When All Hell Breaks Loose (91 page)

It's important that you are frightened for your life, and that you feel that you're going to be seriously harmed or killed if you don't take action. This needs to be made clear to the authorities. So if you are asked if you were afraid of this person, of course you were afraid of the person—drop the macho nonsense.

CODY:
Will the elderly or women have any easier time, so to speak, in the courtroom compared to some 300-pound body builder?

PROFESSOR BRYANS:
I would have to say no. An elderly person could successfully defend himself and when questioned by the authorities say, "I wasn't afraid of these punks for a moment, they got what they deserved!" The police will have no choice at this point but to arrest the elderly person because there was no perception of fear.

CODY:
So what you say when the authorities show up is vitally important.

PROFESSOR BRYANS:
Yes, and if someone ends up seriously hurt, you have every right to ask for legal counsel and not talk until you have someone who will advise you about what to say. Unfortunately, that's the system we live in.

CODY:
So that gives credence to the Combato system of relaxed ready, too, doesn't it, because it's totally nonthreatening. If someone looked up from a crowd at a defender with their hands up, angled off, and they were saying, "Hey, I don't want any problem with you," that would be good from a legal aspect and yet that person is totally wired and ready to defend himself if necessary. Would you agree with that?

PROFESSOR BRYANS:
Yes, I would completely agree with that.

CODY:
This is primarily a home-based book on self-reliance, but the chances are high that at some point a member of the family will need to travel to another location, whether to get supplies or to evacuate because of a disaster. That said, what about dealing with a carjacking?

PROFESSOR BRYANS:
First, understand that approaching your vehicle, being in your vehicle, and leaving your vehicle are all vulnerable times and should be minimized during times of unrest. Also, recognizing this fact should make you more aware during times of travel involving an automobile.

There are some rules for traveling. Whenever you are approaching your parked car, spot-check your vehicle before opening the door. Look behind the driver's seat to make sure no one is in the vehicle. If there is, escape immediately—do not confront the person—and call the police. The second you get into the vehicle, lock the door and then start the engine. Always maintain your vehicle, which is just common sense, and make sure you have at least a half tank of gas. Gas up at convenient times when it's safe to do so, such as in the daytime.

Should you ever discover that you're being followed, do not stop your vehicle. Keep driving. If you know the location of a police station, go there. Once you arrive, place your hand on the horn and keep blasting it until you get results from the police. Blasting the horn if you're being followed while you continue to drive is an excellent strategy in general, as it will attract attention. Never drive to your home if you're being tailed, leading whoever is following you to your home.

A carjacker is a potentially lethal assailant, and alertness is the key to avoiding the situation in the first place. Whenever you are stopped at a red light or a stop sign, stay alert to anyone who is approaching your vehicle. If someone approaches, drive away immediately. If an attacker, or a group of attackers, is in front of the vehicle, run him, or them, over.

CODY:
What if someone wants to know more? Does the Combato system have any books or training information?

PROFESSOR BRYANS:
Yes. There's an excellent magazine that Professor Steiner puts out each month called
Close Quarters
. The carjacking information we just talked about came from
Close Quarters
Volume 2, Issue 12, as an example. Our Web site has all the contact information regarding the magazine as well as courses at www.americancombato.com.

The most important attribute necessary to defend yourself is
attitude
, more specifically, the combative mind-set. The individual possessing this will "attack the attacker."

Techniques for self-defense must be simple, easy to learn and use, and able to knock out the attacker.

Be alert to what is going on around you. If something seems "off," leave the area. If this is not possible and you are approached, go to the relaxed-ready position, keep the individual(s) out of arm's reach, and be ready to attack and destroy the attacker if he (they) attack.

Striking the attacker is highly effective. Four good natural weapons are the hand-axe (chop), the chin-jab smash, the side kick to the knee, and the fingertip thrust.

The general attack zones for striking the attacker are the band, the line, and the kicking triangle.

Once you attack,
always follow up
. Keep on hitting, tearing, ripping, smashing, and cutting as you attack, attack,
attack!

Use any item at hand (improvised weapons) to bolster the attack.

No sparring. When practicing, attack into strike pads or dummies.