The Most Important Skill for Self-Defense: Mental Preparedness

Mentally preparing yourself for an attack of any kind is the most important, and sadly neglected, part of anyone’s training. People can learn the physical moves that are necessary to protect themselves in a relatively short period of time, but it can take years to learn how to be mentally prepared to pull the trigger or strike with deadly force. Few people appreciate the importance of this skill for self-defence.

Ready or Not Here He Comes
One thing you can bet on if you are ever attacked is that your assailant is mentally prepared. He has thought through what he is going to do and psyched himself up, so to speak. He is alert and ready to ruin your day, whereas you are asleep in your bed or just walking down the street thinking of everything other than self-defense. Your attacker is like a raging bull and you are like a little fluffy white kitten with sleep in your eyes.

Fighting is not second nature to us humans. We have to be taught to go from the mindset of the kitten that is helpless to that of a tiger that is perfectly capable of protecting himself. Bottom line is you have to be able to go from your normal nice guy persona to a raging tiger in a split second; that is how you will be able to keep yourself form being injured, or worse.

The Flick of the Switch
In any self-defense situation whether you are armed or not you have to be able to go from relaxed to ready like the flick of a light switch; it has to happen that fast. So how do you learn to do that? When you go to shoot your gun for example, do not be casual about it.

You set your gun down on the table at the firing station and take a few steps back. If your gun is holstered that works as well. Take a moment to collect yourself. Think about something that stirs deep emotions for you. Think about your children if you have them. Think about your wife or husband. What would it feel like if any one of these people were violently murdered? Bask in the anger that comes to the surface. When you feel that rage you step up to the firing line and grab that pistol and shoot. If it’s in your holster draw and fire the moment you are in the firing zone. Imagine the person who killed your loved ones is standing in front of you with a gun drawn. Focus on that anger as you fire with your own weapon.

Then when you step away from the firing line take a deep breath and relax while thinking about something that gives you peace. When you step up to the firing line again make that switch to anger about someone who has hurt you or your family. Do that over and over again. Step up, get angry, step back and relax. You can do the very same thing if you are practicing martial arts. Be relaxed and calm before you enter the training area. The moment your foot steps onto the mat you get angry. You are training your mind to make the switch from mild mannered kind person to a precision fighting machine that can protect yourself and your loved ones. With some practice it becomes like the flick of a light switch. You can turn it on and off at will. If you are ever attacked you just flip the switch.

The Element of Surprise
One of the most important principles of self-defense is the element of surprise. Ever hear of someone disarming an attacker with a gun drawn? It’s not because he was faster than a bullet; it was because he did what was unexpected. Let’s take that gun example.

If someone has a gun pointed at you, you need to get within arms- length if you can. If you have determined that your assailant is going to pull the trigger you attack. You knock the gun away and strike with a deadly blow. The key here is surprise. By attacking you are doing the least expected thing. If your assailant thought there was even a remote chance of you knocking his gun away he wouldn’t be close enough for you to do so. When you attack, his brain has to go through the following steps in order for him to pull the trigger.

Acknowledge you are actually attacking him.
Sift through a number of possible responses
Decide upon the response
Act on the decided course of action
Your attacker has to do all that before you ram your finger in his eyes or crush his throat. Bottom line is you don’t have to be faster than a bullet; you just have to be faster than your opponent. Action takes fewer steps and gets a head start. Now I’m not saying go and try to disarm an armed attacker. I just want to demonstrate how effective and important the element of surprise is.

Close Cousins
I bring up anger because fear is its close cousin and it’s easy to swap one for the other. Fear causes you to hesitate or even fail to react at all. Fear makes you slow and saps your strength. You have to be able to take that fear and turn it into anger which can be your friend. Anger gives you strength and focus. Anger gives you the courage you need to do what you have to do to stay alive. Like the light switch you have to be able to flick it on and off on command. You remember that next time you step on the mat to train or step up to the firing line and draw your weapon. When you are finished training, take a deep breath and relax; your job is done.

