Lesson One of the Self Defense Mini Clinic

Each lesson of this course includes videos of highly effective, street proven fighting moves that are easy to learn and simple to use.

Each installment will also include some seriously important fighting information that has taken 20 years of interviews and research with dozens of the world’s most notorious street fighters, bar bouncers, law enforcement officers, and soldiers to put together.

This stuff is solid gold. These lessons are boiled down from a 100 page book I wrote on how to fight and win. I’ve taken the most valuable life-saving lessons from it at put it into 5 short lessons.

You don’t want to miss any of this critical information.

Below is your first video, the other two videos are further down the page (my little trick to get you to read this stuff). The following technique is extremely simple and can be used by anyone with little practice.

*Note: Feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the page. I enjoy the feedback and others may learn from your insights & thoughts. Enjoy.

Know When The Fight Is On:

Today’s lesson is meant to get you up to speed quickly. It includes the most important things you need to know to win a street fight.

The best way to win a fight is to recognize it before it has happened. Countless guys get taken out by some punk without even knowing they were in a fight (they either didn’t see it coming or didn’t want to believe they were in a fight). Don’t let this happen to you.

There are three ways to recognize a fight (other than someone punching you). There are non-verbal body language cues, verbal cues, and previous behavior (aka common sense).

Aside from getting hit there are 5 main non-verbal cues that you are about to be in a fight:

  1. The “Look Away:” During an argument the other guy suddenly looks away from you off to one side. An experienced street fighter and special ops soldier Jim West uses this cue all the time. He once told me, “If I’m in a confrontation with someone and they look to the side, it means they’re about to hit me – so I hit first.” It may seem odd but looking away is a very common, almost reflex like, reaction for many aggressors. So take Jim’s advice and hit first because if you don’t his haymaker will be sailing towards your temple.
  2. The “Finger Jab:” Someone poking you in the chest is also a big red flag. It’s a way that your opponent “tests the water” to see if you are an easy target. He’s building up his confidence and resolve, by violating your personal space. If you stand by and do nothing, it tells him, “the water’s fine… go ahead and attack this guy.” A poke in the chest, or any violation of your personal space at the initial stages of a confrontation should trigger some kind of immediate response from you.
  3. The “Shove:” Yet another classic example of violating your personal space, except this move is almost always immediately followed by a punch. You should expect very little time between the shove and the incoming blow, which of course means you need to act fast in this situation. People typically don’t push, then walk away.
  4. The “Target Gaze:” An opponent will naturally look at what he’s about to strike. Watch out for an adversary who changes his gaze from your eyes to your chin or some other obvious target. This is another one of those gifts from human nature, he can’t help but look where he is going to strike, so use that information to gain the upper hand.
  5. The “Chin Drop:” Another involuntary move that should prompt you into a decision is seeing your opponent drop his chin. This is a fairly consistent, and subconscious act of protecting the neck, it almost always means trouble.

Verbal Cues:

  1. The Threat: “I’m gonna zyx@%# you up!” This may seem so obvious that it’s not worth mentioning. And I wouldn’t mention it if my research didn’t show that MOST inexperienced fighters do nothing in the face of serious verbal threats. They often stand by and take NO action.
  2. The “Sudden Silent Treatment:” If your opponent has been talking, talking, and talking, then suddenly becomes quiet, it means he’s entered into an internal dialog on what he’s about to do to you. As FightFast instructor Demi Barbitos says: “Fighters don’t talk and swing at the same time.” In other words he is probably about to hit you.

Previous Behavior:

This one is painfully simple. If you are around someone who is known to be violent it’s pretty likely they may start a fight. Don’t play with fire. Also intoxicated men are trouble, intoxicated men with women around are even more trouble. If you get into an argument or scuffle with a drunk guy and his girlfriend or other women are around he is very likely to fight.

I’ve worked with almost a dozen bar bouncers from some of the roughest bars and nightclubs and they all know that saving face is one of the biggest causes of fights. In other words if you somehow manage to bump into, slight, or irritate a drunk guy or his girlfriend a fight is pretty likely, so be ready for it.

Now that you know how to recognize a fight before it happens I’ve got another fight move for you. This one is from professional fighter and notorious “cooler” Mike Serr. Go ahead and watch the video before moving onto the next section.

