Copyright © Geoff Thompson 2004
The right of Geoff Thompson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, nor transmitted, nor translated into a machine language, without the written permission of the publisher.

Author Introduction

Dead or Alive has been a very successful book for me. Over the years I have received favorable and consistent sales and excellent feedback. It first came out in 1996 (where did all that time go?) and the publishers thought that it might be a good time to update the book – new cover, new author foreword and any amendments to material that may have dated. 'No problem,' I said. 'I'm right onto it.'

I expected that after reading through the (near) 90,000 words there would be a lot of work involved; after all, a lot can change in eight years. I was wrong. I was pleased (and also disappointed) to see that there was very little that needed to change and absolutely nothing to update, just a bit of polishing and some new illustrations. Pleased because (being frank) it was less work for me (and being very busy that is always a bonus) and disappointed because, well, things should have changed, they should need updating. Shouldn't they? They should have gotten better at the very least. I was doubly disappointed that they hadn't. In fact, looking at the current crime statistics, they have gotten worse instead of better. This book – probably the only one of its kind in the world today – is more needed now than it was in 1996 when I first released it. I don't know why I was surprised by the increase of societal violence; it is after all plastered all over the papers and on the news every day of the week. It is totally normal now to read about armed robberies, killings, rapes and gang attacks in the very next street to your own.

It would appear that what is happening globally is being reflected locally. There is real and immediate danger out there and we need to be aware of it, we need to make our loved ones and friends and neighbours aware of it.

There is a crude urgency in the writing style of this book that I have deliberately not changed in the new edition. When I wrote it way back then I was still very much living and breathing self-protection. I was passionate, perhaps over-zealous in the delivery. Even though I am eight years more practised as a writer and perhaps better able to deliver the same words more objectively, I decided not to. I like the urgency. I think that the zealous undercurrent is entirely appropriate in a subject so life and death.

So here it is. Dead or alive. Your choice. The information in this book is as hot as it is current and – if employed – it might prove life saving.
Geoff Thompson 2004

Chapter One – Avoidance and Awareness

'Learn from nature: how often do you see the mouse playing by the hawk's nest?'
Sensei Harry Cook

'Therefore, when the time and place of the challenge is known,
One can meet the challenge from a thousand miles away.
But when the time and place of the challenge is not known,
One cannot protect all flanks;
If through measuring the strategies of others,
We find their numbers exceed our own,
Does this indicate triumph or defeat?
It is said: "Triumph can be measured."'
Sun Tzu

Welcome to Dead or Alive. Throughout the next 200-odd pages I hope to enlighten and educate the uninitiated and demonstrate the many personal survival imperatives which are needed in a society that is fast becoming an infestation of gratuitous violence. For the record this is not yet another hypothetical manual of inappropriate quick fixes that might leave you deader than disco. I'll leave that to the academics. The information herein is derived from a lifetime's study where mental self-dissection was necessary to root out all of my own weaknesses before I could gain promotion and elevation to the highest planes of understanding and survival. Now, after many dangerous years of search and research, spending thousands of nights standing on cold nightclub doors and tangling with life's gratuitously violent minority, I stand on the plateau of understanding, enlightened. Shocked beyond measure, but enlightened. I have studied the psyche of violent people first-hand, talked (and fought) with hundreds of professional street fighters, muggers and robbers, at times dropping to their primeval levels just to survive. Now, as I pull away from the obesely criminal, I draw my conclusions upon them and upon violence. From these deductions are born a better understanding of how to counter such people in the face of a violent or potentially violent assault.

A fire prevention video teaches you how to prevent fires with the use of deterrents and alarms, and how to escape a fire with the minimum of fuss. What it doesn't try to do is make you into a fireman. So it is with this book. I do not want to teach you how to be a professional street fighter, rather how to avoid being face to face with someone who will enjoy smashing your bones to dust. Prevention, via awareness, is far more palatable than the often unlikely cure of a physical response.

It's not my intention to try and tell you, the reader, whether or not you should engage in a physical encounter should you find yourself the victim of criminal assault; that is not my right. What I should like to do is offer up the options so that you might weigh the odds and choose for yourself.

If a mugger snatches your purse or wallet containing twenty pounds, your idea of self-defence may be to let him have it; twenty pounds is hardly worth dying for after all. However, if the same attacker forces you into a dark alley and wants to add rape to his booty, you may not be so happy to capitulate. He may even want to kill you – it's not unknown. No one can tell you in cases like this that you MUST or MUST NOT fight back, only you can decide. So, dead or alive? The choice is yours.

I'm tired of watching the same predictable run of safe bet 'self-defence' advisors on the TV and in popular magazines demonstrating tame release techniques that would not break wind and advising the uninitiated on what can or cannot be employed, in defence and in the eyes of the law; frightened of overstepping the moral and legal boundaries that might have a bored MP or an elitist senior police officer writing to The Times in protest.

I will dare to break this negative and often dishonest cycle with Dead or Alive. How? By being honest – even if I do break a few unwritten rules en route.

