In the street there is only one rule: survive. No matter what it takes, if you're involved in a violent assault by an attacker truly intent on injuring you, you can bet it's going to be a real battle. You could easily be fighting for your very life. The solution is simple. You have two choices: give up or fight. There are few of us who are interested in the first option, but what about the survival choice? What can be done to win a fight if you have no conventional weapon? In the law enforcement training community, there are officer survival classes that have much to offer. In these schools, cops are taught everything from basic martial arts footwork to effective use of chemical sprays. Although that's far too much information to provide within the scope of an article, there are a few tricks of the trade that may save your bacon in a tight spot. Let's take a look at these precious gems.

Combative Attitude
Your combat perspective - how you look at something in a fight - should be free to create something out of nothing. Just like a McGyver or a Bond, you need to use what is immediately available to your advantage, to place yourself in superior position and win. But what does it take to win? If you have to light his hair on fire with your cigarette lighter or plow over him with your SUV... whatever it takes to get the job done. As Butch Cassidy said, "There are no rules." You are not engaged in some sporting activity, there are no referees and you cannot count on anyone else to help you. Although you must be cunning and tactically unconventional, you must find the balance of thinking on your feet, keeping it simple and using gross motor skills. There's a lot going on during personal combat, and the last thing you want to do is over-think your situation. Because if you're busy thinking, then you're not busy winning the fight. Maintaining a combative attitude is paramount to winning any fight.

Get Something In Between
The most basic tactic you need to survive is to use your footwork to get your center mass out of the way - escape and evade. Put something, anything, between your vital organs and the attacker's weapon. It could be a briefcase, a raincoat, umbrella, trash bag, even sheer distance. Get something placed between you and your attacker. In the event that it all happens too fast, you may not have the time to run, grab a chair or do anything much other than quickly snatch at something that's instantly available, such as your SureFire light clipped to your belt or pocket. If you don't carry a SureFire, start. One of the best, most effective "objects" you can place between yourself and your attacker is a radiant blast of blinding light straight from your SureFire. Directing a powerful beam of focused light into the eyes of your adversary - especially when in low light, especially if his pupils are dilated from drugs or alcohol - can give you the time you need to move to a position of advantage in the fight. Using the power of light as a distraction or an obstacle can certainly buy you the time and the space you need to move to the next tactical decision.

Keeping Cool Under Pressure
In order to think clearly and quickly, especially under extreme duress, it's necessary for you to keep cool under pressure. Rule One: Remain calm. Top-level special operations trainers constantly remind their troops to keep cool, move smoothly, focus, get the job done. One of the tricks from the field to remaining calm is breath control. Deeply inhale in a long breath. If you've trained to always take a deep breath before action, this will automatically trigger a physiological message to your brain that you're "going in." Members of various U.S. Navy SEAL teams, Delta and other real-world operators in the black ops community have expressed the value of one deep breath to help release any anxiety. Sure, you're still going to be a little tense in a life or death altercation, but if you can remember to breathe, then you'll be much calmer. Coming from those who have truly checked off all the boxes, it will give you the advantage when you really need it. You can even try that right now. Wrap your hand securely around your SureFire as if you are about to bring it into action and take a deep breath through the nose. Exhale through the mouth. Notice any difference? You should feel a sense of calm.

Action Versus Reaction
If you're thinking, you're not acting. If you're not taking action, you're reacting. There is a vicious circle of terror in defensive tactics known as the action/reaction cycle. It is a well-known fact that reaction is always slower than action. Let's take the example of an ambush in which there is no reaction time whatsoever. You're walking along and then all of a sudden - whack - you get nailed in the noodle with a .300 Win. Mag. from 1,200 yards away. Now what? The answer is nothing, because you were bushwhacked, ambushed, dry-gulched and that's the nature of the game. You never saw it coming and therefore had no time to react. Another definition of ambush is simply, "Zero reaction time." We're talking about the equal-and-opposite reaction law. According to this law, you are always behind the power curve if your attacker stays in control of the fight. Think about it: he raises his hand, you prepare to block it. He tries to go low, you prepare to counter his move. For his every action, you're reacting. It's only a matter of time before he will win the action-reaction game. From this argument we derive the adage, "The best defense is a good offense." A good idea. Here's an example: you're being approached by an unknown shadowy figure as you're walking to your car at night. It doesn't feel right, so you act first. You start moving your hand toward your SureFire as you scan for avenues of escape or a possible improvised weapon to grab. Even if the poor guy was just asking for directions, at least you made the first move. Ahead of the action-reaction cycle, you're now in control.

Weapons Of Opportunity
A weapon of opportunity is anything that isn't tied down - and even some things that are. You don't need a very high level of skill to affect substantial control of a fight with a weapon of opportunity. The hardcore street reality is that a violent crime can really happen to you. Yes, you could walk out that door and some crazed psychopath could be just waiting for you to help him buy his next rock of crack. You don't get a monogrammed invitation in the mail. You don't get a two-minute warning. You don't get anything but shocked and stuck in whatever environment that it goes down. Luckily, wherever it happens, there are always "things" in the vicinity. Stuff. Just useless crap lying around all over the place. If you're indoors, you have office supplies, utensils, furniture, telephones, picture frames, all kinds of stuff. If you're outside, there are rocks, sand, dirt, leaves, trash and countless other items placed in the vicinity by man or by Mother Nature. We refer to these countless items as weapons of opportunity. Indoors or outdoors, you can always count on your SureFire being ready to use as either a vision impairment tool, distraction device or impact weapon.

Improvised Weapons
An improvised weapon is something not originally designed to be a weapon, such as a crowbar, framing hammer or your SureFire. A cinderblock wasn't designed to hold open a swinging door, but it works. So, what's the difference between a weapon of opportunity and an improvised weapon? According to the experts, the only difference is time between identification, assessment and deployment. A weapon of opportunity is almost always within arm's reach - it can be a pillow or a handful of leaves. Whatever you can get your hands on, just put something in your hands, anything, to immediately use against your attacker. Improvised weapons are chosen more carefully. Here you have time to consider your options. "Hmmm, let's see now. What can I use around here to torch this guy? Well, there's a can of hair spray over there... now let's see... I need some matches." One of the best improvised weapons you can get your hands on is clipped right there to your pocket. Using a powerful beam of light to temporarily blind your attacker is one application, but if things get a little too close for comfort, you can tighten your grip and deliver substantial damage with the bezel of your SureFire to his throat, eye sockets, groin or temples. Combining the power of bright light with the crushing impact power of anodized aluminum against human body parts can give you a decided advantage when it comes to ensuring your survival on the street.

Steve Tarani, author of several books on contact weapon defense is on staff serving as Senior Defensive Tactics Instructor for Del Rey Oaks Police Dept. (Calif.). Additionally, Tarani is the Director of Training for Contact Defense, LLC Operational Skills Development (Calif.), on staff at the U.S. DOE Nonproliferation and National Security Institute (Central Training Academy), Security Force Training Dept. at Kirtland Air Force Base (N.M.) and on staff at the prestigious Gunsite Academy. He can be reached at (949) 515-0905 or via www.contactdefense.com for scheduling or directly by e-mail at stevetarani@earthlink.net for more information.