The schedule for the martial arts training camp is coming together. I should have a flyer available soon. This incredible weekend-long training event will be open to any skill level, rank, or martial arts style. Men, women, and teens are all welcome. This includes absolute beginners to advanced practitioners. We currently have 8 instructors lined-up to cover 8 different martial arts and self-defense topics.

This will be the perfect opportunity to check out various martial arts styles/systems, pic up some drills or techniques to add to your training, or just hang out and train with a good group of like-minded people. This is about bringing martial artists and self-defense practitioners together to share their knowledge and passion for training.

Are you new to martial arts and want to experience training in different styles/systems, a chance to see what's out there? Are you an advanced martial artists looking to add some new tools, tactics, or techniques to your knowledge-base? Do you just enjoy martial arts training? Are you looking to improve your self-defense knowledge and skills? If you said "yes" to any of these questions, then this training camp is right for you.

This exciting event will be held in the Columbia City, Indiana area the second weekend in June. It will take place outside and tent camping will be allowed and encouraged. At present the cost is being set at $100 for those that pre-register or $140 after pre-registration closes and the day of the event. Keep in mind that this gets you access to 8 different sessions with 8 instructors from different martial arts / self-defense backgrounds. This is a great deal to train with some great instructors!

Here is the current list of topics to be covered (this may change slightly before the event)-

Combative Use of the Bandana (and other flexible weapons)
Skill-Developing Drills for Self-Defense
Unarmed Defense versus the Handgun
Panic Defense Tactics for Common Attacks
Essential Skills of Stalking and Evasion
Defensive Applications of Tai Chi
Grappling Skills for Self-Defense
Muay Thai Tactics for the Street.

*if there are any changes made to the topic list, I will send out updates.

There may be additional fun activities for those that decide to hang out afterwards or camp overnight.

Please contact me if you have interest in attending this event. Discounts will be provided to law enforcement and military personnel. A group discount will also be available for groups of 4 or more.

The $100 pre-registration begins now and ends May 25th. After May 25th the price increases to $140. Location details and other important information will be provided during pre-registration. Contact PSU to pre-register or with any questions.

Don't miss this unique training experience!

In light of a recent sexual assault that occurred here in Warsaw, and as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Personal Security Awareness Month, Steve Zorn of Personal Safety Unlimited is holding a free class for women.

Women's Self-Defense / Rape Prevention course in Warsaw,  scheduled for Sunday, April 21, will be a 3-hour presentation on how to protect yourself from crime, violence and assault. It is suitable for women ages 15 and older. The class will run from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kosciusko Community YMCA and is limited to 30 participants.

Learn awareness, simple escape strategies, verbal self-defense and natural defensive skills.

Contact us to reserve your spot.

Steve Zorn, ICPS
www.personalsafetyunlimited.net

Previously the problem of sexual assault was narrowly defined as the rape of an adult woman by a stranger and it was perceived only as a woman’s issue.

Today, sexual assault has a broader definition. It not only includes the rape of adult women but also the sexual victimization of young girls and boys and of adult men. It is estimated that one out of every four girls and one out of every six boys will be the victim of sexual assault before their eighteenth birthday. Statistically, over 80% of these children will be victimized by someone they know and trust – a parent, uncle, brother, family friend, teacher, babysitter, etc.  According to child protective services, over 4,000 children are sexually abused each year in Indiana alone.

A woman’s risk of being raped by someone she knows is at least four times greater than of being raped by a stranger. One out of every four college women has been raped or the victim of an attempted rape by a boyfriend, date or acquaintance. In Indiana one out of every seven women is the victim of rape and over 2,000 rapes occur in the state each year.

As previously mentioned, sexual assault is not just a woman’s issue. It’s estimated that up to 10% percent of all adult rape victims are male. Contrary to popular belief, male rape is not something that only happens in prison. It can happen to any man regardless of size, strength, appearance, sexual orientation, or beliefs.

Sexual assault not only affects the victims, it also affects their family, friends, co-workers, etc. While the immediate physical and mental affects can be devastating for the victim, the long-term consequences can have a devastating and destructive affect for the community as well.

April is nationally recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This is an opportunity to increase the community’s awareness of the problem of sexual violence. It’s also an opportunity to commit ourselves to those actions we can take as individuals and as a community to reduce this epidemic.


What you can do-

Know the facts and challenge your friends when they perpetuate myths and stereotypes about sexual violence.

Confront violent and sexually abusive behavior when you see or hear it.

Empower yourself with the knowledge to stay safe-take a sexual assault awareness and/or self-defense class.

Show your support and educate others about preventing sexual violence.

Share your knowledge with your family and friends.

Confront sexist jokes or humor that objectifies women.


Sexual violence can be reduced and even stopped. It just requires that each of us take an active role in keeping ourselves and our community safe.


Contact Personal Safety Unlimited for more information on our Sexual Assault Awareness programs for both girls and boys or for reality-based self-defense training that just works. Don't let assault happen to you or your loved ones, take a stand now!

In two weeks I will be presenting at the Warsaw Women's Expo in Warsaw / Winona Lake, Indiana. The 45 minute segment is titled- "Protect Yourself from Crime and Assault...in 4 Easy Steps". This will cover the essentials of personal safety as well as provide a demo of basic self-defense skills. There will be many other presenters and vendors as well.

Visit the website for details- http://warsawwomensexpo.com/

Guys, please pass this along to your significant others, family, or friends that might be interested.

