Category: Crime Research

THIS LAW DIDN’T SAVE HER — WOULD YOU BE READY?

Posted on by Patrick Vuong

OUR CO-FOUNDER PATRICK VUONG DISCUSSES WHY LAWS DON’T SAVE YOU

The Laken Riley Act was recently signed into law — but will do no good for its namesake.

That’s because Laken Riley was murdered while going for a morning run at the University of Georgia’s Oconee Forest Park almost a year ago this month.

The last person the 22-year-old nursing student contacted was her mother.

“Good morning,” she texted her mom. “About to go for a run if you’re free to talk.”

  • At 9:03 a.m. Riley called her mother, but she didn’t answer.

     

  • At 9:11 a.m. Riley called 911.

     

  • At 9:12 a.m. the 911 operator called her back twice. No response.

     

  • At 9:28 a.m. her heart stopped, according to her smartwatch.

     

  • At 12:38 p.m. police found Riley’s body in a wooded area in the park.

“She fought for her life. She fought for her dignity,” said prosecutor Sheila Ross during the trial against Riley’s killer, Jose Antonio Ibarra of Venezuela.

The 26-year-old undocumented migrant was eventually convicted of murder, along with 9 other charges including kidnapping and aggravated assault with intent to rape.

But I’m not going to get into the wider immigration debate. Instead, I want to narrow it down to personal protection.

After all, Riley did everything a jogger is supposed to do to stay safe.

She shared her iPhone location with her roommates. She went out in broad daylight. And she ran with her phone in her hand.

And yet she was STILL beaten with a rock and strangled to death.

This is a tragic reminder that doing “the right things” might still not be enough to save you.

Calling 911 won’t save you.

Laws won’t save you.

Ultimately, only YOU can save you.

That’s why we’re hosting the Runners Guide to Self-Defense Webinar on February 23.

This exclusive 1-hour online event will feature retired Special Forces soldier and Obstacle Course Racing world champion Evan Perperis, who will reveal what you can do to avoid, deter, and defend against a violent attack while you’re outside training or hiking.

You’ll discover key lifestyle choices, on top of learning fight-stopping techniques, that can safeguard you and your loved ones.

And don’t think you need to be a jogger to attend.

Essentially, if you walk in public — and who doesn’t? — you and your loved ones will benefit from this virtual seminar.

Click here now

He’s Lucky to Be Alive

Posted on by Patrick Vuong

The dude really should count his lucky stars today.
 
The man I’m talking about in the headline is a 29-year-old New York subway rider who was smashed in the head with a hammer last week.
 
His assailant was Christian Jeffers, a career criminal who has at least 47 (yes, forty-seven!) prior arrests before being arraigned last Friday for the unprovoked and vicious attack.
 
Jeffers bumped into the victim on the train platform then screamed, “Why you hit me?”
 
Then he suddenly pulled out a hammer from a bag and swung!
 
The victim got one arm up as he stepped back, but it wasn’t enough — nor was it the right defensive move — and the hammer landed with a sickening thunk sound.
 
From confrontational question to cranium contact, the scary assault took just 3 seconds.
 
“I didn’t see the hammer,” the victim told the New York Post. “It happened, like, too quick for me to react.”
 
The 29-year-old fell to the concrete, his forehead bleeding from the hammer blow. He was hospitalized, but fortunately not for too long.
 
There’s a lot to unpack with this case, but here are our top 3 takeaways:
 

  • Avoid the “poisoned hand:” The shoulder bump that preceded the hammer attacker reminded me of what my Kung Fu master called the “poisoned hand.” No, it’s not an ancient death touch technique; it’s the concept of avoiding damage by not being where a kick or punch would land. This means getting in and out of range quickly.

    Jeffers understood range when he intentionally bumped into his victim. So, when possible in public, get out of the way. Give people as wide a berth as possible and recognize when someone is within striking range — both yours and theirs.

  • Steel your mind: It’s pretty clear by what the victim told reporters that he didn’t expect to be in a fight that day — especially against a career criminal armed with a hammer! If you can’t even imagine an event happening, it’s pretty difficult to prepare for it when it does happen.

    That’s why, as part of my defensive mindset ritual, I either perform one draw of my chosen self-defense tool or say to myself, “This could be the day I might have to fight for my life or the life of a loved one.” This prepares me mentally right out of the gate.

  • Don’t rely on your reaction time: Jeffer’s 29-year-old victim said that things happened too quickly for him to react. But that’s the problem with most unsuspecting prey; they always assume they’ll see an assault coming and have the time and distance to react.

    News flash: Evil does not strike slowly. Two-legged predators attack in the concrete jungle just like their four-legged brethren do in the wild — unexpectedly, quickly, and violently.

 
That’s why you need consistent and realistic training, because (as the saying goes) you do not rise to the occasion but rather fall to the level of your training.
 
Conrad and I have spent years pressure-testing techniques against resistant partners armed with training weapons (from knives and guns to sticks and baseball bats).
 
We know what it takes to survive an urban ambush involving a hammer or any other blunt weapon.
 
And it’s not necessarily what’s taught on the range or in the dojo.
 
