“When a person attacks obviously a primal mindset has taken over. The ‘secret’ is to know that when a person loses control they will show very identifiable, hard to disguise gestures. For example you can tell their brain is shutting down by how much they are saying. As they talk sentences will get shorter and shorter; this is a huge sign assault may be imminent. When they stop talking you have about 1 to 2 seconds before they attack,” said McCubbin.

He went on to explain that cognitive control, or our thought and reasoning process, is controlled at a very high level. As aggressive impulses take over the cognitive brain shuts down and risk of attack increases; therefore the trick is to keep cognition engaged as long as possible. This can be done through asking questions. “Questions keep higher brain functions engaged and stand a good chance of suppressing aggressive thoughts. Bear in mind questions should be conversational not interrogating as this may agitate someone”, said McCubbin.

McCubbin explained that the bottom line to preventing assaults is to understand violence is a process and people will show recognizable behaviors before they attack.

Stairwells: This one is tough on campus you should be ok, off campus a different story.  I’m not saying do not use them but just don’t spend a lot of time in them either.  Stairs are what is known as transitional areas and are usually sound-proof which makes them a great place for an assault to occur. Most normal people do not hang around stairs therefore if you see someone lingering avoid the area, it is not wise to proceed forward.  If you enter a stairwell and hear a door lock, move quickly to an exit. 

Elevators: I’m ok with elevators.  In general they are always on the move and people are around for the most part.  The only time I will avoid one is if someone close to me is giving off weird vibes.  The “move” I do, is just before we get on, I stop and pretend I forgot something, usually coupled with the phrase “Oh man, I forgot to” …. fade into mumbling.  That way the person won’t feel slighted and it looks natural. 

Parking Lots: It goes without saying but please be cautious here.  If you are going to be robbed here is the place. Most victims are isolated just far enough away from immediate help.  Despite what the movies say, most attacker hang out near the doors to a floor or any pedestrian entrance.  It’s true they may hide behind a car or under it, but chances are they will “hide” in plain sight.  If you see anybody loitering you are best served to avoid the area.  The easiest way to stop any harm from coming to you is to take a good look around, study the shadows and ambient light.  Learn how to read them, it could save your life.  Pay close attention to corners or any “wrap around areas” as well. 

Other rooms during  a party: this is the hardest one for me to write about.  Regrettably, in the middle of a party there could be a rape occurring.  (read that again, it is not a typo.)  I can say this firsthand because I know a few people this happened to.  If you find yourself in this situation and you are in your home, lock the door to your room.  Do not assume that people will be nice and stay out of your room because the door is closed.  I would even go as far as blocking the door.  Drunks have a really funny knack for breaking and entering a room.  The best way to stay safe on campus is a little preventative medicine. For more violence prevention tips click here

If you really take a second and analyze this scenario, let’s ask a few relevant questions.  When you got to the apartment did they know how many people were in the there? (Answer. No.) For the sake of argument let’s say there was only one, can you say for sure the perp did not have a gun? (Same answer. No.)  If you found them “in the act” what do you think that person would have done to keep from getting caught? (Answer- anything and everything including fighting you as hard as they can.  Keep in mind criminals do not want to get caught, identified and don’t care about the law.) In short, that can of whoop-ass can cost you your life.  To be blunt, if that instructor had any sense of what to do- they would not go in the apartment but call the cops.  Let them handle it.  Misplaced bravado and a tough-guy “I can beat anyone” attitude can get you seriously hurt.   All of this chest thumping and ego stroking may sound good in training halls, but in reality things get complicated.  If we continue with our apartment scenario let’s pretend we did find the perp in action, we worked our magic and kicked their tush up-town, downtown and all-around and won the day. Then what?  After all the adrenaline subsides another interesting phenomenon occurs, something called “fallout”.

