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!

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

  1. Need quick reaction stop the fight Male age 73 does not have the stamina of age 43. Need to hit knock down and break away fast.

  2. Hi,
    I’m a 72 year old woman, but I’ve always wanted to know ways to defend myself. I have health issues with shortness of breath with fast movement. I purchased your offer and I’m really hoping to learn how to defend myself

  3. All of the advice you have given is spot on. I learned at an early age how to fight. But I really don’t fight I stop people, I’ve never like bullies or trouble makers, and I have to admit I really enjoy giving them what they intend to give to others. The only other advice I can give on top of yours is don’t hesitate, if you know trouble is about to start. Take them out first. Knee caps, temples, throats and eyes. Don’t vocalize what you intend to do, just do it

  4. I have been Fighting my whole life.Even 2 at a time,and one of the meanest men that has lived in our County. (My Husband) I have heard many times,tell other Men that I hit him just as hard as any man has. His Sisters say, he told them,he’s Terrified of me. I go for the eyes when I have to. Of course these were fair fights,except when he pulls a gun on me.I win then also 🙂 I am 84% Irish Redhead. One Mean Ass 121 lb. Woman 🙂

  5. Iv trained extensively in MMA & boxing but this sounds amazing Bob, you can never learn enough. This sounds grest

  6. Thanks for sharing your videos and info. Most of what you’re doing I have already learn from my martial arts, judo, SCARS, CDT and CQB. I was hoping something I may have not know or haven’t taught my gf, friends, students and private clients.

    Mahalo,
    SR

  7. I’ve been using your products since I tried my very first one. Quality and durability. I work at a sop and was wondering if we may become a distributor of your product. I think they would do very well in our shop. Please get back with with me either way.
    Thank you

  8. REALLY good advice in your tutorials. I am 51 and have been a veteran of streat fights growing up in Belfast – which was a rough place to grow up in. I learned martial arts from a young age but soon realised that in a street fight I may as well learned knitting!
    Don’t get me wrong-the moves are really effective BUT you must adapt to fighting on the street to fighting in a training session where it’s all controlled – on the street it’s chaos, but it shud be CONTROLLED chaos – controlled by YOU.
    I grew up fighting brits (British soldiers)who were not adverse to taking their packs off and giving you a ‘fair dig’-that’s 1 on 1 in my language. They were tough and I had to learn to be dirty and quick – most of all to end it as soon as possible! They were far fitter, stronger and very very dirty! I lost many until I put my doubts to back of my mind and concentrated!! I soon seen a way through-a devastating kick to the inside of his knee then I was on him with a choke hold til he passed out-my 1st victory! I was 15!!
    The police also-tho u never got a fair dig with them! It was 4 or 5 attacking at once with batons. I learned to get one in a lock hold and use him as a shield. Hitting out when a chance provided itself. Needless to say I never won any of these but I hurt 2 or 3 before I went down and soon gained a healthy respect from local cops. They always came ‘geared up’ to get me after 1st few fights.
    Then there were the ‘hard men’ paramilitary pricks. Some were true soldiers of Ireland but a lot were just bully boys handing out ‘punishment beatings’ to young guys. They soon learned not to take me on either-unless they brought guns. All my brothers were kneecapped and they tried to shoot me dead 3 times – one time unfortunately they shot my friend dead but I missed it by literally 10 steps!
    So you can see I know what I’m talking about and I can spot a serious fighter from a mouthpiece a mile off. But still–I have picked up some tips from your videos etc even after a lifetime of streetfighting–or as we call it here in Belfast – a bit of fresh air!
    Thank you and keep up the good work!
    Patrick McGeown

  9. Great info I’m an older guy .Never did alot of fighting, these techniques are priceless. The confidence you gain is amazing

  10. I really liked the techniques you showed in the videos. I see how effective they can be in a street fight.

  11. Yous are the best trainers because of your basic yet effective techniques, advice and of course experience.
    I’m just refreshing my mind as I have started to train again but this time I want to take in more of your knowledge so I can stripe away all the useless stuff and hopefully gain a new sense of confidence and ability.
    Thanks.

  12. Chin Na is effective and I practice that as a part of Wun Hop Kuen Do.

    Knuckles techniques are good but people need to have a basic+ combat sports experience.

    Good to see different kinds of techniques, thank you!

  13. Thank you for all these demonstrations and I will be sharing it with my son I’m trying to teach him about fighting in about self-protection and to not be a talker but be a walker and defend his self!

  14. I found these lessons very helpful. The show and tell of the videos is great. Plus if you are a short female, it is easier to learn this way.

  15. I agree with your videos . I’m a retired Air Force Spec Ops operator (Combat Controller) and a 8th degree Black belt . I was stationed at Ramstein Air Base embedded with NATO. I taught most every trick and move shown in your videos to US and NATO soldiers . I would Recommend these videos to anyone who wants to learn self defense . Keep up the fantastic work.

