Self Defence Or Self Delusion?

Although the discipline of self-defense should be important to every-one, it must be of paramount importance to Bodyguards. A Bodyguard has by choice decided to potentially put him self in harms way. He may have to fight for his life, or to defend the life of his Client.

Experts such as Robert Redenbach and John Ellery have written excellent publications in relation to the tactics, mind set and training needed to prevail in ‘non sport’ violence.
However, there is a much over looked area in the art of self-defense.

In over thirty years of working in Protection, I can only personally recall a few operators who have died or were seriously injured through targeted or random acts of violence. In addition, most of those were working in hostile, high risk regions.

I have known many more that have died from other causes, far more insidious, deadly causes.

Imagine compiling a Risk Assessment for a client and let’s say you could identify three or four factors that they would be exposed to that in combination killed in excess of 100,000 people per year. Wouldn’t it be foolish and negligent not to implement strategies to avoid or minimize the risks from those factors?

Well those factors are not imaginary. They are very real and also very avoidable. I’m sure you have realized by now, those deadly factors are;
Heart disease, Cancer, Hypertension and Obesity related illnesses.

All of them very preventable and far more likely to cause you harm than a violent encounter.

It has always confounded me to see morbidly obese Bodyguards (who often combine obesity with smoking) working assignments.

These people are walking contradictions. They are choosing to ignore the very things that are most likely to harm them. They are jeopardizing not only themselves but those they are tasked to protect.

In an aircraft emergency you are instructed to affix your own oxygen mask before assisting any one else.
Bodyguards should likewise ‘secure their own borders’ first before taking on the responsibility of protecting anyone else.

There’s no way around it. Being overweight and unfit is bad for your health. It is also a reflection of the flawed character of the person afflicted.
It is hard to convince others that you have a professional attitude towards duty of care when you obviously lack the desire to look after your own health.

Image projection is a very important aspect of the Bodyguards profession. The officer’s presence is the first stage in the force continuum. A fit, vigorous looking Bodyguard is going to have great deterrent value which greatly assists counterpredation.
A soft, unconditioned Bodyguard looks vulnerable, this causes an increased risk factor in relation to victimology.
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I know of competent Bodyguards who are overweight. However, I would argue that they would even be far more effective at their job if they got into condition. Their excess weight also limits the variety of tasks that they can perform.

‘Vertx’ the tactical clothing outfitters have come up with the term ‘Operational Athlete’. I think this perfectly defines what a Protection Agent should aspire to.
‘Vertex’ defines the Operational Athlete as “like no other athlete on earth. They receive no preparation time before their event. They become aware of the physical requirements of that event as they unfold. They have little information for the ground that event will be played on, the temperature it will be played at or the duration of time it will cover. But what does that mean in terms of how they prepare?
It means that the operational athlete has to prepare for literally everything. All the traditional athletic avenues: strength, power, endurance, flexibility and agility. The difference is the proportion. A marathoner does not have the same physical requirements as a football player, therefore while there may be some crossover in their training methodologies, the proportionate times are relative to the activity of choice.
The Operational Athlete has no such specificity. The Operational Athlete must be agile and powerful, with a high strength-to-mass ratio. He or she must also have good cardiovascular endurance. Both are requirements of the job and both may aid in a life-saving situation (be it someone else’s or their own). They must be concerned with injury prevention and reactivity to ensure career longevity. They must be able to come out of long periods of idle behavior without fear of their body failing them. The Operational Athlete must have the work capacity to perform a variety of tasks successfully in order to do their job well. He or she must be able to cover ground quickly and efficiently, jump, climb, dive, crawl, duck, evade, grapple, pursue and any number of other movement descriptions at any given time.
Training methods commonly learned early on or through traditional mass-media are not as effective for the Operational Athlete. Training for them is not about look or performance (though both are side benefits), but about lifestyle. Excess bulk will only serve to slow them down, but minimal mass will not allow them a level playing field with heavier opponents. The ability to maneuver with equipment and kit must also be a concern, so solid core strength must be included in training. The creation of strength and power can be achieved without the addition of excess mass by improving the body’s ability to overcome force from a variety of angles and overcoming instability in body position or contact points.”


Health, fitness, correct diet and adequate sleep also assist in promoting cognitive function/reaction, an area of vital importance to the Bodyguard.

There is no great mystery as to how we can remain healthy and increase our longevity. The important components are; nutrition, aerobic conditioning, resistance training, flexibility, stress management, avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol and caffeine intake.

