SPEAR System® (for LE, MIL, First-Responders)

SPEAR SYSTEM®

Our system is based on instinctual tactics already hardwired within our primal survival mechanisms. These responses are predictable and occur naturally without training, so they are therefore far more reliable than learned muscle-memory tactics (at the outset of sudden close quarter violence). We build our tactical conversions around this natural survival mechanism making the tactical conversions simpler, easier to learn and virtually nonperishable. Our system is designed for extreme close quarters. Our tactics are designed to reposition the defender so they get back in control ASAP. We address deadly force problems within the SPEAR System® using what you have at the time of the fight.

What does SPEAR stand for?

Spontaneous Protection Enabling Accelerated Response.  It is the scientific study of human movement as it relates to violence, fear, and aggression.

How long has Tony Blauer been teaching The SPEAR System®?

Tony Blauer started self defense in 1980.  His constant, empirical research into the psychology of human confrontations led to the birth of The SPEAR System® in 1988.  He started teaching the System to law enforcement and military personnel in 1993.

Is it a combination of different martial arts?

The SPEAR System® is a three dimensional pedagogy of human movement and behavior.  Because humans move in limited and predictable ways, some of the movements of the system may resemble martial arts. However the emphasis of The SPEAR System® is on self-defense and our close quarter arsenal was developed to be bio-mechanically efficient.

How can I get certified?

You can get certified if you are an active duty police or military service member, attend our instructor certification program, and pass all of the required performance and written tests.

Are all the courses instructor certification?

No.  Only the SPEAR System® Instructor Certification Course is considered certification. Most of our other courses are instructor development and allow you to inject elements of our research into your curriculum.  We also provide custom courses and end-user courses.

Which course should I take first?

All are courses and research are inter-related so you can start in any course.  We suggest however that you start with the SPEAR Instructor Certification as it thoroughly presents the science behind all the courses.

I am a civilian/citizen.  Can I learn The SPEAR System®?  Can I be certified to teach it?

Citizens are welcome to join our Personal Defense Readiness program but are not allowed to attend our law enforcement / military courses or purchase our exclusive law enforcement / military video library.

I am a civilian contractor working for the US Government; am I eligible for LEO / MIL courses and videos?

Civilian contractors that are part of security details with proper, verifiable, DOD, DOS or DOE credentials are eligible for our military / LEO courses and DVD titles.  They will be examined on a case by case basis and must be prepared to email credentials and proof of employment.

Do I need High Gear® to learn the SPEAR System®?

Although using High Gear® will enhance your SPEAR System® training, it is not needed in order to get the benefits of the training.

How long will I have to practice in order to be able to use it in self-defense?

The SPEAR System® is based on our body’s physiological responses.  This makes it the easiest system to practice and retain. Although individual progress is always different, we constantly receive testimonials on how with very short training sessions -approximately 4 hours - officers and soldiers find they can immediately apply the skills and principles of the System.

Is The SPEAR System® for advanced athletes / martial artists?

Human physiology is the same for the advanced athlete, martial artist, homemaker, and child.  Since The SPEAR System® is based on physiology, it can be learned by anyone regardless of background or ability

Will it help me if the fight goes to the ground?

The SPEAR System® covers applications for all ranges of combat. This includes ground-fighting as well as preventing going to the ground.

What about armed opponents?

The system covers physical, psychological, and emotional strategies for armed confrontations.  We also teach powerful fear management strategies to deal with these very dangerous scenarios.

Is it effective against multiple attackers?

The SPEAR System® includes specific drills and training strategies to deal with multiple attackers.

How is The SPEAR System® different than Krav Maga, RBSD, etc.?

The SPEAR System® goes deeper than mere physical skills and tactics.  In fact, we emphasize important physiological, and psychological research that is the foundation of the system first and then transition to how that influences our reactions, decision making, and movement during violent confrontations.  The System then teaches physical drills and skills to enhance your survivability.

Will training in the system interfere with my traditional MA training or my Defensive Tactics background?

