THE ROAD TO HEAVEN…

This is my first blog that I am writing since joining ACT Personal Safety, a company that specialises in training individuals on "how to read a hostile situation and apply your personal, pre-determined strategy to firstly reduce your risk of attack and ultimately, how to survive one should it happen to you…" (source: www.personalsafety.co.za ). Our very motto is, "proactive strategies for hostile confrontations". With this in mind one would expect this blog to be written about the many crimes that we as South Africans face each day, such as murder, attempted murder, assault,

rape, robbery, etc.  However, this blog is going to be on a lesser glamorised crime - road crimes.

These are crimes committed by everyday people on roads that results in motor accidents, and at times, death. These are crimes like driving under the influence of alcohol; reckless driving; driving without a licence; speeding; and yes this includes (thank you SA taxis): jumping red traffic lights; skipping stop signs; driving on the wrong side of the road; or not even driving on the roads!

Unfortunately, the majority of South African drivers are guilty of one or more of these road crimes mentioned above. And it shows in our road fatalities - The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) reported that for the year 2014 to 2015, 4500 people died on South African roads (1).

Fortunately, there are indications from news reports that this year’s road fatalities have decreased (2). Ironically, it was this past Easter weekend that a friend lost his life in a tragic motor accident in Cape Town. This further brought on memories of other dear friend’s parents that were involved in a head-on collision whilst traveling to Johannesburg over the Easter period again a number of years ago. That resulted in the death of his mother and his father being severely injured.

It all seems so senseless as it was an "accident", yet the severity of the consequences impacts on so many lives in so many ways. In the case of my friends, that would mean not being able to grow old with his wife and 2 children; or being able to share special bonding moments between a grandmother and her grandchildren. It all too depressing to face, yet the cold-hard reality of it just hits you in the face like a chilly Atlantic Sea breeze.

I can't claim to be an expert on motor safety on the roads; however, based on my experience as a driver in a country that averages over 12 deaths A DAY due to road accidents, here are 6 suggestions on how to prevent becoming another tragic motor accident statistic:

1. Just because a traffic light (aka in South Africa as a "robot") is green, don't assume it's safe to cross it - be vigilant when driving through as more and more drivers are recklessly jumping red robots during traffic periods (and it's not just the taxis).

2. Same applies at STOP streets. Wait a split-second or more and observe what’s happening around you before proceeding.

3. Stop fondling your phone, iPod or girl/boyfriend whilst driving. Stays focused and concentrate on your driving. We may live in a time of multi-tasking, but for crying out loud, do it safely (like when the car is stationery and parked in a secured garage). 

4. Speeding. We all do it. But really, we need to change the way that we think and do things. If we are running late and in a hurry, don't speed for the sake of making up for some lost time. Take it as a sign that perhaps we just need to leave EARLIER in future.  That saying of "speed kills" really does ring a horrible truth. Making up some time while driving could mean losing the rest of your time on this earth. 

5.  Drinking and driving doesn’t go well together. We have some reliable 3rd party services out there such as Goodfellas and Uber than can assist in getting you home safely. As a safer option, prior to a party-night that would result in some heavy drinking, you could arrange with a trustworthy NON-DRINKING family member or friend to help get you home safely. 

6. We can't control the way other people drive around us, but we can control ourselves. They may drive like idiots, jump red robots and/or speed excessively, but that doesn't mean we should too. I am not saying don't get angry and/or feel as if a great injustice has been done to you. Not at all!  I say feel those feelings, but unless your life, or the life of your loved ones is at risk, don't act on them. Too many fatalities have been caused by "accidental" irrational actions. So, the next time a taxi cuts you off - Get upset. Scream some profanities. Throw a mental bird. Take a deep breath. Wait for a split-second or two. Proceed safely on your merry way.

These are suggestions that work for me. Perhaps you can think of a few that will work for you. 

Regardless, the point is to think about it now. Make those decisions on matters that would affect the well-being of you and loved ones. Make a plan to ensure those decisions are not just mental notes that will soon be forgotten. Then, start putting that plan into action by practising it in your daily life.

Be safe out there.  Till next time.

Warren Ho

ACT Branch Owner

www.personalsafety.co.za

References:

(1) http://ewn.co.za/2015/09/11/RTMC-report-reveals-shocking-SA-road-death-stats

(2) http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/62-drop-in-easter-road-death-toll-2001745

This blog post is dedicated to Luke K. who tragically passed away over the Easter weekend of 2016. Stars fall from the sky but every now and again, a star returns to the Heavens. Rest in peace, my friend. You will be missed but never forgotten. 

Child Abduction - What Every Parent Should Know...

Attempted child kidnapping or abductions have been in the media recently. In the past week alone, I have come across 3 attempted kidnappings in the Pretoria area alone.  

Take a look at this attempted kidnapping in Pretoria, South Africa on 7 July 2014:

In this footage, you will notice how brazen the abductors have become by turning their trade in broad daylight and in a public area.

According to South Africa’s Missing Persons Bureau, in 2013, a child went missing every five hours in South Africa. This adds up to a total of 1697 missing children in 2013. Fortunately, according to Missing Children South Africa (MCSA) statistics, 77% of children are found. Sadly, this still leaves us with at least 23% of the children not being located.

