Hardcore Self-Defense

Contents

Introduction

Mental Preparation

Invulnerability

Rape Prevention

Unarmed Combat

Invisible Weapons

Beltfighting

Introduction to Knife fighting

Handguns

Primitive Weapons for Home Defense

Choose Your Weapons!

The Aftermath

Afterword

About the Author

Introduction

Welcome! This is guaranteed to be unlike any other self-defense manual you’ve ever read. It is text only, with neither photographs or illustrations, but clearly presents the subject matter in an easily understood format nonetheless. Foreign phrases and specialized jargon have not been utilized, and certain questionable or highly esoteric concepts (like dim mak) are not discussed. The material in this volume can easily be applied by anyone of average intelligence (and fitness) with a minimum of practice. No prior martial arts training is required. These concepts will be useful to novices as well as advanced students. You will not be disappointed.

A large portion of Hardcore Self-Defense focuses primarily upon psychology. If an individual is not mentally prepared for the possibility of defending oneself against a determined vicious attack, then that individual will probably fail—even if they have studied martial arts or have a weapon on their person! Being attacked is extremely stressful, and if you don’t know exactly how to react, you might hesitate an instant too long—or might even panic as a result of the adrenaline flooding into your system. In such a situation, psychological strength (confidence, courage, ferocity, willpower, etc.) is far more important than physical strength. If you lack the Combat Mindset, you will be at a huge disadvantage in a physical altercation, and will not be able to properly focus all of your energies on survival. The essays within this volume will provide you with the blueprints you need for transformation.

Hardcore Self-Defense also discusses the various aspects of Hand-to-Hand Combat. If you are suddenly required to protect yourself from a violent attacker bent on inflicting serious physical harm to your person, and do not have immediate access to a firearm, you’ll need to have a clear understanding of tactics and techniques if you hope to prevail.

Simply swinging one’s fist, or brandishing one’s blade, may not be adequate. This text will also assist you in selecting your primary weapon. It will discuss the strengths, weaknesses, and idiosyncrasies of various weapon types—as well as how they are best implemented for maximum efficiency.

After reading the essays within this volume, you’ll be able to maximize your lethal potential, and will have a much greater understanding of what is sometimes required in order to survive. This text is, most definitely, NOT FOR THE MEEK!

The first essay in this compilation, entitled Mental Preparation, will reveal a number of mind games designed to reprogram your brain via self-hypnosis, enabling you to attain the combat mindset. The second essay, entitled Invulnerability, will detail how you can protect yourself from serious threats through the use of inconspicuous armor as well as hypervigilance. Rape Prevention will teach you how to walk away from an attempted sexual assault with your attacker’s pecker in your pocket. Unarmed Combat will discuss various methods of engaging an enemy in weaponless combat—from simple evasion, to brutally effective counter-attacks. Invisible Weapons will introduce the student to the concept of improvised weaponry. Beltfighting will detail the various ways one’s belt may be used to inflict injury upon an aggressor. Introduction to Knifefighting contains more useful information than most books devoted entirely to the subject. Handguns will discuss the topics of safety, selection, stopping power, concealment, and legalities—as well as provide a number of tips on effective gunfighting. Primitive Weapons for Home Defense will discuss the best options available to those warriors who cannot—or choose not to—own a firearm. Choose Your Weapons! is a massive compendium of possible weapon types (and subtypes), categorized both by perceived effectiveness (a letter grade of A through F) as well as group classification. And the final essay, entitled The Aftermath (which is intended for entertainment purposes only), will tell you how to dispose of your attacker’s dead body.

Even expert martial artists will learn something new from the material herein. Read on—I’m quite sure you’ll be pleased.

Mental Preparation

INTRODUCTION:

90% of one’s combat effectiveness is pre-determined by an individual’s mindset. If you are not mentally prepared for the possibility that you might actually need to someday use those martial-arts moves you’ve been practicing, the value of your strength and skill will be greatly diminished. A naive person with a timid demeanor can easily be victimized by others, regardless of whether he is an athlete or a karate student. A sword is useless in the hands of a coward.