Fallout occurs when our brains realize what we have done- that of seriously harming another person. It is the trauma some people experience when they realize what they have done to another person.  I tend to believe that it is unnatural for people to want to hurt each other.  Boxers, mixed martial artists and professional fighters aside, most people do not want to knowingly injure another person.  But this is where the conundrum starts…. how can we defend ourselves against an attack if we don’t use force for force?  Or put another way– most popular self defense programs teach you to punch, kick, scratch, bite, eye-gouge or “do what must be done” to get out of a situation but what if that does not fit into our moral framework.  True I agree with using brutal tactics to a point, but only as a last resort. What if there was another way?  What if, or is it possible to defend yourself and NOT hurt the aggressor?  The answer is yes.

There are two martial arts styles that I have focused on, the first being Aikido and the second being Systema.  Both styles share a re-markedly similar trait,  that of non-destruction.  Non-destruction is, in layman’s terms, continually knocking an aggressor down until he realizes that every time he gets up you knock him down… he will eventually get the point.  And every time you knock him down it is done in such a way that you do not permanently damage the person.  To go one step further, we’ll look at both the Aikido and Systema philosophy. In Aikido we are taught there are four levels of aggression and that you have an ethical duty to mankind NOT to damage another person, no matter what they are trying to do to you.  The four levels of aggression:

• One person (A) walks up to another person (B) and kills them outright.  Ethically this is the lowest form of aggression.  Killing another person unprovoked
• The second level is one person (A) walks up to another person (B), provokes them through some means (taunting, chatter, etc) and kills them (A kills B). Still not good or very ethical
• The third level is person A walks up to B.  A provokes B and B kills A.  When B kills A it is ethically more defensible but not the optimal solution.  In the above cases someone gets killed
• The fourth (and most desirable) level is when A walks up to B, provokes B and in return B defends themselves with such skill as to not harm A

This fourth level is the best from an ethical and psychological standpoint.  The person defending themselves handles the situation in such a way that the aggressor is not hurt (ethical) or seriously injured therefore lessoning the chances of psychological fallout (trauma that follows conflict).

In Systema we are taught a similar principle. One of the topics to consider is that some view fighting as morally wrong and that we should not physically engage with another person, despite what may happen to us. In truth, fighting is only morally wrong when there is pride and aggression in it, or if it contains hatred, revenge or callousness, when the causes are greed, vanity, envy, desperation and other such vices. Otherwise, if it is fighting for defense, for rescue – it is a sin not to fight and let your loved ones get hurt or killed or have your country destroyed. Therefore in Systema an overriding principle is one of non-destruction. The goal is to make sure that your training or practical application do not damage to the body or the psyche of you or your partners or attackers.  If we operate in such a way, we are morally free from any condemnation, fallout and in the end our conscious will be at ease knowing that we did “do what we had to do”, but not at the expense of another individual.

When looking for a self defense class make sure that the instructor does not adocate total destruction of an opponent, this is not something you want to get involved with.  If you would like to read more about finding a school please click here: finding a good school

Q: Have you ever had to defend yourself?
Yes. On several occasions. I have been involved in several fights, survived a mugging (two on one) and a few others. Without getting into the details, I can attribute my survival to my training. Living in an urban area has been… interesting.

Q: How do you feel about competing with other instructors?
I don’t really compete with them and they aren’t the competition. The real competition is any distraction that prohibits people from learning how to protect themselves. I have encountered many victims, the vast majority of whom say the same thing: “I wish I had taken the time to learn how to defend myself”. I commend any instructor who is competent and takes the time to train students properly.

Q: What is your philosophy about teaching?
The focus is to teach people how to function under stress and to illustrate principles and strategies that greatly increases the likelihood of surviving conflict. My philosophy can get lengthy so for the sake of brevity I will stop here. If you really would like to experience what I am talking about, feel free to take a class.

