When tested, the lessons learned lead to radical changes the direction of my research, teaching and career. We had to reverse engineer the process and question everything my team and I had ever been taught. I owe that to the encouragement of my mentors - many of whom were veteran Army Rangers, Military Intelligence Agents and Special Forces instructors. It was an ignition point that altered my trajectory, now twenty plus years later of doing this research and teaching. I took those lessons and that direction, along with my experience teaching thousands of men, women and children and applied the concepts to civilian personal protection use. Integrating bodyguard tactics, it became VIPER - a different approach to self defense.
Why VIPER? Mostly it was born out of my poking fun at the tough names of some of the other fighting and self defense courses on the market. SCARS was one of the biggest programs going at the time and gaining much notoriety for having been a test program for Naval Special Warfare (NAVY SEALS BUDS).
For those of us with Military backgrounds we often have an affinity for acronyms. It's a helpful way of remembering things and was a convenient way to package something that was a self defense (personal protection) system I consider unique. The name VIPER also was fitting due to the nature of a vipers natural protective mechanisms.
Survival Training Force Options - A Different Kind of Street Self Defense
VIPER stands for Violence Interdiction Personal Evolutionary Responses. The foundation of the program is to use strategy, fear management and innate survival mechanisms to increase effectiveness in identifying, preventing, thwarting and intervening in would-be violent encounters. It is a rapid learn last resort safety self defense system designed for reality based self defense for todays streets.
It's About Results - Not About Symbolism, Style or Show
Rather than having the focus of most systems, technique, VIPER emphasized results. It doesn't matter what you know or don't know. It doesn't matter how stylized or pretty it is. What counts is using whatever assets, means and abilities to change the context of the situation to put the odds in the clients favor. Objective? To have the peace of mind that comes from the confidence that one is equipped to survive and go home to one's family.
It Doesn't Matter What You Know - It Only Matters What You Do
It only matters how well you could manage a simulated violent crime encounter. It also had to be highly adaptive to address individual physical, emotional or mental limitations. Some clients simply do not have the athleticism to bring to bear that many MMA or Martial Arts trainers adapting their skills to a self defense context often provide. It had to work for clients even if they are out of shape. It had to be real in every sense of an individuals lifestyle, and have efficacy throughout ones life.
Context driven, mission specific training
If we do our job, the client experiences a remarkable leap in confidence, skill and ability to prevent, deter and de-escalate what would be the most violent 4-6 seconds of his or her life. What my team and I became really good at was doing it safely in a way that empowers people rather than intimidates individuals. Each of our training courses are tailored to the individuals or organizations in which they would use it.
VIPER Personal Protection - Think Like a Bodyguard
The VIPER STREET COMBAT name was a way of separating it from reactionary, defensive mindset so-called self defense courses out there. I have since elected to use VIPER STREET COMBAT to describe a sample video product promoted through TRS &
Fightfast.com. The full course is a hands-on, classroom and interactive scenario based live training event we refer to as VIPER Personal Protection. VIPER Personal Protection integrates the same strategies we teach to bodyguards and law enforcement to predict potentially violent situations as well as being one step ahead of a potential attacker.
It is not designed to teach individuals how to fight, rather it is designed to teach individuals how to avoid, disrupt and derail a criminal attack. While intensely effective physical intervention skills are taught, they are only used as a last resort to neutralize danger and create a window of opportunity for escape.
Research on Self Defense & Defensive Tactics
My team and I continually research and push to innovate, develop and test the cutting edge methods to offer our students effective problem solving options. Our archives of hundreds of scenarios, video crime footage, news articles and other research continues to guide our work. I collaborate with a team of experts including one of my top students Instructor Don Gray, an Iraq War veteran formerly with the 82 Airborne who is a Modern Army Combatives instructor. (Admittedly, I'm really proud of him and hope you'll get a chance to work with him - he's extraordinary.) Our collaboration provides us with the ability to offer non-traditional insights, advice and solutions to clients looking to get an advantage and stay safe.
Standing On The Shoulders of Giants
I've been very blessed to have studied from and researched some of the leading minds in this field and taught thousands of students around the world. From Coach Tony Blauer, Sigung Paul Vunak, Mr. Gavin de Becker, my Special Forces mentors and my loyal students and clients (from whom I learn from every day), my path is certainly unique. I don't mention those names with the intention of namedropping for vicarious fame by association, rather to accurately acknowledge their influence on my work and to give proper credit where credit is due.
Heaven knows I've tested some crazy marketing and cheesy ads out there but anyone who knows or has worked with me knows how seriously I take giving credit and acknowledging my teachers and the pioneers who advance the cause of protection.
It is their generosity in sharing rather than judgmentally comparing that inspired and encouraged my growth over these past 25 plus years. I hope to be able to share some of our research and findings with you one day. If you are a trainer, I consider you part of the team and the solution our world despirately needs. It would be an honor to collaborate with you and share our findings to continually equip the good guys with the skills they need to succeed and build a more peaceful world.
