HOME INVASION? TRAINING FOR...

FUNNY [DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME ACTUALLY--WAITING FOR LUNCH AT MY MOTHER-IN-LAWS ON
A COMPUTER THAT'S AS RESPONSIVE AS MY GRAN HAVING A NAP]

IN SHORT:
NIGHT BEFORE LAST, THEY TRIED TO BREAK INTO OUR GARAGE--WHICH WE'VE MADE INTO A CARRIAGE
HOUSE...AND MY MOTHER IN LAW SLEEPS.

LAST NIGHT I TOOK THIS MEASURES,
-PHONE BY THE BED
-MY PIT BULL WITH HER
-GROUND FLOOR LIGHTS ON
-MACHETE BY MY DOOR [HIDDEN SO AS NOT TO BE A BENEFIT TO ANYONE BUT MYSELF {IMPORTANT TO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION}
-KEYS IN VARIOUS PLACES TO FACILITATE A STRONG RESPONSE
-HOUSE SHOES ON--WORN TO BED

SORT OF EXPECTED TO HAVE TO ENGAGE ON SOME LEVEL LAST NIGHT--INTUITION OF SORTS

COPS IN THE ALLEY LAST NIGHT, MUCH OF THE NIGHT--PRESUMED A NEIGHBOR HAD TO DEAL WITH
SOMETHING AND/OR SOMEONE WAS STOPPED IN THE ACT OF BREAKING IN. WE HAVE BARS ON ALL THE
DOORS, ETC...BUT I'VE NOT GIVEN MUCH THOUGHT TO THIS STUFF BECAUSE OF SAID BARS.
NOW I'M CONSIDERING THINGS. THE MOST HELPFUL THING TO ME WAS GOING THROUGH A 'SP' BEFORE
GOING TO SLEEP.

ANYONE THINK ALONG THIS LINES, AND TRAIN ALONG THESE LINES. A BLIND SPOT FOR ME--THE IDEA OF
WAKING AND GOING INTO ACTION. I THOUGHT BETWEEN MY DOG AND THE BARS, I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE
MUCH TO WORRY ABOUT--UNDER THE PRETENSE OF 'INCREASING THE PERCEPTION OF RISK'. BUT I DIDN'T
FACTOR IN THE 'CARRIAGE HOUSE'.

I WAS SO AMPED LAST NIGHT, I WAS ALMOST DISAPPOINTED THIS MORNING--I KNOW THAT SOUNDS STRANGE
BUT IT'S NOT REALLY WHEN YOU FIRE YOURSELF UP TO RESPOND STRONGLY.

I'M GLAD ULTIMATELY--DUH, BUT IT GOT ME THINKING ABOUT STUFF HOME-INVASION RELATED

Good topic.

BTW, I used to hang knives under unused jackets in the hallway by my door with these magnetic knife rails.



Home invasions are bad situations. I think the first battle-line is deterrence. Like why do they break in one place and not another? Seems to me like a combination of:

1 - They percieve riches

2 - It looks easy.

Fixing that gets rid of most scum. I think that'll mostly be something relative to the other houses in sight, rather than something fixed.

Then comes making it very hard to get in UNDETECTED. Gravel walkways make a lot of sound. Good lighting. A good dog. An alarm system. Heck, even if you didn't have doors on a house, simply making sure any forced entry will make a lot of noise is a priority. If all it does is alert you to what's going on, that can go a long way. And of course they MAY get startled and run as well.

Then, making it very hard to get physically indoors uninvited. Tall concrete walls with spikes on top, a moat, minefield...

...err. Anything that is a physical barrier, and that will take a lot of time and effort to get through. Strong doors, you've got the bars. Good locks, although they should never be relied on entirely, because of "lock-bumping." http://www.metacafe.com/watch/498491/lock_bumping_in_the_news_san_francisco_3/

I like these things



It's a shock to the system when you open a door or window and one of these little feckers goes off. Bearing in mind that a burglar is already full of adrenaline and fear and that stealth is his weapons of choice...

we definitely think as one mind. after 12 yrs of security, i sort of worked out that increasing perceptions of
risk and being surprizingly agressive at the onset went a long way.

i told my m-in-law {Shar] that noise [like your picture of the contact alarm] and light mattered, mostly because
i had a habit of thinking like a leopard
when i used to 'hunt' thieves in my retail store. surprize mattered. cover mattered. i saw the affects of surprize.
i liked the analogy because i knew something about real leopards--how they hate suburban neighborhoods with
yappy terriors in the yard [in africa obviously] because their cover is blown...raises the hairs on their neck, etc...

