The first book of the Bible, Genesis 6:11 records that the earth was filled with violence and had become corrupt all over. The book of Moses 8:28-30 reflects the same sentiments. Don't even think that I'm preaching to you here. I'm merely restating historical fact. Our planet today is the mirror image of these ancient scriptural declarations. Violence is a very real and ever-present danger today.

Violence rules the news media whether portrayed in miltiple human atrocities or natural upheavals of cataclysmic import. We have built societies that cater to crimes of conscience as well as those of plain ole wrong intentions. We must constantly be on guard against violent acts, either directly intended for us or even from accidental circumstances.You know all too well the media frenzy when there is blood in the water. Fear is a well worn blanket among too many of us today.

The Personal Protection marketplace is saturated with arts, sciences, systems, products, and an over abundance of promises of self-defense salvation. From the ancient traditional to the ecletic modern and all points in between, there are guaranteed assurances that will save your soul in any and all life and death exigencies. And when it is determined that you do need self-defense training just how do you choose the right program ?

There is a shopping list of prime mandates to satisfy your purchase. If violence against you or your family is your ultimate concern, then violence above all else must be the core study of your efforts. You will never successfully abhort a violent attack by having trained exclusively in a sport, competition, or artistic pursuit. The asocial thug employs violence as the primary tool of his career ascension. He dosen't give a blank about your cat stances, trophies, belts, etc. His sole intention is to inflict serious bodily injury in achieving his goal. Your goal in this extreme misfortune is to shut him down; period! Be the one doing the violence, never the prey.

Traumatic Injury!!! This is your mission statement in any encounter of personal warfare. It is your vision statement come to life to be the primal cause that effects debilitating harm upon your attacker. There are no rewards for points scored when your death is a very real possibility. Your job is to come home safe and sound, preferrably without a scratch. When a gun is poised close enough to cause your cross-eyed stare there is no time to hesitate for conscience. You will act exactly as you have trained. Just be sure that you have properly conditioned yourself for the cold realities of street violence. Don't train for trophies and expect to catch bullets in your teeth. Reality is the guaranteed cure for dangerous flights of fantasy. Real street martial arts in order to be truly effective must include applications of violence that appear foreign to most standard martial arts school practices. Be real to stay alive in the ill street hoods.

Death is the most serious fact of life. Violence is often the prelude to fatality. Neither is to be trifled with and each is to be prepared for in the most sober deliberations. Be precise in target selection and in execution of movement be forcefully decisive. All of your physiological functions will perform perfectly as trained by prior conditioning efforts. Work as closely as possible in the most exacting scenarios of your worst imaginings. In the controlled fear of your conditioning sessions you will find the victory to command street war successes. In the contemplation and practice of real street martial arts be vitally aware of the fatalistic violence that attends this endeavor. Leave art and sport in their perspective arenas and in the violent misfortunes of life be very, very real. Second place in the violence octagon is death. Enjoy the victory of life and living long and prosperous.