Make a quick list of about 7 things that you believe are negative about you.

Once you’ve finished your list, take some time and go over it and then ask yourself the following questions:

Could it be possible that some of these beliefs might be untrue?

If this thought that’s making me suffer isn’t true, why am I hanging on to it?

And if I let it go, what would my life be like with out it?

Repeat for every item on your list and enjoy the journey to your True Self!

*For a deeper practice of seeing truth in your life, I highly recommend  “The Work” of Byron Katie

SELF DEFENSE VANCOUVER/RICHMOND BC

Sonia Aslam Oct 30, 2011 09:06:46 AM

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Two men in their 20s are in hospital with non-life threatening injuries after a double stabbing in Maple Ridge this morning.  It happened around 3:45 a.m. at a house party on Gee Street.

No arrests have been made, but investigators are speaking with other people who were at the party.

This is the second stabbing in as many weeks in Maple Ridge.  Less than two weeks ago, two teens were taken to hospital after being stabbed.  A 19-year-old man was arrested in that case.

Anyone with information is asked to call Ridge Meadows RCMP at 604.463.6251 or Crime Stoppers at 1.800.222.8477.

First off, this isn’t a rant or me trying to come off as all knowing.  This is my blog and me trying to make sense of the world around and within me.  I’m not going to try to give anyone advice on what they could or should of done to prevent these stabbings from happening, as I don’t know all the facts, nor was I there.  What we do know, is this was a party and it’s probably safe to assume that the usual elements were in attendance; ie) Alcohol, drugs, and egos.  But again I wasn’t there.  The question that keeps running through my head is this, “What is going so terribly wrong in someone’s life that they would want to stab another human being?”  Stabbing or bludgeoning someone to death is a very intimate act of violence.  Statistically in North America more people die by stabbings than shootings. Some of you might be thinking “If knives weren’t so readily available there wouldn’t be so many stabbings!”, but in reality knives, baseball bats, and guns aren’t doing the violence. It’s the individuals wielding them.  Nor can we blame videos games, movies, t.v., secret societies, or government conspiracies.  What we really need to look at is the source of violence as opposed to the tools used to deliver it.  The root of all violence starts with the SELF and until we as a species come to that realization, all the laws, jails, and  executions will never solve it.  So if you really want to change the world around you, start by protesting the war within you and hope for peace.

 SELF DEFENSE VANCOUVER/RICHMOND BC

It astonishes me that we live in an age where information is so readily available and yet majority of the folks I’ve met who teach or practice self defense have never read this?

Defense of Person

Self-Defence Against Unprovoked Assault
… / Extent of justification.

34. (1) Every one who is unlawfully assaulted without having provoked the assault is justified in repelling force by force if the force he uses is not intended to cause death or grievous bodily harm and is no more than is necessary to enable him to defend himself.

(2) Every one who is unlawfully assaulted and who causes death or grievous bodily harm in repelling the assault is justified if

(a) he causes it under reasonable apprehension of death or grievous bodily harm from the violence with which the assault was originally made or with which the assailant pursues his purposes; and
(b) he believes, on reasonable grounds, that he cannot otherwise preserve himself from death or grievous bodily harm. [R.S. c.C-34, s.34.]

Self-Defence In Case Of Aggression.

35. Every one who has without justification assaulted another but did not commence the assault with intent to cause death or grievous bodily harm, or has without justification provoked an assault on himself by another, may justify the use of force subsequent to the assault if

(a) he uses the force

(i) under reasonable apprehension of death or grievous bodily harm from the violence of the person whom he has assaulted or provoked, and
(ii) in the belief, on reasonable grounds, that it is necessary in order to preserve himself from death or grievous bodily harm;

(b) he did not, at any time before the necessity of preserving himself from death or grievous bodily harm arose, endeavour to cause death or grievous bodily harm; and
(c) he declined further conflict and quitted or retreated from it as far as it was feasible to do so before the necessity of preserving himself from death or grievous bodily harm arose. [R.S. c.C-34, s.35.]