Q: Ok, but really though, what would you say is one of your core principles?
Well, I guess I would have to say that our overall principles are one of non-destruction. From my vantage point a lot of schools teach students to match “force-for-force”, meaning to kick, punch, gouge the eyes, or “doing whatever it takes to survive”. I understand where they are coming from. But there is a part of self-defense that a lot of schools don’t talk about or know about; that being the aftermath of conflict . You see it sounds really good to smash someones face in, but when you do it there comes a time when a lot of people experience a moral dilemma. In a nutshell, it is unnatural for people to willingly want to hurt another human. When we do there is usually emotional fallout. We teach a philosophy of non-destruction - meaning there are ways to defend yourself and NOT injure someone. We feel this is working on a higher moral level. On top of that is the possibility for legal action. It is a far to common occurrence for the assailant to sue the victim (re-read that again) for injuries sustained. If you search legal documents you will find scores of cases where the mugger (or whomever) sued the intended target — and won. Sad to say but we face a society that is litigous and a justice system that is ever increasingly siding with the criminal.

Q: What is your typical class like?
We have a few rules. The first is to relax and have fun. The topic at hand is serious enough so why not enjoy the ride. Who ever said learning to protect yourself can’t be a blast. The second is to accept yourself for where you are, no matter if you are a beginner or advanced practitioner there is always something to be learned. On a personal note, I always make sure people are engaged, laughing and having a good time (oh yeah, and learning too). Additionally I always encourage people, this is not about making me look good, stroking my ego or any such non-sense. My job is to impart critical knowledge not to puff myself up.

Q: What makes you “different” from other styles?
The main difference is that we don’t teach the typical, tired and over trained material so prevalent in many self-defense classes. We don’t teach people how to punch, kick or some “Magic Technique” (there is no such thing); rather we focus on how to use opponents energy and aggression against them. In addition we teach principles as opposed to canned movements. When a student learns how to apply principles as opposed to technique, their ability to defend themselves is magnified greatly.

Q: What styles do you recommend to students?
I don’t. When it comes to making such a decision the only thing I will do is tell you about the style. I do not and never will compare styles. No style is superior to another. Any practitioner in one style can be beat by another practitioner of another style on any given day. The decision is very personal, a lot goes into it. The only recommendation I will make is to pick the one that fits your moral background and start training!

Q: Would you be willing to elaborate on your training background?
Sure. It can be a bit lengthy, so if you would like the details click here.

Martial arts instruction, during the 60’s and 70’s were the original versions of say Japanese or Chinese arts and continued up until the mid 80’s or there about.  However, over the past twenty years we have seen a host of new hybrid styles develop that are very far removed from their ancestral roots.  The big problem with these new systems is they are so far removed from their original version they have lost their way and in doing so become ineffective.  Many of these new arts actually sport arts and not combat. If you judge these systems from a “can it really save my life” perspective you will find that many systems transcend inadequate.  Most of these systems are a hodge-podge of sport/ competition moves, or a collection of pseudo-combat moves presented under the guise of effective “real life” self defense scenarios.  In the end we are too often left with a bunch of motley techniques that would really only be effective against an idiot moving at half-speed. 

Furthermore, if you focus on the term “self-defense” this term can also be dangerous.  Defense implies responding to (or waiting for) an attack; when in reality being able to block a real attack is next to impossible, why?  Simple, action is faster than reaction. Most students of these so-called self defense schools are often taught worthless, ineffective and dangerous (to the user) collection of techniques that have no place being taught outside of the realm of “for demonstration purposes only” and should NEVER be presented as real world. All of this is great for the training hall or if you want to create a fantasy in your own mind that you are really learning how to protect yourself; but let’s be intellectually honest and not fool ourselves.  So where did things really start to head south, well I believe it starts with a few myths; the list is long but there are a few key issues surrounding the current state of the martial arts community.  The first being that all martial arts are effective, the second (and my personal favorite) is the constant overuse of the words “real”, “effective”, “practical” or any derivate thereof used to bait perspective students into thinking they are learning something practical when in reality the true purpose is to increase the schools enrollment.  We could go on but we will stick with these for now.

