Self Defense in Canada

SAFE International Women's Self Defense Parties Summer 2012

February 11, 2012, Toronto, Canada -  In this SAFE International self defense blog. we would like to extend a special offer on our SAFE International Women's Self Defense Parties for the summer of 2012.  SAFE International has taught 150,000 women since 1994.  SAFE International self defense parties are quickly becoming one of our most popular course offerings.  In a time when there are so many homeparties selling jewelry, culinary products, plus much more, what could be more important than a party that could potentially save your life and the lives of your friends and/or loved ones.

What do you stand to gain by hosting a SAFE International Women's Self Defense Party?  Firstly, you and your friends will leave with a better understanding of how to avoid becoming a victim and the confidence to deal with conflict should it arise.  Attackers look for women who appear to be vulnerable, distracted, and weak.  Think about it.  Attackers are not looking for a challenge, but rather an easy victim who will likely cooperate and not resist.  SAFE instructors take you through the most common scenarios and how they may play out from the attackers' perspective if they get their way.  Awareness and Avoidance are a priority during all SAFE self defense parties.

Very often during a SAFE course, women are eager to get to the physical instruction, but once they begin sharing stories about their own personal experiences, the conversation becomes extremely valuable to all.  Women consistently tell us that the relaxed and fun atmosphere we create is a key in making them comfortable to share these very personal life stories. In fact recently, one of the women at one of our self defense parties shared that the information we were discussing raised about 10 red flags in her own life in regards to safety with a past boyfriend.

During the next phase we discuss verbal strategies to end conflict before it escalates, or to at least get prepared in the event that it does escalate.  SAFE International teaches verbal strategies that vary depending on the scenario.  it is very important to realize that a strategy that may work to end conflict in one scenario, may get you killed in a another.  SAFE International adopts the verbal concepts of Richard Dimitri, founder of Senshido.  These verbal strategies include not telling someone what to do, not challenging them, not telling them they are wrong, or insinuating they are wrong.  So often people will tell a "would be attacker" to relax or calm down which in fact will yield the opposite result.  This is the one area most people struggle with due to their egos and wanting to be right.  As we say, would you rather be right and dead or lose the ego and use a verbal approach that might just save your life? 

The third area we address at a SAFE International Women's Self Defense Party is the physical concepts.  We do not teach techniques which require memorization and are based on, "If the attacker does this, you do this"  The majority of our clients will only take one 4 hour hour self defense course in their life and our research shows that teaching our concept of "Attack the Head" is by far the simplest and most effective concept.  Many, many times we have taught women with some previous experience in self defense and they have related that our concept is much easier to recall in a high stress scenario.  SAFE instructors teach how to strike vulnerable areas of the body and incorporate these strikes into some realistic drills in which emotion is created.  To view many of these drills, visit our SAFE International YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/SAFEInternational?feature=mhee

SAFE International's main website can be found at www.safeinternational.biz  The SAFE International USA website is nearly complete and will feature our Women's Self Defense Parties, High School Self Defense, Older Adult Self Defense and opportunities for people to become licensed SAFE instructors. You can also email Chris Roberts, CEO of SAFE International at chrisroberts@safeinternational.biz

Self Defense Canada - Women's Self Defense Parties and YouTube Videos

October 23, 2011, Toronto, Canada - In this Self Defense Canada blog I would like to offer up some videos of women participating in a SAFE International Women's Self Defense Party.  I quickly realized that women had completely different concerns, fears, and needs than males. I listened to their concerns and tailored something that was not only educational, but also met their personal fears. A SAFE International Women's Self Defense Party is a great way to learn potentially life saving information in an environment that is not only fun, but comfortable because you get the opportunity to learn with friends and/or family. 

During the first segment we cover the most important aspect of personal protection which is avoiding potentially dangerous scenarios.  We discuss and role play some of them, including, how to "NOT" appear as a victim, what an attacker looks for in a potential victim, common scenarios such as elevators, giving the time/directions, how being polite can be dangerous, car safety, plus many more!

