Letter Re: Self-Defense Advice

Mr. Rawles,
I have eight children, the oldest of whom is 15 years old, and the youngest, 6. I would love to do an at-home self defense course with all of them, but especially the teen girls. Do you have a recommendation for an internet course that isn’t cheesy or a scam? – A Happy Homemaking Prepper in California

JWR Replies: You cannot learn how to fight someone by reading a book or watching a video. You need to physically practice, to develop muscle memory. I’d recommend a year of Tae Kwon Do to learn kicks and punches, followed by at least a year of Jiu-Jitsu, to learn grappling and falls.  I’m sure you recognize that we live in the modern world, so you will also need firearms training, starting when each of your children is about 12 (depending on their maturity.) The Appleseed Project‘s rifle range training is excellent, and available at very low cost.