Extreme Home Defense Tactics V3
2016-10-19
: Cqc Homedefensetacticsv3 HomeDefenseTacticsV3 program homedefense sites
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IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
ABOUT THIS INFORMATION
This book is for information purposes only. Do not attempt any of the techniques
shown unless under the guidance of a fully qualified professional. Always consult
your physician before engaging in any physical activity. The author assumes no
responsibility for any injury that may occur as a result of using these techniques.
All of these techniques may ONLY be used in justifiable circumstances where
care is taken not to infringe local laws regarding legal restraint and use of force.
You Do Not Have Permission
To Sell Or Distribute This Program
This publication is the sole property of CQC International, Inc. and is only
available through the website www.HomeDefenseTactics.com.
If you see anyone giving away this program as a free or paid download from any
other website, please do the honorable thing and let us know at
www.CloseCombatSupport.com and if we find that some scumbag is fraudulently
stealing our program and profiting from it or giving it away illegally, we will reward
you handsomely for your higher moral standard.
Thanks for having our back!
CONTENTS
DO YOU WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO YOUR FAMILY?!..............................................................................!9!
HOME INVASION VERSUS HOME BURGLARY!......................................................................................!11!
GOING DEEPER INTO THE MIND OF THE “HOME INVADER”!....................................................................!12!
THE HOME INVADER’S GAME PLAN!....................................................................................................!15!
SO... HOW DO YOU FEEL?!..................................................................................................................!20!
HOME INVASION: WHAT YOU MUST ASK YOURSELF!............................................................................!22!
FROM THE HOME INVADER’S PERSPECTIVE!........................................................................................!26!
SAFE ROOM ESSENTIALS!..................................................................................................................!39!
HOME-DEFENSE WEAPONS!...............................................................................................................!43!
THE HOME DEFENSE SHOTGUN!..........................................................................................................!44!
THE HOME DEFENSE RIFLE!.................................................................................................................!48!
THE HOME DEFENSE HANDGUN!..........................................................................................................!49!
GIZMOS & GADGETS!........................................................................................................................!51!
IMPROVISED WEAPONS!...................................................................................................................!55!
THE “ULTIMATE WEAPON”?!..............................................................................................................!60!
HOME INVASION SURVIVAL BLUEPRINT!............................................................................................!62!
YOUR “ESCAPE PLAN”!......................................................................................................................!62!
ACTIONS DURING A HOME INVASION!................................................................................................!66!
SURVIVING A HOSTAGE SITUATION!..................................................................................................!69!
WHEN TO ESCAPE!............................................................................................................................!75!
LAUNCHING A PHYSICAL ATTACK!.....................................................................................................!76!
EXTREME SURVIVAL STRATEGIES!.....................................................................................................!80!
“CLEARING” YOUR HOME!..................................................................................................................!83!
EXTREME ESCAPE TECHNIQUES!........................................................................................................!90!
RAPE SURVIVAL!............................................................................................................................!102!
IF HELP COMES!..............................................................................................................................!105!
IN CLOSING!...................................................................................................................................!107!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
JEFF ANDERSON
• Former member of elite military Long-
Range Recon Patrol Team (LRRPs)
• Master Instructor, Close Quarters
Combat
• Member, American Society for Law
Enforcement Training (ASLET)
• Over 20 years practical fighting
experience
• Skilled executive protection specialist and
security consultant
• Decorated combat veteran
• Proficient in urban, jungle, arctic, and desert military combat operations
Driven by a passion for martial arts from a very young age, I began my training at
the age of 13 in the kung fu style of Pangai-Noon.
Although a "kung fu" style, my instructor, Ron LeBlanc, was very much a
practical fighter and focused on the reality of applying the style to the street.
Over the years, I have learned many styles of martial arts (and even did a short
stint as a Guardian Angel in NY!) but it was a barroom fight that made me realize
that if I was ever going to learn how to defend myself under extreme
circumstances, I was going to have to let go of some of the constricting "rules" I
had been training under.
My quest for the ultimate street fighting system began with 10 years of military
service and an endless stream of formal and informal teachers mixed with the
occasional bar fight (if by 2am, a drunken GI doesn’t think he’s leaving with a
date…that usually means it’s time to get in a fight!).
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This path has lasted my entire life and has been vastly enhanced by my
professional career in the security field as an officer, bodyguard, and Senior Vice
President of a national security organization.
Throughout my training in various fighting systems, I discovered that there are a
LOT of great fighters and trainers who REALLY know the in's and out's of
practical self defense.
So I began networking with the world's top "reality-based" instructors to create an
organization that could offer their best training in an online environment.
The result was creation of a one-of-a-kind member-based organization called the
New Word Patriot Alliance (NWPA), focused on providing REAL training that
would allow every-day "average" men and women to defend themselves in even
the most violent encounters and survival scenarios.
It is my sincere hope that you have found the information in this manual of great
benefit. It is just a sample of the training our fast-growing organization can
provide you with in the future.
Train hard, stay safe… prepare now!
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MOTHER, TWO DAUGHTERS
RAPED BEFORE THEIR DEATHS;
FATHER TIED UP — HELPLESS!
!
CHESHIRE, Conn., July 25, 2007 (CBS/AP) The two men accused of a brutal
Connecticut home invasion may not have had violent crimes in their long lists of
prior convictions, but sources tell local newspapers the pair's record changed
when they invaded the home of a prominent doctor early Monday morning.!!
!
"This is everyone's worst
nightmare,"!!
Lt. Jay Markella, Cheshire police
spokesman, told the Waterbury
newspaper.
"It's by far the worst thing any of
us have ever seen."
!
Joshua Komisarjevsky, 26, of Cheshire, and Steven Hayes, 44, of Winsted, were
arraigned Tuesday on charges of assault, sexual assault, kidnapping, burglary,
robbery, arson, larceny and risk of injury to children.
More charges are pending, state police said Tuesday night. The two men could
face the death penalty.
Prosecutor Michael Dearington said he had not yet decided whether to pursue
the death penalty.
"I know the public consensus is they should be fried tomorrow," he said.
The state medical examiner confirmed that Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48, was
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strangled and that her daughters, 17-year-old Hayley and 11-year-old Michaela,
died of smoke inhalation.
The deaths were ruled homicides.
The girls' father, Dr. William Petit Jr., a prominent endocrinologist, remained
hospitalized with head injuries.
All three women were raped, sources familiar with the investigation told both
the Waterbury Republican-American and Hartford Courant.
Petit was beaten with a baseball bat, thrown down the basement stairs,
and then tied up in the cellar.
The girls, sources told the Courant, were tied to their beds and raped
repeatedly, then left to burn after gasoline was poured around their beds
and ignited.
The suspects entered the Petits' Cheshire home at about 3 a.m. Monday,
planning to burglarize it, state police said.
Sources familiar with the investigation tell the Republican-American that Hawke-
Petit and Michaela were followed home from a supermarket Sunday by the
suspects.
The men then went to a Wal-Mart to buy an air rifle and a rope, and then waited
about a mile-and-a-half away
State officials are re-examining their parole policies, but Robert Farr, chairman of
the Connecticut Board of Pardons and Parole, said the task would be difficult
because neither suspect had a history of violent crimes.
"That's why this is sort of shocking — because it doesn't fit a normal mode," Farr
said.
Petit remained hospitalized Wednesday.
"He's doing OK physically. Emotionally he is devastated and still worried about
others," said Petit's pastor, the Rev. Stephen Volpe.
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He told CBS affiliate WFSB-TV the Pettits were a strong and giving family.
"I'm thinking of the father. I can't imagine what he has to come back to," neighbor
Linda Layman told CBS News . "Nobody should have to go through that. It's very
devastating. It's just horrible."!!
DO YOU WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO YOUR FAMILY?
There’s a knock on the door.
You look up from your evening newspaper, wondering who might be there.
You open the door, curious, when a man holding a machete shoves you to the
floor.
He and three of his friends file in, and the look in their eyes tells you that you
have made a terrible mistake.
Just then, in the darkness of the hallway, you hear the faint, sleepy voice of your
small daughter…
”Daddy? I heard a noise.”
You glance back at the men who’ve also heard her…and are headed her way!
Will you be killed…or tied up and left helpless on the floor to watch your family
being brutalized?
While the reality of a home invasion may not be quite that dramatic, it is no less
traumatizing to those whose homes are violated.
The concept goes to the very heart of our fears as citizens with families and
homes: that violence and crime, which we try so hard to avoid, could come
calling at the place where we are most vulnerable and where we should feel most
safe.
It is a FACT that home invasion is one of the most dangerous and unpredictable
crimes you can face.
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A home invasion is a crime in which an individual or individuals enter a home
while there are still people inside that home.
(Breaking into an empty home is generally considered a burglary only, though
these are common uses of the terms and not legal definitions.)
Most often, theft is NOT the only intent of the criminals who are bold enough to
enter a home while its occupants are still there.
If someone wants your television, they don’t want any witnesses.
All they want is to get in…get the TV…and get out without anyone noticing them.
You see…they don’t have any large screen HDTV’s in jail cells and you don’t get
to choose the channel you want to watch unless you’re 6’8” tall and 350 lbs!
No…the traditional home burglar, 99% of the time, will break in while you and
your family are away from the house, away on vacation or at work.
The one exception can occur when a burglar is already in your home and you
happen to come home, catching them in the act.
This unexpected surprise can also have dreaded consequences, as you’ll soon
see.
Much as it bothers us to consider, home invasions do happen.
Sometimes those doing the breaking and entering are known to the occupants,
such as the sorts of crimes that occur in drug-saturated, crime-infested
neighborhoods.
Other times, however, the invaders are unknown strangers, who have targeted
the home because they know there are people or things inside its walls that they
want.
Whether they want money, they want property, or they wish to rape your wife or
daughters (or all of these things), home invaders are the most fearsome of all
criminals because they are not criminals of opportunity.
They do not simply see something conveniently vulnerable and take it; they
actually create opportunity by breaking into a home while the occupants are
inside.
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There are different kinds of home invaders, too.
There are simple thieves, who want the valuables in your home and don’t care if
you get in the way while they steal them because they don’t have the patience or
planning ability of burglars.
There are also thrill killers, groups of thugs who find assault and even murder
sexually gratifying or otherwise pleasurable.
Those with money and other expensive property are the likely targets of thieves,
but just about anyone could fall under the scrutiny of those who invade homes for
the thrill of it.
HOME INVASION VERSUS HOME BURGLARY
Besides the propensity for domination and violence that turns home invaders on,
there are some other attractive qualities “revenue-wise” compared with a
traditional home burglary.
While many homes now have alarm systems installed that reduce the amount of
time a burglar can spend looking for valuables, home invaders don’t have to
worry about a loud alarm going off or having to contend with disabling an alarm in
time.
Alarm systems are typically disabled while a family is home…even when a family
is sleeping
(Although systems have an option for setting inside sensors while families are
sleeping, everyone has had the occasion to trip it off in the middle of the night
when you go out to grab a glass of water. As a result, most people don’t even
use this option in the evening.)
Unless a home has been thoroughly cased prior to an invasion (oftentimes a
burglar – or home invader for that matter – has already been to your house as a
delivery person or posing as a public works employee), finding the “good stuff”
can be a veritable scavenger hunt that can be pretty frustrating for a traditional
residential burglar.
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Time is of the essence and with the danger of having the residents return home,
a neighbor spotting them, or a keen-eyed police officer spotting “something not
quite right”, a burglar may end up with very little to show for his efforts.
A home invader, on the other hand, can intimidate his way into you giving up
your ATM card (with PIN), all your valuables, and your car (to get away with all of
the valuables of course)…and take his time doing it!
It’s also not uncommon for one invader to take one family member with him to
the ATM machine with the threat of harm to the rest of the family tied up at home
“unless that PIN number is correct”!
GOING DEEPER INTO
THE MIND OF THE
“HOME INVADER”
Interviews with convicted home
invaders reveal a mindset much
different than that of the petty thief.
“Covert” residential burglars seek out
the greatest reward with the least
amount of risk of being caught or
even being seen.
They may watch a house or number of houses for weeks or even months waiting
for the right opportunity when you’re not at home.
In and out…and off to “fence” the merchandise!
Home invaders, on the other hand, tend to be more aggressive in nature and
may actually seek out the thrill of abusing or intimidating a resident or family as
they commit their crime.
Oftentimes, it may even be pulled off as initiation for a new gang member who’s
required to prove his mettle by taking part in a home invasion.
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Torture, rape, and killing may be on the list of “qualifications” for entry into the
“family” and the victims are often the most innocent of us who are chosen
because of contrasting class status.
In other words, you and I are often seen as “privileged” and deserve to be put
back in our place by those who feel they are scorned for being less fortunate or
societal outcasts.
In any case, the lesson here is that home invasions often have absolutely nothing
to do with theft at all.
The ability to instill fear into the family home invaders have taken control of is
value enough.
Dominance is a drug and it opens up the door to elevated levels of violence such
as rape and torture.
In fact, besides gang members, many home invaders are rapists and pedophiles
since both of these classifications are rooted in establishing control over the
victim.
Unlike the calculated burglar who will enter a home when no one is there in order
to steal, the home invader is sick and demented – truly on a different level of
mental stability that neither you nor I can fully identify with.
And sickness like this makes people do strange things that are only limited by
imagination.
And herein lies one of the most dangerous aspects of a home invasion…
…because once inside your home and in full control, it’s an opportunity for the
home invader, who is often curious about his (or her!) own odd tendencies, to
“experiment” with that control.
In fact, it’s not uncommon for home owners to take several days to torture the
home owners in various new ways for “fun” simply because they can.
You must know that with these types of sick and perverted individuals, the
outcome is likely death for those who live in the home…
…and most likely a long, slow, painful death.
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I’m sorry to be so blunt, but it’s important that you fully understand what you’re up
against because the mind of the home invader is so very different than the
common thief or criminal.
And particularly at risk are single women living alone, the disabled, and the
elderly simply because they are easier targets...
...and easier to control and intimidate!
However, following closely behind is a family with children because nearly all
parents will roll over and beg for mercy to avoid the prospect of their spouse or
children being hurt.
The bottom line is that no one is exempt from attack. NO ONE!
Just as serial killers and rapists may have certain signatures they look for in their
victims, home invaders are very conscious of what they look for in their victims
be they residents of a suburban neighborhood where home owners are
overconfident with their safety or rural communities where there’s very little
chance of being seen or interrupted during their attack.
However, by taking part in this program, you’ve taken an important step in
diffusing a potential attack where you and your family are targeted as victims.
Around 500 B.C., General Sun Tzu wrote in “The Art Of War”, “If you know the
enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.”
