs increases violence and victimization, such as with alcohol during the 1930s prohibition. However, even these people must admit that it irks them to see their tax-dollars wasted on enforcing victimless crimes while violence and victimization run rampant in this country.
How many women have to be raped; how many homes have to robbed; how many citizens have to be assaulted, before all these resources are dedicated to protecting citizens from victimization?!
I just reread an article from September 2005 citing a push in Connecticut (USA) to look for a new way, with drug laws. Living in Connecticut myself, I can assure everyone that this did not come to pass.
Connecticut still wastes its resources fighting a war on non-violent drug offenders, while loads of violence and victimization still plague the state. For example, in the capital, Hartford, where drug enforcement is highest, over 1,500 violent crimes and over 10,000 property crimes take place annually. Instead of protecting citizens from these victimizations, the city decides to wage a war on non-violent drug offenders.
The article I read points out the underlying racism of the drug war:
In Connecticut, black and Latino males make up less than 6% of the population, but they account for almost 70% of the state prison population of roughly 20,000. And they account for the vast majority of the roughly 14,000 drug offenders doing time in Connecticut.
We need to end this racism and reduce crime by repealing drug prohibition.
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Posted by Scott on September 4th, 2006 — Posted in Bullies
While surfing the web today, I came across an AOL member’s website with tips for children about bullying.
As adults or parents, preventing bulling involves two measures. Not only do we need to teach children how to deal with bullies, but also we need to teach children not to be bullies.
Please share these tips with the children for what to do about bullying:
- Inform your teachers & parents. If his bullying is physical or violent, tell them not to give your name. That could make the bully more angry, and then he’ll come after you harder.
- Travel to school or social events in groups. Don’t walk alone.
- Avoid the bully at all costs.
- Ignore him. That will take away his power he “thinks” he has over you. He’ll get bored, and go look for someone else to pick on.
- Confront him with the problem. Do this only if the bullying is mental, not physical. Maybe you can explain how it makes you feel. If he doesn’t care, and continues to bully you, report him, and avoid him.
- Take a safety training workshop. This should only be used as a last resort (in self defense). Using this to show off for your friends, or simply because someone made you angry, could lead to law suits, and YOU becoming a bully!
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Posted by Scott on September 3rd, 2006 — Posted in Uncategorized
Unfortunately, sexual assailants have tools at their fingertips such as date-rape drugs to incapacitate victims. By sneaking these drugs into a drink, these assailants can cause victims to unwittingly incapacitate themselves. To successfully protect oneself, one must understand date-rape drugs, and take proper precautions.
The three most common forms of date-rape drugs are Rohypnol (Roofies, Rope, Ruffies, R2, Ruffles, Roche, Forget-pill), Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate (GHB, Liquid Extacy, Liquid X, Scoop, Easy Lay), and Ketamine Hydrochloride (’K', Special K, Vitamin K, Ket).
KidPower.org explains date-rape drugs:
What are date-rape drugs and what do they do?
Date-rape drugs often work quickly, within 10-20 minutes, and are difficult to spot because they have no smell, taste, texture or color. They come in liquid, powder, and pill forms that can be easily added to drinks without someone’s knowledge. The drugs cause victims to become ill, disoriented, very sleepy and unable to move or think clearly, and/or incapable of remembering what happened to them. The effects of the drugs can be intensified by alcohol and can last anywhere from 2-24 hours.
Rapists are using the date rape drugs as a way to overpower their victims. The drugs are, sadly, easily accessible, especially on college campuses and in college towns. Many are legal for other purposes and are therefore readily available and inexpensive. Attackers may bring a person a drink, like a soda, beer, or coffee, and put the drug in it. Or they put the drug in the drink or food while the targeted person is temporarily away from it (i.e. in the bathroom, talking to friends, etc.). Often, when the victim becomes ill or disoriented, the rapist is able to take the victim to a different location easily to commit a sexual assault. The victim wakes up later and is rarely able to remember what happened.
Read the KidPower article on date-rape drugs.
For more information on date rape drugs in the United States, contact the National Women’s Health Information Center at 800-994-9662.
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