The Beast & Murphy's Law...

Vice President of Intelligence for STRATFOR and former protective agent Fred Burton describes what it's like in the moments something goes wrong with a VIP's motorcade as it did for U.S. President Barack Obama in Ireland.



"On his recent trip to Ireland, President Obama's limousine known as "The Beast" got stuck trying to depart the U.S. Embassy Dublin. In this week's Above the Tearline, I'm going to discuss what goes through an agent's mind working a protective detail when the unexpected happens.

I've had the opportunity to have worked for two of the best protective units in the world in my assessment, and that is the U.S. Secret Service as well as the State Department Diplomatic Security Service and spend a tremendous amount of time protecting presidents, vice presidents, visiting heads of state.

Now back to the incident when the presidential protection division known as PPD attempts to depart the U.S. Embassy Dublin. It appears that the limousine bottomed out on a apex of a little hill, in essence grounding the limousine and sticking it right on the X in between the two embassy gates. At that moment in time, you‚re stuck. You have the President of the United States or it can be any other high-value target inside the car. You know the car is a safe haven but there's going to be a few moments of chaos as you're listening to the radio traffic in your ear as the agents are trying to explain what occurred.

I think it's also important for those of you watching this video to understand that the agent inside the car also knows that he has a tremendous amount of resources in concentric rings of security: other agents, surveillance teams, counter snipers, Irish national police, Irish protection agents looking out for him.

But, there is that moment when you really don't know what occurred and it could be anything. You're worried about whether or not this could be some sort of attack unfolding and there is that brief moment in time and it may last a few seconds until you're waiting for the worse thing that could possibly occur, whether that be an attack, some sort of device that is thrown in your direction or a rocket-propelled grenade fired. In essence, you know and you feel like a sitting duck and as an agent in the car when something like that occurs, there is sheer fright for a moment until your training kicks in. You keep the VIP in the car because that's your safe haven. You realize you‚re not coming under attack. You safely move the VIP to your backup limousine and you take the secondary route of egress from the location.

From a protective security perspective, in closing, the U.S. Secret Service will diagnose what occurred here and fix it going forward. In reality, this was probably an oversight from the advance agent failing to let the driver of the limo know of the bump as you are exiting the U.S. Embassy Dublin. I know the Secret Service, who is very good at correcting these kinds of mistakes, who'll put process and protocol in place to ensure that all site advance agents will look for that going forward".

Talking H2H With Damon Paine...

A Bodyguards raison d’etre is to prevent an attack on their Principal. This may take the form of an armed or un-armed attack. Due to jurisdictional requirements, safety concerns for others, exigent circumstances or weapon malfunction, the Bodyguard may have to resort to responding with hand-to-hand combat techniques.

EP work is of course fundamentally a cerebral activity and if one does their job properly, physical violence should never be an issue. A Bodyguards main priority is not to win a fight but to avoid it in the first place. The ultimate success in protective operations is when nothing happens. Surveillance detection, counter surveillance, layered security and situational awareness all assist in the avoidance of an AOP. However if an assailant has defeated these strategies and procedures, a Bodyguards un-armed combat skill may be the last line of defense for the Principal.

There are many within the security industry that cannot see the necessity of being prepared to deal with physical violence with empty hand solutions. They think of it as archaic or unnecessary. I’ve never been one of those. Much like CPR, Hand-to-Hand self-defense techniques may be rarely implemented in EP work, but when they are, they are a matter of life or death and one had better be highly proficient in them.

A Bodyguards background often defines their ideology in relation to Protection work. LEO’s, Military personnel or martial artists usually have very defined experiences and perspectives and this often forms the basis of their philosophical approach to providing Protection.

As a former power athlete, boxer and bouncer who started my protection career under the mentorship of some very accomplished ‘street fighters’ I know I’ve always had a bias towards Protection Agents who are fit, powerful and proficient exponents of un-armed combat.

I’m sure this explains my affinity with Damon Paine.

