What is compost?

Garden guides often describe composting as natures way of recycling. Composting is indeed a natural way of recycling, harnessing natural processes rather than machinery and man-made chemicals, but it takes people to do it.

Soil maintenance is at the heart of organic growing: don’t feed the plants, feed the soil — the plants will look after themselves. The extremely complex subject of soil maintenance can happily be summed up in one word: composting.

A smelly hole at the far end of the garden filled with putrefying kitchen wastes and flies buzzing round. That’s what compost isn’t. No stinks, no flies, though kitchen waste is welcome.

Compost is not just decayed organic matter. Composting is applied microbiology at its most complex, involving the interactions of thousands upon thousands of different species of micro organisms in a highly complex ecosystem.

What can I compost?

If it can rot it will compost, but some items are best avoided. Some things, like grass clippings and soft young weeds, rot quickly. They work as activators or hotter rotters, getting the composting started, but on their own will decay to a smelly mess. Recycle your plant-based, kitchen and garden waste by making it into compost.

Older and tougher plant material is slower to rot but gives body to the finished compost – and usually makes up the bulk of a compost heap. Woody items decay very slowly; they are best chopped or shredded first, where appropriate.

A container or brown bin is not an absolute necessity as you can make perfectly good compost in a free standing heap as long as it is large enough. You will see later why this may be a drawback. Assuming then that we need to make a container we are faced with many choices.

Why not make or buy a compost bin? They’re usually cheap to buy, and are available in wood or recycled plastic (that might otherwise be in your local landfill site). If you’re keen you could combine it with a wormery or use a shredder which increases the amount of compostable waste. Do not compost foods such as dairy produce, meat, bread etc as these attract flies and vermin.

How do I know when its done?

That depends. What was a pile of plant material will gradually, from the bottom up, turn into a pile of dark stuff that looks like brown dirt. Eventually, none of the items you put in there will be recognizable. If you’re using it out in the garden, a few small recognizable bits won’t hurt – they’ll finish composting in the garden. If you’re using it for houseplants or to start seeds, its better to wait until its well finished so you don’t have microbes attacking the fine rootlets of new plants.

Dig it in to have a healthy, fertile garden and your fruit and vegetables can be organic. Don’t assume the waste is harmless and bin it. Putting it in landfill costs money and it will produce methane gas; it may also possibly pollute the groundwater.

Compost waste often comprises about 20-30% of your total household waste and the impact on recycling is significant.

If you’re interested in the best available options for quick and easy compost creation, check out these composters.

Do you have a composter of your own design? Please let us know about it and how it has worked for you.

6 months food supply

6 Months Supply (3 Servings/Day)

$3695.00
3 Servings per Day per Person
2,160 Serving Food Supply in (18) Stackable Buckets!
Provides food for 4 Adults (or 2 Adults/4 Kids) for 6 months, or 2 Adults for 12 months.
Standard meal packages provide your family with 4 Adult servings

• Blueberry Pancakes (240)
• Brown Sugar Oatmeal (240)
• Honey Glazed Granola (240)
• Stroganoff (144)
• Cheesy Macaroni (144)
• Country Stew (144)
• Creamy Chicken Pasta (144)
• Chicken Teriyaki (144)
• Cacciatore Pasta (144)
• Corn Chowder (144)
• Creamy Potato Soup (144)
• Chicken Ala King (144)
• Cheesy Lasagna (144)

25 – Year Shelf Life (With Proper Storage)

Proper nouns such as your name should only be spelled with the first letter capitalized only. Do you ever spell your name with all capitals? No I did not think so. Do you know why?

Corporations are spelled with capital letters. That is right your name in all capital letters is a corporation set up for you by the UNITED STATES Corporation. Another truth is that your Federal Government is a Corporation.

Do you know why the government needed to set up a corporation spelled the same as your name but in Capitals? It is because no free born American would ever trade their time labor and energy for a currency with no value in and of itself. Corporations will accept a fraudulent currency printed by the Federal reserve which is also a corporation in the line of Milton Bradley which makes the monopoly game. Both corporations print money of equal value except the Federal Reserve Notes are backed by the US people.

If you notice on any of your Federal Reserve Notes (known as dollars to the uninformed) the paper is an instrument of debt only. No where on a Federal Reserve Note does it state that it could be used to accumulate wealth.

When you are born your parents register you with the government by receiving a birth certificate. In a few years your Corporation will receive a taxpayer ID# called a social security number. This is so you can be used as collateral for the government to acquire debt. That is right you and your labor time and energy is what backs up the National debt.

Do you have a choice? Of course you do, no one can hold you responsible for your government created strawman without your consent.

If you are in a Court of Law they will ask if you will stand under the said charges (understand same thing) . You do not have to consent to this. Simply tell the judge that the person on the paper in all caps is not you but you would like to meet the person.

If you are brought into court with a paper such as this:

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

. VS

YOUR NAME

Neither one of these entities actually exist. Since you have a right to face your accuser ask the judge when the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA will be available to testify. The judge will point to the prosecutor and say that he represents the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. At this point ask the prosecutor if he has a claim against you and if he does he should enter his name under the plaintiff bar.

