U S Navy SEAL Hand To Hand Combat Manual Frank Cucci

THE DELTA/SEAL
CIVILIAN SECURITY
AND PERSONAL
DEFENSE MANUAL
Compiled by the Staff of the Delta/SEAL Training Camp

Tommy Carter and Frank Cucci, Instructors
Contents
ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Cross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
The Hook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
CHAPTER ONE: SURVIVING IN THE MODERN WORLD . . . . . 4
The Uppercut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
THE FOUR LEVELS OF MENTAL PREPAREDNESS . . . . . . 5 COMBINATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
THE RULES OF SURVIVAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
THE ELBOW STRIKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Rule #1: Stay Alert! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 BREATHING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Rule #2: Exhibit Appropriate Attitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
ELBOW STRIKE COMBINATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Rule #3: Be Decisive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 KNEE STRIKES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Rule #4: Speed Is Essential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
KICKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Rule #5: Respond With “Violence Of Action” . . . . . . . 12 The Foot Jab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Rule #6: Stay Calm/Be Accurate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The Round Kick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Rule #7: Use The Element of Surprise The Left Kick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
To Your Advantage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
DEFENSIVE MOVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
IF YOU’VE GOT THE CHANCE, JUST WALK AWAY . . . . . 15 The Parry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
CHAPTER 2: COMBAT PISTOL TRAINING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
WHAT KIND OF GUN? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Cover And Deliver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
SAFETY IN THE HOME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 VARIATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
GENERAL SAFETY PROCEDURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 COUNTERING A KICK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
MAINTENANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Defending Low/Right Kicks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
HOLSTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Defending Low/Left Kicks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
COMBAT PISTOL FUNDAMENTALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Defending High Kicks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
The Two-Handed Grip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 THE STRAIGHT BLAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Trigger Pull . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 FOLLOW-UPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Double-Action Shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Use Focus Mits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Sight Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Eye Jabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Horizontal Sight Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Straight Blast Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Vertical Sight Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 WEAPONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Sight Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Meet The Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Sight Picture Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Follow The Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Shot Group Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 The Backhand Strike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Target Analysis (Right-Handed Shooter) . . . . . . . . . . 26 The Figure 8 Follow-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Breath Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 The Overhand Strike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Follow-Through . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Footwork And Movement Are Essential . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Stance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Knife vs. Knife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Breaking The Wrist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Pass And Thrust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Flinching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Disarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
One Hand Shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Weak Hand Shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 IMPROVISING WEAPONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Shooting From The Prone Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 MASS ATTACK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Shooting From A Kneeling Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 OVERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
The Strong Side Draw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
CHAPTER FOUR: SECURITY AT HOME AND
Reloading A Revolver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Magazine Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 ON THE ROAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
HOME SECURITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
The Double Tap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Long Range Shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 COVER AND CONCEALMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
“POINTING” OR “INSTINCTIVE” SHOOTING . . . . . . . . . . 60
Make Practice A Part Of Your Daily Lifestyle . . . . . . . 34
Controlling Your Nerves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 IN YOUR CAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
ATM MACHINES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Range Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Combat Pistol Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 JOGGING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
PROTECTING YOUR CHILDREN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
12 Tactical Survival Rules To Live By . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
TRAVEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
CHAPTER THREE: MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Your Car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
TRAINING CONDITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Travelling In A Foreign Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
FUNDAMENTALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Hotels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Stance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Credit Card Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Footwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Rental Cars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
SOME SIMPLE DEFENSIVE WEAPONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Airports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
The Eye Jab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Travelling With Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
The Head Butt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 STALKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
The Groin Kick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 HIJACKINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
HITTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 CIVIL UNREST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
The Jab Punch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 A FINAL WORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTORS
TOMMY CARTER spent 17 years on active duty with the U.S. Army as a Ranger, Green Beret and member
of the elite Army counterterrorist “Delta Force”. In Delta, Tommy was an “Alpha One” team leader and among
the first to face off with the Cubans during the Grenada invasion. He subsequently protected American
Ambassadors and personnel in hot spots around the world like Beirut and El Salvador and participated in a
number of classified counterterrorist operations for the United States government.
Since retiring from active service, he’s built a highly successful consulting firm specializing in personal and
corporate security. His clients have included Salomon Brothers and a variety of high-ranking corporate and
political leaders throughout the Western Hemisphere. His no-nonsense approach to security and weapons training
for the general public has also received rave reviews from students.
FRANK CUCCI served with the famed Navy SEALs for 12 years and participated in counterterrorist and
security missions around the globe with the elite SEAL Team 6 created by Richard Marcinko. As Chief Instructor
for Unarmed Combat with the SEALs he became one of the most respected and sought-after experts in hand-to-
hand combat and self-defense in the country. He learned Jeet Kune Do, the martial art perfected by Bruce Lee,
from Lee’s own training partner, Dan Inosanto.
Frank is also a student of Thai boxing master Surachi Sirisute, perhaps the most respected name in martial
arts today. His approach to self-defense techniques has been widely hailed by experts and students and is as easy
to learn as it is devastating. He remains one of the most in-demand, hand-to-hand combat instructors alive today
and runs his own martial arts school in Virginia.
CHAPTER ONE: SURVIVING IN THE MODERN WORLD
CHAPTER ONE: SURVIVING IN THE MODERN WORLD NOTES
Although overall crime rates have decreased somewhat in recent years, there’s
trouble on the horizon. Gang activities and violence perpetrated by young
Americans continues to rise at a shocking rate. Many experts warn of an explosion
of violent crime in the next decade as the number of teenagers in our population
grows 20 percent.
And it won’t be just the inner cities that are affected. Gang crime has been
making big strides in the suburbs and bedroom communities in the last few years.
Meanwhile, the nation has been rocked by new kinds of crime. Terrorist acts,
as seen in the World Trade Center and Oklahoma City bombings, have now
penetrated our borders. Serial killers and kidnappers have become a staple on
television news programs. And as our society has become more complex, criminals
have become more creative. The carjacking is just one of a number of brand new
evils they’ve unleashed on society.
It’s a different world out there. The idea of walking the streets safely at night or
having your kids play in a local playground without adult supervision seems silly
to most Americans today. You’ve got to face the fact that there are people out there
who prey on others and they’re more brazen about it than they’ve ever been.
Rule of thumb, you can still figure about one person in 100 capable of performing
a violent act at any time. Take the population of your community, divide by 100,
and you’ll have a good idea how many dangerous people there are walking the
streets of your city or town. This can vary from place to place given local conditions
but, no matter where you live, the possibility of violence always exists.
Most Americans realize this. In fact, in an influential 1994 Gallup Poll the
majority of Americans listed crime as the #1 problem facing the country.
Yet few Americans are ready to deal with violence when they meet it. We seem
to have lost our “survival instinct”. Civilization has made us into a kind of “passive”
society. Many people have no interest in personal defense. Though they complain
about crime, many foolishly believe that it will never happen to them.
Some look at the police and believe that they will be there when needed. But
while the police do everything they can, they just aren’t equipped or manned to be
everywhere, all the time. There is only a limited area they can cover and respond
to quickly. Many times, they have a hard enough time just protecting themselves.
Other people have begun to take a fatalistic view of the world. They think that
they have no control over their environment and, if crime seeks them out, it will
have their way with them. They look on themselves as victims before the fact.
They’ve given up. They’re accidents or statistics waiting to happen.
There is no need for this. Anyone can be taught to effectively defend himself.
In fact, we believe that everyone should be given the information necessary to
keep themselves and their family and loved ones alive and safe. That’s what the
Delta/SEAL Training Camp is all about. That’s what we’re here for.
The first and most basic rule you must learn is that it is stupid to lay down and
submit to an attacker. Ask any security expert. Look at the many good articles
written on the subject in recent years. They’ll all tell you that a “passive” approach
to an assailant only makes it more likely that you’ll become a victim.
Sure, if you fight back there’s a possibility you may suffer for it. But if you
don’t fight back it’s almost certain that you will. Criminals respect someone with
DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 4

a “survivor’s mindset”. They’re looking for the easiest marks possible. If you lay NOTES
down and make it easier for them, they’re just going to do what they want. Fighting
them will generally greatly enhance your chances of staying alive and well.
Being able to provide for the security of yourself and your family will also
make you feel better about yourself. Nobody really wants to walk through life
feeling like a potential victim. Everyone wants to be able to control the
circumstances of their lives and be confident that they can respond to the challenges
life may present.
And while there’s no such thing as “perfect” or “absolute” security in this world,
you can greatly increase your chances of survival and well-being by learning how
best to avoid or respond to crime and violence. That’s where we come in.
We believe the Delta/SEAL camp is the most complete, personalized, effective
approach to security and personal defense you’re going to find. This manual will
provide a brief overview of many of the techniques taught in the camp. It is provided
to serve as a guide for the student and a refresher course for the graduate when the
class ends.
Taking this book with you to the range or practice facility of your choice or just
keeping it nearby for reference at home should help you keep the principles taught
in the camp fresh in the weeks and months to come.
THE FOUR LEVELS OF MENTAL PREPAREDNESS

To be able to deal effectively with your security or answer a possible violent
attack you must be switched “on” and alert to what’s going on around you. In the
military, we’re taught different “Conditions of Readiness” in a color code system
that approximate different levels of awareness a normal human being experiences.
Your response to any situation is largely determined by the “condition” you’re in
at the time.
You obviously don’t want to live your life oblivious to the world around you
and become a walking target. On the other hand, it’s not practical or appropriate to
live it with your finger on a trigger. The color code system below is designed to
help you set up a proper “mindset” for security in your own daily world.
CONDITION WHITE-This first “condition of readiness” really has nothing
to do with “readiness” at all. Still, it’s the state of mind that most people spend
their lives in. In Condition White we don’t expect any trouble. Nor do we look for
it. We feel and act perfectly trustful and safe. We’re largely unaware of our
surroundings and the things taking place there. We don’t believe anything will
happen to us.
Too bad it often does. Condition White is the state of readiness of most victims.
It’s also the state that criminals love to see you in.
CONDITION YELLOW-This is the condition you should be in when in any
public or otherwise unsecured state. It’s the mental equal of the yellow “stoplight”
you’ll see downtown. It dictates that you should proceed with caution. You should
be aware of what’s going on around you. You should know who’s behind you and
stay more than an arm’s length away from strangers.
You must also be aware of any instinctual feelings of danger.
Because we live in a “civilized” world we’ve allowed many of our basic survival
instincts to atrophy but, with practice, we can reacquire them. When you feel

something is “wrong” you shouldn’t dismiss it as “just my imagination”. You should NOTES
go on alert and do everything you can to fully analyze the situation for danger and
act appropriately on the information you receive.
Some people may consider Condition Yellow that of a “paranoid” but it’s not.
It’s just common sense. You’re not jumping at the sight of your own shadow.
You’re just in a state of relaxed, yet heightened awareness.
Its basics are simple. Keep your head up and eyes wide open as you walk. Lock
doors and have keys ready as you approach a door. Park in a well lighted area. Be
prepared to go out of your way to avoid any dangerous looking person or situation.
One of the good things about Condition Yellow is that you can stay in it indefinitely
without having to worry about overdoing it or exhausting yourself. Security guards
are always in Condition Yellow. So should anyone carrying a weapon.
In fact, we believe that every person should remain in a form of Condition
Yellow in any public or unsecured situation. This merely acknowledges that it’s
not always a friendly world out there and keeps you alert just in case any danger is
encountered or any response necessary.
CONDITION ORANGE-At this level, you realize that something is definitely
wrong. There’s danger. You’re in a state of alarm. You must either move away or
prepare for action.
Words of warning, like “Stop,” may be offered in this condition. You’re either
in the act of escaping or preparing to launch a response that will be delivered with
maximum speed and agressiveness. You’re ready for combat. If you’re carrying a
pistol, it remains holstered but a careful, controlled shot can be delivered from this
state in about three seconds.
CONDITION RED-In Condition Red, action is imminent. As soon as the threat
is apparent, you make your move. Whatever response or blow you’ve been
preparing is delivered with total commitment and agression.
It’s important to realize here that you can’t just “resist a little”. You’ve got to show
your attacker that you mean business. Only your pre-set checks, determined by your
overall situation or target discrimination, will stop you once you enter this level of
readiness. You’re one second from getting off a controlled shot if carrying a pistol.
BEING IN CONDITION YELLOW MAKES A STATEMENT TO OTHERS
As an individual interested in personal and family security you should strive to
stay in Condition Yellow as you proceed through the streets and neighborhoods
of your town. It’s in the White zone that you’re at your most vulnerable. Most
victims never would have been victims if they’d have been in the heightened state
of awareness defined by Condition Yellow before the attack.
In Condition Yellow you’ll be able to foresee many problems before they actually
occur. If you’ve got your head up and you’re looking around, you’ll notice those
people suspiciously hanging around your car in the parking lot well before you get
there. You’ll see that unfamiliar vehicle full of strangers parked across the street
before they rush you. You’ll let that hostile looking joker ahead of you on the
street know that you’re awake, alive and not an easy mark.
If you’ve got your head down with your mind visibly lost in the clouds, you’re
going to be easy pickings. It’s essential to show people through your body language
and alertness that you’re aware of what’s going on around you. Most criminals are
looking for someone they can punish and exploit easily. If you look like you’ve

got them under surveillance and you’re ready to react, there’s a good chance they’ll NOTES
leave you alone in favor of somebody who’ll be an easier target.
THE RULES OF SURVIVAL

“Condition Yellow” lays the foundation for the 7 basic “Rules Of Survival”
you should strive to live with. These rules have been devised to keep you from
danger or get you out of it if combat becomes unavoidable. They all blend together
and it’s important that you see them as overlapping parts of a whole. Perfecting
the individual components will only get you so far.
If, for instance, you remain alert (rule #1) without acquiring the ability to act
decisively (rule #3) or with violence of action (#4) you’ll be missing a lot in your
personal defense equation. All 7 of the “rules” below must be followed to give
you the best chance of providing a secure environment for your family and yourself.
While combat should be seen as a last resort, you must also dedicate yourself to
the principle that you will do what is necessary for your safety and that of your
loved ones in that situation. If you have any doubts about confronting an attacker
with maximum force and commitment, you’re only going to be confused and
hamstrung when the real thing comes along. YOU HAVE TO MAKE UP YOUR
MIND NOW THAT YOU WILL DO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO PREVAIL
AND SURVIVE WHEN BATTLE IS IMMINENT AND UNAVOIDABLE.
Once you’ve made up your mind to do what’s necessary, following the 7 rules
below will go a long way toward keeping you alive and well. They served us
well during our own combat and military experiences around the world and we’ve
found them to be just as critical to issues of safety and survival in the modern
civilian world.
Rule #1: Stay Alert!

As described above, you should strive to stay in “Condition Yellow”. This will
come naturally to some people but others will have to work harder at it. Whatever,
it’s absolutely necessary. Alertness is the key component on which all the other
Rules of Survival are built. If you don’t know what’s going on around you, your
ability to steer around danger or successfully respond to it will be severely affected.
Along this line, you should keep three allied principles in mind:
1. Maintain 360 degree surveillance.
2. Take nothing for granted.
3. Look for anything that may be out of place.
First, you’ve got to know what’s behind you. It’s not enough to be aware of
what’s ahead. You’ve got to develop “eyes in the back of your head” or get in
touch with those “survival instincts” most of us have lost. If something tells you
there’s trouble behind, turn around and look. Set up a 360 degree perimeter and
refuse to be taken by surprise.
Second, you should be careful not to relax or take anything for granted.
Don’t expect a familiar street corner or scene to be safe just because you’ve
been there before. Keep your guard up. Likewise, smiling or seemingly friendly
strangers can turn unfriendly very quickly. This doesn’t mean that you should
look on everybody as a criminal. It just means that you shouldn’t settle for
analyzing surface appearances.

Awhile ago, we were on a job in South Africa. We had jet lag and were dog NOTES
tired. We were walking on the streets of Johannesburg. Vendors and smiling faces
were all around. We were only a block from the U.S. Embassy. It was a beautiful,
sunny day. Our fatigue and surroundings lulled us into a false sense of security.
Before we knew it, we were pounced on by a band of local thugs and had to
fight our way out of the situation. We left a couple busted bodies and faces full of
pepper spray behind but the whole event was unnecessary. Had we been aware of
our surroundings, we’d have seen the group ahead of us as we walked and simply
avoided them.
The rule here is that anybody, even a pro, can let their guard down and it’s
funny how fast trouble can find you when you do. Never, ever be lulled into a
false sense of security. Crime can strike virtually anywhere.
Which brings us to our third point. Always be looking for things or people
who seem out of place. If there’s a group of young men ahead watching you
silently as you move down a street or through a mall, be on guard. Likewise,
anyone who’s on the move after watching you come into view should be suspect.
In fact, anyone who adjusts his behavior toward yours or begins to shadow you in
any way should be viewed critically.
Always make full use of your senses, especially the most important sense of
all- “common sense”. If you’re in a tight crowd and smell somebody with alcohol
on their breath, you’d best begin to heighten your guard. We know from past
experience that drunks don’t think very well. They do and say things they don’t
normally do. They like to show off for their fellow drunks. Whatever the case, you
want to avoid them.
If you’re in a public place, like a restaurant, keep an eye on the people coming
through the door. If you see a guy arrive looking like a pregnant man with an
overcoat on a sunny day, you may have a problem.
Sit with your back against a wall and close to an exit. Come up with a plan,
especially when you’ve got your family with you. Play the war game. “What would
I do if…?” If you’re carrying a weapon, how will you use it? How can you best get
your family out? Where are the escape routes?
This way, if something happens, your response is pre-programmed in your mind.
It only takes a few seconds to play “what if?” and it’s well worth your time. It
could save your life some day.
And don’t just go to sleep while inside your home and think nobody’s going
to target you. You can be victimized just as well there. Realize that anyone
approaching your home that you don’t know could present a problem. And if
someone shows up claiming to be a repairman or some kind of official, and you
didn’t call him, don’t let him in until your sure of his motivation. Credentials
can be forged very easily.
Think of your mind as a computer. You should be constantly loading it with
a data base so you can react. You should be taking everything in, analyzing it and
planning your possible response. If something seems out of the ordinary, this should
key a red flag in your mind. That doesn’t mean you should draw your gun or
pepper spray. But it means you should key in on any subsequent red flags.
It could be as simple as someone walking toward you with their hands in
their pockets. Maybe the guy’s just keeping his hands warm or adjusting his
crotch. On the other hand, we were always taught in the military that the

inability to see a man’s hands should trip off an initial red flag. You don’t NOTES
know what’s in those hands.
As he approaches, the control center in your brain should be taking in information
and spitting out advisories. Is he moving forward agressively? Does he have a
distressed look on his face? Is he posturing? What does his body language indicate?
Obviously, at some early point, you should do what’s necessary to alter
your path if something seems wrong. Go right or left or retrace your steps.
Leave the scene.
But if this is impossible, you should be preparing for a confrontation. If he
flashes a gun or knife, you should locate your weapon for a defensive strike. If he
shows that he’s open handed, you should begin locating your pepper spray, kubotan
or picking out a strike point on the attacker.
It’s all a combination of threat assessment and response preparation cued by
the central computer inside your brain. As the situation plays itself out, you’re
constantly assessing the threat and preparing your response.
Your goal should be escape. If you can get out of harm’s way and go on your
merry way, do it. If you just want to deliver an eye gouge or plant a foot to kick the
guy’s nuts up into his throat, that’s fine. Just be ready to be on the move as soon as
the blow lands and your opponent is temporarily incapacitated.
As you take our course you may want to begin to define your own “personal
perimeter”. A “personal perimeter” is the area around your body within which you
feel uncomfortable having another person inside. It varies from person to person.
Some people are comfortable with 3 feet, others 6.
My own personal perimeter is 5 feet because I know that I can strike at that
distance and be effective if I need to. Whatever your “perimeter” is, you should be
ready to strike an open-handed attacker once he gets within this distance. That’s
the “too close for comfort” zone.
Just remember that criminals often have more rights than victims these days.
You don’t want to spend time in jail for taking some jerk to the cleaners unless it’s
necessary. Your initial thought should be to do what is necessary to buy some room
and time to escape. You don’t want to get into a sustained fight if you don’t have to.
The line between “reasonable” and “excessive” force is a thin one and legally
slippery. If you can just neutralize your attacker and get out of there, you’re best
off. But to be on the safe side, you may want to check with law enforcement
officials in your area to get a local definition of what constitutes “excessive” and
“reasonable” force and plan your responses appropriately.
We’ll deal more with how to respond to an attack later when we discuss our
other 6 “Rules of Survival”. For now, it’s important to understand that the first
link in the chain of survival is to BE ALERT AND STAY ALERT! All the other
rules of combat and survival revolve around this principle.
Rule #2: Exhibit Appropriate Attitude