Damon, apart from being a highly intelligent and analytical student of all matters pertaining to providing Personal Protection, has come from a background of mixed martial arts and has been a participant in countless incidents of real world physical conflict and violence.

Damon, like most fighters, has a physicality and presence that sends other men definite signals, an obvious reminder that manners and politeness can be illusory and that the ‘rule of the cave’ is still highly relevant.

As I am frequently asked what is the best form of self-defense training/techniques for EP work I thought a discussion on H2H combat with Damon would be enlightening.

Being an old school guy I’ve always made boxing the foundation of my H2H training. I believe there is simply nothing else out there that gives you the KO power, speed of hands, head defense and ability to deal with multiple attackers that boxing gives you.
Whilst not perfect I believe it’s the most important pillar in a fighter or BG’s un-armed combat skill set. However, Damon with his far more contemporary viewpoint may have a different opion…








Damon, a lot of people don’t seem to realize the difference between ‘Sports Related Violence’, Choreographed martial arts nonsense, “Hollywood Violence” and REAL world violence.

“Learning martial arts in a dojo or school is a great way of being exposed to controlled aggression in a sterile environment. You are able to learn, practice and apply techniques in a repetitive systematic approach with fully and semi compliant opponents there for the same reason, to learn. Problems begin with Instructors imparting knowledge with little or no real word application preaching it as gospel to a class full of eager students captivated but the mysticism of their ancient art. These same students then walk from their class over confidant and under skilled for a real world scenario.

The next level of learning and applying your chosen skill set is in a combative sport setting like boxing, Muay Thai and so on. Even though this is a great platform to test not only your ability to apply your knowledge you are also able to test your endurance, ability to take punishment and heart. However In the ring you have a known quantity, the techniques that will be used, the style of your opponent, length of the fight and the knowledge that you will only be allowed to sustain so much damage before you will have the fight stopped and professional medical attention applied. This is not so when facing real world violence.

We all know that flashing lights, fast movement, big noises and shiny things attract our attention. This is the same with the fighting techniques portrayed in the movie industry with the main concern being box-office ratings and selling theatre tickets. Techniques used are choreographed, shot over and over until the director is satisfied and presented by stunt actors with decades of training in the presence of professional fight choreographers. This gives the audience the illusion of seamless technique and sensational action.

However, in real world situations, you, unlike your favorite action star are not going to be able to wear a baseball bat to the body then proceed to pull of the perfect jumping spinning back kick.

Uncontrolled violence with the threat of serious injury or even death causes the Amygdala or primal part of the brain to take charge. This has a number of physiological effects the dictate the actual techniques that you are physically able to use. Gone in most part are your fine motor skills and ability to pull of complex multi step techniques. What you are left with is a dump of adrenaline, blood rushing from all non-necessary body functions to major muscles and a primal urge to fight, flee or freeze. With training and exposure to this type of violence you are able to control and channel these effects as well as gain back some control of finer motor skills, peripheral vision and breathing thus allowing you to take advantage of all the weapons in your arsenal.

Unlike in the dojo opponents are not semi compliant, predictable or will to slow down their attack to let you get that technique of you have been dying to try. There is no referee to step, no limit to the amount physical harm you face or professional medical attention standing close by to assist. They are an unknown quantity out to inflict untold damage to you so as to achieve an objective. The only known components are you are there and have to be a participant in the events that are about to unfold so as to be able to survive and hopefully take control of the outcome”.

Those that haven’t been involved in real world violent encounters often aren’t aware of the ARIES (Autonomic Response In Extreme Stress) concept. Could you further explain the problems associated with this and ways to minimize the effect?

