Protective Tactics 101

[drop bear]

Have you ever met someone with impressive qualifications, but as soon as he opened his mouth, you discover he can't teach? Since beginning in martial arts at age 18, I've now invested 33 years and over $400,000 in very specialized education. As a result, I've learned from some of the very best. I'm simply a student, who, over the past 30 years, has now had the privilege of teaching tens of thousands of others, people like you, with families like yours. If there is anything special about me, it is simply that I care, and I have a gift for teaching that empowers others to develop skills quickly and easily. In the case of Protective Tactics, I teach the Mindsets, Mechanisms, and offer the Mentoring that will Save Your Life and Save Your Family!

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Who did you learn from?

 

[Don Johnson]

All I can do is offer personal opinion.

"Protect yourself and your loved ones with a simple, easy to use, step by step, abc, 123, solution."​

In my opinion, there is no such thing. People will believe what they wish.

Mr. Mattocks, I can understand your skepticism. After all, one can devote a lifetime to mastering the martial arts, and I too continue along that path. How then can I suggest that there is an alternative solution when it comes to protection of one's self and family? Simple. In my experience and study, survival of real life violence requires just that, simplicity. Protective Tactics 101 is easy, it works, and virtually anyone can do it. So, if I may be so bold, may I suggest that you consider it not be your opinion that there is no such thing, rather, in your experience, you have found no such thing. I will admit, however, like most valuable concepts in life, it requires only five minutes to learn, and a lifetime to master. The good news is, survival doesn't require mastery.

 

[Buka]

Welcome to MartialTalk, Don.

 

[Don Johnson]

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Who did you learn from?

I strive to learn each and every day. I learn from everyone I meet, and those I simply observe. I’ve learned from each of the tens of thousands of students I have taught. I’ve learned from some of the best not just in the martial arts realm, I’ve learned from some of the best in life, for I’ve discovered that success principles are universal. Some of the more known instructors have been Don Burns, Steven Oliver, Bill Wallace, Patrick Robinson, Simon Rhee, Dan Magnus, Tim Larkin, Paul Vunak, Simon Treselyan, Tony Blauer, Mitch Carson, the teachings of Bruce Lee and Sun Tzu, and many others. Others include Bill Britt, Marshall Sylver, Tony Robbins, John Burley, and Joel Bauer. I am a student.

 

[Don Johnson]

Welcome to MartialTalk, Don.

Thank you.

 

[Don Johnson]

There is a sales tactic where you get glowing endorsements, but don't really demonstrate any product. You then expect those who provide their email more likely to consummate the sale, or at least have already convinced themselves of the need for the product. Those are easier to manipulate. If not, well you still have their email to sell or use for your own bombardment of sales pitches.

Even so, he may be legitimate in all respects. But I am very surprised that no MA moves are made to show the superiority of his system.

PhotonGuy - have you found your MA not valuable?

When one says that his teaching is valuable, he is selling. After all, one could be lying. When others are allowed to share their first hand experience, they provide proof, the suspension of disbelief. After all, they can't all be lying.

The superiority of the Protective Tactics system lies in it's simplicity and proprietary teaching methodology. Thus, one has to experience it in person to fully comprehend its value. The full system includes the two day immersion training event, it also includes the 20 hours of weekend training on video, book, workbook, and over 100 micro training videos delivered via email each 1-3 days. Some videos are mindset driven, others are specific tactics. When one enters their email address, they receive the first 30 videos, as a sample, at no obligation, and special offers to attend an immersion training.

Now that you mention it though, I believe I will include a video on the home page of my site to include some action segments...Coming soon.

 

[Don Johnson]

Well, he's been charged with felonies in the past about fraud, so that's not the best sign.
Former realtor Don Johnson charged with 14 felonies

Charged, but not convicted. I've discovered that everyone who achieves extraordinary success, also experiences extraordinary challenges, such as accusations of wrong doing. In Australia, they call it tall poppy syndrome. It is the phenomenon in which people of genuine merit are resented, attacked, cut down, or criticized because their talents or achievements elevate them above or distinguish them from their peers. Since this is a martial arts oriented community, I'll give you the Chinese and Japanese culture version..."The nail that stands out gets hammered down". Some of the posts on this thread are a good example No worries. It is human nature. To not criticize, condemn, or complain, is another skill that requires positive attitude and practice.