I'm fed up with being asked onto TV and chat shows as a defence expert and then being told in the green-room what I can and cannot say on air. They don't really want a defence expert, they want a puppet. There is little point in offering counsel when my advice is censored and scripted by a 'windy' television editor or producer.

What you read in this book is how it is, ugly and in your face. I'm not saying that it's what you want to hear, it may not be (good advice rarely is), but it will be the truth and those that listen will be better prepared for their perception.

You may have hoped for a 'picture book'; if you did I fear you may already be disappointed and probably sadly deluded. This is a book of knowledge, not pictures, but in the world of real, knowledge is power.

Where this book will differ from the many that you might read in its genre is in its empiricism: the techniques, attack rituals etc. have all been developed in real life scenarios. The interviews with attackers, muggers, rapists and killers are all authentic and there for one reason and one reason alone – understanding the attacker will help you to avoid him, and in the extreme case, deal with him. If you want to know how a mugger chooses a victim, this being the first step in his attack ritual, don't go and ask a psychologist or a policeman – ask a mugger. Obviously very few people are capable of doing this so I have done it for you.

Whenever I talk about the need for self-protection, invariably someone will say 'you're scaremongering'. People will undoubtedly say the same about this book, and yet every day of the week we see adverts, emblazoned across our TV screens and newspapers, graphically reconstructing horrific car crashes that warn us not to drink and drive. We are also exposed to the horrors and consequences of drug abuse, showing the mourning parents of a juvenile O.D. victim, that advise us to 'say no to drugs'. Even the dangers of faulty gas appliances are given more credence, via horrific TV advertisements, than the frightening increase in violence against the person.

It is not my aim in this book to scaremonger – only to educate.

Way back as far as 1995 – and in London alone – over 50,000 people fell victim to violent attack, compared with an estimated national total of 16,000 casualties resulting from road crashes in which at least one driver or rider was over the legal alcohol limit. And it isn't getting any better – but you probably don't need me to tell you that. It is after all covered every day in the newspaper and bulletins.

I make no apologies if this book shocks – I hope it does, because maybe then people will take note and better prepare themselves for the pandemic increase in unsolicited violent attack.

It can happen to you and, if you're not vigilant, it will happen to you.

Please don't be disappointed that this book's foremost objective is NOT the physical response. When teaching children road safety the imperative is not how to deal with the trauma of being knocked over, we know that this is often too late. Rather, we teach our children how to avoid being hit by a car.

To the majority, being attacked IS like being hit by a car – so the prerogative of self-protection has to be flight over fight.

That is not to say that the physical response should not be addressed; avoidance may not always be an option and we all make mistakes – even monkeys fall out of trees. In the appropriate chapters I shall cover things physical and throughout this text you will find a myriad of techniques that cover most conceivable angles of attack.

Most people are not and never will be physically or mentally equipped to cope with violent conflict; the expected, immediate response of this majority is terror and capitulation.

The best tools I can offer the reader are honesty, insight and realism to be used in the 'fight for flight'.

Most potential confrontations are avoidable if you use the tool of awareness, follow the prescribed rules and use your common sense. Most of those that are not avoidable, if dealt with positively, are controllable. For the minority that are out of the purlieus of your control, you will, no doubt, have to fight for your life. It is then that every scrap of knowledge you can take from this book, other empirical books, and actual self-protection classes will undoubtedly help to weigh the odds in your favour.

For those that think acquiescence may be a safer option, recent surveys have shown that capitulating to an assailant, or pleading, 'Do what you want, but please don't hurt me' (especially in rape scenarios) will not and do not guarantee victim safety. Capitulating victims also, in most cases, suffer far more than other victims with negative emotional aftermath.

Most books of this genre seem to be garnished with hypothetical step-by-step Karate-type illustrations showing the reader 'what to do when attacked', with easy to learn wrist locks and release techniques that totally lack credence; these being demonstrated, emotionlessly, by shop window mannequins. No mention is made of the victim's state of mind in such a scenario, of the extreme trauma involved in a confrontational situation. In many cases we are being taught to swim by people who have never gotten wet themselves.

All seem to be working on the premise that the victim has already been grabbed/throttled/punched etc., totally ignoring those pivotal seconds, minutes, often even hours before contact.

If you have to become physical the concept of defence is very often unsound, unless you are facing a very inferior attacker – which is not the norm. Pre-emption is the order of the day, your best means of defence is attack and, whilst the law may not thank me for telling you this, it's the truth. Very often the views of those in law enforcement will change according to whether they are talking on the record or off. I have taught many police officers in my time who came to me for instruction because what they are taught on an official level simply does not work against non-compliant people.

Of course once you have been attacked and pre-emption is no longer an option, most of the techniques that are the perfunctory by-products of such defence books and courses are as unworkable as they are unrealistic. If you are not already incapacitated you will be fighting, tooth and nail, for your life.

Awareness allows a pre-emptive response (avoidance, escape, dissuasion or attack), the victim recognising menace before the 'monster metamorphosis'. This allows him/her to deal with it before it deals with them.

