Sounds Like a line from one of those one page sales ads – you know, the ones you have to scroll down fifteen times and take 1/2 hour to read.

That is the direction that this post is taking but it sure isn’t going to take endless scrolling or 25 H1 tags screaming to get the word out to you.

Quite frankly I feel somewhat badly when the local paper or TV news runs stories about the newest pre-schooler, teenager, or college student that comes up missing and almost eventually, if found, have been sadistically abused, tortured, raped murdered or a combination of these ugly crimes.

I feel badly when I look at my daughter contentedly eating some fries and working on homework, while the family of these victims endures the horror of seeing cops and rescue workers eventually find their child’s rag-tag remains, dumped in an undignified heap, in some remote woodland or hiding place. It’s as if they were just used and then butchered by the sick killers out there in the world.

Tonight I watched a TV show on how transients (focusing on railway riders) hobos were involved in many murders and showed figures of the proximity of railway stops to numerous murder scenes. Another avenue of crazies, sociopaths, or other types of miscreants, flowing through your area maybe?

The stories of teens who get carried away in their rebellious fervor and “cross the line”, ending in the shooting of innocent students, the beating deaths and/or rape of fellow students and strangers, as far as that goes. We can’t overlook the steady release of convicts (some very dangerous) into our communities on parole from penitentiaries, and let’s not forget the clergymen and registered “sex offenders” – oops – let’s not forget the “guy next door” NAMBLA fan with all the kiddy porn who gets exposed. C’mon, certainly I’m not the only one on the planet that is more than a little concerned about the unabated assault against our youth and women for use as victims of all of these madmen!

Both my wife and daughter are skilled in the use of a revolver. I recommend these since autoloaders seem to confuse the fairer sex – a nice wheelgun is the pistol of choice. Your ladies should be brought along easily, and their skills developed in a fun atmosphere. They should be encouraged about learning to handle and shoot a firearm – it only makes sense in an ever more dangerous world. With familiarity, will come the ability to use the weapon prudently and safely (don’t want accidents) in the case of an encounter, with an intruder for instance.

Both my wife and daughter carry police model pepper spray on them at all times. This is a super effective deterrent, and next to a pistol, would be the weapon of choice, to be used on someone trying to lure them into a vehicle, or trying to approach them in a menacing manner. I would recommend practicing with the carrying, quick drawing, and aiming of the pepper sprayer from a variety of positions and scenarios, to make it a very useful tool.

I don’t recommend stun guns for women due to the moments of physical grappling that must take place in order to really put someone down and out – figure a few seconds easily for a determined man. I know stick fighters who can smack you in the head 7 or 8 times (with a baton!) in 1/2 that amount of time. Be careful choosing, for ladies, a good choice might be the slim Z-Force 300K volt stun gun. It has a slim grip shaped for holding easily and firmly, for those with smaller hand sizes. And – again, be sure that you practice drawing it from it’s holster or place of concealment, armed, and brought to bear on an opponent. If you (guys and gals) don’t practice using whatever deterrent device you have decided on, then don’t get one or try to use one at all – chances are that you’ll be disarmed anyway.

Back on topic – although most of us will never be able to protect our loved ones 100% of the time – we can certainly see what’s going on in the world around us and prepare for the very worst. I believe every man should sit down and talk about these issues with the women in his life and hammer out some sort of plans for getting assistance (a cell phone), pagers, weapons, what kind of weapons, maybe some martial arts classes and make firm plans to follow through on safety measures that you feel would work for you. I wouldn’t want to turn my girls loose for one day of shopping at the Mall without the skills and deterrents they have and can use. It makes watching the game on TV a little more fun when it starts getting dark and they’re not home yet!

As events in the middle east careen madly from 911 to Iraq and ever toward Armageddon, we’re all treated to the daily news snippets of fresh uprisings and riots between the Palestinians and the Israelis. We are treated to new “secret messages” allegedly from Osama bin Laden, and our leaders pass the buck as the news media continues it’s feeding frenzy over “fresh copy”.