 

[Tez3]

Being done for fraud even if true doesn't mean you can't fight or defend yourself.

 

[oftheherd1]

When one says that his teaching is valuable, he is selling. After all, one could be lying. When others are allowed to share their first hand experience, they provide proof, the suspension of disbelief. After all, they can't all be lying.

The superiority of the Protective Tactics system lies in it's simplicity and proprietary teaching methodology. Thus, one has to experience it in person to fully comprehend its value. The full system includes the two day immersion training event, it also includes the 20 hours of weekend training on video, book, workbook, and over 100 micro training videos delivered via email each 1-3 days. Some videos are mindset driven, others are specific tactics. When one enters their email address, they receive the first 30 videos, as a sample, at no obligation, and special offers to attend an immersion training.

Now that you mention it though, I believe I will include a video on the home page of my site to include some action segments...Coming soon.

Although I remain somewhat skeptical, I appreciate your willingness come into MT and tell your side of things in a civil manner. Speaking only for myself, I think seeing some examples of your art and teaching would be very useful in my willingness to be more receptive to your art and teaching. Not saying I want to learn your secrets for free, just wanting to look at some samples to evaluate them from my perspective.

 

[Don Johnson]

The only mention of any qualifications on the site is the fact that he's made speeches. He doesn't even specify what the topic(s) of these "presentations" might have been.

BTW - that same page displays logos of a bunch of major media organizations, doubtless to create the impression that he has appeared on or been endorsed by those media. However, nothing on the site would indicate that this is actually the case.



This magical TACTIC will also allow you to fly, fart hundred dollar bills, and date the movie star or stars of your choice. He just ran out of room to mention those features.

Tony, very fun. I too choose to find humor and enjoyment in everything. I notice you are in Louisville KY. I presented this "magical" Tactic at the Louisville Convention Center to an audience of hundreds this past October at the National Survival and Preparedness (NPS) Expo and again last month at the NPS Expo in Richmond VA. I wish the tactic could produce the magical results you suggest. No such luck. It will save your life and save your family though.

 

[Don Johnson]

Of course I find my MA valuable but I can always learn more. And if you ask me its always good, after you've reached a certain level of proficiency in your primary art to explore other arts and styles and see what you can learn from them.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

 

[Don Johnson]

Let's see... He's a motivational speaker, mentor... his "protective tactics" will change your life in just 2 days, for just shy of $3000.

But he doesn't explain his qualifications, was using a holster with no apparent retention and a red gun (based on posts above, can he have a gun? Inquiring minds want to know), and promises to kick anyone out who he feels is "not a force for good." Or, y'know, like is in danger of making him look less impressive, maybe?

I would save your money. Too bad I can't get the time it's taken to review this back somehow...

I believe our most valuable asset is our time. I believe it is sad that every hour of every day, bad things happen to good people. Good people are stripped of their dignity, lose their peace of mind and security, and some even lose the one thing they can't get back, their life, their time on this planet. Every day, too many die prematurely simply due to a lack of knowledge and skills. Perhaps worse, most who live, aren't really living at all.

I imagine that nearly everyone on this forum has invested over 3k in their martial arts training. I also imagine that the majority of that time and money was not focused on the tactics, targets, and tools that would save your life in the event of a violent assault.

What if one could learn all that was necessary to save your life and save your family in only two days? What would it be worth to save all the time and money spent on training that included tradition, sport, memorized and complex moves which break down under the stress of real violence and multiple attackers? What is one's life worth? And for those in your life that you value, who don't share your passion and discipline to practice martial arts for years, what is their life worth?