What I should like to do is shock you, the reader, within the safety of these pages, thus developing a sharp, preventive enlightenment. As Ed Howe said, 'A good shock is often better than good advice.'

A book filled simply with physical techniques may only heighten vulnerability, giving the reader a false sense of security. One young lady said to me after completing a six-week self-defence course (and I quote)

'I baby sit for a friend twice a week. In the evening, afterwards, I take the short cut home and walk across the local park. It always scares me. Now that I have done a self-defence course I feel a lot safer when I take the shortcut across the park.'

If she had have been taught properly she would no longer be taking the short cut through the park.

TARGET HARDENING

The key phrase in contemporary self-protection is target hardening. By making yourself a hard target you lessen your chances of being chosen as a potential victim. I once interviewed a group of burglars and I asked them for their prime requisite when selecting a house to rob. They said, 'We always look for properties that are not protected.' The houses that sported an alarm box, dog pictures in the window, window locks, etc. were very often bypassed by the average robber.

'Why bother bursting your balls on a dwelling with all that protection when there are rakes of houses around the corner with fuck all, just asking to be robbed. These people kill us, they fucking gripe about having their houses robbed yet they leave us an invite at the door. They just make it easy for us.'

Many of the burglars rob the same house three or more times because the owners do nothing to stop them.

Self-protection works in a similar vein. If you make yourself a hard target by following the rules of awareness you too will be bypassed for an easier target. If you don't make yourself aware, you will be chosen again and again.

The Four 'D's

There are four techniques often used by attackers, especially muggers and rapists, in preparing victims for attack. Although these are nearly always overlooked by self-defence writers, the four 'D's – dialogue, deception, distraction and destruction – are the most important element of self-protection to be aware of.

DIALOGUE

Dialogue designed to disarm and distract the targeted victim is the professional attacker's most common priming technique. An attacker will approach a potential victim in a non-threatening way and begin a conversation. Often, he will ask a question about directions, ask if you have the time, a light, or any spare change. His objective is to make you think about his question, so that you do not notice the weapon he is drawing or his accomplice coming round behind you. It only takes a second of distraction for you to get into deep trouble. Understanding this will make you more aware and keep you alert, which is the most important part of target hardening.

DECEPTION

An attacker uses deception to make himself appear harmless. Dialogue and appearance are the most common methods used to deceive victims, to make them let down their guard. Do not expect dangerous people to stand out in a crowd.

Attacks may start with politeness, even with an ingratiating approach. Deception is the attacker's greatest asset. Every attack I have ever documented that was not a blind-side attack (the ones that happen when you do not use awareness) came through deception, the attacker using this as a window of opportunity.

DISTRACTION

Distraction is a part of deception and usually comes through dialogue. The attacker may ask his victim a question and then initiate attack while the victim is thinking about the answer. This distraction also switches off any instinctive, spontaneous physical response the victim may have. A man with twenty years of physical training in a fighting art can be stripped of his ability by this simple ploy. I have witnessed many trained fighters, who are monsters in the controlled arena, get beaten by a guy with only an ounce of their physical ability. How? They were distracted before the attack. Rob, a hardened street fighter and nightclub doorman, always told potential opponents that he didn't want to fight before he attacked them. Their first thought when recovering consciousness would be: 'I'm sure he said he didn't want to fight!'

If the distraction is submissive, 'I don't want any trouble, can we talk about it?' it will also take your assailant down from a state of fight or flight to one of low awareness, because your submissiveness tells him that the danger is over and he can relax into self-congratulation.

Brain engagement, via disarming/distracting dialogue, gives the victim a blind second. This is when the assailant strikes. The distraction is also used by the experienced attacker to take down any protective fences that may have been constructed by the victim (the 'fence' is dealt with in detail in a later chapter).

DESTRUCTION

This is the final product of expert priming. Few people survive the first physical blow and most are out of the game before they even realise that they are in it. Even trained martial artists often get suckered by the four 'D's because these do not appear on their training curriculum. They do not understand the enemy they are facing. The attacker uses the techniques of deception and distraction to prime a victim that is only trained in 'physical response'.

Adrenal dump

If a situation does become live your body will usually experience a huge injection of adrenalin, known as adrenal dump. While adrenalin can add speed and strength to the body's responses and also dull pain, the adrenal dump causes sensations very similar to those of fear. Consequently many people freeze under its influence. If you can't control the person on the inside then it is safe to say that you cannot control the person on the outside (the attacker).

Colour Codes of Awareness

Probably the finest preventive method is the utilisation of colour codes (also called 'coding up'), a concept devised by Jeff Cooper, an American combat pistol instructor, to help recognise, evaluate and subsequently avoid potential threat. The codes are a yardstick measuring rising threat and, if adhered to, they make most situations avoidable.

Cooper designed the codes of awareness to allow people a 360 degree environmental awareness. What I would like to add to this, with respect to the great man, is also awareness of attack ritual, physical reality and of bodily reactions to confrontation – after all awareness is a many-splendoured thing.