MCSA is an organization that is dedicated to creating greater awareness of missing children in South Africa and aims to support the South African Police Service (SAPS )as effectively as possible when a child goes missing.

In their reports, they group the reasons that children go missing into 5 categories: Runaways; getting lost; parental abduction; stranger abduction and unknown.

Although all 5 categories are of equal importance, the focus of this blog will be on “stranger abduction”, where the child is taken from the parents/guardians care without their permission, by somebody not known by the family.

People kidnap children for various reasons:

• Cannot have children of their own;
• Lost their own child;
• Reason for revenge;
• Financial benefit;
• Human Trafficking (sex, drugs, etc.)

According to the International Labour Organisation it is estimated that 1.2 million children are trafficked each year. Furthermore, 32 billion dollars profit is generated annually from Human Trafficking.

Although MCSA states clearly in their reports that their figures are only based on cases reported to MCSA and do not reflect all the cases reported to SAPS, due to a lack of other empirical data, we will assume that their figure is a representation of the South African environment.  In their June 2015 media release, the estimated number of stranger abductions was 1.27% of all the missing children. 

Using the 2013 figure of 1697 missing children (assuming there has been no increase, however, chances are they have been), this translates to approximately 22 cases of abductions by a stranger.

To put in perspective, the “UK Child Abduction Hub“reported a total of 58 cases of abductions by a stranger per in their 2014/2015 findings.

However, even more shocking is the US data: according to “Child Find of America”, in 1999, 2300 children went missing every day in the United States or approximately 840 000 children per year. Of this figure, 58 200 were under the stranger abductions category. This translates to almost 160 children abductions per day!

Should we want to translate those figures into comparable ratios (by dividing the total number per annum by the total population of each country, then multiplying by 100 000), the ratio of abductions by a stranger per 100 000 people are:

• South Africa:  3.2
• UK:  0.1
• USA:  18.3

Although, these ratios may show that we (South Africa) may not be the highest of the pool, there is growing concerns as these child abductions appear to be on the increase lately (as per the news reports).  In fact, according to Crime Stats SA, kidnapping as  crime category has been on a sharp increase since 2008.  Unfortunately, it is not possible to know what percentage of this trend is related to children only.

To see how easily a child can be manipulated into going away with a stranger, watch this video clip of a social experiment done in America where the hosts attempts to draw the child away using a puppy.

What can be done to prevent your child from being abducted? 

“Child Find of America” suggests 10 Ways to Protect Your Child:

1. Tell your child about the abduction problem in a calm, simple way as if teaching any other important coping skill.
2. By age five, your child should know the names for private parts of the body, know the difference between "good touch" and "bad touch."
3. Teach your child his or her full name, address, telephone number (including area code), and how to dial  "911" for help or "0" for operator (the South African equivalents would be the SAPS, “10111”, or cell phone helpline, “112”).
4.  Keep your child in sight at all times.  Most abduction occurs within a few blocks of the victim's home - even their own front yard - when the child is left alone and unsupervised (although not as applicable in South Africa, our shopping centres/malls seems to be the abductors’ preferred target areas).
5. Adults rarely ask children for directions or help.  Teach your child that if this happens, they should ignore the person asking and go home or to another safe place.
6. Teach your child that a stranger is anyone they don't know well.  Strangers can be kind and friendly, but they are still strangers.
7. Do not purchase clothing or school supplies with your child's name on them.  Knowing a child's name is a way for an abductor to establish a rapport with a child.
8. Teach your child that it is okay to run away and scream if someone is making them do something they don't want to do.  They should then go and tell you or a trusted adult what happened.
9. Never leave your child alone in a car or unattended in a supermarket or shopping mall. Teach your child to go to the nearest store clerk for help if you get separated.
10. Take head-and-shoulder photos of your child at least once a year.

Furthermore, some great advice from a South Africa, organisation, Advance Conflict Training (ACT), is to create age appropriate games and give each game a name. The name will trigger the safety habit that you want your child to remember. For example the "Safe Word" game. Have the child make up a safe word that you can give to friends who may pick your child up from school. Roll play the "Safe Word" game with your child (i.e. pretend that you have come to pick him/ her up from school). Make up a convincing reason for you having to pick up the child but pretend you don't know the Safe Word. Your child should refuse to go with you. Play this game regularly using different stories and sometimes giving them the Safe Word.

Lastly, at a recent event, I taught a group of school children aged between 7 and 12 years old the “You’re a STRANGER, I’m in DANGER!” song.  A simple, fun, and effective song-based method that teaches a child how to identify a stranger; how to use their voice and words as a deterrent; how to execute some effective self-defence techniques; how to report the incident and; how to escape the immediate threat.

All this can be taught in this simple song:

 “You’re a STRANGER, I’m in DANGER!

I’ll scream and shout

I’ll kick and run

I’ll tell someone

I’ll dial “10111”

Agggggggg (Run and scream as loudly as possble)”

Watch the “You’re a Stranger, I’m in Danger!” song:

Keep your children safe out there.

Till next time.

Get EDUCATED. Feel EMPOWERED. Live a FULLY-ENGAGED life.

Warren Ho

Founder of Defence Unlimited

www.defence-unlimited.com

Defence Unlimited offers self-defence programs to groups both large and small that are topic-specific that cater for beginner and experienced practitioners alike. Our programs and workshops will leave you educated, empowered, and ready to live a happier and fully-engaged life!

