It seems as though different people have different ideas about what "survival" encompasses. Go figure.

Mr. Ritter lists a Glock 22 among his "Don't Leave Home Without It" gear for "Leaving the house to travel in the local area".

http://www.equipped.org/onyrown.htm

self defense should absolutely be part of your preps. like most of what we do here, it's one of those "better to have it and not need it" kind of things.
being able to defend yourself unarmed is, to me anyway, greatly preferable to "upping the ante," if for no other reason than pulling a weapon automatically makes the law harder to deal with, and there's always that possibility that your assailant will take your weapon.

in addition, MA training can easily be applied to armed combat.

and the icing on the cake: MA training won't set off the metal detector at the airport.

I just read Cody Lundins chapter on self defense in his book; the combato system sounds exactly like what I was speaking to above....I may actually see if they offer that locally!!

Combato looks to be some form of Fairbairn/Applegate , probably decent stuff although martial artists like Robert W. Smith are not keen on Fairbairn and Applegate.

My advice is to get into some kind of mixed martial arts, Brazilian jiu-jitsu/wrestling/judo and add to it Muay Thai or regular boxing.

My view is the important thing is to get into unrehearsed matches whether that is in the ring or on the mats where your opponent is going out at full strength.

Just realize that in a real confrontation with your adrenaline pumping it will be a different story.

Most martial artists don't understand what the military combatives systems are all about. It's exactly like Oldsoldier pointed out in his first post. The Fairbairn-Sykes-Applegate (FAS) system was originally called "silent killing", and that's just what it is. A way to kill to with bare hands, blade, club or improvised weapon either when you don't have a firearm or cannot use one. It sure as heck isn't for everyone. It takes a specific attitude and you'd better be in good shape but technically, it's simple. Hurting a human being really isn't (and shouldn't be) technically complicated. Crushing the bad guy's face with a rock or the old knee to the groin will always work better than a roundhouse kick to the head that you probably won't ever be able to pull off in a real confrontation even after 10 years or training.

IME the most valuable lesson of the FAS system and all the other methods like it is that actual hand-to-hand fighting is always going to be largely mental first (attitude), then physical (strength, endurance). Whether you can execute a technique perfectly doesn't matter as long as it works. A swing with a baseball bat is going to look primitive to any formal martial artist but as long as it connects, it's what gets the job done. What Fairbairn taught is basically the same thing experienced street thugs have been doing since the dawn of time. Blindside the other guy, distract him then destroy him when he doesn't expect it or is too scared to do anything.



Having done both MMA and boxing I would agree, there are plenty of useful things to be learned there and you'll get in great shape. But again, it's not for everyone and at the end of the day, there's a HUGE difference between the ring and the street. Far more than most combat athletes realize.

Thing thing about combative type systems, is, as has been talked about, they are PRACTICAL. They strip down all of the showy stuff-the things I were taught were brutally simple; essence on brutal. The concept is simple; when attacked, be the aggressor. You fight with everything you have, because your life literally depends on it. One thing to do is keep the guy talking-then strike when he is in mid sentence. Keep on hitting, kicking, whatever, until he is on the ground, not getting up.
Again, it is a brutally effective system, designed for fighting and incapacitating. The idea is that, once down, he doesnt get back up again. You have to have that mindset though; I am potentially going to kill this person. But, he may be wanting to kill you too, so it comes down to who is more aggressive.
Granted, thes situations are EXTREMELY rare in our every day world. But, that one time you need it, hopefully you have it.
Not taking anything away from the martial arts, as I have studied them myself; but, they are largely ineffective in a real fight. Kicking anywhere above the waist is largely a waste of time, unless you get lucky. Particularly to the head. You have to get the distance right. And, if the guy has ANY idea what he is doing, he is JUST outside that range. Besides, once you've taken your stance, you've given yourself away. best to not let someone know you are going to unleash on them-surprise & violence of action should pull you through!

Philip makes some good points.

To deal with the day-to-day, it is prudent for everyone to have some knowledge of self-defense. Outside of this forum, I spend far less time and energy worrying about natural or man-made mass disasters than I do over whether I can walk anywhere after dark without being attacked by a mugger. And in the event I am attacked, what am I willing to hand over without a fuss (i.e. don't carry much cash or other valuables and don't carry them all in one place, such as a purse).

That's daily life in the big inner-city.

I have been attacked twice in the past decade. Walking home from work at 7:00p (winter darkness), paying careful attention to the landscape before me and the pedestrians walking toward me, but oblivious to the guy who was stalking me from his vantage point in the street and behind. When I turned the next corner onto a relatively quiet block, he commenced his charge. The rapidly approaching footsteps suspiciously did not sound like a jogger (of which there are many around here) so I turned around enough to see a 6-foot male wearing a ski mask running at me.

