PREPARING FOR AN AMBUSH

WARNING GRAPHIC

Can you really prepare for an ambush?

Of course, you can.

You can develop your personal skills, learn to use improvised weapons, learn to use weapons. You can stay in great tactical shape. You can spar and keep your mind and movement sharp.

But is there more?

I began running scenarios in 1980 and ran ‘fight club’ type seminars for over a decade.

During this period, I figured out one of the effective ways to design scenario-based training in an effort to help us all manage violence called The Ballistic Micro-Fight, here’s the official description:

The Ballistic Micro-Fight (BMF) is an evidence-based scenario training protocol that reverse-engineers confrontations so that the practitioner develops a deeper understanding of how the human body moves during sudden aggression.

A BMF session will work on internal and external awareness, stamina, and endurance conditioning specific to self-defense and combatives and will also develop the moral, ethical and legal aspects of confrontation management.

The BMF represents a breakthrough training method for stress inoculation.

This period of experimentation and observation also inspired me to develop a fear management system (KNOW FEAR®), a way to weaponize the startle flinch (The SPEAR System®), and the world’s first impact reduction scenario training suit (High Gear®).

Watch this short video.

Things to observe, consider, reflect on:

1. Does this look like sparring?

2. Does this look like a martial art?

3. Does this look like a drill?

4. Does it look like choreography?

Click here to watch.

Now that you’ve watched it reflect on these points?

1. Did this look realistic?

2. Was it conducted at a realistic speed?

3. Was there contact?

Now, where did we get the idea for this scenario?

That is key to the BMF process.

• We use real surveillance videos for inspiration.

• This will give you the nuances of timing and movement. This is more important than you realize.

• A typical BMF engagement is 10 - 30 seconds long. Then we ‘rinse & repeat’ from primal to protective and finally tactical.

Here is the actual footage of the above scenario we reverse-engineered the drill from. (Warning graphic - there is no sound on the surveillance part of the video.)

Click to watch

Horrifying to say the least. The young woman lost her life, the predator was caught.

There are a lot of questions and a lot that could’ve been done during the D1 phase of this scenario - but that’s neither here nor there. We can’t armchair quarterback events like these, only learn from them. And that is why my team and I continue to work so hard to develop gear and training so that we can provide the most realistic and responsible approach to scenario-based training available.

• Instructors: Should you add this level of scenario training to your program?

• Parents: Should you expose your family to this type of training?

• Should you experience this type of training to better understand what real violence looks and feels like and why avoidance should be your first choice when you get a bad feeling?

Hopefully, the answer is a loud YES to all of the above.

Remember, no one needs to know how to defend themselves until the moment they do. (Of course, at that moment, it’s too late.)

Stay safe,

Coach Blauer

Bonus content for our loyal subscribers is below! Thank you!

Resources if this article inspired you:

• Get High Gear, financing available for USA residents.

• Train with me LIVE every week - we analyze videos like these and train to better prepare ourselves - Join the Garage Gym