Well crap… You just heard gunshots and an explosion rang you ears. You are lying on the ground and covered in dust and rubble and there is blood and body parts everywhere, but somehow you are still alive. What do you do now? What would you do if you found someone in that condition? This might sound like it’s straight out of a typical thriller book, but for many In Brussels this last week, this was reality. Terror is on the rise in all countries no matter how powerful or insignificant and it could happen to anyone these days. Chances are that it will never happen to you, but it is always better to be safe than sorry.
As I have stated before, I am not politically correct and this blog isn’t either so buckle down for this. If you see something suspicious, like a middle eastern looking military age male wearing a puffy vest and sweating profusely… Get the heck out of there!! Though ISIS is now recruiting Europeans and Americans these days, the wave of immigrants from the East seems to be the main culprits these days. Of coarse they have used more concealed methods. What if you see someone drop a pack and then walk away at an airport? Get out of the vicinity and go strait to local law enforcement and tell them exactly what you saw. I think most of these scenarios are pretty obvious, but you would be surprised how out of touch we are with our senses. Terror bombings are becoming more common but not as bad as the news makes it out to be.
Lets talk more realistically now. What are criminals looking for? Vulnerable and oblivious victims. Walk with confidence and you will deter most attraction. I will say one thing to all male and female travelers: Get some self defense training. Not some McDojo club in your area, but real combat toughening classes that will give you the mind set that you need to survive most anything. If you are interested in classes, please give me general location in the comments section (such as: Southern Atlanta area, Knoxville TN, North Chicago etc…) and I will look up REAL teachers in your area to send you to check out. My teacher has many friends in high places in the martial arts community and I am good at researching candidates that I think might be good teachers. One style of martial arts that is easy to learn and is very universal is Filipino Martial Arts or FMA/Kali/Arnis/Eskrima. FMA is great because you don’t need to bring a gun with you on the plane or a knife or a scary looking key chain. They usually start you out with a stick, but you will learn that the principles apply to knives, pens, machetes, and even bare hands.
I travel with a sturdy ball point pen in my pocket that looks normal not all ‘tacticool’ and threatening and I also usually have a pair of drumsticks sticking out of my pack because you can take them ANYWHERE. You also have your hands, feet, knees, elbows, and most importantly your head (hopefully).
This is FMA. Watch the video and tell me what you think.
Always be aware of your surroundings and THINK. Stay with your group and if you travel alone, stay near other people and crowded areas and stay away from dark, secluded places. You cant go wrong with that. Let me know if you want some advice on self defense classes in the comments section, I would love to help. Stay safe guys and keep on keeping on.
Steven Chavez
