International Personal Self-Defense Blog by Robb Hamic

Firearm Instruction.......... Stay ahead of the curve

We have all heard the same old arguments about shooting stances and methods for a very long time. Do we teach weaver, isosceles, point shooting versus sight alignment and sight picture.If we consider all of the latest information available regarding the physiology of stress and how it relates to our bodies during a dynamic critical incident, it seems that we must also evaluate how we teach today’s warriors as it relates to stress under fire.  Many studies have shown that when placed under an extreme amount of stress, our bodies will react in a somewhat predictable way to protect itself. Some examples of these reactions are; the startle flinch, tunnel vision (the rise of visual acuity), auditory exclusion, lowering of center of gravity, facing the stimulus (indexing the threat), eyes opening wide (both eyes) to focus on the threat. It has been since the mid seventies and the beginnings of the dash cam videos that we have been able to see actual shootings and the chaotic way that they play out. It is unrealistic that we see anyone involved actually stand in a perfect weaver stance, focus on the front sights, squinting one eye, and squeeze off a controlled pair. It is shown repeatedly, assailants and officers, shooting seemingly uncontrollably with poor grip on their guns while running backwards towards some sort of cover or at least away from their opponent.We know that when confronted with a threat, our body is naturally going to lower its center of gravity, orient towards the threat, hands will move up to protect our head, and eyes will both open wide and focus on the threat (the startle flinch). Why then would we train students to blade off thirty degrees from the target and close one eye to focus on the sights. We as Professional Firearm Instructors have a duty to be the most informed people on the training range. We carry such an important load of responsibility when it comes to training people to win an encounter involving firearms. 

 

A safe trip abroad..

A Safe Trip Abroad

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Foreword

When you travel abroad, the odds are in your favor that you will have a safe and incident-free trip.  Travelers are, however, sometimes victimized by crime and violence, or experience unexpected difficulties.  No one is better able to tell you this than the U.S. consular officers who work in more than 250 U.S.  embassies and consulates around the globe.  Every day of the year, U.S.  embassies and consulates receive calls from American citizens in distress.

Happily, most problems can be solved over the telephone or by a visit to the Consular Section of the nearest U.S.  embassy or consulate.  There are other occasions, however, when U.S. consular officers are called upon to help U.S. citizens who are in foreign hospitals or prisons, or to assist the families of U.S. citizens who have passed away overseas.  

We have prepared the following travel tips to help you avoid serious difficulties during your overseas travel.  We wish you a safe and wonderful journey!

BEFORE YOU GO

What to Take

Safety begins when you pack.  To help avoid becoming a target, do not dress so as to mark yourself as an affluent tourist.  Expensive-looking jewelry, for instance, can draw the wrong attention.   

Always try to travel light.  You can move more quickly and will be more likely to have a free hand.  You will also be less tired and less likely to set your luggage down, leaving it unattended.

Carry the minimum number of valuables, and plan places to conceal them.  Your passport, cash and credit cards are most secure when locked in a hotel safe.  When you have to carry them on your person, you may wish to put them in various places rather than all in one wallet or pouch.  Avoid handbags, fanny packs and outside pockets that are easy targets for thieves.  Inside pockets and a sturdy shoulder bag with the strap worn across your chest are somewhat safer.  One of the safest places to carry valuables is in a pouch or money belt worn under your clothing.

If you wear glasses, pack an extra pair.  Bring them and any medicines you need in your carry-on luggage.

To avoid problems when passing through customs, keep medicines in their original, labeled containers.  Bring copies of your prescriptions and the generic names for the drugs.  If a medication is unusual or contains narcotics, carry a letter from your doctor attesting to your need to take the drug.  If you have any doubt about the legality of carrying a certain drug into a country, consult the embassy or consulate of that country before you travel.

Bring travelers checks and one or two major credit cards instead of cash.

Pack an extra set of passport photos along with a photocopy of your passport’s information page to make replacement of your passport easier in the event it is lost or stolen.

Put your name, address and telephone numbers inside and outside of each piece of luggage.  Use covered luggage tags to avoid casual observation of your identity or nationality.  If possible, lock your luggage.

Consider getting a telephone calling card.  It is a convenient way of keeping in touch.  If you have one, verify that you can use it from your overseas location(s).  Access numbers to U.S. operators are published in many international newspapers.  Find out your access number before you go.

What to Leave Behind

Don't bring anything you would hate to lose.  Leave at home:

• valuable or expensive-looking jewelry
• irreplaceable family objects
• all unnecessary credit cards
• your Social Security card, library card, and similar items you may routinely carry in your wallet.