Dealing with Fear:

When it comes to fighting and learning how to fight fear is the 800 lb. gorilla in the room. Everybody knows it’s there but nobody want to talk about it.

Well like it or not I’m going to talk about it. After 20 years of working with Special Ops soldiers, SWAT cops, Cage-Fighters, Ex-Gang Enforcers, and bar bouncers, I’ve learned that all of them feel fear before a fight.

Wow, what a shocker. Fear is normal and healthy. The thing is none of these guys are scared, because they have learned to deal with that fear and make it work for them.

They have learned to harness that adrenaline dump and make it work for them, not against them.

The average guy on the street, when confronted with a life threatening fight will quickly realize the danger and the voice inside his mind will start talking a mile a minute, “Why is this happening to me? Am I going to die? What did I do to piss him off? Should I run? Should I stay and fight?” and on and on.

Letting this internal dialogue turn your fear into panic will get you hurt. Instead you have to use that fear and adrenaline to help you identify targets and take action.

The first step is to control your breathing. Slowing the pace of your breaths (inhale deeply and exhale slowly) sends a direct message to your brain that calms you down, lowers your heart rate, and lowers your blood pressure.

The next step is target awareness described below. But before we get to that here’s another video for you.

Target Awareness:

Once you know a fight is eminent you need to look for open targets to strike. To do this you must be aware of certain “high value” targets on the human body, so that when they are exposed or unprotected you know when and how to strike them for maximum damage.

Target awareness is a continuous process because as an attacker moves closer or further away from you the targets you can strike change. Below is an example of what your internal dialogue should be like once you realize a fight is coming:

“He’s approaching me — is he in range?”…
“Is there anything in his hands?”…
“What targets are open?”…
“Are there any friends around?”…
“Now… what targets are open?”…
“Is anyone behind me?”…
“What targets are open now?”…

Finally you need some basic info about what targets to strike and why, some are common sense some may surprise you:

Neck: the side of the neck is a “knock out” area. The good news is that the shoulder and head offer a natural “funnel” that’ll guide your hand directly into his neck – which means it’s a “high percentage” shot. People rarely protect their neck properly so even a poorly executed shot can often mean instant knock out.

Groin: believe it or not, research shows that most guys do NOT protect their groin. They are so “indoctrinated” with the idea that they’ll be punched in the face that they leave themselves wide open for one of the most devastating strikes. So forget about focusing so much on getting in that right hook to the head, (which he’ll be expecting), and start looking for an OPEN target.

Inside knee: very vulnerable. One good kick to the inside of the knee can end a fight instantly.

Outside thigh: a favorite target of Muay Thai fighters is the nerve running down the outside of your leg. Even a well conditioned fighter can’t stand more than a couple good shin kicks to this nerve before buckling.

Eyes: Striking the eyes is a great distraction technique. They are the main sense used during a fight, take them away for even a second and you have gained a huge advantage. An eye strike causes a person to blink involuntarily, and if scratched the eyes will water blurring vision.

There are many more targets these are just a few to get you thinking like a fighter.

Keep your eyes peeled for more free videos, in the next lesson I’ll take you inside the world of a real street fight. This is something most guys have no idea about, thanks to myths and misconceptions that often get guys hurt or killed.

Knowing what a real fight is actually like is a huge advantage.

Interested in learning “dirty fight tricks” right now?
Click here to find out how!

Next Lesson >>

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2,694 thoughts on “Lesson One of the Self Defense Mini Clinic”

  5. Surprisingly easy to learn and practice. This is something even an idiot like me can remember. Thanks guys…you,re the bomb.

    Reply

  7. Thank you. This is great information. As a senior I am vey grateful.My wife is very trusting I suspect everyone when I am out. I trained Karate for a while but, have a bad back so can’t do kicks very well. Your information is PRICELESS to the enderly.

    Reply

  8. I really liked the section on dealing with fear. IM also curious as to why your initial suggestions for targets are the larynx, eyes, groin etc. Surely there are targets on the body that doesn’t permanently injure your attacker? I presume you suggest these as if your dealing with someone who has the intent of threating your life? Anyhow, awesome videos! Learned allot!
    .