Because of it’s emphasis on physiology, The SPEAR System® will not interfere with your current training.  The focus of the system in defeating the surprise attack makes it the perfect bridge to your training.

If I get certified as a LEO / MIL can I teach civilians?

Certification in The SPEAR System® allows you to teach your agency only.  In order to teach civilians you have to obtain PDR certification.

What makes The SPEAR System® different from some of the other DT training currently available?

Our focus is specifically on enhancing officer survival during the sudden violent assault against a police officer, SWAT operator or military personnel. The 'ambush moment' must be redefined to include any sudden attack where the aggressor has ability and intention and clearly there is jeopardy. This can occur for an officer off-duty, UC, on patrol or at the jail; for the soldier it may be during a UN peacekeeping mission, during solo recce, TDY or during prisoner handling. The sudden attack can occur anywhere, anytime and requires nothing more than the proverbial window of opportunity for the motivated resister.

Current DT/combative models are derived from martial art systems. And while the tactics and mechanics have been modernized to address the opponents of today, many of the learning models and drilling still incorporate a traditional SOP for training. Therein lies the problem. 

Our research, which includes reports, interviews, surveillance video, in-dash cameras, has verified an important fact, the lesson we need to learn is simple:

Control tactics do not work during out-of-control attacks.

Points to remember...

CONVENTIONAL SYSTEMS

Muscle-memory model for learning and deploying techniques. An assumption that space exists (reactionary gap) or the space can be created (almost all DT systems recommend creating space at the first sign of a furtive gesture). Assumption that LEO's control this space. Deadly force scenarios are discussed during firearms classes not DT classes.

I've heard you refer to The SPEAR System® as a 'counter-ambush' system. Can you explain?

The vast majority of people injured are ambushed. Period. We have a simple theory: if you do not weather the ambush, if you are unconscious, immobilized or ineffective at this moment, YOU WILL NOT get to your complex motor skill tools. So in the purest sense, The SPEAR System® and its primary function is to serve the officer or soldier in creating a bridge and buffer between the attack and attacker and thus allowing the operator to regroup mentally, create time & space to get back into the fight. Remember, the ambush (any sudden attack) can be rage based or skill based; it's the intention and intensity that creates the startle/flinch moment in any human being. It could occur during a vehicle stop, an EP/dignitary detail or it could happen during a domestic call or interview.

My department has a mandated curriculum for our DT options, if our agency hasn't adopted your methods, can I use them?

Yes. This is a multi-part answer: If you are an end-user, i.e. a cop or soldier looking to add more tools to your personal or professional defense arsenal you can do so. Like anything you use, you must be able to justify/articulate its use afterwards.

If you are a DT/Combatives instructor you can incorporate The SPEAR System® without state or regional approval as long as your agency or unit approves of it. The standards set forth by any curriculum typically indicate MINIMUM STANDARDS, in other words, an official manual means that 'the prescribed' tactics must be taught but are 'not exclusive'. In other words, so long as the tactic dovetails within the Use of Force standards then the adoption of other choices or options should be seen as enhancing survivability or improving force protection. (Any system or entity that creates some 'exclusivity' clause implies that they have every answer to every problem.) Many agencies and even more officers around the world use The SPEAR System® and its tactics. It has been included in training modules and blocks of instruction all over the world, including the UK, Canada, USA, Australia, and Venezuela. It is taught at Calibre Press's renowned Street Survival Seminar, it even includes a block on The SPEAR System® and our 'Presumed Compliance' theory and treatise.

How easily will The SPEAR System® integrate into my unit’s existing training program?

Very easily. Most programs do not address the ambush much further than a use of force paragraph justifying the means, etc. or an IA principle to charge the threat. But the ambush we address is the extreme close quarter attack and there's no need to charge the threat as it's already on you! So integrating it in your current program is easy as it likely doesn't displace or replace anything.

First: Remember The SPEAR System® biomechanics are natural. Instructors and agencies that have adopted the program have been quick to comment on how positive feedback from recruits and in-service has been. Effectiveness is demonstrated during the first training session making it faster to learn and therefore easier to teach.