Next, during the women's self defense party, we cover some of the most common, basic strikes.  Material taught must be conceptual in order to be retainable.  This is why all strikes taught are gross motor ones which do not involve memorization.  Participants get to practice on pads as well as on the instructor through various drills which are designed to slowly build some realism and intensity.  Here are a couple YouTube videos in which the women are practicing just a couple of those strikes.

 

 

These 2 previous videos are just a couple of the strikes we practice during a SAFE International Women's Self Defense Party!  Next we include some verbal skills which add more emotion, creating more realism in the drills.  Many skip this step, but it is critical to slowly build the drills in a way that gets as close to real life as possible. We also introduce drills in which the women get the opportunity to actually strike the instructor. The following video will show how quickly one can learn when being taught conceptual self defense, rather than technique based. 

 

After this segment of the course, we address the most common scenarios one may find themself in.  Lastly, the instructor gets the full Spartan Training gear suit on in order to create the final drill which is scenario based including both verbal and physical self defense. 

How do you organize a SAFE International Women's Self Defense Party?  Invite 6 to 8 of your friends for a few hours of fun, education and potentially life saving instruction. Plan a meal, bbq, snacks, maybe some dessert! Be prepared for a unique self defense experience! What has made us so popular is our unique method of teaching with humour and our sharing of anecdotes. Get to experience our simulated attacks in scenario specific situations such as at the front door, the kitchen, the car, etc.

SAFE International has taught more than 120,000 women since 1994.  For more information, please visit our main site at www.safeinternational.biz.  You can also email me directly at chrisroberts@safeinternational.biz or call toll free at 1 800 465 5972

Self Defense Canada - "Camouflaged Killer" Self Defense Forum

October 4, 2011, Toronto, Canada - In this Self Defense Canada blog, I would like to introduce my followers to the first couple questions asked on the "Ask The Expert" page on www.camouflagedkiller.com, which has been developed in conjunction with the book written by David A. Gibb, being released October 4, 2011. My name is Chris Roberts, CEO of SAFE International.  The purpose of this forum will be to educate readers in regards to self defense, personal safety and real life violence.  I welcome questions and look forward to passing on my knowledge on this topic.  Here are the first two questions posted:

  QUESTION:  Don't know how to throw a question your way, but one I believe many women have that would benefit them being answered is: "I believe/have been told that if you fight back against a rapist, it will only make matters worse. Several anti-rape organizations advocate not fighting back. What is your view on this?" - Take into consideration studies in rape prevention are not updated (the youngest study I found was from 1993) and several other studies (up to 20 years old) all show that 70-80% of women who fight back are not raped/prevent rape completely. Hella good numbers - but these STATS aren't widely shown. If you could tackle this question (many women have it) then I believe you will serve many people well, brother.

ANSWER:  Thanks for the question Malachi.  I will start by saying it is always an individual decision on what to do, and the circumstances and variables of the scenario determine the best strategy.  The challenge is, that in such a high stress scenario, the ability to make the "best decision" becomes very difficult.  My feeling is that it is usually advisable to fight back, but when and how are also determined by the scenario and the attacker.  I base much of it on the fact that an attacker does not want to get hurt, get caught, or attention drawn to them.  In the scenario of a sexual assault, the attacker needs privacy/isolation and a victim.  This usually means that there is no one around to help or hear you.  This also takes away much of the chance that they will get caught.  Consider this from the Safety Tips page of this website, "In their 1992 book, Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives, the authors (two FBI agents and a psychiatry professor) revealed the discouraging fact that physical resistance generally results in increased levels of violence from the attackers. But, on the other hand, all of the victims of their same study, who had offered full compliance, had been murdered."  What that tells me is that you have some chance of survival if you do fight back and virtually none if you don't.  Common strategies used by attackers is to say things like, "If you cooperate with me, I won't hurt you", but I would ask back, what in the history of knowing them shows they are trustworthy and why don't they want you to fight back (3 things they don't want).  See, people like Colonel Russell Williams and other sexual predators don't think the way we do, so when they promise to let you go or make some other offer, we want to believe there is some good in them and that they will honor their promise.  But again, this is an individual decision.  I once instructed a woman who approached me after.  She went on to tell me she had been dragged to a car at knife point, put in the car and sexually assaulted.  She felt if she had fought back, she would have been killed.  Who am I to say she should have done anything different.  She is alive and followed her gut feeling on the best way to handle it, but very often the results are not successful.  I will not get into what to do physically here, but I do appreciate your very important question.  Years ago I felt the pressure to have a definite answer to women's questions, but that is speaking from ego I believe.  My most common answer when someone asks me if a certain move or skill will work is "MAYBE".  One of the reasons I respect instructors like Richard Dimitri is that he allows both the students and teachers to analyze, question, and come up with thoughts on scenarios.  If an instructor has an answer they promise will work, RUN!  I hope I haven't started rambling or getting off the topic.  Please feel free to expand on this or follow up with another question.  I will be offering statistics in upcoming posts.  Thanks Malachi.