At it’s simplest, what we’re concerned with here is that you don’t look or act
like an easy target. Present an image that is formidable. Make them think twice
about hassling or attacking you before the fact. Again, most criminals are looking
for the easiest target possible.
Primary to this attitude is the belief that nobody has a right to invade your space
or harm you in any way. If they do, you must be prepared to do what is necessary

to end any threat. When you have resolved to do what’s necessary, even if it means NOTES
launching a lethal attack of your own, you can begin to model the proper attitude.
As you move through daily life, you should consider yourself “on stage”. You
must show through your body language and other cues that you’re a confident
person with purpose. This doesn’t mean that you should swagger or walk around
like some “hood”. You should give off a strong appearance, though.
Walk with your shoulders back, head up and eyes clearly open and scanning
your surroundings. Even if you’re tired, you should do your best to show that
strong, outside shell. If a criminal reads fatigue and sees you slouching and clearly
not at your best, you’ll become a much more attractive target.
If you’re uncomfortable or feeling a bit nervous don’t show it by fidgeting,
pacing or flailing your arms around. Stand strong and hold your ground. Make a
statement with your body that you have a right to be where you are. Don’t openly
challenge anyone, but let it be known that you’re aware and able bodied.
Many people are taught not to make eye contact with others but this can really
work against you. In fact, you should make it a habit to meet strangers with some
eye contact. People who don’t make eye contact are often perceived as fearful,
weak or shy. They make good targets.
By making eye contact, you may disuade some jerk from doing the wrong
thing. You don’t want to have a stare-down with them or lay out a challenge but
you do want them to know that you’re looking out for trouble and won’t back
down when necessary.
This is especially important for women, but they must be even more careful
about it. Eye contact can be seen as an invitation with macho types. By adding a
business-like “hello” or other greeting and moving on quickly but assertively, you
can put a stop to any monkey business. Show yourself as someone to be taken
seriously. Don’t try to be cute. Be direct and purposeful. Again, criminals generally
want to prey on the weakest victims possible.
To help you portray a confident body image, always be aware of your “strong”
side and keep it as clear as possible. Your “strong” side usually corresponds to
the hand you write with. If you’re carrying a briefcase, purse, books or packages
always carry them on your weak side. Children should also be taught to stay on
your weak side.
Your “strong” side is your best, strongest side to mount an attack with. You
should keep it ready for action. Keys or personal defense tools (alarms, whistles,
etc.) should be carried on the strong side so that they’re ready for use and the bad
guys can see them. Just seeing that you’re ready for trouble may be enough to
send a criminal off in search of another, more passive victim.
It is your right as well as your obligation to defend yourself against violence. If
more Americans took their personal defense seriously, crime rates would surely fall
in the country. Showing the criminal that you’re a confident and committed person
ready to act in your own defense can go a long way toward keeping you safe.
Rule #3: Be Decisive

Decisiveness involves your ability to make a decision and act on it. In the
military, decisiveness is not much of a problem. We’re trained to take action and
we have no choice when a superior officer orders it. There’s not much to be
indecisive about since there’s very little questioning of a direct order.

In personal defense, being decisive is not as easy. There’s nobody telling you NOTES
what to do. It’s up to you to make the decision and, in a combat situation, there’s
very little time to do it.
Again, the “survival mindset” is a necessity here. You have to decide if you
want to survive or be a statistic. If you aren’t willing or committed to doing what
is necessary to defend yourself, chances are you’re going to hesitate and blunder
through a situation where decisions must be made quickly and acted on.
Once you’ve got the proper mindset, the next step to insuring decisiveness at
the right moment is to practice it. Unlike a Delta, SEAL or other member of the
military you won’t have direct experience to draw on. So you’ll have to “role
play” in your head what you would do in specific situations.
This is done by presenting yourself with those “What if…?” or “What would I
do?” questions and coming up with reasonable answers or solutions. What would
I do if confronted at the corner of Vine and Main? What if someone broke into my
house? What if someone charged me as I got into my car at the mall?
We’d prescribe doing 2-3 of these “What If?” exercises daily. Figuring out
what to do in a situation can really help give you the confidence and speed you’ll
need if that situation suddenly arises.
Specific physical hand-to-hand responses should be practiced in the dojo or
gym on a regular basis. Similarly, pistol skills can be practiced daily in dry firing
drills. This practice is the key to developing your personal defenses. As the ancient
warrior and philosopher Sun Tzu wrote 2,500 years ago, “The more a man sweats
in training, the less he bleeds in war.”
Continuous practice will also contribute greatly to acquiring a decisive
character. Once movement is programmed into the body through practice and
becomes “muscle memory” or a part of your nervous system response, you
will be more able to let your body take over and supply the necessary movement
in a battle.
Beyond that, your brain should be given free reign to function and plan. Planning
is a big part of being decisive. Where is the attacker most vulnerable? What targets
do I have available? Am I going to take the solar plexus, eyes, etc.? What kind of
blow will I deliver? As you assess threat, you’re also constantly planning your
response and preparing for it.
Likewise, if you’re going to have to use a weapon, you’ve got to have it ready.
If you’re going to use pepper spray, you can’t be caught searching for it in your
pocket while your opponent strikes his blow. If you’re going to use a knife, it must
be open and ready at the correct moment. If your attacker is going for a gun,
you’ve got to have your hand on yours and have it drawn.
All you have to see in this situation is agressive movement being made toward
you and the attacker drawing his gun. That’s enough to activate your response. If
you wait until he draws his gun and it’s on you, you’re behind on the power curve.
If his is drawn and yours is in the holster, it’s not going to do much good there.
You’ve got to hope he misses at least the first shot.
Fortunately, the law allows you some latitude in cases where the lives of you,
your family or other innocents are in jeopardy. If your attacker is clearly trying to
kill you, possesses that capability and the only way to stop him is to do to him
what he’s about to do to you, you are justified in ending his life to save your own.
It is “self-defense”. You should have no problem legally.

But if he runs off, you can’t follow him and finish him. If he’s down and out, NOTES
you can’t execute a killing blow or act like the Rodney King cops. In other situations,
not so clean cut, the law can get very slippery.
Still, you can’t let any distant legal hassles get in the way of defending your
life. You can’t sit there in the middle of a fight with a guy charging you with a
knife wondering whether you’re within your legal rights to kick his ass. You have
to be prepared to do what you need to do to end the threat. As the old saying goes,
“I’d rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6.”
Practice your personal safety techniques. Think about how to properly handle
different situations and internalize your decisions. That way when the time comes
to act, you’ll know what to do to best keep from becoming a statistic.
Rule #4: Speed Is Essential

Speed goes hand-in-hand with decisiveness. Along with making the right
decision about your response to an attack, you’ve got to deliver that response with
lightning quickness.
Obviously, you can’t go off on a guy just because you “think” he might attack
you. But the moment an attacker shows that he’s serious and makes a move at you,
you’ve got to work fast. You may have only one chance to stop this guy and you’ve
got to get your best shot in before he has his way with you.
Your object should be to turn any fight around and end it before your attacker
has any idea what’s going on. You’re not playing by the Marquess of Queensberry
rules here. It’s not a sport. There’s no referee. You’re trying to keep yourself alive
and you don’t have to wait for him to strike the first blow. In fact, you should be
pre-programmed and ready to respond as he makes his first move at you.
In combat, he who hesitates is lost.
Rule #5: Respond With “Violence Of Action”

When it’s time to fight or respond to an attacker, there’s no halfway. Whatever
you do, you’ve got to give it 110 percent. You’ve got to put every ounce of strength
and will into the task. You can’t hold back.
If he’s closing distance on you, foaming at the mouth and he’s winding up with
a baseball bat over his head you just can’t stand there or think “If I give him a good
push, he’ll run away.” You’ve got to be as dedicated to your defense as he is to his
attack. You’ve got to do everything you can to end his attack fast and get away
with you life and health.
Don’t rely on posturing or talking tough to do the job. While this might work
sometimes, at other times all it will do is make the attacker more angry. You’ve
got to be prepared to ACT. You’ve got to transform all that adrenaline being let off
by your system into a response involving maximum force of action.
Striking quickly and giving off what’s known in the military as a “momentary
impression of superior firepower” can pay immediate dividends. Most criminals
aren’t prepared for somebody to go absolutely nuts and start fighting back from
the get-go. Even if you’re smaller than they are, fighting back hard can quickly
even the contest up and get the attacker off balance.
Nature is full of examples of David putting it to Goliath. Look at the badger or
wolverine. These are relatively small animals but they’re so fierce that they can
back off a grizzly bear. In a sustained fight, they’d lose but by coming out of the

box at 100 percent they can back off their attacker long enough to escape. You can NOTES
do the same thing, even with a much larger opponent.
Sometimes this initial, full-scale response is all you need to send your opponent
fleeing. Other times, it will just be enough to get you some room to escape.
Whatever, violence of action is a necessity in your defense.
Show your attacker that you mean business. If he’s coming at you break off that
car antennae or pick up that brick or bottle and get ready to use it. Fish out an ink
pen or grab a flashlight. Get that pepper spray or other weapon in hand and ready
yourself to use it. Pick a strike point for a blow and give it everything you’ve got.
And be prepared to keep fighting with everything you’ve got until you can get
yourself out of the situation. Turn your fear into anger. Be indignant. The criminal
has no right to harm you. No right to lay a hand on you. Show him this, immediately,
and you’ll turn him into the fearful one. While he’s mentally kicking himself for
picking on someone as strong and resolved as you are, you can disarm him fully or
make your escape.
Again, the barriers between “reasonable” and “excessive” force may bother
some people here. It shouldn’t. You’ve got to do everything you can to stop your
attacker. If he’s armed, especially with a firearm, he’s going to be a threat as long
as he’s conscious. You shouldn’t be taking any chances. Put the guy to sleep.
Likewise, if it’s gun vs. gun don’t get tricky. Shoot for center of mass. If he’s
about to take your life, you are allowed to respond in kind.
If you’re involved in hand-to-hand, go all out. Don’t be afraid of hurting the guy.
He’s already shown you he’s out for no good and ready to do what’s necessary to get
his way with you. Striking him with a minor blow will only make him mad or get him
thinking that you’re weak. He’ll step up his attack. That’s not what we want here.
Rule #6: Stay Calm/Be Accurate

Though you will be striking your attacker with maximum force, you must keep
your cool. You can’t go out of control. You want to be thinking clearly and
controlling the adrenaline dump you’ve received. Channel that adrenaline into
your response but realize that you still have to keep control of yourself.
How do you keep control? It was easier for us in the military because of all the
experience and practice we went through. You won’t have that luxury. But you
will be able to train yourself and the more training you’ve gone through, the cooler
you’ll be. Likewise, if you have a plan to follow, nature will often take charge to
make sure it gets completed.
Concentrate on not hyperventilating. Use any calming techniques you’ve worked
with. And don’t stop thinking. Reacting without thinking can sometimes cause
more damage than good. Take the split second you have to assess the situation,
read it and plan your response. Then proceed. Don’t let your mind go blank. Be
always thinking, assessing and planning.
Protect yourself during your response. Don’t wade in with your fists blazing.
You can break your hand. Use a finger to the eye, if possible. It’s more devastating
to the opponent and safer for you.
Keeping your cool is especially important if you’re using a firearm. In a crowded
area, be it on the street or at home, there are other people to worry about. If you
shoot your weapon and miss, that shot’s going to find another target somewhere.
Accuracy if of the utmost importance.

How do you get accuracy? You’ve got to stay cool. But you’ve also got to NOTES
practice, practice, practice. Dry-fire every day. Go to the range regularly. Take up
hunting, if you’ve not already done so. Sports that require you to stay cool under
pressure can serve as excellent conditioning for maintaining your composure in a
difficult situation and shooting straight.
Not that this is easy to do. Most shots fired in anger miss their mark. 75 percent
of the shots taken in the field by police or other professionals don’t connect.
Criminals, who train far less, are even worse shots.
Some, however, are going to be good and it will be just your luck to face off
against them. If you do, having the accuracy and precision that comes from practice
will serve you well and help to tip the scales in your favor.
Rule #7: Use The Element of Surprise To Your Advantage

There’s a great scene you’ll see in many action adventure movies that applies
here. The hero will be in a tough situation and, in some kind of “High Noon”
scenario, he’ll be on a city street facing off against some bad guy. The bad guy will
look at him and suddenly pull out his Taiwanese fighting sticks or whatever and
begin making the Lotus sound and spinning them around in his fingers.
The hero will look at him for a second, pull his gun and, as the bad guy continues
his impressive exhibition, shoot him before he has a chance of attacking.
The audience usually roars with laughter but there’s a point to be made here.
All the threats in the world only allow the other guy to adjust his attack accordingly.
If you’ve got a can of pepper spray and pull it out while the bad guy’s 20 feet
away, it might not do you any good. Sure, it might scare the guy off but it more
likely gives him a chance to make a new plan of attack based on your defense.
You want to get that weapon of yours out at the last second to make sure the bad
guy can’t effect a countermove for it. In battle, the element of surprise has won
many a fight. It can also save the civilian’s life.
Violence of action is also important here. The average guy isn’t expecting
you to pull out a weapon of your own. He thinks you’re just going to lay down
and die for him. The big surprise for him will come when he takes you for an
easy target and you fire back with a head butt, foot to the groin or finger in the
eye. Use your most punishing weapons against an attacker from the beginning
of the fight. Don’t wait.
Along this line, you’ve got to ask yourself this question: “What is a criminal
most afraid of today?” He’s not going to be too terribly afraid of the police, who
are understaffed and can only react to his crime. He laughs at the criminal court
system, for good cause. Jail and other deterrents? Been there. Done that.
What he’s really afraid of is picking someone out to victimize who’s going to
come at him with everything he’s got. Nothing-not the court, the police or any
form of existing technology or weapon-is as effective at putting a stop to crime as
a community of citizens willing to fight back instead of letting the criminal have
his way.
Most criminals are cowards. They’re sociopaths, mentally weak and unfit to
live in decent society. Most don’t want a fight. Neither do they expect one in
today’s society. If you come out of the chute hitting them with every ounce of
energy and will you’ve got, most are going to be very surprised and you’re
immediately going to gain an advantage over them you can use in your own defense.

IF YOU’VE GOT THE CHANCE, JUST WALK AWAY NOTES

With the above said, we’ve got to make one final point. YOU’VE GOT TO
BE ABLE TO WALK AWAY WHEN YOU GET THE CHANCE. Yes, you’ve
got to be ready for combat. But you’ve also got to be willing to end a situation by
walking away, if possible. Our approach is to be on the lookout for a fight, not go
around looking for one.
Along this line, we’d prescribe that you consider every verbal threat made to
you a real threat. You can’t sit there in a bar or on a street corner wondering if a
guy really means it. You’ve got to be prepared to leave the area when anything
looks unhealthy. Don’t stand there and allow a situation to escalate. Get out while
the getting’s good.
And stay alert! It is remarkable how many lives could be saved each year if
people were just aware of their surroundings. Be in Condition Yellow when you’re
out and about. Keep that 360 degree surveillance in place. Stay on your guard.
Look for things out of place. Make every effort to look like an assertive presence
and not like a victim. Steer away from trouble. In most cases, this will be all you’ll
need to stay alive and well.
But be ready. If a physical response is needed you’ve got to respond in the
way most likely to get you out of trouble. You must be prepared with a plan of
action and decisive in its deployment. Your actions must be carried out with
speed and violence. You must be more committed in your defense than an attacker
is in his assault.
But, while hitting your attacker with everything you’ve got, you also must keep
your head. Don’t let your mind go blank. Keep the computer working. Keep
assessing threat, surroundings and your response to them. Be accurate in your
response, especially with a firearm. Don’t go firing wildly or defending yourself
in a way that puts you at greater risk of injury.
And remember that one of the biggest weapons of self-defense you’ve got going
for you is the element of surprise. Most criminals take to crime because they’re
lazy. They expect people to be passive victims. When you strike back with
everything you’ve got, most will be shocked and you’ll gain the advantage you’ll
need to end the fight or escape.
Above all, you must be committed to your own safety. No one has the right to
harm you or perpetrate any crime against you, your family or property. You should
be angry about the crime that surrounds us today. Indignant. There is no logical
reason for accepting its existence. If crime comes stalking you, be ready for it.
Promising yourself that you’ll do everything necessary in your own defense is
the first step necessary to creating an effective plan for combating the crime and
violence that is still such a big part of society today. Once you’ve decided that you
will defend yourself to the best of your ability and with 100 percent effort, all the
other elements that go with providing effective personal security will follow.

CHAPTER TWO: COMBAT PISTOL TRAINING
CHAPTER 2: COMBAT PISTOL TRAINING NOTES
WHAT KIND OF GUN?

