During the 1980s I was a personal guard for New York City Mayor Koch, Barbizon Models and celebrities. The training I received as a U.S. Marine gave me the basics of what I needed to provide a top level of protection for my clients. Then, I received additional training from professional wrestlers as the result of a friendship I had with one of their sons. I also had the opportunity to learn from highly regarded and experienced police officers.

I lived in New York City which threw the reality of crime in my face everyday. By the time I was a teenager I learned the basics. Don’t carry your wallet with you, just a debit card and some cash in your front pants pocket. If someone asks if you know what time it is, ignore them. When you look down they will try for a wallet or punch you. Stuff like that. But the most important thing I learned was that they are coming for you.

Whether you are sitting in your place reading, watching TV or online, you are a target. If you step out to jog, shop or do whatever, you are a target. There is, literally, no safe place for you. As soon as you understand that, you have taken the very first step necessary to avoid being a victim. They are coming for you, so you need to be ready. The ‘how’ is what this book is all about. How to defend yourself. How to escape from twist ties, handcuffs or the trunk of a car. How to stay safe in a dangerous world.