QUESTION:  Chris, I hear so much about not appearing as a victim.  Can you explain this further?  Thanks

ANSWER:  Criminals/Attackers, aka "Bad Guys" are opportunists who look for easy victims.  They will generally look for someone is unaware, not paying attention, or who just look distracted.  One of the first things I teach is the importance of displaying the body language of someone who is confident, aware, and one who just doesn't look like an easy mark.  There are so many people today walking around talking on their cell phones or listening to their ipods, that if you just avoid those 2 distractions, you are a lot less likely to look like a target.  Also, walking with purpose with head up on a swivel gives appearance of confidence and that of someone who is aware.  There are many other aspects to this I will address as this forum moves forward, but that is a good start based on your question.  Thanks. 

 

SAFE International is one of North America's leaders in personal protection/self defense training.  SAFE has taught more than 120,000 people in high schools, women's self defense parties, corporately, and privately.  Please visit our websites at www.safeinternational.biz and www.highschoolselfdefense.com for more information.  You can also email me at chrisroberts@safeinternational.biz

Self Defense Canada - "Camouflaged Killer" Book Release - Colonel Russell Williams

September 30, 2011, Toronto, Canada - In this Canada self defense blog I would like to announce the release of the book, "Camouflaged Killer", The Shocking Double Life of Canadian Air Force Colonel Russell William, written by David A. Gibb and published by Berkley Books (U.S.) and Penguin Canada.  My name is Chris Roberts, CEO of SAFE International. This is a book I was asked to be involved with about one year ago in regards to my perspectives being a self defense instructor for over the past 17 years.  I was hesitant at first, because all too often these books are written to sensationalize the story.  But David A. Gibb has written a book that I believe will help people to understand the mind of a serial rapist and murderer.  This book will not only inform, but educate people, possibly even preventing someone from experiencing such horrific events. One of the ideas David Gibb had was to include an "Ask The Expert" page in which people could ask me questions in regards to personal protection, safety and self defense.  This is a role I take seriously and one I hope will help others.

   Here are some of the questions that David Gibb sought to answer:

• Why was Williams willing to risk it all - career, prestige, and family - to rape and kill?
• How was he able to lead a double life and fly under everyone's radar?
• What caused his perverted and sadistic behaviors?
• Why did he start his crime spree at such a late age? What was the trigger?
• Did porn play a role in fueling his desires?
• What disorders did he suffer from?
• Was he a psychopath? A pedophile?
• How did his "level of evil" compare with that of other noted serial killers?
• Could Williams have been treated?

Here is a segment from the book about the life of Russell Williams:

Colonel Russell Williams was a distinguished base commander for the largest Canadian Forces base in the country. He was a trusted soldier - one who had personally piloted prime ministers, dignitaries, and members of the royal family. A husband to a proud and loyal wife who herself commanded respect as an executive for a well-known humanitarian foundation. He was a brother to a distinguished doctor, and a stepson to one of the world’s most prominent nuclear physicists. A man who had grown up in a government-created “utopian” town, attended a prestigious boarding school, played trumpet in his high school band, and later earned an economics and political sciences degree from the University of Toronto. He owned a $700,000 home in an exclusive neighborhood of the nation’s capital, and a quaint cottage hideaway in the country.

He was also a serial rapist and murderer; a sexual sadist out of control.