While there are several debates that we could have in order to solve these problems I think the most effective thing to do is realize what self-defense really is- a form of self preservation.  When you are engaged in a real fight you are in it for your right to live, not to win a fancy belt so you can go brag to your friends.  Keeping that in mind (the real reason for fighting), alters your perspectives change a bit.  I strongly feel that true self defense is (after you find a genuine school) more than learning how to punch, kick or try to talk your way out of a bad situation. You need to realize that it is necessary to develop the necessary confidence, determination, ruthlessness and pre-emptive mindset needed to achieve victory.  An understanding of the psychological trauma that precedes and follows conflict is also of vital importance.  If this is omitted you are doing yourself a great disservice. True self defense is, just to reiterate, not just the physical aspects but the core value of training lies in developing the proper mental attitudes needed for executing effective defensive measures. It is not the technique that wins the fight but what’s behind them is what really counts.  Sadly, too many schools develop the skill (punch and kick) but not the mindset. That is assuming what they are teaching has some degree of true effectiveness to begin with. Regrettably violence is sometimes the only solution; therefore self-protection demands deadly, effective pre-emptive actions and attitudes.  If this is the case, you must be firm in your resolve, committed to 100% action leaving nothing left and be able to deal with both the “post” and “pre” psychological impact of any assault.  If you style does not teach this you may want to consider another school.

During this convesation the instructor and I got onto the subject of who would win and acutal fight.  Not between he and I, but rather if he would engage with someone he said, “I know who would be walking out.”  The implication being he would tune his opponent up and basically total the guy.  Needless to say I was incenced and tried to hold back my laughter in the same breath.  You see prior to this segment of our conversation he mentioned that the ONLY training he had of a martial nature was the material contained in the course itself.  (Think weekend seminar in case you are confused).  In short that amounts to about 20-30 hours of training and really only learning how to apply basic kicks and punches.  Quite frankly if he got into any real type of conflict he would get his a** kicked… and in a big way.  Let me explain…

I undestand where he is coming from.  This sounds like a typical “sports-minded” approach which in a nutshell is that you beat the other team before you play the game.  The overriding mindest is that you win before the fight even starts.  And for the most part I agree with that philosophy.  However there is another level to this. When you are talking about survival you need to realize that you will be engaged in a conflict with someone else who will be in it for their own life.  If you think about it that changes things a bit.  Plus there is something else going on with the instructor; something I refer to as the ego phase. 

You see when you start training in martial arts and work with people of lesser experience it is very easy to beat them.  As you move up the ranks and start to train, you basically work with people who have no abilty and you know, as the instructor, you can tune them up anytime you wish.  Overtime this ability of being able to beat up beginners starts to create false impressions in the instructors mind.  What happens is that you deceive yourself into thinking that you can beat alomst anyone- based solely on the fact that you have done the same techniques (which are usually predicatble and obvious) over and over on people who cannot defend themselves in the first place.  Then, before you know it, you think you are the man and can basically whip anyone who gets in your way.  Well, that type of thinking can (and most likely) will get you killed.  No style is superior to another and when you fight with someone you do not know what type of training they have.  I was always taught to treat someone like they are a “golden gloves” boxer- far better to overcompensate then to under compensate.  I really wanted to say “Check your ego at the door tough guy, you are not as good as you think you are.” In my mind I was thinking you’ve only had a weekends worth of training and if you were to engage in realy fight with say an MMA fighter, he would walk out- not you.

In closing, remember anyone can be beat, anyday, anywhere, anytime.  If you must fight realize what you are fighiting for and recognize the person you are fighting with is in it for the same reason, not for bragging rights or a title belt.   The Japanese have a saying, which is stated in the title of this article.  “Don’t make hat big enough.” Meaning if you have a big enough head there is not hat big enough to fit it. 

