Be The Spy

“I spotted the two thugs as they entered the hotel bar. the tell tale bulges of shoulder holstered weapons said they weren’t hear for the buffet. I turned my back to the door so I could watch them in mirror behind the bar. I picked up a bottle of the Super Atomic Fireball Sauce the guy next to me had been putting on his wings and removed that cap. As I filled a shot glass with its contents the thugs were talking to a waitress. I saw them spot me as she gestured to the bar and they split up split up to approach me. I picked up my shot glass and headed casually towards the bathrooms which were near the door. the bigger one adjusted his course and came straight towards me. I knew the other one had gone to the far side and would be on me in about 15 seconds. That gave me very little time to act. As soon as I was in range the thug opened his mouth to speak and threw the contents of the shot glass in his face. The atomic sauce burned his eyes like a face full of military grade pepper spray and screamed. As he raised his hands to his face face his jacket lifted enough to show his gun and shouted as loud as I could “Look out!  He’s got a gun.” The bouncer rushed passed me and tackled the thug to the floor. A throng of onlookers now blocked the other thug from me and I walked easily out the door.

“I neutralized two armed assailants and got out with no injuries,” I thought with a smile.  The smile quickly faded as a new thought occurred to me,  “how did they know where I was?”

The old axiom still applies, “If it comes down to a fight then you must screwed up every other option.” A stand up fight is the last thing any spy wants. If you win you’ve lost time, any element of stealth and you may have to make hasty explanations to the authorities. If you lose, well that should be obvious. When ever possible it is better to avoid a fight whether by planning ahead or thinking quickly on your feet. However if you just can’t find any other way out and you know the other guy is about to try and mop the floor with you, here are a few tips to keep you alive.

1) Fighting fair is for people who can afford to lose – Unless you’re a violent sociopath the idea of doing grievous bodily harm to another living person is repulsive. Most people can handle the idea of trading punches and kicks because we imagine those as causing only temporary damage. The idea of burying your index finger completely in someone’s eye on the other hand is hard to even consider. That is why street fighters beat trained Martial Artists with alarming frequency. The hardened criminal thug, gang enforcer or rogue Spetsnaz is perfectly ok with biting a chunk out of you and letting you bleed out from it. That’s because for them to lose is to die and the same is true for you even if you didn’t realize it before.

2) You are never just fighting one person – Whether you’re being threatened by a drunk in a fashionable night club or held up at knife point on your way from a briefing there’s never just one person. If you can only see one person then you have noticed the one or more that are with him. The drunk guy has friends, they may be trying to talk him into leaving but they will throw in with him if a fight starts. The guy with the knife in front of you is distracting you while some one moves in behind to hit you in the back of the head. Always be aware of your surroundings. Get your back to a wall if possible. While the pre-fight talk is happening get enough breathing room to look around and identify the others. Never get tied up with one person to the point you leave yourself vulnerable, leave the submission holds in the ring where a ref can protect you.

3) Know the second talking turns to fighting – The guy talking trash to you hasn’t decided to hit you yet but he’s working up to it. He’s looking for an opening or a momentary distraction when he can hit you. Either that or he’s distracting you while his partner sets up. Watch for the instant he decides to act, if you can spot that then you’ll be able to get the jump on him.

4) Have an exit strategy – Always be looking for an exit. No matter how good a fighter you are there’s always a chance you’ll get hurt. The best thing is to avoid the fight the second best is to exit as soon as the other guys down. In a bar or night club the bouncer(s) will be coming as soon as the fighting starts. You might be able to use him(them) to your advantage try to maneuver towards the door or the bartender while the other guy is still talking. If you can get within earshot of the bouncers and make a show of saying you don’t want a fight you’ve got a chance of having him and his friends ejected without a fight. In the street try to put obstacles between you and the assailant you want to get to a place with light and witnesses. If you get in a quick knock down on him don’t stay and wait for him to get up or even press the attack if you can just as easily get to safety. Remember his friends could come around the corner or he could have a gun hidden. Live to fight another day.