Under the cover of darkness his alter-ego would emerge, transforming the highly-respected military officer into a depraved and dangerous predator.

His crime spree continued unabated for two years during which time he broke into dozens of homes, stalked and sexually assaulted vulnerable women, and then committed two sex killings before being caught. He remained under the radar of the Chief of Defence Staff, the Prime Minister of Canada, the Defence Minister, the Royal Family, as well as those nearest and dearest to him.

In the meantime, Colonel Williams had tried to frame his next-door neighbor, Larry Jones, who had become a prime suspect in the sexual assaults and break-ins and a major focus of police attention.

He barely escaped discovery by a lone female police officer who noticed his oddly-parked vehicle at a soon-to-be crime scene. Williams lurked in the bushes as the officer knocked on the door. She left after getting no answer. Jessica Lloyd returned home an hour later and was never seen alive again.

Following his arrest, the nation was aghast. How could such a high-achieving military officer have sunk to such depravity? Why was he not detected? Were military screening protocols too lax? The military establishment found themselves in damage control mode from a blood-thirsty public that demanded answers.

After all, as children we were all told by our parents and teachers to respect those in authority. To admire them and to seek them out in times of trouble. And, most importantly, to always place our trust in them.

This is an important book for anyone who wants to try and understand the mind of a serial killer and rapist.  Please visit my "Ask The Expert" page with any questions you may have. 

My name is Chris Roberts, CEO of SAFE International.  SAFE has taught reality based self defense to more than 120,000 people in high schools, corporations, and privately.  We are available throughout North America.  You can visit our websites at www.safeinternational.biz and www.highschoolselfdefense.com for more information on our courses.  You can also reach us toll free at 1-800-465-5972 or by email at chrisroberts@safeinternational.biz

 

 

Self Defense Canada - Women's Self Defense YouTube Video

September 13, 2011, Toronto, Canada - In this Self Defense Canada blog, I would like to offer a YouTube video of a SAFE International Women's Self Defense party.  In this video you will see what one is capable of, after only 30 minutes of self defense training.  I find that by teaching self defense concepts, rather than techniques, our clients have a much quicker learning curve.  Techniques take years to learn and are based on an attacker attacking in a certain way, whereas concepts work regardless of the variables.  A SAFE International Women's Self Defense party is an excellent environment to learn how to protect oneself.  While self defense and personal protection is a serious topic, our research shows that when people are learning in a fun, interactive environment, they are much more likely to open up with stories and be physical with the drills we run.  SAFE International always covers Awareness and Avoidance strategies which are based on one's daily routines.  We examine what an attacker looks for, what an attacker wants, and doesn't want in confrontation. One of the biggest topics we examine, is how most people are too polite, even when their intuition is telling them the complete opposite.  We cover the most common distraction techniques an attacker will use to gain an advantage.  We then move on to verbal strategies in the event that avoidance is no longer possible.  Rather than just teaching to yell at a potential attacker, we cover a few verbal strategies based on the aggressor and the scenario.  The third step is addressing the physical aspect of self defense.  We begin with the advantages of adopting a passive stance rather than an aggressive stance.  We only teach gross motor strikes due to the adrenal rush one gets when they are in a highly stressful state such as an attack scenario.  We teach a philsophy of "Attack the Attacker" which reverses one from being the Prey, to that of being the Predator.  Another philsophy is to attack the head if all avoidance and verbal strategies have failed.  In this video, you will see those philsophies come into play.  This is only 30 minutes into the physical training and you can see how the idea of self defense concepts are very effective.  The self defense drills increase with intensity as the participants gain more confidence.  This is very important as you don't want to terrify your clients right from the start.  It is important to build rapport with your students and the results will be seen as the drills progress.

 

One thing you notice immediately is that there is no hesitation, but rather a forward moving attack once she noticed some pre-contact cue of an attack.  Many teach that one has to wait to be attacked before they can defend themself.  Being proactive, rather than reactive, dramatically increases your chance of survival.  You will also notice that she is not thinking what strike had to be next based on memorization, but rather what strike made the most sense based on the theory of attack the head.  Now, every scenario is different and requires different reactions, but if all avoidance and verbal defenses have not worked, one needs to be prepared to take action in order to get home and survive.  At first glance, many find it is easy to pick apart a video like this, but this is only 30 minutes into training and one has to look at the whole course and how everyone progresses throughout the drills.

