Self-Defense For Dummies

Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Getting Your Head in the Game
Chapter 1 Laying the Groundwork for Self-Defense
Getting to Know the Real Enemy
Recognizing the Two Components of Self-Defense
Soft skills: Getting your head in the game
Avoiding attacks
Being ferocious
Hard skills: Fighting back
Fighting empty-handed
Improving your odds with a weapon
Making Self-Defense Training Less Overwhelming
Everybody lies
Less is more
A practical approach
Incorporating Self-Defense Skills into Your Everyday Life
Recovering After an Attack
Chapter 2 Wrapping Your Brain around Self-Defense Concepts
Distinguishing Self-Defense from Martial Arts
Exploring cultural fighting arts and combat sports
Japan’s big three
Other cultural fighting arts
Combat sports
Variations in styles
Understanding what makes self-defense so different
Comparing Self-Defense to Police and Military Defensive Tactics
Gaining Insight from the Predator-Prey Paradigm
Using the Four Pillars of Self-Defense to Your Advantage
Position and distance
Positions
Distances
Positions at different distances
Momentum and balance
Grasping Key Tenets of Self-Defense
Force = Mass × Acceleration
Fight-or-flight mode affects your ability to fight
Keep it simple
Action is faster than reaction
Recognizing the Three Levels of Self-Defense
Awareness and avoidance
Escape and evasion
Control and domination
Ranking Self-Defense Tactics on the Use-of-Force Hierarchy
Chapter 3 Developing a Self-Defense Mindset
Coming to Terms with Your Emotions
Harnessing the power of your emotions
Keeping panic at bay
Managing anxiety
Clearing a major mental hurdle
Lessening the Emotional Trauma of an Attack
Getting Up to Speed on Your Legal Right to Defend Yourself
Dispelling common legal self-defense myths
Myth #1: You must wait for your attacker to throw the first punch
Myth #2: If your attacker is unarmed, you must fight them unarmed
Myth #3: The law prohibits you from defending other people
Myth #4: You need to wait for an attack to defend yourself
Myth #5: You’ll get arrested if you carry a concealed weapon like a knife
Myth #6: Trained fighters must register their hands as lethal weapons
Consulting the deadly-force diamond
Checking three key criteria
Defending your “castle”
Gauging your level of force
Knowing when to stop your counterattack
Making use-of-force decisions as an officer of the law
Deciding whether to use force
Chapter 4 Knowing What You’re Up Against
Assuming the Worst
Busting a Common Myth about Attackers
Comparing an Attack, a Street Fight, and a Fight in the Street
Profiling Your Attacker
Criminals
Bullies
Sociopaths
Deeply disturbed or highly intoxicated people
Analyzing Common Motivations for Violence
Desire or desperation
Violence for the sake of violence
Recognizing Four Common Attack Types
Attacks of opportunity
Attacks of familiarity
Attacks of ego
Sociopath attacks
Leveraging Every Attacker’s Three Biggest Fears
Recognizing the Importance of Trusting Your Instincts
Part 2 Starting with Basic Self-Defense Tactics
Chapter 5 Deterring Attacks and Attackers
Becoming a Hard Target
Exuding strength and confidence
Finding safety in numbers
Avoiding risky places and situations
Trusting your gut
Sizing up a room
Entrances and exits
Obstacles
Weapons
The room’s vibe
Avoiding traps
Navigating Public Spaces
Walking down the street
Moving through parking lots
Staying aware in bars, restaurants, and nightclubs
Paying attention in sketchy neighborhoods
Being extra vigilant in a crowd
Keeping your head in protests and civil unrest
Tactical Driving
Gearing up for safe driving
Avoiding common dodges
The fender bender
The Good Samaritan
Commuting on Mass Transit
Using Rideshare Services Safely
Staying Safe When You Travel
Researching your destination
Packing for your trip
Securing your hotel room
Asking the locals for advice
Chapter 6 Getting Loud, Angry, and Violent
Using Your Voice as a Weapon and an Alarm
Knowing what to say and how to say it
Knowing when to employ verbal resistance
@#$%!: Let your words fly
Embracing Your Inner Beast
Develop the protector mindset
Train to be brutal and relentless
Get your head right
Chapter 7 Adding Weapons to Your Self-Defense Arsenal
Choosing a Weapon
Wading in Gradually with Nonlethal Weapons
Pepper spray
Tactical flashlight
Personal alarms
Stun guns
Stepping Up to Impact Weapons
Blackjacks
Collapsible batons
Clubs and axe handles
The crossbar position
The figure-four position
Swinging your club
Fortified fists
Exploring Edged Weapons
Getting real
Breaking down the types of edged weapons
Knives
Ice picks
Tactical pens
Using an edged weapon
Proactive defense
Reactive defense
Improvised Weapons
Firearms (Projectile Weapons)
Following essential gun safety rules
Choosing a firearm
Carrying and concealing your handgun
Training to use your gun
Training on and off range
Drawing your weapon
Weapon retention
Part 3 Developing Hand-to-Hand Combat Skills
Chapter 8 Knowing How and Where to Strike to Gain the Advantage
Taking the Position of Advantage
Step 1: Set your distance
Step 2: Position yourself on the point of entry
Assuming the Interview Stance
Positioning your feet
Positioning your arms and hands
Tensing up
Avoid the fighting stance