Fortunately, you don’t have to spend decades studying martial arts, combat sports, and combatives like we did.
 
That’s because we’ve distilled the best tips, tactics, and training drills in “Club Proof 1.0.”
 
And in honor of my namesake holiday today, you can get this home study course for half price during St. Patrick’s Day week.
 
Just use the 50% off promo code stpaddy2022 at checkout.

Enroll in “Club Proof” today so you don’t have to rely on luck to survive a blunt weapon attack.

But don’t wait — our St. Patrick’s Day sale ends at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time this Saturday.

CLICK HERE TO ENROLL NOW!

THINK LIKE A BAD GUY, ACT LIKE A GOOD GUY

Posted on by Evan Perperis

GUEST COLUMNIST:
EVAN PERPERIS — A U.S. ARMY GREEN BERET & CHAMPION OBSTACLE COURSE RACER

 

The interesting thing about being a “good guy” is that you need to have the mindset of a “bad guy” to be truly effective at stopping, countering or understanding their tactics.

The big difference between the good and bad guy is what they do with that information. The bad use it to exploit and take advantage of the weak, while the good use it to train, protect and occasionally take up a profession dedicated to stopping the bad guys.

My background is in the U.S. Army Special Forces, therefore I primarily work in the projectile range of combat. Only when things start going poorly do I have to work in the striking weapon, kicking/punching, and grappling ranges.

So despite having almost two decades of training in the projectile range, I still decided to pick up some lessons from Tiga Tactics to help round out my skills. I knew I had found the right place because they were using lessons I had learned from real world combat that they discovered through analyzing actual footage from Closed Circuit TV (CCTV).

During deployments to both hostile and semi-permissive countries I often carried concealed weapons. Sometimes it was a handgun, sometimes a blade and sometimes based off local laws, all I had was my fist. The techniques I was taught to successfully hide your weapon are the same techniques taught in reverse that allow you to identify someone who is carrying.

Tiga Tactics provides these same tips when they are teaching identifying someone who is preparing for an attack in things like “Stab Proof” and “Club Proof”.

The same justification I have for carrying weapons in a semi-permissive environment when stopped by a country’s security forces, is the same justification criminals will use in the United States. Being able to use something you always have on you, like a fist, is a great weapon that requires no justification and one of the reasons criminals use it (that you can learn about in “Punch Proof”).

Furthermore, using a knife, when size/type are legal, is a great option (as you learn about in “EDC Karambit”).

The strikes taught in their “Toolbox 1.0” program are some of the same strikes I’ve been taught for combat.

The palm heel strike is effective and limits the chance of a fracture in your hand. After all, if I fracture my hand in combat it makes operating a gun or driving a vehicle very difficult. The same logic they use for the palm heel I was taught in offensive driving courses on hand position on the steering wheel. The way you position your hands when driving can help prevent finger breaks to allow you to fire your weapon after a car collision.

I share all of this to tell you that their logic is sound and based off the equivalent of several lifetimes of martial arts training. I can recognize the Tiga Tactics instructors’ logic path because I used it overseas but for a different application. During my deployments to Iraq, my platoon was the most effective in our Battalion at finding enemy weapons caches. We would find them frequently without any direct informant tips. The reason was simple, we put ourselves in the enemy’s shoes and said “where would we hide our weapons if we wanted to be able to attack Americans when needed, but reduce risk of being caught red handed when we weren’t in attack mode”.

The same logic I used in combat, Tiga Tactics as applied to everyday life here in America. If you are looking to get functional as soon as possible (ASAP) check out the full suite of Tiga Tactics courses now available.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Evan Perperis is a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran with a cumulative 44 months of combat deployments. He’s currently a brown belt at Shaolin Kempo Karate, has been trained in Modern Army Combatives Program Level I and is currently training in Kali, Jeet Kune Do, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

When not practicing martial arts or working, he’s racing as a professional Obstacle Course Racing athlete with more than 65 podium finishes and helping others as a National Strength & Conditioning Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT). His website is Strength & Speed, and his biography is available in hard copy/digital and audiobook from Amazon.

GET FUNCTIONAL ASAP

Posted on by Evan Perperis

GUEST COLUMNIST:
EVAN PERPERIS, A U.S. ARMY GREEN BERET & CHAMPION OBSTACLE COURSE RACER

If you’ve been part of a martial arts training center you may have noticed that there is a decent amount of turnover.

People will show up, train for just the free classes or stay for a month and then leave. Perhaps I am not describing a stranger but rather you or a loved one.

The problem with this is it doesn’t give you the skills you need to be functional in any way, shape, or form. In fact the little you learn or think you may remember may give you a false sense of confidence.

Luckily, Tiga Tactics has a couple of programs that distill techniques down to their basics and provide lessons based on the current attention span of many in our society.

Bottom line is you need to get basic functionality as soon as possible.

The attackers you encounter in the streets will use ambush tactics and tools that are easy to conceal and legal to own. These includes things like:

  • Their Fist: A fist never requires justification as to why a bad guy is “carrying” it. Everyone has their fists on them all the time and it can be extremely effective especially when there is little warning of an impending attack.