It makes one sick. Today we’re hit with news and images of the Muslims rioting and killing people across the globe because of a damned cartoon about their prophet Mohammed. Hundreds of armed and dangerous men screaming and brandishing their trusty “former USSR issue” Kalishnikov automatic assault weapons. It’s enough to make you want to go outside and puke. These people are behaving like animals (nah, animals are much nicer on the whole). You should fear these types of morons – they would love to kill you. Terrorists hiding behind the guise of obeying Allah (God) war criminals, serial killers, in the full throes of a 100% psychotic break in reality.

My son has served two tours in the Army infantry (back-to-back tours and now home finally), from rolling through Iraq, to the fall of Baghdad until a few weeks ago. I have his photos of the Iraqis pulling down Saddam’s statue (self idol) and ripping the head off. I have pics of the kids following in tow begging for treats a la WWII! Now the crazed lunatics are killing our troops slowly but surely, day by day, in an effort to get us out?!! They sure have an odd way of returning favors! As quickly as we jail their top leaders, new ones spring up with (new atrocities in tow), and bonds to terrorism, to take their places.

I know my son is bitter, having lost several of his pals, right in front of him during fire fights and numerous RPG attacks, sniper fire, and many a sleepless night manning roadblocks, guarding govt. buildings, banks and even palaces. I’m sure these images will haunt him forever. We discussed the people of Iraq and their politics. I trust him (his opinion) for “being there and doing that” – and guess what? We are of like mind. I suggested that these people were behaving like animals, with no values regarding human rights, and the sanctity of life. Not to mention having any interest in sprucing up Iraq and making it a nice place. He blurted out that “we should nuke them into the stone age….just turn their deserts into one slab of glass”! Well hello! Is that my little boy talking? The one that was too much of a pacifist to fight much as a kid and loved all cultures of people?

I have to admit that he’s starting to sound more convincing every day. We agreed that they needed (responded to) a “Strong Man” govt. such as Saddam’s because he was one of the few who they feared enough to shut their mouths long enough to do anything, but hate others. Can you picture Iraqis setting up a video shop or “punching in” at their job every day to earn a living and better themselves, their families and their country? Uhhmmm? No! They have allegiance to no one and hold your life in as much contempt as they must have for their own (strapping bombs to themselves and let’s not forget children) to kill and maim innocents and further the opinions of their lame-brained leaders, religious or otherwise.

I wish I had access to the darn cartoon so I could upload it with this post and see if you think it warrants the deaths of 16 people and the burning down of 11 churches. Really constructive means of dissent – beyond my comprehension? The Muslims consider depictions of Mohammed blasphemous. I consider their extremist attacks blasphemous!

PULL!

In a statement today, the V.P. Dick Cheney, stated: “You can talk about all of the other conditions that exist at the time but that’s the bottom line and it was not Harry’s fault……You can’t blame anybody else. I’m the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend.”

What Cheney was referring to was a poaching trip that he and his pal went on last Saturday. So, in the evening of the day-long poaching trip, Cheney shot his friend Harry Whittington while aiming at a bird. The Secret Service and staff medics (Cheney’s personal team) treated the wounds on Whittington’s face, neck and chest. He was packed off to a hospital approximately one hour after the shot (in the face and chest) occurred. Subsequently, after initial treatment at the hospital, Whittington suffered a heart attack due to the location of a lead BB in the heart area. After a quick, life-saving surgical procedure, Doctors said that Whittington would be ok after spending time in the ICU and some rest.

How the H*%@ does one mistake his friend’s face (also a poacher – sorry Harry) for a quail or a pheasant? I think the V.P. should be armed with nothing more lethal than a paintball gun – and then – you’d better be wearing goggles and a groin cup if you’re on his squad! One explanation could be that Cheney was given a “Warning Citation” for being an unlicensed hunter (also called a poacher), but his office (busy little bees) issued a statement, that assured all, that Cheney would be mailing the $7 fee in for the license – after the fact, what a lame move Dick! The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department report cited “hunter’s judgment factor” as being the main contributing factor in the accident. Oh really?

I hope he doesn’t have access to Nuclear Launch Codes! If something ever jumped off requiring the launching of missiles (God forbid), I might end up with a nuclear warhead up my arse, instead of the bad guys it was intended for. I make it Gamebirds 2 – Harry & Dick 0!

Kicks to the Leg Hurt – Badly!

Many years ago, in traditional karate and other martial arts, the leg kick was not taught that heavily. What does this mean? Only that most karate schools in the USA, only taught kicks that would break a leg (at the knee usually) or to stop (check) the advance of an oncoming opponent. The teaching of sophisticated defenses to leg kicks weren’t taught much. Why? The schools knew these were 1.) not allowed in the dojo, due to risk of injury. 2.) they were illegal in karate “point” tournaments. So they were probably touched on briefly but not really taught thoroughly.

Over the past 15 years we have seen the rise of leg kicks, since the influence of Muay Thai kick-boxing hit the martial arts scene, to stay. The Muay Thai leg kicks are practiced and thrown “full blast”, and are meant to hurt and / or slow down the opposing fighter.

Let’s look at the leg kick for a moment. For instructional purposes, we’ll assume that the fighter kicking, is a conventional “left side forward” opponent. This is the preferred stance of right handed fighters. The opponent simply slides the back foot up, (right foot – toward the front leg) and out to the right a bit, with the foot positioned and pointed about 45 degrees outward. This sets his back, or base leg (right leg), up for throwing the kick (left leg). He will then torque his whole body, from the waist up toward the right side and swing his leg into the target area (the leg in this case) with 100% commitment and strike with the lower shin/instep area of the leg.

Note: These kicks are practiced against extremely hard bags or hand-held pads, to toughen the shins and instep against the pain one would normally feel. To strike your leg with their shin at full speed is no big deal to a “Thai” trained kicker, but a very big deal to the fighter who is hit with them.

The best defenses are: (again we assume you are also a left side forward fighter)

1.) Pick up the front leg (left leg), angle it slightly to your left and catch the kick on your own knee or shin, and if done really well – deflect the kick painlessly. If you have conditioned legs as well, you’ll hurt the opponent worse than he hurts you – discouraging further attempts. The leg must be picked up and held firmly, or their leg kick will knock the defending leg out of the way and take out the remaining “base leg” as well!

2.) My personal favorite, and the fastest, most effective means, is to “mirror” their kick (throw the reverse image of what they do), slide in and to the left – then kick his base leg with your back “right” leg, (which will be holding him up as the other is in the air). Remember – “by sliding in and to your left” as you let go of a back leg (your right leg) counter kick. You just throw the mirror image technique that the opponent threw at your left leg and throw it instantly – the moment they kick – you counter-kick, and your shin will strike his leg on the soft inner portion of the right leg (base leg), effectively stopping them completely – “mid-technique”. It puts a world of hurt on the opponent who throws the leg kick and is countered this way. It is known as a “cut kick”.

With the advent of MMA (mixed martial arts) events, these kick are becoming ever more popular. I have seen better, larger, stronger opponents chopped down to size with leg kicks, until they were stumbling around like they were drunk, and finally knocked out. All because they hadn’t learned the kick or the counter to defend against it. That is the effect of this devastating Muay Thai leg kick. Martial artists are on notice: If you haven’t been hit with this kick – you will! Try and find someone with Thai boxing skills and approach them for some lessons. It doesn’t take long at all. A few hours will give you all the “head knowledge” you’ll need, the conditioning, speed, and timing to fight these types of opponents and successfully avoid getting your legs kicked out from under you – is kind of up to you!

Don’t get it? Disagree? Post a comment and I’ll post back!

Pepper Spray Laws / Restrictions

I found a new list (new to me) that details pepper spray laws and restrictions. I can’t vouch for it’s being 100% complete and accurate, but it does give online marketers of these products some “heads up” information, as well as would be purchasers of pepper spray products. I didn’t know that such an innocuous deterrent as pepper spray was so heavily regulated.

I think that most vendors know that shipping defense sprays via “Air” delivery options is highly illegal, and most customers would certainly not have much objection to that law, since the terrorist villains have used airliners as one of their preferred methods of terror. Years ago, it was hijacking them, but now they are so crazy they use play Kamikaze as in the Twin Towers and Pentagon suicide crashes.

It’s best to keep as few potential weapons from being transported via airplanes. A terrorist group could have an “Air Delivery” of stun guns and pepper spray shipped, aboard a flight and remotely, or “time” detonate the package, effectively creating a possible tragedy on the plane that’s carrying them. Foolish you think or say? I don’t think so, these Islamic terror cells have tremendous money and brain power at their disposal, and to do something like this would only be a low priority, because there are a lot more destructive things they can “play with” at the present time.

Any group that can blow up a section of OUR Pentagon, blow up the twin towers, and scare most of capitol hill out of their offices and meeting rooms, using Anthrax, is a very formidable opponent. Any opponent that is highly trained and with no fear of death, is a force to be reckoned with. To take them less than serious would be playing right into their hands. IMO, that is what happened until the aforementioned crimes occurred. America had become complacent and got hurt badly for it. We Americans forget quickly, so we must have these laws and restrictions to protect us. Our enemies tend to keep our demise in the forefront of their to-do lists!

CNN reports that an 18 yr. old man, Jacob D. Robida, is wanted on three counts of attempted murder and hate crimes according to police. He is the prime suspect and a warrant for his arrest. He is alleged to have entered a local gay bar in New Bedford MA, and attacked patrons with a hatchet and a pistol. (this guy wasn’t taking prisoners!)

Authorities described the suspect as violent, armed, dangerous, and suicidal. Well at least he has the firepower and history, that it’s a toss up whether he’ll be “taken out” by the cops or himself. Probably not, he’ll be likely to get picked up and offer no resistance and then plea down the charges and catch three 5 – 10 yr. sentences, running concurrently, and be out in the hood again in 3 or 4 yrs. on parole. He ought to be hit in the head with a hatchet, then shot in the face by his gun, whatever it was – since it obviously was a piece of junk, “Saturday Night Special”.

One victim suffered deep cuts on his head (hatchet wounds) and was also shot in the face, then two others were shot in the back and chest, according to the authorities.

Typical gangbanger (or wannabe) type description by the bartender only known as “Phillip”. Phillip was pretty nervous by his own admission – who wouldn’t be – but he gave a good description of Robida who apparently used a fake ID to enter asking if it was a “gay bar”.

“The man was dressed in a hooded, black sweat shirt, with the hood over his face, and baggy jeans. “He just had a stone cold look on his face, just emotionless”. According to Phillip, “after ordering a second drink, the man moved to the back of the bar, watched a game of pool briefly, then took out a hatchet. He started swinging the hatchet on top of this customer’s head, then he struck a second patron with the hatchet, pulled out a pistol and shot the first victim in the face and the second twice in the head. A third person also was shot in the abdomen,” Phillip said.

Phillip said he came face to face with the attacker at the bar door, and the man pointed a gun at his face and pulled the trigger but nothing happened. Wow! I guess it must be true about “when your number’s up – your number’s up”. That was one lucky bartender!

In an odd twist, Robida formerly had graduated from New Bedford’s Junior Police Academy, a program for helping youth build social skills, self-esteem and self-confidence in kids between 12 and 14 years old. Rabida had taken the wrong turn in the road in the years following it appears.

It makes you happy in a way that Robida “snapped” before he joined the “real” Police Academy, where he could have done even more serious, “serial type” attacks under the guise of his badge. Hope to hear you’re in custody soon Jacob!