Provocation.

36. Provocation includes, for the purposes of sections 34 and 35, provocation by blows, words or gestures. [R.S. c.C-34, s.36.]

Preventing Assault
… / Extent of justification.

37. (1) Every one is justified in using force to defend himself or any one under his protection from assault, if he uses no more force than is necessary to prevent the assault or the repetition of it.

(2) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to justify the willful infliction of any hurt or mischief that is excessive, having regard to the nature of the assault that the force used was intended to prevent. [R.S. c.C-34, s.37.]

Reference: Department of Justice Canada: Criminal Code

SELF DEFENSE VANCOUVER/RICHMOND BC

I am very excited about the new website and the new direction in which my work is taking me.  Self defense is about so much more than kicking and punching.  Self defense is about the SELF and how we get to the TRUE SELF.  Self defense is 90% mental and 10% physical, but unfortunately most people devote 100% of their time to only 10% of the equation.  It is my hope that this website will help those who are seeking more than just the 10%.

Peace Love Respect,

Matthew

SELF DEFENSE VANCOUVER/RICHMOND BC

People are always asking me what would I recommend if a person has no time to participate in any classes or workshops?  The answer is simple…get yourself a copy of Gavin De Becker’s book “The Gift of Fear”.  It is required reading for all my students.

In The Gift of Fear, de Becker draws on his extensive expertise to explode the myth that most violent acts are random and unpredictable and shows that they usually have discernible motives and are preceded by clear warning signs. Through dozens of compelling stories from his own career and life, he unravels the complexities of violent behavior and details the pre-incident indicators (PINs) that can determine if someone poses a danger to us. Readers learn how to:

• Recognize the survival signals that warn us about risk from strangers
• Rely on their intuition
• Separate real from imagined danger
• Predict Dangerous Behavior
• Evaluate whether someone will use violence
• Move beyond denial so that their intuition works for them

Offering in-depth solutions to people who are dealing with domestic abuse or workplace violence or who are the targets of unwanted pursuit, de Becker also provides unique insight into death threats, stalkers, assassins, children who kill, and mass killers. After reading The Gift of Fear, individuals will be able to confidently answer life’s highest-stakes questions:

• Will the employee I must fire react violently?
• How should I handle the person who refuses to let go?
• What is the best way to respond to threats?
• What are the dangers posed by strangers?
• How can I help my loved ones be safer?

The Gift of Fear is an important book about human behavior, one which has left millions of readers stronger and safer.

SELF DEFENSE VANCOUVER/RICHMOND BC

This is one of my favorite articles written by Martha McCaughey.