RichB, i like your knife set up. my front door is heavily fortified. my back is the one to the carriage house garage.
so greatfully [as i have kids] my kitchen is next to the back door with it's safety kid latches for under the sink.
that's where my machete is. and if ever there is a question...i don't pull out anything i don't intend on using. this
one isn't the sharpest thing, but it carries a terror factor, and the thin'ness of it can break a bone with a good swing.

i'm used to d.c. not having gun rights--it does now but i'm not really into balancing a hidden pistol with kids about.
i feel like i'd be on fire with forward drive and agro with something like a bolo, kuhkri, or machete...so there it is.

i'm still amped to no end. i'm not into property in that american 'mine' way [no offense]. but my fence extends to
my quarters as my kids live there, end of...

i sort already put myself in a state feel that berserker blessing--assuming anything could happen [me or them] so
what the fook do i have to lose going full out. that's my mind set just now. me, him, them, all of us...whatever.
come into my house, and get the showing of a lifetime. fooking cunts--sorry. not usually this angry. it's floating
with me and not leaving. i assumed correctly about their return as my 'in-law' never made a report. i figured
but didn't want to bring it up--that it would pass as an attempt failed but un'noticed. they gave up, but went next
door i reckon. probably not going to come again, at least for a while as the police showing last night was significant.

but i have to wonder what would have happened to my m-in-law if...some small woman in her little house. obviously
i don't share my views with my family but i'm pretty sure what might have happened.

got to go play dad/husband/clean-up/etc....balance those hats. keep everything packaged.

lets face it. when it comes to home invasion type themes, one has to think of where
one is most vulnerable, right?

embarassingly, i used to use the loo with the lights off--as the fan would otherwise automatically
turn on and drown out sound so that i wouldn't hear anything but the fan. i live to use all of my
senses. i say used to, because my surroundings are more armoured now with my pitbull, bars, etc...
i used to have a small blade in the pocket of my pajamas [really sweat pants]. light slippers that
pass as shoes, etc...

got rid of my 357 smith and wesson, because i could imagine things going wrong without the time
to practice those skills.`hand cannon with alot of kick + people in a house = uncertainty.

ironically, getting back into this mindset makes me sleep easier. i never would have thought it.
sort of keeping my guard up at all times--mid point, semi relaxed. then when things infiltrate my
subconscious enough, probably allowing myself breathing space to have it be a triggered automatic
as it is with my hands. i am quite relaxed by comparison with all things on the street--whether realistically
or not, because i routinely exhaust my game plan and know not to expect any more from myself.

now my learning curve starts with my house SP.

Sucks when these kinds of things happen, and it sets your mind into constant uneasiness. Like has already been mentioned, a variety of early warning devices are quite helpful.

Having various weapons caches around the house is also a good idea. We just have to keep in mind that they are helpers and not necessarily be dependent on them. Meaning you forgo the attack them now because you wanted to get the blade mentality. I have fallen into that when training before. People tend to ignore the fact that any weapon is merely an extension of the body.

Guns… I like’em and have enough to take care of any zombie attack that may come my way. But like you said, when there are kids, it can be vary dangerous. Besides lets say you get one and follow all the safety precautions to safeguard your child and now it takes too long to obtain it for practical defensive purposes.

RichardB… Love that magnetic knife rail. Never seen that before, I will have to look into those… pretty clool.

You are not alone in your thought process of securing your home. To me it’s no different than training in any other tactic.

Try this… Next time you get up in the middle of the night to relieve yourself. Clear your home… meaning be as quiet as possible in what ever light you have and check the house for intruders, every room and dark corner. Practice slicing the pie as it's called. you can find a description of it here, covers corners and doorways http://www.wikihow.com/Clear-a-Building-with-a-Firearm It helps in determining what ways would be best to do that. Yes I have done that several times and with various weapons. You’d be surprised what you might learn. Commence laughing…

Good topic for discussion Russ, possibly worth bearing in mind that you did prevent a further break-in and as such you were successful?