Likewise, if you know how home invaders think and attack and know how you’ll
react to thwart their plans and turn the tables on them so THEY are the ones
fearing for their life, then you need not fear.
We know their motives.
Now let’s take a closer look at their game plan…
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THE HOME INVADER’S GAME PLAN
Think for a moment about how easy it is to get people to open their door for you.
“I have a delivery I need you to sign for.”
“I’m really sorry. I just backed into your car on the street.”
“I just hit a dog in front of your house and I’m trying to locate the owner.”
The truth is that 90% of the homes out there are easy picking for someone with
the right story and an “honest face”.
In fact, consider the many reasons the odds are stacked against the common
“Average Joe/Jane” who don’t understand the very real threat that predatory
home invaders pose:
• Home invaders often work with one or more other partners and may be
operating as part of a gang to overwhelm you with multiple attackers.
• Most likely, you’ve been watched beforehand and your schedule, work
times, home habits, etc. are already known and waiting to be exploited.
• You can bet your ass they will be armed.
• Resistance and escape are challenges that are handled by home invaders
equipping themselves with rope, handcuffs, and/or duct tape (all of which
we’ll address in another section of this book).
• Unless you have early warning devices, the element of surprise is typically
in their favor. All they need is a crack in the door and they have all the
opportunity they need to simply bust through.
In other words, home invaders don’t like to take chances because their ultimate
goal is take total control to carry out whatever sadistic plan they may have in
store for you and your loved ones.
And this control starts the moment they’re able to infiltrate your most sacred of
spaces: your doorstep.
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First Strike
The home invader’s very first move is to rely on extreme violence in their initial
entry, taking advantage of the element of surprise before you can collect your
thoughts enough to decide to fight back.
They will likely viciously strike the first person within reach to quickly take control
and show their dominance.
No warning…no mercy…their success lies with you recognizing that they own
you and that you’d damn well better do anything they tell you or you’ll experience
pain and suffering.
Home invaders know that at some point, especially if you’re a man, you’re going
to try to fight back.
That’s simply NOT an option in the mind of those who have taken over your
home so they know they must quickly remove any opportunity you may have to
become a problem.
If they can overpower you, either because they’re bigger, outnumber you or have
a weapon that can be used to injure you to the point of incapacitation, this is the
most likely action because the adrenaline that’s flowing from the initial stages of
their entry and assault will spill over.
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However, the more calculated criminal or someone who realizes that they are not
your equal in size and strength could resort to using your love for family
members to their advantage.
A knife to the throat of your spouse or child is all that’s required to intimidate you
to do whatever the home invaders says.
In nearly all cases, this is extremely effective!
Restrain You
Most of the time, whether it’s while you’re beaten and incapacitated or complying
with a threat to a loved one taken hostage, you’re going to be restrained in some
way to reduce the chances of a counter attack or escape.
You may be tied up, handcuffed, duct taped or secured with plastic “zip ties” and
possibly gagged to avoid screaming.
Realize this…after you’ve been immobilized by restraints, you’re now at the
mercy of your attackers…no matter WHAT they want to do!
We’ll discuss this more later in this manual.
Secure Your Home
Once you and your family are restrained, the invader(s) will make sure to
eliminate any opportunity to be disturbed by friendly neighbors who like to drop in
without knocking to borrow a cup of sugar or others who may have an open
invitation to enter the house unannounced such as another family member,
housekeeper or nanny.
They’ll travel through your home to quickly lock doors, draw curtains and shades
to avoid being seen.
This also ensures that you’re unable to see outside where you may notice
someone coming to the door or walking by (such as the mail carrier) who you
would try to signal to get help.
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Assess Your Home For “Operations”
Once the home has been secured and the home invader has determined that
he/they haven’t been detected, it’s time to get down to business.
While traveling through your home, an assessment will be made to determine the
best rooms for whatever the criminals want to do next.
If it’s simply for theft, it may simply mean a closet or room where you can be kept
while they load up a car or truck.
But in a home invasion, this is actually a “best case” scenario…and
unfortunately, NOT very likely!
In most cases, what they’re looking for is a quiet room where you and/or your
loved ones can be easily restrained and no one will hear them scream as they’re
being raped or tortured..
Where is that in YOUR home?
It’s important that you know which rooms you’re most vulnerable in as we get into
how to properly prepare for the possibility of attack so begin to do your own
assessment of where YOU would secure your family if you were a violent and
cunning criminal.
Most importantly, which rooms are best for securing and torture?
Most likely this will be an area where screams can’t be heard, such as a
basement or closet…
…and these are the areas you’ll want to focus on in hiding weapons and escape
tools.
Rifle Through Your Belongings
Even the home invader seeking a thrill and the satisfaction of controlling and
intimidating a family isn’t averse to seeing if there are any cash and valuables
they can take away with them.
Of course, they may simply frisk you for your wallet or ask you where you keep
valuables, they’ll also likely go through at least the most common storage places
for wallets, purses and money to see what else is available.
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This includes places like hallway credenza drawers, desks, and bedside tables.
And herein lies a hidden danger that few couples consider…
What do you think goes through the mind of a predator cranked up on adrenaline
(and possibly drugs) when he comes across any sexual toys or pornographic
magazines or DVD’s you and your spouse have stashed in the most accessible
area next to your bed.
Even if sex wasn’t originally the intent of the invasion, the mental image of you
and your spouse in the throes of passion with kinky toys triggers a hormonal
response as does flipping through the latest issue of “Hustler” you may have
hidden in your desk drawer.
Testosterone is a dangerous hormone when combined with the realization that
your home is secured, you’re restrained with no way to fight back, and he (and
those who accompany him) have time to enjoy “playing” with your wife without
interruption.
In fact, even those not necessarily sexual deviants or rapists may justify going to
that level because they feel your spouse is “kinky” and may actually even enjoy
being raped.
That may seem like a far, disgusting stretch to you, but remember that YOU don’t
think like the societal predator and the lines of right and wrong are much blurrier
in their mind to begin with.
Add to that, sexual arousal and you have a very dangerous concoction.
So if you do possess any sexual novelties or pornographic material, make sure
they are well hidden in an inconspicuous location where they won’t be
discovered.
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SO... HOW DO YOU FEEL?
Do you have that knot in your stomach thinking about what you would do if you
were in that situation?
Have you imagined yourself bound and gagged while two psychopaths have your
loved ones in another room, their screams for help going unanswered because
you’re tied up and unable to stop their torture and abuse?
Most people don’t like to think that a scenario like this could happen to
them…and I don’t blame them.
Frankly, it scares the SHIT out of me!
And the truth is that it’s not likely to happen to you…although it absolutely CAN!
Take me, for example…
I live in a peaceful little neighborhood in the northern suburbs of Chicago.
Although the city of Chicago itself certainly has its share of gang bangers and
crime, the town where I live is one where I’ve forgotten on a few occasions to
close my garage door at night and everything was still in its place the next
morning.
Yet just months prior to the writing of this book, a local priest and his twenty-
something daughter were brutally stabbed to death in their own living room…the
result of a home invasion…just 5 blocks from my house!
And just 4 years ago, in a neighborhood right next to mine (where the average
house is worth close to $1 million), a mother was slain in her driveway by a
stranger with a machete (of all things) while her 9 year old daughter was able to
escape.
These are REAL stories…about REAL people who were the victims of a brutally
violent crime…in areas where you would NEVER expect these types of murders
to happen!
I don’t tell you these stories to scare you (well, other than to scare you into
action).
No one wants to live their life in paranoia and fear.
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In fact, fear can be nearly as debilitating as the crimes you’re trying to prevent
from happening in the first place.
Who wants to continually feel like someone is staring into your home or that
every time the front doorbell rings, it’s a prison escapee coming to rape your
spouse, right?
No, it’s not about “fear”…it’s about ERADICATING fear by knowing deep down
EXACTLY what you would do if you were attacked.
THAT is how you deal with paranoia and fear…and THAT is exactly what we’re
doing here!
The fact is that crime doesn’t discriminate and preparing for the possibility of a
home invasion NOW could save your life or and the life of your loved ones later.
The good news is that simply THINKING about what you would do will go a long
way toward making the right decisions should you ever be faced with such a
vicious crime.
There are some things you need to ask yourself to begin preparing now for any
crime that could happen in the future:
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HOME INVASION: WHAT YOU MUST ASK YOURSELF
The absolute best way to survive a home invasion is to take the proper
preventive steps to avoid one in the first place.
That’s kind of obvious, I know, but the unfortunate reality is that all but a select
few people (such as those who have already been a victim of a crime at some
point) walk around thinking the best of everyone and that nothing will happen to
them.
Don’t get caught in this “won’t happen to me” trap!
It can get you killed!
The first thing to consider is the physical security of your home.
There are some very basic things you should analyze in order to make your
house a “stronghold” from which you can defend if you need to.
Overall, the best approach is to get a professional security consultant that can do
an audit of your home and property and make the necessary recommendations
for better securing the premises.
Now, I’m not talking about your local alarm company.
While they are very skilled at putting together a plan for where to place sensors
and your alarm key pad, what I’m talking about is someone who can also include
other environmental factors in their plan such as local crime statistics,
landscaping, the physical structure of your home, etc.
While this may be a bit more expensive than the “free” visit an alarm company
may make, it will provide you with a much more thorough plan for fortifying your
home against crime.
Perhaps to get you thinking in the direction a consultant may lead you, the best
“first step” is to plan your own break-in.
When evaluating the danger presented to you, your home, and your family by the
prospect of home invasion, you need to ask yourself the following questions:
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Do you answer the door with no means of determining who
is outside (such as looking through a peephole)?
If you have no means of checking who’s at your door, you should install one.
A simple peephole will do, but a closed-circuit camera is even better.
Be aware that a truly determined criminal may disguise himself or have
accomplices out of sight somewhere when presenting himself at your door.
If you’re not expecting company and there is no plausible reason to admit a
visitor, don’t.
Generally, no one should be showing up at your door asking for entry if you did
not invite them.
That includes utility workers, poll takers, and even children (who are sometimes
used as decoys to gain access to your home).
The exception would be law enforcement officers, but criminals sometimes
impersonate them as well.
Demand to see credentials and a warrant, should someone claiming to be the
police come calling.
In addition, when answering your door to someone who is unknown to you but
may have a legitimate need, you must have a way to stop the door from being
forced all the way open if it does turn out to be an attack.
A metal “storm door” or security door that’s locked is a good alternative and
better than a security chain that are often flimsy and easy to bust through with
enough force.
Do you keep your doors locked at all times?
No matter how safe you feel in your home, there is absolutely no excuse not to
lock your doors.
This is the simplest form of personal security when in the home: Lock your
doors!
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Don’t put extra keys in obvious places either, such as in your mailbox, under a
mat, in a fake rock or piece of dog doo, or in any of several other places that are
the first locations an experienced criminal will check.
You can’t afford to let a home invader just walk into your home.
Do you keep weaponry accessible, or on your person?
While it is inadvisable to keep weapons unsecured in the home (especially if you
have children), you should have weapons of self-defense available if you can
keep them locked up in a way that facilitates quick retrieval.
A pushbutton safe with a handgun in it, for example, keeps your children’s hands
off the weapon but keeps the gun where you can get it should you need it.
Varieties of such safes are available on the market and can be mounted in
discrete but handy places in the home.
The important thing is that there’s a weapon that you can get to very quickly if
needed.
If you carry a weapon on your person, it’s not unreasonable to have that weapon
on you (but not brandished) when you answer the door for an unknown visitor.
But here’s the reality…
Even if you’re armed to the teeth, the element of surprise belongs to the person
who is waiting outside your door when you open it.
If a home invader is able to burst past your door, the chances of you being able
to get to your gun are going to be tough even if that gun is carried on your person
because you’ll be locked in hand-to-hand combat.
Of course, you could simply not open the door to anyone, right?
But you may be surprised to hear that I actually WANT to open the door to a
home invader!
Let me explain…
If someone plans on busting through my front door, I’m going to give them just
enough opportunity to show me their cards…and then make them pay for it.
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You see, when I answer the door to someone who I don’t recognize but may
have a legitimate reason for me to open up, I crack the door open about 8 inches
or so.
If it’s something I need to sign or sign for, it’s easy enough for this person to slip
a clipboard through to me.
But if that person tries to charge my door thinking I’m just going to go flying
backwards while they stomp on my head, what they would find is that the door
doesn’t budge…
…thanks to a $.79 rubber door
stopper you can pick up at even the
local grocery store!
Should the home invader try to
charge the door, my stopper will
hold him back and even if I’m taken
by surprise, I have all the time I
need to compose myself and get to
my weapon while signaling my
family to spring to action.
In fact, the stopper I use actually
doubles as an alarm and can be
picked up for just a little bit more
money so that while the door is
stopped from opening, a loud alarm
is triggered at the same time.
If the home invader doesn’t hear the slide being pulled back on my handgun, it’s
probably because of the 120 decibel screeching that is warning my family as well
as all of my neighbors to react.
At that point, the advantage is now mine as he either runs away out of panic or is
stupid enough to continue to barge through where I wait with a loaded gun and
the police on the way.
Do you have a local or linked security system?
A local alarm MIGHT deter common thieves.
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This is a simple noisemaker that goes off in the home when someone trips a
sensor, such as by breaking a window or busting a door lock.
For real home invasion security, however, and if you can afford it, get a security
system from a 24-hour monitoring company.
These types of systems will call your home in the event of being tripped in order
to verify that everything is ok, but some services and devices are also able to
listen in on your home for the telltale sounds of crime or break-in.
Personally, I don’t like the prospect of some company having the ability to listen
in on my home at will and I find the feature of a confirmation phone call enough.
If I don’t answer the phone because I’m locked in combat, the monitoring
company will dispatch assistance right away.
FROM THE HOME INVADER’S PERSPECTIVE !
Ok, now it’s time to go through your security plan again but this time from the
OUTSIDE.
Stand at the curb of the road outside your home and take a look at your property
and the house itself.
What do you see?
No…what do you REALLY see?!
You need to THINK like a criminal to DEFEAT a criminal.
How would YOU break into your home?
• Is there a large bush in front of your front door that provides enough
concealment for a home invader to bust through without much of a chance
of being seen from the street?
(I’ve seen homes where those “small bushes” that were planted several
years ago were left to grow so large that you couldn’t even see the front
door from anywhere outside the property!)
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• Is your entranceway well lit at night?
• Do you have a door with a glass pane that can be broken, allowing the
door to be unlocked from the inside?
• Is there a tall tree near your home that offers access to an upstairs
window?
• Do you leave large retail boxes outside your home at the curb that
scream, “Hey, I just bought a humongous large-screen plasma TV!”. This
is like placing a community classified ad looking for burglars to infiltrate
your home.
