Be Hard to Kill

Be Hard to Kill

One moment you’re minding your own business and enjoying a night on the town, then suddenly you have your face pressed up against a brick wall with one person going through your pockets and another describing all of the nasty things they plan to do to you. How you react in that moment could mean the difference between ending the night in your own bed, a hospital bed, or on a slab in the city morgue.

Like it or not, we live in a violent world. While we’d all love to imagine being able to go anywhere and do anything we want without a second thought, the truth is that evil exists and it has a tendency to visit bad things on good people.

You have two options. You can bury your head in the sand and hope nothing awful ever happens. Or, you can take steps to ensure that when something bad does cross your path, you’re prepared to handle it.

Physical Conditioning

It is awfully hard to defend yourself if you can’t breathe. That’s just a simple, immutable fact. If more than a few seconds of physical exertion leaves you winded, you need to do something about that.
For many, this probably means losing a few pounds, or maybe more than a few. Cut down or outright eliminate empty calories. Soda is a big one and many people report that cutting that out alone leads to improvement with health and the waistline.

Dietary changes along won’t be enough, of course. Talk to your doctor before embarking on an exercise regimen, then commit to getting that heart rate up on a regular basis. Start slow and don’t overdo it. But, don’t be surprised if you’re a little sore, especially at the beginning. You’re probably going to be using muscles that haven’t seen much action in a while. There are thousands of exercise programs out there from which to choose. Head to your local library and pick up a DVD or two and try them out. Find what works for you and then stick with it.

In addition to cardio workouts designed to increase your endurance and stamina, mix in some strength exercises. Weight training is great, but don’t overlook exercises that just use your own body weight. Plain old pushups are still great exercise and require nothing more than a clear spot on the floor.

The point here is this. The better shape you’re in, the better off you’ll be in a violent encounter. I mean, how embarrassing would it be to stroke out or have a heart attack right when you’re about to unleash the gates of Hell on your attacker?

Martial Arts

One great way to combine physical conditioning with becoming hard to kill is to seek out training in the martial arts. There are countless styles to choose from, though face-to-face classes will be limited to what’s available in your immediate area.

Stick to ones that concentrate on real world application. Many martial arts have become somewhat watered down over the years and are more suited for tournaments than defense. This isn’t a bad thing, not at all. You just need to know going in what to expect.

Some of the more popular defense-oriented options include Krav Maga, Jeet Kune Do, and the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA), which is an umbrella term for Kali, Eskrima, and Arnis. FMA in particular is a great option due to the weapons training that accompanies the empty hand techniques.

Before signing on for classes at a local school or dojo, ask if you can sit in for one or two sessions. This will allow you to get a feel for how the classes are run. Talk to the instructors about your goals and make sure they mesh with their teaching style and approach. Being able to break boards is great, but boards don’t move and they certainly don’t hit back.

One aspect of this sort of training that is especially important is discovering what it is like to get hit and learning how to handle that. Practicing drills for endless hours, perfecting that certain strike or move, is awesome. But, if getting smacked in the head causes you to freeze up completely, all that training will be worthless. You have to learn how to get hit and keep moving forward. The only way that’s going to happen is, well, to get hit.

If you cannot find any classes in your area, you might have some success with video learning, either online or through DVDs. This is a very distant second choice compared to in-person training as it lacks the feedback you’d receive from an instructor. But, you’ll still be able to learn the basics.

Weapons Training

Carrying a weapon with which you are proficient will help to even the odds in a confrontation, hopefully even swaying them to your side. A firearm is the weapon of choice. As the saying goes, “God created all men, but Samuel Colt made them equal.”

Possessing a firearm, or any weapon for that matter, is only part of the equation. You need to know how to use it properly, otherwise it is just window dressing. If you’re going to pull the weapon, you need to commit, without hesitation, to using it against your attacker. Balk, even for a moment, and that might be enough of an opening for them to take it away and use it against you. Part of training, whether we’re talking weapons or empty hand techniques, is to reach a point to where your body reacts to a threat without conscious thought, where it becomes almost a reflex action.

Be sure you are fully compliant with all applicable laws regarding carrying the weapon you choose. If doing so requires a permit, get one. The last thing you want to happen is to get yourself in trouble with the law simply for trying to protect yourself. While you’re at it, research the laws in your area as they apply to self-defense. Know what you’re allowed to do and when you’re allowed to do it.

Select your weapon carefully. Find one that suits you, that fits your hand, and that you’re comfortable carrying and using. Then practice with it until it becomes second nature. This will not happen overnight, but nothing good comes easy, right?

Situational Awareness

Simply put, this means to take off the proverbial blinders and see the world around you for what it truly is. Put the cell phone away and pay attention to your surroundings.

Many conflicts can be avoided simply by moving to the other side of the street when you see a potential threat coming your way. Just knowing what areas are generally more dangerous than others, and thus best avoided, can go a long way as well. The easiest battle to win is the one you don’t have to fight at all.

Mindset

Nobody can truly know how they will react under pressure until it happens for real. Bluster and bravado mean exactly jack squat in the real world.

You have to come to terms with the fact that you might be called upon to visit harm on another person in order to defend yourself or a loved one. This may include utilizing lethal means.

That said, the goal is to live to fight another day. If you can disable your attacker sufficiently that you’re able to get away, go for it. Just be prepared, mentally and physically, for the possibility that you’ll need to go further in order to protect you and your family.

Fight Dirty

John Steinbeck, author of The Grapes of Wrath, said, “If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.” In a life or death struggle, there are no rules, save one. Do whatever it takes. Kick, scratch, bite, anything goes.

Grab their genitals, squeeze, and yank upwards.

Dig a thumb into an eyeball.

Tear off an ear.

Kick a knee, ideally from the side.

Grab whatever might be handy and start swinging for the fences.

Do whatever it takes to put them down long enough for you to get away.

Be Hard To Kill

If you are still around to see the sun come up in the morning, you did it right

About author Jim Cobb

Jim Cobb is a well known freelance author on survival and other topics.

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