Another sad day in our country as six are now dead in Albuquerque, NM as a domestic violence dispute caused six people their lives with four others wounded.

OSHA compliance states that businesses have “A Duty to Protect” but how far must this be carried to insure the safety of those in the workplace?

CLICK HERE FOR OSHA FACT SHEET

Card access doors, cameras at every turn, etc seem to be little consolation for those at this New Mexico manufacturing plant today. The keys are still “education” and “awareness.” We have to provide greater training to those in the workplace today with violence on the rise. Some of this can be attributed to the economic condition, double-digit unemployment, housing bubble burst, etc but other parts are still quite “human.” As Gavin de Becker said in his book The Gift of Fear, “Though we live in space-age times, we still do so with stone-age minds.” You cannot rule out human emotion, passion or aggression.

The very fact there had already been “one” incident of domestic violence with this particular individual “should have” sent up a flag…but it didn’t. We have to learn how to connect these dots more effectively and efficiently for ALL concerned.

Jeff McKissack
Defense By Design

Thanks to the great folks at NBC 5 News in Dallas! The story on our Uptown Trolley seminar we’ve called “A Streetcar Named DEFENSE” took to the lines a few weeks ago, with the news crew onboard.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO

The response from this was PHENOMENAL, from both riders…and viewers! Our next trip through Uptown and Downtown is set for July 20th, so “All Aboard” once again for those interested.

The two-hour trip acquaints riders with those things that predators look for when evaluating their prey. In other words, who is distracted, who is lost, who is alone, who is a bit tipsy, who is dressed nicely and driving a nice car, who has something in their ear and therefore cannot hear them approach, etc. In addition, we hop off the car twice for some “up close and personal” training with some physical aspects thrown in related to protecting the head and the dynamics of multi-assailant defense.

If interested, simply email me for more details. This is getting popular, so plan ahead as we already have waiting list being established as this is only once a month with 30+ riders allowed on each car.

Jeff McKissack
Defense By Design

Celebrity U Radio is a local internet radio broadcast featuring various business people in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Recently I was interviewed on this broadcast, which runs for about 20-30 minutes.

To view the interview, CLICK HERE.

I really hope people take this message to heart, as so many times what I do is relegated to the area of “martial arts.” While I love my background in this area, and love teaching these skills to others, my true passion lies in helping people avoid being attacked or compromised entirely.

Whether it is the Joran van der Sloots of society or the Bernie Madeoffs of society, we all can benefit by learning how to better tune into that still small voice that often tells us something just is not right.

I hope you enjoy the interview.

Jeff McKissack
Defense By Design

The stories we are now hearing of Joran van der Sloot bring to mind another “couple” of serial killers from years ago in Canada. This was a husband and wife team, Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo, back in the 1990’s.

Their story was one of “love” and “death” at first sight. This couple, lured, raped, tortured and murdered three young women before finally being caught. Oh, and they video taped their escapades as well which was needless to say the “smoking gun” in their court case.

The reason this couple comes to mind is that so many I’ve talked to over the last week or so regarding van der Sloot mentioned “But he seemed like such a clean-cut guy.” Yes, which once again goes back to the “Cannot judge a book by its cover” proverb. If you take a look at this couple above, they look like the couple on top of a wedding cake! Imagine meeting them in a bar, where they picked up several of their victims. I’m sure the ladies though the same when approached by this “all-Canadian”, nice, clean-cut, attractive, personable, etc. couple.

Again, we have to look beyond what our eyes simply see and our ears simply hear. There is more that often lies beneath, but we have to know “how” as well as “where” to look.

Jeff McKissack
Defense By Design

Starting in July, I am going to begin a very unique offering in the Uptown area (but available to replicate in other areas of DFW). The theme? Train 10 Weeks for 10 Seconds! What do I mean by this?

The average attack (versus “fight”) only lasts about 10 seconds or less, typically because the attacker(s) had the initial element of surprise. But what do these critical 10 seconds look like? This is what we will investigate over 10 weeks as we train in the following five scenarios for just two weeks each:

–2 weeks of defense training facing a single, unarmed opponent
–2 weeks of defense training facing multiple, unarmed opponents
–2 weeks of defense training facing an attacker with a knife
–2 weeks of defense training facing an attacker with a gun
–2 weeks of defense training from a seated and ground position

The real appeal here is that the above is being offered at only $100 for all 10 weeks! This is an introductory offer only, however. Classes will be held at Trophy Fitness in Uptown from 7:30-8:30pm on Mondays and Wednesdays beginning the second week of July.

For more information, or to register (as space will be limited), email me directly at jeff@DefenseByDesign.com.

Jeff McKissack
Defense By Design

So many times in my presentations I address various “stereotypes.” Why? Because we all have them. Ask any group of kids to describe a “stranger” and you’ll be amazed at the answers you receive. They’re looking for Freddie Kruger, not Mister Rogers, yet we all know it’s more of the latter than the former that poses a real threat to our kids.