The codes of awareness consist of four colours, in ascending order of your awareness: white, yellow, orange and red.

CODE WHITE

This is the state of oblivion to danger, of being 'switched off '. A person in code white is unaware of an environment, its inhabitants and their ritual of attack. Code white is the victim state that all attackers look for.

CODE YELLOW

Known as 'switched on', this is a state of threat awareness in which perception allows 360 degree peripheral awareness of such environmental danger areas as secluded doorways or dark alleys, and the person understands such psychological hazards as adrenal dump and attack rituals.

Initially, code yellow is similar to commentary driving, where you talk through and describe, as you drive, everything around you. Similarly, as you walk, run a subconscious commentary of everything happening in your surroundings. Ultimately, with practice, you will maintain a subconscious constant awareness without the commentary. It is not a state of paranoia but of heightened observance.

CODE ORANGE

This is the state of threat evaluation. Orange represents rising threat, allowing evaluation if circumstances deteriorate. For instance, you may notice a couple of suspicious-looking men over the road from you; if they begin to cross in your direction and you feel there is a possible threat, code orange will allow assessment and evaluation of the situation.

CODE RED

The final state is that of threat avoidance – also called 'fight or flight'. The situation is evaluated in code orange. If there is a threat, prepare to fight or run. Never stand and fight if there is a possibility of 'flight'.

If no threat presents itself, drop back to orange and yellow; never lose your awareness and drop to white. Many people have been beaten in real situations because they have lost their zanshin (awareness). Stay switched on.

Of course, this whole colour-coding system works on the premise that you are in code yellow in the first place: you cannot evaluate a situation that you have not noticed developing, nor can you prepare for fight or flight if you have not seen and evaluated a danger. In code white, you are only likely to know about a dangerous situation when it is too late. The same applies with the following rules; you need to be in code yellow (switched on) to make any use of them at all. So in all cases, 'code up'.

In the home

Whilst I do not wish to spoil your quality time in the home, I do feel it necessary to advise the reader on a few home truths to avoid the unthinkable: an attack in the home.

* Fit your house with good door and window locks. This includes a door safety chain. Do not leave accessible windows open, night or day. The harder you make it for an intruder to enter your home, the more likely he is to move on.

* Make sure you lock outside doors and change the locks if previous tenants still have their old keys.

* If your home is up for sale, never show a prospective buyer around on your own. Many unfortunates have fallen victim to rape and murder by men posing as prospective house buyers. Don't be rushed into showing someone around your house, no matter how much you want to sell it.

* As simple as it might sound, always draw the curtains after dark. Otherwise you are on display to criminals looking for a way in.

* Whenever returning to an empty house, be extra careful. Look out for signs of forced entry. Obviously, if you notice any, don't go into the house but get away quickly and quietly and phone the police. The same goes for anything or anyone suspicious: always phone the police immediately.

* Install a porch light and/or spy hole at your front door. This will allow you to see who you are dealing with before opening the door – remember deception is the leading technique of a professional attacker, he may call at your house under the guise of any number of things. Always be a little suspicious of unexpected visitors.

* Never admit anyone in to your home, i.e. service men, without first checking their credentials. If you are still unsure, take their ID number and phone their headquarters for verification. Since attackers sometimes pose as officials to gain entry, you should also check their ID and that they are who and what they say they are. If you have even the smallest doubt in your mind don't let them into your house; if they are official they shouldn't mind a bit.

* House alarms are a great deterrent. Many of the burglars that I interviewed said that they never bothered to enter a house with an alarm as it was too much hassle. This is not to say that an alarm is the answer to all your prayers. It's not. If someone really wants to get into your house, I mean really wants to, then nothing barring a shotgun in their face is going to stop them – but an alarm does help. If installing an alarm system is too expensive, put up empty alarm boxes on your outside walls to deter would-be criminals and, even if you haven't got a dog, put up a sign to say that you have.

* Keep gates/outhouses locked when not in use.

* If criminals want to nick your belongings make them work very hard for it and remember: the longer it takes them to get in and the more noise they have to make to do it, the more chance there is of them being caught red-handed.

In the car

Many attacks start when victims are getting in or out of cars, or when cars break down. There are also a lot of attacks on motorists when they are stationary.

* First things first: join a reputable motoring association like the AA, RAC or National Breakdown. It's a false economy not to have membership and many people have been attacked when stuck out in the sticks, or even on a busy motorway, because they have had no means of breakdown support.

* Before you set out on a journey, make sure your car is fuelled and serviced. Plan your route and let people know where you are going and how long you expect to be gone.

* Entering and exiting your car is a very vulnerable time. When approaching your car, stay coded up, especially after dark. Have the car keys ready in your hand.

* The very second that you sit in your car, before you do anything else – before you put the keys in the ignition, straighten your skirt, put the seat belt on, or anything else – LOCK THE DOORS. John David Guise Cannan, the British serial killer and rapist, attacked many of his victims just as they were putting the keys into the ignition. He would wait until they felt safe within their vehicle, then he'd yank open the driver's door, threaten them, usually with a knife, and order them into the passenger seat before climbing in, driving off and raping and murdering them – usually in the privacy of his own home.