Leave a copy of your itinerary with family or friends at home in case they need to contact you in an emergency.

Make two photocopies of your passport identification page, airline tickets, driver's license and the credit cards that you plan to bring with you.  Leave one photocopy of this data with family or friends at home; pack the other in a place separate from where you carry the originals. 

Leave a copy of the serial numbers of your travelers' checks with a friend or relative at home.  Carry your copy with you in a separate place and, as you cash the checks, cross them off the list.

What to Learn About Before You Go

Security
The Department of State's Country Specific Information are available for every country of the world.  They describe entry requirements, currency regulations, unusual health conditions, the crime and security situation, political disturbances, areas of instability, and special information about driving and road conditions.  They also provide addresses and emergency telephone numbers for U.S.  embassies and consulates.  In general, Country Specific Information do not give advice.  Instead, they describe conditions so travelers can make informed decisions about their trips.

For some countries, however, the Department of State issues a Travel Warning in addition to a Country Specific Information.  The Travel Warning may recommend that Americans defer travel to that country because of a dangerous situation there.   

Self-defense concepts vs. techniques

Many self-defense systems or styles stress high repetition techniques.  I think that this is a potentially dangerous way to teach self defense.  Don't forget that most fights happen out of an ambush and self-defense is almost certainly used in counter-ambush situations.  It doesn't matter if you are unarmed or have a gun to use in the situation.  Many of these "systems" pre-supposes that you recognize the threat.

Most of my readers have had self-defense, martial art or shooting lessons.  Think of the examples that you have been given: "OK, the attacker grabs you by the throat and starts to strangle you.. or  The target presents a lethal threat in front of you and you draw your gun in response to this threat.."  These are two, very common examples given to women, men, law enforcement or in urban military training involving civilians.  Does it really make sense or do we, as students, just listen to the instructor?  Do we question the validity of the training or scenarios that are given to us?  If not, why?

Rob Pincus, Founder of ICE Training and Combat Focus Shooting™, has reinforced my natural reaction to question the lessons that are given to me.  "Challenge the material," is something that I have heard him say that makes a lot of sense to me.    As an instructor, I encourage my students to ask why.  Intellectually and conceptually I want them to know because they bet their lives on me and my material as a self-defense instructor.  This is a serious responsibility and I take it as such.

Tony Blauer, CEO of Blauer Tactical Systems and one of my mentors, once told me that a system or technique won't save your life.  A tactic will and I also believe that a concept has the same effect to keep us safe.  We can't pick our fight and don't know when it will happen.  The bad guy chooses the time and place.  We choose when and how to end the fight in the best circumstances.  

 Combat Focus Shooting™ teaches us that it is far better to recognize a threat early than the athletic ability to shoot fast and strait.  Dynamic critical incidents are chaotic sudden and threatening.  The only thing that you can plan for is your body's natural reactions and incorporate ways for you to respond to the threat in an efficient way, taking less time effort and energy to stop the deadly attack.  Recognition is key in training and in real life.  How do you recognize?  One effective way to recognize attacks is to train in a realistic environment as frequently as possible.  Another good idea is to just pick your head up and look around you.  Trust your gut (instincts) and don't place yourself into bad situations if possible.  If a situation starts to go bad use your intelligence to find solutions.  Enter- the concept.  

If you train for technique then the street never looks like the dojo or shooting range.  The attackers are usually a target or fellow student that doesn't try very hard to be a bad guy.  Real bad guys want to injure you emotionally, hurt you physically and maybe worse.  If you train with static targets at the range or stand in place and take sighted shots overtime under no stress you aren't doing yourself any service or increasing your abilities.  It would be better to consider this time "play time" or "stress relief" rather than training.  If you give yourself unrealistic expectations about bad guy behavior or how you will prevail in violent encounters because your instructor said so, think again.  Don't fall for it.

Find a trainer who takes his training seriously and brings the most relevant and up-to-date training to you as a student.  Find an instructor that looks like a professional instructor and can teach not show.  Any instructor can make his own demonstration look good but does that really matter to you as a student?  We all have different capabilities and we need to find defenses that are intuitive and work well with what the body does naturally.  

If you are looking for a good self defense model for gun deployment consider Combat Focus Shooting™.  It is widely regarded in the self-defense, military and law enforcement industry.  It is intended for new shooters or professional operators and there are many levels of training.