Adam works for the Gun Safe Store AND teaches firearm safety. The gun safe store has a wide variety of gun safes and pistol safes.

PRODUCT REVIEW: ToiletTree Products ~ The Toiletry Bag

ARV ~ $25.00

ToiletTree Products first began with a simple holiday gift from Mom.  After receiving a fogless mirror set as a Christmas present in 2008, the innovative brain behind the company made it his mission to redesign the mirror so that it stood up to the heated pressures usually found in showers.  He wanted to create a mirror that was fog~free and had an unshakable wall adherence.  Steven, who was fed up with uneven shaves and just loved shaving in the shower, joined up with his father and brother to create the perfect shower mirror.

After many months of brainstorming and testing different prototypes, the three finally found a design worth manufacturing and in January, 2010, the ToiletTree Products were born.  

Today, ToiletTree have not only outsold their own dreams on the Fogless Shower Mirror, but they have since developed a Deluxe LED Mirror, an On~The~Go Mirror as well as nail clippers, face cleansers, oral irrigators and a beautiful collection of Bamboo bathroom acessories.  

ToiletTree Products is a family run company who take great pride in providing their customers with unique and innovative products of only the highest quality!

Now make travel even EASIER with this toiletry bag that is designed to organize all of your toiletries in one place while traveling.  This heavy duty bag has a large double zipper compartment for easy access, as well as a separate compartment on the bottom of the bag for storing.

Each toiletry bag comes with 3 TSA approved travel bottles ~ each are marked; Shampoo, Conditioner and Body Wash.  Also included is a toothbrush case and collapsible cup with pill holder making travel easier.  

The bag can also be used to hold makeup or medicine.  It is totally water resistant, easy to clean due to its nylon fabric interior and the exterior features reinforced double stitching with piping trim that is also easy to clean.

This is a really groovy toiletry bag~!!  It is very durable, looks great and there is more than enough room to carry everything I could ever need to travel with.  I love how everything is beautifully labelled and the collapsible cup is a wonderful idea and addition to a toiletry bag.  

I cannot say how much I dig the room that this bag gives you, you can fit a can of shaving lotion or hairspray and still have tons more room to add anything else you may wish.  I am impressed with quality and would recommend this to anyone who travels a lot and is looking for a bag that will encompass all of your needs, especially if your the type that finds it hard to travel light.

You could easily use this as a carry~on bag if your travelling by air or how about a gift for a mother~to~be as her hospital travel bag, you can even fit a book or some magazines in there for your bathroom reading material...;)

Now, we here at The Marsh and the wonderfully fine folks at ToiletTree Products would LOVE to give one of my readers the chance to win a bag of their very own Toiletry Bag...trust me...you WANT to own this bag~!!

All you have to do is enter the Rafflecopter giveaway from below...if you have a Facebook account or an e~mail, then you are able to enter...just answer the mandatory question and your in to WIN~!!  It REALLY is that simple~!!  Have fun and good luck~!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Signs of Elder Abuse

Identifying signs of elder abuse is sometimes trickier than it may seem. Elder abuse comes in all shapes and forms. In additional to physical abuse, withholding essential care is considered elder abuse as is not providing adequate nutritional intake to an elderly person in someone’s care. Financial abuse is also considered a form of elder abuse.

To determine whether an elderly person is being abused, you must consider not only the physical manifestations of abuse but pay attention to non verbal cues as well. A physical exam of any bruises, abrasions or cuts and their explanation can give you clues to what abuse is happening. Is the caregiver constantly at the elderly person’s side? Does the caregiver answer for the elderly person? Do the explanations match up to the kinds of marks displayed? Does the elderly person seem to be of appropriate weight? Ask them what they had for breakfast this morning or dinner last night. In some instances, a social worker could be of assistance to help provide meals on wheels, food stamps or other elder assistance. Large bedsores are also an indicator of poor or negligent care. Pressure ulcers, or bed sores, are avoidable but require vigilance by turning and repositioning someone frequently if they are unable to do it themselves. If you feel that an elderly person is being physically abused, contact your state department of children and families to file a report. An agent will then be dispatch to perform an investigation.

When assessing for elder abuse, attention to non verbal cues is important. How does he or she interact with their caregiver? Is the caregiver constantly hovering over them? Does he or she flinch at sudden movement of the caregiver? If so, make note of this. Although not a determining factor, flinching, along with deferring answers to questions regarding home life could be indicators of abuse.

Financial abuse is as important a factor as physical abuse. If a family member is continually borrowing money to finance their own lifestyle, not leaving enough money to provide necessities such as food or medications constitutes financial abuse. This is found a lot when adult grandchildren take up residence with their grandparents. In addition to the financial abuse, theft of necessary medications is also a consideration. Theft of narcotic pain medications occurs frequently and with doctors becoming stricter with prescribing and refilling narcotics, having pain medication available when needed is just as important as blood pressure medication or insulin.

Caring for the elderly can become a consuming ordeal. What starts as good intentions can deteriorate over time with what is called caregiver fatigue. Caregiver fatigue occurs when a caregiver is overwhelmed with the level of care and attention an elderly person needs. This develops more severe over time with incidents of verbal abuse, refusal to provide care and ultimately, physical abuse. Most times, just as in incidents of domestic abuse, an abuser regains control of themselves and resolves to “do better next time”, with multiple apologies thrown in for good measure. Over time, the incidents occur more frequently and ultimately result in outbursts of physical abuse. In some instances, the caregiver has no other source of income or place to live therefore it is important for them to keep the elderly person in the home instead of placing them in a skilled nursing facility.

Depending on the state you reside in will depend on who is legally obligated to report abuse. All healthcare workers, whether in or out of a facility have a legal obligation to report elderly abuse. In some states, members of the clergy have a legal obligation to report suspected abuse. People who report abuse in good faith are protected from prosecution if their report turns out to be untrue. However, failure to report carries a fine and jail time in some states. If you have a suspicion that an elderly person is being abuse, report it to your state department of children and families.

Pete Wise is a Content Marketer. If you or a loved one has been involved in elder abuse and neglect, you should also seek an elder abuse attorney to represent you. An elder abuse lawyer can help walk you through what legal options are available and which course of action should be taken. If you liked the article, check out his site for Denver SEO: PeteWiseSEO.com

Straight Razor Shaving ~ The History Behind The Art

The straight razor has come a long way to the distilled disposable versions of it that we use today.  A straight razor is simply a razor with a blade that can fit inside its handle.  They require a certain skill in order to wield one properly to shave and barbers have made their livings off of this particular shaving technique for hundreds of years.

During the late 1500's and early 1600's, blacksmiths created crude instruments that were meant to remove a man's beard and resembled small hatchets.  During the 1700's straight razors took on a wedge~shaped design with a straight edge.  Typical handles were made of horn, wood and bone, though tortoiseshell and ivory were sometimes used also.  Razors made from 1740 ~ 1830 were sometimes marked with words such as "warranted" or "cast steel" to show that they metal was made by Robert Huntsman of Sheffield, who invented the technique in 1740.  They were crude designs but they were the cutting edge of their time.

During the early 1800's, silver was added to the blades when Michael Faraday discovered the process but it still required another 60 years to bring that process to its final stage of development.  Very large, wedge~bladed razors were fashionable during this time and and they were sometimes marked, "For Barbers Use" or "improved silver steel".  Blade designs began to take on impressive decor as the makers of razors strove for better patterning scales which were etched into the blades, given an edge to competitive markets.

During the late 1800's to early 1900's, factory made blades began making their introduction into society.  A celluloid process was introduced making it easier for manufacturers to sculpt and mould the designs for mass markets.  In 1914, the company, J. A. Henckels offered no less than sixteen different straight razor blades to choose from.

