H.I.T. Self Defense

First, as always, let me say that this blog is only meant to discuss proactive measures. I do not mean to imply that parents of missing children did anything wrong. These are only suggestions. My heart goes out to anyone whose child has been involved in a violent crime. Also, just as important, even when we follow all of the safety guidelines, bad things can still happen.

Talk to your kids. We’ve posted this a few times over the last year. Have a heart to heart and discuss the ‘realities’ of the world: there are bad people out there who will … Continue Reading

This is the final of a three part series on workplace violence prevention. This blog is really geared towards educators and administrators. Similar to Healthcare Providers, your job tends to put you in a high risk category for violent crimes. Here are some statistics from the BJS. The statistics are a little dated, but I’d venture to guess that they have only mushroomed over time: Over a five year period from 92-96, educators were the victims of 619,000 violent crimes. 14%of those were classified as serious violent assaults, which include rape or sexual assault, … Continue Reading

I’ve decided to create a three-part workplace violence prevention string: part two involves violence prevention tips for ‘HealthCare Providers’. First things first: 45% of all workplace violence assaults are committed by healthcare patients. To all of the health care providers out there… I understand that your first priority is to help the patient. But what happens when the patient puts your life in danger? What do you do when a patient begins to show signs of pre-assault behavior? Might I suggest that you prepare yourself to counter an attack with a ‘reasonable response’. What do I mean by this? Escape … Continue Reading

We decided to switch this post up a bit and talk about workplace violence. This can pertain to the new college grad on your first job, or the seasoned veteran out there surviving the concrete jungle. Most people associate workplace violence with a co-worker “going postal”, but this is only a small percent of the assaults in the workplace. Workplace violence perpetrators can include customers, co-workers, domestic violence spillovers, and the predatory criminal with no affiliation to the workplace. Men often think they are immune, but they are actually twice as likely to be a victim of workplace violence. That … Continue Reading

Recently, I was on vacation in the Smokey Mountains - I came across some pointers from the National Park Service on what to do to prevent a bear attack. I noticed these pointers were similar to what we teach our students on how to avoid an attack from the human predator. Let’s go through a couple of these points and compare between the bear and the human predator:

A. Be aware. The best way to avoid contact with bears is to keep your eyes open when you are hiking, camping etc. This is your first line … Continue Reading

Here is a really unfortunate story about the abduction and death of Lily Burk up in L.A. For any of you who did not hear the story, here it is:

Coroner: Lily Burk Died of Slash to the Neck
KTLA News
11:29 AM PDT, July 31, 2009

LOS ANGELES — Lily Burk, the 17-year-old student who was abducted and killed last week, died from a slash wound to her neck, according to the L.A. County coroner’s office.

Burk suffered the traumatic injury July 24 in the form of an “incised wound to her neck,” said Ed Winter, assistant chief of the L.A. County Coroner’s … Continue Reading

We held a class last Saturday for young women from the Toussaint Academy of the Arts and Sciences (TAAS). TAAS is a group home that serves homeless youth in San Diego County ages 14 to 17; and is a partner of Father Joe’s Village here in San Diego. TAAS is dedicated to strengthening … Continue Reading

I thought I would pass along a few success stories this week. Here are some ‘Heroes’ who decided to fight back and survive. Remember, 87% of women who fought back during a sexual assault reported it made the situation better.

A. Woman fights off attacker with keys in Kelso parking lot
Saturday, June 13, 2009 1:31 PM PDT
By Barbara LaBoe

A woman was grabbed and fondled in the Target parking lot Thursday night before she fought the unknown assailant off with her keys, according to Kelso police reports.

The woman told police she was by her car just after 10 p.m. when … Continue Reading

Here is a quick clip from the DVD. I cover some of the basics on how to strike back with both the palm and the fist. This might come in handy if you are ever confronted by an individual and have to defend yourself. Remember, 87% of women involved in a sexual assault that fought back report that their situation got better: if you do not resist the attack will occur.

I hope this helps.

Stay Safe.

Visit the Site/Get the DVD: www.hitselfdefense.com

With winter behind us and the weather more inviting, I thought I would address personal safety for those of you who exercise outdoors. I think it’s great to get out there and exercise in the fresh air, but it’s easy to get lost in your workout and sidetracked by your surroundings. In fact, these distractions are exactly what an attacker is counting on, and may make you an attractive target.

Be Aware -Whether you’re walking or running, constant awareness is your #1 defense against an attack. To decrease your chances of looking like a victim, it’s a good idea to routinely … Continue Reading