These are but a few of the hundreds of questions you should be asking yourself
in order to find your “weakest link” in the physical security measures of your
home.
For a more effective self-analysis, you should conduct this visual inspection for
all sides of your house and do it during the day AND at night because you’ll
discover different danger zones depending upon lighting.
Now I could go into the many ways to better secure your premises, that’s better
left to another manual…or more effectively, to a security professional who can
examine your home in person.
But the most overlooked aspect of home security defense isn’t which brand of
security alarm you choose, but rather how you plan out your “Zones Of Defense”
to begin with.
You see, when working as a bodyguard for some very important dignitaries, we
would look at their estate in different zones, each with their own unique
challenges and benefits.
They were:
• Outer Perimeter
• Inner Perimeter
• Entry Points
• Home Interior
• Safe Room(s)
Let’s look at your specific home battlefield with each of these zones in mind…
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Zone 1: Outer Perimeter Defense
You always want to push your first line of defense as far away from your “last
stand” point as much as possible.
In other words, I’d rather know that bad guys are headed my way 150 feet from
my front door than waiting for them to be AT my front door.
Some of the ways to accomplish this are:
• Use a gated driveway entrance with call button. It’s pretty damned
expensive but if you can afford it, it sends a strong message of “I take my
privacy seriously.” and allows you to challenge deliveries from a safer
distance than your front door.
• Set up motion detectors at your driveway entrance and around your
property line. Some motion detector systems integrate with your current
alarm system or can be rigged up separately. They can also either trigger
a loud alarm and lights to make a scene or they can alert you silently so
that you can put into place your reaction plan.
I recommend a silent alarm at the driveway entrance to avoid loud false
alarms and to restrict “testing” by would-be invaders who notice the
system ahead of time while casing your home.
I like loud alarms around a property line because the only time someone
would normally be entering your property from the side is due to an “in
progress” assault. Having a loud alarm for detection disrupts their “perfect
plan” and forces them to either abandon their attack or rush their plan
which will no doubt lead to mistakes that work in your favor since you’re
already in motion.
• Close circuit television cameras (CCTV). Video cameras have become
extremely affordable for the average home owner and can easily be
installed on the perimeter of your property and at entrances to visually
confirm who is making contact with you or trying to gain access.
In addition, CCTV cameras will record any details of the crime to later help
investigators find the perpetrators and the prosecutors put them away.
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For best results, integrate the cameras with your home security network
so they are triggered to record when the alarm is activated.
• Improvised perimeter devices. If you’re not into spending money on
perimeter movement detectors, there are ways to create your own with
great success. In fact, I successfully thwarted a gang from defacing my
property with their graffiti with a simple tripwire system and a blank
shotgun shell. Here’s a version that you can use yourself:
Homemade Perimeter Alert Device
Equipment Needed:
o A standard spring-based rat trap
o Gorilla glue
o ½ inch roofing nail
o Trip wire or strong fishing line
o L-shaped bracket with screws
o Drill
o Blank 12 gauge shotgun shell (without wadding; can be purchased
from online theater supply stores)
1. SAFETY FIRST! This is NOT to be constructed without proper safety
gear including safety goggles. Don’t be stupid! Also be sure to use a
blank shotgun shell with NO WADDING so there’s no discharged material
when it goes off.
2. Drill a small hole slightly larger than the width of the roofing nail body
along the end of the rat trap’s wire hammer
3. Glue the roofing nail to the trap’s hammer so that when sprung, it will
travel through the hole. The best way to do this is fit the nail through the
hole with the hammer closed and glue the two together in this position
until set (about 10 minutes)
4. Secure the rat trap UPSIDE DOWN (so the flat side with no mechanisms
is facing up) to a tree or other fixed position using the L-shaped bracket
and screws
5. Set the rat trap as you normally would but with one end of the trip wire
affixed to the trap’s catch.
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6. Affix the other end of the trip wire to a fixed position across the likely path
of an intruder, about 6 inches off the ground.
7. You want the wire taught but you’ll need to work with it so the trap isn’t too
hair sensitive. This is why I suggest using a rat trap because it’s more
resistant to false alarms.
8. Once the trap’s hammer is set, put a little Gorilla glue on the bottom of the
blank shotgun shell and secure it so the shell’s primer is directly over the
hole
9. When the trip wire is hit, the trap will spring and the roofing nail will strike
the shotgun shell cartridge, discharging it and warning you of an intruder
(while simultaneously scaring the shit out of the person who was
trespassing!)
Zone 2: Inner Perimeter Defense
Your inner perimeter is the space between the outside of your property line to
your home.
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If a home invader has entered your property past a silent motion detector (if you
have one), then this is the space where you’ll let them know that you’ve already
considered the possibility of becoming a victim of crime…and have taken action.
Any indication you can show them that you’re more prepared than the average
schmuck on the block will force them to consider the unknown factors (like the
possibility of you accessing a firearm) and send them on to an easier target.
Here are some ideas for sending them a “You don’t want to do that!” message:
• Alarm system yard signs. Yes…they work! Even a dumbass street
criminal knows that alarm systems have panic buttons on them and can
destroy their plan.
• Novelty signs. Of course this takes a sense of humor (and a certain level
of obnoxious pride in your level of preparedness), but yard/fence/door
signs that say things like…
o “Protected By Smith & Wesson”
o “We don’t call 9-1-1”
…may cause the neighbors grief, but tell a home invader that you’re pretty
damned serious about your safety.
Of course, these signs can be used against you in court if it’s arguable
whether you acted in self defense. An escaping home invader shot in the
back while running down your driveway isn’t a good combination with a
sign that says, “Make my day!”.
• Patriotic flags. In the U.S. at least, many gun owners also display some
sort of patriotic emblems so it’s not a far reach that someone displaying
the American flag could also be armed. Same thing goes for military flags
though I don’t recommend inflammatory flags like the confederate or nazi
flags.
• Motion detector flood lights. “Ooops! Have I been spotted?!” That’s
the first thing that goes through a criminal’s mind when all of a sudden
things go from pitch black to bright white while approaching your home.
Install motion detector flood lights.
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For increased effectiveness, ensure your lighting system is integrated with
your alarm system or even just rings inside the house to let you know that
someone is within close range of your home.
And don’t just consider the front and back areas of your home. Actually,
the SIDE of your house is a sneaky way to be alerted that you could be
targeted for a home invasion!
You see, one strategy of home invaders is to have one person distract you
at the front door with some sort of reason for knocking while his partner
goes to the back of your house to enter. If your back door is open, you
can be taken by surprise from the back. If it’s not open and he tries to
force his entry, it will still surprise and distract you enough for the front
door attacker to seize the moment and force his way in to pommel you.
By installing motion detector lights on the SIDE of your house that face IN
toward your windows (not out away from your home), you’ll be able to look
to the right and left of your home when answering the door to see if either
of your side lights are on. If they are, then it’s likely that there’s either
someone attacking from the rear or the person knocking on your door was
first snooping on the sides of your home, peering in windows to evaluate
the situation before preparing to attack.
• Inner perimeter alert devices. Trip wire alarms can serve the same
purpose in close proximity of your home as they do on the perimeter.
Placing an alert device, particularly on the side of your house, can provide
the same type of advance notice that the flood lights do in the previous
bullet.
• “Beware Of Dog”. Criminals hate to enter homes with dogs. Little
yappers can alert home owners of danger while larger dogs can cause
serious injury. In either case, home invaders want to be able to attack the
human residents swiftly so in order to seize control and a dog can prevent
that from happening. Therefore, “Beware Of Dog” signs can be a
deterrent for someone looking to enter your home against your will.
(Note: If you don’t have a dog or if you have a fluffy little lapdog you dress
up in pretty pink bows, don’t false advertise. You’re not fooling anyone!)
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• Clear away any landscaping, fencing, or other barriers that obstruct
the view of your doors and windows and camouflage home invaders while
gaining entry to your home.
• Look at trees that are near your house to make sure limbs that are strong
enough to support a person are not close to windows or other access
points.
Zone 3: Entry Points
Your home’s primary and secondary entrance points are the easiest to reinforce.
However, many homeowners skimp on the details that make doors and windows
truly a barrier to forced entry.
But with just a few enhancements, you can trust that would-be home invaders will
meet with superior entry resistance or at least a barrier that will slow them down,
giving you the critical time you need to escape or enact your home invasion
response plan.
Consider these entry point security measures:
• Trash hollow core doors. Cheaper built homes sometimes have exterior
doors that are nothing but flimsy pieces of pressed board with a hollow
center. These are easy to bust through and with just a little bit of force.
Make sure that your exterior doors are solid wood and (not the hollow
core type)
• Reinforce strike plates with 3 inch screws
to avoid breaking should someone try forcing
their way through a closed door.
• Have deadbolt locks to back up the
handle’s primary locking mechanism…
and USE THEM whenever you’re home.
• Avoid the “stupidest mistake” home owners make. Very few home
people actually keep their doors and windows locked while they’re at
home. Make no mistake…the very first thing a home invader will do is test
your door to see if it’s already open and waiting for them to step in and
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catch you totally by surprise. Keep all of your doors and windows locked
at ALL times.
• Don’t allow shadowed entry. Ensure you have adequate lighting
installed at all entrances around your home and keep them lit at night.
• Reinforce sliding glass doors. For sliding glass doors, reinforce lock
security by cutting a 1” diameter PVC pipe the length of the bottom door
guide when the door is closed. Simply drop the long piece of pipe
lengthwise along the bottom guide and even if the lock is popped, the door
won’t budge.
• “Smash proof” windows. Lexan polycarbonate is a plastic sheet or film
that is 250 times stronger than glass and is used for racing car
windshields. It’s clear and strong enough to practically stop anything short
of a nuclear bomb. Applying lexan to windows will allow you to make
them smash-proof to slow down forced entry while you put your response
plan into action
Zone 4: Home Interior
Once inside your house, a home invader expects to be “safe” and in control.
In most cases, he’d be right because most home owners only consider “home
security” to mean securing the entry points of the home and think nothing of how
they can defend against a crime where the criminal is in your home and you’re
fighting for your life.
However, there are quite a few measures you can put into place to reinforce your
response plan should you be violently attacked in your home:
• Place “weapons of opportunity” in strategically placed areas of your
home. Now, I’m not talking about hidden walls and trap doors that reveal
.50 caliber machine guns. But one way you can better prepare yourself
for a home invasion conflict is to actually pre-stage weapons around your
house that could be used in a crisis.
Depending upon how many and what type of firearms you possess, you
may be able to plant them in easily accessible locations (though safe from
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children) so that no matter what room you’re in when an attack happens,
you have a firearm handy. Places such as:
o The coat closet near your front door
o Hidden on top of your refrigerator
o Secured under your basement stairs
o In your garage
Think about where you spend the bulk of your time in your home and this
is a likely place to start looking for hiding places.
• Pre-stage environmental obstacles in your decorating design.
Imagine you were being chased through your home by a vicious attacker
hot on your heels. Are there any objects that could be pulled down or
swung behind you to create an obstacle in the path of the scumbag
chasing you? Items that can slow him down, allowing you to either
escape or get to your “safe room”? Some examples may be:
o A coat rack near your front door
o A trash can in your kitchen
o A grandfather clock near your interior stairwell
o A bookcase in your living room
o A hall table or plant stand
Every second is critical when being chased and using your environment to
your advantage can gain you valuable time. Walk through your home and
identify or place potential “instant barriers” along escape routes and on the
way to your safe room.
• Get a guard dog. Although I wouldn’t necessarily recommend getting
one just for home protection, dogs are not only a great deterrent and
“alarm system” should someone try to break in, but they can also help
protect you (if they’re big enough – Chihuahuas are too easily “football
kicked” into oblivion!).
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At the very least, if they have a
protective nature, a dog may provide
enough of a distraction to the invader
for you to escape your home.
• Hide “improvised weapons”
throughout your home. Not
everyone has the budget for an
arsenal of home defense firearms.
Thankfully there are many
inexpensive (yet highly destructive)
gadgets that can render a violent
home invader incapacitated…or
possibly even dead.
For some unique weapon ideas,
please refer to the “Advanced
Improvised Weapons” section that
follows.
Zone 5: Safe Room
Entire books have been devoted to the
creation of a “safe room” in the home or as
part of some commercial facility.
Popular movies have been made about safe
rooms, and animated sitcoms have spoofed
the notion.
Most of us who take “survival” seriously
have at least heard the term.
A safe room in your home could be an
invaluable asset to you and your family.
What exactly is a safe room, then, and how can you create one?
How To Pick A Guard Dog
!
•Take a trip to the local pound and
bring a few raw hot dogs down with
you.
•
Look for a dog who has a bit of “don’t
fuck with me” in his eyes and
demeanor and then offer it a hot dog.
•If the dog takes the food and then
warms up to you, then it’s likely to
bond with you yet rip the face off of
any criminal who dares to attack the
person who dishes out the hot dogs.
•Warning: If you have children, this
type of dog may also rip them apart if
provoked! Be smart!
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A safe room, simply put, is an area of last resort, a place to which you can retreat
in the event of a home invasion or burglary.
It is the stronghold, the place to which you retreat when you cannot (or should
not) face the evil that has come knocking on (or crashing through) your door.
Whether that evil is home invaders or perhaps an angry mob of rioters during a
period of civil unrest, the safe room is where you can go to keep the rest of the
world out while protecting yourself and your loved ones.
This is a very viable alternative to fleeing the home to the unknown, especially if
conditions outside are not safe (because of rioting, natural disaster, the
possibility of other attackers outside the home, etc.).
Elaborate construction of a full vault safe room is beyond the budgets of most
families.
For all practical purposes, it’s also unnecessary.
Unless you hope to build a full-on nuclear fallout shelter, you can build a safe
room that serves your self-defense purposes perfectly well, without bankrupting
the family you’re trying to protect.
First, choose a room in your house to make the safe room.
Ideally, it should have only one entrance and exit, someplace you can safeguard
and secure.
(Don’t worry about an escape route. If you’re using a safe room, you have
already discarded the idea of using your escape plan to escape the home.)
Option 1 would be a second story front
bedroom since your attackers won’t be able
to break through your windows from the
outside to gain entrance yet you can still
signal passersby and responding law
enforcement when they arrive.
It’s best if there are windows in the front and
on the side to monitor outside activity and if
there’s an open floor design, you may have
visibility into the first floor interior as well.
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If you live in a one story home, Option 2 would be a front bedroom as well for the
same reasons.
Yes, your attackers may be able to smash through your front window, but if you
live in a populated neighborhood, they’ll have to make a lot of noise and
commotion in the process and their chances of being seen are greater.