The first decision you’ll have to make here is what kind of handgun you should
use. Your choice is between a semi-automatic pistol and a revolver. The semi-
automatic certainly has its advantages including speed of reloading and magazine
capacity. It also includes safety features that the revolver doesn’t have.
Unfortunately, these same features can get in the way when you’re in a stressful
and dangerous situation.
You’ve also got to take into consideration what your primary security needs
are. For most people, home security will be at the top of the list. With the six
rounds in a revolver more than adequate for the close-range shooting you’d
generally do in defense of your home, it’s probably your best choice. A double-
action revolver, which doesn’t require the user to manually cock the hammer before
firing, is preferable to the single-action.
As far as ammunition, the general rule would be to avoid over-penetrative loads.
Most homes today are built with drywall construction. While a .45 will put a stop
to any advance by an intruder or attacker it’ll also go through a few walls and
possibly hit a loved one. Because of this, .45 ammunition is not your best choice.
A good, medium-bore, double-action revolver in a .38 Special or .357
Magnum will be very effective for most people. They’re simple, safe and easier
to shoot in times of stress. Noise and recoil are less a problem than with heavier
loads. And you don’t really need more than a six-inch barrel (although keep in
mind that snub-nosed barrels can hurt accuracy).
As for the .22 auto some people may favor, forget it. It’s rimfire priming system
isn’t reliable. You also run a higher risk of oil contaminating the cartridge. Costly
misfires can result.
When it comes to home defense, we’d also recommend “frangible” bullets like
the Glaser Blue or MagSafe. Hollowpoints can also be good as long as the caliber
is not too big or strong. You should also try to get luminous, tritium-insert sights
installed on your weapon to make it easier to use in the dark.
Stay away from those new laser sights, though. Hollywood’s the only place
they work well in. Their mounting systems are often flimsy and the hardware
unreliable. They don’t work in daylight. And that little red dot is as likely to alert
an intruder of your whereabouts and make you a target as it is to help you get off
an accurate shot.
All this is not to limit you in the choice of your weapon, of course. Given your
individual lifestyle and situation a semi-automatic pistol, larger load and other
variations may be more in tune with your needs. We work with a variety of
equipment in this course. There are no absolutes. And, bottom line, it’s not so
much the equipment you use that will spell the difference between safety and
victimization in your life.
Much more important than the kind of weapon, sight or bullet you use is your
ability to use it. You can have the finest weapon known to man in your hand and
it will do you no good if you don’t know how to use it properly. The ability to hit
what you’re aiming at is the key in pistol training and personal defense.

You can only gain this skill in one way-practice, practice, practice. You’ve NOTES
got to do your dry fire drills and practice shooting from a variety of positions on
the range. These are skills that we teach at the camp and there is no other option to
learning and perfecting them if you’re going to provide for proper defense of
yourself and your family.
SAFETY IN THE HOME

Our society and especially our media are not very good at teaching children
about guns. Most every kid has a toy gun and, of course, he takes note of the fact
that it doesn’t hurt anyone. He also looks at TV and can’t help but see people
getting shot in one episode and coming back, good as new, in the next one. TV
producers are also hesitant about showing the graphic results when a bullet pierces
flesh, so viewers are seldom shown the kind of damage they do.
As a result, it’s easy for young children to get the wrong idea about guns and
view them as just another toy. If they know a gun is in the home they may seek it
out in hopes of playing with it or, even worse, showing off to another child. Tragedy
far beyond anything you see on TV can follow. You must realize that, even if you
instruct your children not to play with your weapons, they may not be able to
resist temptation.
Here are some basic rules to remember when you have a firearm in the home:
1. Keep your guns locked up in one of those quick-release strong boxes
now on the market.
2. The locked cabinet should be placed where it’s within your reach in
case of emergency but out of the reach of children. The higher you can
get it from ground level and still be practical, the better.
3. Talk to your kids about staying away from your guns. Though this
isn’t foolproof and actions speak much louder than words, making sure
your kids know what they can and can’t do is important. Keep in mind
that teenagers can be very curious, too. You need to discuss the subject
fully with them as you would a younger child. Even if you have given
your children some firearm training, you should be certain that they know
they can only use them under parental supervision or in the most
extraordinary situations.
4. Don’t make a gun into a “conversation piece” or let your kids play
with an unloaded weapon. This will only spark their interest and make
them more likely to see the gun as a toy and seek it out.
5. Don’t thoughtlessly pull the gun out and play with it or manipulate
it in front of the kids. In fact, any dry firing practice in your house
should be done in a safe and secure setting. Again, you don’t want to
give kids the idea that the gun is some kind of toy. Don’t model the
wrong kind of behavior.
6. Never keep a gun near a bed. Nightmares can shake a person up and
cause them to fire blindly at some real or imagined target. Likewise, a
partially awake person is not in full control of their senses and may make
a grievous error in judgement.
7. Keep the gun in a regular place in the bed’s general vicinity, close
enough to be found easily but far enough to make sure you’re awake
before using it.

8. Expect the unexpected. Accidents DO happen. Combine instruction with NOTES

the strongest cautions for your children and keep your guns in a proper
storage space with a strong lock.
GENERAL SAFETY PROCEDURES

1. Never carry a gun in a pocket or waistband or in a suitcase, glove
compartment or on a carseat. It can fall, be bumped or catch on clothing
and accidentally be fired.
2. Never point a firearm, loaded or unloaded, at anything you do not intend
to shoot.
3. Always treat your gun as if it was loaded. Even if you know your gun is
unloaded, treat it as if it was. That way you’ll avoid any surprises.
4. Stay away from alcohol and drugs when shooting. Even over-the-counter
drugs for allergies and other conditions can affect your reactions and
judgement and make errors possible.
5. If you’re carrying your gun in a holster, leave it there until you need to
use it. Unnecessary handling increases the chances of an accident.
6. On your way to the range, keep your gun in it’s holster or gun case.
7. Keep your finger out of the trigger guard until ready to fire. This will
keep you from accidentally firing the weapon in case of a trip, bump or
other misstep.
8. Don’t pass a “closed” weapon to somebody else. Always open the action.
9. Don’t cock a gun until the moment before it’s to be fired. When you must
lower the hammer on a live round, follow these guidelines:
A. Move finger from trigger and point the weapon in a safe direction.
B. Put your left thumb between the hammer and frame.
C. Place your right thumb on the cocking spur to control the fall of the hammer.
D. Pull the trigger with you right index finger and let your thumb and the
hammer move forward a bit.
E. Take your finger from the trigger.
F. Let the hammer down slowly with your right thumb until it meets the
left thumb.
G. Remove your left thumb from in front of the hammer and guide the hammer
slowly down with your right thumb.
If you must lower the hammer with one hand start again by removing
your finger from the trigger and pointing the weapon in a safe direction.
Place your right thumb on the cocking spur carefully and tightly as
above. Put your right index finger back on the trigger, squeeze it and
immediately remove it. Guide the hammer down slowly and cautiously.
10. When you take a pistol from a holster for any reason other than firing
it-UNLOAD. To safely unload a revolver:
A. Eject all the cartridges into your hand.
B. Inspect all the chambers in the cylinder to make sure they’re empty.
C. Count the number of rounds in your hand to make sure they’re all there.
11. When dry firing, don’t use a window or inside wall as a target.
12. Don’t let a mechanical safety fool you. Even with the safety on, you should
observe all rules of safety.

MAINTENANCE NOTES
Many people seem to look on pistols as a low-maintenance weapon. They’re
wrong. In the end, they could be dead wrong. Guns must be kept well-oiled and
cleaned for proper functioning.
If your revolver is used primarily for home protection, it should be fired and
given a full cleaning at minimum once a year. If it’s carried daily you should
inspect it daily. This will only take a moment and be well worth your time.
Look to make sure the weapon is free from rust or other corrosion. The firing
pin should not be battered or have a loose rivet. Ejector rods should be tight and
unbent. The bore should be clean and have no obstructions. Cylinders should also
be checked for proper locking and alignment. Make sure the hammer releases
properly and falls cleanly.
Always make sure to unload your gun before inspection or cleaning, count the
rounds and move them away from your cleaning area. After any firing, weapons
should be cleaned as soon as possible.
Treat your gun with care. Don’t throw it around, even if it’s in a holster. Don’t
flip or slam the cylinder. This kind of treatment can cause malfunction and
misalignment. And when it comes to repair of internal parts, take your gun to a
respected, authorized gunsmith.
Ammunition should also be maintained properly. Wipe it with a clean, dry cloth
when you clean your weapon. Remove it from any magazines or belt pouches
once a month and wipe it down. This will help keep the ammunition and gun itself
clean and free from rust and deterioration.
HOLSTERS
You’re looking at two critical factors when buying a holster. On the one hand,
you want something safe so the gun won’t fall out of the holster or accidentally
discharge when drawn or reholstered. On the other hand, you want to be able to
get the gun out of the hoster as quickly and smoothly as possible. Your choice of
holster should balance a secure, safe fit with speed and ease of draw.
The “directional draw” holster is best. It’s worn on the right side for the right-
handed shooter and points at the ground or target during your drawing motion.
“Cross-draw” or gimmick holsters should be avoided.
Your holster should fit its belt tightly so it stays in place and remains secure
when running, jumping or taking cover. It should also be a “high-ride” type so the
butt stays above belt line when sitting and the muzzle won’t be a hassle when
driving.
It should also present enough gun butt and be angled so you can easily get a
good shooting grip. Meanwhile, the gun should be positioned so it’s difficult to
draw for an attacker. The trigger guard should be covered so a finger can’t find it
until the gun has been drawn.
The holster should be made of the highest quality leather and stitched with
nylon or some other material that won’t rot. Don’t go cheap here. There should
also be a hole at the barrel end so the area doesn’t collect moisture or dust.
Holster belts should also be made of the highest quality material and fit the
holster snugly to keep it in place (holsters should ride at normal belt line). Make
sure the holster stays in place as your pistol is drawn.

COMBAT PISTOL FUNDAMENTALS
The Two-Handed Grip
1. Place the pistol firmly into your 2. The index finger should meet the trigger at the
controlling hand like you were making a first or second joint, depending on the size of your
fist. The line of the barrel should bisect hand. Keep in mind that too much trigger finger
the “V” made by the thumb and forefinger. in the trigger will push the gun to the left by
applying too much pressure. Too little trigger
finger in the trigger will pull it to the right.
3. Use your other hand for support by grabbing the

shooting hand around the gun. Open up your
firing hand a little bit so you can get a portion of
your support hand on the pistol grip. Wrap it
around the firing hand just under the trigger and
bring the base of the fingers over the second
knuckles of the firing hand.
The two-handed grip gives you more stability
because you’ve got more hand on the weapon.
You’ll absorb the force of a round through both
hands instead of just one.
Trigger Pull
Trigger pull and sight alignment are the two biggest factors in marksmanship. Here’s some general rules for
a good trigger squeeze:
The trigger should be pulled straight back. Make it exact.

That way all the force will go to the rear of the trigger and
not right, left or down causing a poor shot.

Trigger pull must also be smooth and continuous to avoid flinching,

jerking or heeling the gun. Attempts to “control” the trigger by
varying pressure or holding it at some point are doomed to failure.
Don’t anticipate the recoil of your weapon.

If you do, you’ll drop the barrel down into
the target and shoot low.
Double-Action Shooting
1. In double-action shooting, the trigger is
squeezed through its complete cycle. A firmer
grip is necessary than with single-action shooting. The support hand
should do most of the work holding the gun while the firing hand
isolates on trigger control. While the support hand should be firm,
it’s not squeezed to the point where it shakes.
2. Trigger finger position should be moved up due to the added

pressure needed for double-action firing. You’ll be pulling the
trigger with the inside part of your finger pad. Don’t let the trigger
slip below the first joint.

3. Squeezing a shot off with your entire 4. Begin taking up slack in the trigger as you bring
hand will make sights wobble. Use only the gun up.
your trigger finger.
5. Distance between taken up slack and

ignition should be closed in anticipation
of sight alignment. Sight alignment and
trigger squeeze should take place
simultaneously and continuously.
Note: The added pressure required for

double action firing will make a smooth,
continuous, 180 degree trigger squeeze
more difficult but it remains a necessity.
DON’T JERK THE TRIGGER.
6. Firing should come as a surprise. 7. All aspects of a shot should 8. If you hesitate for some reason,
Don’t try to “control” the trigger take place in a smooth, stop and start again.
or moment of firing. non-stop motion.

Sight Alignment NOTES

Sight alignment is the key to firing your weapon accurately and hitting your
target. It is absolutely essential and it should be at the top of your list in your
efforts to improve marksmanship. At it’s simplest, “sight alignment” involves
having the front sight, rear sight and eye all in line so you can shoot straight
through to the target.
The front sight is the sight you will concentrate on when firing. It’s at the muzzle
end of the barrel and determines where the shot will go. If the front sight’s high,
your shot will go above the target. If the front sight’s low, you’ll shoot low. The
rear sight should be seen as a kind of “window” through which you look at the
front sight. It’s not your focus point.
Sight alignment dictates being lined up on both a horizontal and vertical axis.
Horizontal Sight Alignment

For proper horizontal alignment, the top of the front sight
is even with the top of the rear sight. If the front sight is
above rear sight, you’ll shoot high. If front sight is below
rear sight, you’ll shoot low.
Vertical Sight Alignment

For proper vertical alignment, there must be an
equal amount of light separating the front sight from each
side of the notch in the rear sight. Remember to use the
rear sight as a window through which to view the front
sight. You look through it, not at it.
Sight Picture
After sight alignment, you add the target or bull’s eye to the front sight.
When your target is aligned with front and rear sights and you perform a
smooth trigger pull, the result will be accurate.
BULL'S EYE HAZY BULL'S EYE SHARP

FRONT SIGHT SHARP FRONT & REAR SIGHTS HAZY
REAR SIGHT
HAZY
CORRECT INCORRECT
METHOD METHOD
Remember to keep your eye focused on the front sight.

Sight Picture Analysis NOTES

HIT
HIT
Shot low and right. Too much Shot high and right. Too
light on left side of notch. Front much light on left side of
and rear sights level but gun is notch. Top of front sight
“canted” (slanted). higher than top of rear sight.
HIT
HIT
Shot too low. Top of front sight Shot too high. Top of front
lower than top of rear. sight higher than top of rear.
HIT HIT
Shot to left. Too much light Perfect shot. Top of front and
on right side of notch. rear sights level. Equal line of
light separating front sight and
sides of rear sight notch.

Shot Group Analysis
1. Too much light at left notch. 1. Elbow joint slackened when firing.
2. Too much thumb pressure. 2. Too much trigger finger.
1. Side to side body movements. 1. Up and down body movements.
1. Applying pressure to ball of 1. Slack wrist during firing.

hand when firing. 2. Jerking trigger.
2. Anticipating recoil. 3. Clinching whole hand during
3. Too much thumb pressure. trigger squeeze.
1. Front sight aligned low. 1. Front sight aligned high.

2. Relaxing before shot finished. 2. Breaking wrist upward.
3. Breaking wrist downward. 3. Pulling back with weapon
4. Losing sight alignment. when firing.
1. Too much light at right notch. 1. Stray, shattered shots. Several, if

2. Resting forefinger on shaft. not all, elements for an accurate
3. Jerky trigger pull. shot are missing.
4. Canting gun to the left and
dropping barrel.

Target Analysis (Right-Handed Shooter)
BREAKING
WRIST
UP
PUSHING
ANTICIPATING HEELING
RECOIL OR NO ANTICIPATING
FOLLOW THROUGH RECOIL
TOO MUCH
OR TOO LITTLE
TRIGGER 7 8 9 10 9 8 7 THUMBING
FINGER
SQUEEZING SQUEEZING
FINGER TIPS WHOLE HAND
WHILE APPLYING WITH TRIGGER
TRIGGER PULL
PULL BREAKING
WRIST DOWN
JERKING OR RELAXING
TOO SOON

Breath Control NOTES

Breath control goes right along with controlling that adrenaline dump you’ll
get in a stressful situation. The first thing most people do when they get excited is
to start breathing hard or hyperventilating. This is not good because it will make
you less in control of the situation and make your chest rise and fall. This can have
a negative effect on accuracy.
INCORRECT
TRIGGER SQUEEZE
CORRECT
TRIGGER
SQUEEZE HOLD
IN OUT IN OUT IN OUT IN
TARGET
HOLD SHOOT
TARGET SHOOT
You need a way to control the rise and fall of your chest and keep your
concentration and composure. In an effort to keep control, some people exhale or
inhale an entire breath and hold it. That’s wrong. Holding your breath too long
will cause your hands to shake or eyes to water causing vision to get fuzzy.
What you should do is take a deep breath and let it out normally. Hold it only
during that moment when you shoot. If you continue firing, breathe normally and
hold your breath only during trigger squeeze or a string. This will take some practice
but it’ll be well worth it and pay dividends should you ever find yourself in a
tough situation.
Follow-Through
You’ve heard this phrase before referring to everything from throwing a football to
swinging a baseball bat. Follow-through is also important when a shot is fired. You
must continue to do what you were doing when the shot was fired for the two or three
seconds following the shot. You don’t want any sudden movement after the shot.
Why? Because movement begins in the brain and any action immediately
following a shot has its origin in the brain before the gun fires. This can have an
adverse effect on concentration during sight alignment or other aspects of preparation.
You should stay focused on your sights long enough after a shot to “call your
shot” or analyze and predict what clock position (1:00, 2:00, 10:00, etc.) your shot
may have found if not on the bull’s eye.

