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-