Sharif, I use those door alarms you just illustrated. They scare the crap out of ME when I forget they're on, so hopefully would put the shits up a burglar.

Me and the gf have a room in the attic, with a door at the bottom of the flight of stairs. Our exit could be that way, or up onto the slate roof via the low skylights. Sounds dangerous but with enough adrenaline (and a pink dressing gown) I think it'd be a peice of cake.

We have a fairly quiet street and I sleep with the skylights open.

I've always presumed that i'd be able to any hear windows being broken into but could anyone comment?


PS. If I have to turn on a light in the night (never) I close one eye so that I still have half my night-vision afterwards. It takes 40 mins to get it fully back once destroyed, as far as i'm aware. Obviously it's not a linear thing though.

nice link Roadkill, i like the course this is going--i'm actually glad this happened for it's
learning curve potential without anyone being hurt.

Mike, the link had this
"Allow your eyes to adjust. Your best "accessory" is your own body. If something happens while you are sleeping, your eyes are already adjusted, but if something happens and you are around light (but you must go into a dark area) be sure you let your eyes adjust before you proceed(this can take up to 30 minutes for your eyes to fully adjust). "

regarding what you mentioned...i hadn't thought of it, good idea.

my other angle is to do all this mildly on the sly. my family thinks i'm crazy enough because either they didn't
grow up with risks or they were in denial over it [i should say my 'in-law' family]. that's why the machete under
the sink. i don't even think my wife knows it's there, or she's forgotten about it from way back if she does.

i like the natural weapons that don't set off too many alarm bells for my potentially skeptical family--like my cooking knives
in the kitchen [bonus: by the back door]. i have one of those magnetic racks but it makes the knives in plain view [doh!] so
i think i have to rely on of the way area out of reach.

thanks for the tip [Roadkill] about not getting into the 'reach for it at the expense of fighting back' mentality. it was the reason
i stopped carrying knives in the first place. now, my little skinning knife in my pocket is the only unsexy shank i carry. i try to forget about it, so i don't get all attached. but remember it enough to know it can flick open really easily. i think i need some to stick at to know for sure how i'd use it. i always assumed my old sensibilities--a slash at the neck vein/face, but i should think about some shank style thrusts.

okay, late for a class

Mention of eyes adjusting… Arrr… Pirate patch. I have read and saw on Mythbusters about that’s why Pirates wore a patch. When they boarded a ship and when they went below deck they would move the patch to the other eye and now have night vision abilities… Kinda cool when you think about it.

The only guns I have experience with are the kind that shoot suction cup darts. However, I've entertained the thought of getting a paintball gun for home defense. I'm told getting hit by a paintball hurts, and there are some that do automatic fire. What do those of you with paintball experience think?

As far as melee weapons go, this scene from Kill Bill shows nifty use of the frying pan starting around 1:35:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1OepCa3SZw

I've got a cast iron skillet about that size, and it's way too heavy for me to swing around as fast as they're going in that scene. I do have a smaller one (about the right size to fry a single egg in) that I could use should a trained ninja assassin come after me.

For some suggestions on intruder-proofing your home:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90FR8m-zEH4

roadkill wrote:

Mention of eyes adjusting… Arrr… Pirate patch. I have read and saw on Mythbusters about that’s why Pirates wore a patch. When they boarded a ship and when they went below deck they would move the patch to the other eye and now have night vision abilities… Kinda cool when you think about it.

did mythbusters say it was true roadkill?

Interesting suggestion Karuna, from experience it bl**dy hurts to get hit by a paintball gun (especially where the skin is thin on the head) but once they realise it isn't real I think it would work in their favour in terms of confidence.

Sorry for not going on the link Roadkill, I was having an in-depth discussion with my gf about overpopulation of the world. Priorities, priorities.



PS. Very good link to home-alone to whoever posted it (I forget ).

Pirate patch portion starts at 1:30... Yes it really works...





