Unarmed Self-Defense Training for Active Shooter Situations: Good Idea���or Not?
Training to defend���unarmed���against a person with a firearm is fairly controversial within self-defense circles. The key objection registered is that, in such a situation, it is unrealistic to expect an unarmed person to be able to effectively disarm or otherwise neutralize an armed threat, and that the only place that ever seems to happen is in the movies. On the other hand, there are those who say that in circumstances where an active shooter clearly appears bent on doing harm, even maximum damage���such as that which is wrought in the cases of mass shootings about which we unfortunately read all-too-frequently���that one should be as well-prepared as possible to try to defeat that threat, because what does he really have to lose in that circumstance?
While there is hardly a uniform, always-valid answer to which is best, I tend to lean more toward the latter philosophy. I believe that one should basically never choose to engage an armed threat if he has no weapon and when it seems apparent that complying with the armed person���s directives will see him emerge from the situation unharmed; however, I also believe that in active shooter situations, where it becomes clear that no amount of compliance will assure anyone���s safety, it is best to be prepared to do what you can so that you at least give yourself a chance at surviving.
This news item from Denver, Colorado���s Fox31 details how one area instructor of Krav Maga, a street-practical self-defense system with roots in the Israeli military, is training local residents to defend themselves against someone with a gun. We will likely see more of this as people recognize that there are now greater numbers of threats posed by people who, again, are simply interested in doing maximum damage, rather than ���merely��� using the threat of being shot as leverage to gain something else, like money.
This said, training as an unarmed person to at least deflect an active shooter threat requires great dedication, great vigilance. While I certainly see value to possessing that skill set, it is one that must be constantly practiced if you plan to ever actually deploy it in a real-life situation, should the need arise. For that matter, the same can be said of any self-defense training in which you engage, including that where your anticipated threat comes from another unarmed person.
On that note, if you would like to devote yourself to some time in learning at least basic, simple-step (relatively) self-defense techniques, then I encourage you to take a look at a great piece of unarmed self-defense instructional material called 15 Brutal Fight Enders. 15 Brutal Fight Enders is a two-DVD set that teaches simple moves designed to quickly and effectively end a street conflict. A wide variety of techniques are demonstrated by a host of quality instructors, including former U.S., Israeli, and Russian military special operators, hall of fame martial artists, even a one-time federal prison inmate. There are so many scenarios and defenses covered that it���s not possible to describe them all in this space, but they include techniques to defend against punches, bear hugs, headlocks���how to respond to an attack using head butts and bites (that���s right, I said bites)���even how to effectively use improvised weapons, including a comb, to defend yourself. The total length of the video trainings is a little over an hour and a half.
Remember, though, that as with any illustrated techniques, their effectiveness for you will correlate largely to the degree to which you devote yourself to ongoing training ��� learning how to execute these techniques effectively once does not mean that you will be able to do so forever, if you do not practice regularly; just something to keep in mind.
Anyway, one of the best features of 15 Brutal Fight Enders is the price - you pay just the cost of shipping. You not only receive the 15 trainings, but four more bonus trainings, as well as another bonus item all about the application of non-verbal cues in a threat environment. Additionally, not only do you receive the physical DVDs, but you also get immediate access to the material through digital downloads, as well. All free, just pick up your own shipping cost ��� Click here to learn more.
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