Before any of this can be absorbed, you first must understand that you have both a right and a responsibility to protect yourself from unlawful attack. If you have certain insecurities or mental blocks, it is necessary that they are overcome before you can proceed. If you are a pacifist or are terrified of possibly breaking the law, you will need to fully address these issues before you will have any chance of successfully defending yourself. If certain misconceptions may prevent you from forcefully reacting to a potentially deadly situation, it is necessary that these misconceptions be cleared up through research and contemplation. No-one has the right to wrongfully threaten or injure another person, and if someone attempts to do so to you, it is permissible (as well as encouraged) that you put an immediate stop to it.

It is important to be strong mentally. If you are easily cowed by aggressive persons, or overly impressed by a muscular physique, you will be an easy target regardless of your level of martial arts training. You need to be able to stand up for yourself, because no-one else will do it for you. If you lack the intestinal fortitude to risk potentially serious injury by engaging an aggressor in unarmed combat, at the very least you can expect to be slapped around and humiliated. Too many traditional martial artists are hesitant to use their skills in anything but a true life or death scenario—this is a weakness which can easily be exploited. It is important to realize that, not only does no-one have the right to wrongfully place their hands upon you (even if they apparently do not intend to inflict injury), but your untried deadly strikes probably will be a lot less effective than you initially believed (one-strike knockouts are a rarity). Remember, your greatest opponent lies within. Once you have overcome your worries, doubts, and fears, you will be a far more formidable fighter.

BASIC CONCEPTS:

Expect to be hurt. The reason many black belts have gotten stomped in streetfights is because they believed themselves to be invincible. Most martial arts schools do not engage in full contact sparring (usually insurance reasons are cited, but the sorry truth is that many students would soon stop attending classes after accumulating enough contusions), and those that do tend to spar infrequently—and with full protective padding! The average black belt is a pampered athletic wussy with a grossly inflated self-image—when he receives his first broken nose, he may very well be too shocked to react! Consider also that the average streetfighter will not square off so as to trade punches within the parameters of a sport karate competition. This will not happen…instead, he’ll probably jump on your back, grabbing a fistful of hair with one hand while he pummels your face with the roll of nickels he had stuffed in his pocket for just such an occasion! All those karate magazines that show martial artists flaunting their skills versus mannequin-like opponents have absolutely no basis in reality. Even if you win, you’ll probably be fairly well marked up for your troubles. The hero walks away without a scratch only on television.

Identify vulnerable targets as well as strong points. How motivated does he appear to be? Does he seem to be physically powerful? What degree of fighting skill do you think he possesses? Does he appear to be familiar with violence? Can his emotional state be exploited? Does he appear to be intoxicated? How do you think he’ll he react to a feint? These questions can often be accurately answered through skillful observation of your opponent’s poise and mannerisms. His eyes will tell you a great deal about his level of resolve, and his choice of garb may give you certain insights into his character. A skilled observer can compile a fairly accurate assessment of any given individual (attitude, energy level, profession, social class, self-image, emotional stability, gang affiliation, etc.) within a few moments.

Fear is an important survival tool, because it warns us to exercise caution in the face of danger; however, uncontrolled fear can result in either hysteria or paralysis. Courage is simply doing what needs to be done, regardless of one’s fear—it is usually a result of accepting that a risk must be taken (or a sacrifice made) in order to attain one’s goal. By allowing yourself to become either highly focused or somewhat detached, it is possible to temporarily banish fear. Think of fear as adrenaline. Truly fearless people are extremely rare—they tend to be robotic sociopaths who, having no hope of future happiness, simply do not care what happens to them. Most foolhardy idiots who appear fearless are either drunk or trying to impress others.

Think like a machine. This means that one should rely upon logic and eliminate emotion—simply do what needs to be done without thinking about it. It often helps to look at the situation abstractly, pretending that one is an actor in a movie. Emotions can be detrimental to one’s goal, and are best shut off for the duration of the crisis. Many emergency workers tend to develop an emotionally detached working persona which will remain calm and collected in the face of extreme stress.