On the paintball area... they do sell pepper paint balls, here is one. http://rap4.com/paintball/os/less-lethal-live-rounds-p-3720.html But with these as with any chemical deterrent mase, pepper spray and these. Others in the vicinity are subject to the same exposure. In in your house .... yikes.

Paint balls do hurt when they are fired from a good gun and will welt the shit out of you, ahh the memories. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRF3tqVrqmM&feature=related

awesome clip karunamama...
sadly the whole pirate thing for me is out of the question--although it might be an
interesting role play with the wife [though i might need all of your help convincing
her ]. i'm legally blind in one eye. drat. i put an eye patch on and i'll either
walk into walls, or nothing much would change . i've got full peripheral if anyone
is wondering 'ow the fook...etc...

but inventive forms of pain readily accessible in a house, hmmm. me like this concept.

i'm thinking chairs--running forward like a demented bull [not far from my
temperament actually, or weight ]

Chair jousting! Sounds like a plan Russ, you'll have to buy some minimalist chairs with thin legs

I was thinking that a broom handle would be a handy thing to tape under the bannister rail actually - the key point shared with your idea being that the business end is fairly far from your own face.

Wow, forgot about this thread. It's turned out to be very informative.

Russ, it seems we do have a lot in common. I can totally relate to the idea of not wanting the fan on so you can hear better. I used to use a chair to lock my bedroom door from the inside, to buy me more time if my home was ever invaded. I've chilled out a lot more now though, I think because of my increased confidence my unarmed combative ability since then.

One thing we don't share though; I don't wear PJs. I'm rugged and therefore sleep naked Even in the winter...

Roadkill, good point about caches and not getting attached to them. I've found (from a couple of paranoia-fueled false alarms) that unless you drill going for the weapon, then successfully accessing it can be difficult when the adrenaline hits. One of these false alarms had me running out into the backyard with a towel wrapped around my waist (just stepped out the shower) and a wakazashi (short samurai sword) in my hand. Didn't even notice the towel fall off as I chased what I thought was a burglar but turned out to be a cat or fox or something Man, I was nuts in those days hahaha (not too long ago though )

Mike, good job with the one eye thing. Not many folk know about that one (apart from the mythbusters it seems ) I close one eye when driving at night and somebody in the opposite lane has their high-beams on.



Throughout my teens I was fascinated by the ninja. And not the cheap Hong Kong movie ninja's I mean like heavy research into all aspects of Ninpo as a means of self protection. Subsequently, i practiced tactical/stealth movement a LOT. I was really just a kid playing ninja dress-up I guess, but the results are very real. To this day, I do everything quietly and efficiently. A game of hide and seek with me could last for days But in all seriousness I have used some of these...uhhh... 'skills' in some strange real-life situations I've found my self in.

The reason I mention this is because I think hiding and ambushing (for those who are physically capable) would be the best tactical approach to dealing with a scenario in which you know somebody has entered your home and they perhaps either think you're asleep or not at home.

Roadkill,

That was a nice link to the room-clearance thing. One thing though...

With regards to entering a room with a closed door, I was told to bomb-burst into it and then move off to one corner. (as you would if you were part of a CT or SWAT team, but even if you are alone).

With the method illustrated in the link, I'm wondering what if you did actually make contact with a bad guy? Would it not end up as a kind of stand-off or worse? I mean, you open the door, they see you open the door, they're now waiting for you to come into view. Whereas if you've made an aggressive entry, you can fire at any targets you see on site and you will be a moving target.

Sharif H wrote:

Russ, it seems we do have a lot in common. I can totally relate to the idea of not wanting the fan on so you can hear better.
One thing we don't share though; I don't wear PJs. I'm rugged and therefore sleep naked Even in the winter...

One of these false alarms had me running out into the backyard with a towel wrapped around my waist (just stepped out the shower) and a wakazashi (short samurai sword) in my hand. Didn't even notice the towel fall off as I chased what I thought was a burglar but turned out to be a cat or fox or something


To this day, I do everything quietly and efficiently. A game of hide and seek with me could last for days But in all seriousness I have used some of these...uhhh... 'skills' in some strange real-life situations I've found my self in.