Bathrooms are another good choice (Option 3) because they have certain
infrastructure in place — namely, plumbing for running water and the removal of
wastes. Plus, bathtubs can provide some protection from bullets should a
firefight ensue.
It’s actually important to consider a primary and a secondary safe room in case
you’re unable to make it to one.
Once you’ve decided on which room(s) will meet your needs, you’ll want to set
about preparing it to be your “last stand”:
• Secure the door of the safe room so that it is resistant to most likely
attacks from outside. This means, at the very least, fitting the room with a
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heavy wooden door (not a hollow-core door, which can be kicked in or
even destroyed easily).
• The doorknob should have a sturdy steel throw cover, if possible.
• Hinges should be located on the inside of the room, not on the outside
where they can be taken apart.
• Most door hinges have three screws. Replace one of the screws with a
heavy-duty nail to make it harder to take the door off the hinges.
• Install not one, but two deadbolts to secure the door. Ideally, this means
one deadbolt above the knob, and another below it.
Remember that if the door can be
destroyed with hand tools, you are
vulnerable to anyone who has
such tools on hand. (Remember
the “Here’s Johnny!” moment from
The Shining?)
There are available on the market
metal “safe” doors that are
intended to turn a closet or small
room into a walk-in vault of sorts.
You could buy one of these metal
doors and install it on your safe
room, though of course if the room
is used (such as for a bathroom) it
must be operable from both sides.
SAFE ROOM ESSENTIALS
Survival kits and safe room supplies can be purchased online and in certain
stores, so look around and see what you can find.
Remember, too, that a safe room is not just for burglaries and home invasions.
Image from The Shining depicted under “fair use” standards.
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A properly designed safe room can also be used to keep you safe from natural
disasters like hurricanes and tornados, if you choose the appropriate location in
your home (such as a second half-bathroom in a basement).
Every family’s needs, and every individual situation, may differ, but the goal is the
same: Establish in your home a securable, lockable location to which you can
retreat during a disaster or a violation of your home.
Consider the following items and supplies to be secured and organized inside.
Survival Equipment
• Escape ladder. If you’re on the second floor, your attackers may think
they have you pinned down. A rope ladder stashed away in the safe room
may allow at least one person to escape to get help even if you have to
create a diversion elsewhere in the house.
• Fire extinguisher. A home invader may go so far as to set fire to your
safe room door to try to smoke you out. Being able to extinguish a fire
from the inside may make their plan backfire on them where they have to
hightail it out of there. Of course, you’re left with escaping a fire, but at
least you have a means to extinguish a path to safety if needed. Besides,
many home invaders will simply set fire to the house to cover their tracks
and you’ll want to be able to have access to a fire extinguisher to make
sure you’re not just left for dead.
In addition, a fire extinguisher makes a handy dispersion tool to aim at an
attacker when you want to catch him off guard or temporarily blind him so
you can escape or attack.
• Smoke mask. Even serious burns can be
survived, but a small amount of smoke in the
lungs can kill. Fortunately, recent
advancements in filtration have resulted in
simple facemasks (www.SmokeMask.org)
that can filter out smoke from a fire. These
are small, easy to use, and relatively
inexpensive
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• Trauma pack. Even though you may be well protected in your safe room,
it’s possible you could be injured from broken glass, shot or cut during the
initial attack or even attacked while in position (such as your attacker
shooting through a door or wall). Not having a first aid kit on hand could
mean you either watch a family member die in your arms or be forced to
open your safe room door to get help, subjecting you and the rest of your
loved ones to the madmen waiting outside.
Store a “trauma pack” in your safe room to be used for major injuries such
as massive bleeding. Include special packs suck as “QuickClot”® that are
highly effective at stopping bleeding for moderate to severe wounds,
including venous and arterial bleeding. This will provide you with short
term stability while you plan a better escape or help arrives.
Communications
Some means of calling the outside world in order to call police and ask for
assistance is necessary.
Land lines can be cut by tenacious home invaders.
Simply taking an extension off the hook somewhere else in the house could
prevent you from calling out.
A cellular (mobile) phone backup (not a cordless phone) is essential and it
enables you to call for help and to keep the phone with you.
You can even now purchase “emergency” cell phones with no monthly plan that
you can just keep stored away on a charger in your safe room indefinitely with no
expense.
When you call for help, make sure you tell law enforcement:
• How many home invaders there are (if you know)
• That you are armed (if you are)
• Where you are located in the house (what floor, front/back, left/right, etc.)
• What you are wearing
Once you’ve told law enforcement this information, DON’T CHANGE YOUR
POSITION if you can help it!
You don’t want to get shot by those responding who mistake you for the invader.
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Food And Water
If you choose the bathroom for your safe room, water is abundant and you have
the plumbing needed for personal emergencies.
Stockpile some food, such as energy bars, just in case you have to make an
extended stay.
Remote CCTV
Closed circuit television cameras aren’t just for perimeter security. They’re quite
useful inside your home too!
Modern wireless cameras are small, discreet, and can even allow you to view the
goings on within your home from any internet connection. So check this out – by
placing cameras around the inside of your home at strategic places, you can:
• Confirm whether the home invaders have actually left the premises or not
• Know exactly when they plan to attack your safe room (by hiding a camera
that faces your safe room door on the outside of the room).
• Communicate to responding law enforcement the exact location of the
invaders before they enter your home
• Allow police to view the inside of your home from their own internet
hookup (just give them the login information when you contact them to
report the invasion)
• Record as many details as possible of what the criminals look like for later
identification
While it may not be feasible to stash a fully charged laptop computer in your safe
room, internet technology and cell phone integration is becoming more advanced
by the day. Imagine pulling up your cameras on your phone and see every move
that takes place in your home at any moment you wish. Believe it!
Self Defense Weapons
If you can secure in your safe room a legal weapon, such as a locked shotgun or
a handgun in a push-button safe, do so.
The weapon you keep in the safe room is there to defend you should the
invaders attempt to breach your last line of defense.
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However, don’t discount the use of simple objects that can double as powerful
incapacitators in the right hands. (See “Improvised Weapons” beginning on page
55)
HOME-DEFENSE WEAPONS
Choosing a self-defense
weapon for your home requires
a much different mindset than
one you may use as a day-to-
day carry weapon.
In fact, it gives you MANY more
options!
For example, by definition, a
home defense weapon doesn’t
have to be portable.
So while you can’t carry a
shotgun down the street with you as you go throughout your day, you can keep a
shotgun readily at hand in your home, and shotguns make excellent home
defense tools.
Your home defense gun can also have accessories on it that would make it too
bulky or awkward to carry with you.
These include light mounts, especially, but might also include other “tactical”
gizmos that would otherwise make the gun difficult to holster, like oversized
optics, laser mounts (although these have gotten pretty small), extended
magazines, etc.
Whether the break-in is an angry ex-boyfriend pounding on the door, a
determined home invasion by practiced criminals, some other burglary, or even
civil unrest washing into your neighborhood from the world outside, you keep a
home-defense gun because you wish to be able to protect your family and
yourself in what is your last refuge: the place where you live.
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And even though the first thing that comes to mind when considering a weapon
for home defense is a handgun, there are some very strong arguments for “going
bigger”.
One of the considerations is simply your ability to acquire a weapon in the first
place.
There are a lot of firearms owners who, because they can’t get a permit to keep a
handgun in some very restrictive areas, aren’t limited from purchasing a rifle or
shotgun.
Legal almost everywhere in the United States, relatively simple to operate, and
capable of loading a variety of different self-defense rounds, shotguns are
typically less restrictive, even in some COUNTRIES that don’t allow handguns
but allow weapons that are commonly used for hunting or protecting livestock.
But this isn’t the only reason why a shotgun or rifle would be your ideal home
defense weapon.
While your ultimate choice comes down to personal preference, let’s take a
closer look at your arsenal options and see which ones will work best when
evaluated in the context of your personal home and needs.
THE HOME DEFENSE SHOTGUN
Our primary weapon of choice is a shotgun and it’s an extremely powerful home
defense tool.
The primary advantage of a shotgun is that it’s capable of blasting multiple
projectiles at its target with a better chance of actually hitting something.
Most commonly in a home shootout, you won’t be firing farther than 10-12 feet
which means that your shot group from the most common buckshot rounds will
result in about a 6-8” circular pattern. That gives you some valuable fudge-room
for firing during an adrenalized shootout.
One of the major disadvantages of using a shotgun for home defense is its size
which will cause you difficulty when moving around in tight spaces, such as the
corridors of your home or within the confines of your safe room.
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One of the ways to lessen this challenge is to choose a shotgun with a pistol-grip
stock however, in my opinion, this severely restricts your chances of hitting your
target.
The cinematic “hip shoot” of Hollywood isn’t how your body is programmed to fire
a shotgun and you’ll find that you naturally want to raise the shotgun to aim
anyway.
A better approach would be to shorten the barrel from the common 18 inches to
14 inches if you’re legally allowed where you live.
One other consideration to think about is that while a shotgun does offer a better
chance of hitting your target due to the larger shot group, that conversely means
that it’s NOT a precision weapon.
In other words, trying to pick off an attacker while he’s holding your kid hostage
may mean you hit both your target AND your loved one.
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Gauges, Action & Loads
When choosing the right size gauge for a home defense shotgun, your two major
considerations are handling and ammo options.
A 10 gauge has a huge recoil and is more firepower than you need, especially
considering that another member of your family, even a child, may have to fire it.
16 gauge and 20 gauge shotguns have much less kick and are good options but
ammo choices are limited.
That leaves us with the popular 12 gauge…and it’s popular for good reason.
Excellent stopping power, manageable kickback with low-recoil rounds, and
plenty of ammo options to choose from.
Pump-action or semi-automatic? This will be a source of dramatic debate until
aliens start storming out planet so it’s entirely up to which you feel most
comfortable with and can afford (semi-autos will cost you more).
As for what to stick inside the chamber of your home defense shotgun, well,
that’s where things begin to get sexy…
There are a variety of “specialty” loads available for shotguns, from different
sizes of shot to exotic rounds that fire flechettes and even produce gouts of fire.
However, while all of these thriller rounds may seem cool, you want to completely
stay away from them.
They’re a legal liability and you don’t want to look like some kind of nut who was
just waiting to use his shotgun’s special super-flaming-ninja-killer-death-rounds
on an intruder.
Your choice in shotgun loads is therefore 00 Buck or deer slugs.
Deer slugs, which leave holes the size of quarters, will most certainly penetrate
drywall and interior walls... and often, exterior walls as well.
This is an unavoidable problem of using firearms in home defense.
You must make the conscious effort before you engage in a self-defense
shooting in your home to learn where the natural backstops of your home (brick
walls and fireplaces, heavy slabs of marble or concrete, etc.) may be.
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You must use care when shooting ANY firearm in your home to prevent a round
from traveling through a wall and into a loved one in the next room or an innocent
person outside or next door.
This is especially true if you live in an apartment.
Slugs provide you with greater range and possibly better knock-down power, but
because they require careful aim like a rifle or handgun, they completely disable
the main benefit of choosing a shotgun to begin with: superior hit probability!
Buck shot on the other hand, produces several round “pellets” that are each
roughly the size of some handgun bullets.
It’s an extremely powerful anti-personnel round that doesn’t require quite the
precision of a single slug.
Your best all around “home combat” choice is most likely going to be OO
(“double ought”) shot which contains about twelve .33 caliber pellets.
You may want to go with a low recoil round for manageability but I recommend
you actually buy several boxes of ammo and take your weapon to the range so
you can SEE and FEEL the difference and make an educated decision.
Whatever you do, do not load your shotgun with birdshot or some other light
round on the theory that this will not penetrate as much and may make it safer for
you to shoot from within your home.
Birdshot and other light shot loads simply do not have the power to stop a human
being who is intent on harming you.
Remember the hunting accident in which Vice President, Dick Cheney, shot a
friend in the face?
The man’s advanced age made the wounds more serious than they would be for
a younger, healthier man, but he lived through the incident — and even
apologized on national television for the political grief the VP caught over the
whole thing!
Birdshot may wound someone, but it simply doesn’t have the energy or the
penetrating power to drop that person.
Those who recommend it as a self-defense round are doing a grave disservice to
everyone who listens to them.
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Regardless of which round you choose, don’t fall into the trap of thinking you
don’t have to aim a shotgun.
While the sights on most shotguns, especially home-defense shotguns, are
rudimentary, you must at the very least sight down the barrel and make sure your
buckshot goes where you want it and not into something or someone else.
THE HOME DEFENSE
RIFLE
There’s absolutely no doubt that a rifle,
particularly a civilian legal, semi-automatic
“assault rifle” (a misnomer, but the common
term used to refer to these military-style
weapons), is a powerful weapon and
deserves a serious look as a choice for a
home defense arsenal.
Its effectiveness can be seen far beyond the
unwelcome drug-crazed maniacs busting
through your front door.
During incidents of civil unrest, such as riots
in California after the “Rodney King” verdict,
shop owners were photographed standing
atop their stores with assault rifles, ready to defend their property.
Similar scenes of homeowners defending against looters, such as after floods in
the South and Midwest, have played out in the United States.
Yes…versatility is the primary benefit of choosing a rifle for home defense.
The rifle’s relatively high magazine capacity (even if it is a more traditional
hunting rifle) gives the defender plenty of rounds to throw at the enemy.
Like shotguns, a weapon that is wielded with two hands is generally easier to
wield safely than a handgun, because it is more difficult to point the weapon at
some part of your own body.
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But let’s face it…we’re more concerned with pointing the weapon at the scumbag
who’s terrorizing your family, right?
Rifles are relatively easy to aim accurately because of the long sight radius and
usually very adequate iron sights, making them much more precise than a
handgun or shotgun.
On the downside, like shotguns, rifles are large, long weapons and therefore
difficult to use in confined spaces though folding stocks and shorter barrels
(where legally allowed) can help balance this challenge.
The biggest liability of using a rifle is, of course, the high power of most rifle
rounds.
Not only will a rifle round easily penetrate most walls of a home, but to some
above a certain caliber, most bulletproof vests are even unable to stop
penetration.
THE HOME DEFENSE HANDGUN
A handgun for personal defense, and of course home defense, is a given as long
as it is legally an option where you live.
Handguns, which are small and
portable, are easier to use in close
quarters.
They are easy to wield, portable,
allow for high round capacity,
easy reload, etc. and this makes a
handgun the common weapon of
choice for those who look to
firearms as a way of defending
themselves, their property and
their loved ones.
The discussion (or debate) then
usually comes down to your
choice of make, model, caliber and semi-auto vs. revolver..
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We’ll leave the make, model and whether you like a wheel gun or slide shooter
up to you. Everyone has their preference, right?