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References:

Missing Children South Africa (MCSA) is an organization that is dedicated to creating greater awareness of missing children in South Africa and aims to support the South African Police Service (SAPS )as effectively as possible when a child goes missing.  www.missingchildren.org.za

UK Child Abduction Hub is a national hub for information on child abduction, which is operated by Parents and Abducted Children Together (PACT). www.childabduction.org.uk

Child Find of America Inc. is a national not-for-profit organization that provides professional services designed to prevent and resolve child abduction and the family conflicts that can lead to abduction and abuse. www.childfindofamerica.org

Advance Conflict Training (ACT) offers comprehensive personal protection programs include Corporate Programs, Women’s Safety Programs, Family Safety Programs and Kid’s Safety Programs. www.advancedconflict.com

CHILD ABDUCTION (Social Experiment) - Child Predator by JoeySalads: https://youtu.be/gGIDHrYKJ2s

Attempted Kidnapping in Pretoria, South Africa 7 July 2014 by Crime Watch: https://youtu.be/ay8QIFFnAgk

Crime Stats SA: http://www.crimestatssa.com

News reports:

http://citizen.co.za/849027/attempted-kidnappings-rock-pretoria/

http://rekordeast.co.za/69755/yet-more-attempted-child-kidnappings/

https://www.issafrica.org/pubs/CrimeQ/No.14/Pharoah.htm

Population figures used for the ratio calculations (as per the World Bank):

SA 52.98 million (2013)
UK 64.1 million (2013)
USA 318.9 million (2014

MOB MENTALITY & VIOLENCE: WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET CAUGHT UP IN ONE

Last week, the South African tertiary education student protested against the proposed fee increases. This week, we saw the marching of thousands of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) supporters to the SA Reserve Bank, the Chamber of Mines, and the US Consulate in Johannesburg to put through various demands. Although they have been mainly peaceful, there have been a few cases of looting and public disruption that has been a cause for concern. The concern is that protests such as these can very easily turn violent very quickly. Given our turbulent past, as well as the latest crime statistics, violence is something that we as South Africans have become very accustomed too.  We shed a bit more light on group/crowd/mob mentality, as well as what to do when we come across one. The terms group, crowd and mob will be used interchangeably in this post.

By definition, a group of people is a number of people that are located, gathered or classed together. A crowd is a large number of people gathered in a disorganised or unruly manner. A mob is a large crowd of people, especially one that is disorderly and intent on causing trouble or violence.

Groups can generate a sense of emotional excitement, which can lead to the provocation of behaviours that a person would not typically engage in if alone.  Think of sporting events when the crowd cheers for their team, or boo in unison against the opposition. Many would not do either of these activities on their own; however, because the greater majority is doing so, they feel it is ok to participate in the activity.

A study from the University of Leeds found that it takes only about 5 percent of a crowd to influence the group’s direction, with the other 95 percent following without even realizing what they are doing. There are situations when mob mentality can be a good thing, such as in disasters or other emergencies when large groups of people need to be moved but communication is difficult. However, by the same mechanism, rioting, looting and violence can be triggered by a small number of people.

People tend not to loot and act violently alone. Mob mentality, also known as “de-individualization”, allows people to hide in anonymity, which is why violence and riots are most likely to happen in large groups. People tend to not feel responsible when “everyone is doing it.”

De-individualization is also known as a loss of self-awareness. When people de-individuate, they are less likely to follow normal restraints and inhibitions and more likely to lose their sense of individual identity.

Three psychological theories address crowd behaviour.

First is Contagion Theory, proposes that crowds exert a hypnotic influence on their members that results in irrational and emotionally charged behaviour often referred to as crowd frenzy.

Second is Convergence Theory that argues the behaviour of a crowd is not an emergent property of the crowd but is a result of like-minded individuals coming together.  If it becomes violent is not because the crowd encouraged violence yet rather people wanted it to be violent and came together in a crowd.

Third is Emergent-Norm Theory that combines the two above arguing that a combination of liked-minded individuals, anonymity and shared emotions leads to crowd behaviour. Emergent Norm Theory is related to how many people are involved. It is much more unlikely that someone will get caught if they are doing something in a crowd of 500 than if there are only two people doing it.

Todd Fuist, a Western sociology professor, says if there is no crowd there is no riot. He also says that the reaction of authorities has an effect on the brutality of the crowd’s actions. Resistance from authorities causes resistance in return.

Violent crowds, or mobs, have no respect for society or their victims, however, according to US Forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Michael Welner, they are selfish enough to be sensitive to shaming themselves or their loved ones.

There are some group characteristics that increase the likelihood of violence, such as group size and physical anonymity -  First, many people believe they cannot be held responsible for violent behaviour when part of a mob because they perceive the violent action as the group’s (e.g., “everyone was doing it”) rather than their own behaviour. When in a large group, people tend to experience a diffusion of responsibility. Typically, the bigger a mob, the more its members lose self-awareness and become willing to engage in dangerous behaviour.  Second, physical anonymity also leads to a person experiencing fewer social inhibitions.  When people feel that their behaviour cannot be traced back to them, they are more likely to break social norms and engage in violence. 