The reason I mention this is because I think hiding and ambushing (for those who are physically capable) would be the best tactical approach to dealing with a scenario in which you know somebody has entered your home and they perhaps either think you're asleep or not at home.

-the naked ninja, nice good on ya. i was actually raised too prudish. i'd wear a tuxedo in the shower if it was humanly possible

-i get the sneak around thing. i'm surprizingly tip-toed and light about my advancing about. people always yelling at me
for 'scaring them' by 'suddenly being there'. it started as a kid when i'd walk on the balls of my feet--like my son does incidently [weird]. then came the SP sensibilities--to include sleeping uneasily and training to get out of bed quickly [in my
late teens]. i think i'd be trying to get that stalking principle back too. get that explosion of surprize and ferocity going.

nice to share thoughts with you on this

Well, I spent the last 20 minutes or so trying to find the thread where Mick Coup talks about his view of Home Protection ... and I can't find it.
I don't want to misquote, but the feeling I got from reading was that keeping the family safe is always priority number one. Having a lockable, 'safe' room that you defend.
As I remember it, the idea of ninja-ing it round your darkened home, looking for home invaders was not thought to be a very good idea - especially over here where even the little gangbangers are armed, and are probably even more likely to shoot you than your common burglar.
I seem to also remember an image of standing at the top of the stairs with a hammer in one hand and a kitchen knife in the other, as pretty dissuasive to your average crim that just wants your stuff. And that was the basic thought running through the whole discussion - stuff is not that important, but family, including yourself, is.

cheers Maija, thanks for looking. all in a fortified room makes sense. i know you're recollecting it so i wont
argue, it makes sense if you hear the build up [in my house] and get time to act before hand. we'd go up
levels and convene in my sons tiny room--there's a push panel to the roof.

that being so, it'd have to be previously agreed upon, to include cell phone and hammer...i get the image of
that game where you thump the gophers as their heads emerge. the only entrance to the roof. it could actually
work, hmmm

my problem though is that my mother in law stays in a barred garage/carriage house...most of my recent concerns
come from the mentally rehearsed response to a cell phone call in the middle of the night from across the garden.
i get up--in said scenario, after she's called the police first [hopefully], bolt downstairs, rebolt my gate with machete
in hand [not kidding] enter carriage house noisily like the madman i can be with every intention to hack for any staying
tendencies on the part of the would be intruder.

so my whole thing is based on my knowing that my in laws, good people that they are, are the least self preservationist
like folk i've ever met in my life. it's taken them years to understand what friends, students, and several family members
kind of see in my years devoted to this stuff. i've had friends of theirs--strangers to me, actually come up and ask,
"do they understand what you do...really?" after hearing a particularly mundane outburst of daily, erm, issues [upon
finishing my pad work outside]. so i work under the idea that i'm the only fire on deck, so it better be bright and
scolding, and forward moving--like an aussie brush fire.

and, most ironic of all, put my plan together quietly and decisively so as not to alarm the sensiblities of said academic, kind, but ultimately gentle folks that i know share lives with. not complaining, just enjoying the irony. it polarizes me to the extreme over such subjects.

if my mum were still alive, she'd have her role, know it, trust mine, etc...but if i show my hand entirely...i'm not sure how
much of a shock wave it would generate [to be honest]. tangent to thread over now.

thanks again, i'll try and look for the mick coup thingy too.

Well, seems like you are indeed playing by the 'family first' thinking, it's just that you have to get to them, so the safe room idea doesn't play out.
Lights, noise and a guy with a machete and his head on fire will probably do the trick though!
Seems like the weak link in the chain is them waking up and having time to call. Perhaps you could get them an alarm button by the bed or somesuch ... like The Bat Phone - Could directly link to the bat cave/ Russ's bedroom ....?

maija wrote:

Perhaps you could get them an alarm button by the bed like The Bat Phone - Could directly link to the bat cave/ Russ's bedroom ....?

someone's had her first pint probably as dark as master wayne, but without all that bothersome money
and good looks



none of this would even be a problem if i hadn't sheltered my pitbull. he's such a scary fooker that i
went overboard trying to make sure he was people friendly--but he's only a hair away from exploring
other options...just kept him sheltered from since his learning curve was so bloody quick with dogs.

zeke: my devil on a stick, i end up being his protector too ironically. he showed signs once--during a
class i was teaching [he was near by and didn't understand the guy's hands that were around my neck
or whatever].

i wish i had a trap door and about 50 western taipans [sp?]