Absolutely.  Here is a brief overview of each style and a brief excerpt describing the art. It may be a bit lengthy but it will provide a some comprehensive review. Each excerpt was taken from its respective website.  I really don’t like to type.

Systema: There is a reason why Russian Martial Art is called Systema. It is a complete set of concepts and training components that enhance one’s life. In this case, acquiring the martial art skill is a way to improve the function of all seven physiological systems of the body and all three levels of human abilities the physical, the psychological and the spiritual.

The key principle of the Russian Systema is non-destruction. The goal is to make sure that your training and your attitudes do no damage to the body or the psyche of you or your partners. Systema is designed to create, build and strengthen your body, your psyche, your family and your country.

The Russian warriors acquired a style that combined strong spirit with extremely innovative and versatile tactics that were at the same time practical, deadly, and effective against any type of enemy under any circumstances. The style was natural and free while having no strict rules, rigid structure or limitations (except for moral ones). All tactics were based on instinctive reactions, individual strengths and characteristics, specifically designed for fast learning. The training covers all aspects of combat: hand-to-hand, ground fighting, defense against weapons (chain, knife, stick, gun, etc), multiple assailants, handgun tactics, anti-surveillance, fighting in water, defense and survival in and around your car and much more.  For a complete overview click here

Systema has another name “poznai sebia” or “Know Yourself”. What does it really mean to Understand Yourself? It is not just to know what your strengths and weaknesses are, that is good but fairly superficial. Training in Russian Martial Art is one of the sure ways to see the full extent of our limitations – to see how proud and weak we really are. Systema allows us to gain the true strength of spirit that comes from humility and clarity in seeing the purpose of our life.

As the roots of the Russian Systema are in the Russian Orthodox Christian faith, the belief is that everything that happens to us, good or bad, has only one ultimate purpose. That is to create the best possible conditions for each person to understand himself. Proper training in the Russian Systema carries the same objective – to put every participant into the best possible setting for him to realize as much about himself as he is able to handle at any given moment.

Nami Ryu: The Samurai of ancient Japan developed sophisticated techniques of personal combat and strategy. By adapting and applying ancient lessons we learn to find harmony in our modern lives. The ability to remain calm under pressure, to face ones fears with strength, to have clarity in the midst of confusion, and to surmount obstacles with grace; these things all add to the quality of our lives. In this art there is no differentiation between attack and defense; they are treated as opposite sides of the same coin. There is attack in every defense and defense in every attack. This frequently leads to techniques where one movement takes the place of what would be two or more movements in other arts. After learning how to fall and roll properly students progress to throwing joint locking and a variety of other unarmed techniques including ground grappling and striking with hand and foot. After demonstrating suitable proficiency, students may progress to the practice of sword arts and other weapon-based disciplines. For more information click here

Aikido: Aikido is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba. Aikido is often translated as “the Way of unifying (with) life energy”or as “the Way of harmonious spirit.” Ueshiba’s goal was to create an art practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attacker from injury.

Aikido is primarily a grappling art in which attacks are neutralized with various types of throws or joint locks. Aikido techniques are intended to be implemented after first blending with the motion of the attacker, so that the defender may redirect the attacker’s momentum without directly opposing it, thus using minimum effort. An easy way to view Aikido is the techniques rely on the use of body-physics to redirect an attackers aggression.  Aikido derives mainly from the martial art of Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu and various other samurai influences. For more info click here

Krav Maga: is an Israeli military hand-to-hand combat system, which assumes no mercy and emphasizes maximum threat neutralization in a “real life” context. In some countries is often taught as a civilian self defense methodology. These “watered down classes” exclude numerous lethal or forceful techniques taught in a military or police context, due to legal ramifications. In Krav Maga, there are no rules and no distinction in training for men and women. It is not a sport, and there are no specific uniforms, attire or competitions. All the techniques focus on maximum efficiency in real-life conditions. Krav Maga generally assumes a no quarter (show mercy/ disambiguation) situation. The attacks and defenses are intended for potentially lethal threat situations, and aim to neutralize these and escape via maximum pain or damage to opponents, as rapidly and safely as possible. Crippling attacks to vulnerable body parts, including groin and eye strikes, head butts, and other efficient and potentially brutal attacks, improvised use of any objects available, and maximizing personal safety in a fight, are emphasized. Click here for more information