But caliber deserves some serious consideration…
What Caliber?
A good guideline is to start your analysis from the middle, in our opinion a 9mm,
and work your way to either end of the stopping power spectrum.
All calibers have their advocates.
All are very common calibers, easy to find, purchase, and stockpile (except for
the near nuclear power of the .50 caliber).
The recoil from a .45 weapon is really not unmanageable at all, despite what
some people will tell you, but it’s true that 9mm recoils perceptibly less.
Most people find the .45 to be noticeably louder, too (though in a shooting
scenario, the psychological effects of shooting under stress mean you won’t
really hear the shots anyway).
There is no doubt that the .45 has adequate “stopping power” when used to
shoot a human being.
The 9mm is considered by most to be a compromise caliber — a round with
reasonable power that has negligible recoil.
Other popular rounds, such as .40 caliber, are seen as a compromise bridging
the gap between the 9mm and .45.
As always, your personal preference and experience with shooting will be the
deciding factor.
Stopping Power
.22! .38! 9mm! .40! .45! .50!
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In fact, you may be surprised to hear the benefits of the tiny little .22 Long Rifle.
In fact, the .22 was even used in the 1990’s by Israeli military for riot
control…until it was abandoned because it turned out to be TOO LETHAL.
Its low recoil and manageability make it easy for even children to handle, but
here’s the bottom line…
The “best caliber” matters far, far less than simply HITTING your target!
You may laugh at the thought of a tiny .22 for home defense, but the fact is, it’s
highly accurate and just as deadly in the hands of a trained shooter!
GIZMOS & GADGETS
Unless “going to the office” for you means storming meth labs in bulletproof
armor, there’s no need for Terminator attachments for your defense weapon.
Silencers, tripods, laser sights, slings and other “combat regalia” aren’t
necessary when all you care about is plugging a violent predator center mass.
However, one attachment deserves a review from a tactical perspective…
Light Mounts
Given that a home invasion
may well occur at night, you
must have a powerful tactical
flashlight as part of your home-
defense gear.
One way to make sure your
home defense weapon is
always accompanied by a
flashlight is to mount a light
directly to the gun.
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The advantage of mounting the light to the gun is that it is easier to wield the two
together, at least to some users.
That’s especially true when wielding a rifle or shotgun for home defense.
These weapons require two hands and would make holding a flashlight very
awkward, mounting a light to the gun makes it easier for you to defend yourself in
low-light conditions.
Some handgun light mounts are designed so that
the switches can be activated by the off-hand.
Others have pressure switches and cables that
cause the light to activate when the firing hand
squeezes the grip.
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Light cables and flashlight mounts running to them can make the firearm more
awkward to wield, but this is generally not a very large problem.
The advantage of mounting a light to a gun becomes a disadvantage when you
wish to use the light for something other than pointing a weapon.
One of the fundamental rules of firearms safety is that you never point a weapon
at anything you are not willing to destroy.
In a home-defense scenario, there will be times when you need to point a light in
a direction you know is not safe to shoot.
This can be done if you are carrying a separate flashlight, but is impossible to do
if your light is connected to the weapon you are wielding (particularly if you are
using both hands to wield it).
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WARNING: Secure Your Weapon So That It’s Readily
Accessible…But Childproof!
There are a lot of trumped up “statistics” and other pieces of misinformation
floating around out there falsely claiming that a gun kept in your home presents a
greater danger to you and your family than the dangers prompting you to keep
the gun in the first place.
While we don’t agree with this anti-gun propaganda, there is a very real danger
presented by any firearm that is not properly secured in the home (especially
homes with children of any age).
You must NEVER leave a loaded gun unsecured or “hidden” anywhere in the
house.
If the gun is not on you, it must be locked away in some fashion so that
unauthorized use is prevented.
The unauthorized user might be a burglar, an apartment complex maintenance
man who’s let himself into your home with a key, or your very own children.
Prevent accidents and misuse by making sure your gun is locked up.
There are a number of ways to lock up your firearm so that it is still readily
accessible for home defense.
There are push-button mechanical and electronic safes on the market that let you
place the loaded gun inside, then tap a finger-order combination to pop the door
open very quickly.
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There are other locks and mounts that let you completely secure the weapon,
sometimes enclosed in a clamshell of some sort.
There are also trigger locks (though these should never be used on a loaded
gun) and full-sized or compact safes.
However you choose to secure your gun, do it in a way that allows you ready
access to the weapon, but which does not itself present a danger (such as
placing a trigger lock over the trigger of a gun that is loaded — a formula for
creating a negligent discharge).
IMPROVISED WEAPONS
The firearm is of course the most effective force multiplier on the market,
followed by the knife (though the gap between the two is large).
But many common items can be carried every day with relatively little (or no) fear
of legal trouble and can be planted in various places around your home for
random access should you be attacked.
Besides, you may not be able to gain access to your primary home defense
weapons and be forced to rely on everyday objects to save your life.
While some may scoff at the ability of a simple mini-maglite or a fountain pen to
be an effective weapon for a counterattack, simple physics tells us this must
work.
When you concentrate the
force of your blow in a
smaller area, and
particularly when you use
something that cannot feel
pain (unlike your fists or
feet, which can break and
which certainly do feel
impact), you can inflict an
immense amount of trauma
on your attacker.
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Following is a list of improvised and/or legal weapons that you can carry and/or
litter around your home as improvised weapons in a home invasion:
• Flashlights. The pocket flashlight, such as the mini-maglite or any of
several “tactical lights” on the market, is a handy little fist load and pocket
stick that can be used both to reinforce the hand and for hammer fist
striking using the butt of the light itself.
Concentrating the force of your blow into the end of the light lends
considerable power to your counterattack... and as a bonus, you are
carrying a very useful utility light that will help considerably in your day to
day life.
• Pens. A pen, especially a large, sturdy, metal pen, is like a pocket stick
or fist load with an edge.
It can be used to stab an attacker, particularly in “soft targets” like the
eyes, the neck, the hollow of the throat, and the inside of the wrists.
Some metal-bodied pens on the market contain quite a bit of knurling and
other grip-enhancing contours.
Others are manufactured specifically as “self-defense pens,” though these
should probably be avoided if you hope to maintain the illusion that you
are just using whatever common item is at hand.
• Combs. Various self-defense instructors, such as Larry Wick of Split
Second Survival, have acknowledged the power of the common pocket
comb when used as a weapon.
The edge of the comb — the teeth and the corner of the teeth — can be
used to rip into the attacker’s neck or eyes (the same soft targets used for
pen counters).
It is safe to say that a pocket comb can be carried just about any-where
and never get a second look.
Avoid combs or brushes with built-in stabbing weapons as are
manufactured by some self-defense novelty houses.
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• Chains and Locks. On the pretext of carrying a bicycle chain, you may
carry a heavy metal chain with padlocks that can serve as a fairly
devastating weapon.
It can be swung or it can be used as a fist load (or even as a blocking
tool).
Such an item is sometimes illegal, however, so check your local laws.
If there’s no bike anywhere near you, carrying a bike chain isn’t very
believable should you be stopped and questioned.
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• Bandanas. A cloth bandana, which is a useful daily carry item in its own
right, can be “loaded” and tied off to weight it.
Batteries or rocks or any other heavy item can turn that innocent piece of
cloth into a sap or blackjack.
• Wasp Killer Spray. Ever been sprayed with pepper spray before? If
not, take my word for it…it sucks! But it’s not always the debilitating “fight
ender” that you’d think it to be since it’s not exactly considered “justifiable”
for law enforcement and civilians to go and permanently blind potentially
innocent victims.
If I’m being attacked in my home and I’m looking at my wife and kids being
tortured by some drugged up psychopath, I frankly couldn’t care less
about his future handicaps.
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Common wasp killer spray is easy to use, easy to aim, goes a far distance
(up to 22 feet vs. 8-12 feet for pepper spray!) and is meant to, well…kill
things!
While it’s not going to kill your attacker and frankly, it’s not as instantly
incapacitating as pepper spray, but if his eyes have been flooded with
insecticide, he’s going to not only be blinded…he’s going to have to seek
medical attention!
• Knives. I’m a self-admitted “knife nut”. As far as “secondary weapon”
beyond a firearm, knives offer you the best force multiplier for close
quarter fighting.
While you can hide everything from a Swiss Army Knife to a Medieval
broadsword in your home, I actually have another option that’s cheap and
very effective: the fiberglass knife!
A popular version of the
fiberglass knife uses a
material called
“Grivory”™ that’s
extremely strong,
impervious to heat, cold,
moisture, and extreme
weather conditions and
comes in many popular
shapes and sizes.
These knives are also
VERY inexpensive
(usually between $9 and
$12) so you could buy
several to hide inside and
outside of your house.
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I have to say that these “covert daggers” are
one of my very favorite back-up weapons.
It’s safe around children because it doesn’t
have an “edge”… but it offers a serious
stabbing advantage that leaves a very large
wound.
I have several of these hidden around my
home – ready to be used as an “instant back-
up weapon” should I need it.
Be creative: hide one in your refrigerator, behind your toilet, in the side of
the couch, on a bookshelf, or outside in a flowerpot, under a shrub, etc.!
The “Ultimate Weapon”?
I’ve stopped counting the number of knuckleheads who have told me that their
Colt 1911 was the answer to all of their self defense worries.
I don’t care if it’s a howitzer, bazooka, or toothpick…any weapon is only good to
you if you can get to it. Case closed!
For this reason, you must ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS assume that you could
be left high and dry with no means to defend yourself except for your body’s
natural weapons.
Yes, I’m talking about “unarmed combat”, fresh out of the shower with your
johnson hanging out in the wind.
Now it’s not necessary that you be a black belt and be able to take on a team of
Ninja assassins single-handedly or spend a fortune on weekly classes down at
the local McDojo with the 8-year old rugrats.
In fact, the most powerful self defense moves the inflict the most damage are
actually quite simple to learn.
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The biggest obstacle is in discovering what the experienced criminal already
learned the hard way long before he entered your home uninvited…
…that “fighting fair” only gets you hurt or killed!
That’s why, you have to learn how to “fight dirty” to save your life or the life of
those you love.
And I’m not just talking about a swift kick to the nut sack!
I’m talking about real, filthy rotten tactics that will destroy a man twice your size in
one blow!
Think that’s impossible?
Think that maybe you’re “too old”…”too small”…”too weak” to obliterate a prison
escapee looking for a good time?
I can tell you with no doubt that I can teach ANYONE to be a “human killing
machine” with nothing more than their bare hands in no time at all.
Of course, it’s much too much information to jam into this manual, but suffice it to
say that learning the type of self defense moves that don’t rely on your size,
strength, age or previous fighting experience is an absolute MUST in my book
and it forms the very foundation of ANY “weapons training” under any
circumstances.
If you’re interested in learning more, I have
a free DVD I can send you that shows you
exactly how to defeat even much bigger,
stronger attackers with just a few simple
moves that ANYONE can master.
To get a free DVD sent to you, just let me
know your address at this website and I’ll get
it right out to you…
www.DefeatLargerAttackers.com
This provides you with a real no-nonsense
look at how to fend off any attacker with nothing but your hands, feet, and a few
choice other “secret weapons” you have on your body.
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YOUR HOME INVASION SURVIVAL BLUEPRINT!
Ok, enough screwing around…
By now, you’re sufficiently scared shitless and hopefully have taken a few breaks
from reading to surf the internet and order various boxes of supplies that would
make any mail carrier avoid your house like the plague if they know what was
inside.
It’s time for some serious tactical discussion!
Questions (and answers) that will pull your ass out of the most violent and horrific
crime you could possibly imagine and protect your family from the most brutal of
acts.
Let’s get to it…
!
YOUR “ESCAPE PLAN”
Every home should have an escape plan in place to take any of the guesswork
out of how to respond to a crisis in the home, whether it’s a home invader or
even a fire.
For your family, it should be “every person for themselves”.
If one person an escape and get help, it may be all that’s needed to destroy a
home invader’s long term torture plans.
As “protector”, your goal should be to make sure that at least one of your family
members can make it to safety and get help.
Part of that responsibility requires you to be prepared to physically fend off an
attack but it also requires your loved ones to know exactly what to do as well so
they’re not trying to help you fight and therefore in danger of being beaten or
killed themselves, reducing the entire family’s chances of survival.
This requires prior planning…and a structured “escape plan”. Details should
include…
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• “Code Words”. You need to have a recognizable signal for everyone to
leave the home immediately. (This shouldn’t be anything obscure, like
“Blue Elephant”, but the obvious “Get out” is a bit too vague.
We suggest using “ESCAPE!” because it gives clear direction on what
everyone is to do. A second code word may be necessary and that’s
“SAFE ROOM!”, if you indeed have one and saw that you were being
attacked by multiple home invaders at separate exit points.
Program these words into your family’s brain so that when you use them,
it automatically jolts them into action!
• Response Actions. Make sure all family members are aware of how to
respond such as:
o Which exits are best to use depending upon where someone may
be located in the house
o Where to go once outside the home (neighbors, business nearby,
etc.)
o What to say once contact with someone outside has been made
• Practice Drill. Once you have a plan in place, the next thing to do is
PRACTICE IT!
No escape plan is complete without a “full dress rehearsal” of how
everyone would respond in a real situation.
The more realistic you can make the rehearsal (without totally freaking out
young children), the better.
Here’s an example of how you might conduct your own personal “Crisis
Response Training” with your family…
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Crisis Response Training – Stage 1:
First discuss response actions with your family around the dining room
table to discuss what dangers may require escaping and why it’s important
to have a plan.
If you have young children, use the example of a house fire as the reason
for this discussion but throw in that there may be other reasons, such as a
“bad man” was inside.
After discussing escape actions, take your family to various rooms in the
house and ask them what they would do if they heard the code word
shouted and they were in that room.
Be sure to discuss which are your “safe rooms” and how to secure the
door, escape the room and/or contact help.
Crisis Response Training – Stage 2:
Time for rehearsal…
Let your family know that you will be conducting an “emergency drill” and
let them know the specific date, but not the time, that you will be testing
the plan you have in place. Also let them know what type of drill you will
be testing (fire, home invader, etc.)
If you have an alarm system in your house, notify the monitoring company
(and maybe the neighbors) that you will be conducting a test and then set
off the alarm when your family isn’t expecting it.
Your direction to them will be the key role in how the rest of the scene
plays out. When the alarm goes off, shout out your agreed upon “code
word” (again, our suggestion is the word “ESCAPE!” or “SAFEROOM!”) to
signal your family that it’s time to move into action with absolutely no
hesitation.
Be the last one out so you can observe your family’s reaction time and
look for any mistakes made during the escape.