How do you book a SAFE International Women's Self Defense Party?  Its simple.  Get some friends/family together and email me at chrisroberts@safeinternational.biz  You can plan a meal and/or snacks.  Not only is a SAFE International Women's Self Defense Party potentially life saving, but a lot of fun as well.

SAFE International has taught more than 120,000 people since 1994.  We are available throughout North America to teach in schools, corporations, women's group, privately or for parties.  Please visit our main site at www.safeinternational.biz and our high school site at www.highschoolselfdefense.com for more information.  My name is Chris Roberts, CEO of SAFE International.

Self Defense Canada - Alberta Health Care Worker Strangulation

August 10, 2011, Toronto, Canada - In this Self Defense Canada blog, I would like to show a recent story from www.cbc.ca in which a mental health care worker was killed by a severely disabled young man. My reason for bringing this story to your attention is that health care is an industry that carries many potential safety risks.  SAFE International has taught personal protection/self defense to both women and men in the health care industry and among their safety concerns are:

 

-  Working by oneself without any backup.

-  Very often isolated with clients who may have mental disorders.

-  No realistic self defense/personal protection training to handle a violent patient. 

-  Insufficient training in area of Awareness/Avoidance strategies in regards to on the job duties.

SAFE International addresses these issues!

 

Judge unseals Saddleback medical report after CBC applies for its release

CBC News Posted: Aug 8, 2011 12:16 AM MT Last Updated: Aug 8, 2011 4:57 AM MT

An Alberta judge has unsealed a medical report that provides details of the crime scene where a mental health worker was killed on the job earlier this year, allegedly by the severely disabled young man she was caring for.

Valerie Wolski, 41, was alone with Terrence Saddleback on Feb. 12 in Camrose when she was strangled.

Saddleback, 26, was charged with manslaughter, but because of his mental disability he was found unfit to stand trial.

CBC News fought for five months to obtain the report that convinced a judge to find Saddleback unfit. Judge William Andreassen has now unsealed that document.

It reveals that Terrence Saddleback has along history of violence against female care workers.

The report also includes details about the crime scene that have until now been under wraps.

A female worker arrived at Saddleback's house just before 9 a.m. on the morning of Feb. 13 to relieve Wolski.

"Upon entering the residence she noticed Mr. Saddleback lying on the living room couch. He said hello to her," the court report states.

The caregiver then noticed her colleague lying on the floor in front of the couch, the document states. She called 911.

"Our officers noted hair on and around Mrs. Wolski in a variety of different locations within the house," Camrose police Insp. Lee Foreman said.

CBC News has learned that Saddleback had a history of pulling women's hair.

The medical examiner believes Wolski was choked during a struggle and died from manual strangulation.

Saddleback remains in secure custody at Alberta Hospital Edmonton.

SAFE International can provide training that addresses all aspects of violence from the Awareness/Avoidance stage, to the Verbal and Physical self defense stages.  Please visit www.safeinternational.biz for more info.  SAFE International has taught more than 120,000 people since 1994 and is available throughout North America.

Canada Self Defense - Held Hostage In Cork (Part 1)

July 24, 2011, Toronto, Canada - In this Canada self defense blog, I would like to feature guest author Mark Lee.  Mark Lee is the owner of Real World Defence Systems in Ireland.  Mark recently wrote a blog titled Held Hostage In Cork (Part 1) for The Black Belt Blog.  This is a story about one of Mark's former students who was brutally beaten and held hostage in his home for nine hours, but managed to survive.  It is such an important story, I asked Mark if I could share it with my readers and those who follow SAFE International.

(Gabriel J.’s email to me)

The night started on Sunday when my two housemates, a friend and I were all having a few cans and some rum. (Three lads and one girl.) It was turning out to be a relaxing night as we had a stressful week with one of the housemates falling out and leaving the house.