If you're thinking that you'd just jump out of that car and run away, think again. Many women have fallen victim to the likes of Cannan and been frozen by fear into immobility. One woman was abducted in her own car, by a man and in broad daylight, without a weapon. Her attacker even had the audacity to stop and fill the car up at a petrol station. He left the woman alone in the unlocked car while he went to pay, telling her that if she tried to escape he would hunt her down and kill her. This was in broad daylight with many people walking by, but the poor victim was too frightened to speak, let alone run.

* If you can afford it, have an emergency mobile phone in the car. If not, consider having a fake mobile phone, which you can pretend to call the police on. Make sure you have loose change for a payphone in an emergency.

* Never pick up hitch-hikers. I hate to say this because I feel sorry for the people that are genuinely trying to travel on a budget, but to pick up a hitch-hiker of any description is to place yourself in grave danger.

* If you have to keep valuables in the car keep them out of sight, in the boot or glove compartment. Many car robberies are done by the opportunist criminal.

* Park in well-lit areas. What may seem safe, light and populated by day, may not be when returning at night, so park by a streetlight. Unlit car parks should be avoided where and whenever possible. If not they should be treated with great caution as they are playgrounds for thieves and crooks. As Harry Cook says, 'don't play by the hawk's nest.'

* Use a steering lock, preferably a good heavy-duty one that will make sure your car stays where you want it to, and that could be used as a weapon if required.

* Keep a large torch in your glove compartment; a 'Maglite' is recommended. This can also double as a weapon; if possible, practise using it as an attacking tool.

* When parking your car try to reverse in to a space, it will make for a quicker getaway 'if and when'.

* If you have to speak to someone from the car, only wind the window down a couple of inches. Many of the American serial killers attacked people who were driving with their doors unlocked and/or their windows wide open. Of course, in a free society we should not have to take these drastic measures and of course we should be free to leave whatever we want unlocked, unsecured in any way. On one of the radio show interviews I did on self-protection for women a young (naive) feminist woman, also a guest on the show, complained that 'women should not have to be careful about where they walk and who they talk to and what they wear and how far they take a man before they say "no"'. She was actually in an official position at one of the local universities and she, incredibly, advised young women that they should 'do anything you want and don't worry about attack and rape. Why should we have to be careful,' she told them, 'just because we are women?'

She was offended when I told her that she didn't have the maturity to hold such a position of authority, that she was a walking victim and that she was also placing the women in her charge in a victim state by offering them bad advice. Did I say offended? I meant absolutely outraged; I think if she could have got away with it she might have attacked me.

The people we are talking about, those in society that attack for fun or profit do not give a monkey's fuck about what is right or wrong. They have no morals and would take great pleasure in brutally raping a girl just like this young woman; they have already decided to break the law and are on the very dark side of wrong, so when you break the rules because you 'have that right' they are as happy as Larry. You've done all their hard work for them by offering yourself on the proverbial plate. A lot of attacks, certainly rape, are actuated by the opportunist criminal, so when you flout the rules you are giving them the opportunity they desire.

I also believe that this young lady thought that she might be able to handle a would-be rapist, teach the blighter a lesson he wouldn't forget. Think again. For someone this unprepared, this much in a victim state, the first she is likely to know of the attack situation is a broken nose, gushing blood, severe shock and a brutal rape that would change the course of her young life. Some never recover from this heinous crime. This is your life that we are talking about so, please, be at least a little more realistic about how you take care of it.

Break-downs

* A basic knowledge of car mechanics, wheel changing, etc., will help if your car breaks down, and you will not be tempted to accept the help of a complete stranger who could be an attacker. Many women have fallen victim to this ploy and have been raped/gang raped and/or killed as a consequence. Harsh but true.

* If you are with a motoring association, contact them, from your mobile if you have one, and then stay with the car until they arrive. Lock the door and windows.

* If you are offered help from any one unofficial, courteously decline all assistance except asking them to call the AA/RAC/police for you if you haven't managed to do so yourself already.

* If you break down on the motorway, park as close to the emergency telephone box as possible and call the breakdown services. Again, return to the car and lock the doors and windows.

* If you break down in an urban area, go to a shop or garage to call for assistance.

* In the countryside, park the car and walk to the nearest phone or the closest residence and ask them to phone for you. If you are female, don't enter the residence unless another female is present – even then be on your guard.

Car Abductions

* If you are kidnapped in your own car remember that, although you will be terrified, you still have control because you are driving the car. The attacker will often use false promises (do as I say and I won't hurt you, do as I say or I will hurt you) to force victim compliance. This cannot be relied upon – you must take charge. If the attacker is not wearing a seat belt it would be easy to project him through the windscreen by stamping your foot on the brakes.

Another option is to crash the car whilst it is traveling at a relatively slow speed. This is best effected in a public area, though not one that will endanger other people. Crashing, or just bumping, your car will give you the opportunity to escape while your attacker is wondering what happened. If you know the area, drive at speed to the nearest police station, or if you see a policeman, stop the car next to him.

