Alain Burrese is an Author, Speaker, Personal Security Expert, Safety and Self-defense Instructor. He has combined his years of martial art and self-defense training, military service, bouncing and security work, along with his formal education which includes a business degree and law degree into books, DVDs, and programs to help people stay safe and defend themselves if needed.
Alain Burrese is the author of Hard-Won Wisdom From The School Of Hard Knocks: How To Avoid A Fight And Things To Do When You Can’t Or Don’t Want To. The book has a foreword by Marc “Animal” MacYoung. The book was originally published by Paladin Press, and you can now purchase the revised and expanded edition through this website or on Amazon.
Alain has also stared in three instructional DVDs with Paladin Press. These include: Hapkido Hoshinsul: The Explosive Korean Art of Self-Defense, Streetfighting Essentials:
Combining Western Boxing and Hapkido into an Unstoppable Self-Defense System, and Hapkido Cane: Big Stick Fighting From the Dojo to the Street. (Yes, Alain knows
“dojo” is Japanese – he’s lived in both Japan and Korea – but the publisher went with that title believing more people know the Japanese word than the Korean, which is “dojang.”) Additionally, Alain has done a number of DVDs with Aiki Productions. These include the five Lock On: Joint Locking Essentials DVDs. This series is a comprehensive guide to joint locks. So far, the series includes Volume 1: Wrist Locks, Volume 2: Arm Bars & Elbow Locks, Volume 3: Shoulder Locks, Volume 4: Finger Locks, and Volume 5: Combination Locks and Lock Flow Drills.
He also starred in Restraint, Control & Come-A-Long Techniques: Effective Arrest & Control Techniques for Law Enforcement and Security Professionals volumes 1 and 2, and Chokes and Sleeper Holds. (You can learn more about Alain’s books and DVDs, including clips from the programs, in the Store section of this site.)
Alain also wrote a novel, Lost Conscience, that is a thriller about a prosecutor who calls up an Army buddy and the two use their military sniping and martial art skills to go after a child trafficking ring when the law fails to do so. This book will be available in 2012 and Alain has plans to write more about these two former snipers. Alain’s second book on self-defense is How To Protect Yourself By Developing A Fighter’s Mindset, which 
has been called, “an updated and more instructive version of Jeff Cooper’s Principles of Personal Defense. I believe Alain’s book is just as motivational as Cooper’s, but actually contains far more actionable knowledge.” (See full review)
Another series Alain is working on is the Tough Guy Wisdom series. These books are the Ultimate in Tough Guy Movie Quotes and Trivia.
Alain started his martial art training with Fred Neff and Bruce Tegner books in the 1970s. It was before The Karate Kid came out, but Alain was doing the same thing, following along with the books, learning what he could. In 1982, Alain had his first formal training in Judo, an art he studied and competed in during high school. The Judo foundation served him well for real encounters and further training in other arts throughout the years. Be sure to check out the bonus section It’s A Small World in the Chokes and Sleeper Holds DVD for an interesting story that started with that Judo training so many years ago.
As he moved around in the military and after, he studied at various Karate, Taekwondo, Judo, and Hapkido schools.
Of the arts he studied, Hapkido, especially because of the joint locks and the use of a cane as a weapon, was the art he most enjoyed. (Yes, he admits he was influenced by Billy Jack and The Trial of Billy Jackthat featured Hapkido Grand Master Bong Soo Han. And it was a great pleasure when he had the opportunity to meet and train with Grandmaster Han at his school in Santa Monica before he passed away.)
Alain furthered his training in Hapkido by moving to Korea to train in the home country of the self-defense art. He paid the bills by teaching English which provided him the opportunity to live and train there. He attended two classes a day and one on Saturday while living there. He also went to five Qigong classes a week, so you could say he almost lived in the dojang. Alain feels very fortunate that Kwanjangnim Kim Young-jong also taught the Qigong classes out of the school. On subsequent visits, he’d train four classes a day and some in between. He currently holds a 5th degree black belt in Hapkido. He continues to go back to train with his instructors in Korea and wants to organize some Warrior’s Edge trips to Korea so others can experience the wonders that country has to offer along with Alain’s Warrior’s Edge teachings. (Read a more complete account of Alain’s martial art journey here: Alain Burrese Hapkido Journey and Dan Rank
Alain’s military background includes two years as a paratrooper with an Infantry Battalion in the 82ndAirborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C., and working as a sniper instructor at the 2nd Infantry Division Scout Sniper School at Camp Casey, South Korea. (The military tour was his first time living in Korea, and he has also lived in Japan and toured other Asian countries)
Additionally, Alain has always focused on practical self-defense. While in the Army, he found himself in a number of fights and brawls. At the same time he started learning from people like Marc “Animal” MacYoung and Peyton Quinn. Little did he know he’d become friends and teach along side the two and many others.
Alain’s formal education includes a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a Management Emphasis and a Communication Studies Minor, and a Juris Doctor Degree from The University of Montana School of Law. Besides these, he has extensive training in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution, including Mediating the Litigated Case at the Strauss Institute at Pepperdine Law School.
Alain has also written numerous articles for Black Belt Magazine, Karate/Kung Fu Illustrated, and American Survival Guide. His Lock On: Joint Locking Essentials DVD series was highlighted in the August 2012 issue in the section of the magazine featuring Essential Gear.
Alain continues to train in the Korean art of Hapkido, and he teaches an on-going class in Missoula, Montana. He also teaches seminars on Hapkido, joint locks, the cane for self-defense, However, he currently focuses more on teaching safety and self-defense to people who don’t have the time, or don’t want to learn a formal martial art. This includes being on a team of instructors who have been teaching Active Shooter Response classes to the Missoula community.
Alain created the Survive and Defend website to help accomplish his goal of helping people take responsibility for their own safety, and teaching them how to be safe and defend themselves if needed. Through the membership site, blog articles, YouTube videos, Facebook page, and live presentations, Alain is helping more and more people all the time. He hopes you will enjoy this site and meet him at one of his live events. But above all, he hopes you stay safe.
If you would like to know more about Alain or ask him a question, please use the contact page of this site. He looks forward to hearing from you!