Stance NOTES
People used to stand oblique to the target. This created a problem because it
cracked open the armpit for people with body armor and allowed a bullet entry to
the chest cavity. When more squared up to the target, body armor provides much
better protection. It’s also an excellent position from which to get a two-handed
shot off.
Today, a Modified Weaver stance is favored by most people and we’ll go along
with it here. The left foot (for the right-handed shooter) is placed slightly forward
with the strong side foot back. You’re still pretty well squared up but more balanced,
much like a boxer. Feet are placed about shoulder width apart and knees should be
slightly flexed. That way, if you need to move, you can get a better jump.
You should have as much of your support hand as possible on the weapon. We
also favor an “isosceles position” with the arms. Both limbs should be fully extended
and locked out. Try to lean slightly into the recoil.
Breaking The Wrist

Sometimes a shooter will bend wrists up, down or to the side. This has a negative
impact on accuracy. It’s usually caused by not extending the arms fully. The wrists
are bent to align the weapon with the target and this is very poor form.
Wrists should stay locked during a shot. If you’re having trouble breaking
your wrists you can usually correct it by making sure your arms are extended
completely forward and your hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders are locked for
the shot.
Flinching
It’s normal to “flinch” or physically react
to sharp, sudden noises. In shooting, this can
happen just before the shot as a way of
anticipating noise or recoil. It happens all the
time to shooters at all levels of ability.
Sometimes you don’t even know you’re doing
it. You just see the results on a target.
To determine if you’re “flinching” take the “ball and dummy” test. This is also
known as “stagger loading”. Have somebody else, out of your sight, load a few
live rounds in a random pattern in the cylinder (or magazine with a semi-automatic).
The rest of the chambers are filled with fired empty cases (or dummy rounds in the
magazine). You, the shooter, won’t know when the live rounds will appear under
the firing pin.
When you encounter an empty chamber, any flinch will be apparent. If you’re
moving the barrel down, you’re probably jerking the trigger. If you’re moving the
barrel up, “heeling” is indicated. When you “heel” the gun you force it forward
and up with the heel of the hand in anticipation of the recoil.
To end “flinching” simply practice single shots without moving. Just being
aware that you’re “flinching” is often enough to cure the problem. Remember,
each time the weapon goes off it should be a surprise to you. Concentrate on a
smooth trigger pull and follow-through.
CHAPTER TWO: COMBAT PISTOL TRAINING 28

One Hand Shooting

We favor the two-hand grip but
you should also practice one hand
shooting in case it’s ever needed.
The proper grip involves putting
the gun in your hand so the barrel is located dead center in
the “V” made between your thumb and forefinger. The three
lower fingers and the heel of the hand press against the front and back
of the pistol grip and should be held firmly. If your hand is trembling,
that’s too hard. Back off to a grip just below where the shaking starts.
You should also make sure, with single-action shooting, that the hand
is held high enough so the thumb can reach the hammer spur easily but
not so high that it’s too cramped to cock. The trigger finger should rest
about halfway between the tip and first joint. No other part of the finger
should contact the gun during the trigger squeeze.
The one hand stance is not unlike that of the two hand. Body weight is balanced and the feet are planted firmly
at shoulder width. The shooting side foot is placed in front of the other and toward the target. The other is back and
angled. Legs are straight and relaxed. The arm should be fully extended. The elbow and wrist are locked. Your free
hand should be put into a pant pocket or other location so it doesn’t hang loose and offer a distraction.
Weak Hand Shooting

If you’re wounded or firing from behind cover you may be called on to
shoot with your weak hand. Many times, this can create a problem for the
shooter. Few people are even close to being ambidextrous and generally the
weak hand is, in fact, weak and feels clumsy during use. As a result, we
tend to have little confidence in it and this shows when we attempt to use it.
The only way to attack these problems is to practice with the weak hand.
When you’re on the range, allow for a change of pace and switch over to
the weak hand to fire a string. At first this will feel strange and it will take
awhile to get the feel of the weapon, develop a smooth trigger pull and
develop your skills.
But it can be done, with practice. Here are some tips on how to develop
your weak hand:
1. Practice the same way you would with your strong hand. The same
rules apply. Feet should be spread at shoulder width and planted firmly.
Normal body position should be used. The neck should be straight.
Bring the weapon to eye level rather than bringing your head down to
get your eye in line. The arm should be fully extended and the elbow
and wrist locked.
The principles of a good trigger pull, sight alignment and controlled
breathing all apply here. Practice and perfect them both on the range
and during dry firing.
2. Stay Comfortable. Relax. Don’t use a complex, unnatural stance
just because you’re shooting with the other hand. What worked with
your strong hand will work with the weak. Don’t stand sideways or
cant the gun. Keep things simple.
3. Tighten your grip. At least at the beginning. Your trigger finger will
be weaker and you’ll probably have hitches in your trigger pull and not

be as smooth. Getting a good tight grip to make up for any strength differences will help. Later, as your hand
strengthens, you won’t have to worry about this.
4. Try holding your right arm close to your body. Do some practice holding the arm close in. If it’s ever
wounded, holding it close will help you counterbalance yourself so you can get off a more accurate shot
with the other hand.
5. Strengthen the muscles. Developing the muscles used during firing can be helpful. There’s no situation in
daily life where you hold up anything at arm’s length and eye level so those muscles really don’t get a
chance to get developed much. Squeezing a ball or using one of those spring-loaded exercisers will help.
So will holding an iron or any object weighing about 3 pounds at firing position in a regular exercise
regimen. A gun may also be used as long as it’s been unloaded and pointed in a safe direction. You can
perform these exercises easily while watching TV or relaxing and they can help build up not only the weak
arm, but the strong arm as well.
6. Practice, practice, practice. Both at the range and in dry fire drills. Don’t forget that hand is there. You
may need it some day.
Shooting From The Prone Position

You should practice shooting from a variety of positions just to get used to them so you’ll be able to assume
them for cover or concealment as needed.
The prone position is good for combat shooting and should be an element of your training. You become a
smaller target in the prone position. It’s also especially good for accuracy at a distance because it makes your
body into a supported firing platform. If you need low cover or there’s no cover afforded you, going prone can
be a good decision. Just keep in mind that you’re still vulnerable to bullets which may come up short and
ricochet.
We teach a “rollover” type prone position. It avoids some of the sighting problems the conventional prone
position can cause. It’s also good for shooting around cover.
To practice the rollover position at the range, As soon as your gun has cleared leather,
use a mat and place it at a 30 degree angle to drop to both knees so that you will be in
the target. This makes it necessary to lie on line with the angle of the mat.
your side as you shoot.

As your knees hit the ground, reach out as

far as possible with your weak side hand to
support your body.
Bring your gun arm fully forward, continuing

to point down range. You want the arm fully
extended when your right side hits the ground.
Never cant the gun.
Collapse the right side of your body

onto the mat. Assume your two hand
grip. You can rest your cheek on
your right shoulder to get a good
look at your sights.
Shooting From A Kneeling Position

The kneeling position makes you a smaller target and provides a good firing platform for your body. It will
also allow you to use low cover or advance from position to position and pop up to fire.
From a relaxed, standing position move your weak side foot forward like you were taking a step and drop
down on your shooting side knee. Draw your gun when the knee touches ground and assume the “isosceles”
extended arm positioning described above.
You can move back on your weak side heel if you want. It will give you a little better support but will make
it harder to move out if you need to.

The Strong Side Draw

Holster position shouldn’t vary. It should always be at the same place, slightly forward on the hip and at your
normal belt line. It should ride straight up to enable the proper draw.
From your ready position, Close your hand around the gun stock.
move your shooting hand to Then begin your draw. Don’t attack the
directly above the gun. holster. Keep it smooth and relaxed.
For safety purposes, the weapon
should be drawn with the trigger
finger outside the trigger guard. Keep
the weapon as close to your side as
possible as you bring it up on target.
Your non-firing hand should be on
your belt buckle or stomach so you
know where it is.
As the gun barrel passes the As you bring the gun up on target, the
plane of your non-firing hand, safety should be coming off as
reach in and secure your non- necessary. Slack should be coming out
firing hand to the grip in a of the trigger. Pick up your rear sight.
supporting position. Front sight. Extend the arms fully.
Squeeze smoothly. Bang.

Reloading A Revolver NOTES

The right forefinger rests along the frame. The other three fingers are curled
around the butt. The tip of the thumb is just above the cylinder latch.
The gun is placed in the left hand where the cylinder covers the second and
third fingers. As soon as the left hand touches the gun, the cylinder latch is moved
and the two middle fingers of the left hand force the cylinder out.
Tilt the barrel upward as the left hand takes control. The right hand should
immediately reach for ammunition. The left thumb moves to the ejector rod and
depresses it. The thumb should also apply some pressure toward the frame so the
two middle fingers can continue to support the gun.
The empty cartridge cases are ejected by the sudden pressure of the thumb
toward the cylinder. Shake the gun to help get the cartridges out.
The gun is now held against the base of the palm through pressure applied by
the left index finger and little finger on the top strap. The thumb and middle fingers
rotate the cylinder for loading. Tilt the gun toward the ground to give your right
hand a better chance at inserting the cartridges. This will also keep cartridges from
sliding out. The right hand feeds the cartridges into the chambers.
With both hands still on the gun, close the cylinder and rotate slightly to make
sure it’s latched. Reassume firing position as needed. You should continue to face
the target and keep your feet in shooting position during the reload.
Magazine Changes
When you’re shooting a semi-automatic, always count your rounds. When you
get to the point where there’s one round left in the chamber, take the thumb of
your hand and depress the magazine release. Simultaneously, you should be going
down to one knee. The expended magazine should hit the ground the same time as
your knee.
As this occurs your left hand (or non-firing hand for you lefties), with index
finger extended, should locate the fresh magazine in the magazine pouch on the
left side of your body. Pull it out and get as much hand on it as possible.
Use the extended left index finger as a guide to find the magazine well. Seat the
magazine and use the palm of your left hand to move it into place.
The round you leave in the chamber during the reload is called a “self-defense
round”. While changing magazines, if you get rushed or a target appears, you’ve
got one round for self-defense while you continue your magazine reload.
You should practice magazine or revolver reloads like you’d practice any other
aspect of combat pistol training. You’re not just learning to use a weapon here.
You’re learning to use its component parts, too.
The holster, magazine, magazine pouch and other pieces of equipment must be
tied together in training. Only this way can you load your own personal “computer”
and have your body do what it needs to do by instinct when danger appears.
One other tip: Don’t practice with live ammunition. Practice with clearly marked
dummy ammunition. Each round should be distinctively marked so no live round
can find its way into the drill and cause an accident.
The Double Tap

A double tap consists of two rapid, successive shots fired at a target. Many
people have trouble with it because they view it as a two-shot string. They don’t

pick up their sights for the second shot. Basically, the double tap should be seen as NOTES
two individual shots.
1. Start with a good, solid grip. Bring the gun up on target, get an accurate sight
picture and squeeze the trigger.
2. After the recoil, bring the gun back on line as fast as possible. The finger
stays in contact with the trigger.
3. Get a good sight picture and squeeze the trigger again.
The double tap isn’t easy to learn. It’ll take plenty of practice. Start out slow,
shooting single shots. Then double up, slowly at first. Don’t force it. Speed will
only come with practice and improvement.
Long Range Shooting

The principles described earlier in this chapter also apply to long range shooting.
Whether using a handgun, shotgun, or rifle or firing at short, medium or long
range the same basic rules apply. At its simplest they are:
1. Sight Alignment: Both vertical and horizontal components must be aligned.
Top of front sight in line with top of rear sight. Front sight centered in middle
of rear sight “window”. Focus remains on front sight and not target.
2. Trigger Pull: Smooth and straight back. No flinch. The actual shot should
come as a surprise.
3. Follow-Through: It’s a basic in most physical activities. No movement for
2-3 seconds after the shot unless you’re firing a string. “Call your shot”.
4. Practice: Add a few long distance shots to the end of each practice session
on the range. Concentrate on the shots and the basics.
Make Practice A Part Of Your Daily Lifestyle

No matter how good we are as instructors, we can only take you so far. Your
survival skills can only be developed by the practice and time you devote to them.
The Delta/SEAL course is only the first element in your training.
It’s up to you to “load” your own personal computer and train yourself to the
degree necessary to act with skill and resolve when needed. Only through practice
will your body “learn” how to react properly. Only through repetition will those
body movements become second nature to the point you won’t have to think and
worry your way through them when they’re really needed.
After this course, you should make it a point to dry fire every day. Find a spot
at home away from your family. Place a dot on a wall facing outside just above a
man’s chest level. Focus on the dot and then close your eyes as your hand hits the
gun. Proceed to take yourself through the act of drawing and firing your handgun.
Go down with your right hand. Secure the grip. Move your thumb to take the
thumb safety off. Lay your trigger finger outside the trigger guard of the holster.
As you draw, keep the weapon as close to your side as possible. Move your
non-firing hand up to your belt buckle or stomach. As the gun barrel passes the
plane of your left hand, secure the non-firing hand to the grip. As it comes up on
target, the gun’s safety comes off. The slack comes out of the trigger.

Imagine picking up the rear sight, front sight and squeezing the trigger. You NOTES
should be right on the dot when you open your eyes. You should go through this
drill repeatedly for 15 minutes a day.
You should also do your best to get out to the range as much as possible. What
follows is a simple 50 round session many people use that you may find effective,
too. Remember to give your full attention to each and every round and to measure
each for success. Shooting again and again, and making the same error every time,
will not get you any progress.
If, for some reason, you get bored or can’t give the drill your full attention-
quit. Practice is useless if you can’t give it your full concentration and commitment.
The 50-round session includes, in order:
Shots Distance (Yds.) Time (Seconds)

1. 5 singles 7 1 per shot
2. 4 pairs 7 1 1/2 per pair
3. 3 pair 10 2 per pair
4. 3 singles 15 2 per shot
5. 3 singles 25 2 1/2 per shot
6. 3 pairs 25 3 1/2 per pair
(standing to kneeling)
7. 5 singles 50 *
(standing to prone)
8. 2 “two-reload-two” 10 5
9. 2 “Mozambiques” 7 **
* No time guide. Accuracy is stressed over speed here.
** First two shots should be placed in the X-ring within one and a half
seconds. Shot to head should take 2 seconds but any error on head
shot should be judged very harshly. The head shot must be accurate.
Don’t be too concerned if the accuracy isn’t there for the longer distance shots.
You will very seldom, if ever, be called on to used your pistol at these distances.
At lesser distances, look for 90 percent X’s. If you’re better than 90 percent, you
can speed up. If less, you probably need to slow down.
Again, we’re trying to load the computer here and the only way to do that
properly is to concentrate on every shot and repeat proper procedure each time.
Controlling Your Nerves

Your nervous system is divided into two basic components: the sympathetic
and parasympathetic systems. Engaging these systems has opposite effects on your
body. At its simplest, activating the sympathetic system speeds you up. The
parasympathetic system slows you down.
When facing danger, the human body will go into a state known as “fight or
flight”. The “fight or flight” state fires up the sympathetic system to work at
optimum levels for escaping or fending off an attack.

Blood vessels to the muscles dilate allowing more blood to the muscles to make NOTES
it easier to run or fight. You’ll note that people get pale during times of stress. This
is because blood is being pulled from the skin to muscles where it’s needed most.
Eyes can also dilate and create a kind of “tunnel vision” allowing you to focus
on an attacker during a fight. Adrenaline is released and heart rate increases to
send even more blood to the muscles.
Some people may even lose bladder control. It’s embarrassing but, in a way, it’s
normal for someone not used to facing danger. The body wants to unload excessive
weight for a fight or escape, so it works to get rid of whatever’s not needed.
The body’s “fight or flight” response can be a great aid in your own survival.
Unfortunately, when taken too far it can also result in a condition called “stress
shock syndrome”. In “stress shock” people can shut down. They’ll become
submissive and may find it hard to move. In short, they “freeze up”.
It’s wise to train in a way that helps you deal with this “fight or flight” state if
and when it occurs. While you may become an excellent marksman at the range,
this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll retain the same skill when forced to deal with
“fight or flight”.
This is the reason special forces units are often ordered to make a distance run,
sprint up and down stairs or march before drilling on the range. This gets their
heart racing, muscles twitching and breathing labored and is a good way to simulate
the effects of “fight or flight”. Being winded and somewhat out of control are
conditions you may face when in danger and shooting under these conditions can
give you practice for dealing with the real thing.
We also think it’s important to train in different environments. At night. In bad
weather. On uneven surfaces. Any place you may be called on to use your weapon.
And don’t forget to practice firing from different positions so you’ll learn how to
best use cover and concealment when needed.
Range Rules
1. Do not run on the range unless ordered to do so.
2. Keep your weapon holstered unless you’re on the firing line or told to
draw it out by an instructor.
3. Don’t allow a pistol to hang loose at your side.
4. Fire only at objects designated as targets.
5. Don’t turn your body with a pistol in your hand. Holster it, then turn.
6. Correct weapon problems at the repair table, not on the line.
7. Keep the muzzle pointed downrange when loading.
8. Hearing and eye protection must be worn.
9. Keep your finger out of the trigger guard until ready to fire.

Combat Pistol Training

12 Tactical Survival Rules To Live By
1. Always keep your eyes and ears open.
Scan for targets by alternating eye focus “in” and “out”. Then change your line of sight and repeat
until you’re satisfied. Stop periodically to listen for any noise that is out of character for the
surroundings you’re in.
2. Never turn your back on anything you haven’t checked out first.
Keep the advantage. Search in a systematic, organized way. Make sure you see both sidewalls and
the rear wall of any rooms or closets before turning away. What you miss can kill you. If outdoors,
the same rules apply. NEVER, EVER ASSUME ANYTHING!
3. Stay away from corners.
Play the angles. Someone around the corner can easily kill or disarm you before you’re able to react
if you insist on playing TV detective. Stay well back from the corner itself while you search to
either side.
4. Maximize the range between you and a potential danger point as much as the terrain and/or
building structure allows.
The closer the enemy, the easier for him to hit you. Stay at a distance. There’s a real hazard in
being close.
5. Keep your balance.
Don’t leap about any more than is absolutely necessary. You can’t shoot accurately while dancing.
Move in a sideways shuffle. Don’t cross legs. If outside, get across open areas fast but keep your body
under control. You don’t want to trip or fall. At night, if you must move fast do so without running.
6. Watch your front sight.
DON’T LOOK AT THE TARGET! If you aren’t using your sights, you’re giving your attacker that
much more time to get at you.
7. Take every advantage.
There’s no referee here. This is about staying alive. If you can get an advantage, take it.
8. Move after firing.
Unless you’re involved in a close range battle where movement will draw immediate fire, don’t
stay in the same place after firing.
9. Wear proper clothing.
Don’t wear light clothing, especially at night. Light shirts are especially bad. They offer a great
target and make it easy to bull’s eye your vital organs.
10. Don’t allow yourself to be surprised.
Being alert, constantly assessing your situation and acting swiftly and decisively are the best defense
against a surprise attack.
11. Stay cool.
You must believe that your opponent is going to goof up and miss. All you have to do to win the day is
stay cool and make your first shot a hit. Even in a gunfight, don’t get rushed. Remember, smooth is fast.
12. Watch what you say.
Don’t give a stupid order like “hands up” which allows an attacker to move his hands. This could
give him enough of a head start to overcome your reflexes.