Second: The initial action viscerally demonstrates functional ways to negate specific gross motor attacks so that an officer or soldier can transition to another option (empty hand or weapon) and The SPEAR System® evolutions also include tandem principles so that a temporarily compromised officer/soldier can create space so that a cover man or back up officer can move in and take action.

I recently attended a course in which all of the tactics would have been difficult, if not impossible to perform wearing duty gear. Can you use The SPEAR System® in your 'work clothes'?

The SPEAR System® was refined within the LEO & military community. There is a long list of real world warrior's who've trained with us and have validated our research based on their prior combat experience or have successfully integrated our tactics into current situations (this information is provided in our LEO/Mil info package). The important distinction to make is that The SPEAR System® is not a martial art system being applied to the DT or Combatives world, it is a combative system that was built for real-world problems. All the tactics we teach have direct application in both communities and will work whether you're kitted up with an M4 or armed with an MP5 or you're UC or off-duty.

Do you emphasize grappling and ground fighting? I keep hearing statistics about how often real fights go to the ground.

We emphasize 'winning'. In a real fight, DO NOT go to the ground. Cement is not your friend. Mobility and maneuverability are. While grappling is great fun and great exercise, it is tactically the least desirable place to be in almost all fights. Now, learning to 'ground fight', when you're forced to the floor is another thing, and that's a paradigm shift for many:

In the words of one operator, "CQB is a team/standup sport", JC.

FTR: Anyone in a real fight is an operator in our books. We don't distinguish between ranks, or job description, when the fight is on, its your butt on the line, so whether you're a police officer, federal agent or soldier...your real world fight is 100% of your problem at that moment. That is why we remind people in class:

"In your fight, you are point!"

Remember: While grappling skills are a definite part of the warrior's toolbox, they are only a small part. "The superior warrior has no emotional attachment to any particular range of combat." In other words, be diverse with your skill and develop 'tools' and skills that can solve real world problems.

Will your system work for smaller officers?

Absolutely. The SPEAR System® is a personal tool. It has nothing to do with gender, size or strength. Irrespective of size it will work for you for several seconds, (the warrior must transition and start to make things happen! Fighting isn't static.) The bottom line is a smaller officer will not get bigger for their next fight. We can only use what we have and The SPEAR System® Tactic's Bio-mechanic frame is based on sound body mechanics. The drills we have designed to strengthen The SPEAR System® in its tactical evolutions are the most powerful 'frames' you can create in close quarter using only your body. Structural integrity based on physiological research is the key. Be sure to read Dr. Eric Cobb's report on The SPEAR System®.

How difficult is it to learn The SPEAR System®?

Initially learning the basic mechanics and application of The SPEAR System® is easier than learning any self-defense or martial art because the research and science of the mechanics are based on what the body really wants to do PRIOR to any training. Think about that for a moment; the nucleus of our system is already organically ingrained within you. Your instinctual survival system already has built in moves and in times of sudden surprise these natural moves actually override muscle-memory skills. Your natural reactions are lightning fast and nonperishable. We have spent over three decades creating drills and tactics around this physiological research.

While I have read about the SPEAR in several magazine articles, I'm still a bit confused. Is it a new type of technique or the modification of something else?

All of the above! The SPEAR System® has two elemental components: first its relationship to primal/protective responses (referred to as startle/flinch response) already hardwired into our survival system and secondly, the tactical conversions of key flinch positions identified by our research.

The idea of using natural motion is not new to martial arts but when closely analyzed, the arts that proclaim use of this also integrate a complex motor skill conduit, in other words there is a muscle-memory core and the natural motion mention refers more to physics and dynamics of energy, NOT instinctual or primal conversions of human behavior.

Therein lies the difference. The SPEAR System® is based on several dynamics of behavior and THEN motion, mechanics and tactics are devised. The emphasis of which moves are used, the timing of the tactics and the method they are used are inspired by physiology, dynamics of fear and relationship between predator and prey. The SPEAR System® is purely a personal defense method, not a sport or conventional ART.