  16. I love the videos the techniques were very simple and effective, how to know when your in a fight was very educational to me, and how to understand fear and use it to your advantage is very useful

  17. I dearly and desperately want to get EVERYTHING on your site because I know it is so worthwhile, but with a limited budget (and whose isn’t?) I have to get it like Johnny Cash’s Psychobilly Cadillac – one piece at a time. Attitude I have, knowledge I can acquire from a good source. You are the best. My dad taught me three ways to kill a man when I was four. We were going to a family funeral and Dad’s old man would have raped me to death for shits and giggles given any chance. Growing up, I fought my brother’s battles; twice my age and usually two or three on one. Dad taught me this: never brag; never bluff; NEVER TELEGRAPH; no one has the right to start it; everyone has the responsibility to finish it; it’s not finished until you can turn your back and walk away. God bless you all for your wonderful work – and NEVER let the bastards get you down! MOLON LABE!

  18. My story of how I, unintentionally, became a follower of fightfast.com is a long one that I couldn’t make short so…..I stopped trying! Here is my comment
    WOW, frickin’ amazing!

  19. I’m training my wife these actions. She needs to know how to fend off losers that want to cause harm. She may not have time to pull out her equalizer and squeeze trigger. So, I’m taking the punishment to build her up mentally for self defense. My fingers hurt so bad. I thinks I made her mad some time in the past and she playing that emotion out today.

  20. I gain my knowledge from my brother and being in street fights, but this website taught me so much so far, I know for sure I won’t lose a fight with some practice. I might show my friends the finger magic move.

  21. I’m 68 years old, and enjoyed the training. You are never to old to learn! T/Y
    Explained properly.

  22. I am a retired Marine of 22 years, mainly as a MARSO Raider, I also served as a terrorism extraction expert with Delta Force. You guy’s are doing alot of good in this time, I’m afraid the time is coming where American’s will need exactly what you are teaching. I personally have been training with segments of our military that don’t exist yet. Training for a war here on our soil where no outsider will be needed, it will automatically and has already been put on high status. My friends I want to thank you for what you are getting Joe civilian ready for, I’m afraid this is not going to be just soldiers in the next one. People are going to need and have to protect their family and friends.
    Thanks all of you.
    Master Sgt John Rush.

  23. My dad now 98 & an Army veteran still alive taught my 2 sisters & I from the time iI was 5 how to defend ourselves..we learned how to do the ear clap & popping out opponents eyeballs & the base of your hand to nostrils to break it..That was until our mom caught him giving us lessons in the family room. LOL.. All our lives he kept at it to make sure we could survive a situation. It certainly paid off one dad as I broke a guys nose… blood everywhere & he screamed. I reacted the way my dad taught us & iI managed to escape & attracted enough attention by his screaming that help stepped in. I shook with adrenaline afterwards & couldnt even put my foot on my gas pedal it was going up & down uncontrollably..haha.all this happened when I stopped for gas one nite. I was 18 yrs old.Your videos are super. I’m 66 now but still know I can help myself.

  24. Great stuff to know and PRACTICE. If I’m threatened, I won’t hesitate to stop it right NOW. I will NOT be a victim.

  25. Finger magic is a great self defense gideo everyone should learn for self defense! But I must point out that a throat punch should only be used in a extremly bad situation and as a last resort! Because the smallest individual can deal a life threating blow!! Please dont use this strike in less its a last resort.

  26. Hi my name’s Shara thank you for teaching me just a few moves. I’m in fear of my life by my crazy ex he spent a night in gaol for breaking the VRO and just a small pathetic fine. I saw him again today stalking me and following me on his motorbike when I was driving. I’m managed to lose him. at the moment I don’t think he knows where I live. I suppose it’s only a matter of time when he does find me. I’m not sure if I can fight anymore.

  27. What kind of advice do you have for older, weaker adults with arthritic joints who can’t run? And have to use a walker to get around? Very little hand, leg or arm strength and can’t kick very high ( can’t lift leg more than 2 inches off ground)? Scary times for retired elderly folk when its a challenge just to stand up or walk. How can we protect ourselves? Not sure I could hold the shotgun up long enough to fire it. Would probably break my shoulder.

  28. I can appreciate the lessons already given. I took martial arts for over 9 years and the mother art of the 6 styles in this dojo is Chinese Kempo. We were taught a form called Chi Na.
    Thank you,
    Dennis

  29. As a former Captain in uk Army this is awesome knowledge thanks and blessings from God Bob to you and your family with Heaven protecting u always Amen.

  30. Bob thank you for this free video information. This is what I clicked on your free gear emails for. I did not know your name or address before. Thank you for finding me. When I am more financially solvent, I will have no problem buying the wares you offer at their worth. Again thank you for finding me and giving me this invaluable invitation.
    Lots of love and admiration to you and the heroes you employ
    Alicia