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Crisis Response Training – Stage 3:
On a subsequent escape rehearsal, create some sort of obstacle, such as
an exit that can’t be used (as may be the case with a fire) or put a training
dummy or another family member in a mask at a back door playing the
role of another criminal.
The combination of the piercing alarm, your emotional shouting, and
unexpected obstacles as family members are tasked to remember exactly
how they are to respond and escape the house may provide enough of an
adrenaline rush to effectively give your family a taste of what a real crisis
would be like.
Crisis Response Training – Stage 4:
As a final option, you may wish to stage another complete full blown
rehearsal when your family isn’t expecting it at all. However, this may not
be required and you actually shouldn’t do it more than once (if at all).
Remember the school fire drills?
We knew it wasn’t an actual fire so we all just complained that we had to
pile out in the hall and walk in an orderly fashion to the designated exits
(blah, blah, blah).
Likewise, if you overdo the crisis response training, it may not be taken
seriously should you actually find yourself in the midst of an attack.
If you feel your family “gets it” during the announced rehearsal, I
personally wouldn’t shock them with an unannounced raid. Besides,
having Uncle Charlie in a mask running through the house screaming with
a machete held over his head could inflict a lifetime of nightmares in your
kids!
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ACTIONS DURING A HOME INVASION
While the movie that plays in your mind when you imagine someone breaking
through your front door may be one of you doing a double summersault flying
dragon kick and you crush the guy’s throat like a piece of Styrofoam, realize that
this is just your survival instinct kicking in that tells your brain that there’s no way
in hell anyone is going to come into your home and harm your family without you
ripping out their guts.
But don’t you think the home invader knows this?
That’s why they’re already thinking way ahead of you.
They know that when you see a knife to your wife’s or kid’s throat, you’ll stop
dead in your tracks and lose whatever macho tendencies you may have toward
turning THEM into a victim.
They know that chances are you’ll drop down on your knees and handcuff
yourself to a railing (or whatever) to avoid any harm coming to a loved one.
And when you do…you’re at their mercy!
So now it’s time to make some tough choices…
I’ve seen a few crime experts suggest that it may be your best option to leave
your family behind when someone is breaking in and make sure that YOU get out
at the very least!
This sounds unthinkable and cowardly to most guys with families, but there is
some merit to this approach.
Let me explain…
If YOU get out, you at least have the ability to run to a neighbor’s house to
contact police, get to a weapon (in your tool shed?) or get backup from a
neighbor with a gun or other weapon.
Your family may or not be in immediate danger back in the house, but in just a
few minutes, you may be able to get solid reinforcements to adequately deal with
your attacker(s).
With you on the loose, their time to commit their crime is down to only a few
minutes at best.
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Their only options may now be to stay and fight it out or immediately flee the
scene to avoid being captured by police or counterattacked by you upon your
return.
Now compare this scenario with what may have happened should you have
stayed to “defend” your family…
You’re obviously a threat to a home invader so their first task is to take you out of
action.
That means either restraining you or beating you until you’re defenseless.
Once this is completed, your attackers now have as much time as they want to
do WHAT they want with WHO they want!
And with you likely tied up you’re forced to watch in horror as your family is
viciously raped, molested, and/or killed right before your eyes with no way to
assist.
This is a brutal thought to have to consider…but it MUST be considered.
But I DID say you had “choices”, didn’t I?
I, like you, find it very hard to imagine leaving my family behind at the mercy of a
violent criminal or criminals.
Although the first option I stated may be a logical approach and make total
sense, it may be just too impossible to imagine for most people.
For those who decide to “stay and fight”, there are some tips for how to best turn
the tables on the idiots who were stupid enough to choose YOU to attack instead
of the other “sheep” in your neighborhood:
Take Advantage Of The Initial Chaos
Try to gain advantage over your attacker as soon as possible.
The time to explode with all your might, screaming, fighting, biting, gouging, and
going berserk in order to save your life and preserve your freedom, is therefore
when the hostage takers first try to capture you – when they first appear in your
garage, break down your door, or shoulder their way in through your patio glass.
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Do whatever you can, to the absolute limits of your physical and emotional
strength, to avoid being taken.
Make as intense a scene as you can.
Make them work for it.
If you’re the target of a random home invasion for purposes of kidnapping, as
sometimes happens in Mexico, Central America, etc., in many cases, resisting
very strongly is enough to send the would-be hostage takers away, as they’ll
want to find an easier target.
You may be able to do enough harm to them to escape on your own, regardless
of what they decide to do or it may give your family the critical time they need to
escape according to your plan.
Have A “Go Belt”
Some self-defense experts recommend keeping all of your gear in a gun belt that
you keep next to your bed, so that you can put the belt on when you hear a
disturbance and have all of your gear at hand.
That gear would typically be your firearm, an extra magazine for your handgun
(in case of a jam or other malfunction, not because you anticipate an extended
gunfight), your wireless phone, and your flashlight.
Other items may apply based upon your specific response plan.
Trick Your Attackers
When an invader first enters a home, unless they’ve completely researched your
family, habits, who is home, etc., their mind will be partially concerned with the
unexpected.
Is there another guy in the house? A dog? Children? Etc.
While their mind is in a state of flux, you can yell out something like “JIM…GET
THE GUN!”.
Ok, so you don’t know anyone named “Jim” and you may not even own a gun.
But your attacker DOESN’T know this and with this unexpected surprise, their
own survival instinct may kick in and they may flee the scene.
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Never Trust Your Attacker
“I promise I won’t hurt anyone…just put these handcuffs on so I know you won’t
hurt me and I swear I’ll be gone in just a few minutes.”
Wishful thinking may be your guide if you hear these words from your
attacker…and he knows this!
Once your dumb ass agrees because you trusted that he was telling you the
truth, you’re helpless!
Do NOT agree to be tied up or handcuffed if you can help it.
Talk your way out of it or simply refuse to do it, but once you’re restrained, you
have limited your options for escape or defending yourself and your family down
to nearly ZERO!
Anything the home invader is willing to do as “punishment” for you not being
restrained, he will be willing to do WITH you tied up as well.
In other words, if he would kill your wife because you didn’t agree to handcuff
yourself to a door, it’s assumable that he would be able kill her once you’re tied
up anyway.
Tough call…but personally, I’d rather fight than be defenseless and watch my
family suffer through days of torture.
SURVIVING A HOSTAGE SITUATION
If, despite your preparations, you cannot avoid a hostage situation, there are
many general guidelines you can follow that increase your chances of survival
until your eventual escape or rescue.
There’s no doubt that being held hostage is one of the most extreme, most
frightening things an individual or a family can experience.
Being held hostage as a family, in fact, is worse than being held hostage as an
individual, because your captors can use threats of violence to your loved ones
as a way of manipulating you and forcing you to do their will.
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In all cases, you have to weigh your best chances of survival with the
consequences of resisting.
If cooperating with your captors, at least in the short term, helps prevent harm to
your family and to yourself, it is probably best that you make no trouble.
Keep that in mind as you choose what to do, and follow the tips and guidelines
we’ll now give you…
Face Reality
Remember those movies where the family gets taken hostage and the police
show up, shoot the bad guys, and everyone goes to bed happy at night?
That’s not going to happen.
At least, you can’t ASSUME that’s going to happen.
The fact is, that when you’re taken hostage, it could get very, very bad, especially
at first.
You might be beaten in order to subdue you.
Presuming that you’ll initially fight back, and fight back hard, to avoid being taken
hostage, it may be the case that you’ll be in a lot of pain when they finally do
manage to take and secure you.
But once you’re captured, don’t give up, but don’t pretend that things haven’t
changed.
You’re now playing a waiting game, to see what opportunity presents itself down
the line.
You’ve missed the first opportunity to defeat the hostage-taking, at the beginning.
You now have to wait for the next opportunity.
Control Your Fear
Of course you’re going to be scared to death. It’s natural.
But do NOT be controlled by your fear!
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It will be difficult, but you must keep your wits about you.
You must try to stay calm. If you give in to fear and hysteria, you won’t be in
control of your actions, you won’t be able to remember things that could help you
later, and you may upset your captors in a way that causes them to hurt or kill
you.
Don’t Wait For The “Perfect Moment”
As you wait to see if you can escape or strike back at your captors, don’t wait
forever for that “perfect” moment.
The perfect moment is never going to come.
Being taken hostage is no easy thing.
You’ll be in danger and there will be risks no matter what you do.
So even if an imperfect opportunity comes to try and escape, or to try and take
out the hostage-taker or takers…take it!
It may be the only chance you ever get.
Cooperate As You’re Being Restrained
Whoa, whoa!
Didn’t I just tell you to NEVER allow yourself to be restrained?!
Again…it’s NOT Hollywood!
It’s quite possible that you’ll get the shit kicked out of you and you’re going to be
so badly beaten that you’re barely conscious.
Your goal at that point is to simply “not die” and try to remain as alert as possible.
Therefore, if you reach the point where you’re being subdued, DON’T
STRUGGLE!
If you struggle too much, your attacker will likely strike you harder to gain
compliance so he can tie you up.
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At that point, you could be rendered unconscious and lose valuable time while
knocked out or you could just plain die.
But if you’re conscious and somewhat in control of your body, there are things
you can do to set the stage for your eventual escape.
In fact, later in this manual, we’ll even show you some sneaky ways to escape
even the most impossible circumstances. (No peeking!)
Control Your Ego
If you don’t have the option of attacking right away, don’t try to be too defiant and
intimidating.
It will only make things worse by being belligerent, howling that they’ll “never get
away with this,” or making yourself out to be a hero.
Hostage takers don’t like heroes and heroes are often the first to get shot.
Rather, appear meek and unthreatening.
You want your assailant to be overconfident as much as possible and not see
you as an immediate threat so that if you DO get the chance to attack, you can!
Use Your Children
Children, because they’re not seen as much of a threat, may have more of a
chance to escape than you or other family members do.
While you are distracting your invader(s), it may be an opportune time for a son
or daughter to get out.
Again…have a plan for where their escape options are (you DO have an escape
ladder in your second floor bedrooms in case of a fire, don’t you?), where to go,
and what to do when they get out of the house.
Don’t Be “Competitive”
Don’t challenge your captor’s authority once they’ve taken and secured you.
That means you do not even speak loudly.
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If you’re playing the waiting game, quietly do as you are told and pretend to be
cooperative.
You want to lull your captors into a false sense of security where you are
concerned.
Build Trust And Rapport
Do your best to engage your attackers in conversation if they’ll talk to you.
Ask for small, reasonable favors, such as bathroom breaks and such, and
promise to cooperate.
Prove to them that they can trust you.
Your task, once you’ve been taken, is to try and establish a relationship with your
captors.
You want to fool them into thinking that you’re a cooperative victim and even
something like a friend.
You may have heard the term “Stockholm Syndrome,” in which hostages begin to
identify with their captors because of the stress, intensity, and close personal
proximity of a hostage situation.
You want to make your captors think that you’re coming around to their goals in
this way.
Just remember that, while you do it, it’s an act for their benefit.
Don’t actually start to identify with them.
Monitor yourself for signs of these attitudes, which should worry you.
Try to learn as much about your captors as you can by talking to them.
Learn their names. Get their life stories, if you can.
People naturally like to talk about themselves: their problems, their conquests,
the unappreciative girlfriend, etc.
The more they find you a receptive audience, the more they’ll talk to you and the
less they’ll want to hurt you.
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Take Mental Notes
Always when held hostage, at every point in the experience, try to commit to
memory everything you see, hear, and smell.
This information might be useful to law enforcement later, or even to guide
someone to your location if you are able to call for help in some way (presuming
you are taken hostage in your home and then moved).
Repeat in your head over and over again the details of your taking and of your
time spent as a hostage.
The more you repeat to yourself the details you learn from your captors, the
easier it will be to retain this information and give it to law enforcement later.
You must work hard to be the best witness you can be.
Assess Your Available Weapons
Pay very close attention to the objects around you and the opportunities available
to you.
Are there weapons of opportunity that you can find and use?
Are there shards of glass or plastic, pieces of metal wire, heavy objects or even
pieces of the building in which you are sitting, that you could use as weapons or
to help you escape?
Are your captors becoming increasingly careless as they relax around you?
Have YOU left weapons in your home, ready to be accessed? (We’ll talk more
about that later.)
If you see an opportunity, take it.
If you can put your hands on an improvised weapon, even if you must save it,
hidden for later, then do so.
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WHEN TO ESCAPE
If you failed to escape during the initial invasion, your second chance is most
likely when they finally start to relax.
Let’s face it, it’s hard to stay completely alert and vigilant at all times.
Hostage-takers are human just like anybody else.
As you start to show them that they can trust you, as you try to build a rapport
with them and show them empathy, asking about their lives and their goals and
pretending to understand and sympathize, they’ll start to let down their guard.
When they finally do relax enough to create an opportunity, you must once again
explode into action, doing your best to fight your way free of captivity.
The exception to this would be if they let down their guard so much that they’re
simply not around to stop you from leaving.
There have been cases of kidnap victims whose captors fell asleep, or even left
them alone locked inside a house or other location.
The victims simply walked away and found help.
When Your Captors Are Distracted
An opportunity to escape may present itself when your captors are distracted.
This might be because you’ve got them talking and they’re thinking about the
conversation, or it could be that something happens that is completely beyond
your control that takes your captors’ attention.
Maybe the cops have stopped by on some routine visit or unrelated action and
the hostage-takers are nervous and not paying attention to you.
That would be a great time to try to break free and get to the assistance those
officers represent.
During Selective Relocation
There are times when your attackers may try to relocate you to a different
location.
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If there’s no understood reason for the move, then you should do everything in
your power to avoid being taken.
This new location will favor the hostage-taker(s) and your chances of survival
and escape decrease dramatically.
However, if you know that there is a real reason for the movement, such as
you’re being transported to an ATM machine to withdraw money, then it’s
possible it could allow you an opportunity to escape or fight back.
You see, the most advantageous time to attack anyone is while they’re in
movement.
This is why protecting a client as a bodyguard during transit is one of the most
challenging duties.
When traveling, every second is an “unknown”: a potential traffic stop, an
accident, a chance for you to simply break free and run away.
If you are on the move, this is an especially crucial time to look for your
opportunity to launch a counterattack.
LAUNCHING A PHYSICAL ATTACK
You need every advantage you can come up with to level the playing field
against your attacker.
Besides gaining a weapon, timing your attack can mean the difference between
killing or being killed.
The element of surprise is absolutely crucial!
Here are some key opportunities where you can get the jump on them and
quickly gain a tactical advantage:
When He’s Not Paying Attention
Hoo-boy! There’s an eye-opener, eh?