If you do decide to crash the car try to hit something that has a little give, like a bush or another car.

In cases of abduction it is always wise to make your escape attempt as early as possible, the longer you take, the harder it becomes. If you have a game plan already worked out for such scenarios – they are happening more and more these days after all – it will help. The further away from populated areas you are taken the worse it is going to be – get away while there are people around. It has to be said that being pro-active in these cases does take a lot of courage; you have to be very brave and take the initiative.

Taxi Drivers

This is a difficult job. Every day the taxi driver is forced, by trade, to pick up strangers.

I know a few taxi drivers and I don't want to teach them how to suck eggs, but my advice is be choosy about who rides in your cab. Listen to your instincts; if the client doesn't feel right, don't pick him up.

* If you find yourself with a dangerous passenger, drive him to the local police station. I gave this advice to a taxi driver once in a TV phone-in on self-defence, and he replied, 'it's not that easy.' Of course it's not, it's very hard, it's frightening. Every aspect of protecting yourself is hard. If it was easy to defend yourself, attackers wouldn't attack and self-protection teachers would be out of work. You have to be gutsy and just do it, as the Nike adverts say. An attacker is unlikely to want to attack the driver of the car whilst it is in motion because he is as likely to get as hurt in the subsequent crash as the driver. What he will do however is rant and rave and threaten to punch your lights out if you do not comply with his wishes. There have been a few taxi drivers kidnapped in their own cab in my own city, then badly beaten and robbed, one even thrown semi-conscious into a lake in some remote area out of the city. So compliance does not guarantee safety; you're likely to get a beating anyway, and possibly raped if you are a woman. Be decisive and take charge. If the area is populated, jump out of the cab and make a run for it; anything is better than being driven to an unknown location by an unknown entity.

* You also have the advantage of a two-way radio in the cab, don't be frightened to use it.

* Don't chase a fare stealer. If a client runs off without paying you can live with that; I wouldn't advise a chase. Many taxi drivers have been injured, sometimes fatally, in the pursuit of a 'runner'. I would even advise shouting 'MAY DAY, MAY DAY' or 'POLICE EMERGENCY, POLICE EMERGENCY' down the radio, the guy in the back is hardly likely to know any better and will probably run like a mad thing.

* If you have the choice, drive a black cab with a glass partition between you and the customer.

* At the time of writing this book there have been a spate of taxi rapes where young women have been picked up by bogus taxi drivers, driven to a secluded spot and attacked, raped, and even killed. So, on that subject, never take a taxi unless it is from a bonafide company. Women should insist on a female driver if it makes them feel safer.

* If a friend or taxi driver drops you off at night, ask them to wait until you are in the house safely.

On foot

* If you take the dog for a walk, or go jogging on a regular basis, vary times and routes so that a potential attacker can never place you to a certain place at a certain time. Never walk or jog in remote areas alone.

* If you wear expensive jewellery, try to keep it covered until you reach your destination. Again the opportunist criminal may only attack if he sees the chance of taking an expensive bracelet, watch or necklace. If you think that someone may be following you, go to the nearest place where there will be people around, and inform the police. Basically the more people there are around you, the less likely an attacker is to try and attack you. Besides pain, the thing that frightens muggers/attackers the most is being caught; the more witnesses there are the more likely he is to be caught and so the less likely he is to attack. If he does still attack, you have more chance of someone coming to your assistance.

There are always exceptions to the rules, of course; some attackers are not playing with a full deck and will attack you no matter what the circumstance. All the same you are still better off in a crowd than alone.

* Never take the short cut home if doing so involves going into or through sparsely populated or badly-lit areas. These places are notorious for harbouring the criminal fraternity. I know that this is an old cliche, but if you put your hand into the fire then you are going to get burned – better to arrive late than not to arrive at all. And if you are late, why take the short cut anyway: you are already late and the short cut is unlikely to change that. We had a young woman in Coventry take a short cut from her boyfriend's to her mother's across some barren land, maybe only two hundred yards long. Five years later they still haven't found the poor girl, dead or alive.

* If your bag is snatched, don't give chase unless you know what you are doing. One girl in the Midlands recently chased a thief who stole her bag, but when she caught up with him at a local park he beat her up and brutally raped her. You hear stories about the woman who chased the robber and bashed him with her umbrella, and this might even have happened once or twice. In the real world, forget it. Your health, your life, is worth more than the contents of your handbag. If you are trying to catch a guy that has just stolen from you, the chances are he is an habitual thief with lots of previous and he won't take kindly to you trying to actuate a citizen's arrest. He is very unlikely to say 'OK Guv, it's a fair cop' and escort you to the station: that kind of crook disappeared with Dixon of Dock Green. What he is likely to do is hit you, with anything at hand, to stop you from apprehending him because capture will probably mean remand and then prison. If 'doing' you means escaping the big house then he'll do you without blinking an eyelid. You may die in pursuit of twenty quid and your credit cards – let him have them.