Steve Zorn, ICPS
Personal Safety Unlimited
http://www.personalsafetyunlimited.net

Facing a knife wielding attacker can be dangerous and pretty scary, regardless of age, gender, athletic ability, strength, or martial arts / self-defense skill. However, if using proper awareness and avoidance strategies you can reduce your chances of ever having to face such a situation. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't have  a basic understanding of how knife attacks occur or how to possibly protect yourself should such an event happen. As the old saying goes "better to be prepared and not need it..."

There are two primary ways a knife can be used against us.

1) The static "hold-up"- this is when the knife is used to elicit a fear response, to intimidate the intended victim into following commands. This is usually used to threaten, rob, rape, or assault the intended victim without actually having to use the knife. In such cases, the assailant does not necessarily want to kill, they generally want something else. However, this doesn't mean they will not lash out with the knife if they feel it's necessary to prevent resistance or capture.

2) The dynamic assault, aka the "Ambush" or the "Blitz"- This is when the knife is used to severely injure or kill an intended victim, usually without warning. In many cases the assailant will attempt to go unnoticed as he approaches the target, and then will violently attack when he is in range. However, this can also occur from a standard "testing ritual" or "interview" where the assailant approaches the intended victim under the guise of asking for the time, for directions, or maybe a light for his cigarette.

Which type of attack are you likely to face? This depends on various factors. For example if you work in a high risk environment such as a prison or rowdy night club, there is a higher chance you will face the second type of attack, the "Ambush".  However, if you do not work , live or hang out in high risk environments and if you do not make a habit out of making people angry at you, statistically-speaking you will most likely face the first type of attack. That is, IF you are ever forced to face a knife-wielding attacker.

While there are self-defense and martial arts instructors across the net that want us to believe that every knife attack involves the "Ambush", where an assailant comes out of nowhere and attacks viciously without warning, we know this just isn't the case. While these types of attacks do occur, they generally involve high risk occupations, symmetrical match fights that go wrong (like bar fights), situations where a person has made enemies, etc.

Over the years I have read hundreds of cases where knives were involved but few of them resulted in death from the infamous "Ambush" attack. The majority involved the knife being used as a tool to get a desired result, nothing more. Unfortunately, I have yet to find extensive data showing the actual statistics of the percentage of "Hold-Ups" versus the "Ambushes". However, it becomes fairly obvious when reviewing crime stories from around the country. That being said, the UK has done a better job of tracking the various types of crimes involving knives. This is simply because knife crimes are so much higher there due to the lack of firearms. What their research shows is that knives are used more often to threaten, rob, and rape then to cause bodily harm or to kill. You can read the following report for an overview of these statistics- www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/sn04304.pdf

The point is, while knife attacks are both dangerous and scary, we can reduce our chances of being victimized through the use of awareness and avoidance. If we find ourselves facing a knife-wielding assailant, we must be be prepared both physically and mentally to deal with such a threat. While the chances are good this person only intends to scare us with the knife, we must also be prepared for the worst-case scenario. However, with that being said, we must understand the worst-case scenario is low on the probability scale unless we work or live in high risk areas, or do something stupid to agitate a knife-wielding robber.

Steve Zorn, ICPS
www.personalsafetyunlimited.net

Many years ago I had set up a booth at our local downtown days. I was handing out flyers for an upcoming Kid Escape presentation that was going to be held at a local martial arts school. This was going to be free-of-charge to all children and their parents. As parents would walk by I would hand them a flyer. I recall this one mother walking by with two small children. I handed her a flyer. She paused and looked at it intently, then turned back to me, handed the flyer back and said "my children don't need this". I was caught totally by surprise. How in the world can a mother truly believe that her two children didn't need to know how to keep themselves safe from predators? In reality, it had nothing to do with the children not needing this knowledge, but had everything to do with the mother living in a constant state of denial. It's what I call the "ostrich syndrome". People try to ignore the reality of the world we live in. They think that if they don't acknowledge the crime and violence that exists that it will just somehow go away and they will never be forced to deal with such issues. In other words, if they don't think about it, it will never happen to them, their children, or to anyone they know. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. In fact, those living in denial are more likely to become victims. Why? Because they are not physically or mentally prepared to deal with crime or assault. This is exactly what predators look for when searching out a potential victim. The sad thing is that in this particular case, it's the children that could ultimately suffer because of this denial.

A couple of years after the above situation I was at a local private school. I was talking to a group of teachers and parents about the Kid Escape program. I was explaining how I would present the program, what the kids would be learning, and what was involved. I remember that someone asked how much the program would cost. At the time I was charging a very small fee of $1 per child to present at the schools, just enough to cover the cost of handouts and a little (very little) for my time and that's what I told them. Then I remember a father raising his hand to ask a question. Here was the question..."who is going to pay for this?" Wow! All I could think of is that I was trying to provide life-saving information to his children and he was worried about the cost, a whole $1. In other words his children's safety meant so little to him that he didn't want to pay $1 to possibly save their life. This man probably spent money on himself every week buying frivolous things but $1 was too much to empower his children with knowledge and skills they would have for the rest of their life. Wow! Keeping in mind that this was a private school which costs way more than the average public school, tells us that he wasn't hurting for money.

A number of years ago I had contacted a nearby elementary school asking them to allow me to present the Kid Escape program for their students. They just blew me off. Not more than two weeks later a predator attempted to abduct one of their students as she was leaving the school. The only thing that saved her was the fact that an adult nearby just happened to see what was going on and chased the predator off. If the adult hadn't been there, it would have likely ended in tragedy.

These are just a few examples of the "ostrich syndrome" and the reluctance of parents and educators to seriously consider the safety of their children or children in their care.

If you have the "ostrich syndrome", please take steps to eliminate it now, before it's too late.

Steve Zorn, ICPS
www.personalsafetyunlimited.net