THINK LIKE A BLACK BELT AND BE SAFE

I was excited when Lori Hoeck, who writes an outstanding blog, Think Like A Black Belt, asked me to read and review her new e-book.  Lori is a favorite tough gal: a former EMT and volunteer firefighter, she is a senior martial arts instructor and has achieved black belt status in both tae kwon do and tang soo doo. When Lori’s email request revealed she has worked on this project for over two years, I couldn’t wait to have a look.

Think Like a Black Belt – Take Charge of Your Own Safety is a comprehensive guide to mental toughness and personal safety.  Written from the perspective of enabling parents to pass along personal safety and awareness tips to children and teens, Lori’s e-book goes beyond to a more universally valuable approach.  This e-book is for everyone – because everyone at one time or another finds themself in an unsafe situation.

Lori starts out by introducing us to the transformative nature of martial arts training – the brainy stuff behind the physical prowess.  Martial arts training replaces inner timidity and doubt with confidence, skill and determination in its students.  The concept of layering specific techniques from this book and applying them in unison creates protection, just like when you put on extra layers of clothing to protect you from severe weather conditions.

One of the most powerful insights Lori has shared on her blog is that criminal or emotional violence is not a one-sided relationship.  There is interaction between the perpetrator and the victim during the encounter.  What the attacker is doing is creating a scenario in which he hopes to fulfill his own need(s). Whether the attacker is sadistic, needs to vent anger or another emotion, feels entitled, is manipulative or requires power, the victim is intended to provide.  Obviously, this isn’t a relationship anyone in their right mind would ever want.

A Victim Zone (Lori’s term) is created when you appear on an attacker’s radar.  Lori’s book tells us we should see attacks as relationships . . . with a beginning, a middle and an end. Once we see the situation in this way, we are more free to take action to prevent, escape or end the relationship.  When we are more fully aware – of both the threat and our skills – we will respond with action that keeps us safe.

This view is immensely empowering.  The 15 Safety Tips in Think Like a Black Belt, range from keeping danger at a distance to activating intuition and sensory skills to acknowledging your power.  All of the Safety Tips minimize vulnerability.

Anecdotes abound throughout the book’s 116 pages.  All are taken from real-life situations, and the reader can easily imagine being in the center of each one.  Lori drives her points home in a matter of fact, low-key way that is powerful.

The Bonus Section is worth the price of the e-book alone. This is an activity set designed to fine tune your senses in your personal daily environment.  This D-I-Y workshop that will have you looking at your world in a fresh way while creating a strong anticipatory mode that will keep you more safe.

Make no mistake – Lori doesn’t pull any punches.  She is not out to sugar-coat her message.  She is matter of fact, encouraging and ultimately, very convincing.  We can defend ourselves from the bad guys and we can teach our children how to recognize and deal with them, too.

I’m more than impressed with Think Like A Black Belt – Take Charge of Your Own Safety.  Every parent and child can benefit from Lori’s wisdom and experience.  Most of us are ill-equipped to deal with being the targets of any sort of aggression, whether it comes from the 3rd grade bully, the overbearing co-worker, or the stranger lurking in the street.  Based upon the high cost of self-defense courses, this download is a steal at$19.95. Don’t even think about it.  Just get it.