At around half one in the morning, there was a knock at the door. David started for the door but Clara was faster and had beaten him to it. I heard the door slightly open and then heard a loud bang as the door slammed into the wall. Within a split second Luke and I were up and heading into the hall way. I came around the hallway corner and everything slowed down. David was sent flying and sliding down the hall as I was confronted by a tall guy in a balaclava. Instinct said hit, so I hit him and hit him again. Then I shoved him down. I was thinking one thought, “We need to get them out of the house.” I remember pulling on Luke’s jacket to bring him into what I thought was a fight. He stood frozen. Another really big guy sprinted around the corner. I quickly saw two shiny things in each of his hands (weapons) but I did not see what they were. (Chain and Fork) I hesitated for a moment. In that instant we lost the forward momentum. Luke and I were thrown onto the chairs less than a meter away. The taller guy started laying in to me; hitting me six times as I stared him in the eyes. I was delighting in the fact that he could not hurt me but the last one must have been his haymaker because I saw white for a split second. I thought better about staring him down. Now they were mixing between the three of us. Hitting, kicking and threatening us with the fork when anybody moved. Soon enough they seemed to think that David was the one they wanted but the things they were saying did not make sense. All the facts were not true about our house so that seemed to reassure me that I wasn’t going to die and it was a mistake. They were saying they were vigilantes or IRA searching for drugs. They were acting erratic at times and pacing across the floor. They started hitting Clara and threatening to rape her. That was when we all decided it was best not to keep trying to confront them. This was the point when we lost the battle of wills; the will to fight back.

David was taken upstairs to get beaten as we were guarded by the taller guy. He threw ashtrays and smashed glasses on our heads. The bottle of rum was too hard to smash off of our heads. When David came down he was in a bad way; half conscious and bleeding all over his face. He passed out after half an hour. One of the guys took off his balaclava and then I instantly became scared. I had heard about this in books and movies. It means you’re going to die because you have seen their face. They started playing games like ‘rat out your friend’ and ‘stand up so I can punch you’. They had us take our clothes off and put them back on several times. Collecting our mobiles and checking if we had anymore on us. They revelled in this while laughing all the way. They then started choking David with the chain until he passed out. At about five in the morning he woke up. I was ordered to make sandwiches. I found a large butcher knife in the kitchen and picked it up. I decided after serious contemplation that I would not have it in me to kill someone and also, I would get into too much trouble.

The night went on with our attackers eating sandwiches, drinking our beer and smoking our ciggs. One of them left at about seven in the morning and I became bored, annoyed and so tired that I fell asleep for about ten minutes. I was woken by the big built guy saying that somebody was coming up to sort us out. This was the second time I felt genuine fear. He continued for about two more hours claiming that someone was coming up, to what it seemed to be, to kill us. The guy then decided to take my laptop and big TV. He finally left at about half nine or ten o’clock.

We then stared and paced around the house while cleaning the mess. We all went to the hospital. Luke and David were seriously injured. Damien stayed hospitalized and was treated for fractured ribs, a fractured jaw, a cracked skull and draining of fluid on his eye. We told our story to the Garda (police) who took our statement but so far there has been no progress in finding them.

It was a hard night but for most of it I felt in control, not of the situation but of myself. There was always the feeling that if anything extreme had happened I could have been able to react in an extreme way.
As you can imagine, this incident has since left Gabriel looking at his life and personal security in a new way. A few days later, he and his housemates moved out to find new living arrangements. He came to visit me with me a week later to go over what happened to him and understand what he was thinking and feeling prior to, during, and after those nine hours. In most cases, being held hostage requires you to follow your intuition and stick to some basic survival principles, if you want the chance to make it out alive.

In Part II we will explore the mindset needed and some key basics that could help you survive a similar situation.

Again, please be sure to visit Mark Lee's website at www.realworlddefence.com for more information and The Black Belt Blog where you can see more of Mark's writings.

My name is Chris Roberts, CEO of SAFE International.  SAFE International is a leader in self defense in North America.  SAFE has taught more than 100,000 people since 1994 and is available throughout North America.  Please visit our main website at www.safeinternational.biz and our high school self defense site at www.highschoolselfdefense.com

Self Defense Canada - Firearm Instructor Responsibilities: Keep Up With the Science!