So, what should you do if you come across a mob? Here are 10 mob survival tips that you could consider when faced with one:

1. Remain calm. Mobs bring intense emotions boiling to the surface, but if you want to survive one you'd be better off keeping your own emotions in check. Your adrenaline and survival instincts will kick in, but strive to think rationally and pursue safety methodically.

2. Keep your loved ones close. Sticking together with your loved ones should be your first priority. The second is finding a way out.

3. Don't get involved. If you're caught in a mob, the last thing you want to do is try to take sides, help out, or stand out. In fact, you should stand out as little as possible as you move to the outside of the mob and away from the action. To do this, stay close to the walls and other barriers, though avoid bottlenecks, or any areas where a lot of people are squeezing through a small space.

4. Avoid All Law Enforcement. This seems counter intuitive; however, the police have no way of knowing whether you’re a threat or someone who just got caught up in the chaos, so rather avoid them if possible.

5. Move away from the mob as calmly as possible but go with the flow. If you're on foot, you should move away by going with the flow of foot traffic, not against it. If you go against the flow, you're much more likely to stand out, to get stampeded, or just to get pushed or blocked. Think of the crowd as a large raging river. The best way to get out of a river is to swim with the current and slowly make your way to the edge. The same is true when stuck in the middle of a crowd. If you feel that you may fall down in the big crowd and get trampled, use your elbows to push down on the crowd so that it carries you. Though you may want to run for your life, you should move calmly and relatively slowly.

7. Move to a safe enclosed area. Mobs most commonly happen outside on the streets, not inside buildings. Just by moving inside a sturdy and controlled building, you can protect yourself from the brunt of a mob.

8. Don't use weapons unnecessarily. If you are armed with a weapon of some sort, think twice about pulling it out in the middle of a riot. A weapon can cause the mob to turn on you and overpower you, even if you have a lethal weapon. Only consider using your weapon if you are being directly attacked or targeted. Use unarmed self-defence techniques only when required.

If you are in a vehicle, here are some additional precautions:

9. Avoid heavy-traffic areas. To maximize your chances of safety, you should avoid the areas that are most likely to be crowded and show stay off the beaten path so you don't put yourself in a dangerous situation. Even if the heavy-traffic areas are your quickest path home, they won't be safest path if they are the targets of any violent mobs.

10. Drive appropriately. Unless your car is the focus for the angry mob in the riot, you should stay in the car and continue driving as calmly as possible. Try to keep to the streets that are clear of mobs, and avoid the main roads that are more likely to be occupied. Keep moving forward and don't stop to assess the situation. If someone tries to block your car, honk your car and keep driving until he gets out of the way (of course, this doesn't mean you should hit the person.) Drive at moderate speed so they have time to back off and realize that you mean business.

11. Stay informed. Use the social media to alert you as to where to stay away from, as well as the local radio and news. Messages informing you of which streets and areas are currently being targeted provide you with instantaneous warnings of where to avoid.

To conclude, group/crowd/mob mentality is a very powerful force that many normal, law-abiding citizens have been seduced into doing things they would not normally do, such as looting, public disruption and inciting violence. We, as self-defence practitioners, need to not only safe-guard ourselves against the allure of joining this force, but to also ensure that we are adequately prepared, should the crowd's discipline deteriorate and we get caught up in the middle of it. 

Till next time, be safe out there.

Get EDUCATED. Feel EMPOWERED. Live a fully-ENGAGED life.

A special report of the South African 2014/2015 Crime Statistics is still available to download here:  http://infinitydefence.com/freespecialreport-sa-crime-stats-2014-2015b/

Resources:

"Mob Mentality: Why They Riot":http://guardianlv.com/2014/08/mob-mentality-why-they-riot/ 

"The Psychology of Mob Mentality and Violence": http://www.drwendyjames.com/the-psychology-of-mob-mentality-and-violence/

"Examining the Mob Mentality": http://source.southuniversity.edu/examining-the-mob-mentality-31395.aspx

http://www.wikihow.com/Survive-a-Riot 

https://autreys.wordpress.com/2013/08/05/how-do-you-survive-a-flash-mob-or-riot/

http://offgridsurvival.com/riots/

http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/surviving-the-flash-mob

http://guardianlv.com/2014/08/mob-mentality-why-they-riot/

To see some of the protesting crowds in South Africa for the last 2 weeks:

http://www.thesouthafrican.com/watch-protesting-uct-students-raid-dining-hall-help-themselves-to-others-food-video/

A student confronts UCT protesters about white privileges: https://www.facebook.com/IOLnews/videos/10154259705143625/

National protests against student fees begins: https://youtu.be/8yCC8H4DA-4

http://www.news24.com/Live/SouthAfrica/News/WATCH-Protesting-Wits-education-students-march-to-occupy-medical-campus-20151020

http://www.news24.com/Live/SouthAfrica/News/Protesting-UCT-students-tell-Mmusi-Maimane-to-leave-20151020

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/National-protests-against-student-fees-20151021

EFF March: https://youtu.be/swCYjkGzTdI

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/LIVE-EFF-marches-in-Sandton-20151027

WHY IS SOUTH AFRICAN CRIME SO VIOLENT?

"A violent offender who engages in armed violence presents the danger to others, and is what gives the current epidemic of violent crime in SA its most malevolent edge."

The South African 2014/2015 crime statistics were released on 29 September 2015 by the South African Police Service (SAPS).

