The month at the time of this article is April 2006.

In the past three weeks, my hometown has experienced some brutal crime waves. In the first two weeks of the month, there were individuals who were roaming the streets of Washington, DC, carjacking cars and SUVs. In one incident, an individual was pistol whipped, even though the car was given up immediately.

In another case, a fourteen-year-old middle school student in the Maryland suburbs of my hometown terrorized an apartment complex, raping young teens and women. After he was caught, it was discovered that he was a resident of the complex he terrorized. In another incident, a twelve-year-old boy killed his mother and brother. In the same area, a husband set his wife on fire.

I will not get into the reasons why these things happened. But incidents such as the ones mentioned are occurring nationwide.

We as boxing, grappling and martial arts instructors should address these issues by extending our expertise to the community through free self defense courses, particularly to the elderly, females, handicapped and underprivileged. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, there were free courses in self defense for individuals that I have previously mentioned at martial arts schools throughout the United States and Canada. I believe we as instructors in the fighting arts should continue this tradition.

The 21st Century has brought on an era of greed among instructors, gyms and schools. No one seems to want to help the meek without earning a buck. There are few role models in America, who will go out and teach self defense to build character and for the protection of the weak.

More and more the non-profit boxing gyms, wrestling schools and martial arts schools are being replaced by large schools with owners and instructors that have forgotten the charitable tradition of the fighting arts. The thugs and gangs continue to rise up and terrorize, while we as fighters get richer and fatter.

Even female gangs have come to the forefront in Washington, DC. A young lady visit a vocational chartered high school here in hopes to enroll soon. A band of thug teenage girls called The Chopper City Crew accused the young lady of being a rival gang member. When the girl denied that she was not a gang member and had not been affiliated with any gang. The Chopper City mob jumped her on the bus and pummeled the young lady so bad, that she now has vision problems.

This did not deter her from hoping to enroll in the school of her choice to obtain a good vocational education.

Yes, I know you do not want to give up the secrets to your self-defense style without getting paid, but self-defense can be taught without giving up your style.

Just like planning strategy for your fighters or a business plan, self-defense follows the same pattern. Through the years, people who thought of ways how to combat their opponents; sat, thought and experiment with techniques, which they think, will beat an opponent in different scenarios.

There are a lot of instructors with books and DVDs that explains how you can fight while on your back or throw a punch correctly. But how are you going to do all this while three guys overpowered and pistol whip you? When a guy lifts your whole body from out of nowhere and intends on raping you in a dark isolated grove.

Self-defense starts with the mind.

First we have to look at our society. Yes, a lot of the victims are like you and I. They are hard working stiffs that rather worry about making money than about thugs. First, you have to let self-defense students understand that some things such as their car or the cell phone are their first line of self-defense. They must always trust their gut feeling. If a scenario feels bad, sounds bad and looks bad. More than likely it could be dangerous. For example, if a lady visits a friend, but there is a gang of knuckleheads blocking the doorway to the apartment, call ahead and get someone to come out and escort her.

If a guy comes to you in a threatening manner. If you can, keep one or two hands up around your neck area to block and counter, in case the assailant punches or grab, your hand can be up to deter a grab, punch or choke.

When boarding a bus and you see the last seats are around thugs, drunks, and crazies in the back of the bus. Stay in the front, even if you have to stand.

Avoid giving out money to beggars in some parts of town. Sometimes it is a strategy to size you up for a robbery.

Look at common product such as cell phones, fingernail files, pencils, pens and umbrellas as weapons.

The hand is the best weapon for self-defense. Against a male assailant, grapping his penis and testicles squeezing and pulling it up and out paralyzes an assailant wonderfully. Grabbing an opponent’s head in conjunction with thumbing or fingering him in the eye usually render him powerless. Even an ink pen or pencil to the eyeball is a wonderful deterrent.

Well, you get my point.

You don’t have to be a boxing, wrestling or martial arts expert to find ways of deterring a maniac. Once they find out you are crazier than them, they will back off.

Self-defense is common sense. Just find other weapons and strategies to fight with. Common everyday items are just as effective. You have to use your imagination, just like the Shoalin Monks. People in today’s society are more concerned about earning a living, not crime. The majority does not have time to think about crime until it affects them. Brief classes in common sense self defense are a good deterrent to crime, which could also lead to new members to sign up for your boxing, wresting or martial arts lessons.

If you have no imagination, just purchase books from the self-defense experts and choose what weapons and techniques you feel works...