If you are looking for a good model for hand to hand self-defense then consider Summit Self Defense™ for your protection needs.  Summit has trained thousands and specialize in unique and efficient methods to end violent encounters.  Summit provides training by seminar or private sessions locally, nationally or internationally to women, law enforcement, military or men.

Author of this blog post

Robb Hamic is a professional firearms teacher who resides in Austin Texas.  He provides instruction in Combat Focus Shooting™ in Austin and surrounding areas on a private or semi-private basis to individuals.  He is a Certified Law Enforcement Trainer (CLET) and trains agencies across the United States in today's most up to date use of force options.  Robb also trains military units.  He provides a full range of hand to hand solutions and methodologies.  For further information contact him at 512-284-0087 or robb@summitselfdefense.com

FItness is vital for life, endurance, self defense and sometimes... survival.

November 9, 2009- Austin, TX-  I find that my fitness is a vital component of my overall satisfaction with life.  My health is dependent upon my fitness and I am in the business of providing professional self defense training to others.  I have to be in peak physical condition.  I train people to defend themselves and fight.  I completely endorse Crossfit, created by Greg Glassman and I believe that it the most advanced delivery system of fitness available.  

Functional strength, endurance and conditioning is not an option for some people.  This is some additional information from the Crossfit website: 

CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide.

The CrossFit program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We scale load and intensity; we don’t change programs. 

The needs of Olympic athletes and our grandparents differ by degree not kind. Our terrorist hunters, skiers, mountain bike riders and housewives have found their best fitness from the same regimen. 

Thousands of athletes worldwide have followed our workouts posted daily on this site and distinguished themselves in combat, the streets, the ring, stadiums, gyms and homes.

Crossfit has affiliates worldwide and I have trained at several facilities.  My home gym is Crossfit Central in Austin and my Coach is Chris Hartwell.  It is fair to say that I am addicted to my workouts.  I feel that my conditioning and overall performance is based in large part to my Crossfit workouts, good diet, proper mindset and other factors.  I have met hundreds of Crossfitters who work in many different kinds of jobs and need to performa at different levels.  Crossfit helps them to achieve their goals.  I know more women who Crossfit than men.  My wife is a Crossfitter and it is fun to train together.  

Crossfit was introduced to me by Tony Blauer of Blauer Tactical Systems.  I find that the movements are productive to my self defense instruction, Personal Defense Readiness (PDR) and Ballistic Micro-Fight Instructor training.  The bottom line for me is that I can fight longer and have more speed and power in doing my job.  I Crossfit three times per week and run, spar and do alternate training two other days per week.  I feel great and I am looking forward to my workout tomorrow.

Robb Hamic, Chief Instructor

Summit Self Defense

    

Have a plan when it comes to self defense.

July 21, 2009- Austin, TX--     You better have a plan if you are forced to defend yourself.  Your enemy has a plan and they are counting on you losing the fight.  Unfortunately, the bad guy chooses when and where the fight will take place in most situations and if forced to defend ourselves we must respond.  Certainly, it is best to use any weapons if you have them available and according to the level of force that is being presented against you.  The number of opponents also has a large impact on your response.

Here are some simple rules for self defense.

- Same or better weapons (if possible).  If someone presents a knife in an attack and you have a gun, go to it for self defense if you feel your life is in jeopardy.  

- Act fast and first if possible.  Many attacks start out as attempted robberies or with some sort of verbal escalation.  If you feel threatened and you feel that the opponent is setting you up for an attack- act first.  Be decisive and dominate the fight.

- Raise your level of aggression.  Fights aren't nice and don't allow yourself fear.  Get mad and attack.

- You are using bad tactics if you are fighting fair.  You didn't choose the fight but be prepared to end it.  your odds of losing get worse the longer that you are engaged, so end it as fast as possible by any means possible.

- Use simple tactics.  Combat is usually a strait line endeavor.  Move away or deflect incoming threats and then move towards your objective in the most destructive and violent manner possible to defeat your attacker.  

The only way to overcome violence is with a greater degree of violence.

There are many styles of martial arts and self defense.  I don't think that any one style is the best or fits every situation.  I suggest that people find a system that is continually evolved and updated according to actual results in fights and confrontations.  Don't hesitate to check out other systems and cross-breed your style.  Get into better shape and concentrate on cardio exercise.  Fights are stressful and are exhausting.  Be prepared.

Robb  Hamic

Self-defense instructor

512-284-0087

robb@callsummit.com    

Robb Hamic: The most important thing to consider about any self defense technique..