July 24, 2011, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA - In this Canada self defense blog, I am thrilled to offer a blog by the SAFE International Director of US Operations, Ryan Fellows.  In this blog Ryan talks about Firearm Instructor Responsibilities and the importance of keeping up with the science.  Ryan Fellows qualifications has earned credentials as an NRA Firearm Instructor, NRA Law Enforcement Firearm Instructor, Range Safety Officer, Israeli Combat Shooting Instructor, Glock Certified Armorer, and Close Quarters Combatives Instructor.

We have all heard the same old arguments about shooting stances and methods for a very long time. Do we teach weaver, isosceles, point shooting versus sight alignment and sight picture.

If we consider all of the latest information available regarding the physiology of stress and how it relates to our bodies during a dynamic critical incident, it seems that we must also evaluate how we teach today's warriors as it relates to stress under fire.

Many studies have shown that when placed under an extreme amount of stress, our bodies will react in a somewhat predictable way to protect itself. Some examples of these reactions are; the startle flinch, tunnel vision (the rise of visual acuity), auditory exclusion, lowering of center of gravity, facing the stimulus (indexing the threat), eyes opening wide (both eyes) to focus on the threat.

It has been since the mid seventies and the beginnings of the dash cam videos that we have been able to see actual shootings and the chaotic way that they play out. It is unrealistic that we see anyone involved actually stand in a perfect weaver stance, focus on the front sights, squinting one eye, and squeeze off a controlled pair. It is shown repeatedly, assailants and officers, shooting seemingly uncontrollably with poor grip on their guns while running backwards towards some sort of cover or at least away from their opponent.

We know that when confronted with a threat, our body is naturally going to lower its center of gravity, orient towards the threat, hands will move up to protect our head, and eyes will both open wide and focus on the threat (the startle flinch). Why then would we train students to blade off thirty degrees from the target and close one eye to focus on the sights. We as Professional Firearm Instructors have a duty to be the most informed people on the training range. We carry such an important load of responsibility when it comes to training people to win an encounter involving firearms.S

 

For more information on all the courses SAFE International offers, please visit www.safeinternational.biz.  You can also email Chris Roberts at chrisroberts@safeinternational.biz

Self Defense Canada - Older Adults/Seniors Featured On Global TV

July 12, 2011, Toronto, Canada - In this Canada self defense blog I would like to offer a video that was featured on Global TV in Toronto, Canada.  This video features Chris Roberts, CEO of SAFE International teaching Older Adults/Seniors self defense.  SAFE International has taught more than 100,000 people self defense since 1994.  SAFE just recently added this more mature segment of our population to their course offerings.  Older adults/seniors are particularly vulnerable.  They are perceived as easy targets due to some of their limited physical capabilities, but they more than make up for it with their smarts.  They appreciated the combination of humor and education and were open to sharing their stories and asking questions.  Thanks to Rob Leth and Jimmy of Global TV for doing a great job with the editing. A special thanks goes out to Sherri Bulmer who organized this four hour seminar for her people at the Central Eglinton Centre.

   

SAFE International self defense is available throughout North America to teach Older Adults/Seniors in retirement homes, condominiums, small/large groups, or privately.  The instructors from SAFE cover all aspects of violence prevention including Awareness/Avoidance, Verbal Defusion, Psychology, as well as Physical Self Defense.  All the participants left this course feeling more confident, in that they are not helpless, and that there are some basic things they can do, to not be chosen as a victim.  Here are just a few of the topics that were covered:

How To Appear Confident

What an Attacker Looks for in Potential Victim

How to Handle Common Scenarios ie  Elevators, Being Followed, Giving Time, Giving Directions, Banking, etc

How Being too Polite can be Dangerous

Vulnerable Areas of Body to Strike

PLUS MUCH, MUCH MORE!

