In today's world, it seems that you cannot watch the television news, or listen to the radio, or pick up a newspaper or magazine without seeing, hearing, or reading about VIOLENCE ...much of it directed against police officers, innocent civilians, even small children.

In the aftermath of the tragic events on September 11, 2001 ... in the wake of numerous terrorist threats, both at home and abroad ...in light of the abductions, abuse, and murder of our young children and adolescents ... take some time ask yourself some serious questions:

(1) How would I react if confronted with a violent situation in which I REALLY needed to defend myself?

(2) Am I prepared to react QUICKLY and appropriately to some planned - or even completely random - act of violence directed at me, or my spouse, or my children?

(3) Are my children prepared to respond to an attempted abduction by one or more kidnapers?

No question about it...today's world is a violent one.  It doesn't matter whether you live in an urban, suburban, or rural location.  It doesn't matter where you work.  It doesn't matter whether your children attend public or private schools.  The threat of violence is REAL.

While trying not to be paranoid about violence in our world, we cannot be naive and simply ignore the threats to our well being.  We need to confront the reality that each of us may come face-to-face with violence, and that our lives depend on whether we are prepared to deal with it.

You could rely on the Government ...or the local police ...or maybe even a gun to protect you in violent situations.  Problem is that the Government has not yet figured out how to protect itself, and is incapable of protecting every citizen 24 hours a day, 7 days week.  The local police also have their hands full and also cannot be counted on to be there at the moment you need them.  How effective is a gun if you do not have it with you when you need it the most?  After all, you cannot carry a gun, or other self-protection devices on an airplane.

In the event that you are confronted, you should be both mentally and physically prepared to respond quickly and decisively.

You CAN, and SHOULD, learn to defend yourself.  In as little as 12 weeks, 2 hours per week, you can learn simple, effective techniques that will prepare you for, and protect you against, the violence that surrounds us.  

Of course, you could always use that 2 hours per week doing something productive... like watching the television news, listening to the radio, reading a newspaper or a magazine...scratching your head and wondering what to do about the ever-increasing violence that surrounds us all.

Think honestly about whether you have the ability to defend yourself as you read on. Your life, and the lives of those around you, just may depend on it.

-Rick Warfield, 6th Degree Black Belt

Director, Winged Dragon Karate Club

VICTIM   or  SURVIVOR?