Also, if you are not very careful you could end up like the dog that chases fire engines, when he finally catches it he doesn't know what to do. I could chase a robber that stole my wallet and give him a good hiding, but then I'm a well built male with thirty-plus years of fighting experience under my belt – when I catch him I will know what to do. Unfortunately, most people will not, so let it go and learn from the experience.

The Black Dog

A friend rang me up the other day, an experienced martial artist, and told me how he had been mugged in broad daylight the previous day by two skinheads with Stanleys (Stanley knives – razor-sharp craft knives). He was with his wife and baby daughter at the time of the assault and his attackers had threatened to cut his child if he did not hand over his wallet. He gave them his money. Now he was beating himself up because he had not fought back. He wasn't sleeping at night because of what Sir Winston Churchill called the Black Dog. The Black Dog is the dark side of the inner opponent, the ego, that taunts you after an incident, any incident, where you perhaps did less (in your own estimation) in your own defence than you thought manly. Many people go through their whole lives allowing the Black Dog to haunt their dreams and steal their sleep. Don't have any of it, in circumstances like these flight is the right option.

But with every action that we take in life there is a consequence; if you pick up one end of a stick then you pick up the other, as they say. Part of making any decision in life is the consequence of that decision. One of the best ways of dealing with the Black Dog is anticipating his arrival in the aftermath and then denying him any control by constantly affirming to yourself that you made the right decision in the circumstances, or, if the decision turned out to be wrong, that you can handle the consequences of your mistakes. While I would certainly have been pretty pissed off too, self-protection, as I told my friend, is not about defending one's ego, it is about defending one's life or the lives of loved ones. I know he made the right choice, and faced with the same options, I'd be giving those muggers my wad, and in a hurry. If my pride was dented, my child would have been intact. I'm not saying that I am against people that fight back, in fact I admire them, very much so; what I am saying is that I would not risk the life of my child just to keep my manhood intact. If, however, the attackers demanded more than my wallet, let's say that they also wanted to rape my wife (after all I'd already given them the wallet with out much of a fuss) then that would have been an altogether different matter. I would have been forced into a situation where, no matter what I did, one of my loved ones was going to get hurt, so I would take the initiative and hurt those threatening them first.

So if you do acquiesce, don't add insult to injury by beating yourself up after the fact, you did good to get out unhurt, and if others escaped unhurt then pat yourself on the back and kick the Black Dog up the arse – I'd sacrifice my ego and eat a little humble pie in exchange for the safety of others. Any day of the week.

In town

* On public transport try to sit in full view of other travellers and/or public transport staff and try not to get pulled into public order offences that are nothing to do with you (mind your own business) – if some low-life wants to smoke in a no-smoking area, let the transport security deal with it: that's their job, and they are trained to do it a lot better than you. Often we feel it is our absolute duty to tell some garrulous youth that he should be doing this and should not be doing that, but it's not our duty and unless you want a piece of them, stay out of it. Displaced aggression is probably behind many unsolicited attacks in society; make the decision not to trigger it or you are likely to become the focus for his displacement. I'm not trying to justify the actions of reprobates, I have no sympathy with these attackers, but I do understand their mentality and how it is going to affect you if you step, uninvited, into their world. If you feel you must have your say at least be ready for the consequences of your actions – remember, if you pick up one end of the stick you pick up the other too.

For example, there was a case reported in which a motorist stopped on a busy road to let an elderly pedestrian cross, but when the old guy didn't thank the motorist for his kindness, he got out of his car and buried a crow bar into the old man's head, fracturing his skull. 'That'll teach you not to say thank you, you bastard,' he was heard to say as the man lay in an ever-increasing pool of his own blood. Displaced aggression – watch out for it, it's a doozy. The rule of thumb is mind your own business or suffer the consequences. Leave it to the professionals.

The critics out there will already be bleating about a distinct lack of public spirit in the last paragraph, so I must temper my statement by underlining the fact that I am only offering the options and not making decisions for you. If you feel the need to get involved in a fracas about some guy smoking in a non-smoking area of the train/restaurant, etc., etc., then that's your prerogative: go ahead. All I'm saying is be prepared for the consequences of your actions.

This is not to say, either, that you should not help others who may be in distress, but even then you should be very wary. And if you do act, do not expect help or sympathy from the police in the aftermath because you are very unlikely to get it. This might sound a little cynical to many but, believe me, I have a lot of experience of how these things can go drastically wrong. Phoning the police may be a better alternative than trying to tackle a guy you've noticed trying to steal a car. Recently a friend of mine intervened in an argument between a young lady and her rather irate boyfriend. For his troubles he had his right bicep severed to the bone (he was attacked by the boyfriend and the woman he was trying to help), leaving him with a permanent disability. To add to his woe the police took him to court and charged him with assault on the irate boyfriend. He endured a year of physical and mental discomfort before the case came before a court and he was finally cleared. I admired him for trying to help the lady but he walked into a situation blind. So look before you leap.

* Always keep in company whenever possible, as you are far less likely to be attacked whilst with a group of people. Attackers mostly prey on the lone victim. Like the cheetah hunting the antelope the hunter preys on those that are detached from the herd.