Who would have ever thought of that one?!
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Well actually, what I’m talking about is when your attacker’s MIND is not
expecting your assault.
You see, there are certain times when the brain is unable to focus on an
offensive response.
These are times when you can launch your attack and completely surprise your
attacker and gain the offense for a better chance of defeating him.
For example:
• When your attacker starts talking. The brain is actually processing
thought and the next words they’re going to use and isn’t necessarily
expecting an attack.
• When you’ve been asked a question and just after you’ve started to
respond. Again, your attacker’s brain is focused on the normal
“ask/respond” expectation and not looking for a counter-attack.
• When you’ve been asked to move. Again, your attacker’s brain is
focused on his intended reaction of you following orders to sit on the
couch, move to another room, etc. But also, your movement is
EXPECTED so you’ll have a split-second advantage to begin your attack.
When His Back Is Turned
Ok…another obvious one, right?
When your attacker has his back turned or can’t see the start of your attack. ,
but also make sure that your attack isn’t detected in the reflection of a mirror or
window that your attacker may be facing at the time you’re trying to sneak up on
him.
When Your Back Is Turned
When your assailant is moving you to another location with a gun trained on your
back, he’s likely confident that you won’t attack.
Use your environment, such as mirrors or your reflection in a window, to gauge
his location and swing around with a powerful strike.
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When Going Up The Stairs
This picks up on the “movement” advantage in that while walking, your attacker is
used to your body movement and won’t pick up right away on an attack.
When going up stairs, if you are in the lead, you actually have a physical
advantage because your center of gravity is at a higher elevation than the man
behind you.
In order to walk, your legs will have to be freed so a well placed kick to his upper
body (don’t try for his head as it’s a smaller target and you may miss), will send
him reeling back down the stairs.
For maximum damage, wait until you are almost all the way up the stairs so he
has farther to fall.
You may even fake stumbling in order to bend forward and gain more power into
your back kick.
In fact, even if your feet were bound and you were forced to hop up the stairs,
you could fall forward and “donkey-kick” your attacker with both feet.
When Going To The Toilet
Ok, this requires some creativity, but it’s pretty damned sneaky…
Tell your captors that you have to use the toilet very badly.
They’ll likely tell you to forget it and just pea yourself.
So tell them that you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome and that the stress is going
to make you explode with diarrhea.
Accepting the smell of urine is one thing…but your attackers may not wish to
smell your feces during their stay at your home and they’re more likely to allow
you to use the toilet.
Once you sit on the toilet, you may be able to grab the Cruciform knife I told you
to hide there and stab your attacker on your way out.
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Even if you’re forced to keep the door open, if your knife is taped under the side
of the toilet away from the door, you should be able to acquire it unnoticed.
Whether Escaping Or Attacking…EXPLODE!
Be forceful. Be bold. Never look back.
Your captors might be so surprised that you’ve suddenly decided to resist that
they’ll freeze with incomprehension or indecision.
You could gain valuable moments this way.
Besides, failing on your second attempt will certainly make them more cautious
of your actions and you may be tied up or locked in a trunk, unable to make
another escape attempt.
If you do get away, use your environment as you flee.
If there are weapons like chairs or other objects you can throw at your attackers
or leave in your path as obstacles, do so.
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Use the cover and concealment of buildings and of the rooms and hallways in
those buildings.
Remember, you don’t want to get shot in the back as you try to get out of there.
EXTREME SURVIVAL STRATEGIES
There may come a point at which all of your efforts have failed.
You may find yourself... and your family... bound.
You may have been knocked out in the initial attack or overpowered by multiple
assailants.
Even in these cases, all hope is not lost!
You see, there ARE ways to escape from even the most impossible situations.
Even when you are a hostage, and even when you are bound.!
But you ARE in great danger.
Here are some extreme strategies for extreme circumstances:
Interrogation And Torture
If you are interrogated or even tortured for information, don’t try to be brave.
Tell your captors absolutely anything they want to know as long as that
information will not hurt someone else (like government secrets or whatever).
ANYONE can break under torture, and if the torture is bad enough, everyone
WILL break.
There’s no such thing as standing up to torture forever when it comes to trying to
withhold secrets.
It simply cannot be done.
Trained military personnel know this.
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In keeping with this, whatever you do, don’t make a big show of denying your
captors the information they want, such as the addresses of vulnerable relatives.
Simply say you don’t know the answer to a question you think might cause
someone harm.
Don’t admit that you know and then loudly refuse to tell.
You’ll be tortured badly until you talk.
Unfortunately, withholding secrets is the least of your worries.
Sometimes people kidnap their victims specifically to torture and kill them
because they ENJOY IT.
This is common in Iraq and other parts of the world in which terrorists kidnap,
videotape, and behead their victims in order to send their message of terror to
the world, but this just as easily applies to thrill-killers who don’t want to leave
witnesses behind.
If this happens to you, you need to think very carefully about the chances of
being set free.
Realistically, do you think you can get away or that you’ll be let go... or do you
think your ultimate fate is execution?
Now I have to admit that I’ve never personally been tortured so everything I’m
about to share with you comes from my research and investigation into the topic.
From my research and accounts of military personnel who have been tortured,
the only way to withstand this level of cruelty to the best of your abilities is to
fixate on the one thing that above all else is more important than the pain you’re
enduring.
We call this your “Survival Why” – your most important reason for living at that
moment.
It may simply be thinking of the pain that your family will endure if you don’t
survive your own torture…
It may be envisioning your child going through the same torture you’re going
through and being thankful that it’s not them…
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It may even be the thought of the long, slow, horrific pain you’re going to put your
attacker through once you find a way to escape and get a chance to return the
favor.
Regardless of what you choose, it must become the ONLY thing you think about
as the pain is being inflicted.
It must become so concrete that your brain begins to attach pleasure to the pain
rather than terror.
Of course you’re not going to truly enjoy the pain…but it’s a mental anchoring
that may allow you to reprogram your psyche temporarily to overcome the
moment and live to see this person pay for his cruelty.
Hostage Rescue!!
It’s possible that you’ll have other family members in separate rooms if you’ve all
been captured.
It may be to keep you from conspiring or it may be that your spouse and children
are being held captive and tortured individually.
Using the “extreme escape” techniques in this manual, you have a very high
probability of freeing yourself and coming to their aid.
Your first task should be to contact help if at all possible.
If your attackers are well armed and the odds are in their favor of getting the drop
on you again, that may even mean leaving the home to get to a neighbor’s house
and then return to save your loved ones.
Of course, if you’ve done your full prep work, you may even have a firearm or
other weapon you can gain access to as you seek out your family to free them.
This is why it’s recommended to consider hiding weapons not only in your home,
but also in areas accessible outside your home such as your garage or tool shed.
In any case, assuming you’re able to get to a weapon, you don’t just want to
storm around your home, running through the halls and shooting the first thing
that moves.
It requires a tactical approach for “clearing” your home…
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“CLEARING” YOUR HOME
Understand before we begin that this is very, very dangerous.
If at all possible, you should rely on law enforcement to sweep your home looking
for dangerous people.
If you do this yourself, you run a very high risk of being caught unaware and
injured or killed.
If you have no other choice, however, and you MUST check your home for
danger, follow these basic guidelines.
Lighting Considerations
Clearing a home will far more often take place at night than during the day time.
Even if it takes place during the day, there are dark areas of your home, and
places such as your basement or the interiors of your closet that are never very
well illuminated.
If you are going to clear your home, you should have a portable, powerful light
source.
That light could be a “tactical” light affixed to your weapon, or it could be any of
several flashlights on the market.
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Some lights are big enough to be used as clubs themselves, but they can still be
wielded with one hand, allowing you to manipulate a handgun, or in the gravest
extreme, wield a knife, with the other.
Move With A Purpose
You must move with your weapon, and keep moving, forever remaining a
dynamic defender and not a static target.
You must carefully and methodically check each portion of the home, being
aware that every intersection, corner, and dark shadow could conceal and
attacker, who at any point could leap out and strike you or he may shoot you with
a weapon of his own.
It’s critical as you circulate through your home that you continue to move. If you
stand still, you make yourself a target, especially if you are carrying a light that
can act as a beacon in darkness.
Blink And Move
As you search, stay mobile, blinking the light and then immediately changing
your position.
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There was an old school of law enforcement thought that said you should hold
your light (if it is separate from your weapon) far from your body and up high... as
if your opponents would think a twelve-foot monster were stalking them through
the darkness.
Obviously, that’s silly... but the basic rule of blink and move, blink and move still
applies.
Whenever possible, search over the sights of your weapon, keeping it pointing
where you are looking.
Remember, with a handgun, it is the front sight that matters.
Line it up, point, and shoot... only AFTER you have positively identified a threat
and there is no danger to people beyond and behind that target.
REMEMBER: You do not want to shoot a member of your own family!
Danger In The Doorways
Doorways are one of the danger areas in clearing your home.
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An attacker on the other side of a doorway can use his body weight and the
barrier of the door to knock you back or even do damage to you.
If using a handgun, keep your handgun far from the sweep of the door, preferably
close to your body.
Do not put your weapon where a door swinging open can strike it.
When you open a door, do so widely, with your body as far from the opening of
the doorway as you can get. Be very aware that someone could be behind the
door, and also that the opponent could be farther away from the door opening,
just waiting for you to be silhouetted in the door frame.
“Fatal Funnels”
If you are standing at the end of the hallway, you are standing in a “fatal funnel.”
You are silhouetted in what might as well be a bowling alley, just waiting for a
projectile (that WILL feel like a bowling ball) to strike you in the chest.
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Remember the old James Bond movies, in which Bond appeared through the
barrel of a gun, centered as a perfect target?
That’s what you look like when you stand in the middle of a hallway.
NEVER STAND IN THE MIDDLE OF A CORRIDOR.
Instead, use the walls and the corners to shield as much of your body as
possible, staying wide of other doorways and corridor intersections.
Corner Control: “Cutting The Pie”
There is a classic technique for dealing with corners when clearing a building
called “cutting the pie.”
To “cut the pie” means to take corners wide, giving you plenty of space in case
an enemy is on the other side of the corner.
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If you take the corner wide, rotating your body and your weapon to cover what is
around the corner, there is less chance he can surprise you or tackle you.
Use this same “cutting the pie” principle when approaching open doorways and
the entrances to corridors.
Remember: Every barrier is a potential hiding place, so STAY WIDE and stay
mobile!
When You Find Your Foe
If you identify a threat during a home clearing, you can’t afford to mess around.
There may be other enemies.
You can try to hold that invader for the police if you like but if you’re dealing with
multiple attackers (and be aware that even if it started out as a single attack,
others may have joined while you were unconscious or separated), it’s best to
ACT DECISIVELY and remove the threat!
Aim center mass and don’t take any chances.
Then move on to clearing the rest of the home.
Continue until you locate a loved one, free them, and then backtrack the same
way you entered or to a safe exit and let them escape one by one.
Travel back through your same cleared path and continue with your movement
until you’ve rescued your entire family.
Should you come upon an attacker in the same location as a family member and
have the shot, take it!
Don’t yell “FREEZE” or try to take him alive.
It only takes a split second for him to react without thinking and, realizing that you
have him at a disadvantage, reach out and grab your loved one or simply kill
them in reflex.
However, if you do come upon him and your loved one is in his grasp, let’s say
that he has a knife to your child’s throat, you’re going to have to make a
judgment call.
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• Option 1: Throw the gun down (which he’ll probably instruct you to do)
and hope that you’ll be able to take advantage of his reaching down for it
to rush him.
• Option 2: Throw the gun (or anything else you have in hand) at the
attacker’s face. We’re naturally programmed to flinch when something is
heading toward our face and the brain is unable to think “offensively” and
“defensively” at the same time.
In that split second when his brain has recognized he must flinch away,
you should already be in motion. Rush him quickly and reach for the knife
or other weapon to pull it away from his hostage. Don’t pull toward you,
but rather turn the knife laterally to the outside of the hand holding it so
you can leverage it out of his hand.
At the same time, yell to your child (or whoever) to “ESCAPE!” so they can
get away no matter what happens to you in the process.
But personally, I’m looking at “Option 3” as perhaps the best alternative…
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• Option 3: If you have enough of a target and are close enough, take the
shot. The sound of the gun going off will shock his brain so much that it
won’t be thinking of an offensive action like cutting.
However, he’ll most likely, out of protective instinct, crouch down and hold
on tight to your child so you have to move forward upon shooting because
the only other shot you’re going to get will be at point blank range with the
gun barrel buried in his body.
EXTREME ESCAPE TECHNIQUES
So far we’ve given you guidelines,
methods, and techniques for coping
with a hostage situation that evolves
from, or is integral to, a home
invasion.
We’ve also given you some
information you need to consider in
different types of home invasion
hostage scenarios.
What we’ve not yet covered,
however, are techniques for
escaping specific means of keeping
you captive.
These include situations in which
you are handcuffed, taped, tied up,
or held in the trunk of a car to be
moved from your home to some
location where you might be raped
or murdered.
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Handcuffs
Handcuffs scare a lot of people.
They’re associated with being arrested, after all, and that’s something no law-
abiding citizen likes to think about.
The thing about handcuffs is that, while they’re very strong (because they’re
made of metal), the locks securing the cuffs to your wrists really aren’t that
complicated.
Many handcuffs may be double-locked for extra security, which makes them
harder to remove.
Most of the time, though, the person using the handcuffs won’t bother to use this
feature.
He or she will just slap the cuffs on you and trust to the ratchet mechanisms to
hold the cuffs in place.
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What you’ll find is that it’s remarkably easy to pop those handcuff locks if you
learn how to do it, and especially if the cuffs aren’t double-locked.
There are even
videos on YouTube
that show you in
great detail how to
do it.
If you are someone
who carries
handcuffs for a
living, or if for some
reason you think
there’s a chance,
day to day, that you
might end up in
handcuffs, you
should consider
carrying one or more
spare handcuff keys
on your person.
Most handcuff keys
are the same and apply to a wide variety of cuffs on the market.
You can buy spare keys, or keys designed to be hidden and carried, from any
number of supply houses on the Internet and through catalogs.
It’s not such a bad idea just to carry a spare handcuff key on your keychain, if
you don’t hide one elsewhere on your body.
In Daniel Keyes’ book, The Minds of Billy Milligan, Keyes describes how Milligan
(the first person ever to use a multiple personality insanity defense, when he was
brought to trial for armed robbery and rape) would routinely escape from
handcuffs.
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It seems one of Milligans’ personalities, supposedly, was an escape artist.
Milligan carried around Bic pen caps cut in half, which apparently he used as
improvised handcuff keys.