June 26, 2009--     I was giving a class to police officers this week and a officer posed a question  about how to respond to a certain kind of street attack.  "What should be the response?"  I like to talk about and have my students thing about self defense in 4 stages.  A person can combine any system or use any technique against an attack if they consider this:  You are being attacked.. what is the biggest danger?

Your response should follow the path of least resistance and respond to the immediate danger to alleviate the immediate threat.  Then counterattack in some way to shock your opponent and draw the attention to the pain that is occurring in his/her body.  The counterattack does not need to be devastating.  Next, get to a point of reference (POR) that you can remember with any attack in in a stressful situation.  This POR should control the attacker and allow you to deliver a number of different blows to overwhelm the attacker.  Finally, finish to your objective.  It may be to control the person, in the case of law enforcement; incapacitate the attacker in the case of an individual or terminate the attacker in the case of military or an imminent jeopardy situation.

In Israeli combatitives, I teach these very principals and I think that it is crucial that a person first considers "what is this attacker doing that will kill me- now?" Deal with that threat and then proceed to your next objective.

- Address the main threat (get out of the way of a punch, give your self room to breath in a choke, etc.)

- Counterattack

- Point of reference (delivering multiple overwhelming blows to the attacker)

- Proceed to your objective in the fight 

"You didn't choose the fight.  You were attacked.  You must raise your level of aggression to win a fight and overcome it with a greater degree of violence.  Don't ask yourself 'why' in an attack.  Make the attacker a victim." ~ Robb Hamic      

The author, Rob Hamic, is the president of Summit Self Defense and Israeli Combat Shooting.  He is a law enforcement, military and civilian self defense trainer in many different disciplines.  Contact him for class or seminar information.  He delivers training locally, nationally and internationally.

Rob Hamic

Summit Self Defense

robb@summitselfdefense.com

http://www.summitselfdefense.com

http://www.israelicombatshooting.com  

Effective self-defense, the Israeli way...

Summit self-defense teaches  the evolution of all Israeli martial arts. This reality-based system is designed to teach effective self-defense in a short time. 

Size does not matter. 

This system is equally effective for women and men. Techniques are designed to minimize your effort, enabling you to work effectively even when you are at a size, strength or position disadvantage. We teach you to exploit others weak points and react instinctively.

It focuses on achieving certain common objectives in virtually all scenarios, thereby making it easier to learn and more immediately effective than many systems. We do not use a belt system where it can take years to learn the most effective advanced material. The most effective learning starts on the first day of class!

 Anyone can learn it.

 No previous martial arts
experience is required. 

 People of any fitness level
can participate and get in
better shape.

 Students learn self-defense
on the first lesson.

 It is easy to learn.

 HaganaH will make you feel       
safe and secure.                                                                     CLICK HERE

Women's self-defense - Women are confronted with many possibilities of violence in today's society. HaganaH gives women the solutions for acts of violence, attacks, intimidation, stalking, harassment domestic abuse and sexual assault. Many of our classes and seminars are primarily attended by women and focused on their unique threats.

The Team
Nationally Certified, Recognized and Respected

Robb Hamic is a  Ground Survival, Israeli Tactical Knife Fighting (ITK) and Israeli Combat Shooting Instructor (ICS). He is U.S. Army Gulf War Veteran, former Deputy and Detective. He is also a Certified Law Enforcement Trainer (CLET) and he instructs officers on all aspects of police work and weapons. His specialty is hand-to-hand tactics, firearms, Taser and use of force. Robb has spent much of his life in martial arts and training others. Robb is a regular columnist for the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI) and has many published articles and training columns. 

Matt Knaub He is also a Jujitsu, boxing, kick-boxing and Thai boxing instructor. He is a successful professional MMA fighter currently training for a title belt. He holds medals from the Pan American Games, Grappler's Quest and other Tournaments. Matt is top manager/trainer at Summit Security & Investigations. He is the lead trainer at our Albuquerque location and he brings his real-life fighting experience to our system.

Check out the Summit self-defense website: 

www.summitselfdefense.com

Learn self-defense.

I talk to my students about "pure intention." Most of us normal people walk around with them built in to our ethics. 

I teach increased aggression in a fight. The only way to overcome violence is with a higher degree of violence, in my opinion. 

Knowing that you have pure intention gives the student permission to have increased aggression, permitting them to have the proper mindset going into it. With that said, there are many styles or techniques that an individual employs to prevail in a fight. Whatever is employed must be done quickly and have be adaptable to multiple attacker scenarios because that is the reality on the street. 

I don't think there is right way to win a fight other than to prevail at all costs because it is your life on the line and it can't be done "in a nice way."

- Robert Robb Hamic