Putting Your Attacker Off-Balance
Knowing when to act
Attacking at the point of entry
Ignoring distractions
Leading with speed and following with power
Zeroing In on Target Areas
Grouping high-value targets
The head group
Head
Neck
Throat
The groin group
Striking the groin
Seizing the testicles
The leg group
Chapter 9 Mastering Basic Empty-Hand Techniques
Launching a Quick Counterattack to Escape an Assailant
Assuming the bladed stance
Delivering the finger dart
Executing the whip kick
Delivering a combination
Maximizing Speed, Power, Shock, and Cover
Drop-stepping into your attack
Stomping your feet
Tucking your chin
Protecting your kisser
Driving forward
Exploding with convulsive movement
Delivering Edge-of-Hand Strikes
The short edge-of-hand strike
The long edge-of-hand strike
The short and long edge-of-hand combination
The vertical edge-of-hand strike
Combining edge-of-hand strikes
Delivering Heel-of-Hand Strikes
The chin jab
The chin-jab uppercut
The punch stop
Chapter 10 Adding Advanced Strikes to Your Arsenal
Delivering Web-of-Hand Strikes
Rattling Your Attacker’s Skull with a Double Chin Jab
Targeting the Jugular Notch
Pounding with Hammer Fists
Short hammer fist
Long hammer fist
Boxing the Ears with the Cupped-Hands Strike
The atomic slap
Stopping an attack on someone else
Delivering a Shoulder Smash
Headbutting Your Attacker
Forward headbutt
Upward headbutt
Throwing Elbows
The elbow spike
The wheeling-elbow swing
The rear elbow smash
Hip Butting
Kneeing Your Attacker
Kicking . . . But Nothing Fancy
Chapter 11 Breaking Free of Grabs and Holds
Attacking Your Attacker
Countering Double-Hand Grabs
Breaking free of a double-collar or two-handed choke hold
Breaking free of a double-wrist grab
Escaping a Bear Hug
Countering a Full Nelson
Reacting to a Rear Naked Choke
Freeing Yourself from a Headlock
Carpe Testiculos: Seize the Testicles
Reacting to Single-Hand Grabs
Breaking free of a single wrist grab from the front
Reacting to a single-arm or collar grab
Making an attacker let go of your hair
Chapter 12 Down-and-Dirty Ground Fighting
Descending the Ground-Fighting Ladder: From Bad to Awful
Falling Safely
Falling backward
Falling forward
Gouging, Ripping, and Biting
Gouging the eyes or mouth
Let ’er rip
Taking a bite out of crime
Fighting from the Ground When Your Attacker Is Standing
Getting off the ground
Fighting an attacker who’s standing in front of you
Maintaining an advantageous position
Tossing your attacker
Taking down your attacker
Fighting an attacker who’s standing to your side
Roll takedown
Hook and roll
Fighting an Attacker When You’re Both on the Ground
Fighting from the top down
Fighting from the top-mount position
Fighting from the top when you’re in their guard
Fighting from the modified scarf hold
Battling from the bottom up
Fighting from under the mount
Fighting from your guard
Attacking from the modified scarf hold
Part 4 Neutralizing Weapon Attacks
Chapter 13 Clearing the Weapon and Attacking the Attacker
Weapon Attack Basics
Putting it in perspective
Attack the attacker
Distinguish dynamic attacks from static attacks
Responding to Dynamic-Impact and Edged-Weapon Attacks
Fleeing and dodging
Run
Move in all four directions
Using a chair to your advantage: The lion tamer
Neutralizing a club attack
Countering a knife attack
Interrupting Static Edged-Weapon Attacks
Attack from the front
Weapon low (stomach)
Weapon high (neck, throat, or face)
Attack from behind
Multiple edged-weapon attackers
Surviving a Firearm Attack
Dodging bullets: When the firearm is distant
Distracting an active shooter as you move in
Resisting firearm threats and muggings
Handgun from in front to your midsection
Handgun in front pointed at your head or neck, arm extended
Any weapon to your back
Hostage situation
Exit your grip
Protecting Yourself with Body Armor
Chapter 14 Surviving the Horror of an Active Shooter
Recognizing the Characteristics of an Active-Shooter Event
Packing in Anticipation of an Active-Shooter Event
Seeking Cover
Attacking the Active Shooter
Shooting it out
Pop smoke
Blast the shooter with a fire hose
Move into ambush position
Rush the shooter
Letting the Police Do Their Job
Knowing What to Do as a Parent
Working the system
Preparing your child
Staying informed when your child’s school is in lockdown
Responding to a credible active-shooter event
Protecting Your School if You’re a Teacher or Administrator
Beefing up school security
Neutralizing an active shooter
In the classroom
In the hallway
Protecting Yourself in the Workplace
Part 5 The Part of Tens
Chapter 15 The Ten Commandments of Self-Defense
Assume Your Attacker Is Armed
Never Underestimate an Assailant
Count on Your Attacker Having Friends Nearby
Don’t Make Yourself an Easy Target
Be Prepared to Fight Anywhere
Keep Fighting Until You’re Safe
Expect the Unexpected
Don’t Count on Getting Any Help
Don’t Telegraph Your Intentions
Don’t Trust Your Attacker
Chapter 16 Ten Tips for Survivors
Reclaim Power and Control
Take Some Time
Don’t Fret What You Can’t Recall
Call the Police . . . and a Lawyer
Get Back into the Swing of Things
Talk about the Incident
Give Yourself a Break
Seek Therapy
Look for the Good in the World
Become a Victims’ Advocate
Index
EULA