Any handcuff can be defeated if you are capable of compressing your hand to
the side of your wrist.
Some people who are “double jointed” can pull this off.
It’s something you might be able to learn to do, in time, but don’t hurt yourself if
it’s not going to be physically possible for you.
This is the method that famous escape artists use (when they’re not using hidden
keys to pick the locks).
They’re simply slipping out of the cuffs and manacles because such shackles,
physically, can’t be any tighter than the wrists around which they’re secured.
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If you can get your hand squeezed to the size of the hole in the handcuffs, why,
you can just slide right out.
Expect to scrape yourself up pretty good doing this.
As unpleasant as it may sound, remember that your own blood is a natural
lubricant.
Bleeding wrists just might help you slip out of a pair of tight cuffs.
The lubrication of your blood might make the difference.
If you’re captured (maybe at gunpoint) and forced to handcuff yourself (possibly
because you’re a security guard or cop and somebody’s got the drop on you), if
the hostage-taker isn’t watching too closely, you can fool him by ratcheting one
wrist cuff while slipping the end of the other wrist’s cuff outside the locking box of
the handcuffs.
Tension will hold the cuffs in place until you have the opportunity to break free.
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Duct Tape
Duct tape and even packing tape is often used to secure victims of kidnappings
and other hostage-taking situations.
The thing about such improvised bonds is that they’re really not that strong.
They’re nothing to scoff at, no, but tape, especially duct tape, is meant to be torn
at an angle by the user.
This means that if you can get the proper leverage and the right angle, you can
tear it and free yourself.
If you can find a tool of opportunity,
like a piece of wire or a shard of
plastic or glass, you can try to saw at
the tape or even poke a series of
holes in it to weaken it.
Anything that you can find that helps
you defeat the tape could then be
used to help you defeat the attacker,
as well.
Hell, throwing a wad of tape that was
formerly keeping you tied up might
even give you a moment’s
distraction.
You have to use absolutely anything
you’ve got to give yourself a chance
to escape.
Your life depends on it.
Especially if you’re tied to an object (a pipe sticking out of the wall, a chair,
whatever) you can use principles of leverage to yank the duct tape, explosively,
at an extreme angle.
Move your elbows out and your hands down, as if your arms are scissors. Keep
doing this until you pop the tape or manage to stretch it.
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Speaking of stretching, before you are taped up, you can help make it easier to
escape.
If you can, cross your wrists when you present your hands to be bound.
Crossed wrists give you more room to break free than wrists that are side by side
when they’re taped up.
Rope
The same principles can be used when someone is tying you up with rope.
Do everything you can to make yourself bigger than you are.
Flex your arm muscles.
Expand your chest by taking a deep, deep breath (but don’t do this too
obviously).
BAD BETTER
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Push every part of your body out
as far as you can do so, in a
subtle way.
This was one of the ways Houdini
defeated being tied up with ropes.
The trick is that when you’re
ready to escape, you exhale
deeply and make yourself as
small as you can.
This gives you “wiggle room,”
room to work so you can try to
get out of the rope.
It’s actually very difficult to tie
someone securely with rope in a
way that leaves them no room to
wriggle out, especially if they’re
using these breathing and
stretching tricks.
“Escape artists” rely on these facts to put on parlor tricks such as inviting
members of the audience to tie them up, sometimes betting money on the
results.
Fire, such as from a handheld lighter, can be used to damage rope (or tape, for
that matter) to make it easier for you to break free.
Just understand that you could burn yourself very badly while you employ this
method.
If the choice is between burning your wrists and being raped or killed, we imagine
you’ll be okay with getting burned.
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A Car Trunk
In 2006, a pair of teenaged
brothers burglarized a home
in Rochester, New York, a
large upstate city.
The homeowners and their
two-year-old daughter came
home late at night and ran
into the pair in their own
garage.
The two murderous rapists,
thugs well on their way to
lives as career criminals,
forced the family into the car
and would later molest the
wife in front of her husband and child.
The thugs reportedly drove the family around in the trunk for quite some time.
While they did it, they were talking about killing the family.
Only when an acquaintance decided it “wasn’t right” to kill a two-year-old did tips
phoned into 911 lead to the rescue of the family, who will never view life the
same way again.
And it all started with a home invasion... and then a car trunk.
The first thing a lot of people worry about, when thinking about being held in a
car trunk, is running out of air.
This isn’t really a concern.
Very few car trunks are completely air tight.
Smothering to death really isn’t your first concern (and chances are it isn’t even
remotely an issue).
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Back in the days when cars usually had full-sized spare tires in their trunks,
conventional wisdom was that if you were worried about having enough air, you
could bleed the valve in the spare tire to release the air trapped inside it.
These days, most cars have their spare tires tucked away in very inconvenient
locations.
Often those spares are small donuts, and those donuts are hopelessly
inaccessible either under the rear of the vehicle or under a panel in the bottom of
the trunk.
If you’re lying on top of that panel, it’s very unlikely you’ll be able to get to the
spare... but again, you’re not going to smother, so don’t worry about it.
Earlier, we said that when in a hostage situation, you should try to remember
anything you can.
Sights, sounds, smells... these are all important.
When you’re locked in the trunk of a car, they become even more important.
If you get to wherever you’re going and later have the opportunity to call for help
(because many of us carry wireless phones), being able to remember the sounds
you heard as you traveled might help lead rescuers to you.
It may even be the case that you’re on the phone with the police while you’re
being driven around in the trunk and you can recount any details you can to give
them tips to your location or destination.
In addition, cell phones can be tracked through cell companies to their actual
location.
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When you’re trapped inside a
car trunk, look for an escape
handle. Many modern cars have
a safety release specifically to
stop people from being trapped
in the trunk.
(Some even include a cute little
graphic that shows the former
captive springing free!) Often
these are designed to glow in
the dark, so that someone
trapped in the trunk can easily
find them and use them to get out.
Someone who intends to hold you hostage in his car’s trunk, someone who has
bothered to think his plan through, will probably have removed or somehow
defeated such a safety mechanism.
Just as you can set some cars to “valet security” by setting the trunk so it can be
opened only with a key, and not the dashboard trunk release button, it’s possible
to defeat these emergency safety releases.
(Just cutting the handle off so you can’t find it in the dark would do the job in
most cases.)
Most if not all newer cars have fold-down rear seating, which allows access to
the trunk from the rear seat.
This goes both ways (though there may be latches to defeat).
If you are trapped in the trunk, you might be able to push your way through from
the trunk to the back seat.
This would only be an advantage to you if the car is parked and your captor has
left you there alone temporarily.
If you’re moving down a highway at speed, though, and you can claw and worm
your way into the back seat quickly enough, you might be able to do this before
he can slow the car enough to devote his full attention to stopping you.
It’s a risk either way.
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Another thing about car trunks is that they’re very rarely, if ever, completely
empty.
There’ll usually be items inside that you can use as weapons or as tools to help
you escape.
A tire iron or screw driver can be a weapon, and either one can also be used to
force the trunk latch from inside.
(Simply press your improvised lever against the latch as hard as you can to pop
the latch.)
Using one of the items you find in the trunk, you might be able to pop out a
taillight.
If you’re traveling down the highway, you can then shove your fingers or the tool
you used out the taillight hole, hoping to get the attention of the police or a
passing motorist.
(If you’re still worried about having enough air, you’ve just created an air hole,
too.)
If you can find a fire extinguisher inside the trunk (and few people carry these
anymore), you could spray your attacker as soon as he opens the trunk to
remove you.
If you were bound when you were put in the trunk, you can free yourself from
these bonds as we’ve described in this module, then be prepared for when the
trunk opens.
Your captor is in for a nasty surprise.
Anything you do find in the trunk can be used as a weapon when you eventually
throw yourself, explosively and violently, as your captor when that trunk lid
springs open.
Trapped in a car trunk, your goals are to escape from whatever bindings keep
you immobile, then find a weapon or simply prepare yourself to spring out and
attack when the trunk opens again.
If you can cause damage and get the attention of other drivers, so much the
better.
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If you have a phone and can call for help, that’s good too.
Listen carefully to what’s going on outside the trunk, stay calm, and remember
that your survival depends entirely on your willingness to do whatever has to be
done.
RAPE SURVIVAL
One of the ugliest crimes and one of
the worst permutations of any home
invasion, kidnapping, and hostage
situation that a person can face, is
rape.
It may happen while you are
restrained, and often does.
It may happen when you are not
restrained.
But it happens.
While rape affects women more often
than men, it would be foolish to
assume (if you are a man) that you
cannot become the target of a rape.
Sexual predators don’t care who or
what you are, in some cases; they
just want to use you for their own
gratification.
They don’t care about your feelings, they don’t care if you’re hurt, and they’re not
interested in showing you any kindness, pity, or mercy.
(If they had these feelings they wouldn’t be engaging in rape!)
Remember what we told you about Sanford Strong’s advice in Strong on
Defense.
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Never, ever let yourself be taken to a second location if you can help it.
The time to resist a rape is at the moment the attacker tries to take you.
Make sure your wives and daughters know that meek compliance is not the way
to stop a rape.
Instead, shout, scream, fight with all your might, make the worst scene you can
possibly make... because if you don’t resist the rapist NOW, you may not get the
chance again.
You may be left bleeding, violated, and never to be the same again... or you may
just be dead.
Worse, the victim of a rape may be sentenced to an eventual death, or to a life
living as a stigmatized victim of an incurable sexually transmitted disease.
Rapists, by their nature, have a greater chance of carrying these diseases in the
first place, for obvious reasons.
When a man rapes a woman, he subjects her, against her will, to his less than
reputable sexual history.
She may contract HIV from him and die from it.
She may contract a curable disease... or she may catch something like herpes
that she’ll have to live with forever.
In at least one famous case, a woman who was being attacked and raped,
knowing she couldn’t stop the rape from happening, asked her attacker if he
would at least use a condom, to prevent her from the risk of disease.
Her desperate plea was used against her in court.
The rapist’s lawyer tried to claim that her asking him for this consideration meant
that she was consenting to the sex, and thus he was not, in fact, raping her.
It is to your advantage, then, to prevent a rape from ever starting.
The same basic rules of awareness and avoidance apply as in all self-defense
situations.
Know where you are and what is happening around you at all times.
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Check your car before you get into it, and know if there are people nearby as you
are walking in public places.
If you think someone is following you, get to someplace public (and preferably
crowded) as soon as you can.
We cannot stress enough that awareness, awareness, awareness is the key to
avoiding a rape scenario before it can begin.
If you are taken and held for purposes of rape, the same basic hostage rules
apply.
They are complicated, however, by the act of
rape itself.
It’s fine to follow the guidelines we’ve given
you until your captor decides that it’s time to
assault you sexually... but at that point, things
change.
You may choose to resist, perhaps even
during the act itself.
Your attacker is understandably distracted
while he’s trying to have sex, after all. You
might be able to hurt him if you can grab for
some environmental weapon.
You could also grab for... well, him, twisting
and pulling his balls with all your might as if
you’re trying to rip them right off.
Be aware of one danger: If you do not succeed
in distracting him and getting him off you so
that you can escape, he may become so angry
that he’ll hurt you or kill you in retaliation.
Your other option is total compliance.
This is the “Just lie back and think of England” approach.
If you let him have what he wants, he may be satisfied and he may let you live.
Bedroom Escape Trick
•A home invader will most likely tie a
woman’s hands and feet to the four
corners of a bed to rape her and
keep her in that position for perhaps
days.
•Tape a small razor (with one side
covered, such as used for hobbies)
to the back of both of your bed’s
posts/rails/etc. Make sure it is out of
sight but at a level and close enough
so that it can be reached by a woman
tied to that post.
•When possible, the woman can
reach for the razor and, if tied up, can
cut her way free.
•The razor now becomes a deadly
weapon if used correctly. The best
targets to aim for are the eyes and
the carotid artery along the side of
the neck.
!
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Rape has long been described as a crime of violence and dominance.
It certainly is that.
What is often forgotten in describing it like this, though, is that it is also a sexual
crime.
I mean, let’s be real: The rapist may get off on the power of taking you against
your will, and he may have other issues that drive him to hurt women, or to attack
women of a certain race or hair color and so on... but also fundamentally, he’s
trying to rape you because he wants to have sex with you.
If he gets what he wants, he may be done, and he may leave... or he may murder
you so there are no witnesses.
There are no easy answers as to what to do in this situation.
Just remember that no one has the right to assault you sexually.
Do whatever you can to prevent it.
Do whatever you can to survive it.
IF HELP COMES
Remember: Don’t expect a fast rescue, especially if you’ve been taken hostage
in your home and no one knows you are in harm’s way but no hostage situation
lasts forever.
You just have to survive until this is over or until you have the opportunity to
strike back and/or escape.!
If you’re fortunate or were able to contact emergency personnel, it may be the
case that law enforcement or military action results in you being freed.
You can’t count on this and you have no idea how long it might be before this
happens, but it is possible.
Remember the 2009 incident where Somali pirates were shot dead by Navy
snipers in order to free the captured ship Captain?
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What is important to remember, when help does come, is that things are about to
get very violent very quickly.
The rescuers will aim to subdue or kill the hostage-takers as quickly as possible.
Whatever you do, don’t get in the way of that action.
If a rescue mission unfolds suddenly around you, get down on the floor and stay
as low as possible.
Keep your head down and put your hands on top of your head if it’s possible.
Don’t move and don’t talk.
When the rescuers take command, do exactly as they say immediately,
complying with all instructions.
Expect them to treat you roughly and perhaps even to cuff you or otherwise
secure you.
They have no way of knowing you’re not one of the hostage-takers and they
won’t have time to debate this.
They’ll want to secure the area and everyone in it first, then sort out who is who.
Don’t hold this against them.
Just do your best to stay out of the way and stay alive until it’s all over.
Once the rescue has been completed, remember that your job is to be as
informed a witness as possible.
All of the information you committed to memory before will be useful to your
rescuers.
They’ll probably want to question you — to debrief you in analyzing what has
happened.
Be patient, be cooperative, and above all, be grateful.
They’ve saved your life.
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IN CLOSING
Just having gone through this short lesson plan, you’re already much more
prepared for an attack that happens unexpectedly in your own home.
The mental exercise you bring to preparing for such a brutal crime will help you
assess your current resources, options, and areas requiring more attention.
Now is the time to fill in any gaps you may have that are holding you back from
having a solid action plan that can instinctively be carried out in response to the
unexpected.
Look at your home security plan…discuss crisis response with your
family…conduct family emergency drills for a variety of crises…and find a
practical training program in a “reality based” martial art or self defense system
that will teach you the hardcore skills you can use when violence is your only
option for survival.
Be safe!