  • A Knife: Many knives are legal to carry for both good guys and bad guys (size/style dependent based on your local laws). So why are you going to let the bad guys start off with an advantage.

  • A Club: A club could be a baseball bat, metal rod or any other hard object in a similar shape. Situation dependent, these can be disguised (i.e. metal rod with newspaper rolled around it), hidden nearby (i.e. disguised as trash or an abandoned object near the site of the ambush site) or explained away (i.e. carry an object that has reasonable justification like a baseball bat near a baseball field).

All of these common attack methodologies are taught in Tiga Tactic’s full suite of courses: defense against the fist (“Punch Proof”), defense against a knife (“Stab Proof”), using your own knife (“EDC Karambit”) and defense against a club (“Club Proof”).

The lessons revolve around their methodology distilled using data obtained from close circuit TV covering actual crimes and by pressure testing their techniques in scenarios.

One of the best aspects you’ll find is that Tiga Tactics provides training and starts off each course with some basic instruction on situational awareness. After all if you can avoid being in the location of the future criminal act, you’ll avoid the incident altogether. If that fails, they also provide indicators of an impending attack, buying you the seconds or milliseconds you may need to be properly ready to react.

In the end, training for longer periods in person with a professional instructor is the way to get closer to mastery. That being said, many of our families or friends don’t have the time, effort, energy or money to commit to achieving a basic functionality. Tiga Tactic’s course give that functionality covered in an attention span that can be accomplished in a single day.

Plus, once you pay once you can go back periodically wand watch the training. This means that unlike an in person seminar, you can essentially take the seminar as many times as you want. Check out their full line of courses here, and I hope to see you in their private Facebook group (reserved only for Tiga Tactics students, alumni, instructors, and VIPs).  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Evan Perperis is a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran with a cumulative 44 months of combat deployments. He’s currently a brown belt at Shaolin Kempo Karate, has been trained in Modern Army Combatives Program Level I and is currently training in Kali, Jeet Kune Do, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

When not practicing martial arts or working, he’s racing as a professional Obstacle Course Racing athlete with more than 65 podium finishes and helping others as a National Strength & Conditioning Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT). His website is Strength & Speed, and his biography is available in hard copy/digital and audiobook from Amazon.

REPORT: What is the Most Common Weapon Used on the Streets?

Posted on by Tiga Tactics Propaganda

GET THIS 36-PAGE REPORT (NORMALLY $12.97) FOR FREE

Here’s the harsh reality that everyone must face: It doesn’t matter if you’re fit and strong …

… own a gun …

… carrying a knife …

… or have a lifetime of martial arts experience.

If violent criminals see that you’re vulnerable — even for a second — and can get a jump on you …

… they will smash your skull using the most common weapon used on the streets.

And do you know what that weapon is?

No, it’s not a gun. Or a knife. Or even a stick.

It’s the weapon they were born with — their fists.

Don’t believe us?

FACT: Fists (and feet) are the No. 1 most common weapon used in aggravated assaults in the United States, according to the FBI.

 

Here’s another statistic from the FBI:

 

FACT: Empty-hand attacks in the USA accounted for 183,137 aggravated assaults and 600 homicides in 2019.

 

And then there’s this crazy fact …

 

FACT: Empty-hand assaults were used 22 TIMES more than rifles attacks in the USA.

 

The fact of the matter is that an American is violently assaulted every 25 seconds.

And that’s why we want you to have this life-saving knowledge …

 

We have a report that details everything you need to know about the urban ambush technique known as the suckerpunch.

 

This 36-page report explains:

  • 3 Reasons why violent thugs use the suckerpunch

     

  • 6 Signs of an Incoming Urban Ambush: Know when the fists will fly — even before the attacker does!

     

  • 3 Keys of a Suckerpunch: Learn how criminals use this weapon.

     

  • 4 Simple Steps to suckerpunch survival.

If that’s not enough, we added a FREE bonus chapter to the report that breaks down:

 

How you will most likely be attacked on the street.
 
 
SORRY but it is highly unlikely a violent thug will attack you the way you’ve been training, whether that’s with:
 
  • perfect punches (like in Boxing)
  • kicks (like in Tae Kwon Do)
  • knife hand chops (like in Karate)
  • tigers claws (like in Kung Fu)
  • elbows (like in Silat)
  • knees (like in Muay Thai)

 

Understand Your Enemy: Odds are, a psychotic punk will throw a big haymaker … but HOW? Knowing how a bad guy operates can save not only your life but of those you love as well.

Two For the Road: There are 2 ways a thug will try to smash in your face:

  • One is repetitive (what we call the One-Armed Bandit), and …
  • The other is alternating (we call it the Swimmer).

 

Do you know the difference?
Because it might just stop a psycho from shattering your eye socket

 

Get our special gift today and find out!

While our 36-page report, called “Urban Ambush Armor,” normally costs $12.97, you can get it today for a limited time for FREE!

Just sign up below, confirm your free subscription, and download the 36-page report — at NO charge.

Consider it our gift to you!