The uproar in London continues over whether or not the tool of violence should be available to citizens.
Seems I’m fast becoming the poster child for “Extreme Self Defence” in the UK (yes, that’s how they spell ‘defense’ over there; with a ‘c’).
The debate has attracted the BBC, the Sunday Times, 2 separate documentary filmmakers (for both the BBC and Channel 4) as well as numerous newswires and magazines.
My Sept 26-27 London seminar is fast approaching capacity and I’m considering extending my stay to handle the media requests and offer another seminar (the Sunday Times will be in attendance and has the print media exclusive for this one).
I’m being called everything from a “refreshing breath of sober advice” to the “Billy Mays of Violence” by the UK media.
I think they were trying to insult me on that last one but I was a big fan of Billy Mays and if you ever watched the show Pitchmen you know why. He was a good guy who only backed products he truly believed in. And he was someone who never took himself too seriously.
The debate in England seems to rest on the misguided fact that, if citizens are well-versed in the tool of violence for self protection, it will somehow transform them into hardened criminals.
The media and public officials conveniently dismiss the fact that self defense laws in the UK haven’t begun to keep up with the heinous asocial criminal acts of violence occurring with alarming regularity there.
In fact, in many of my interviews, these folks seem committed to actually ignoring this fact! Uh, what is it they say about the ostrich with its head in the sand…
Anyway, why this irrational response?
I’d ask you to refer to my last blog Self Defense Training for The Man Of Ideas.
There I discuss the reality which many people choose to ignore. It’s simply the fact that we live in a physical world… something predators fully understand and readily exploit!
As a reader of my newsletter, I don’t need to remind you of my strict definition of where and when violence is ever the right tool for the job.
But it seems the UK media and government officials are dead set against opening this debate. Fortunately, I’ve got thick skin.
If you missed the articles on all this check out my Facebook page here.
And if you haven’t been to a TFT live Seminar and are waiting for the right one, wait no longer. After attending this TFT London training I’m guessing you’ll agree… it was one for the books!
(Just don’t be disappointed if the mayor of Slough isn’t there as your training partner).
Taking violence with the utmost seriousness but myself, not so much, in honor of the late Billy Mays, until next time,
Tim Larkin Creator & Founder,
Target Focus Training
PS. Speaking of that ostrich… those of you in the land down under shouldn’t snicker.
As you know, I’ll be doing the same 2-day sessions in Sydney December 5-6.
And I’m now fully expecting this controversy to spill over into your neighborhood next.
What a way to end the year.