 

[Tez3]

What would it be worth to save all the time and money spent on training that included tradition, sport, memorized and complex moves which break down under the stress of real violence and multiple attackers? What is one's life worth? And for those

But what else would I do with my time? I love training. I don't want to learn everything in two days, I know that for myself that is not nearly long enough.
My training though has not broken down under the stress of real violence and multiple attackers. Nor does my training have 'complex moves', it has a bit of tradition but then what is life without a bit of tradition (cue song from Fiddler on the Roof).
The thing too is that not being from the same place as you your roll call of instructors means little to me because I haven't heard of them apart from Bill Wallace who takes seminars over here ( that doesn't discount them, just means I don't know them).
I'm not posting to give you a hard time but if you are selling it has to be a good sell!

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Have you ever met someone with impressive qualifications, but as soon as he opened his mouth, you discover he can't teach? Since beginning in martial arts at age 18, I've now invested 33 years and over $400,000 in very specialized education. As a result, I've learned from some of the very best. I'm simply a student, who, over the past 30 years, has now had the privilege of teaching tens of thousands of others, people like you, with families like yours. If there is anything special about me, it is simply that I care, and I have a gift for teaching that empowers others to develop skills quickly and easily. In the case of Protective Tactics, I teach the Mindsets, Mechanisms, and offer the Mentoring that will Save Your Life and Save Your Family!

Hi, Don! It's probably an occupational hazard, but I think you seem to be stuck in Motivational SalesSpeak(TM) mode. It's the exciting and innovative method of addressing an audience with Capitalized Words and Glowing Generalities that's guaranteed to have them Eating Out Of The Palm Of Your Hand! I'm sure that this is a valuable approach for earning money in your line of work, but when speaking with a group of skeptical subject matter experts (as you are here) you may get a better reception if you are more specific and down to earth.

I strive to learn each and every day. I learn from everyone I meet, and those I simply observe. I’ve learned from each of the tens of thousands of students I have taught. I’ve learned from some of the best not just in the martial arts realm, I’ve learned from some of the best in life, for I’ve discovered that success principles are universal. Some of the more known instructors have been Don Burns, Steven Oliver, Bill Wallace, Patrick Robinson, Simon Rhee, Dan Magnus, Tim Larkin, Paul Vunak, Simon Treselyan, Tony Blauer, Mitch Carson, the teachings of Bruce Lee and Sun Tzu, and many others. Others include Bill Britt, Marshall Sylver, Tony Robbins, John Burley, and Joel Bauer. I am a student.

Learning from everyone you encounter is a good thing and I'm sure many of us here strive to meet that ideal. However, I think drop bear's question was more along the lines of the following:

1) What martial arts instructors have you actually studied under as an official student on a consistent basis? Not instructors where you attended a seminar or read a book or watched a video or had a conversation with - instructors where you actually showed up at their school every week on an ongoing basis?
2) How many years did you train with said instructors?
3) What ranks or certifications do you have from those instructors indicating that they stand behind your competencies in the material that they teach?

Just about all of us here are happy to provide that sort of information. Will you?

When one says that his teaching is valuable, he is selling. After all, one could be lying. When others are allowed to share their first hand experience, they provide proof, the suspension of disbelief. After all, they can't all be lying.

Testimonials from students are nice, but basically meaningless without knowing the qualifications of the students to judge what they have been taught. I'm sure the instructors of Yellow Bamboo could provide testimony from students as to the miraculous power of their art. That doesn't make it any less of a delusion.

The superiority of the Protective Tactics system lies in it's simplicity and proprietary teaching methodology. Thus, one has to experience it in person to fully comprehend its value. The full system includes the two day immersion training event, it also includes the 20 hours of weekend training on video, book, workbook, and over 100 micro training videos delivered via email each 1-3 days.

Here we have a problem if you want to sell to the folks on this forum. Those of us with decades of experience in martial arts have a pretty good idea of how much you can learn of value in a weekend seminar and how much the going rate is for a seminar with a world-class instructor. You're promising more than we think is realistic and charging many times more than some of the best martial arts instructors in the world - and you're basically saying "trust me, it's totally worth it."