CHAPTER THREE: MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING
CHAPTER THREE: MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING NOTES
We can’t help saying it again. And again. The key to any form of personal or
family defense is ALERTNESS and AWARENESS. You must stay in the “Condition
Yellow” state we discussed earlier if you want to adequately protect yourself.
When you’re alert and aware of what’s going on around you, you can usually
see trouble on the way and get out of its way before it arrives. In those cases you
can’t, at least you’ll see it coming and be ready for it. You won’t be taken by
surprise and you’ll have had time to consider defenses and response.
Have you ever watched the family cat? Pretty hard to sneak up on him, isn’t it?
He’s got an eye out for trouble. At the same time, he can look perfectly relaxed.
You can do the same thing. We’re not asking you to run around like a paranoid
lunatic. We’re just asking you to keep an eye out for trouble and be ready to respond
to it.
Again, look at your cat. He’s not walking through the streets with his head
down, thinking about what he’s going to have for dinner or some disagreement he
just had with the family dog. He’s got his eye out. He’s ready to respond as needed.
You should be the same way.
You should also keep in mind that it’s your right as well as your obligation to
defend yourself as needed. You must be ready to take action and defend yourself
with 110 percent effort. You can’t show weakness. Remember, most criminals are
looking for an easy target. If you can show them you’re not, they might just run off
in search of somebody who’ll let them have their way without a fight.
It’s also important to hit an attacker fast. Statistics show that if you allow
someone to take you away from the point at which a crime originates, you have a
drastically reduced chance of survival. Your potential for coming out in one piece
is generally much better if you stand and fight from the outset.
Develop an agressive attitude. People don’t have a right to prey on you. You
should be indignant about it. Fighting mad. If people were more willing to strike a
blow for their own safety, there’s no doubt there’d be a lot fewer criminals out there.
There is no better deterrent to crime than an aware, capable citizenry that refuses
to tolerate it.
TRAINING CONDITIONS
In this chapter, we’ll give you a brief overview of some of the techniques for
hand-to-hand combat we teach in the Delta/SEAL camp. Our approach is to give
you a wide range of tools you can use for your defense. We also try to gear our
instruction toward the individual needs of the people we’re training. As a result,
there may be some variance from class to class in what we teach but the material
you’ll find below provides the basics for our martial arts instruction.
From the beginning we must stress that, in the martial arts, you should try to
stay away from “no contact” practice. We don’t like to see punches or kicks pulled.
Our feeling is that you should always make contact during drills if possible.
There are some exceptions. Practicing eye gouges can run off a training partner
pretty fast so you’ll want to go “no contact” on such moves. Still, generally speaking,
most of the training you’ll receive here can and should be performed with contact.
There are several reasons for this. The first is that lack of contact can breed a
false sense of distance. You won’t learn what tools work best at what distances

and how to best use them and combine them in your own defense. Not making NOTES
contact also deprives you of the kind of confidence and advanced skill you can
develop from delivering kicks and punches with full speed and intensity.
It’s also very important to know what it feels like to hit, be hit and recover from
that hit. You’ve got to habituate to hitting and being hit. The fact is that you play
like you practice. If you’ve never gone full bore before in practice, you’re going to
be in trouble when you hit the field.
Sparring, or staging practice bouts with your training partner, is highly
recommended. Even for the ladies. While there are a lot of “self-defense” courses
out there where contact isn’t allowed, we can’t really approve of this approach.
You’ve got to learn how to deliver and take a punch and the only way to learn is to
hit and be hit.
What would it be like to train with a pistol and never shoot your weapon? If all
you did was use a cap gun to simulate the firing of it? It wouldn’t be very good
training. You’d never know how accurate you were or even what the recoil of a
gun felt like.
It’s the same thing here. You need to fire your martial arts weapons to know just
how to best use them. Focus mits and Thai pads will provide excellent protection
when going full contact. You’ll experience the sensation of hitting or getting hit with a
much decreased chance of injury. Many towns now have stores where martial arts
supplies are available and you can pick up mitts and gloves there at reasonable prices.
If you can’t practice with pads, use your hands. Open hands can be used to
block punches in much the same way pads will. The important point here is to not
pull punches. Bring them right up on target.
Also keep in mind that there is no such thing as a real street fight scenario.
Likewise, no one drill is going to get you ready for everything. Situations are
different. So are opponents. They’re not all going to fight or react in the same way.
You can kick one guy in the sciatic nerve and he’ll get nauseous, double over
and lose feeling in his leg. Deliver the same kick to another guy and he’ll shake it
off. You never know what’s going to happen.
That’s another good reason to spar and practice different combinations. No two
fights will be the same. No two opponents will be the same.
You also never know what kind of situation you’ll be in when you need to act.
That’s why you need to train in a wide variety of environments.
Don’t limit yourself to your dojo or other practice facility. Try training on
an icy road or in gravel. Or on a slippery floor. Or in a shallow lake, thick
forest or rocky hillside. Spar in an enclosed area to simulate being attacked in
a bathroom or phone booth. You’ve got to be ready to put your training to use
in a variety of settings.
Also try training when tired or winded. Jog for a couple miles or run an exercise
or obstacle course and then face off with your training partner. It’s important to
keep yourself in the best shape possible but you’ve also got to be able to fight your
hardest when you’re tired or not at your physical best.
In Spec Ops, we always train for the worst-case scenario. You should, too.
Strive to be prepared to go 110 percent in any situation and any environment.
Most important of all, always be ready to keep fighting. Agressiveness is the
key to survival. You’ve got to be able to get in and throw your combinations and
keep throwing them until you don’t have to throw them anymore.

FUNDAMENTALS
Stance
In hand-to-hand combat, you must be able to move in and away from your
opponent quickly to defend yourself and properly deliver your blows. The proper
stance is essential to this.
Some people may think we’ll be using a boxer’s stance here. We won’t. The
crouching a boxer does reduces mobility. You should stand straight up. Feet
should be at shoulder width and you should be up on your toes.
Your left foot is placed forward (right if you’re a lefty) and should point straight
at your target. Then draw a line 90 degrees out from your left heel. Your right
foot should be one inch behind that line and face out at a 45 degree angle.
Softly make a fist with each hand. Be sure to keep the thumbs outside the fist
to avoid breaking them. For proper position, put your thumbs to your temples,
then move your fists 6 inches out from your body and lower them to nose level.
Elbows should face outward from the body at a 45 degree angle. Fists should be
at a 45 degree angle to your opponent, too.
Comfort is a key here. Work with your stance until you feel at home and
confident with it.
Footwork
The “step and slide” technique we teach for footwork is relatively simple to learn and use.
When you move forward, you simply step forward with your front foot and follow by sliding the back foot
forward across the ground. When moving back from the target, we start by stepping back with the rear foot and
sliding the front foot back. When we move left, we step with the left and slide with the right foot. Move right, we
step with the right and slide with the left foot.
The “step” in the “step and slide” begins with a spring in the other foot. That spring propels the other foot
forward. For instance, when moving forward a spring in the back foot sends the front foot forward. When
moving left, a spring in the right foot propels the left foot to the side.
The basic stance should remain intact as you continue. Foot movement takes place symmetrically. If you step
forward 6 inches with your front foot, slide the back foot 6 inches up. If you go right with a 6 inch step, follow
with a 6 inch slide of the left foot. Your goal is to keep your feet at a consistent shoulder width.

SOME SIMPLE DEFENSIVE WEAPONS
The Eye Jab

The simple eye jab is as easy to perform as it is
devastating. It can leave your opponent in a great deal
of pain with vision impaired and allow you the time
needed to escape or mount a more serious defense.
Though you’re never guaranteed of getting a response
from an opponent with any move, the eye jab is as
close to a sure thing as possible.
To perform it you simply gouge your fingers or
thumbs into the eyes of an opponent. The easiest way
is to use your opponent’s head as a handle. Grab the
head on each side with your fingers and plunge your
thumbs into the eye socket. Hard.
Remember, you’re fighting for your life here. Your
blows must be delivered with 110 percent resolve.
The eye jab is very effective when used as a first
punch or as a counter to your opponent’s initial strike.
Getting an eye jab in as your opponent throws that first
punch can also get you an immediate edge. You can
follow with an elbow, knee strike or kick as needed to
buy yourself distance and a leg up on escape or ultimate victory.
I recommend using the eye jab any time you can get it in. It’s hard to shake off. There’s a bundle of nerve
endings in the eyes and any good eye jab is going to have an effect on them.
The eye jab also makes a strong, immediate statement that you’re not a “victim” personality. It provides a
psychological, as well as physical, blow to the criminal. He’s no longer the attacker but the one being attacked.
This will generally be very disappointing for him.
The Head Butt

If your attacker ties you up so you can’t get to his eyes, one
extremely promising option involves using a head butt. It can be
very effective in backing your attacker off and allowing some time
and distance to escape or follow up as needed.
To perform a head butt, simply throw your head into your
opponent’s facial bones. The nose can be an excellent target. You
can use your forehead, top of the head or side of the head to deliver
the blow. Grabbing your opponent by the back of the head and
forcing his head into yours can also add speed and increase the
damage done.
This move requires some practice, though. You can sustain back
or neck injury if you come at your attacker with a spearing motion.
You must also be careful to have your partner correctly padded
when practicing it to prevent any injury to his nose or other parts
of the face.

The Groin Kick

As with the eye jab, the groin kick can be
delivered as you’re parrying an opening blow
from your opponent. As you parry, you simply
deliver a kick simultaneously to the groin area.
You can follow this with an eye jab to
immediately take the upper hand in a fight.
The groin kick is delivered by striking the
groin area of your opponent with the ball of your
left foot. It is best done with the technique
described for “left kicks” later in this manual.
HITTING
There is a strong temptation to get into the more exotic side of martial arts before you master the basics. This
is a big mistake. All that Chuck Norris stuff may look pretty on the movie screens but it’s generally not what gets
the job done.
In fact, in 8 out of 10 fights, it’s your ability to hit that will determine the victor. The opportunity for the fancy
stuff seldom presents itself. Even when it does, if something goes wrong, you’ll always return to plain old hitting
to bail yourself out of a jam. The basic punch, elbow strike and kick are the foundation on which hand-to-hand
combat is based.
Footwork remains very important here. It sets you up to deliver your basic punches, strike, kicks and
combinations. If you’re rigid or move clumsily, you’re going to limit your capabilities. It’s just like shooting a
gun. Smooth is fast.
The Jab Punch

The jab punch is delivered by stepping toward the opponent and
shooting the left fist straight out from the body. Remember that the
shortest distance between two points is a straight line. That’s what
you’re doing with the jab. You’re delivering a quick blow by drawing
a straight line between your fist and target.
The technique here is much like a boxer’s. Be sure to keep your
punching hand high and not to drop your jab. Also keep your other
hand up for protection as you throw the jab. The punch is delivered
with a strong, snapping motion. It is a quick, precise blow.
Footwork is, again, essential. Practice stepping in with the jab,
stepping out, relaxing and then stepping in with another jab.
Concentrate on good footwork and smooth movement.

The Cross
The cross is a very powerful punch. As above, be sure to keep your hand up
as you throw it. Your hip, knee and foot should be turned to deliver the blow.
Many people have a tendency to deliver a right cross while up on their toes.
That’s bad technique. Your weight should be on the middle of your foot. Don’t
extend yourself too far back or forward.
And, while you’re on the offensive here, don’t forget about defense. Keep
your other hand up as you throw the punch to protect against a counter. They
always tell boxers to “keep your guard up”. The same thing applies here.
The Hook
As above, you pivot the side of your body as you throw a hook. The foot,
knee and hip are turned as you deliver the blow. Stay on the ball of the foot. The
arm is swung in an arc toward the head of the opponent. The elbow remains at
shoulder level.
Make sure your chin stays down and your other hand up for protection.
The Uppercut
The uppercut is a short punch delivered from close in that can do good damage, especially to a jaw. As you
know, jaws can be a very vulnerable target. There are a lot of nerves there. A good blow to the jaw can pinch off
those nerves and knock your opponent out.
With the uppercut you lower your fist, bend the knee and drive the punch upward to target. Again, make sure
to keep your chin covered and other hand up to guard against a counter.

COMBINATIONS
When delivering a combination, try to think of your body as a gate with the center of the gate running through
the center of your chest. If the gate swings one way, it then comes back to swing the other. In this way, we
alternate between rights and lefts as we deliver a series of punches.
Combinations are the key to winning a fight. The left jab/right cross/left hook combination is a simple
combination you can start your training with. A four count combination like the left jab/right cross/left uppercut/
right cross will also serve as a good starting point.
Just remember to close the gap when you deliver these combinations. They’re close-in weapons. And concentrate
on smooth footwork and keeping your other hand up as you alternate from side to side firing your punches.
THE ELBOW STRIKE
Few tools are as effective from short range as

the elbow strike. It begins by bringing the striking
arm straight back in vertical position to ground.
The hand stays relaxed. The other arm moves
forward in a similar position to protect the jaw.
The striking elbow is then brought forward to
the target. The elbow is horizontal as it closes on
and strikes the target. The upper arm moves to a
horizontal position as the strike is delivered.
At the end of the movement, the hand of the
striking arm is tucked into the body allowing the tip
of the elbow to be exposed as it strikes the target.
The blow is delivered with the tip of the elbow. That
tip is very hard and it’s easy to cut up an opponent’s
face with it. It provides a very punishing blow.
Elbow strikes should be used when within a foot
or less of your opponent. It’s very much a shorter
range weapon. And keep your other arm up. Your
opponent’s going to keep firing punches at you as
you deliver that elbow strike.

BREATHING
It’s important to breathe out with any punch that you throw. You need to keep your body aerated during a
fight. You’re in a very stressful situation and your body requires a continuous oxygen supply to work at peak
efficiency. In fact, you should breathe out on every offensive technique you employ.
This is done just like a boxer or martial artist. Using a sharp “Shhh!” as if you were telling someone to be
quiet can be very effective. Whatever you do for aeration, be sure to make it a part of your practice routine.
Using it in drills will help you use it naturally in the real thing.
ELBOW STRIKE COMBINATIONS

When delivering consecutive elbow strikes, you go through an open/hit/open/hit sequence. You open up the
body as you lift the tucked hand straight up from the chest for defense. You then bring the other arm back and
strike with it. That arm then comes straight up from the tuck position as the other elbow prepares to strike.
You can perform elbow strike combinations as above or mix them together with punches. For instance, you
can deliver a left jab, follow up with a right cross, throw an uppercut with the left elbow and finish off with a
horizontal right elbow strike.
You can also deliver an elbow strike in a vertical, downward path across the opponent’s face. In fact, you can
vary the path of any punch or elbow strike as needed. An infinite number of angles are available. Practice hitting
from a variety of angles so you’ll have the skill available when a situation escalates to combat.
KNEE STRIKES
The knee strike is another very effective weapon that can be used from
short range. A lot of people think it’s a simple technique and don’t give much
thought to how best to deliver it, but there’s a right way and wrong way. For
best results, it’s executed with a basic step/lean/thrust motion.
When using the right or strong side knee, it’s very important to create
momentum for the strike. This is done by beginning the strike with a step
forward with the left foot. You then lean your body back and thrust the knee
horizontally into the ribs.
Make sure your toes are pointed straight at the ground so the knee is as
sharp and pointed as possible. This will provide maximum penetration. As
you strike, you should also pull the right arm back to add power and drive.
Because your left knee is forward in your stance, you have a couple options
when throwing the left knee. You can step forward with the right foot and
drive the knee in or you can take a little hop back and strike. Whichever
approach you choose, make sure to return to your basic stance with your
hands up when you’re done delivering the knee to provide for proper defense.
Many people deliver knee strikes in an upward motion, but this is wrong.
THE KNEE DOESN’T GO UPWARD. The body leans back to drive the knee
straight in. An uppercut knee is not nearly as strong as the horizontal strike.
The horizontal strike is much more powerful and much better at backing an
opponent off.
You’ll also find that the same arm motion that powers the knee strike parries
an incoming attack by your opponent. Leaning back as you strike also makes
you less vulnerable to him.

KICKS
The Foot Jab

Foot kicks are very good low, powerful weapons that
target the sciatic nerve and thighs. They’ll get your
opponent off balance and allow you to deliver serious
follow-up combinations.
The foot jab is delivered off the front foot. You simply
lift the left foot off the ground, cock it back, and then hop
toward your target with your right foot. The left foot is
punched hard into the opponent’s body.
The foot jab is more a push kick than anything. It
backs someone off very effectively and this gives you
time to determine their identity or intention and mount
an attack if necessary. In Spec Ops, it’s used in room
clearing operations.
This is not an easy kick to practice without having a
target to deliver it to. If you have a heavy bag or can put
a mat against a wall to jab, you’ll learn the technique
much easier.
The Round Kick

The round kick, or right kick as it is sometimes called, is a good long range weapon. It’s not a snap kick but
one where you swing into the attack with your whole body. Using your right shin as the striking area, you
generally target your opponent’s outer left thigh area with this kick.
It begins just like the knee strike with a step forward with the left foot to start momentum. You then swing the
right leg hard into your target with the right leg bent so as to expose the shin. As with the knee strike, your arm
is used to add power to the kick. As it moves backward, your hip rolls over and the leg gains speed.
As always, make sure to keep your jaw
protected as you throw this kick. There may be
some tendency to leave yourself open in the
attempt to kick as hard as possible, but you must
keep that left hand up and jaw down. Your right
kick will mean nothing if your opponent gets a
wide open shot at your jaw and knocks you out.
The Left Kick

The left kick is delivered much the same way
as the right, or round, kick. You can target the
inside of the left thigh, the right thigh, the rib cage
or the groin area.
It begins with a step forward with the right foot.
The left arm is swung backward and used for
torque. After that, techniques for the left kick are
similar to those for the right. Just make sure to
keep the kick on line with your target and keep
that jaw covered.

These kicks can be an effective weapon in your defense but you must remember that they can’t do the job by
themselves. A single kick or punch is not going to finish the job. It’s your ability to deliver combinations, or put
these kicks together with other techniques, that will win the fight. A good left kick of and by itself isn’t going to
end hostilities.
DEFENSIVE MOVES
The Parry
Any strike that comes in straight, like a jab, should be parried
with your rear (or right) hand. This is done by slapping or
knocking that punch down with your hand before it reaches
your face.
When your opponent throws a cross you should parry it
with your front hand, again knocking down the punch before
it reaches its target.
Be careful not to overdo it by overparrying, though. If
someone is experienced and has good sensitivity, he can trace
your hand around and hit you again if you overdo it. Just pat
or slap the hand down. It’s a quick, deflecting movement. Don’t
force his hand way down.
Also, avoid any tendency to look away as you parry. In
fact, NEVER LOSE EYE CONTACT DURING COMBAT.
The problem you’re facing isn’t going to just go away. You’ve
got to keep your eye on the target to quickly and efficiently
deliver a counter attack.
Cover
If a punch comes from the outside hand position of your opponent, like a hook,
you should cover your jaw with your upper arm. Your chin should be down and
resting up against that upper arm with your elbow wrapped around your head.
Make sure to keep your other hand up to handle any subsequent punch. If you
drop it down, say to stomach level, there’s a good chance the rest of your body will
follow it down when you get knocked out. The jaw is the button for the other guy.
You’ve got to keep it covered. For all you know, your opponent could throw 4 or 5
punches in a row. You’ve got to be ready for them. In fact, the general rule for all
hand-to-hand combat is:
WHEN ONE HAND IS OCCUPIED, THE OTHER IS ALWAYS UP COVERING.
This goes whether you’re taking a shot or delivering one.
Also, be sure to pivot your body when you cover. If a punch is landing on your left
side, pivot with the right. Get yourself cocked and ready to throw a response. This
pivot will make sure that you’re able to utilize natural body movement in delivering
blows from alternating sides of your body.
And, again, don’t lose eye contact during any defensive maneuvering. You’ll have
to have your target in sights to best begin your counter attack.

Cover And Deliver

Obviously, once you’re done covering the blows of your opponent you’re going to want to counter with an offensive
of your own. The ability to cover punches from your opponent and counter attack using natural body movement is
known as “contact reflex”. It’s similar to the kind of “cover and deliver” concept central to basic boxing.
Again, you have to think of your body as a kind of gate. While getting hit on one side, you’re loading up on
the other for a response. Suppose that your opponent throws a right jab/left hook/right hook combination at you.
As described above, you’d parry the jab and cover on the two hooks.
After covering the final hook, your body should be pivoted and your right hand cocked to deliver your own
combination. A simple right cross/left hook attack could be mounted. Or, you could deliver a right elbow strike
and follow with a left elbow.
If your opponent is still in short range, after the elbows you can finish with a knee kick and left kick. That
would make your response to his original right jab/left hook/right hook a right elbow/left elbow/knee kick/left
kick response.
As always, make sure to keep your hands up for defense and move away from any possible counter when
you’re done with your combination. You don’t want to just stand there and take what he’s going to throw back at
you. Get in and out.
As you can see, there’s a wide array of possible responses when you begin to counter and go on the attack.
What you’ll do depends on the situation, your analysis of your opponent and your own skills. You just have to be
certain to take advantage of natural body mechanics. If you take a hit on one side, you load up the other. If you
strike with one side, you’re cocked and ready with the other. This is the way the body naturally reacts and the
way you should usually execute your offensive strategy.
Suppose your opponent throws a combination ending with a left hook and you respond with a left kick. Your
body would then fall naturally into a right cross/left hook combination. If you knock him back with the hook,
you can add a right kick from longer range.
If your opponent throws a foot jab/cross/hook combination
you may well be close enough to hit him with a knee kick and
finish him with a round kick. A left kick or cross followed by
hook, right knee or right kick could also do the job.
Again, there are a wide variety of responses available. It’s
important to practice and spar to learn what works best for you
so you’ll be ready with an adequate response when in combat.
VARIATIONS
If you want to get more creative, after delivering an elbow
in a combination and before going to a knee strike you can
grab the back of your opponent’s head. If you’ve thrown a
right elbow, reach back with your right hand past the right side
of his neck. Grab the back of the neck and pull his body right
into your right knee strike. That will give added strength and
power to your knee and do more damage.
As you’ll note above, I’ve just followed a right elbow with
a right knee. I’ll also follow the right knee with a right kick in
some situations. While this goes against the natural “right to
left” body movement I’ve stressed above, it can work for you.
That’s because the right kick is a stronger kick for most
righthanders. If you’ve got a good left kick, by all means, follow
with the left if you feel it’s necessary (especially if you’re
setting up another technique).