* When you have to walk alone down a dark or empty street, stick to the edge of the path, away from secluded doorways and entries. These are favourite haunts for attackers. The harder you make it for someone to attack you, the more likely he is to 'select' another, more vulnerable victim.

* Avoid areas, nightclubs, pubs, etc. that have a reputation for violence. To frequent these places is to court trouble. You'd practically have to be a recluse to not know the rough bars in your own city, so avoid them; let the rough inhabit the rough bars, you stick to places where violence after a beer isn't as perfunctory as a mint after dinner.

The danger often occurs when you are in a city that you are not familiar with, perhaps on holiday or visiting friends. If you are not sure ask someone. In most cities and towns the people are almost perversely proud of their rough bars and won't hesitate to point them out to you like silver cups in a trophy cupboard: 'Oh yeah, we had five stabbings here last month, one fatal.'

First response is always avoidance: if you don't frequent the shitholes you're less likely to encounter shit.

* Face the traffic when walking, whenever possible. If a driver tries to pick you up or force you into his car, in your escape you will be running in the opposite direction. Make your way quickly to the nearest lighted or inhabited area, and try to get onto the opposite side of the street. This will make it harder for the attacker should he contemplate trying again. Don't change routes if doing so means placing yourself in a more vulnerable position or area.

* Kerb crawlers generally beckon their intended victims to the car. Never move near to the car, be curt and do not engage in any conversation with anyone in the car other than what is necessary. If they ask directions, and you decide to help, do so from a safe distance. Never move close to the car. Shawcross, the American serial killer and mass rapist, often entrapped his victims by beckoning them to his car and then dragging them through the open window. He often drove off with them half-in and half-out of the window, stopping his car some several hundred yards down the road and bundling them into the back seat, usually knocked senseless and defenceless. He'd then drive them to a secluded area to rape and kill them. Whilst we warn our children of the dangers of car abduction we very rarely heed the same advice ourselves.

* Never accept a lift from a stranger, as your vulnerability is greatly heightened when you do so.

In the nightclub or pub

* If you sense menace in a drinking place, leave and go somewhere else, that's the easy and simple solution. Someone once asked me at a seminar on self-defence what he should do if someone stared menacingly at him in the pub and they felt that there may be an attack. 'Put your drink down and go somewhere else,' I said. 'For the price of a pint you've saved yourself a hell of a lot of trouble.'

Again, this is not about defending your ego, it is about possibly defending your life or your liberty and if a pub or club is so threatening that I think I might be attacked 'just for being there' then I sure as hell don't want to drink there any more. There are dozens of drinking holes in every town or city; choose one where you will be sharing the company of people a little less barbarous. Often people feel that they have to fight for their territory. Don't bother if that territory is a spot by the bar at the 'Egg and Chip', because it just isn't worth it. What you also have to remember is that, trained or not, the consequences of fighting, especially when it is for something that does not need fighting for, can be a life-changing event. People have died and others gone to prison for fighting over nothing.

And if you're not a fighter, you are back to chasing fire engines and not knowing what to do when you catch them. If you feel you have to fight for your patch, better make sure you know how to fight first.

On the other hand, you may be a very capable person when it comes to the physical response but is a patch in the pub worth killing another human being for? Although killing the other guy might not be your intention it is the worst case scenario and it happens in bar fights every night of the week. I don't know about you but when I fight it has to be because I've been pushed into a corner and my antagonist has left me with no other option. So what I ask myself is, 'Is what I am fighting for worth risking my liberty?' If the answer is no then I try and backpedal as gracefully as the situation will allow; if the answer is yes then I go ahead fully committed with justification as my ally. When I wake up the next day, no matter what the outcome of the affray, I can say to myself 'I only did what I had to do'. It will also help me in court if I can demonstrate that I did not want to fight and that I was left no other option. So, unless you are forced into it, try and avoid a physical encounter. If you can't, then give it everything that you have and then some.

* If you think that there is going to be trouble in a club and getting away may be difficult, if there are doormen working ask for their help, that's what they are paid for. Although many may seem a little unapproachable they will respond if you go to them for help (if they are any good).

If you think you are going to be followed from a pub/club, ask the doormen to let you out of another exit, or to 'watch your back' if you leave via the main exit.

* If the fight kicks off and there are doormen employed – don't get involved. There is no such thing as someone 'just trying to stop a fight.' When the doormen rush in to stop an affray all they will see is flailing bodies that need removing from the club. If yours is one of them you'll be removed and the more you try to argue your case the graver the situation will get for you. By all means inform the doormen of trouble but don't try and do their job for them. When they rush in they will be in code red, they will not have time to discern who is right and who is wrong. (From my experience of dealing with bar fights no one was ever in the wrong, it was always the fault of the other party – we never took sides, everyone involved left the club.)

Some of these rules may seem impractical and people may decide not to act on many of them. That of course is your prerogative. But if you do flout the rules, please be extra aware and expect the consequences.