In your website and other articles, you state that The SPEAR System® is very easy to learn and also easy to retain. Why is that?

It's easy to learn because the nucleus of the system is already a part of your natural survival. That means the instinctive gestures that form the core of the tactical conversions already exist. It's easy to retain for the very same reason: the foundation of the system and tactics we have designed are built around primal responses that are nonperishable, that's why the system is so reliable.

Will learning the SPEAR System® interfere with my other training?

Honestly, that depends on you and your system and specifically why you train. Its crucial to note that the vast majority of martial arts require space, distance, awareness and of course some skill for a technique to function, but real fights happen quickly and in very close quarters (in other words: little space, almost no distance, and generally, they are a surprise too!) So for those of you who recognize this truth and already have a strong interest in another style or a good foundation, The SPEAR System® can be embraced as a 'bridge' to get to their style of choice. (Remember, styles are made up of complex motor skills based on muscle-memory & stimulus-response evolutions - the SPEAR 'tactic' is not based on this learning model.)

The age-old question, what's the best art or style is as popular today as it was centuries ago...but frankly, self-defense is not about style, its about results. If you're looking for a pure, spontaneous method to develop greater confidence in a close quarter fight, the SPEAR System® will be an asset.

I understand that The SPEAR System® is based around the 'flinch response'. What is this and why is it not taught in other systems?

Any sudden surprise movement can cause what we refer to as the 'startle/flinch' response. Sudden movement startles the emotional controls in our brain and causes the body's inherent protective mechanism to recoil from the danger (physiologists have termed this the withdrawal reflex). This action is evident in anyone (even trained warriors) and varies proportionally to levels of awareness or preparedness. But what is most important is to note that the startle/flinch moment is natural and human, it has nothing to do with skill or lack of; it is a behavioral response.

Why its not taught in other styles is simple. Virtually all martial arts of today including most of the modern eclectic systems are based on ancient and/or conventional styles. While many of these systems are very effective and well researched, their arsenals are generally based on complex motor movement. Further, most training evolutions are based on an ancient SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) where training and fighting was based on codes and ritual and specific rules of engagements dictated when, where and how fights took place. This explains why battles became duels, duels became challenges, and challenges became competition. This process creates consent, awareness and preparedness, therefore the combatants are able to adopt stances and create space prior to the proverbial trumpet call.

There has also always been an emphasis placed on winning with good form and using techniques from within the style. Putting this perspective puzzle together, one can appreciate why modern drills and training are still very structured.

Consider this: A boxer doesn't shuffle in a ready stance at an ATM machine to withdraw money. A Ju Jitsu player doesn't walk his dog lying on his back, A Tae Kwon Do player doesn't order Big Macs from a side stance, is this making sense? Real attacks occur when you are out of your arena. And all people flinch. The magic of The SPEAR System® is that we show you how to make that work for you.

Is The SPEAR System® only a defensive tool or can it also be used offensively?

Actually it's not defensive at all. It's protective and the distinction is far more reaching than 'semantics'. Firstly, 'defense' is a subordinate position, it implies that the opponent is all over you, whereas 'protective' is neither defensive nor offensive, it implies a necessary action; interestingly, The SPEAR System® is not an offensive tool either.

Anytime you use The SPEAR System® or tactic, it was because you were required to use it, In other words, you were being attacked. In both cases you were acting in self-defense. This protective mindset conjures up the virtue, value and importance of the 'bodyguard' and this moral and professional imperative is directly linked to one of our most important and powerful concepts the 'Be Your Own Bodyguard®' principle.

High Gear®

What is the difference between High Gear® and Redman, Hitman, FIST etc.?

The High Gear® impact reduction suit is designed for advanced scenario training in which the role players require mobility.  It ensures realistic speed and movement while protecting the role players from injuries.

Do I have to buy a whole suit?

No. Depending on the training evolutions you are designing, you may also use components of the suit. However, for full advanced scenarios we recommend using a full suit.

Do I need certification to use the gear?

