Slipping a punch (or multiple punches) is a very important defense to learn because getting punched in the face is one of the most common attacks used by an assailant. This defense works against a straight punch to your face (i.e., sucker punch). When slipping a punch or multiple punches, you need to move your head off the centerline (away from their punch). A taller assailant will generally have the longer reach, which means they can hit you without you being close enough t

What Are You Training For? Recently, I watched a street fight where one guy sat on the ground and motioned for the other guy to come towards him. The guy who was standing looked confused, then jumped on the grounded guys head and proceeded to stomp and kick him until he knocked him out. Sitting on the ground to start a fight sounds ridiculous doesn't it? But do you know that certain martial arts practice fighting that way? The problem is that, what you do in practice is what

Learning how to defend against punches, kicks, and takedowns/throws, is essential to round out your self-defense abilities. The first step to having good defense is your stance. A strong stance will allow you to stop oncoming strikes, and takedown attempts. Additionally, having a strong stance can allow you to attack with more power. Conversely, having a poor (or no) stance can lead to you getting hit and knocked down, controlled, and/or taken down or thrown to the ground. Th

An easy way for an assailant to control a smaller, weaker person is to grab both of their wrists. This method of control works because the assailant can move you around easily by pulling your arms in the direction that they want you to go; and in the case of both your wrists being grabbed, you cannot hit him/her to fight back. Additionally, wrist grabbing is an instinctual technique that anyone can do. For example, in a street situation, it's not unusual to see one person gra

While you’ll be busy out shopping for gifts, and going to holiday parties, criminals will be out in full force ready to take away your holiday cheer. While the holiday season is always a special time of year, it is also a time when busy people become vulnerable to theft and other holiday crime: To help you navigate this holiday season safely, and securely, I compiled the following holiday safety tips from various law enforcement groups, and crime prevention sections. When sho

Everyone needs home security whether you live in an apartment on the bad side of town, or in a secure gated community. Having insurance is great, but it can't replace losing personal items, or family heirlooms. It is your responsibility to make your home as secure as possible. How common are home robberies? Think it won't happen to you? Consider this FBI statistic: In 2019 (the most recent year that the FBI collected robbery data), there were 1,117,696 burglaries! That's ov