Do you know that you’re eight times more likely to be involved in a home invasion attack than you are to be involved in a house fire? When intruders force themselves into your home, whether for the thrill of it or to rob you and take your family hostage, this is considered to be a home invasion. Don’t make the mistake of thinking home invasions only take place in high crime areas.

There are stories of home invasions taking place in suburbs and rural areas. These attacks are more common than most people think. Now is the time to plan a home defense strategy that will keep you and your family safe if you’re ever faced with a violent home invasion attack.

My Home invasion Survival Story

When I was a child growing up in Chicago, my family experienced a home invasion. I was very young, but I remember it very well. It was early in the morning. My dad and my brother and I (there were only two of us at the time, I now have five brothers) were asleep in our rooms. My mom was a night owl and was up late taking a bath when an intruder entered our apartment.

He had a gun, and he found my mom in the bathroom and pulled my mom from the tub and was dragging her from our home. I later found out that he had gotten into the apartment and had propped our rear door open for a quick and easy exit. He asked who was in the house and my mom lied telling him she had three sons. One was my dad.

The intruder told her my dad was a big boy, (LOL) and he told her that if she screamed, he would shoot us. As he was dragging her, my mom told him that she would cooperate if he did not hurt any of us. With that said, he loosened his grip, and my mom broke away, running to my dad and screaming.

My dad always slept with a gun next to him. As he went to confront the intruder, he ran from our home. My younger brother witnessed this (I was fast asleep) and was able to describe him to the police, but the intruder was never caught.

My Neighbors Recent Home Invasion Survival Story

I live in the suburbs of Maryland. A very nice neighborhood on a cul-de-sac where I rarely experience problems. However, a couple of months ago, my neighbor had three armed intruders try to enter his home. I won’t get into the entire story, but a female knocked at his door. He did not let her in, but a few seconds later, his home was fired upon multiple times. Fortunately, no one was shot, and later, the culprits were caught. It was also fortunate he did not let her into his home where he, his wife, and his son were.

These stories are real, and you can find many more if you just google the topic. You can view home invasion stories on the primetime news or in newspapers to understand the secret of surviving this kind of violent attack. One of the most common factors is that the homeowner owns a gun or some other type of weapon that can be used to defend themselves.

If you are worried about becoming a victim of this type of crime, perhaps you should be, because it can happen anywhere and anytime. However, I don’t want you to be the one who says, “it will never happen to me.” Instead, I want you to be ready. Many handgun owners haven’t learned how to use their guns outside of the more relaxed atmosphere of the shooting range. Also, there’s a self-defense weapon that’s much more important than a gun.

The Best Home Defense Weapon

Of all the available home defense weapons, the most effective one is your brain. No matter what type of home defense weapon you use, you have to be able to think tactically. This kind of thinking goes beyond the usual point and shoot reaction that most gun owners have instilled in their brains because of the typical range training they hopefully get. Let me break this down a little more and really tap into your brain and help you to devise a realistic home invasion self-defense plan.

Five Home Defense Tactics That Will Help You Survive A Violent Home Invasion

1. Develop a Code Word – The first thing I want you to do is to develop a code word that will tell your entire family that it’s time to spring into action. You don’t need to make up some kind of secret code. The word “ESCAPE” works very well and is simple and straight to the point. Use a simple code word so that you won’t forget it.
2. Designate a “safe room” in your home – Develop a room where everyone can go to at the same time. This room should be stocked with several specific items that will help you survive the upcoming fight.
   1. Weapons – I keep long guns and handguns, but this is your choice
   2. Ammunition
   3. Cell phone – used to call the police
   4. Food – in case you have to be there for a while
   5. Water
3. Do not, under any circumstances, leave the safe room. If you have your family in the room with you, resist the urge to go in search of the intruders, put on your cape, and fight them single-handedly.
4. Develop a “fatal funnel.” In law enforcement and the military, we had a term called a “fatal funnel.” This is a place where you will be able to rain bullets down on your intruders. If you are using a gun for home defense, position yourself in a corner of the safe room that is on the opposite side of the door. This will give you the maximum amount of time to decide if you’re going to shoot if the intruders burst through the door, which you should by the way if they are bold enough to break in. In this instance, you have the advantage because they will have to assess the room before they make a move. You only have to decide if you’re going to shoot or not. You will know that its either the police coming to your rescue or the bad guys coming to harm you. Just make sure you don’t shoot the police.
5. Stay in the safe room until the police arrive, no matter how long it takes. Even if you are pretty sure the home invasion is finished, and the intruders have left, do not leave the safe room. You can’t be sure that the attackers aren’t lying in wait to take your family by force to hold as hostages or cause harm. Stay in the room until the police have cleared the house and tell you to come out before you decide the home invasion is over.

This is pretty simple right. When your family is at risk, I don’t want you using ninja tactics or going after the bad guys. This can get you and your family killed. It is better to defend one room where you know all your family members are. Often simple is better.

Click here for simple, easy-to-learn self defense moves taught by Derek Smith.