Physical assaults often begin with verbal assaults. Holistic self-defense begins way before a physical attack. It includes avoidance and de-escalation to defuse threats, including verbal aggression. Many people deal with verbal aggression on a fairly regular basis. They are much more likely to need de-escalation skills than physical self-defense skills. Verbal attacks may range from minor arguments with kids, partners, or colleagues to major verbal assaults such as road range. Verbal assault de-escalation skills thus are not only crucial for traditional self-defense situations, they’ll also se ..read more

Every victim of violence that survives says that she had a bad feeling, says our coach, Tony Blauer. Fear that is unexplored, not managed, can lead to self-doubt, hesitation, delay, inaction, and damage. Fear management is crucial in self-defense situations, as well as in everyday life. Over the years, I have changed my relationship with fear, and that has served me much better. For example, a while ago, I used F*CK Fear and went climbing, and it was so much fun. I encourage you to also use fear as an ally, as a friend, not a foe. Let’s explore these concepts more: In the SPEAR ® PDR system ..read more

When criminals test a potential victim’s boundaries verbally, they often engage in criminal interviewing. This is one interview that you want to fail. Criminal interviews take many different forms. They may be verbal or physical. A man who bumps into you on a sidewalk, where he had plenty of room to walk around you, may be testing your reaction. Are you polite but firm and self-secure? Or do you avert your eyes and mutter an apology even though he was at fault? Some boundary testing is done in more subtle ways. For instance, a new acquaintance may buy you a drink at a bar even though you said ..read more

Behavioral medicine, neuroscience, and evolution all support mindfulness as an essential foundation for effective self-protection. Risk awareness and violence avoidance, as well as effective defense and counter-attacks, are all grounded in mindfulness. What is mindfulness? The essence of mindfulness is to be fully present in the here and now – to perceive the present reality without bias, preconception, judgment, or projection. Simple, right? It isn’t simple for me. Even though I teach mindfulness in my self-defense classes, I’m easily distracted. I’m often preoccupied with thoughts about the ..read more

"The will to win compares little with the will to prepare to win." Coach Tony Blauer, referencing coach Bear Bryant who is quoted as having said, "It's not the will to win that matters - everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters." Similarly, Bobby Knight is quoted as saying, "Most have the will to win, few have the will to prepare to win." The message is: You have to train. You can't expect to be at your best in an ambush without training. But the good news is that you can learn fairly quickly the basics of how to convert your body's instinctual primal reactions into tact ..read more

One reason I feel so good about teaching the Blauer Tactical SPEAR ® personal protection system is that SPEAR lessons are applicable way beyond what’s traditionally considered self-defense. I divide my time between Patagonia, Chile, and Montana, USA. In both countries, I spend a lot of time hiking, biking, skiing, and boating. On a recent hike on Glaciar Exploradores in Patagonia, my team and I practiced applying WIN (What’s Important Now), which is a crucial self-defense strategy.             If you are worrying what the bad guy (or fall ..read more

What do you associate with fear? Grizzly bear tracks or a rattlesnake on your hiking trail? Riding the subway? A masked intruder breaking into your apartment? Your violent ex-partner? Meeting with your boss or co-workers to discuss a project that’s not going well? People used to boast about having no fear. In the late 1980’s, there was even a clothing line with the brand name, No Fear. But fear is actually a gift and denying fear can be  dangerous and doesn’t serve us. I changed my relationship with fear when I first read Gavin De Becker’s book, The Gift of Fear. I began to view and respe ..read more

Want to get more efficient reacting to threats? Think training and myelinogenesis. Myelinogenesis can enhance your nervous system so that you will react faster, potentially 3000 times faster. Myelinogenesis motivates me to train as much as I can with my Blauer Tactical Systems training community. I love our sessions because they are truly brain-based and holistic, applying not only to traditional self-defense but enhancing our well-being in everyday life - personal relationships, work, and play. Brain-based training is a fascinating subject. We dive into physiology, physics, and psychology and ..read more

Setting boundaries is an important self-defense skill. All property crimes and all violent crimes are boundary violations. But for most people, the most relevant and most important self-care and self-protection skills are setting and respecting sound boundaries in everyday life.  We have physical, mental, and emotional comfort zones and boundaries. So do other people. The more mindful we are of our own healthy boundaries and of those of others, the easier we will move through life. But let’s start with human predators and with emotion-driven aggressors.    Predatory and emotion ..read more

February was teen dating violence awareness month. But dating violence isn’t limited to February. According to loveisrespect.org, nationwide1 in 3 young people report having experienced physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Nearly 43% of college students report violent or abusive dating behaviour. Loveisrespect.org published some great resources for teens that you might want to check out. The site has articles on healthy relationships, boundaries, and red flags, as well as quizzes and other interactive features. For example there’s a really good quiz on the spectrum of healthy, unhealthy, and ..read more