Although to get the full benefit of using High Gear® we recommend that you attend our Ballistic Micro-Fight or High Gear® Scenario Instructor certification, it is not mandatory as long as you strictly follow all the instructions sent with the gear.

Is High Gear® only good for training in The SPEAR System®?

No. Many Police Departments and Military units use the gear for other training including prisoner handling, control tactics, and Force on Force scenarios. Some of the most famous MMA gyms and fighters use the gear and of course, martial artists and self-defense practitioners love it for their scenarios.

How much gear do I need to start?

The amount of gear you need depends on the type of training you are conducting, how may trainees, and the frequency of training.

Can I spar with the gear?

Yes. Many amateur and professional MMA athletes and kick-boxers use components of High Gear® to prepare for competition.

How do you clean the gear?

We recommend soap and water, allow it to dry then use disinfectant spray. Do not put it in a washing machine.

Is it safe to use with Simunitions / UTM / FX rounds / Airsoft?

Our Marking Cartridge Ready (MCR) suit is approved for Simunitions, UTM and Airsoft use with specific training calibres and the standard safe-distances (no contact shooting)

Are there concerns with Blood-borne pathogens?

As long as the gear is kept clean, following normal pathogen protocols is sufficient.

What is meant by impact reduction?

High Gear® was designed to transfer pain yet protect the user from injury. It is this unique feature that ensures realistic training. The fear of pain is an important psychological factor that affects our movement in combat. Having this factor in training enhances realism and the survivability of trainees.

Do you supply suits for testing and evaluation?

At this time we DO NOT provide suits for T&E.  Our gear is in wide use in police departments and military units all over the world.

I train for MMA style fighting, how can you really prepare for that level of contact if you're wearing gear?

Firstly, High Gear® is an 'Impact Reduction Suit'. We've designed it so that it does transfer energy (i.e. PAIN!). You can get knocked out, winded, submitted and more with our gear and that is part of the design. Secondly, the original sweet science, boxing, has used padding to help protect and prepare fighters for over 100 years.

Boxers wear 16 ozs. gloves and headgear to train but remove the additional padding to fight. Think of High Gear® as 'boxing gear' but for the entire body. Remember, the gear is used in conjunction with other impact and conditioning drills. If you're an MMA fighter, you do need to train without gear. Check out the Mixed Martial Arts directory for more on its uses for this sport.

Can you use weapons with High Gear®?

ONLY if they are practice 'replica' weapons. High Gear® is NOT constructed with any type of Kevlar or ballistic fabric, so you cannot shoot or stab it. It has been used extensively with F/x rounds such as Simunitions and paint ball, (If you plan on using the gear for force-on-force training with F/x rounds some modification is required near the visor to completely seal the mask from Murphy Rounds).

Can you use Duty Impact gear, like batons?

There is an important tradeoff between providing realistic stimuli [mobility, speed, realistic movement] and protection. If the added protection DOES NOT enhance the tactical confidence of the defender, then the training was irrelevant. With High Gear®, we opted to create the realistic stimuli in order to practice 'real' action/reaction.

Remember: bad-guys who resist move in real time at real speeds, so developing power on a slower, bigger target is an overrated skill that ultimately has little application in a real world fight.

Is the gear easy to clean?

High Gear® is pretty much constructed like hockey equipment. After a serious workout, simply sponge wash it and hang it to dry. The fabrics are all polyester and nylon, and wipe down easily and dry pretty quickly.

How long does a suit last?

We still use High Gear® suits and components that are 8 years old for our MMA and simulation training and the gear is still alive & kicking. The construction is heavy duty and if you follow our trainer guidelines [supplied with each order] the gear will last & last. Naturally, like any piece of equipment placed under stress, [and depending on who's banging on it, tugging on it etc.] there are a few stress points that might require some work - often a 10 minute job at a tailor/shoemaker.

How portable is it?

Two complete High Gear® suits will fit in a regular size duffle bag (we do offer custom embroidered bags if you need) or suit case. So bringing the gear to a martial art camp or class is simple and mobile training teams can always have the gear packed.

How does sizing work?

The High Gear® suit should fit snugly. Sizing suggestions can be found online and in the catalog.