But keep in mind that, when looking for a long range weapon, the right kick is preferred by most people
because it is the stronger kick. In these situations, you may want to go with it even though it runs against the
grain of the “right to left” philosophy.
COUNTERING A KICK
Defending Low/Right Kicks

When countering a right kick targeted anywhere
from the rib cage down, you don’t want to use your
hands. Sacrificing hand position wll leave your jaw
open and that’s not something you want to do.
Using a “shield” will allow you to deflect the right
kick while keeping your jaw covered. The shield is
deployed by lifting your left leg to waist level and
turning the part of the leg beneath the knee to a 45
degree angle into the direction of the kick. If you
lifted the leg straight up, it would be easy to knock
the shield over as it’s set up. Angling the lower leg
to the left strengthens it against attack.
From the shield you can move right into a
combination of your own, flowing right to left
naturally. For instance you could shield the right kick
and launch into a right cross/left hook/right elbow/
left elbow/right knee/right kick 7-count combo of
your own.
Defending Low/Left Kicks

If a kick comes in low from the left leg, you
should use a “cross shield” for defense. This is
performed similarly to the shield, only in this case
the left leg is brought further over to absorb the blow.
As always, keep your hands up.

Defending High Kicks

If the kick comes high, cover just as you would
with a punch. Tuck your chin in and wrap the head
with the elbow. Then execute your counter and
move away.
You can also defend a high kick by leaning your
body back away from the kick. Make sure not to lean
your whole body away, though. This would make it
much more difficult to move back in to counter.
Just lean the upper body back. And keep your
hands up. Then step in and counter with the cross/
hook/knee combination or whatever’s appropriate.
THE STRAIGHT BLAST

Another type of hitting you may eventually want to incorporate into
your arsenal is the “straight blast”. This is one of the Jeet Kune Do
(JKD) moves developed by Bruce Lee that you’ll see used with some
frequency in his films. It can be devastating in close quarters.
JKD begins from the basic boxing stance. When jabbed, you parry
the punch in the same way we learned earlier. When hooked you cover
with the forearm in the classic JKD style. The arm shoots straight out
with fingers extended to meet and fend off the blow. The arm doesn’t
swing past the center line. The forearm takes the blow.
Simultaneously with covering, you supply a “straight blast” to the
face of your opponent with the other hand. The JKD punch comes
straight out from the sternum or center of the body. It’s straight line
stuff, hence the “straight blast” name. You let your elbow push your
fist straight out from the body and into the opponent.
When the arm that just fired a blast is pulled back, a similar punch is
thrown from the other side. Again, it comes straight out from the sternum.
You follow with a chain of other “straight blasts” delivered with fury
and speed.

FOLLOW-UPS
After your cover and blast, you can trap your opponent’s arm with the arm that just threw the punch. This is done
by slapping the opponent’s arm down. That leaves his jaw wide open and you can simultaneously deliver a straight
blow to it. Then you follow up with a chain of straight blasts in the Lee style.
The purpose of the “trap/hit” is to get the opponent’s head tilted back. Once that’s done, you can begin to
apply a series of blasts and pressure to get him moving back. At this point, most attackers will cover up and this
allows you to put in heavier tools like the elbow and head butt.
Use Focus Mits

Get your partner to put on focus mits or pads to practice the straight blast. Have him throw a jab that you will
parry. Then have him throw a hook with the other hand. Cover that punch and simultaneously deliver a straight
blast to the pad your partner will be holding at neck level.
You can also have your partner jab and then throw 2 hooks. Cover and hit as a response to both hooks and then
begin your chain of straight blasts and get him moving back.
Another option is to add a trap/hit move after your opponent’s hook. Follow with your blasts and move in.
Eye Jabs
If your partner throws a hook you can cover it and go to the eyes all in the same movement. Say he throws a
left jab/right cross combination. You’d parry the jab, cover with your left forearm and go right up to the eyes
with the fingers of the left hand in that same motion. You could follow with a straight blast from the right and
move in with your chain of blasts with alternating fists.
Straight Blast Training

The fundamental thing to remember about the straight blast is that as one punch shoots out and returns, it
pushes another out from the other hand. The elbow pushes the fist out to deliver the punch. You’re looking for a
constant barrage of motion and punches delivered with force and speed. You’re trying to totally blitz the opponent’s
center line and force him back.
As you deliver the straight blasts you move forward to force your opponent back. You can either step and
slide forward or run toward the target as you throw your continuous blasts.
A good way to practice the straight blast is to have your partner hold his pads right at center line as you blast
and move forward, pushing him back. Give it some energy, too. Even in practice.
How long do you continue with the straight blast? It depends on your opponent’s reaction. You want to get
him covering, throwing out an arm in defense or reeling backward. At that point, you can cease the blasts and
begin to throw some elbows, knees and heavier weapons.
WEAPONS
In hand-to-hand combat, the stick is a long range tool. There are 8 basic angles from which it can strike. They are
#1: The forehand diagonal down strike.
#2: The upward, backhand slash to the knee, elbow or face.
#3: The upward, forehand slash to the knee, elbow or face.
#4: The backhand, downward slash to the collarbone or head.
#5: The forehand thrust to the midsection or throat.
#6: The horizontal, backhand to the ribcage or elbow.
#7: The horizontal, forehand to the ribcage or elbow.
#8: The backhand thrust to the ribcage, throat or face.

Meet The Force

You can defend against a strike from your
opponent’s stick by “meeting the force” with your
own stick. While staying out of range of your
opponent’s stick, you meet the force of the blow being
delivered with a blow of your own aimed at his
knuckles or arm. This will give you a good chance of
disarming your opponent or gaining entry for your
own follow-up attack.
As a counter to the striking angles above, you meet
the force as below:
Response To Strike From Angle…
#1 Meet the force with your own diagonal
down strike targeting the knuckles or arm.
#2: Meet the force with an opposite backhand
strike against the knuckles or arm.
#3: Meet the force with an opposite forehand strike against the knuckles or arm.
#4: Meet the force with an opposite backhand strike against the arm or knuckles.
#5: Stay on top of your opponent’s thrust and deliver a forehand strike across the top of the opponent’s
arm or hand.
#6: Meet the force with an opposite backhand strike across the top of the arm or hand.
#7: Meet the force with an opposite forehand strike across the top of the arm or hand.
#8: Zone away from the thrust and back slash down on the outside of the arm or hand.
Follow The Force

The “follow the force” technique provides a painful
blow to your opponent while parrying a strike away from
your body using the momentum of your opponent’s stick.
We “follow the force” from the different striking angles
as below:
#1: Apply a backhand strike to the knuckles.
#2: Forehand strike to the top of the arm or hand.
#3: Backhand to the top of arm or hand.
#4: Forehand to the arm or hand.
#5: Backhand to outer arm.
#6: Forehand to the inside of the arm.
#7: Backhand to the outside of the arm.
#8: Forehand to the arm.
Footwork is very important here. You need to contantly adjust your range. You want to get out of range so
your opponent can’t target your body or head but stay in range for your own defensive strike.

The Backhand Strike

In place of “meeting” or “following the
force” you can also use a simple backhand
strike as a response to an attack from any
angle. The strike should target the hand or
arm of your opponent.
The Figure 8 Follow-Up

After inflicting pain on your opponent by “meeting the force,” “following the force” or delivering a backhand
strike you can proceed with an attack of your own in an effort to disable your opponent.
In the “Figure 8” we follow-up our parry with diagonal strikes delivered downward in an “X” pattern. Using
natural body mechanics, the first diagonal is delivered from the opposite side of the parry.
If our defensive move involved a backhand strike, like “meeting the force” of a blow from the #2 striking
angle, our first diagonal of the “Figure 8” would be a forehand blow. If our parry was forehanded, like “meeting
the force” from a #1 angle strike, our first diagonal would be a backhand strike.
We follow the initial diagonal with a strike from the other side drawing a kind of “X” in the air with our stick.
The Overhand Strike

Instead of a “Figure 8” you can also deliver an
overhead strike following your initial parry. The overhead
strike is simply a sharp, vertical blow delivered straight
down to the top of your opponent’s head.
After your first overhead, you can continue with
several others punishing the top of your opponent’s head.
The most important thing here is to insure that your first
strike does injury to your opponent and limits whatever
offensive capabilities he possesses.

Footwork And Movement Are Essential

Hand-to-hand combat with weapons necessitates movement. Footwork and quickness are essential to your success.
You should do plenty of “advance and retreat” training with your partner when practicing weapons defense.
Have your partner begin by moving toward you and attacking while you “meet the force” or “follow the
force”. Then change roles and have him defend as you advance. Add follow-ups as needed and put on hand pads
if you’ve got them. You want to be as realistic as possible here.
Your goal here should be to keep combat at long range. You want to stay out of range of his attack but get in
range to execute your moves.
Knife vs. Knife

When using knives, many of the principles above still apply. You have the same 8 angles of attack as you do
with sticks and you can “meet” and “follow the force” much as you did above.
Again, it’s very important to keep the fight at long range. If he moves in, you move out and “meet the force”
by slashing his arm or “follow the force” using his momentum.
Bottom line here, SLASH AND ESCAPE if possible. Knife fighting is extremely dangerous and difficult. If
you can cut and run, do so.
Pass And Thrust

If your back is against the wall and you can’t advance
or retreat, you’ll have to use your left arm to pass your
opponent’s weapon by. This is done by blocking the
progress of his weapon and redirecting it safely past your
body. As you pass the knife by, you slash with your own
knife and follow up with a thrust to the body.
This technique is called “pass and thrust” and it’s very
important. Though you want to stay at long range if
possible, knives are a closer range weapon. They are
smaller than sticks and move in smaller arcs and with
increased speed. The “pass and thrust” can help get you
out of situations where your ability to move out of range
is limited.
Responses to attacks from different angles are as follows:
#1: Parry your opponent’s forehand slash with your
left arm as you slash his arm or hand. As his hand
is redirected, thrust to the body.
#2: Keep your elbow low so your opponent can’t
reach your body as you redirect his knife hand.
Slash and immediately thrust as above.
#3: Pass your opponent’s weapon by with your open hand while slashing over the top of the arm. Thrust.
#4: Pass your opponent’s weapon by chopping down on his wrist. Slash and thrust.
#5: Pass your opponent’s weapon by, making sure to hollow out your stomach. Slash and thrust. Always try
and stay at long range if possible.
#6-8: Pass, slash and thrust as above.
Disarm
Sometimes, you can get a grip on your opponent’s thumb in the above moves. Though your intention is to
pass the arm by, if you can get that grip you will find a disarm possible. The disarm can be performed simply by
maintaining the hold and knocking the blade out of your opponent’s hand with you own knife.

Training NOTES
The material above is only intended as a brief overview of weapons defenses.
These techniques are complex and dangerous. Advanced training and in-class
instruction is absolutely necessary to proper performance.
You will also have to work hard to perfect them. Free form training, or sparring
with facsimile sticks and knives, comes highly recommended. It will not only
sharpen your skills but help you to create a unique approach based on your own
style and abilities.
IMPROVISING WEAPONS
If you look for them, in many situations you’ll be able to make your own
weapons out of common objects found nearby. A brick or bottle can stop a charge.
Breaking off a radio antennae can also give you a weapon. And whipping off your
belt can provide a buckle to strike with or a tool for tying up an attacker’s hands.
Ink pens can also be used. Pulling one from your pocket and jabbing it into the
attacker’s eyes, ears, throat, groin or other vulnerable areas can give you a quick
advantage. Keys can be used in the same way. Flashlights can also be used as a
jabbing or striking tool.
Hot liquids can be effective when available. A steaming cup of coffee thrown
into the face of an attacker can temporarily blind him. Follow this up with a good
combination and you’ll have a good chance of buying some time and gaining an
advantage.
Be creative. Stay cool. Assess the situation and use whatever means are available
to turn the tide. And always get out when possible. Your goal should be to hit and
escape, unless your life or family’s life depends on your continuing the fight.
MASS ATTACK
When facing off against superior numbers, there are no magic defenses. Most
of the time your survival will depend on those elements we outlined in the first
chapter.
If you can talk yourself out of the situation, do so. But if you can’t, you should
prepare for some pain. In a “2 against 1” or “3 against 1” situation somebody’s
probably going to get a shot at you. Prepare to be hurt and fight through the pain to
make your escape or emerge in victory.
As far as drills for mass attack, there aren’t any that would prepare you totally
for what you’d meet. Real fight situations aren’t choreographed. Predictable
punches or kicks aren’t thrown. There’s no “golden rule” for your defense.
But there are some concepts that can help. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Put yourself in a position where you can deal with one attacker while
he blocks the other from getting to you. In short, get one guy in the way
of another. This is called angulation.
2. Don’t put your back against a wall. If you allow your attackers to close
you in you’ll have to deal with all of them at once. Your goal here is to try
and set things up so you only have to deal with one at a time.
3. If only one attacker comes at you, deal with him and maneuver so he
ends up in the middle of the path between you and the other attackers.
This will buy you some time before you have to deal with another attacker.

4. Hit the first attacker as hard and fast as you can. Remember the NOTES
importance of violence of action, surprise and creating the momentary
impression of superior firepower. You want these guys to know
immediately that they’ve made a mistake by singling you out and that
you’re not going to play the “victim” role for them.
If you can hit that first guy and throw him into the second guy, do so. It may
give you just enough time for an escape.
OVERVIEW
These are only a few of the hand-to-hand combat techniques available to you.
They are the basics. Instruction in advanced techniques including take-downs,
grappling and further defense against weapons will also be included in the course
as applicable.
These techniques may seem simple, and they are. Still, practice is a necessity
to perfecting them. Anyone can learn them but they’ve got to put some time in if
they want to make them a solid part of their personal defense strategy.
Full contact practice and sparring are very important. You must learn how to
take and give a punch. You’ll be surprised what you can discover about yourself
and your ability to use these techniques simply through the process of trial and
error in practice sessions. And don’t forget to train in a variety of settings and
conditions so you’ll be ready to respond properly when it’s needed.
Again, alertness and awareness of your surroundings is the foundation on which
all these techniques are founded. You can’t walk around like a victim. Almost all
trouble can be avoided by simply staying in “Condition Yellow” and steering away
from danger.
But if you do find yourself in trouble, you must turn into a warrior. The ability
to hit and keep hitting until you need not hit any more is the key to survival.

CHAPTER FOUR: SECURITY AT HOME AND ON THE ROAD
CHAPTER FOUR: SECURITY AT HOME AND ON THE ROAD NOTES
What we’d like to do in this chapter is address several areas of concern you
may have regarding your day-to-day security. We talk about general principles in
camp but below we’ll give you a kind of checklist for personal safety to use in a
variety of settings both home and away.
In Spec Ops, we trained hard. Preparation was of utmost importance. If we had
the chance, we’d spend weeks or even months planning for an individual mission.
We’d time our moves down to the millisecond, perfect all individual and team
components of the mission and make contingency plans for our contingency plans.
Sometimes, this wasn’t enough. As we said earlier, there is no way you can
totally train for any fight. The unexpected is the expected in combat. No two
situations are the same. No two opponents totally alike. No two environments
identical. There will be a wild card or two in every confrontation.
Still, preparation will go a long way toward decreasing the odds of an attack
and increasing your odds of survival should you be unlucky enough to experience
one. And the wider range of preparations you make, the safer you’ll be.
A simple martial arts or marksmanship course is great, but it’s not enough for a
truly effective personal defense strategy. You’ve got to use personal knowledge,
technology, expert advice and plain old common sense along with your fighting
skills to best prepare for your defense.
You’ve also got to understand that we operate in a diverse number of physical
and social settings in our lives. Strategy should be specialized and geared to these
individual situations As we stressed earlier in this manual, no simple single approach
to personal defense will keep you safe in all situations. Each has its own peculiarities
and special needs.
With this in mind, we’ve provided an overview of personal security preparations
for a variety of different environments below. First, let’s look at the place where
you spend more time than anywhere else and where good security precautions are
a necessity: your home.
HOME SECURITY
We talked in Chapter Two about handguns and home defense but it’s important
to note that home defense does not start with a gun. It ends with a gun. Your
initial concerns should be toward building a good perimeter security system for
your home. Having a solid layer of physical security outside your home to deter
thieves or alert you of their presence is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.
There is no better way to get the jump on an intruder than to have adequate
warning that he’s there. In fact, if you don’t have a perimeter security system to
warn and protect you from a hostile presence you’re asking for trouble no matter
what kind of weapon you own or how good you are with it. If you can’t take the
element of surprise away from an intruder, you’re giving him an enormous
advantage.
If you’re not knowledgeable about perimeter security, you may want to spend
the money necessary to have a good, professional assessment done of your home.
The security expert will inspect your home to determine where your defenses are
weak and provide a plan for properly attacking these weaknesses.