Judo: meaning “gentle way”, is a modern Japanese martial art and sport, originating in Japan during the late nineteenth century. Its most visible component are competitive tournaments where the object is to either throw one’s opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue an opponent with a grappling maneuver, joint lock or by applying a choke. Judo teaches the principle of flexibility in the application of technique. This flexibility really means the efficient use of balance, leverage, and movement in the performance of throws and other related skills. Skill, technique and timing, rather than the use of brute strength, are the essential ingredients for success in Judo.

American Kenpo: was founded by Ed Parker in the mid 1950’s. It is known as an American martial art. The art is identifiable by traditional karate techniques applied s in rapid-fire succession intended to overwhelm an opponent. American Kenpo is heavily influenced by Chinese arts and other martial arts found in the cultural melting pot of Hawaii. Other Kenpo techniques incorporate modifications to boxing and judo techniques.

Jiu-Jitsu: translated as “art or science of softness”, Jujutsu is a Japanese martial art consisting primarily of grappling techniques- although the actually term in modern Japanese is all encompassing one, meaning the true definition of Jujitsu defines all the aspects of martial arts(ground, weapons, strikes, armed and unarmed combat, etc). Most people equate it to the ground fighting aspect, which is true but not technically correct. The style evolved among the samurai of feudal Japan as a method for dispatching (killing) an armed and armored opponent in situations where the use of weapons was impractical or forbidden. Due to the difficulty of dispatching an armored opponent with striking techniques, the most efficient methods for neutralizing an enemy took the form of pins, joint locks, and throws. These techniques were developed around the principle of using an attacker’s energy against him, rather than directly opposing it, over time the style became known as Jujitsu

Advanced Handgun:  I have received training from various SWAT officers (active duty) Navy SEALs and active duty Military Personnel.  I frequent a National Guard Base to hone my skills.

Slightly Esoteric: Including all of the above I have also received training in anti-carjacking, blindfolded combat, improvised weaponry, terrorist detection, multiple attackers and wilderness survival.

• Install motion sensors in various areas.  Put them in  obvious and NOT so obvious places like corners and windows.  The door is a place someone can sneak around.  Lights in unexpected places can be a powerful deterrent. 
• Install dead bolt locks- minimum of 1 inch thick.  Additionally make sure the door frame has been reinforced to some degree as well.
• Put locks on the window- or a at a minimum keep them from opening more than five inches.
• Install an alarm system.  The louder (more obnoxious the better)
• Cover your windows with quality drapes.  It’s not a good idea to advertise to the outside world where you are during the night.
• Take a moment and look at your pad from a criminals point-of-view.  Ask yourself if I was going to break in how would I do it?  By asking yourself this it will help identify potential weak spots.
• Thorny bushes are great to plant around windows. 

Granted some of these are more than obvious, but you would be amazed at how many people do not lock their door at night.  I was always taught to train the obvious, why?  It may be boring but the obvious goes a long way in keeping us safe. College safety should be something that is simple, not complicated or a topic that keeps you up at night.

I remember hearing a story of a college student who was assaulted (and I believe raped as well) while on Spring Break, the reason? She did not lock her hotel room door.  I can only guess as to why, but my first inclination was that she was too drunk or just forgot. We can learn something from this tragic experience.  Without getting too into the psychology of how we think, when we do the obvious our minds make an action automatic; when it becomes automatic we can do that action without thinking about it.  Think about it.  If you are conditioned to lock your door, how often do you remember doing it?  My bet is you don’t, you just know it was done. Take this and learn from it.