Murder, as defined by the South African law as the unlawful and intentional killing of another human being, had increased yet again. There were a total of 17805 murders over the period 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015. This translates to almost 49 murders per day. 

Furthermore, there were almost as many attempted murder cases (17537), the unlawful act with the intention of killing another human being but which does not result in the death of that human being, which in turn works out to 48 people per day.

To put it into perspective with the rest of the world, the murder rate per 100 000 was 33, five times higher than the 2013 global average of 6,2 murders per 100 000. In 2012, the South African murder rate per 100 000 was 31. 

For other countries, the murder rates indicators are (as per the World Banks's 2012 data) as follows:

- Australia (1,1)

- Brazil (25,2)

- UK (1)

- New Zealand (0.9)

- SIngaore (0.2)

- USA (4.7)

The reason this murder rate indicator is so important is that the murder number reported is probably close to the actual number committed and is an indicator of a country’s stability – the higher it is, the less stable a country is likely to be.

This high murder rate and attempted murder rate is an indication of the deadly violence used in SA crime.

But why is this so?

In February 2007 the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation was asked by the South African government to carry out a study on the violent nature of crime in South Africa. The study resulted in the production of seven reports completed over the period June 2007 to April 2009. Out of those reports, 5 main reasons were established:

1. A problem of armed violence linked to a subculture of violence and criminality. 

Many young men in South Africa have resorted to a "criminal career" that ranges from individual rapists and robbers, to being part of a larger crime syndicate or groups. Furthermore, in order to maintain credibility in this "profession", they have to resort to using extreme violence when carrying out their crime, very often with a weapon of sort (a knife and/or gun).

2. Inequality, poverty, unemployment, social exclusion and marginalisation. 

Unfortunately, many of these social issues are still very prominent within the South African society. Research has shown that societies with high levels of inequality tend to have high levels of violence, and hence directly increases the rate of crime.

3. Vulnerability of young people linked to inadequate child rearing and poor youth socialization. 

The childhood experiences of many children and young people in South Africa involve multiple levels of adversity including poverty, unstable living arrangements, absent, indifferent or violent fathers and alcohol or other substance abusive parents or relatives. Research has shown that these conditions could increase a child's probability of become involved in criminality and violence later on in life.

4. Perceptions and values related to violence and crime. 

Over the years, due to political and social issues, South African's have become very ambivalent towards crime and the law. Furthermore, perhaps due to the frequency of violence in our communities, a belief has come about that violence is a necessary and justified means of resolving conflict or other difficulties.

5. Reliance on the Criminal Justice System (CJS). 

There has been a heavy reliance on the CSJ, which has unfortunately become plagued with inefficiency and corruption. Because of this, the SA prisons are not conducive for criminal rehabilitation; they worsen the behaviour of the inmates and consolidate their place in a criminal network.

On point 4, Dr Chandre Gould, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), further clarifies that because of the South African political history, there was little reason prior to 1994 that South Africans would respect the law. This was because the law were unjust and intended to entrench white domination. In addition, the security forces, particularly the police, were used by the state to ensure that all South Africans lived in in fear of the state, regardless of their race.

Dr Goud further states that while our laws have substantially changed for the better post 1994 as our Constitution protects the rights of all South Africans and establishes the principle that all are treated equally before the law, in practice this has been very difficult to achieve. It would seem that those with access to wealth and power have greater privileges in a court of law than those who don't.

Unfortunately, violence and crime in South Africa seem to go hand in hand and is one of those reasons that many South Africans have fled to other less violent and crime-infested countries.

As a South African living in South Africa, I feel it is our responsibility to take the necessary precautions to ensure we safeguard ourselves and our loved ones against this violence and crime. Many will do so by employing additional security at their homes and business such as high-walls, electric fences, CCTV cameras, armed-response, and so on - it is the South African way. However, should someone ask me what security measure they should implement for themselves, I would recommend training in some practical self-defence system, so that should anything happens, they would be able to take care of themselves and their loved ones.

Given all that has been written so far - crime stats, research and precautionary advice - it is very easy to become extremely fearful or frustrated with the current situation and could even lead to paranoia. 

This is why self-defence training is so vital. Self-defence training gives one the ability to manage those fears and frustrations. Furthermore, with consistent training and application, it builds 3 vital characteristics in the practitioner, namely, self-confidence, resilience and discipline. All this training provides a foundation for one to be able to live their life to the fullest. For South African's who want to make a difference in this country despite its crime issues, they cannot afford to let their potential be wasted because of it. Hence, this foundation that self-defence training can provide is vitally important to help them move forward in their mission.

For a more comprehensive look at the 2014/2015 SA Crime Statistics, download the FREE REPORT by clicking HERE.

Till next time.

Get EDUCATED. Feel EMPOWERED. Live a FULLY-ENGAGED life.

Reference:

 https://africacheck.org/2014/09/17/comment-why-is-crime-and-violence-so-high-in-south-africa-2/

 http://www.sapeople.com/2015/09/29/eish-south-african-crime-stats-are-not-looking-fab/

 https://www.issafrica.org/crimehub/uploads/SA-Crime-Stats%E2%80%932015-Murder-and-robbery-fact-sheetV2.pdf.

 https://www.saps.org.za 

https://www.issafrica.org/crimehub/uploads/CSVRstatement091110.pdf
https://africacheck.org/2014/09/17/comment-why-is-crime-and-violence-so-high-in-south-africa-2/

Is Self-Defence Training A Grudge-Purchase?