SAFE International is a leader in self defense in North America.  Please visit their main site at www.safeinternational.biz for more information.  SAFE has taught more than 100,000 people since 1994.  Chris Roberts, CEO of SAFE International is also available by email at chrisroberts@safeinternational.biz

 

 

Self Defense Canada - Teaching Older Adults/Seniors Featured In Toronto Star

June 28, 2011, Toronto, Canada - In this Self Defense Canada blog, I would like to offer an article that was on Teaching Self Defense to Older Adults/Seniors that was just featured in the Toronto Star.  SAFE International has had a reputation for teaching high school students, in fact, more than 100,000 of them since 1994.  Recently, SAFE International began teaching Older Adults/Seniors.  This is a segment of the population that is very often ignored in my opinion.  My feeling is that many self defense instructors don't find it as sexy to teach this age group.  Most would rather teach young women and men.  In my opinion, the Older Adults/Seniors are one of the most vulnerable there is and if one is truly interested in reducing violence, they can't ignore this segment.  Here is the article from the Toronto Star on June 28, 2011.

 

 

By Susan Pigg Reporter Toronto Star

It takes just a split second for 74-year-old Anne Lappin to kick into attack mode as the muscular man grabs her from behind.

Her teeth are bared and she's flailing so forcefully that he soon backs away. Then she steps forward to whack him one more time.

“That was the surprise element,” Lappin says later with a laugh. “I think maybe my basic survival instinct was coming through.”

The outburst has left self-defence instructor Chris Roberts shaking his head in shock.

“You wouldn't do that in real life, right, come back at an attacker like that?” he asks Lappin.

“No,” the elderly woman says. “I'd run.”

After teaching self-defence to more than 100,000 high-school students over the past 16 years, Roberts, 46, is now taking on a completely different crowd: seniors.

The instructor for SAFE International is offering what he calls the “preventative skills” of self-defence through a few community centres in Toronto.

Although Roberts comes well protected — the final two sessions of the four one-hour weekly sessions include a little physical interaction — the program is really more about using your brains rather than your brawn.

He stresses avoidance strategies first to protect against potential attackers: walking with confidence, trusting your intuition, not being too polite and always being aware of what's happening around you.

“Seniors are a vulnerable age group. They're very limited in what they can do physically, but most attackers are cowards,” says Roberts. “Just by looking at them, making eye contact, you've made them know that you've seen them and you might start yelling and attracting attention.”

The biggest mistake many seniors make is being too nice, says Roberts. Even if they feel unsafe in an elevator or wary of someone edging in too close for comfort, they tend to be too polite to ask the person to back off or walk away.

In fact, seniors tend to downplay their own fears: One woman at a recent session in North Toronto confessed she knew she was taking a risk walking home through a back alley, but was more afraid of the alternative, the bustling crowds of Yonge St. who might knock her cane and throw her off her feet.

“The most important factor is intuition,” says Roberts. “When you get that gut feeling that something isn't right or feels unsafe, find the quickest exit out of the scenario. Don't question your intuition. It is your sixth sense.”

Body language is key, he says. “Attackers look for people who they perceive to be easy victims

… so walking with purpose and keeping your head up is an easy way to display positive body language.”

Asking for directions or the time are popular ways to distract a senior because they tend to turn their back to show the way or put their head down to look at their watch, Roberts warns.

Bank machines can also leave seniors vulnerable, he says. He advises women to withdraw only small amounts of cash, always during daylight and, if possible, when a friend is along.

If the attack is simply about money or valuables, Roberts says it's best just to hand them over rather than risk getting hurt.

But he arms seniors with a few self-defence tricks, such as grabbing at soft-tissue areas (the eyes and face), to throw the attacker off and give you time to break away.

Sherri Bulmer, coordinator of older adult programs at the Central Eglinton Community Centre on Eglinton Ave. E., asked Roberts to teach the program after seeing a senior seriously hurt by a purse snatcher outside an east-end centre where she used to work.

She was surprised to see the group actually grow over the four weeks as the women — the average age was 77 — raved to friends about the program.

“I wasn't sure what the reaction would be,” says Bulmer. “But I can see now that this is about power and control.”

 

SAFE International is a leader in self defense throughout North America.  You can visit our website at www.safeinternational.biz for more info on our courses.  SAFE International is available to teach women and men of all ages in the corporate, high school, and private settings.  You can also email Chris Roberts directly at chrisroberts@safeinternational.biz