Can it take a full impact shot?

Yes, but maybe you can't! High Gear® transfers energy and you will feel good, clean strikes. Power is an overrated concept. (Being powerful at the right time is key, but that is very different). For those of you who do not understand the importance of a spontaneous mobility suit vs. the Michelin Man type model, consider this observable fact: boxers never miss the heavy bag, but in real fights, they miss their opponents often.

How long does it take to receive once I order the gear?

High Gear® is hand-crafted, we like a 6-8 week window.

How does your gear compare with other suits on the market?

Honestly, there's nothing like High Gear® on the market. It was designed so that you could train in it and fight in it. No gear allows you to replicate your tactics like the High Gear® suit does and this is a training breakthrough in both safety and confidence building. Where most companies emphasize the impact resistance of the gear, we went completely the other way (read the 'Evolution/Revolution' section for complete details on this). Remember, High Gear® was deigned by Tony Blauer after 10 years of doing simulations, so the gear was designed for the event - it was designed to assist in development real-life skills rather than just offering padded protection.

Can I use it for other types of training other than scenario work?

Absolutely, aside from simulations and scenario drills, you can use High Gear® for isolation training, sparring, to protect against injuries, for sparring partners and if you have the appropriate training gear you can use it for kali & escrima work.

Personal Defense Readiness

What is the difference between PDR and The SPEAR System®?

PDR (Personal Defense Readiness) is our course designed for professional self-defense instructors.  It covers the aspects of the SPEAR System® that are not LEO or Military specific.

Can I teach the system to military or law enforcement personnel?

PDR trainers are not authorized to market to military units or police departments and other government organizations unless they have gone through additional and advanced training authorized by Blauer Tactical HQ . 

Are there any pre-requisites to attend?

Candidates must turn in an application prior to being accepted. If it is determined that the student qualifies, a series of pre-course materials is sent to them in order to start training prior to the course. 

Random Questions for Coach Blauer

Mr. Blauer, I’ve been reading your work for years and appreciate how detailed and researched it is. However, I’m still a bit confused by what you mean when you say that we must train “3-dimensionally”. What exactly do you mean?

The ‘3-Dimensional’ principle refers to the integration of psychological, emotional and bio-mechanic components to design and inspire training. In other words, my system is inspired by this simple rule: where & how we train must correspond to where & how we fight.

Unwittingly, most of us train in a one-dimensional arena; I call the ‘sport model’ (lets spar to the body/let’s grapple/lets box/let’s go shoot on the range at a stationary target). The ‘sport model’ always involves consent, awareness, focus on good form and proper technique. However, real fights rarely include consent, awareness, good form or proper technique! This is the greatest paradox of modern self-defense training and one of the reasons ‘experts’ misunderstand our research. Real confrontations occur in the three Dimensional world and all fights involve the dimensions of the body/mind system (emotional, psychological & physical). Therefore, all our principles and drills are based on emotional/psychological support or interference with a specific tactic (as would be the case in real life).

Remember; in a real incident, sensory overload accounts for more fear, doubt and hesitation than the actual attack. The punch, tackle, shove is a one-dimensional obstacle that, in a vacuum, is fairly easy to defeat, but overload the intended recipient with emotions and thoughts outside the dojo, the ring, the tournament and many feel the pressure.

This reality has inspired our research for over two decades and it’s why we have been doing simulations and controlled and scientific force-on-force training evolutions for the past 20 years.

How does the PDR training program differ from most of the other “reality” schools? Do you guys just spar more, or go harder using High Gear®?

In the PDR program we do not spar. Sparring is a sport-training model and while it has great benefits, many of those skills do not readily transfer to street confidence or personal defense skills. So where we differ is our focus on evolutionary drills that do include contact, pain management principles, verbal assault drills, fear management sessions and so on. The PDR program is specifically geared towards YOUR personal ability and what you must focus on to DETECT, DEFUSE or DEFEND yourself in a credible confrontation. Once the 3-Dimensional tools are in place, the High Gear® suits are used in various contact training evolutions (simulations, replications, Ballistic Micro-Fights™) where we inject more speed and contact to help simulate assaultive behaviors while keeping our role-players more protected.