Training from an NRA "Refuse to be a Victim" course I'd taken several years before kicked in. What saved me was the instruction to yell "FIRE!" "FIRE!" "FIRE!" when seeking help in such an attack situation. Don't merely scream.

Another lesson from that course that aided me was having gotten in the habit of walking with my purse or bag next to a fence or wall. Makes it harder for purse-snatchers.

In this instance, the attacker was delayed in trying to get my purse and in that time several people came to my aid -- running out of houses and, in one case, a pedestrian who I had passed and who had been suspicious that I was being stalked had already started back toward me and came running when he saw the guy come down the block after me and after I started yelling. The perp ran off and was not caught and was presumed to be attempting a smash-and-grab. Fortunately for me, he did not threaten with a weapon.

These perps are predators. I've had several friends over the years who have been walking down the sidewalk, usually after dark, when a car stops and one or two guys hustles over to them and puts a gun in their face. You're out of luck in that situation -- especially in a city so extremely intolerant of self-defense with firearms.

As important as self-defense training is, getting training in how to avoid being in such a situation to begin with is at least as critical. Toward that end, I highly recommend taking the National Rifle Association's Refuse to be a Victim course. They instruct in auto security, personal security, home security, etc. By the way, the course has nothing whatsoever to do with guns. And it has nothing to do with armageddon scenarios. I arranged for multiple Refuse to be a Victim seminars to be conducted in and for my entire office building.

http://www.nrahq.org/RTBAV/

Improve your personal safety strategies with NRA's Refuse To Be A Victim® Program.

Experts agree that the single most important step toward ensuring your personal safety is making the decision to refuse to be a victim. That means that you must have an overall personal safety strategy in place before you need it.

Through a three to four hour seminar (shorter presentations are available) called Refuse To Be A Victim®, you can learn the personal safety tips and techniques you need to avoid dangerous situations and avoid becoming a victim. Hundreds of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials across the country have implemented Refuse To Be A Victim® into their crime prevention and community policing initiatives.

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Home Security
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Technological Security


P.S. the second time I was attacked I was in the back of my Honda Element at 10:00p on a Sunday night getting the last of the camping gear out after a weekend trip. A side window exploded in my face. Across the street were a dozen gang-bangers, displaced by police blockades that weekend in their usual territory. I reacted imprudently, losing my temper and storming out of the car to stand in the middle of the street and unleash an extended R-rated tirade that I would not have thought I was capable of. If I'd had a gun, you'd have all been reading about my arrest and trial. I'd have outdone Bernard Goetz. As it was, the youths - a dozen males - stood speechless as I verbally unloaded on them. I think they were startled by the crazy witch in the middle of the street and wondered if I might just fire back.

Foolish, perhaps. But somewhat therapeutic.

That's good information and darn funny to boot Dagny. Very glad to hear that you escaped none the worse for wear.

To me this just reinforces why responisble, law abiding citizens should not be denied the right to own, possess, and carry firearms for self-defense. That being said, if you do own one, don't rely on passing the qualification on the CCW or CCL courses. Compared to LEO courses they are pretty under par, and it is important to practice safety and marksmanship with your firearm. It is also important to understand and be able to effectively and quickly use the holstering system you choose that works for you.

If you own just one firearm, understand it intimately. What are it's capabilities? What type of ammunition are you using, FMJ's (Full metal jacekts) tend to have overpenetration issues in urban settings than JHP's (jacketed hollow points) for instance. Know how to load and unload it safely. Know how to disassemble and clean it for reliability.

The Second Amendment is a right for all citizens. Proper use of that firearm is a responsibility.

You said a mouthful. I wonder what percentage of CCW holders have never even fired their CCW. I go shooting all the time, at least every other weekend. I know exactly what my carry ammo (.45acp 230-grain jacketed hollowpoints) will and won't penetrate. I know exactly what kind of damage they will cause.

And I can pretty much break down my .45 with my eyes closed. Another thing that most people don't think about is this: if you've never fired it, how do you know if the sights are correctly aimed, or how much kick to expect?

A person who's never fired their gun may be expecting to follow through with an instantaneous second shot after their first shot. Not knowing how much recoil to expect can cause a big problem in that scenario.

Also, make sure to test your carry ammo when shooting. If you always practice with FMJ's, then carry JHP's every day, you might be in for a surprise if your gun chooses not to feed the particular brand of JHP's you've chosen. When you're faced with an attacker is NOT the time to find this out. My .45 will not feed Winchester Bonded PDX1 ammo, which was the first ammo I tried out. But it feeds Remington Golden Saber's flawlessly, every time. It seems to be caused by the shape of the bullet's nose and the feed ramp angle.