This is a video analysis of a high-speed chase with multiple carjackings that occurred in the Denver metro area.  The original video is 54 minutes of speeding against traffic with multiple wrecks and carjacking attempts.  The key safety points from my analysis of this video are:

• Keep your doors locked when you are driving.  If a carjacking by force attempt is made, it is significantly more difficult for the person to remove you from the vehicle by force if your doors are locked and your windows are up.
  
• If an accident or aggressive action occurs that feels like it was on purpose, keep your guard up! Do not unlock or get out of the car until you know what is going on and that you are safe.
• Always consider your escape options.

We all witness aggressive and bad drivers on a regular basis, but if somebody does something that blatantly targets you such as forcing you off the road, bumping your car on purpose, or forcing you to come to a stop, consider what your options are for escaping.  If someone then gets out the car and aggressively moves towards you, you might have to reverse and drive away, punch the gas, push their car out of the way (assuming your vehicle is capable of doing so), or in the event of deadly force, hit the person with your car and get to safety where you can call the police, when lesser force options are not available or did not work.

Always keep thinking and assessing!

If you found this useful please feel free to share it with others.

Train smart & stay safe!
Evan D.
Owner/Lead Coach
NOVA Self Defense
www.novaselfdefense.com

I’ve locked in two additional training locations for regular training.

Japanese Martial Arts studio- on Seminary road  (pictured above) in Baileys Crossroads/Falls Church VA.

JMA is a fully matted facility martial arts studio with great equipment.  Most of my weekend self-defense training events will be held at this location.

• 3-hour mens & women's self-defense seminars
• multiple-session courses
• specialty seminars- ground-fighting, restricted striking, multiple-attacker, etc
• Private lessons

Crossfit Falls Church- yoga room:

I will be offering private lessons as well as a new 4-session fast track course here.  What’s awesome about the fast track course is that it includes our full discussion on mindset and non-physical concepts, yet provides the physical training in a small group setting.  This means more drills, better reps, more coaching-per student, and faster learning!

Clients wanting a private seminar for your group- we do these anytime the JMA studio is not currently booked!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays!

Evan D.
Owner/Lead Coach
NOVA Self Defense

When I give lectures to groups, one of the first things I talk about is the difference between software vs. hardware as it relates to self-defense.  Technologically speaking, hardware is the physical components of the machine and software refers to all of the intangibles that make the system function.  Both are significant in determining optimal performance. I find that this dynamic provides a helpful analogy for relationship between the two critical features every person requires for self-defense. 

Software is your mindset. Optimizing your mindset means getting your head right so that you can overcome your situation and get to safety without allowing fear or panic to set in and take the reins. 

Hardware is your physical capacity.  How well you move, how hard you hit, how effectively you can access and utilize a weapon, etc.

A lot of defense training focuses exclusively on the hardware.  This is a mistake.  Good hardware is rendered useless without capable software; the mindset and willingness to take action.  Self-defense skills, power, and technical proficiency are secondary.

Reprogramming your software:

My main goal in conducting my self-defense seminars is reprogramming the victim mindset to that of an attacker’s mindset, prioritizing being active, not reactive.

I can’t give you amazing ninja skills in a one-time session. That requires enormous software and hardware upgrades that develop over time with dedicated training and willingness to improve.

What I can do in a short amount of time is help reframe the way you think about violence and how you perceive a threat, as well as introduce you to concepts to help you access your inner rage.  Even if you never end up in a physical altercation or violent situation, recognizing a threat from a distance and getting out of danger is a useful non-physical skill anyone can adopt, regardless of physical capacity.

The obstacles of downloading new software:

So we just reprogram ourselves!  Easy, right?!  Unfortunately, there are some common hurdles to achieving an active, positive mindset.

1) Give yourself permission:

The first obstacle to attaining a sound, self-defense mindset is getting you to give yourself permission to fight and win.  Since we could first throw a block as toddlers, our social programming has ingrained nonviolence into our software.  It is socially unacceptable to hurt another person.  Many people struggle to overcome all of the mental and emotional barriers decades of social acculturation have placed between us and the extreme circumstances where it is necessary to utilize violence as a tool in order to protect ourselves.

2) Fear or doubt leading to hesitation:

In a recent session, a student who serves as part of an unarmed security team for a DC area church asked, “What if it’s in the moment of an attack and I am not taking action because of fear or doubt? What are some positive things I can think of to get motivated?”

I told him that in this situation, you are part of something bigger than yourself.  Your obligation is your personal safety and the protection of your congregation.  Your close-knit team has your back, and you have their back.  If it helps you get motivated, think about protecting innocent people in your congregation.

3) But what if…?

If you are in the moment, what choice do you have?  You have to accept what is going on and take action immediately!

Rebooting/updating this software to a more positive, active outlook takes some thought. An introduction to some useful concepts at one of our self-defense seminars can help lay the groundwork for you, but it is worth investing time and thought into it, as it can be an empowering and useful concept.

If you are interested in learning more about this and receiving this training hands-on, check out our 4-session fast track course in January 2015.
 
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Evan Dzierzynski
Owner/Lead Coach
NOVA Self Defense
www.novaselfdefense.com