KenpoTex
Senior Master
If there was one book that I would consider a "must read" for any student of self-defense, it would be Principles of Personal Defense by Colonel Jeff Cooper. Those who carry a gun for SD are no doubt familiar with him, at least to an extent. While his writings are often geared toward the "gun crowd," there are valuable concepts for anyone who studies SD. The following is a brief summary of the 7 characteristics discussed in this particular book.
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The book can be found for less than $15 and is definately worth getting.
here's one place where it can be found: http://www.tacticalresponsegear.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=99&products_id=2857
Condensed from the book of the same title by Col. Jeff Cooper
Alertness A commander may be forgiven for being defeated, but never for being surprised. Alertness is, to some extent, an inherent personality trait, but it can be learned and improved. Once we accept that there are evil men capable of evil deeds, we automatically sharpen our senses. Know what is behind you and pay attention to anything out of place. The most likely attack is from behind. If you can anticipate an action you have a better chance of winning. Always be ready to take appropriate defensive/offensive action. Learn to live in condition yellow.
Decisiveness It is difficult for us to change in an instant to take decisive action to meet a violent emergency. When it becomes evident that you are faced with violent physical assault, your life depends upon selecting a correct course of action and carrying it through without hesitation. There is no time to ponder. When under attack, the best course of action is to counterattack. This is contrary to our normally civilized behavior so it can be hard for us to do. The best way to cultivate this principle is through mental scenarios: What would I do if This will help you to recognize the threat and in your ability to respond quicker, to solve the problem ahead of time. When under attack, it is necessary to evaluate the situation and decide immediately the proper course of action. Dont hesitate, be decisive!
Aggressiveness In defense we dont initiate violence but our response to the attack should be overwhelming violence. The best defense is a good offense. The best defense is an explosive counterattack. You have observed this in the animal world. Aggressiveness provides and edge and the surprise factor since the assailant does not expect aggressiveness in his victims. Your skills become a critical factor when counterattacking. A skill person with a handgun can win a multiple assailants attack if he can act quickly and with an aggressive counterattack. This principle by itself have save lives by startling the attackers and discouraging the attack. Get angry, concentrate on the destruction of your enemy.
Speed Speed is the essence of any form of combat. A big gun is no good if it didnt fire on time. At the very instant that we recognize the imminent danger, we most move as fast as we can. If he has shot at us we must hit him before he can shoot again, if he hasnt shot yet, well have an edge of reaction time, we must be fast to hit. You dont need to be fair, fight back instantly, be sudden, be quick, be fast.
Coolness You must keep your head! You cant afford to lose your coolness. If you can stay cool youll be able to shoot more precisely. You need to stay cool to be able to perform under stress.
Ruthlessness Your assailant deserves no consideration. Do whatever it takes to stop him. Everything goes, hit as hard as you possibly can. Keep shooting until the threat stop, keep fighting until the threat no longer exists. Be harsh, be tough, be ruthless.
Surprise This is the first principle of offensive combat, we must strive for tactical surprise by doing what the assailant least expect us to do, a fast, violent, aggressive counterattack. All the previous principles combine will produce the surprise factor to throw him completely off and win the fight.