Straight razors remained popular right up into the 1950's, until Gillette, which introduced its razor in the markets in 1901, gained a reputation for being the easier of the two shaves and while straight razor shaving is still in practice today, many men opt for the convenient method of shaving. 

In order to use a straight razor properly one must first prepare your beard by either taking a hot shower or by pressing a hot, steaming cloth to the area to be shaved.  After prepping your beard, run the hot water, fill your mug/bowl and place your brush into the hot water.  

You will want to really wet your face up before you lather.  Use the brush to apply the lather and apply it to your face, swirling until the lather has formed stiff peaks.  Then apply the lather in a paintbrush motion using the badger brush.  Remember to remove any excess with a hot towel/cloth to remove oil from the follicles so that moisture can penetrate.

After you have finished lathering, let it sit on your face for about 5 minutes, longer if your beard hair is coarser/thicker.  If your soap dries out while you wait, re~lather those areas.  The important thing is to have a nice thick lather so that the blade glides the area more smoothly.

Using the blade, hold it at a 20° angle to your skin.  Remember to stretch your skin as you shave, and shave the area whence it is tight.  You are not slicing into your skin, but holding the blade at an angle so that you can glide the blade across your skin's surface while removing the offensive hair that remains.  

You will make three passes for optimal smoothness when shaving in this method.  The first pass you will shave with the grain or in the direction of your hairs growth.  Lather yourself up again and on your second pass shave sideways to the grain.  On the third and final pass, make it against the grain, if you have a coarser beard you may have to change your razor before the third pass.  

Rinse the lather off of your face with cold water so that it will aid in the closing of your pores.  Clean up your area and enjoy your newly shaved face~!!

  **  This is a sponsored post for The Art of Shaving, however, all the points and views are my own~!!  **

Are The Sixties Making It Back To The Cat Walk?

Yeah Baby! Will men’s fashion in 2012 turn us all into Austin Powers?

cc licensed ( BY NC ) flickr photo shared by jenniesue1

Oh Behave

Younger generations tend to make a living out of mocking previous eras, and have a great deal of fun doing it. One arena where that is not always wise is, of course, fashion. The fashion world, as seen distinctly throughout men’s fashion in 2012, is a constant cycle of in fashion to out of fashion, with garments and distinct looks often fluctuating from month to month. Whether it be shorter term fashion fixes or longer term looks which came to define a generation, decrying a certain era when you could be wearing it next year has always been a practice fraught with danger.

And so it is then, that men’s fashion in 2012 has seen the sixties return to the catwalk. To be fair, the sixties is a decade which doesn’t inspire a great deal of laughs, more envy at not having been there. Whether it be The Beatles, Mods and Rockers, or England winning the World Cup, the sixties often tops polls as the decade most people would love to return to.

Such trends have seen the swinging sixties a firm staple of catwalks around the world this year, and many people are getting on board with this exciting throwback. After all, until time travel is invented it is the closest many of us are ever going to get to such an iconic period.

Sixties Style

Men’s fashion in 2012 has fully embraced sixties style, so we can all take this amazing, aspirational look straight from the catwalk and place it into our wardrobes. How ironic that not looking like you are from many years ago will lead to your fashion being out of date?! Whatever the aspect of the look, be it skinny jeans, flamboyant shirts or parka jackets, you can get an authentic sixties look with minimal effort this year.

Where To Get It

Sixties style is available in all of the top high street stores this year. Men’s fashion 2012 has brought an iconic look into a modern era, while remaining authentic and truly retaining the soul and feel of such an important decade to popular culture and society. Check out online outfit builders to get a feel for the important looks in this style, as well as how to get hold of the very best garments and remain looking great at all times.

England might not win the World Cup again, and there will never be another band like The Beatles, but you can add a touch of Austin Powers to your life with stunning sixties style.

Stylepilot contains a huge directory of mens clothing, has a unique and easy to use outfit building too. The site is always up to date with all the latest mens fashion 2012.