“The extreme stress of an imminent threat of injury or death, or the stress of being tasked with protecting another party from imminent serious injury or death, can have some profound effects on an operative. These affects are both physical and emotional, ranging in severity dependent on a number of factors. These include the operative’s perception of the seriousness of the threat, their exposure to and experience with violence as well as their confidence in their preparation to deal with it. Understanding what may occur when faced with extremely stressful situations will help combat self-doubt and more importantly recognize key indicators and not hesitate in the moment of need.
The activation of the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) distinguishes this type of stress, resulting in an immediate discharge of stress hormones. This "mass discharge" is designed to prepare the body for fight-or-flight by directing energy and resources for action. This activation is automatic and virtually uncontrollable, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) operates below the level of consciousness controlling visceral (internal organ) functions. Therefore you can expect such responses as: Increased blood pressure and flow to larger muscles (enhanced gross motor skills) tunnel vision, auditory exclusion, loss of fine and complex motor control, irrational behaviour, the inability to think clearly and in more extreme situations the loss of bladder and bowl control.
Remember these are all ARIES and not a result of you being a coward or scared because for example you lost bladder control. It’s your ANS redirecting resources and energy from your digestive system to your muscles thus causing the bladder release. An excellent book that goes into far more depth on this subject is On Combat by LT Col Dave Grossman which I highly recommend reading.
I believe the only way to truly minimize the effects of ARIES is through conditioning and stress inoculation. You need to step out of the comfort zone and get exposed to some real world violence. How you ever noticed how paramedics remain calm and work efficiently at a horrific traffic accident when others are going into shock or have lost all ability to be useful. This is because it is their job; they constantly train for it and are exposed to the horrors of this type of carnage on a regular basis. The same can be said for EP operatives, it my job to deal with violence and threats to safety and life I need to understand it, anticipate it, and be able to operate effectively when confronted by it.
I was fortunate enough many years ago to come across a book by Geoff Thompson called “Watch My Back”. All the stories aside the one part of the book that stuck in the back of my mind was his reason for getting into bouncing. Having been humiliated in front of his children in a random act of violence and having a bleak existence he decides to fight back. He puts himself in the one place he knows he will be exposed to violence “Clubs” thus gains the experience and confidence to stand his ground. Ever since I have tried to do the same”.

In your experience what are the techniques and styles that are most effective for real world violence and also the most time efficient for an EP agent that has many different skills and disciplines to maintain?

“One of the most important skills to have in this industry is the ability to take an objective look at your abilities and build on your weaknesses. The biggest problem I see with a lot of people entering violent situations is the gap between perception and reality. Is the perception of your abilities anywhere close to the actual reality of your abilities and are you about to find out the hard way. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but that fight you had with the school bully or 6 months of boxing training you had 10yrs ago is just not going to cut it. The most important skill you can have going into a violent situation is the realistic confidence in you abilities and preparation to be able to survive what you are about to endure.

I never go into a situation with the misguided notion I am going to come out of it unscathed and uninjured. I do however go in knowing I have done everything I could to face the challenge, do my job to the best of my abilities and do whatever it takes to ensure mine, and the survival of whoever I am protecting. In my experience real world violence can only effectively be faced with preparation, conditioning and the efficient use of whatever resource is at hand to cause the maximum damage with the minimum effort.

Style’s I have concentrated my training around include Muay Thai, Boxing, JiuJitsu, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Arnis (Filipino Knife work). I have found the techniques and styles suited to my needs and body mechanics. All these styles also afford you the opportunity to spar and fight thus testing your abilities all be it in a sterile environment. I would recommend doing as many different martial arts and combinations of, taking what works for you and building upon it through constant repetition and application”.

Jeff Cooper once stated that the WILL to prevail was more important than the SKILL to prevail in combat. Do you agree?

“I agree 100%.

I have faced opponents that have had more skills, more power or the advantage of knowing the environment, strength in numbers or a combination of all of the above. My advantage has always been the will to be the last man standing using whatever I had at my disposal. Be this fitness, power, technique, speed, my surroundings or sheer dominate aggression to ensure maximum damage to my opponent in the quickest time with minimal effort. Unless you come across a seasoned street fighter, most assailants are not prepared to face the same brutality and violence as they inflict on their victim. When confronted with this most assailants are stunned or hesitate and try to process the possible consequences of continuing with their current course of action.