Now take as another example (for college students and adults) the case of Joran van der Sloot suspected in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway five years ago in Aruba, now also a suspect in the murder of a young woman in Peru. But more importantly “look at” his photo. Is this the new face of crime? Actually, it always has been, as the more and more you learn, the more you also realize (a) there are no stereotypes and (b) the more “effective” perpetrators are those who do not “look the part.” The old saying about not judging a book by its cover is still very sound advice.

Remember this the next time that “nice young man/woman” approaches you to offer assistance, buy you a drink or escort you to your car, home, apartment, etc. It’s the face that can often times throw you off. Look beyond the cover and learn to read the book.

Jeff McKissack
Defense By Design

About a week or so ago, two friends were walking from a house party to a local club. On their way they were attacked by four men swinging a baseball bat or bats.

While law-enforcement is considering this now a “hate crime” due to the derrogatory terms used to describe the two victims by their assailants during the attack, I look at this another way entirely. Unfortunately, to me, this is now “the norm” when it comes to these types of attacks.

I recall a husband-wife couple from my gym attacked two years ago (personal trainer and her police officer husband) by four men leaving a house party as the couple approached their car. Both husband and wife were in great physical shape, the husband (a cop) had his gun on him as well. But their attackers had something more important — the element of surprise. The wife was in a comma for three months and when she did come out her jaw was wired shut for another three months since her attacker broke it.

More and more we are hearing stories of very brutal and viscious attacks by multiple (key word next), “simultaneous” attackers. This calls for a very different type of personal defense training and strategy. But this approach is also the “norm” with what I teach as we will always assume there is more than “one.” To learn more, contact Defense By Design.

Jeff McKissack
Defense By Design

Last week a man “pretending” to be a Chase Bank employee entered one of their branches and robbed the location. He was dressed “like” an employee of Chase, had a idenfication badge similar to Chase and did not appear on anyone’s personal radar as someone of suspicion.

This is a classic example of the “Authority/Service Provider Lure” I speak of in my seminars, when someone pretends to be someone they are not. Often they can pose as an authority figure like a police officer, security officer, fireman, doctor, etc. However, they can also pose as more everyday professionals such as plumbers, electricians, pest control, carpet cleaners, couriers, etc. These are the people we either automatically trust given their positions of authority or automatically trust as someone we’re used to seeing in our homes, neighborhoods and office buildings.

It just goes to show, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” CHASE down the truth for yourself!

Jeff McKissack
Defense By Design

Coming soon to the Uptown area of Dallas will be a very “unique” opportunity for locals to get an up-close and personal presentation from Defense By Design.

One Tuesday each month Defense By Design is partnering with the McKinney Avenue Transit Authority to offer “A Streetcar Named Defense,” a two-hour tour around Uptown with a very unique twist. Riders will be treated to two hours of training involving profiling, reading body language and some basics of physical self-defense, both on and off the trolley as we tour the Uptown area. Regarding the physical training (on and off the trolley) it will obviously have an emphasis on “close quarters” scenarios, seated and standing.

While the vast majority of these offerings will be targeted to residents of various apartment communities in the area, other groups and residents will be considered as time and budgets allow. We will start each tour at a local restaurant/club and end at another restaurant/club as sponsors come onboard (no pun intended).

What a great idea for “date night” or even friends looking for something different…OK, something very different for a Tuesday night on the town.

For more information, contact Defense By Design to either participate or set up your own group event.

Jeff McKissack
Defense By Design

As I read this story today on MSN, I was reminded of Anne Li last fall murdered by a co-worker at Yale University. Now another Ivy League school faces a similar tragedy at the University of Virginia.

George Huguely, 22, of Chevy Chase, Maryland., has been charged in the death of Yeardley Love, 22, of Cockeysville, Maryland. Both were seniors and in a relationship at some point in the past.

As tragic as this is, once again it serves to remind us (especially parents) that there are no such things as safe or unsafe “places” - only safe or unsafe “people.” We must teach our children and teens how to better read the early-warning signs of danger, how to know when someone, even someone we think we know, is taking on a different persona.

Years ago when I represented the CHILD LURES Crime Prevention program, we used the weather as an analogy, noting that “Most people are like the weather…nice, warm and safe.” However, just as the weather can change…change rapidly…become suddenly violent, the same is true with people. We all have “bad weather days” - all of us. However, there is a difference between bad weather and violent weather, and sometimes only minutes or the right set of atmospheric circumstances separate the two. Again, the same is true with people.

Our heart goes out to the parents of this slain young lady, Yeardley Love. In the last week I’ve had two friends give birth to their first-borns and have seen the joy on their faces. I cannot even begin to imagine the angst on the faces of Yeardley’s parents now. This is a tragedy no parent should suffer, especially when it is so easily preventable.

Let’s learn yet again from a tragedy never, ever to take our safety for granted…even when around those we know.

Jeff McKissack
Defense By Design