K.I.S.S.: Keep Individual Security Simple

By Chuck Helmke and Charlotte Guttenberg

K.I.S.S.: Keep Individual Security Simple by Chuck Helmke and Charlotte Guttenberg is a primer for individual security (self-defense). Although K.I.S.S. offers advice and tips useful to any age group or gender, the writers are particularly interested in the concerns of senior citizens and people with disabilities, people who may think they cannot defend themselves. They do this utilizing a fictitious group of senior citizens and the problems they encounter with a gang that is victimizing them.

The writers are senior citizens who recognize issues that can easily be overlooked in other training courses by trainers who have yet to experience the tolls of age.
Helmke says, I have tried to address problems in a down-to-earth manner that is readily understandable, regardless of the present training level of students. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this type of training.

Statistically, the safest defensive solutions are avoidance, deterrence and de-escalation. They have proven to be absolutely the safest way to live your life. However, these three solutions can fail because of something we did not do or because of something totally out of our control. If avoidance, deterrence and de-escalation have failed to defuse a volatile or violent situation and a life-threatening situation is imminent, I have problems with the idea of hand-to-hand combat for most people. The only true equalizer for these types of potentially life-threatening situations, in my humble opinion, is a handgun. That is my defensive choice.

For whatever reasons, if you feel that is not your choice, then I will do my best to address some possible alternatives you may choose to use. That said, I feel the handgun is the best possible defensive weapon for anyone, especially women, senior citizens and people with disabilities. It might prepare you for the day I hope never comes.

In the words of some experts in the world of defense who have read K.I.S.S.: Keep Individual Security Simple:

Brent Shepherd, Director of Operations at the American Police Hall of Fame Shooting Center says of K.I.S.S.:

This is the most straightforward explanation of applied personal safety principles I have ever read. The concepts and practical applications are easy to follow and this book provides insights that can benefit everyone.

Retired Philadelphia policeman, Steven O. Forester says:

This book offers you the opportunity to learn how to be a survivor of the worst thing that could happen to you, the loss of your life or that of your loved ones. The world is changing and not always for the good. Dont let the bad guys win. Give yourself the edge to come out of that situation a winner. Remember, age is just a number, if you prepare your mind and body to do the task, it can be done.

Retired deputy sheriff, C.J. Gibson says:

After Mary became a victim of a purse snatching, Arthur and Louise, along with their neighbors decided not to be victims any longer and took some personal initiative to prepare themselves for individual security. In a society plagued with increasing violence, Helmke and Guttenberg provide an easy, fun read and practical advice for anyone interested in taking responsibility for their personal security. They deliver this advice utilizing an elderly couple with physical challenges and limitations often faced by our aging population. Helmke and Guttenberg are passionate and knowledgeable in the task of personal safety. They provide sound, real life, practical concepts to begin your quest of individual security.

Special Agent Jeffrey Stover, Retired U.S. Secret Service says:

If you decide to kill a fly -- you kill it with a sledgehammeryou know how a fly can be such a pest -- you move your hand to make it move away or try to swat it with your hand -- but cant quite get it. You may move to attempt to catch it and se

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 25, 2009
• ISBN: 9781462813544

Book preview

Copyright © 2009 by Chuck Helmke and Charlotte Guttenberg.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Authors: [e-mail]

The contents of this book should in no way be construed as legal advice. If you need to have the laws regarding self-defense in your state, particularly the use of weapons in self-defense, clarified for you, please contact the governing agency in your state directly or through your local state representative or seek the counsel of an attorney.

Arthur and Louise, the elderly couple and their friends, who you will encounter throughout this book, are fictitious characters created to illustrate different scenarios and possible solutions. Any similarities to anyone living or dead, is purely coincidental. The town of Fairview, in which they live, is a creation of fiction. Any similarities to it or events depicted as happening there, are also purely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

49619

Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE

Mindset of Individual Security

CHAPTER TWO

K.I.S.S. Principle Applied

CHAPTER THREE

Situational Awareness

CHAPTER FOUR

Avoidance, Deterrence, De-escalation

CHAPTER FIVE

Lethal or Non-Lethal Defensive Tactics?

CHAPTER SIX

Changing the Odds to Your Favor

CHAPTER SEVEN

The Decision to Defend

CHAPTER EIGHT

BAR: Body Alarm Reaction

CHAPTER NINE

Practice: Mind Muscle Memory

CHAPTER TEN

Reflexive Non-Diagnostic Weapon Handling

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Aftermath Management

CHAPTER TWELVE

Quoted Wisdom

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The ISSUS Trainers

Trainer and ISSUS founder

"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile,

hoping it will eat him last."

Sir Winston Churchill

Dedicated in loving memory

of two fallen warriors:

Suzan Adams Helmke

(1944-2006)

and

James Sloman Guttenberg

Combat Medic, U.S. Army Special Forces;

U.S. Army Engineer officer

(1950-2001)

49619-GUTT-layout.pdf

Expert Opinions:

This is the most straightforward explanation of applied personal safety principles I have ever read. The concepts and practical applications are easy to follow and this book provides insights that can benefit everyone.