Nutrition is vital in preventing premature bad health and disease. Approximately 75% of weight loss or gain is dependant on dietary intake. Currently, obesity is ballooning in the Western World.
We are suffering an epidemic of overweight children and adults People are finding comfort in the overwhelming presence of others of a similar structure and countenance. They try to convince themselves about the normalcy of corpulence.
However if you are obese you are three times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and have a higher rate of contracting serious illnesses such as diabetes and certain cancers. The solution to this epidemic is in what and how much we eat.

The precious fresh fruits, vegetables and hearty proteins that nourish our bodies have lost their appeal and have been replaced by sugar, fat, worthless carbohydrates and chemicals in take-away packaging.

If you are confused consult a dietician and work out an eating plan. Take the time to learn about nutrition. Most people know more about running their car than they do about their body. However your body is the vehicle that you travel in through life’s journey.
If you don’t look after your body where are you going to live?

Don’t just focus on how much you weigh but rather on what your weight is made up of. Have a body fat test. See what percentage of your weight is muscle and what’s fat. A healthy range is 15% body fat for males and 25% for females.

Aerobic Conditioning is achieved by running, power walking, swimming, cycling, skipping or any other activity that gets the heart pumping at about 70% maximum (approx 170 beats per minute minus your age) for at least 30 minutes three to four times per week. This greatly improves your cardio vascular system and helps reduce body fat.

Resistance Training is achieved by doing weights or exercises such as chin-ups, dips, push-ups and hop drops that use your own body weight as resistance. They increase muscle tone giving you more strength and aid in preventing osteoporosis of the bones.
Consult a personal trainer who can help you work out a simple but effective programme .You don’t have to work out with the intensity of a chemically enhanced mirror athlete. A thirty minute session three times a week will give you a functional increase in core body strength.

Flexibility is essential for maintaining range of movement and correct posture. Yoga or simple stretching exercises achieve this in 10 minutes daily.

Compare your fitness level with those recommended by the Cooper Institute. The Cooper Institute has developed a scientifically valid battery of physical tests that relate to an individuals ability to perform essential functions within a Law Enforcement or Public safety job.
(web: www.cooperinst.org/lawenf.asp )

In the United States their standards are used by many Federal and State law enforcement agencies and some larger private security firms, in the selection and annual physical evaluation testing of their officers. Doing so protects the Agency or company from litigation ensuring that some-one who is physically incapable of adequately performing L/E or security related tasks is not employed. This not only helps protect the public but also the candidate. Being physically capable of performing all job related tasks obviously reduces the amount of risk an officer would face..
The tests are scientifically based yet simple and are non age or gender specific.

Stress management is finally being recognized as a health preserver. The hectic pace of modern life impacts our health by lowering our resistance to disease and making us more vulnerable to illness. Hypertension, heart disease, chronic fatigue, certain cancers and ulcers have all been linked to stress. Our body responds to emotional stress the same way it reacts to physical danger. When we feel the effects of stress our health is compromised by the primitive flight or fight response that produces stress hormones even when we are not in immediate danger.
Our bodies are not designed to be flooded with the toxic chemicals produced, by the constant state of sympathetic nervous system activation..

Meditation is wonderful for relieving stress as is yoga and exercise.
Exercise burns off stress hormones helping us to relax. It is a healthy alternative to alcohol and drugs which only mask and eventually exacerbate the problem.

Cigarette Smoking is responsible for more deaths per year than anything else. View it as a slow and painful form of suicide and totally avoid it.

Minimize Alcohol Consumption. It has a detrimental affect on the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. It is also a major factor in accidental deaths.

Caffeine is a drug found in coffee, tea, soft drinks and chocolate. Limit your daily intake. Caffeine can cause behavioral problems such as irritability, nervousness, headaches, sleeping disorders and depression. Physiological problems include doubling the risk of bladder cancer and increasing the growth of tumors caused by other carcinogens.

Self defense can really be viewed as self preservation. Although we cannot preserve life itself, we can preserve extra time in life.
Defensive tactics, martial arts and weapon craft are all essential skills that the Bodyguard needs to master.
In the High-Risk areas of Protection, developing and maintaining these skills almost becomes a full time job in itself.
However these skills must first be built on a foundation of health and fitness.

Good health protects us from our most likely enemies and should be the first priority in any Protection Specialists skill sets