HASBRO Signs Battleship/G.I. Joe T-Shirt Deal~!!

Hasbro has joined forces with Aéropostale, a North American mall~based specialty retailer, to bring the maucho gendered Battleship and G.I. Joe brands.

Aéropostale offer men's graphic tee shirts which you can check out here:  www.aeropostale.com

These new line of tee shirts are part of the upcoming movie launches of Universal Studio's May 18th release of Battleship and Paramount Picture's premiere of G.I. Joe:  Retaliation due June 29th.

Top 10 Hottest Million Dollar Street-Legal Cars

Photo Credit

I was doing a little comparison shopping recently, and found out there are quite a few million-dollar (and some just under that price tag) cars that are street legal and available on the market today. Of course, which ones are the most expensive will depend on the model and package you choose.

 However, in case you’ve been saving your pennies and want to begin window shopping, here are the top 10 hottest million dollar street-legal cars for you to consider. We compiled this list from several sources including Rides magazine, Forbes, and TheSuperCars.org.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport
 Whether you choose a convertible or a hard top, here is a “high-performing elite supercar” built for luxury as well as performance. However, as one of the most expensive cars available (think $2.5 million), be prepared to drop a chunk of change if you want to park one in your garage.

Koenigsegg Agera R
  No, that’s not a swear word. It’s a “lightweight, aero-dynamic Swedish hypercar” with a 1,200 horsepower engine and a hefty price tag. Can you say $2.1 million? According to the Swedish automaker, the Agera R clocks in around 200 mph in just 17.68 seconds.

Koenigsegg Trevita
 This is the slightly more expensive sibling of the Agera (at $2.21 million) with a unique carbon diamond-weave pattern in the body that reportedly “sparkles like millions of silvery white diamonds” when sunlight hits it. Unfortunately, there were only three made.

Aston Martin One-77
 James Bond would be proud of this Aston Martin two-door coupe, with its “700+ horsepower engine and hand-rolled aluminum body panels.” Keep in mind that the 77 in the name is there for a reason. The company built a limited number of these beauties. Last count there were only about 10 left. So if you’ve got $1.87 million burning a hole in your pocket, you better hurry and pick one up.

Zenvo ST1
 You may not even have heard of this expensive supercar. It’s Danish and only arrived in the U.S. last year. In the states, it’s called ST1-50S and was limited to three. There’s a good chance they’ve all been sold, despite the $1.8 million price tag.

Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster
 If you prefer something a bit outrageous, this roadster may pique your interest. With its V12 7.L engine and red racing stripe, it has a hefty $1.8 million price tag. Unfortunately, it was produced in a limited run of five.

Pagani Zonda F Roadster
 A less expensive (only $1.4 million) car than the Cinque, the F Roadster comes from a long line of expensive sports cars, but it has its own unique qualities, like a folding roof and specially designed roll bars. And since 25 were made, you’re more likely to be able to get your hands on one.

Lamborghini Reventon
 Coupe or roadster? It’s so hard to choose. But as Lamborghini’s most expensive car to date, the 211 mph hyper-car may just be your dream ride. That is, if you have $1.4 million to spend.

Maybach Laundalet
 If you are more interested in comfort than speed, the Laundalet has been called “majestic” and a “yacht on wheels.” One of the most unique features of this luxurious car is the roof. It can be opened fully at the rear, while the chauffeur's compartment remains completely closed. Currently selling for around $1.4 million.

Pagani Huayra
 If you’ve reviewed your options and price is top on your list of considerations, here is the least expensive of these amazing cars. The Huayra from Italy has a 700 horsepower Mercedes-Benz-made V12 and a price tag of only $1.3 million.

 So there they are, some of the highest priced cars around. They may not be on the top of your shopping list, but they’re fun to look at, whether you have a cool million to spend on a hot car or not.

Selma Lockaby is a California native who enjoys helping customers meet their motorcycle transport services.