Why ExecDefense?

Violent crime is a grim, inescapable feature of modern life. Frequent reports of murder, robbery, sexual assault/rape, or aggravated assault against men, women and children remind us of danger lurking in our daily lives. Recent Department of Justice figures, while showing some significant declines, portray an overall upward trend in violent crime over the last ten years.

·         In 1995 aggravated assaults were 61% and robberies were 32% of all violent crimes.

·         77% of murder victims were males and 88% were persons over 18 years of age. By race, 49% of victims were black and 48% were white. 55% were slain by strangers.

·         Violence occurs everywhere. A 1995 Bureau of Justice report from 3 National Incident-Based Reporting System States shows the varied locations of personal robberies as follows; Roadway, Alley- 42%; Residence - 20%; Parking facility- 9%; Store - 9%; Office building -5%; Hotel - 2%; other and unknown - 10%.

Self defense training is a self-empowering measure to meet modern society's threat to personal safety. Indeed, statistics offer hope to those who are educated, willing and prepared to resist aggression. Consider the following rape figures:

·     Between 1973 and 1987, over 2.3 million women reported sexual assaults in the United States. 71% of these victims avoided being raped by taking self-protective measures. (US Dept. of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Jan. 1991.)

Resistance is natural in a violent attack. The "Fight or Flight Syndrome," first documented in 1914 in the American Journal of Psychology, is an instinct for self preservation all humans possess. Not surprisingly, studies increasingly support resistance as a viable survival option.

By contrast, some educators recommend compliance as the sole survival option, but, in fact, meekness can trigger aggression.

  

   Peter Murphy gives a presentation at Mount Washington

 Resort in New Hampshire

"We actually have had criminals who came back and said, `They (the victims) were too cordial. I wanted the fear, the anger, and they didn't give it to me. So I killed them.’”        

Lt. Garcia-Lindstrom, Commander Detroit P.D. Forbes, March 14, 1994.

Be it mental or physical, survival, which comes in many forms, always takes precedence over injury. However, if research shows that most people will naturally resist an assault, why do some still question the use of self-defense?

It is prudent to develop one's natural desire to resist aggression by learning self-defense techniques because instinctive efforts at resistance are sometimes ineffective. This stems primarily from ignorance of basic principles of self-defense. Physical measures, chemical tools or firearms are only reliable for the knowledgeable and trained. Otherwise, they may be ineffective and dangerous; few realize how much they don't know about weaponry.

Peter Murphy and Karlene Linxweiler give a
hands-on demonstration for high school students

Flight is also an option, but it, too, has pros and cons. To be effective, running from an assailant may require a high level of fitness. Flight by an unfit victim may mean exhaustion and vulnerability at the end of a sprint. Preparation through self defense education and training can be the best way to survive an assault.

ExecDefense, 2011