Personal safety and self-defence training are one of those topics that many people only think about IF and WHEN something happens to them that jeopardizes their state of equilibrium.

his is very similar to motor insurance. Firstly, there are those people who will gladly pay the monthly insurance premiums because they know it is vital to ensure their peace of mind, knowing that they have this insurance as a backup, should anything happen to their vehicle. For others, it is a grudge-purchase that they loath paying each month, yet they will do it because they know that should something happen to their vehicle, the insurance will be there to cover them. Then, there are those still who prefer to only deal with the matter IF and WHEN an accident occurs, stating that they will 'deal with it IF or WHEN it happens'. I really do have a lot of admiration for these people as they genuinely feel that they can prevent any sort of accident from happening and they generally have a very optimistic "it will never happen to me" attitude. However my argument always is, "it's not you I am worry about on the road - it's those idiot, reckless drivers that totally disregard all traffic laws and have no respect for their fellow drivers on the road". You see, the insurance isn't really for you, but more for your protection against those OTHER drivers. The proverbial “shyt” hits the fan when something does actually happen and they are involved in a motor accident. Depending on the type of insurance they purchased, it will either allow them to repair or replace the vehicle that they were involved in. It is a bit of a bureaucratic burden to get through; however, their minds will be at ease because the insurance would have sorted out their financial concerns for the vehicle. Their insurance could also provide some medical cover to cover any injuries that may have been incurred. However, if they didn't have insurance, then it's a case of either draining their life-savings either in hospital and/or vehicle bills; or having to resort to begging, borrowing and "stealing" from family, friends and acquaintances to cover those costs. In all instances, this can be totally disruptive and destructive in their lives by draining their financial, physical, emotional and mental resources to a point of desperation.

Self-defence training is the same. I see it as insurance against the criminals out there that disregard the laws of society and will disrespect their fellow citizens by causing them fear, frustration, pain, loss, anxiety and depression. Like motor insurance, there are those that will gladly take a proactive approach and do the training regardless. These people have seen the value in what self-defence training can do for them and their loved ones, and CHOOSE to be empowered against crime (please see the testimonial below of a family whom I coached privately who chose to be proactive). There are those who see it as a grudge-purchase, doing it reluctantly or because their husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, mom or dad told them to do it, but still seeing what the value of what the training can do for them. Then lastly, there are those who think "it will never happen to me". Believe it or not, but these are the ones the criminals will look for. These are the people that may look naive, overly optimistic, show a lot of bling-and-skin, or just don't have a care in the world and are oblivious to what is happening in in. Now, I have nothing against people who are of this nature. As a matter of fact, I really do envy them as living a life without any cares or worries is a blissful life (or as the Swahili would say, "Hakuna matata"). However, knowing what I know by studying the criminal behavior and looking at the current local and world events, I CAN NOT and WILL NOT allow myself to get into a state of mind where I have totally shut out all that is negative in this world, and especially crime and criminal activities. That would be suicidal in this modern age.

Like the driver with no motor insurance who is involved in an accident, the person with no self-defence training will also have to undergo the same pain and loss. Their once optimistic lives will be disrupted and they will have to scramble to make do with what they have after the incident. They will have to deal with the pain and loss that could spill into all parts of their being and leave them financially, physically, emotionally and mentally-scarred for life (and that's assuming there is a life after the incident - both literally and metaphorically speaking). Whatever it may be, their lives will never be the same again. Don't let this be you. Be proactive! Take up some self-defence-specific training, either willingly or grudgingly, but DO IT REGARDLESS! The time has never been more desperate than now to do training in this vital life-skill.

Till next time.

Be EDUCATED. Feel EMPOWERED. Live a FULLY-ENGAGED life.

*A testimonial I have from a private self-defence students:

"Living in South Africa, the crime capital of the world, is not for sissy's. We, as South Africans need to learn to be 'street-wise' from a very young age. I thought I knew what that meant, until meeting Warren. Our 17 year old daughter is 'street-wise', aware of the necessary safety and security precautions we all have to install in our daily lives… but she has been crippled by fear. Fear of crime, fear of the dark, fear of an intruder, just so fearful all the time about everything to do with being violated criminally. Her fear, led us to investigate ways of empowering herself, to try and actively manage her fear she carries inside her.

Warren did exactly that in few lessons we had with him. He opened our eyes to the reality that one does not have to be a trained Ninja, to protect yourself. Through his skilled techniques, he taught us that a 17 year old can be fully efficient at disabling a strong man. He opened our eyes to what being 'street-wise' truly means, and that it goes far beyond just carrying your pepper spray, and turning on your alarm.

We saw a vast improvement in our daughter being able to manage her fears, through empowering herself and gaining the knowledge and skills she needs to be able to protect herself from a criminal. My husband and I gained as much knowledge and through practising the techniques daily, we are all far more confident that we can face any confrontation in the most wise, or deadly way!