If you are faced with overwhelming odds, and for whatever reason are unable to make peace or escape, you must be able to calmly realize that you will probably be killed. Accepting your imminent demise, you then decide to maim and kill as many of your enemies as possible before being beaten into unconsciousness. This can be looked upon as valor or it can be seen as retribution for their murdering you. If they see that you are unafraid of death, and are ready to tear into them like a cornered wolverine, they may very well reconsider their actions (especially if they simply like to bully others for amusement purposes)—if not, then at least you’ll die valiantly in battle (an end most warriors would be content with).

Once the proper combat mindset is achieved, several benefits will be immediately evident:

1.   You will be highly motivated to defend yourself and inflict injury upon your opponent.

2.   You will experience an eerie serenity due to the fact that all your emotions have been temporarily shut down, giving you the demeanor of a sociopath.

3.   You will experience little pain and no fear. If you sustain a serious, or even a mortal injury, you will continue to fight. Furthermore, you will be utterly unconcerned with any pain or fear felt by your adversary.

4.   You will react instantly and perform with ruthless efficiency. You will continue to fight until either the threat is gone or your body is incapable of further action.

With regular training, it will become possible to enter this state instantly, much like the act of flicking a switch. Suddenly, one’s face becomes blank, one’s eyes become glazed, and one becomes quite disconcerting to confront. Many aggressors would reconsider further action after looking at your face and speculating upon what type of person they might be in close proximity to. Being able to attain the combat mindset is the prerequisite for further study…without it, one can never achieve his full potential as a fighter.

ADVANCED CONCEPTS:

What I am about to share with you is considered by many to be secret knowledge. It may seem confusing, fanciful, or even stupid—but it works! This section will provide an introduction to various unconventional, eclectic, and powerful methods of transforming yourself into a person capable of achieving seemingly impossible goals (such as conquering fear and ignoring pain). You may doubt the veracity of these claims—and it is good to be skeptical—but it is even more important to keep an open mind and judge the facts for yourself, rather than summarily dismissing them due to your preconceptions.

These techniques consist primarily of utilizing visualization and self-hypnosis as tools to focus the will. There is nothing unsavory or mystical about these methods, although similar techniques have been used (to great effect) by salesmen and gurus for unscrupulous ends. Due to the fact that various mind control techniques can be used to influence others, their use is not without controversy. Even various selfhelp programs relying upon similar methods can take on eerie cultlike proportions. It is usually considered unethical (and rightfully so) to subtly manipulate others, whereas there is nothing malevolent about using these methods to heal and strengthen oneself. If you have a weakness, bad habit, or character flaw which is interfering with your life and making you unhappy, then you have a right (as well as a responsibility) to correct it.

REPROGRAMMING:

The first premise you need to understand, is that man’s brain is similar in many ways to a computer. A computer is programmed with a variety of software in order to enable it to perform various functions. Different versions (or modifications) of the computer’s basic software can customize it to better meet the needs of individual users. The computer’s functions are a direct result of its programming. Conversely, man is also programmed with a variety of thoughts, ideas, and beliefs. This programming consists of personal observations and experiences, combined with what one is taught by others (parents, school, church, television, literature, etc.). One’s programming begins at infancy, and continues through one’s formative years.

Although many people continue to learn, change, and evolve throughout their lives, most people’s growth comes to an unfortunate halt shortly after entering the workforce. The goal of self-actualization is difficult to attain when one is drained of energy by toiling at a demeaning job, day after miserable day, in order to pay one’s bills. After a long day of tedious and unrewarding labor, the average individual wants to accomplish little more than eat dinner, unwind by sitting in front of the television for a few hours (perhaps while drinking a few beers), and then go to bed in order to recharge enough for another day of work. The average man is far too complacent and despondent to exert any effort towards self-improvement, and will tend to ridicule those who do. You are advised not to discuss these matters with those who would distract you through their unwarranted criticism.

Understand that many of the thoughts in your head are not your own. They have been placed there by others. Sometimes these imprints are deliberate (religious dogma, scholastic regimentation, propaganda), due to the fact that they are used as control mechanisms by the imprinter. However, many times the imprinting is unintentional or coincidental (fictional entertainment, hearsay, unfounded speculation), and may even occur on a subconscious level. After a lifetime of being inundated with facts, half-truths, and utter falsehoods, one’s memory banks are filled with an abundance of useless (or even potentially harmful) data. A good example of this would be the annoying