Otherwise, you can devise your own system. A good design will take into account NOTES
the following elements:
Lighting-Strategically placed lighting around your home is one of the least
expensive yet most effective deterrents to intruders. Lighting reduces the elements
of concealment and surprise that are so helpful to the intruder.
The type of lighting system used depends on access routes, exterior grounds,
surrounding area and the overall layout of your home. A motion sensor light can
add your own surprise element to your defense and works great when stationed in
your driveway or by your front door.
Dogs-Dogs give you a couple of advantages. First off, if they’re large, they can
attack an intruder and provide effective defense of their own. Second, even if you own
a small dog, it’s likely to put up a big racket if someone’s sneaking around outside.
Poodles, for instance, aren’t going to provide the kind of deterrent a rottweiler
will but they can yap up a storm and let everyone know something’s not right.
That barking could also be enough to send the would-be intruder off in search of
another target.
Landscaping-Thick shrubs, sticky bushes, trees and other natural protective
barriers can make access to your home more difficult. Likewise, wide open areas
can make it easy for an intruder to be spotted. You have to be careful with
landscaping, though. You need to keep it trimmed and make sure it doesn’t provide
a good place for a criminal to hide. This is especially important around windows
and walkways.
Fences-Walls and fences should be a part of you home defense system if at all
possible. They’ll make it more difficult to get to your home and leave the intruder
vulnerable to being spotted if he decides to scale them. Roadblocks and gates can
also serve a good purpose in rural areas.
But remember that walls are not enough. A determined criminal won’t think
twice about jumping over them. You must have other elements of security in place
to be as safe as possible.
Structural Barriers-This would include grills, bars and other additions to the
structure of the home itself. These devices make a statement. Psychologically, a
potential thief knows you’re serious about protection and might stay away.
Physically, they make your house that much harder to break into. One caution: If
you install bars on anything, make sure they can be opened from inside in case of
fire. You want to keep the bad guys out while being able to get out yourself.
Doors, Locks, Windows-Solid core doors for the exterior of your house are best.
It’s much harder to kick them in. But those solid core doors with windows are
worthless. A thief can break the window, reach in and unlock the door too easily.
While you should have a peep hole in your door, window doors should be avoided.
Dead bolt locks are best. They should have a one-inch throw at the least and
three inch screws on the side plate so they reach into the frame of the house.
Forget the door chains. They’re not going to stop anybody who’s serious.
Reinforcing door jambs should also be considered. Attaching some pepper spray
next to the front door, out of the reach of children, is also a good idea.
Also make sure that any screen doors have heavier metal framing and door

knobs that lock. Metal work of some kind should cover the screen so a potential NOTES
burglar can’t cut the screen to break in.
Even if you use a wooden stick or “C” clamps with wing nuts to keep your
windows from being opened, remember that a burglar can simply break the glass
and remove these barriers. You need to keep your windows locked, too.
Intrusion Detection Systems-IDS’s play a big role in any plan for protecting
your home. There are a variety of good, commercially manufacturered systems
available. They operate by detecting sound, vibration or motion through electrostatic
and/or light beam technology. Some are suitable for outdoor use. Others for indoor.
Alarms can be engineered for in-home alert or monitoring by a central station
security group. The in-home alarms are cheaper and will let you and your neighbors
know of a possible break-in. But what happens if you’re not home or facing someone
with violence in mind? You might want the protection afforded by the central
station monitoring.
Some of these groups even have their own armed officer who’ll assist the police
when they arrive. Key pads for entry and phone passwords to verify trouble are
also available.
A home alarm system with battery back-up that covers all the bases is best. The
system should have a control panel in the master bedroom with connections to a
central monitoring station that also monitors for fire. These services can cost big
money, but you’ll often find substantial differences in price between companies.
Shop around to get the best rates, prices and array of services.
Making Your Sleeping Area Into A Safe Haven-The more security-oriented
may also want to redesign their sleeping area to provide added safety while asleep.
A solid door with unexposed hinges and peep hole can be used to set off the area.
A cellular telephone should be available programmed with important telephone
numbers. A flashlight, pepper spray, fire extinguisher and first aid kit should also
be a part of the haven as should your weapon of choice. An escape plan for the
whole family should be devised, practiced regularly and learned by all.
Guns-While handguns are the usual choice for home defense, you may want to
add a shotgun to your home defense system. A Remington 870 is simple and reliable.
It’s what we used in Spec Ops and it did the job.
You don’t want to have to fool around with high-tech, sophisticated, Hollywood
weapons. You want something you can trust in this situation. The 870 pump shotgun
with a parkerized barrel-the basic police model-comes highly recommended.
If it makes you feel better, you can get an extended magazine so you can carry
up to 8 rounds but this isn’t really necessary. Chances are, you won’t get into a
shootout with an intruder. One or two blasts from your shotgun will generally put
an end to a threat, especially if you’re using 00-buck.
Don’t keep a round in the chamber when the gun is stored. This is stupid and
dangerous. You don’t want an accidental discharge. Only rack a round when the
intruder can hear you and you’re ready to fire. Sometimes, just the sound of racking
a round will send an intruder back out the door.
When on the range, practice racking a round quickly and completely after each
shot. It’s very important to make this second nature so you’ll always do it. With a
pump, in times of stress, people sometimes forget to fully rack a round if they rack
it at all. You need to make this a habit every time you pull the trigger.

COVER AND CONCEALMENT NOTES

Once you’re alerted that you’ve got an intruder in your home, call the police.
Then grab your gun and get yourself into a position where you have good cover
and concealment and an effective field of fire.
“Cover” is anything that will protect you from the fire of an adversary’s weapon.
During an actual encounter, you must develop the ability to locate and take
advantage of the cover in your home.
Prepare for any encounter by inspecting your home for positions that provide
maximum protection from weapons fire. These positions should also allow you to
effectively return fire as needed. Also, look for routes that put you between cover
and an intruder if movement is necessary.
“Concealment” is anything that will hide your presence from an adversary. It’s
important to understand that “concealment” doesn’t always mean “cover”. For
instance, hiding in a closet isn’t cover. It’s only concealment. While you may be
out of sight, you’re certainly not out of the way of a rampaging intruder and his
weapon. Your job is to find places that provide both cover and concealment. And
when you must move, take a route that also provides cover and concealment.
Just keep in mind that you should never move from a safe position until you
have to. By moving you can attract the intruder’s attention. Avoid areas where you
may be silhouetted against ambient light. Also, make as little noise as possible and
keep your use of artificial light to a minimum to avoid being seen. Have your
weapon ready, stay calm and be sure to make good use of the available cover and
concealment as needed.
“POINTING” OR “INSTINCTIVE” SHOOTING

It goes without saying that you’ll achieve the greatest accuracy with your weapon
when you carefully aim it before firing. But you may one day find yourself in a
situation where you don’t have time to aim.
You may be in close quarters, with no cover available, and be forced to get off
a quick shot without aiming to survive. Learning the basics of “pointing” or
“instinctive” shooting will allow you to fire at close range targets, quickly and
accurately, without aiming.
When you look at a person and point at him with your finger, you allign that
finger automatically without any conscious effort to do so. The same thing can
happen when you raise a handgun in front of you. This principle is the basis of
“instinctive” or “point” shooting.
Here are some pointers for accurate “point” shooting of a handgun:
1. Have your feet spread comfortably at shoulder width.
2. Bend your knees slightly and lean your body forward a bit at the waist.
3. With both eyes open, extend your arms straight out from the center
of your chest toward the target.
4. Lock out your wrists, elbows and shoulders. Keep your eyes on the
target, looking a bit over the sights of your gun. Though you may be
aware of your sights from peripheral vision, don’t take the time to
focus in on them.
5. As soon as your weapon is properly extended, fire it.

Point shooting techniques should be used only in sudden, close range NOTES
confrontations. In all other cases, you should fire well-aimed shots using all the
basics of good marksmanship.
IN YOUR CAR
Carjackings and the assault and robbery of people getting into and out of their
cars remains a threat in our cities. Much of this threat could be negated if people
just took the time to think and stay in “Condition Yellow” instead of wandering
around like a victim.
Here are some tips guaranteed to make it difficult for a criminal to target
your vehicle.
• Always park in a well-lighted area.
• Where valet parking is available at a mall, use it.
• Always be aware of people standing around or following you to your car.
Know what’s going on around you. If there’s a problem, immediately report
it to security or move deliberately back into the mall or office you were at.
• When walking to your car always have your pepper spray out and ready to
use. Have your strong arm and hand free. Always hold packages on your
weak side (left hand for most people).
• Have your keys ready prior to getting to your vehicle so you don’t waste
time getting in.
• Be aware that the most vulnerable moment when getting into your car is
when you’re putting in packages or putting a child in a carseat.
• Have a plan in place for dealing with any assault. Pepper spray and escaping
with your child should be central to this plan.
• Lock your doors immediately on getting into your car.
• Don’t put your seatbelt on until you’ve locked the doors.
• Don’t roll your windows down until you’re moving. This may be especially
hard in the summer months, but an open window provides access to a criminal.
• If someone tries to stop your car by walking in front of it and pointing a
weapon your way, try to avoid him or run him down if necessary. Do not
stop. If you stop, he’s got you. In some cases, children have been thrown
from a window as a carjacker escaped from the scene. Keep moving.
• Velcro pepper spray under the steering column for quick retrieval. Practice
grabbing it so you can get to it as quickly as possible if the necessity arises.
DO NOT BE AFRAID OF USING IT.
• If an attempt is made to steal your car or burglarize or assault you CALL
THE POLICE IMMEDIATELY. They’re not going to have much chance
catching this guy and getting him off the street if you wait.

ATM MACHINES NOTES

This is a prime area for criminal activity. Many banks have responded to ATM
crime by heightening security and surveillance but the ATM can still make you
easy pickings for thieves.
If you want to make yourself impervious to ATM crime, do your banking during
the day and inside the bank. If you must use an ATM, the drive-up variety is
preferred. To maximize personal security:
• Look for suspicious activity and persons around the machine as you drive
up. If something’s going on, drive away.
• Look for cars parked with people sitting inside observing the machine. Drive
away if they’re there.
• Only use the machine if it is well lighted at night.
• Stay in your car during the transaction.
• Leave your car in gear and running.
• Keep all doors locked.
• Have your card out and ready to use.
• Keep your passenger windows rolled up. While the machine is processing
your transaction, roll the driver side window up.
• Keep your eyes moving, often checking your rear view mirrors, for signs of
anyone approaching your car.
• Don’t count or otherwise display your money at the machine. Put it away.
You can count it later. When you’re through, drive away immediately.
• Always take your transaction slips with you. Keep your account
information confidential.
No matter what kind of ATM machine you’re using, if you notice anything at
all unusual or out of the ordinary, leave. Even if you’ve started the transaction,
cancel it and go. You can come back later or go to another ATM machine at another
location. Don’t be hardheaded and take unnecessary chances. If your sixth sense
says something’s going on, get out of there.
If you must use a walk-up ATM, try to take a companion or friend along to keep an
eye out. Criminals would much rather prey on a single figure and having another set of
eyes can help you avoid danger. If it’s at night and the lights aren’t working around the
ATM, go elsewhere. As always, if you see somebody standing around looking like
they’ve got no business there, move on to another ATM or come back later.
Most of the tips for drive-in ATM’s above also apply to walk-ups. Some other
tips for staying safe include:
• Park in a well-lighted area as close to the ATM as possible.
• Lock your car.
• Don’t leave your children in the car, thinking you’ll be back in a moment.
Criminals realize many people have this mindset. It only takes a moment for
an abduction.

• Don’t let anyone piggyback with you into an area you gain access to with NOTES
your card.
• Have your pepper spray ready and don’t be shy about using it.
• When you enter your PIN number, use your body as a shield so others can’t
see it. If you think someone observed your PIN, contact the bank and have it
changed immediately.
You should also do everything you can to maintain the security of your card.
Never lend it to anyone else. Never give anyone else your PIN-that includes bank
employees, police and government officials.
That PIN should also be selected randomly. It shouldn’t match your address,
phone number, birthdate, social security number or any other ID you may carry in
your wallet or elsewhere. Memorize the code. Don’t write it down.
Treat your ATM card like any other credit card. If it gets lost, report it
IMMEDIATELY.
JOGGING
Jogging remains a popular activity for many people. Its purpose is to keep you
in shape but you can find yourself out of shape quickly if you’re mugged or
assaulted. While there’s no need to be paranoid about your regular run, there’s
every reason to do it safely.
As always, when you’re out in public you should be in “Condition Yellow”.
Steer away from trouble. People who run with headphones on are sending up a red
flag that says “Mug Me!” to criminals. We don’t want to cut into the Richard
Simmons profits, but you really should be using your senses as you run to keep an
eye on cars and possible assailants.
You should also run only in a well lighted area. Your route should go only
through places where there is heavy foot traffic. Having a partner to run with is a
great idea. Criminals like to prey on singles. There’s safety in numbers.
You should also carry pepper spray. It’s good for dogs as well as humans. And
don’t be afraid to use it. When you do, don’t wait around to see the results. Leave
the area quickly.
Planning your run is essential. Never leave your house with the attitude that
you’re just go to go where your feet take you. Always:
• Tell someone when you are leaving.
• Tell someone where you are going.
• Tell someone when you will be returning.
• Don’t stray off your planned route.
• Carry some form of ID and a quarter for a pay phone.
PROTECTING YOUR CHILDREN

You should set up firm boundaries and rules for your children’s safety. They
should be taught not to leave the designated area you’ve identified as safe for
them. They should also be taught to be wary of strangers and to never leave or take
rides with any adult unless you’ve authorized it. In crowds and malls, you should
instruct them firmly to stay with you and never wander off.

90 percent of the abductions performed today involve deception or trickery of NOTES

some sort. It’s important to train your children in how to handle the following
prevalent abduction scenarios:
1. Someone the child doesn’t know pulls over their car and asks for directions.
Tell your child that any adult asking a child for directions should be
seen as suspicious. Even if they know their name, that doesn’t mean
the stranger knows them. In fact, if they use their name and the child
doesn’t recognize them, he should be even more suspicious.
If the child knows the directions, he can take two giant steps back
from the car and shout the directions. If he doesn’t know them, he
should tell the stranger he doesn’t know and move away. If the stranger
makes any move toward them in any circumstance, they should be
instructed to run away as fast as possible.
2. The child is near a mailbox and a stranger pulls over and asks them to
place a letter in the box for them.
This is a very popular deception with today’s abductor. They get the
child reaching into the car and half of their work is already done. The
child should be instructed to reply that he can’t do this and walk away.
Again, if any movement is made toward him by the stranger, he should
run away as fast as possible.
3. A child is home alone and someone calls up to do a “survey”.
Your child should be told never to give out information on the phone.
Tell them to say, “You’ll have to speak to my parents. One second
please…” Have them pretend to call the parent, wait a moment and
then say, “My Mom (Dad) is busy now. Can I take a message?”
4. A man with an arm load of packages asks the child to help him take the
packages to his car.
Kids want to be polite. They may think they’ll be doing a good deed
helping this guy out. But they should be told that adults should ask
other adults, not kids, for help in such situations. Tell your child it’s
not impolite to say “No” since a trustworthy adult wouldn’t be asking
a child for help in the first place. Your child should also make sure to
report the incident to you or another trusted adult immediately.
5. A child gets lost in a store or crowd and a “nice” man or woman offers to
help him find his parents.
While the man or woman may be on the level, you don’t want to take
any chances. Train your child to go to a store clerk behind the counter
at a cash register and tell them he’s lost. A uniformed policeman or
security officer can also be asked for help. Above all, children should
be taught not to wander away from parents in stores and malls. Nor
should they ever go to rest rooms or playgrounds alone.
Parents should also be doubly cautious in stores. Even if your kids are
nearby, you can get distracted when making a purchase or consulting a
clerk and the child can be abducted. Always know where they are and
keep an eye on them.

6. An adult approaches a child in the park and tries to get them to perform NOTES
some task for him. They may ask to help find a lost cat. They may even
present a business card and say they’re from a modeling agency and
want to take the child’s picture.
Abductors and molesters don’t only use candy to lure kids into danger.
They’ll also use flattery and promises of fame or some other reward to
get their way. That harmless “photo session” can lead to much more.
Children should be told to refuse such requests and report them
immediately to a parent so the adult can be checked out.
7. A child is playing in their backyard and a someone looks over a fence or
comes through a gate asking them to come over to their house to play a
new video game.
It’s alarming to think about, but even neighbors can have designs on
your kids. Tell your children never to go anyplace, anywhere without
asking a parent first. Even if they’ve gone there before and feel
comfortable doing it, tell them they must report to you first.
8. A babysitter offers a child $5.00 to play a “secret” game.
Tell your child to just say “No”. No secret games of this type are to be
allowed. They should also tell a parent of the request as soon as possible.
As a parent, you should also be wary of anybody giving your child
gifts or money for no reason. Tell your kids to report any such offers to
you. You should find out where the gifts or offers came from and why
they were given.
It’s also important to realize that the first moments after an abduction occurs
are critical. The longer the kidnapping continues, the less the chance of escape.
Your child, or anyone abducted, should attempt an escape immediately. Make noise,
scream, cause accidents, do anything to bring attention to yourself and your
situation. If there’s an avenue for escape, like an unlocked door, and the car slows
or comes to a stop-Jump Out!.
It should also be pointed out that abductors can target a child and look for ways
to get at them. Your daily habits can betray you. If they know a child is going to be
at a certain place at a certain time each day, and he’s by himself, they’ve got a
window of opportunity.
Think about how you drop your child off at school. Do you always do it at the
same time in the same place? Most of us do. If you’re concerned about your child’s
safety on the way to school, vary your drop-off time. Drop them at different places
on different days, in a random fashion. Anything you can do to mix up your routine
can throw an abductor off.
Some final tips:
• Parents are often asked to mark lunchboxes, book bags, coats, sweaters,
toys and other articles a child brings to school. Be sure to mark these
items in a way that names can’t be easily seen.
• Put a piece of paper in your child’s pocket with their name, address and
phone number on it. Make sure they know how to use it and teach them
how to use a phone to dial their number from in town and at a distance.

• Finger print your child at your local police department. NOTES

• Always have a good, current picture of your child available.
TRAVEL
Your Car
Below is a safety checklist for your car. These items should always be on hand
comprising a safety kit for use in emergencies:
• 4 cans of “fix-a-flat”
• 1 package of tire plugs with applicator (for tubeless tires)
• 1 quart motor oil
• 1 quart transmission fluid
• 1 pint brake fluid
• 1 gallon radiator coolant
• A good flashlight (check as needed for battery quality)
• 1 set of jumper cables
• 1 set of vice grips
• 4 railroad flares
• 1 package of fuses for the car
• 1 universal fan belt
• 1 roll duct tape
• A first aid kit
• A “Call The Police” sign
• A portable telephone or CB radio
• A tow rope
• 1 wool blanket
• Pepper spray velcroed under the dash board
This is a basic list. If you live or will be travelling in areas with sub-zero
temperatures you’d want to include chains, thermal boots, a sleeping bag and other
cold weather gear. If you live or will be travelling in desert-like conditions include
sunglasses, drinking water and protective clothing to use if you need to leave the
car and walk.
Some more words to the wise if you’re vacationing by car:
• Do not pull in at rest stops that are empty or not lighted well.
• Do not overnight at a rest stop.
• Use tourist routes and well-travelled highways and roads. Those shortcuts
you pick up from the map or a local can lead to disaster.

Travelling In A Foreign Country NOTES

While it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement and novelty of a new place,
you shouldn’t let your guard down. “Condition Yellow” is the order of the day.
Attacks on Americans continue in foreign countries. Tourists are one of the main
targets of criminals in any land. You’ve got to stay alert and aware.
Proper preparation will also go a long way toward keeping you safe. Before
you leave you should contact the U.S. Department of State for travel advisories in
the country you’re travelling to. Ask for information on:
• Hotels
• Rental Cars
• Restaurants
• Conversion rates for the dollar and other applicable currencies
• Points of Contact For Americans (Embassy, Consulate). You’ll need these

contacts if anything goes wrong. It’s also wise to just check in with them
when you arrive.
• Doctors in the area
• Applicable laws that differ from U.S. laws that could affect you. It’s very
important to know the laws of your host country. In many places around the
world you’re guilty until proven innocent, especially if you’re not a local.
You should also study up on the customs of the country you’re visiting so
you don’t embarrass yourself or create some kind of international incident.
You should also make sure your passport is up to date before leaving. DO NOT
HAVE A VISA IN YOUR PASSPORT FROM A COUNTRY THAT ISN’T
FRIENDLY WITH THE COUNTRY YOU’RE TRAVELLING TO. For instance,
if you’re going to Iran don’t travel with an Israeli visa.
Shots should be brought up to date before leaving and be sure to take a first aid
kit with you. Things like diarrhea are easily treated if you have the proper medicine
with you.
And plan your trip carefully. Let someone at home know all the details including:
• Airplane flights
• Hotels
• Countries and cities
• Departure times
• Return time
You should plan on making some kind of regular telephone checks with these
people just to let them know everything is going fine.
Hotels
Picking the right hotel is very important if you want to insure your safety when
travelling. Always seek the help of an agency or someone with experience travelling
in the area to insure that you book a stay at a place that is reputable.