Thank you, Warren. You are an amazing person and a brilliant instructor. We will be back … 

Elaine, Teigan, Garth -  Aug 2015"

For more information on the self-defence services of Defence Unlimited, please visit www.defence-unlimited.com 

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The Yin And Yang of Healing Arts And Martial Arts – A Self-Defence Perspective

Last weekend, I was privileged to be asked to do a presentation on energy and healing at a cancer fundraising initiative called, "Cup For Cancer". However, you're probably wondering what would a guy who teachings self-defence know about the healing aspects! Well, it just so happens that I really do have a fascination for the healing arts. However, it is always somehow related back to my field of preference, namely self-defence, as you will see.

In my presentation, I explained that the healing art is used to balance my martial arts side. I imagined it like the Yin and Yang symbol that represents balance through duality. As much as I am fluent in the martial arts, I too need to be balanced with the healing arts too. With this understanding, as well as my natural inclination to rather heal than hurt people, I explained that I studied a number of healing arts, including acupuncture, Applied Kinesiology and Kyusho Healing. Furthermore, by understanding how to heal a person, in reverse, I would also be able to use that knowledge to hurt a person more efficiently and more effectively!

I thought it would be beneficial to open my presentation with some traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) concepts, one of which forms the bases on which all TCM which is built on, namely that the body has the natural ability to heal itself.  For instance, acupuncture treatments uses needles directed at certain nerve points to open up or unblock "chi" blockages and thereby allowing it to once again flow through the body and restore balance back to it. Now, there are many skeptics out there that would doubt the existence of chi. I explained it as energy, or the electrical impulses that the body generates through its nervous system and sustains life. I even went and called it the "Force", in recognition of the source of energy that both the Jedi masters and Sith lords are able to tap into in the Star Wars universe! I further went on to explain how this chi or energy is directed by the mind, and more importantly, through intension (or as per TCM, by "Yi'). This was important to highlight as it explained the powerful the connection between the body and mind is. With the risk of sounding too new-age guru-like, "what he mind can conceive and believe, the body can achieve"!

This brings me to my Applied Kinesiology studies. Applied Kinesiology is used in the complementary health or natural medicine field, and is defined primarily as the use of muscle testing to identify imbalances in the body's structural, chemical, emotional or other energy. It also gives us the ability to tap into the subconscious mind and understand what sabotaging beliefs hold us back from achieving our goals.

As you can imagine, this all started to sounds freakish, cult-ish and witch-crafty to my audience! Rather than just give theory, I then proceeded to demonstrate how energy can be practically applied in both a healing and martial application. For the healing demo, I used acupuncture points (without needles, hence acupressure) to remove an audience member's headache within 60 seconds. Thereafter, I again used acupressure to help another audience member by relieving her sinus congestion.  Then, to demonstrate the powerful link between the mind and the body, I went on to test how strong another audience member’s belief was in her weight-loss goal. Simply put, what her conscious mind said was not congruent to what her body believed it could do. Using some very simple kinesiology techniques, I was then able to remove a goal-sabotaging belief and thereafter, allow her to truly believe in her goal at a subconscious level!  True, for many, that last demo may be a bit too much to accept in their conventional mind-set, however, I was able to show this through kinesiology’s muscle testing techniques which gave them physical evidence of what I was doing. The next best thing would be to actually have that audience member reach her goal weight in 6 weeks (Cathy, I am keeping my eye on you)!

On the martial side, I wanted to illustrate how energy can be enhanced when applying a wrist lock on someone. The nice thing about the martial application of energy is that it induces pain! And with pain, one is able to gauge when there is more energy or not - More energy = more pain! I went on to illustrate that energy really is just electricity and that there are ways to move from positive and negative poles, to grounding and ungrounding of this energy – all of which are basic principles of electricity! Again, with the help of an audience member, I was able to illustrate this with a simple wrist lock and induced pain via the nervous system (and not due to the tightening of the joint in the wrist lock).

The objective of my presentation was really to provide some understanding how interlinked all of these concepts of healing arts, martial arts, chi, energy, and the body and mind are. This is particularly true for the self-defence that I teach as it incorporates all of the above mentioned concepts as we goes through an understanding at a subconscious level are you be willing to defend yourself in the direst of situations. Once we can past that mental hurdle, the physical skills training will enforce those positive beliefs and enable the student to defend themselves when or if the need arises in those situations.

To conclude, I can’t stress enough the importance of having the balance between Yin and Yang, the positive and the negative, the healing and the martial arts. Neither is good or bad, but TOO much of either can be detrimental to your physical, mental and spiritual well-being in the long run.

Till next time.

Be EDUCATED. Feel EMPOWERED. Live a FULLY-ENGAGED life. 

P.s. If you are a Facebook user, please download my 1st eBook entitles, 120 Practical Self-Defence Tips" FOR FREE! Do so by liking the Defence Unlimited Page, and clip on the "120 Self-Defence Tips"! Click here to go there immediately! 

Other resources:

This blog post is written in honor of my teachers: 

John Kehoe: http://www.learnmindpower.com/about_john_kehoe/

Dr Frans Kromhout: http://www.franskromhout.co.za/

Dr Michael Lan: http://www.jing-an.co.za/

Evan Pantazi http://www.kyusho.com/

Gary Rooks: http://www.kyusho.com/

Jim Corn: http://www.kyusholibrary.com/JimCornBio1.html

Mark Kline: http://www.kyusholibrary.com/MarkKBio1.html

Traditional Martial Arts Is Still Relevant For Modern Day Self-Defence Training

Recently, I had the privilege of training with Dr Yang Jwing Ming*, renowned author and teacher of Chinese martial arts and Qigong and founder of Yang’s Martial Arts Association (YMAA) that has 45 schools in 18 different countries.

The seminar specifically was on the Tai Chi pushing hands, aka "Tui Shou" or "Sensing Hands". Pushing hands is an exercise that can be performed by two people who are attempting to improve their Tai Chi skills of remain balanced, focused and relaxed while in motion.

What impressed me most was both Dr Yang's incredible in depth knowledge of the subject as well as his ability to apply that knowledge into his movement. I felt quite honored when he did the one basic exercise with me, and I was totally in awe of the energy that I felt when performing the exercise with him!

Unfortunately, due to the limited nature of the seminar, I was only exposed to three of the four major "Jìng patterns" (or basic movements or martial power movements) that have become the four major crucial foundations of the Tai Chi  art -  Péng , Lǚ and Jǐ. The fourth is Àn

"Peng" is to ward off, "Lu" is to roll back, "Ji" is to Squeeze or press and "An" is to push or press down.

But the article at hand isn't to go into any further details about these and the other concepts and theories that make Tai Chi an effective means of fighting. Rather, my aim here is to highlight how many of our modern self-defence concepts and practise is actually derived from the traditional martial arts. In my opinion, all martial arts were at one stage very effective in their means of defending the practitioner from whatever threat was prevalent at the time. Furthermore,  it may not have been as stylized and ritualized as many have become today. Rather, it was scrappy, undisciplined, and excluded many of the high moral value benefits and practices that they have evolved into as society had progressed. Martial "arts" became much more than just their physical applications, and became a way of living a life with discipline and encouraged personal development and the cultivation of ones spirituality.

Self-defence on the other hand, has been something that has had to keep up with the threats that modern society has created or evolved into. Whether it be the way the criminal minds now thinks due to the perversion of violence and crime than one is now exposed to in the news and in various entertainment mediums; to the actual decline in respect and value of human life that that comes when crime and criminals are left unchecked in civil societies.

What I again am stressing, is how concepts such as "peng", "Lu", "Ji" and 'An" of Tai chi, can still benefit the modern day self-defence training. Using my simplistic explanation, "Peng" is to ward off an attack as it comes towards me; "Lu: is to roll back and neutralize an attacker if the force is too great; "Ji" is to squeeze or press an attacker when he/she gets in a position that I am able to be able to neutralize his/her attack; and lastly, "An" is to press or push down an attacker when the opportunity presents itself.

I can imagine hard-core Tai Chi practitioners grimacing at my explanation above, however, please do feel free to read Dr Yang's explanation in greater detail at these 2 links: http://ymaa.com/articles/2015/03/about-pushing-hands-part-1 & http://ymaa.com/articles/2015/03/about-pushing-hands-part-2.

Tai Chi training and Martial arts in general is a long and difficult path to follow. As one senior student at the YMAA SA** centre pointed out at the seminar, their martial arts student base at their training facility has been on the decline, and people such as myself that teach "self-defence" seem to be on the increase. The fact is that many people find martial arts and the disciplined practise thereof very difficult to maintain due to work and personal commitments. People don't seem to have enough time to partake in a long extended training sessions that span over years and years, and rather seek something that is a "quick-fix" that  will allow them to gain some skill in which they can learn and apply in a relatively short space of time. Let me also state that, although I am a supplier of "quick-fixes", it is by no means a substitute for consistent practise and training, and I make that very clear in all my products and services. However, what I do believe is, for self-defence and personal safety, just by creating a greater awareness and consciousness in society, it will motivate enough people to take action to do something to ensure the safety of themselves and their loved. This is the first step in creating a more harmonious society that will reduce and crime and in future, the need for self-defence.

In my opinion, we have gone full circle as to what those ancient masters of the traditional martial arts masters set out to do – to create a more harmonious society. The took their primal instincts to protect themselves; devise methods in which to protect themselves; applied it on the battlefield to see if it worked and ensure its effectiveness and relevance; started teaching it as a system so that more people could defend themselves too; collectively stated to action to drive crime of of their society; eventually evolved to a more harmonious society; saw the decline of their styles deadly application; and hence develop their "style" into a personal development art.

Perhaps we are at those early stages yet again, and the utopia we all so fondly seek, is not too far away.

Many thanks to again to Dr Yang Jwing Ming for reminding me of the value traditional martial arts can still bring to all of us, martial artists and safety conscious citizens alike. 

Get EDUCATED. Fell EMPOWERED. Live a FULLY-ENGAGED life.

* Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, is a renowned author and teacher of Chinese martial arts and Qigong. Born in Taiwan, he has trained and taught Taijiquan, Qigong and Chinese martial arts for over forty-five years. He is the author of over thirty books, and was elected by Inside Kung Fu magazine as one of the 10 people who has "made the greatest impact on martial arts in the past 100 years." Dr. Yang lives in Northern California. For more information, please visit: www.ymaa.com  or www.ymaa-retreatcenter.org

** YMAA in South Africa can be found at this website: www.dragonspirit.co.za

*** Warren Ho is the founder of Defence Unlimited and is passionate about teaching effective and relevant self-defence that addresses the crime and criminals that are within our modern society. For more information, please visit www.defence-unlimited.com