5) Be trained – If you absolutely have to fight then training will make all the difference. Bad training can have trying unrealistic and doomed techniques at best or at worst freezing up if the unexpected happens. Good training will keep fluid, dynamic and thinking clear even under extreme pressure. Find a school or instructor that teaches real world techniques and strategies for dealing with any type of situation.  My top recommendation on this is Target Focus Training. It has replaced Krav-Maga as the top real world fight training for anyone that cannot afford to lose.  In the years that I have dealt with them i have never heard a single negative comment from anyone who actually trained with them.*  Armchair commandos all have their favorite fantasy style of martial arts.  Don’t mistake what looks good on the movies or in a ring for something you could use in combat.  Target Focus Training has proven itself to me and a host of police, military and private security personnel across the world.

* As a favor to me, the people over at Target Focus Training have extended a special offer to my readers. This deeply discounted offer is available only to you, my agents to help you Be The Spy  -Click here now-

Dan paused at the door to survey the party goers.  He quickly picked out the host holding court with several well dressed men near the bar.  The hostess was looking with concern at the buffet as though trying to divine the exact volume of caviar remaining on the tray.  He put on his best smile and strode into the main room.  Dan had long ago mastered the confident yet open walk that said he was friendly and comfortable.  He approached the hostess walking slowly, picking out bits of conversation.  The current topics seemed to focus on the stock market and the novel the host, Karl Bjornson had just completed.

Dan stepped up to Mrs. Bjornson and said with a sincere smile, “I really can’t imagine how you managed to do everything else in your schedule yet still put together such a wonderful party.  You are a gifted woman, Mrs. Bjornson.”

She smiled at Dan and said, “You are too kind.  Mr. ?”

“Please call me Dan.  I consult with your husbands publisher on occasion.  I’m afraid that I don’t know even half of the people here though.”  Dan said flashing his most charming smile.

“Well Dan you must call me Lana.  As to the rest let me introduce you to some of our friends, I’m sure you’ll get along famously.”

A spy must be able to walk into a Diplomatic Reception or child’s birthday party with equal comfort and style.  A spy may attend an event to meet a contact, scout a location, establish a cover story or simply to befriend a target.  When doing this the spy must never seem out of place or ill at ease.  He must always give the impression that he is the ideal party guest.

• You must judge the makeup of the party guests. Make sure that you are not to under/over dressed for the occasion. Be ready to improvise if need be but a good plan is to always keep 2 sets of clothes in the trunk of your car one casual, one business.

• Stop at the entrance for a moment to survey the crowd. Identify people you know, obvious cliques and people of obvious importance. Even if you don’t see anyone you know smile and walk into the room as though you recognize most of the people there.

• Always greet the host as quickly as possible. A party is quite a bit of effort to plan and organize so they will be open to compliments when offered sincerely. Hosting a party is also seen by many as carrying a responsibility to help people mingle and make friends. If you mention that you don’t know many people at the party they will often be happy to introduce you around. This will also help to build an impression for the party goers that you must be an insider of sorts with the host, as you will be observed walking around in conversation with them.

• As you are introduced be sure to greet people with a firm handshake as though they were a friend you hadn’t seen in a while. As you shake there hand look them in the eye and repeat their name, this will firmly embed it in your memory but can be passed off as making sure you have the pronunciation correct.

• Be complimentary. Appear to be impressed by the achievements of the speaker and interested in what they are talking about. Remember to maintain a balance between too much interest or enthusiasm, which will make you seem weird or even mocking and too little which can make you seem distant and aloof.

Basic Practice – Being able to mingle in this type of situation has more to do with attitude than technique. You have to be comfortable and appear friendly. Practice starting conversations with strangers in your normal life. The person in line behind/in front of you at the checkout stand or other places. You will quickly find yourself becoming adept at small talk.

Advanced practice – Once you’ve become adept at starting conversations for a purpose work on starting them with a goal in mind. Pick a random piece of information and get it from the other person in the least obvious form possible. Don’t start with anything to personal. For a start try favorite food, favorite sport or where they went to high school. Don’t be direct work it out of them as a natural part of the conversation.