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

I notice you are in Louisville KY.

Lexington, but close.

I presented this "magical" Tactic at the Louisville Convention Center to an audience of hundreds this past October at the National Survival and Preparedness (NPS) Expo and again last month at the NPS Expo in Richmond VA.

Here we're back to the Motivational SalesSpeak(TM) again, as seen on your website. You're presenting the fact that you gave a presentation to an audience as if it had some relevance to the question of whether what you are teaching is valid and worth what you are charging.

for I’ve discovered that success principles are universal.

It's not hard to find concepts and principles that are applicable to different domains. Give me a little time and I could write up a nice essay and give a speech showing how certain principles apply to jiu-jitsu, playing guitar, computer programming, and maintaining a happy marriage. I could even number those principles or give them cool names and talk about how you just have to learn these simple concepts in order to be successful in all those areas.

What is hard is actually applying those principles to each of those areas in your life. Contrary to what we might hope, being really good at applying Success Principle A to one domain doesn't mean you are necessarily any good at applying it to any other domain - even if you recognize that the same concept can apply and you've given it a cool name.

 

[Don Johnson]

Just saw the some of his videos on facebook. Not feeling it. It's more for a person who doesn't want to take the time to train in a Martial arts, MMA, BJJ or whatever. Based on what I saw if you are taking your martial art seriously as a self defense and are training it as a self defense, then the class will be a waste of time and money. If you don't want to learn a Martial art or fighting system then the question would be can you truly learn and be conditioned enough to utilize what is being taught in his seminar.

I also don't like the self defense classes that show you what to do when a gun is pointed and resting on your head. I've had a gun pointed to my head twice in my life time and at no time was the gun making contact with my head. People who would point a gun at your head understand distance and the value of not getting too close where you can make a grab for the gun.

Pictures below are random pictures and not of the class.
This stuff is made for the movies it rarely happens on the street. A gun this close is more likely to happen in a hostage situation which at that time the police are there.

This is what most people get when it happens

JowGaWolf,
You are correct. I developed Protective Tactics 101 to empower virtually anyone in only two days. Why? Violent assaults occur every day, to people of all ages, shapes, sizes, and conditioning. When will you or someone you love be violently assaulted? Imagine it is Friday, and you learn that someone you love will be attacked on Monday. Based on the dozens of other programs that I've attended, PT101 offers the greatest opportunity for you and your loved ones to return home, physically and emotionally intact. Naturally, more training would be better. That is why we offer lifetime re-attendance at no additional charge. We also offer PT102, PT201, PT202, firearm training.

Concerning the firearm to one's head or body, I agree, an intelligent threat would maintain a bit of distance. The good news there is that most people, full of adrenaline, at even 3 yards will not hit cranial ocular cavity nor even thoracic cavity. Of course, when you exercise sufficient tactics to Prepare and Prevent, you should rarely if ever find yourself in a position that you need to Protect.

 

[pgsmith]

Wow!
You managed to express what I was thinking much more eloquently than I could formulate the thoughts.

Thanks Tony!

It will save your life and save your family though

Mr. Johnson,
I would much prefer that you say that it could save them, as I'm certain that will save them is incorrect as I can't see myself ever desiring to attend one of your seminars. I do appreciate your willingness to come here and actually discuss your training (sort of) with the members though.

 

[jks9199]

Mr Johnson...

Unlike some others that people have asked about here -- you actually came to us. I give you credit for that. But, so far, to be blunt -- everything you've posted here has been further smokescreen. I'm a cop. I'm a DT instructor. I've been training in the martial art of Bando for over 30 years. I've been exposed to krav maga, to various styles of karate, to a couple forms of kung fu, and more, in settings ranging from a few hours to weeks or months of training. I can do a laundry list of instructors, too... But I don't list folks who wouldn't actually recognize me if they saw me again, either.

Bottom line, you're making a pretty huge claim. You're presenting sales copy, with no substance. I remain skeptical. As was said by others, show us something more than ad copy and promo videos. You don't have to show your complete 5 minute secret, you don't have to show details of your proprietary method -- but you've got to show me something more than a so-so execution of Model Mugging, too.