As reacting is never as fast as attacking, you now have the opportunity to place your assailant on the back foot launching your own attack whilst he / she is in the moment of hesitation or shock. Whether this be to facilitate an expedient retreat, buy time until backup arrives or render the assailant no longer a threat depends on you and your situation. The will to prevail is what will keep you going long after you have expended that initial adrenalin dump, used all your favorite techniques and reached the point of exhaustion”.

Over the past 20 years with the growing popularity of grappling and mixed martial arts there has been an increased emphasis on ground fighting techniques in self defense training. The rational given for this is that most fights end up on the ground. However, as most fights start while you are on your feet shouldn’t the emphasis be techniques that prevent the fight from going to the ground, especially in relation to EP work?

“I started my training with boxing and Muay Thai and up until 1993 I would have fully agreed with you on this. However since having trained and fought in Brazil and the USA against some world-class BBJ and Greco Roman wrestlers my view has changed. As an EP operative you don’t want to be rolling on the ground positioning an assailant into triangle choke as your principal is left unprotected. You do however need to understand the ground game and have some skills to be able to defend against it been used on you.

Having experience in grappling will give you the added advantage of being able to read shoots; counter hip throws and arm drags. As well as hopefully reverse any submissions or disadvantageous positions if caught unaware and fighting of your back. I personally try my best not to strike assailants while working preferring to use their momentum to facilitate a throw, takedown or if time and circumstances permits some joint manipulation and pain compliance. My clients don’t pay to watch me fight but keep the principal safe so if need be Ill shield the client and remove them from the area. There is no room in this industry for ego so if all that happens is I wear a few strikes but my client is safe and not splashed all over the media I have done my job”.

Yes, I have to admit that a throw, takedown or a slam into a wall is just as effective a fight stopper as a KO punch. In interpersonal combat, trauma is caused to the human body in two ways; crushing and cutting. Although we tend to think of crushing injuries mainly being caused by movement into contact inflicted by a strike from fists, feet, elbows, knees or cranium, a wall or floor can be even more terminally effective.
How should a 50-year-old EP agent or a less powerful agent prepare to or fight a younger or more powerful, athletic opponent?

“Although youth and strength are valuable assets in violent confrontations they are only two of many. Some of the fittest and most dangerous fighters I know are older and not as strong as myself. What they have lost in age they have gained in experience and skill. What they lack in strength they make up for in efficiency and will power. However this is not the norm, as most people get older they lose drive, power and fitness. Therefore the challenge of facing a younger, stronger assailant is a daunting task.

As an EP operative it is in you and your clients best interest that you maintain a level of fitness and skills to be able to deal with a physical confrontation if need be. It’s a numbers game 99% of the time you will never need to get physical with anyone while providing protection. However banking on the fact that it won’t happen is leaving you and your client open for embarrassment, potential injury and a worst-case scenario of death. You don’t need to be ready for a heavy weight title fight, but you do need to be confident in the knowledge you are in the best physical shape and done everything possible to deal with a violent physical situation”.

What is your usual physical training regime?

“As I am constantly traveling my physical training regime is anything but usual. I take every possible opportunity given to me to train as I may have an extended period in between sessions. All my training however is high intensity with little or no recovery time included. Most of my session range from 45 to 60min nonstop and depending on where I am include weights, running, bag work, grappling, cross fit, pack hikes or a combination of activities.

I am also a firm believer of training in what you will be working in. In say that I do not put on my best suit to do ten rounds on the heavy bag, instead I will wear clothes and a jacket equally as restrictive to movement. Grappling with an assailant takes on a whole new dimension when you not only have to be concerned with being struck but also weapon retention. Therefore I will do all my prior training using the same kit, as I will on the job”.

And what advice would you give to Female BG’s in relation to H2H combat?

“Female operatives like any male operative facing a much larger, stronger and more aggressive attacker should focus on inflicting as much damage as possible to soft tissue areas such as the eyes and throat. This can be with strikes, gouges or even biting”!