Excerpt

Tips for winning a violent confrontation

In order to win in a violent conflict, it is critical that the following principles be observed; for failure to do so can, and often will, lead to injury or even death.

* Your opponent is at least as skilled as you are. By taking this position, you will not become overly confident and will be less likely to make a mistake which could cost you your life.
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* Do not loose your self-control and allow yourself to make foolish mistakes. You must focus on the task at hand as if your life depends upon it, because it does. As in any confrontation, whether it is physical or verbal, the moment composure is lost, the battle is lost. In the words of Sun Tzu: "The General, unable to control his irritation, will launch his men to the assault like swarming ants, with the result of one third being slain, while the town still remains untaken." Your goal is to remain calm and focused so that if anybody loses self-control, it will be your opponent, which can lead to a mistake which you can use to your advantage.
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* Continually seek an avenue of retreat. It is not your responsibility to engage an attacker beyond the point of your security or safety (or that of another). The moment you have the opportunity to retreat to safety you must attempt to do so. This is important in terms of your legal liability but also because the longer the confrontation continues, the more likely you will be to make a serious, and perhaps even fatal, mistake.
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* Never trap or "box in" your attacker. After all, who is the most dangerous man in the world? The man who has nothing to lose. Like an animal, if cornered, your attacker may actually become more aggressive.
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* Try to think like your opponent. There is an old saying: "Those who hunt monsters must take great care that they do not become as monsters themselves." This saying likely came about because in order to track and capture a criminal, it is first necessary to understand the criminal mind. This is why security consultants are often asked to read security protocols. They are hired to identify flaws and to recommend counter measures should security be breached. They know the mind of the criminal element--so they know what to protect against. So, while you can't be expected to know the specific personality of your attacker, you can attempt to use what you do know. For example, are they on drugs? Are they out for money? Are they gang-bangers trying to impress other gang members? Pick up as much as you can, using your training in situational awareness, and it will serve you well; for the more you know about your opponent, the more likely you will be effectively anticipate and counter their actions.
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* Whenever possible, cheat! Remember that what we are discussing here is not a school yard fist fight, but a fight for your life. If a violent conflict cannot be avoided, seek out and exploit every weaknesses in your attacker, as there is no such thing as a fair fight. This is another example where situational awareness comes into play. Lets say that you are walking down the street and you observe an individual acting suspiciously. As he advances toward you, your alertness level increases. You observe that he is limping, and is favoring his right leg. Is he faking it? Perhaps, but you really don't know. He attempts to accost you, and you are required to defend yourself. What should be your primary target for any counter-action not involving a weapon? The correct and obvious answer is his right leg. Why? Well, because he appears to be favoring this limb, and if it is truly injured, it will present a weak point, which should be exploited to its fullest advantage.
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* Deceit and subterfuge are your allies when engaged in a violent confrontation. Once again we can refer to a principle found within the works of Sun Tzu and the Art of War, which reads: Hold out baits and fain disorder and crush him." This tactic can actually be quite effective. I personally have used it with success in the past. It's a simple tactic, which will become clear from the following story. An associate and I were preparing to engage within Force on Force training using paintball guns. For some reason, my associate started firing rapidly in my direction prior to the official start of our exercise. I immediately yelled for him to stop, and was repeatedly ignored. I was struck twice in the leg with a paintball at a distance of approximately 7 - 10 feet. Now it is important to understand, that the average paintball is moving at a speed of between 200 - 300 FPS (feet per second), and they do hurt on impact. So I decided to teach this individual a lesson I am sure he will never forget. I immediately feigned an injury by grabbing my leg and began yelling. Then I began to limp in his direction while playing on his sympathies. As a result, he made a fatal mistake: he let down his guard. As soon as I was within a close-range to effectively make my point, I lifted my head, looked him straight in the eyes, and Yea, Im fine as I
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