After that, at the top on your list should be getting a hotel room with an inside NOTES
entrance. Rooms that open to the outside give criminals a chance to see when
you’re coming and going so they know when to strike. Outside rooms are also
easier to break into.
When making reservations you should specify that you want a room that opens
to an interior corridor. If you need to call the actual hotel instead of using the 800
number, which could be thousands of miles from where you’re staying, do so.
You’ll also want to get a room that has an electronic card-key locking system if
possible. The electronic locks are constantly changed. If someone has the
conventional key to your room, they can get in whenever they want. Contrary to
what some people may believe, hotels don’t change the lock just because the last
guest walked off with it.
Once inside your room, call the front desk. Some hotels cut off phone service to
unoccupied rooms to keep the hotel staff from sneaking phone calls. To make sure
the front desk hasn’t been forgetful, give them a call to make sure your phone works.
Also make sure your children know how to phone the front desk. You may have
given them “911” training at home but they’ll need to know how to dial a “9” or
whatever else is necessary to get an outside line at your hotel if there’s an emergency.
You also shouldn’t keep valuables in your room. Safe or lock boxes are usually
provided by the hotel and you can store your more prized possessions there. As for
your car, don’t leave anything of value in plain view. Take it with you or put it in
the trunk. And park your car in a well-lighted section of the lot, as near to the
registration area as possible.
Keep your curtains closed when in your room to keep inquiring minds and eyes
in the dark. Put the “Do Not Disturb” sign out. Always use all the locks on the
doors, not just the door knob lock.
When someone knocks, look through the peephole. If you don’t know the person or
they claim they’re a member of the hotel staff that needs to get into your room, call the
front desk to check on them. The hotel employee ruse is an old one, but it still works.
When you leave the room make sure to leave the curtains closed and the “Do
Not Disturb” sign on the door to give the appearance of occupancy to theives. The
lights and television volume should be left on as if you were still inside.
Always lock the door when you leave. Place a small piece of scotch tape on it
in an obscure place. If it’s disturbed when you get back, you know someone’s
entered your room without authorization. Check to see if the maid’s been in. If
not, you might be missing something.
Finally, don’t give your spare room key to the kids, not even the older ones.
They’re much more likely to lose it. Nor should you allow your children to go to
and from the room alone. Very strange people have a tendency to be attracted to
hotels, for obvious reasons.trustworthy adult wouldn’t be asking a child for help
in the first place. Your child should also make sure to report the incident to you or
another trusted adult immediately.something.
Credit Card Fraud

Hotels can also be the setting of credit card fraud. The drill goes something like
this: You’re just getting settled into your hotel room when you get a phone call
from the front desk. The last few numbers on your credit card are blurred. Could
you just repeat that credit card number again?

This would all be well and good except for one thing. It’s not the front desk NOTES
calling. Some scam artist watched what room you went into and called you from a
guest phone in the hotel. Now he’s got your credit card number. You’re about to
make some purchases you won’t recall ever making.
Any time somebody asks you for a credit card number over the phone it should
be a red flag. Go down to the front desk and ask them if they called for your
number. If not, alert them that there’s a thief on the premises. Hotel security will
appreciate it and so will the other guests.
Rental Cars
Rental cars are a prime target for criminals with robbery or assault on their
minds. They transport tourists and vacationers and the criminal element just loves
tourists and vacationers. You’ll also run into wackos who may want to murder or
assault you just because you’re from out of the country or state.
In response to a recent surge in crime involving rental cars, most companies
have now stripped them of any identifying marks. Gone are the license plate frames,
window decals and stickers advertising or identifying the rental car company. When
making car reservations, be sure that you’ll be getting one of these “anonymous”
cars so you won’t be a target when out on the road.
Your goal when in a rental car is to do everything not to look like a tourist.
Don’t leave a rental contract laying on the seat or dashboard. Store your maps,
tour guides and brochures in the glove compartment.
In fact, anything that makes you look like a tourist should be stored in the trunk
or otherwise out of sight. If you really want to do this right, get a local newspaper
and empty shopping bag from a local store and put it in plain sight inside the car.
You’ll look more like a local.
As for the car you rent, stay away from bright colors. They attract attention.
Get the car dirty. You want it to look lived in like everyone else’s on the road.
Drive down a dusty road or into a mud puddle if you get the chance. Clean attracts
unwanted attention. People evaluate it more highly.
Get power door locks and windows, too. That’ll make carjackings or other on-
the-move crime less possible. Rent a cellular phone or bring along one of those
hand-held phones you can plug into a cigarette lighter. Just don’t forget the adaptor.
Mobile phones can be of great help in any emergency.
If you’re shopping and return to your car to leave some packages off, don’t put
the packages in and walk off. That’s an open invitation to criminals. Instead, get in
your car and drive off to another part of the parking lot out of sight. That way you
won’t have to worry about someone seeing you and breaking into your car when
you return to the mall or park. If they see you drive off, they’ll give up on you as
a target.
All of those other advisories in the “Your Car” section above also apply here.
Don’t do an overnight at a rest stop. If they’re unoccupied or poorly lighted, keep
driving. Use the well travelled routes. And if you get bumped by another car when
you’re in a rental car, drive to the nearest police or fire station. Causing a minor
accident is one way the criminal will try to get at you.

Airports NOTES
Crooks love airports even more than they do rental cars. They know that people
are in a hurry and will often be distracted. They’re running around looking for
gates, flight information, and airline clerks and they’re not paying attention to
their bags or valuables.
Bottom line caution when in an airport: DON’T LEAVE YOUR BAGS
UNATTENDED. They don’t keep telling you that over the loudspeakers for no
reason. Half the bags stolen at major airports are those left unattended.
They’re usually carry-on luggage that everybody, including thieves, knows
contain cameras, jewelry, gifts and cash. They make for a very easy target when
someone leaves them on the floor while they run off to find a flight schedule
monitor. Restrooms are also a great place for thieves to grab unattended baggage.
Hey, take it into the stall with you. It’s no big deal.
Money is also best kept in a lightweight belt or “fanny pack” when dealing with
airports or any big crowd. You wear these under your clothes where it’s difficult, if
not impossible, for a crook to get at them.
Keep several $1 bill in your pocket for tips (these guys shouldn’t be seeing any
President but Washington, anyway). You don’t want to be whipping any wallet out
repeatedly and showing everyone you’re on holiday and carrying a bundle. If a
thief sees a wad of $20 bills, you immediately become a marked man.
Metal detectors can also give the thief an opening. It’s easy to be set-up. One
popular scam has one of the thieves going through the detector ahead of you full
of keys and metal jewelry to set off the alarm. While they slowly unload their belt
buckles and nail clippers, your bags are being picked up by an accomplice on the
other side of the x-ray scanner.
There’s an easy way out of this. Always hold your bags until the person in front
of you has gotten through the metal detector. Take all your metal articles out and
have them ready to put in the container provided. You want to get through the
detector as fast as possible. Do not put your bags on the conveyor belt until all this
is done.
If one of the security boys snaps at you, tell them you need to keep an eye on
your bags at all times. This will wake them up and also inspire them to pay extra
attention to your bags.
Travelling With Children

All of the above cautions about protecting your children apply here, only more
so. On a slip of paper put your child’s name, your name, your local address and the
phone number of a friend or relative back home who can serve as a go-between if
you and your child are separated. Put that paper into the child’s pocket.
You should also always carry recent photos of your children to give to police or
security personnel as needed. Having the family wear the same color T-shirt also
makes it easy for your child to spot you and gives him a better chance of describing
you to security if you get split up.
Briefing your kids again on the need to stay close and be cautious of strangers
is also important. Set ground rules and stick to them. Using a child tether or the
new “beeperkid” technology that warns you when a child is out of the “comfort
zone” is also an option.

STALKING NOTES
Stalking has become a high-profile crime in recent years. It takes a variety of
forms, from relatively minor harrassment to murder. Sometimes the victim is a
celebrity but more often they’re just someone who has become a target for an ex-
boyfriend, coworker or acquaintance. There may be situations where the victim
doesn’t even know the stalker. They’ve chosen them as a victim for reasons known
only to their warped minds.
Usually the stalker will conduct covert surveillance of the victim, following
them. Later they may contact the victim to make sure that they know they’re tailing
them. They may stake out the victim’s home, place of work and social activities.
The stalker is highly obsessive. They try to control the victim through fear and
threats. They live in a fantasy world and when that fantasy world is shattered they
can become homicidal.
We’ve broadened the usual “stalker” definition here to include people who may tail
you for a short to intermediate period of time for no other reason than an intent to
commit a crime. That crime could take the form of robbery, rape or other assault. You
may not know this person but they’re targeting you for an attack. You need to be aware
of the potential for this situation and ways to deal with it. Here are some suggestions:
• If you see a person tailing you twice, it’s a coincidence. See them three
times, it’s not.
• At home or in a hotel, always pull the shades when changing clothes.
• If you’re in a mall and suspect someone is tailing you, walk in front of a
store front window as if you’re shopping and use the reflection to get a full
description of the suspected stalker.
• If you’re walking and suspect someone, make several obvious turns to see if
they follow.
• If you’re driving and suspect you’re being followed, make several turns to
make sure they’re following. Don’t lead them back to your house. Call the
police on your cellular phone or drive to a police station, trying to get as
good a description of the following car as possible.
• If you’re at home and see the same suspicious person over and over (and it’s
not your wife), get a good description and call the police. Remember that
disguises can be used. Try to ID things that won’t change like eye color and
any scars or other unique physical markings. “He was wearing a red jacket,”
is not enough.
• If you’re jogging and somebody on foot or in a vehicle falls in behind you,
get to a populated area as quickly as possible and seek the help of the police
or a security officer. Try to have a good description.
• If you’ve got a camera and suspect a stalker, take their picture. Chances are
they’ll turn tail and run.
• Report any communication from a stalker to police including phone calls
and, especially, letters. This can be crucial evidence when the stalker is
brought to court. Get names and phone numbers of any witnesses who can
corroborate any harrassment.

• Screen your phone calls through your answering machine. Use caller ID, if NOTES
available, to track down the phone number of the stalker.
• If you believe you’re being stalked at work, contact company security.
Change your telephone number, have your calls monitored by security,
park in hidden areas of the company lot and make it difficult for the stalker
to pick up your trail. Have a cellular phone on board with “911” or another
police number programmed in just in case you need it quickly. Make sure
someone escorts you to your car after dark. If possible, a security officer
can follow you home.
• If you have a restraining order, carry a copy of it with you at all times. This
will help police and security respond more agressively to your situation.
HIJACKINGS
Hijackings still remain a possibility, especially for people flying internationally
for vacations or business meetings. As above, we always suggest checking with
the Department of State for travel advisories in the area of the world you’ll be
visiting.
Choice of airline is also important. Keep in mind that U.S. airlines are often
targets while the airlines of neutral countries, like the Scandinavian SAS, are not.
The airlines of other countries, like England or France, who once had colonial ties
in the world can also be targeted.
About the only exception to this is El Al, out of Israel. Security is so tight on El
Al flights that they can be considered quite safe, even given their status in the
volatile Middle East.
Opting for a safer choice of airline and scheduling direct flights, that avoid
stopovers where terrorists may join the plane, can spell the difference between a
restful flight and a nightmare.
It’s also advisable to retain your anonymity when on board. Don’t bring any
undue attention on yourself. Don’t make yourself a target. Keep those corporate
logos off your luggage. While particular nationalities can be singled out for abuse
by hijackers, corporate affiliations can also make you a walking political statement.
If you work for the government or a large corporation linked to the U.S. you
may be used as an example or a negotiating tool. Company materials and business
cards should be kept in your main suitcase. Also, travel in tourist class. If a hostage
is to be chosen to be shot or beaten to make a statement to the press or passengers,
he’s most likely to be somebody important and important people generally are
found in first class.
As far as seating arrangements are concerned, window seats are best. They
place you further away from the hijackers and the aisles where bullets may fly in
an escape or rescue attempt. Being seated next to an exit seat can also give you a
chance of escape if an opportunity arises.
If an aircraft is hijacked, the first few moments are critical. The hijackers will
be attempting to bring the aircraft under control and lives may be sacrificed in the
effort. They may run down the aisles shouting and screaming and pointing weapons
at passengers. It’s important not to resist their orders or hesitate at this time because
anybody seen as a problem may be beaten or otherwise used to make a statement.
In fact, it’s wisest to keep your mouth shut. If you protest or create a fuss, you’ll
be more likely to be chosen if the hijackers need a victim to make a statement later.

If a counterterrorist team storms the airplane, the assault will only last a few NOTES
minutes. The German GSG-9 once cleared an aircraft in 11 seconds in a famous
raid in Mogadishu, Somalia. But though the assault will most likely be over fast, it
will also come with surprise and great violence.
One of the most important things in this situation is to not be mistaken for a
terrorist. It will be confusing. Stun grenades may be used which can temporarily
deafen and blind you. You must keep your head. Stay out of the aisle and do what
you can to dive to the floor under your seat and away from fire. If you stand up or
run into the aisle, what’s to keep the assault team from knowing you’re not another
terrorist?
Disaster can also come from unlikely sources. In 1986, the cabin in a hijacked
airplane in Karachi, Pakistan was plunged into darkness when a generator ran out
of fuel. The hijackers took this as a sign of an impending assault and opened up on
the passengers, killing 20 and wounding 120 more. But no assault was in progress.
Again, you’ve got to keep your head and be ready to act properly under any
circumstance. Some companies and security agencies also provide courses for
business travellers on how best to survive a hijacking situation. If you’re a
frequent international traveller, you may want to ask your company about any
available courses.
CIVIL UNREST
Rioting, such as that seen in Los Angeles in the wake of the 1992 Rodney King
verdict, can have a devastating impact on a business. With police and fire fighting
personnel stretched to the limit, they may not be able to answer your call when
you need them.
If you are doing business in an area where you may be affected in a riot, it’s
wise to do a little homework. Marking items that can be recovered can be a good
idea. Keeping track of serial numbers or putting your social security number on
goods can also help identify stolen property. Thousands of dollars have been lost
in previous riots simply because businesses had no way to identify stolen items.
The police were forced to auction them off.
Public relations attempts in the neighborhood may also help. Being known as a
good neighbor with a reputation for caring about the community may keep you
from being a target. Sometimes this will be of no help but there have been cases
where businesses have been spared or warned about the riot in advance because of
their standing in the neighborhood.
If a riot seems a possibility, you should move quickly to protect goods.
Those most often sought by looters-guns, money, jewelry, liquor, drugs, big
ticket items-should be put in a safe or moved out of sight. Display windows
should be cleared. Gates should be deployed and all entrances and exits not
needed or required for emergencies should be sealed off or locked. If you know
about the possibility of a riot well in advance, you should move to reduce your
inventory as quickly as possible.
Fire is also a big concern, Molotov cocktails being a favorite with looters. Fire
extinguishers good for flammable liquids should be available, especially on the
roof. The roof is a big target for rampaging looters and should be monitored for
fire during riot conditions. You and your employees should be trained in the use of
your extinguishers.

Businesses and homes that are occupied have less of a chance of being hit in a NOTES
riot. Still, you may want to get your employees out of the area. Evacuation routes
should be established. Car windows and doors should remain shut and locked
when moving away from the building.
If you get stuck inside a building, call the police. Have a mobile phone available
in case lines are down or you lose power. Have battery backups for all
communications equipment. CB or cellular radios may also be of great use.
You should also protect your business records. If you can’t prove your losses,
you’ll be in trouble. Keep a duplicate record, including computer disks, in a safe
location away from the business area.
A FINAL WORD
Most of this chapter has dealt with PREPARATION. Being prepared for a
situation allows you every possibility of avoiding it. If you know where danger
resides, there’s a very good chance you’ll never have to face it.
Bottom line, everything written above comes down to one major element: STAY
ALERT. In any unsecured or insecure state, remain in “Condition Yellow”. Maintain
360 degree surveillance. Know what’s going on behind you. Keep your guard up.
Look for things and people out of place. Use your senses. Follow your instincts.
Try to see problems before they occur and steer away.
You should also make sure that everybody else knows you’re awake. Move as
if you’re a confident person with a purpose. Stand straight and hold your ground
when necessary. Keep your strong side ready for action. Don’t fidget or pace or
otherwise look like a victim. Remember that most criminals look for an easy mark.
They don’t want to have to work for their ill gotten gain.
Establish that “survival mindset”. Whatever you need to do to survive, you
should be ready to do. If you must act, do it with 110 percent commitment. Be
decisive. Respond with speed and violence of action. Surprise your attacker. Go
on the attack. Make him the defender. But stay cool. Don’t lose control. Keep the
computer inside your brain running and be precise in any blows or shots delivered.
Above all, be on the lookout for a fight but don’t go looking for one. If you can
walk away safely, do it. If not, be ready to fight and keep fighting until there’s no
need to fight anymore.

U S Navy SEAL Hand To Hand Combat Manual Frank Cucci

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THE DELTA/SEAL

Compiled by the Staff of the Delta/SEAL Training Camp

CHAPTER ONE: SURVIVING IN THE MODERN WORLD NOTES

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 4

THE FOUR LEVELS OF MENTAL PREPAREDNESS

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 5

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 6

THE RULES OF SURVIVAL

Rule #1: Stay Alert!

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 7

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 8

Rule #2: Exhibit Appropriate Attitude

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 9

Rule #3: Be Decisive

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 10

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 11

Rule #4: Speed Is Essential

Rule #5: Respond With “Violence Of Action”

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 12

Rule #6: Stay Calm/Be Accurate

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 13

Rule #7: Use The Element of Surprise To Your Advantage

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 14

IF YOU’VE GOT THE CHANCE, JUST WALK AWAY NOTES

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 15

CHAPTER 2: COMBAT PISTOL TRAINING NOTES

WHAT KIND OF GUN?

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 16

SAFETY IN THE HOME

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 17

8. Expect the unexpected. Accidents DO happen. Combine instruction with NOTES

GENERAL SAFETY PROCEDURES

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 18

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 19

COMBAT PISTOL FUNDAMENTALS

The Two-Handed Grip

3. Use your other hand for support by grabbing the

The trigger should be pulled straight back. Make it exact.

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 20

Trigger pull must also be smooth and continuous to avoid flinching,

Don’t anticipate the recoil of your weapon.

2. Trigger finger position should be moved up due to the added

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 21

5. Distance between taken up slack and

Note: The added pressure required for

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 22

Sight Alignment NOTES

Horizontal Sight Alignment

Vertical Sight Alignment

BULL'S EYE HAZY BULL'S EYE SHARP

Remember to keep your eye focused on the front sight.

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 23

Sight Picture Analysis NOTES

DELTA/SEAL CIVILIAN SECURITY & PERSONAL DEFENSE MANUAL 24

Shot Group Analysis

1. Side to side body movements. 1. Up and down body movements.

1. Applying pressure to ball of 1. Slack wrist during firing.

1. Front sight aligned low. 1. Front sight aligned high.

1. Too much light at right notch. 1. Stray, shattered shots. Several, if