Brent Shepherd, Director of Operations

American Police Hall of Fame Shooting Center

After Mary became a victim of a purse snatching, Arthur and Louise, along with their neighbors decided not to be victims any longer and took some personal initiative to prepare themselves for individual security. In a society plagued with increasing violence, Helmke and Guttenberg provide an easy, fun read and practical advice for anyone interested in taking responsibility for their personal security. They deliver this advice utilizing an elderly couple with physical challenges and limitations often faced by our aging population. Helmke and Guttenberg are passionate and knowledgeable in the task of personal safety. They provide sound, real life, practical concepts to begin your quest of individual security.

C.J. Gibson, M.S.

Retired Deputy Sheriff

This book offers you the opportunity to learn how to be a survivor of the worst thing that could happen to you, the loss of your life or that of your loved ones. The world is changing and not always for the good. Don’t let the bad guys win. Give yourself the edge to come out of that situation a winner. Remember, age is just a number, if you prepare your mind and body to do the task, it can be done.

Steven O. Forester

Retired, Philadelphia Police Department (1981-2003)

If you decide to kill a fly—you kill it with a sledgehammer . . . you know how a fly can be such a pest—you move your hand to make it move away or try to swat it with your hand—but can’t quite get it. You may move to attempt to catch it and set it free somewhere else. We’ve all done that. But the odds of catching the fly are slim. The swatting just has the fly coming back. You decide to escalate the use of force—right? Out comes the fly swatter. As this book reiterates, that’s when the swatter is brought out—the decision has been made to end this confrontation. As in a lethal confrontation, the use of a firearm’s deadly force is justified.

Special Agent Jeffrey Stover

Retired U.S. Secret Service

Helmke and Guttenberg bring us into a story of desperation that turns into inspiration. Their own commitment to personal security comes out as they take you along the path to awareness on many levels. Anyone seeking the way to defend themselves and their loved ones, needs these concepts. They are important to anyone’s well-being. Prepare today, be safer tomorrow.

Don Reber

Firearms Trainer

"Men are not prisoners of fate,

but only prisoners of their own minds."

Franklin D. Roosevelt

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to acknowledge the following individuals who have directly and indirectly influenced my training methods and ideas over the years. Perhaps, knowingly or unknowingly, they have helped to shape my ideas of self-defense and the methods I use in training. They are, in no particular order:

Tom Givens

South Narc

James Yeager

Andy Stanford

Massad Ayoob

Jim Cirillo

I would also like to thank the reviewers/editors who took time out of their busy schedules to assist with the manuscript. Thanks to: Brent Shepherd, C.J. Gibson, Steven O. Forester, Don Reber and Jeffrey Stover.

Special thanks to Dan O. Sabath, Firearms Editor, The Chief of Police, The Official Publication of the National Association of Chiefs of Police for his excellent advice and friendship.

Chuck Helmke

"Learning is not compulsory . . .

neither is survival."

W. Edwards Deming

"Teachers open the door.

You enter by yourself."

Chinese proverb

INTRODUCTION

Why am I writing this book? I want to raise the level of awareness regarding the necessity of correct preparation for self-defense—and, let me assure you, it’s not all physical preparation. Although this book should be helpful to anyone, I am particularly concerned for senior citizens and people with disabilities, people who may think they cannot defend themselves

An oft quoted maxim, No one plans to fail, they fail to plan, is very true. The only requirement for learning is an open mind. Age, physical ability or disability and lack of training can be overcome—if you decide to learn to defend yourself. Did you catch that? If you decide to learn to defend yourself. I can share my knowledge and opinions, but YOU must decide to learn. After making that decision, you will be able to find solutions that will work for you. I would like to assist you to that end.

I especially feel the problems of older people, and of our bodies’ aging processes, are generally neglected by most trainers. I feel it appropriate to address these problems. As I write this book, I am sixty-seven years old.

Face it: None of us can leap over buildings and car hoods in a single-bound like we could when we were twenty-five years old. (Some of us never could.) It seems the older we get, the more aware we become of that lost ability. The younger we are, the less we face our limitations. It is often said that the young think of themselves as invincible and bulletproof. Perhaps age truly does bring wisdom and we recognize reality. Subtle losses, such as loss of balance or inflexibility due to arthritis, can be instrumental in keeping you a prisoner of fear, and those are only two physical things. What about the issues of diminishing sight and hearing?

What must we address in the pursuit of defending ourselves? It is imperative to address the physical limitations that creep upon us. It is advisable to maintain at least minimal physical conditioning in order to have a better defensive ability—we need to address what we can do to defend ourselves in spite of any particular disability. We must also address the mindset of self-defense. I will do that in this book.

As we get older, many things happen to us—mentally, as well as physically. I think we tend to become more passive. A passive or optimistic person may use the reasoning, Oh, nothing has happened so far, so I guess nothing’s going to happen now. A more pessimistic individual may decide, What can I do? I might as well give up. Still a passive outlook isn’t it? Obviously, I feel this is absolutely incorrect thinking. Neither viewpoint is based in reality—prepare for the worse case scenario and be pleased if you don’t have to use it. Owning an umbrella doesn’t mean you expect it to rain every day does it? It is good to be prepared