^Reminds me of what was mentioned in another thread, as far as I remember: 'some dog's bite, some don't. That's life'. Sounds like you have a winner Russ.


Has anybody mentioned giving the intruder an exit?
I don't know about you, but personally i'd like to give them every opportunity to engage the 'flight' reflex. With an aveneue of escape in mind I can't help but feel any burglar/potential rapist would do a quick calculation about the risk vs benefits of potentially getting stabbed, chopped or beaten by the unexpected male now appearing at the top of a flight of stairs.

I suppose that wouldn't help in the case of a semi-planned 'home call' by a gang of rapists/general arseholes, but I can't see it hurting either.

Out of interest, is there any advantage in using a torch or turning the light on? Do burglars usually use torches?

Also please can anyone tell me if i'd be able to hear a double-glazed window being smashed?
(I leave the skylights in our loft room open, and I live in a quiet street. I think i'm a light sleeper..)


On the subject of this thread, I think i'm going to write a shopping list for contingencies, simple stuff like a pair of pumps [plimsolls?]. Might have a nip round to the skip on the local building site too, and see if there are any short lenghts of iron (the thin bars that they use in reinforced concrete). I had a chance to get the perfect length once, when I was on a site, and I didn't bother taking it.

Mike2010 wrote:

^
Has anybody mentioned giving the intruder an exit?
I don't know about you, but personally i'd like to give them every opportunity to engage the 'flight' reflex. With an aveneue of escape in mind I can't help but feel any burglar/potential rapist would do a quick calculation about the risk vs benefits of potentially getting stabbed, chopped or beaten by the unexpected male now appearing at the top of a flight of stairs.

Out of interest, is there any advantage in using a torch or turning the light on? Do burglars usually use torches?

Also please can anyone tell me if i'd be able to hear a double-glazed window being smashed?
(I leave the skylights in our loft room open, and I live in a quiet street. I think i'm a light sleeper..)


Might have a nip round to the skip on the local building site too, and see if there are any short lenghts of iron (the thin bars that they use in reinforced concrete). I had a chance to get the perfect length once, when I was on a site, and I didn't bother taking it.

great thinking, something we all would probably agree on but perhaps i didn't see it mentioned. it's how i'd get a wild animal
out of my house--why should this be any different?

my sense is that burglars require cover and wouldn't use the light, but what do i know. i've always only seen the after
affects. we get the daft fookers who shit on the floor, eat something, think about the crack they crave, etc...guns are so
bloody easy to get hold of if you aren't a law abider to begin with, i'd have to assume they're all armed. although for many
it'd mean a knife or a fashioned tool. i've had a paint chipper pulled on me for crissakes but the daft fooker ran into a plain
dress cop and his head promptly met the pavement. the guy then scratched the cop and said he had aids and that the cop
would now get it. that's when i decided that i would have a memory lapse if the cop did what he wanted. the cop looked
around. it was implicit, an understanding. but it was also broad daylight and in the end, he went with the full weight of his
knee as he awaited backup. he was on a date--ruined. anyway, i digress. they all carry something because they're all
cowards on some level. so that iron bar, etc...get one and enjoy the full weight of it on his soft and shit-filled body should
he come into your home. get a baby monitor for the rooms you can't hear that are far away. they're like 10 quid for some
cheap piece of crap, and you can hear the worry-some part of the house farthest away from your bedroom.

i wouldn't count on always hearing your window break. image a softly forceful crow bar opening that wooden back door kinda
like.

nice points mate.

Russ, have you thought of getting a walkie-talkie for your mother-in-law for use at night? Easier to operate than the cell phone if it's a panicky situation. Maybe make a ritual of her saying goodnight to you on it before she goes to bed and waiting for your response, just to make sure you've got it on. And then tell your wife to call 911 before you run out, in case grandma forgets. Oh, and make sure the missus tells the police that the crazed machete-wielding maniac is you.