I understand that you’ve changed your scenario-based training system from the original Panic Attack™ concept to the Ballistic Micro-Fight™. Can you describe the differences and why you’ve changed?

The change occurred over two decades really. When you’re doing thousands of hours of drills and evolutions, evolution had better take place!! While we always intuitively knew to include scenario location and dialogue, our original sessions were really hard-core force-on-force confrontations; over time I started to inject moral and legal parameters to the drills. I would tell the defender ‘escape’ was the only option (as an example) and this suddenly forced a stun & run application. In another evolution I would have the aggressor ‘be’ a family member and this again totally changed the verbal phase and subsequent degree of physical tactics. In time we created a catalogue of characters, locations and scenarios. Fights became very focused and strategic and therefore shorter because a directive was introduced. There’s a lot more to it, but this presents a Reader’s Digest explanation. Our program is a thinking person's course – you must be into strategy, mind-set, tactics appreciate the research.

As a long-time martial artist I don’t worry too much about my ability to handle myself in a confrontation. However, I have a wife and two daughters who aren’t interested in hard-core training but would like to know some self-defense. Would your system be a good fit for them?

Absolutely. The tactics are simple and based on common actions. If you’ve read about The SPEAR System® you know that the program is based on instincts, intuition and natural movement triggered by behavior. Even the actual tactics we teach during a ‘stun & run’ choice are demystified to mirror common movement so that the connection between muscle-memory and reactive response is bridged. This all sounds like Latin to some, but the system is simple to learn and with the right fear management and simulation training, people learn it very quickly.

Why do you use the term Personal Defense Readiness?

Much of my research and work is with professional warriors: police officers, soldiers, and protective specialists. These men and women move towards the danger at great risk to protect our way of life. The term ‘readiness’ is inspired from the military principle of ‘readiness’ a state of preparedness proportional to threat and the time it would take to mobilize to address that threat. While pondering the logistics of say getting a battalion ready to move I thought about ‘personal’ readiness and how the principle should/must apply to those interested in self-defense. Then looking at how most trained I realized that the idea of evaluating readiness and recognizing the components that affect the formula for stimulus (gap time) response were quantifiable and could easily be put into a system…and so, Personal Defense Readiness™ was born.

I really enjoy my school and present style, but I'm very interested in the Blauer System, I'm concerned about possible conflicts.

Whether you are a freestyle martial artist, an instructor, novice or member of any organization - you are welcome and invited to train with us.

I'm a police officer and martial artist, will I be able to use this system?

Martial artists, special forces personnel, police officers and many self-defense instructors around the world use our drills, psychology and research. You can too.

I have a lot of respect and loyalty for my instructor, but I feel that we don't cover many of the emotional and psychological areas your research covers. I am eager to learn, but I sort of feel guilty that I'm considering studying your research.

Any serious martial artist knows there is no place for ego or politics in combat. You can effectively cross-train with us while studying another system. As the world gets more violent, Mr. Blauer's extensive research into real-life confrontations becomes even more valuable.

Can you really learn from a DVD or digital media?

It depends on the information. All our content was shot 'LIVE'. That means 'no-edits', no 're-takes' and no choreography. This process accomplishes two things: Firstly, you feel as though you're part of a class and secondly, it allows you to really see what our system is about.

I'm an instructor and run my own school. If I study Mr. Blauer's material am I entitled to teach it?

It depends on the concept, content and context. If its a reference, a quote, an idea then as long as you're citing the source your are being professional. However if you are using concepts and tactics in a commercial setting, then you have a moral and legal responsibility to learn the material professionally and only then to teach it professionally. 

I'm pretty happy at my school, but I really want to feel more confident for an actual 'street altercation', I'm just concerned that your approach will conflict with my style.

Our system is not a "style", therefore, it cannot interfere with your training or your school's approach. You can stay loyal to your style , and still 'cross-train' for street survival using our research.