    Reply

  9. Thanks guys! you showed me some easy ways to defend myself if im ever in a bad situation, i just hope i dont have to use these ways on anybody. but if i do i know what to do. thanks again

    Reply

  10. I am grateful for the many fabulous techniques that are provided. from pre vicious attack, the finger grabs, to F’em Up n down, park their butt on the street. possibly permanently. excellent isolated techniques, I am pretty experienced for a non lethal trained, gentle kind of soul,[ a peaceful warrior] more than 150 good fights in my youth, and only a few were me getting beat up too much. even removing weapons, shovels, machettes, tools.before applying maximum restraint w minimum force. I am excited to learn the techniques here as I am over 50 but work a Fit mans industrial job.

    Reply

  11. I’m a woman who needs to learn how to protect myself. there’s not always a man around, so I do need to learn. thank you. I’ve always felt street fighting is more practical than martial arts. (here in my neck of the woods).

    Reply

  13. I am glad I took time to read your email and be able to learn these fighting techniques..bravo guys..appreciate the lessons very very much.

    Reply

  14. Thank you, I learned a lot. Think the finger spread and the ear slap are more for me a 100 pound 65 year old woman.

    Reply

  15. All good for immediate defense, especially if over powered. For instance, I recently went to Manhattan NY and was under surveillance by some one was is attempting to label me a threat to society etc. with no evidence or proof etc. When I arrived at my destination, the tension between the security guard and me was high even before I had a chance to say hello. He began issuing commands as if I was under arrest etc. Some how the tension was diffused. Either someone else told him a different story about me or he noticed via my body language etc. that I was not any threat and that someone was abusing their authority to get me to fight (a pretext possibly for my arrest and a criminal record etc.). It seems as though self defense is becoming more important these days as a few of those who are sworn to protect us are the very ones hunting us down.

    Reply

  16. really appreciate the videos. only a few fights in my 51 years and they were the most frightful moments of my life even after negotiating big surf. even was knocked unconscious by an unsuspecting person in the crowd not even the guy i was in the fight with…just having this information in my mentality gives me a degree of courage especially the fear/adrenal dump info. of course one never knows what he will do in the real moment-but the provided videos and the written instruction really help the mental preparation and is invaluable-thank you…

    Reply

  17. I truly enjoyed these moves
    you see I was just resiliently drugged and them attracted while in the hospital after having a mini stroke and I was feeling pretty venerable
    these moving have some how in powered me to move on and trust myself again

    Reply

  19. Thank you for these fighting tips, Bob. Although I am a woman, I can use some of these tips if I find myself in a dicey predicament with either another woman or a man. I’m going to be living in a racially mixed neighborhood and when I walk my dog I want to feel that I can protect myself in today’s political climate. I have Irish blood so it doesn’t take me long to feel ready to engage. Thanks again!

    Reply

  21. I have always been a fighter, and at my age now I always want to end it asap. Your knowledge of all the known triggers and responses are consistant with experience. I was in Marine Corp for 4 years, and I am sure that our time is running out. Thank You for passing the savings for the knife, and the way to survive and win a fight. Semper Fi

    Reply

  22. being 69 and low back problems and bad knees this looks good. I need all the help I can get when needed. thank you
    Paul

    Reply

  24. Thanks. With the exception of the ear slap. Ive used all these techniques in a street fight some executed successfully others not.

    Im enjoying the videos , hopefully i wont ever have to apply them , im looking forward to the choke techniques because i dont execute them well at all.

    Ric

    Reply

  28. LOVE THIS!! already knew the cupped hand ear slap–something my dad taught me as a young child–being female, he wanted to be sure that I could protect myself. he taught me a lot, including the groin shot..doesn’t take much–one in that area is if I am grabbed around the arms, just reach back and grab them–even a kid has enough grip to make his let go!!

    am seriously glad to learn the finger things–didn’t know them at all!! dad taught me several tricks along that line, but it didn’t include the fingers. probably because that training wasn’t known then, at least not to the general public–we’re talking in the last 40’s-early 50’s. there was more as I grew older.