1. Because fear sucks. The fear of attack is every woman’s fear and every parent’s unspoken fear for their daughters. It crimps women’s sense of freedom and causes undue stress. For some it creates generalized anxiety.
2. Because relying on the “Good Guys” to protect you from the “Bad Guys” is a fundamentally flawed strategy: women are typically alone when they’re assaulted, and that Good Guy/Bad Guy line can get blurry fast. And by the time help arrives, the damage has likely been done.
3. Because acting on your own behalf beats divine intervention nine times out of ten.
4. Because women CAN effectively defend themselves AND escape deadly harm. Contrary to the myth that fighting back “makes things worse”, research has shown that, “forceful resistance strategies” ARE effective in thwarting attacks. On the contrary, pleading, reasoning or appealing to a criminal’s humanity is “almost universally futile”. (See “Fight Back Against Rape”.) Fighting back might be your only chance at escape, at survival – and you deserve a fighting chance!
5. Because violence happens. It is estimated that 12.1 million women have been raped and that 1 out of 8 will be assaulted in her lifetime. A violent crime occurs every 21 seconds, and every 15 seconds a woman is battered. In the time it takes to read this page, more women have been assaulted. Your chances of becoming a victim of crime or attack are greater than your chances of attaining the perfect physique. Yet, in spite of epidemic violence against women, dieting, not learning to protect ourselves, remains the female right of passage.
6. Because even our best efforts at combating violence (better law enforcement, stiffer punishments, more funding for programs) and all our coveted beliefs (Love Conquers All!) become meaningless sound bites when you’re faced with an aggressor who is about to go ballistic or stick you with a knife.
7. Because gone are the days when being prepared meant leaving home with clean underwear and enough change for a phone call.
8. Because knowing how to defend yourself is ordained by Mother Nature. And Mother Nature rules. What other animal sends their young into the world without self preservation skills then tells them, if attacked, to NOT resist? Self defense isn’t a luxury; it’s an essential life skill.
9. Because contrary to popular myth, confidence does not come in a roll-on.
10. Because you would be riddled with guilt if you passed on feelings of helplessness to your children. Anxiety is passed down, often unconsciously, and YOU are the medium! Fear makes us a magnet to predators; the more fear you/your children harbor, the more at risk you/they become. When you empower yourself, you empower your kids.
11. Because learning to kick ass just plain feels good. It plunks you smack dab into your epicenter of power, reminding us that, “…our bodies are not decorations. They are strong, they are powerful and when violated they can be deadly.” (Geneen Roth, author of “Feeding the Hungry Heart”)
12. Because when women own their own capacity for aggressive self protection, we not only become safer, but we become more whole and lay claim to our power. Truncating women from their aggressive potential diminishes our being. It dims our fighting spirit, prunes back our ambitions and passions and cleaves us from our healthy BIG GIRL appetites.
13. Because being a wuss is unfashionable. In a culture gone warrior-chic, who wants to be a weenie?
14. Because being defenseless is a lot scarier. It keeps women fearful of yet dependent upon men.
15. Because criminals and predators are a step ahead. They have a plan and have likely “done this before”. Assaults are swift and vicious. The heat of the moment may be too late to ruminate about what to do (or not do!) You must decide in advance what’s worth fighting for and have a plan.

SELF DEFENSE VANCOUVER/RICHMOND BC

* Half of Canadian women (51%) have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence since the age of 16.
* Every minute of every day, a Canadian woman or child is being sexually assaulted.
* One to two women are murdered by a current or former partner each week in Canada.
* Spousal violence makes up the single largest category of convictions involving violent offenses in non-specialized adult courts in Canada over the five-year period 1997/98 to 2001/02. Over 90% of offenders were male.
* Thirty-six percent of female victims of spousal violence and less than 10% of victims of sexual assault reported these crimes to the police in 2004.
* Physical and sexual abuse costs Canada over $4 billion each year (factoring into account social services, criminal justice, lost employment days and health care interventions).
* Violence against women occurs across all ethnic, racial, religious, age, social and economic groups. Some women are more vulnerable however, and are more likely to experience violence, including women with disabilities, geographically-isolated women, young women and Aboriginal women.
Women are more likely than men to be victims of the most severe forms of violence
* Women experience higher rates than men of sexual assault, stalking, serious spousal assaults and spousal homicide.
* In 2004, twice as many women than men were beaten by their partners and four times as many were choked.
* Of the almost 34,000 victims of spousal violence reported in 2000, women accounted for the majority of victims (85%): a total of 28,633 victims.
* Women are three times more likely than men to be physically injured by spousal violence and five times more likely to require medical attention.
* Women are five times more likely to fear for their lives as a result of spousal violence: the violence or threat of violence was so severe that 38% of women feared for their lives compared with 7% of men.

SELF DEFENSE VANCOUVER/RICHMOND BC

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank S.U.C.C.E.S.S. and the fantastic group of young people in the “Youth Leadership Millennium Program” for having me out to teach.  I really enjoyed the experience and must praise the leadership for doing such an awesome job in facilitating this program!

SELF DEFENSE VANCOUVER/RICHMOND BC