 

[mograph]

Don, I could analyze your argument rhetorically, but it would put everyone to sleep. Suffice it to say, you have a skeptical audience here -- it needs evidence for your claims of fact. Does your system work? Please show evidence if you expect to persuade this audience.

... but when speaking with a group of skeptical subject matter experts (as you are here) you may get a better reception if you are more specific and down to earth.

Yep. Please lose the Branding Speak. It hurts your credibility.

 

[Buka]

Have to give the man some props, though.

 

[JowGaWolf]

What if one could learn all that was necessary to save your life and save your family in only two days? What would it be worth to save all the time and money spent on training that included tradition, sport, memorized and complex moves which break down under the stress of real violence and multiple attackers? What is one's life worth? And for those in your life that you value, who don't share your passion and discipline to practice martial arts for years, what is their life worth?

There are very few things in life that we learn in 2 days. Learning how to kick and punch properly takes some people more than 1- 3 months. Based on your videos some of your students in the video would fall into that category. The experts that you learned from didn't learn what they know in 1- 3 days. You yourself didn't learn your self defense tactics in 2 days. People become good and excellent at what they do because they spend great amount of time doing it. If a person wants to do be Great or even just good in self-defense then that's what they have to spend time in.

People who spend all that time training a Martial arts for the purpose of self-defense will be extremely good in the majority of self-defense situations. There is a lot more to their training than just learning self-defense techniques and memorizing complex moves. If your body isn't conditioned properly then some of the self-defense techniques aren't going to work. Something as simple as running away requires that you have to be fit enough to actually run away and even then you have to still be able to run faster than your attacker.

To answer your questions:
What if one could learn all that was necessary to save your life and save your family in only two days? It wouldn't be worth anything to me because my training, my life experiences, tell me that it take more than 2 days to learn something and to be good at it.

What would it be worth to save all the time and money spent on training that included tradition, sport, memorized and complex moves which break down under the stress of real violence and multiple attackers? There is not such thing as saving time in training. Training takes time and the more time you spend training the better you'll get at what you train. What you see as wasted time, is time well spent in being healthy (physically, mentally, and emotionally) all while learning self-defense. Martial artists are still training in self-defense long after your students stop training self-defense in your course.

What is one's life worth? My life is worth more than me thinking that I'm going to learn and be effective in defending myself in only 2 days. It's worth more than me having the assumption that learning self-defense can be quickly learned. Something as simple as becoming more aware of the environment even takes more than 2 days to learn. In fact it's something that has to be trained everyday. If I want to increase my ability to defend myself then I need to put time and effort to do so. I don't need to short cut my training.

And for those in your life that you value, who don't share your passion and discipline to practice martial arts for years, what is their life worth? This is the unfortunate truth. If someone doesn't have the passion and discipline to practice being safe, then they aren't going to learn self-defense beyond calling 911, screaming and kicking wildly, and crying and begging. Many people like that are going to be victims. Even after they are attack they still won't make an effort to learn self defense.


As for the complex moves in martial arts, not all of them are complex, most of them are very practical. Kung Fu is guilty of complex movements, but many of these movements are complex because you have never done it before. Playing the piano or guitar is complex until you learn how to play. After you train many hours and many years those movements of the fingers became natural and you can play without thinking. Martial Arts is just like this. We drill movements, attacks, and defenses so that those movement become natural. So when I see someone attack me I naturally defend and return attack. If someone attacks me by surprise, I naturally escape and reset to a defensive position that helps to keep me out of a worse situation. So while the movements feel complex in the beginning they become natural.

Being aware of the environment may be complex and taxing to people who are learning how to become more aware. But after training it becomes natural and less taxing because you aren't mentally telling yourself check that guy, watch that lady, keep your distance. Much of that will just be on auto without thought and over time you'll learn how to pick up specific audio and visual cues that raise red flags even though you aren't mentally looking for them.