    and, the timing of the ‘block swing/trachea hit’ was enlightening…

    a trick I learned many years ago is what was called Imagineering. it is when one takes the time, for me usually in bed after my prayers and going to sleep,to go over in my mind various shots, swings, throws-over-the-head/back, etc.

    here is something you might not know, and feel free to pass back to your instructor–THE BRAIN DOES NOT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACTUALLY, PHYSICALLY DOING THESE OR OTHER THINGS AND IMAGINEERING!!! it is form of training that doesn’t require a sparring partner, but when the time comes, you do exactly what you are supposed to do. as an example, I was the night owl so was the one that was awake talking to my dad as we were traveling. he would tell me stuff like, in a skid, foot off the brake, and steer into the skid. whadda ya know, the first time, as an adult, I found myself in a skid, I DID EXACTLY WHAT I HAD BEEN TRAINED TO DO just by him telling me over and over!!

    thank you so much for making these teaching videos available!! I means so much to me to have these techniques available…

    Carmen adams
    antmountain1@yahoo.com

    Reply

  29. I love these techniques, however I’m disabled. I walk with a cane and have permanent lower back problems. What do I do now?

    Reply

  33. I’m a former special forces team member of jim west if you have acess to him I would love to hear from him.Please forward my email to jim iF possible.thank you.

    Reply

  34. All good defensive moves, taking a deep breathe is important and turning the situation into you being the aggressor once the threat is detected.

    Reply

  35. they are very informative but when attacked how can an individual handle a hostile and yet defend he or her as they are being attacked or on the attack, and defend himself and others i am suppose to be 59 yrs. young now is there something a little less simpler in a situation when on the defense or offense that a person can do and protect and serve I have little perception but a extreme imagination as a visionary and still do excs. and katas or forms but have no disciplines in weaponry or escrima lessons in any of these arts. A.Torres AKA dymitry1

    Reply

  37. I liked the slap, the throat strike, the finger magics moves. Also, it is stuff I can teach my daughters, for their safety

    Reply

  38. As a cooler I have used the finer magic & come along move many times.the ear slap is a very good and useful tool that works!!!!However be aware that your come along friend does not get the chance to use the ear slap on you.

    Reply

  41. Mr. Serra’s, split finger technique is most
    adaptable, along with everything he does.
    Very good video.
    The one with the masks on?, some of the
    audio was difficult to hear, but again,
    very effective.
    Thank you for sending them on.
    Also, on the, former video, I think it was
    the first video with the ear slap. This
    is also excellent. – Many years ago, a
    football player and I was teaching him how
    to get out of a bear hug. I cupped my hands
    and clipped his ears. His feet left the
    ground and his body turned to his right. He
    hit the ground and he was knocked out.
    Thank God, he woke up after, too long a time.
    I know this works, for sure.
    j
    j

    Reply

  43. Hello,
    All of these techniques are great for the younger crowd. But for older people who tend to be more fragile would need to learn tricks that manipulate pressure points with canes are really good. Could you show a video aimed at that crowd please? I try to show my 70 year old mother but some things are too hard but she loved finger magic. As security for various businesses, finger magic has been a life saver.
    Thanks,
    M.Tillman. Okc,Ok

    Reply

  44. I have used all of these techniques, and they work impeccably for anyone, if your disabled but can walk with some practice these moves will be effective due to the small amount of energy used. When successful you won’t even breath hard taking down the biggest of men.

    Reply

  46. Ah!, my old buddy Paul! He’s one of the few master instructors you can actually learn something from simply by watching.

    He should write a book on how he slaps and ‘defeats’ Aging! He doesn’t look a day older than when i met him 25 years ago? Actually he looks Younger now!

    Reply

  48. I don’t go looking for trouble, but these are simple well grounded moves to put yourself in control. If I must fight I will do what ever it takes to win.
    I’m old, full of aches and pain, bad heart and already been dead three time so I can’t play around. These are moves I can learn and implement with out doing cartwheels or fancy spins and I thank you very much.

    Reply

  49. Good stuff!! I am familiar
    some of theese techniques.
    I have studied various arts only taking what works and it looks like you guys hit the nail right on the head. The no nonsense approach is the best. Big fan of getting the job done quick.

    Reply
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