Self-Defense Against Home Invasions – Home Defense Tactics

Self-Defense against Home Invasions is one aspect of a total self-defense plan. It is a topic I was doing some studying on this week when I received Home Defense Tactics by Jeffrey S. Anderson, of the ISCQC Extreme Survival series to review. (I had made a blog post on the topic last week before getting this course.) This manual with accompanying DVD and CDs focus on exactly what happens in this very disturbing video.

Please note, the video is very violent and disturbing. This is how real violence often happens.

As of right now, I do not believe they have caught the man yet, but police are using this video to help them capture him.

Update on 6/29/13 – the man has been arrested: Shawn Custis Arrested For NJ Nanny Cam Home Invasion  See story here.

Please, don’t take the above video as something to make you scared or paranoid. Statistically, home invasions are rare. Unfortunately, when they do occur, they can be devastating. They are low-probability, but carry high-consequences. The purpose of this post is not to scare you, but to help you be better prepared so you can stay safe.

While I intend to write a full review on Home Defense Tactics in the near future, I wanted to share a few self-defense tips against home invasion and I’m using the manual as a resource. Home invasion is different from a burglary, so while some of the tips I’ve provided to stop burglary may help, many are not applicable. (For instance, a home alarm system can be a deterrent, but many times when you are home alone, or with your family, like the woman in the above video, you don’t have your alarm on.)

According to Anderson, the home invader’s very first move is to rely on extreme violence in their initial entry, taking advantage of the element of surprise before you can collect your thoughts enough to decide to fight back. I agree with him, and you see that very thing in the above video.

While I don’t have the space to go into the details Anderson does in his book and accompanying materials, I do want to share a few tips that can help you stay more safe.

1. Have a means to check who is at your door. Peepholes work, closed-circuit cameras can be even better. If there is no plausible reason to admit a visitor, DON’T. And while we are talking about doors, how strong is yours?  Some exterior doors are pretty flimsy and can be easily kicked in, as the one in the above video apparently happened. It can be well worth the time and Money to replace doors with those that are more secure with better locks.

2. Lock your doors!  The advice about better doors and locks does you no good if you don’t make it a regular habit to keep your doors locked. (and don’t leave your extra key under the door-mat or some other obvious place.)

3. Keep weaponry accessible or on your person. I understand that depending on where you live, the option to have and carry a gun varies. I also understand, being a father, the concerns with unsecured weapons in the home. Each person, and each family, must find the balance of safety and having access to quickly retrieve a weapon if needed. While learning physical self-defense skills can be beneficial, a weapon is often a much better choice against much larger and stronger attackers.  (It should go without saying, but I will say it – if you own a gun or other weapon for self-defense you must learn to use it and train with it.)

4. Don’t be surprised. With the above said, even if you are armed and have weapons in the house, you may be caught by surprise before you can get to those weapons. That is why you must keep doors locked and be wary of opening them to strangers. Anderson describes a cool little trick he does with a door stopper than can give him the needed time to arm himself if someone tries to crash through the door cracks open to talk to them through. The door stopper is there allowing the door to be opened the 8 inches or so needed for Anderson to talk to the person, but if he tries to push the door open further, the stopper holds the door long enough for Anderson to act.  I really like that idea!

5. Get a Dog. I’m not saying go out and get a dog strictly for home protection, but the fact is, having a dog can be a big deterrent to most criminals. And if you did find you wanted a dog such as my friend Tom has, they can and will help protect you. Tom at Protection Dogs Elite.

These are just a couple of tips to help you be more safe at home. I’ll be doing more on this topic in the future, as well as completely reviewing Anderson’s Home Defense Tactics. Until then, remember, it can happen anywhere. I don’t want you to be paranoid, but I do want you to think about your own safety. If you don’t who else will?  Take care, and please stay safe.

A few more tips from a previous post.

A few resources from amazon.  I have not read them all, but offer for your consideration: