One of the FBI's Most Dangerous Predators: The Serial-Rapist Killer
When Violence Is Real, Will Your Students Be Ready?
I remember the day like it was yesterday. It was in the late 80s. I was sitting in a little café that I frequented when Alistair, one of the waiters, walked up to me and said, “Did you hear what happened to Shannon?”
I stared at him. My eyes didn’t blink because the tone in his voice told me this was not good news.
Shannon and the rest of the crew at the restaurant had recently completed a weekend self-defense seminar with me after the store next door was robbed at gunpoint.
[To all my martial arts and self-defense trainers: there’s one thing I can tell you—if you are a serious martial artist and a conscientious professional, you always leave every class wishing it was longer, wishing you could have shared more. Because what motivates the serious professional—certainly in my case—is making sure that my students are safe. As safe as possible. Am I right?]
Back to the story…
Alistair looked at me again and said, “She was stabbed and she was raped.”
Stabbed and she was raped.
I couldn’t believe it. My biggest fear. Shannon had served me so many times at this restaurant. I knew the whole staff. It was this tiny café called Encore Une Fois in Westmount, Montreal. I knew the owners. I had a tab there—that’s how often I was there. My heart sank.
Then Alistair said, “But she’s okay. She survived. She fought back and got away.”
The entire exchange lasted 20 seconds—two sentences—but it felt like an eternity.
Al was whispering so no other patrons could hear, so he was leaning over—and I grabbed him by the neck and yanked him towards me. His head was almost touching the table, we were eye to eye, and I said, quietly, “Asshole, say that first next time. The next time you tell the story, start with: Shannon is okay.”
My heart started beating wildly. I couldn’t eat lunch—I had to reach her.
About a week later, we finally connected. I met her and her mom at the restaurant. And she said, “Mom, this is the man who saved my life.” They both started crying.
I looked at Shannon and said, “Shannon, I wasn’t there. I had nothing to do with you surviving that attack. That was all you.”
And she began to argue, “No, but I did what you told me. I heard your voice in my head.”
[Instructors—this is important. Your students must believe they earned their victories on their own. They can’t have any attachment to you or the system. Yes, Shannon used our system. Yes, she used the strategies we taught her. Yes, she used our fear management. But when she said, Oh, you saved my life, I could have easily said, Yes, I know. Thank you. (Cue the Kramer from Seinfeld face.) But that would have diminished her confidence. God forbid she was in danger again—I needed her to believe in herself.]
I gave her a big hug. I walked out to the car. And I screamed as loud as I could. A yippee. And I started to cry. And I started to rejoice.
What started as my greatest fear—a student getting injured or worse—turned into the realization that, yes, this system really does work.
To put this in perspective, this wasn’t a street fight between two drunks… this was the real deal. When Shannon went to the police, they told her she was lucky to be alive. There was a serial killer in Montreal who had already murdered one woman. Another was in the hospital. Same attack profile—slashed with a knife to emotionally paralyze the victim, then raped, then stabbed again. The FBI at the time classified serial-rapist killers as the most dangerous predators.
Those of you who’ve known me for decades know the Shannon story. I’ve told it many times. In fact, for a year after the event, Shannon attended all my seminars and told her story live. It was a way for her to cathartically release what had happened, but also to show other women what was possible.
If you’re a professional instructor, ask yourself: Are you actually preparing your students for reality?
Please take some time to research our system and consider adding it to your school. Bring my decades of research to your community.
With respect,
Coach Blauer
Our Scenario Instructor Course is designed to help you prepare your students for moments like these—real violence. Our next course is on March 29-30 in New Jersey. Visit this page to learn more, and be sure to check out the Battle Buddy option!
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