Eventually you will be asked to make a plea to allow the case to move to trial. Do not allow the judge to enter a not guilty plea for you. Just state that you do not consent to having the judge make a plea for you. Stand firm and state that you will not stand under the charges. If the judge would like to make a determination that you are not guilty then at that point ask that the case be dismissed.

If there is an injured party outside of the government that is charging you with a crime then you will have to move through the justice system.

The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA or YOUR STATE has no right to make claims against you since both are non entities and do not exist.

Remember the valuable resource we have on the internet. There are multiple sites that provide all the legal forms you need to protect yourself. There even sites that provide you with free answers to any legal questions you may have. All it takes is a little effort on your own part to find these resources and put them to work for you.

Hypothermia (loss of body heat) is the single biggest cause of death in a survival situation. A shelter prevents this in the following ways:

1. It blocks the wind.

2. It keeps you dry.

3. It creates a space that can be heated by your body heat itself, or with a fire or other means.

Sometimes people with no skills survive in circumstances where others with survival knowledge have died. Why? Often it is because they have knowledge or intuition of the principles involved in survival. It can be a great help to know how to build a lean-to shelter using natural materials, but it is also possible that a lost hiker with no skills might be more likely to survive by burying himself for the night in a pile of dry leaves. He might simply recognize that it is easier for his body to heat the space under those leaves.

In other words, a little understanding of the principles involved and a willingness to think is more important than specific skills. Of course, best of all would be thinking, understanding and having the specific knowledge and skills to build various survival shelters.

Survival Shelters

Start by looking at what is available, and considering how you can use it. To block the wind, you can look for a rock to get behind. A large downed tree might also help. A snow cave is great for keeping out the wind. A wall of snow blocks can keep the wind from getting into your tent. Locating your camp site in the right place makes all the difference in how much wind you are exposed to.

If rain or snow is likely, a shelter that can keep you dry becomes very important. Again, look around and think of how anything and everything can be used. A broken canoe, for example, might be worthless for getting you down the river, but it still could be used as a shelter, or a roof for a shelter. Garbage bags and any other plastic in your backpack might be used for roofing materials. The right cave or overhanging ledge can be a great way to get out of the rain.

Think of all the materials around you in terms of how waterproof they are, and how you can use them. Large pieces of birch bark can be pulled from rotten logs, for example, and layered over a lean-to like shingles to keep the rain out. Other tree bark may work as well. Cardboard, pieces of a plane, and large leaves can be used as roofing materials.

Be careful about getting wet from below as well. A snow cave or shelter made of snow blocks will keep the snow from falling on you, but you can get soaked from the snow underneath. In these cases, and when the ground is wet, make a floor of plastic or grass or evergreen branches. If you have limited materials, sleep sitting up to decrease the amount of your body that is exposed to the wet and cold floor.

The amount of space you create with your survival shelter is crucial if it is cold at night. Too big and the temperature inside will be the same as outside. You want a small enough space that your body heat or candle or small fire will be able to heat it. Sleeping in a pile of dry grass with a plastic sheet spread over it, for example, is more likely to keep you warm than a large lean-to with a fire in front of it.

Finally, mix and match the various styles of shelters you have seen or heard of. Think about what you have and get creative. The snow may not be suitable for an igloo, for example, but a lean-to made of evergreen boughs could be covered with crusty pieces of snow for extra insulation. A brush-shelter could be build inside a cave, to have rain protection while reducing the space you need to heat. The ultimate in survival shelters is whatever works for your situation.

Various Shelters

1. Read Or Watch Survival Stories

If you have read many true wilderness survival stories, you know that many people who probably shouldn’t have survived did so because they refused to give up. Attitude matters, and to get the right attitude, you need to be able to truly believe that you will find a way to survive. Knowing what people have faced and overcome before makes this easier. If you are with others in a survival situation, you should even tell those stories to them, so they can see that survival is possible and even likely.

2. Tell Others Where You Are

This is something that has to be done before you have a survival situation, which means before you head off into the woods. And if you decide to take a new route, you may want to leave a note where it can be found, just in case.

3. Know Your Priorities

Protection from the elements and water to drink are usually at the top of the list of priorities in a survival situation. However, every situation will be unique. Think carefully about what is most important and urgent. For example, searching for food is a waste of time if a cold night is coming and you have no shelter. Do the important things first.

4. Learn First Aid

If you don’t take the time to learn a few basics of medical first aid, at least carry a small booklet that outlines basic procedures. You can find these in many first aid kits.

5. Be Aware Of Possible Shelters

If you are possibly facing a survival situation (not sure if you are lost, for example), start looking around for what kinds of shelters are available. Are there piles of dry leaves you can crawl under to stay warm? Are there caves or overhanging trees that can protect you from the rain or snow?

6. Always Plan Ahead

This may be one of the more important survival tips. Don’t wait for problems and then start looking for a solution. Before you get thirsty you should be looking around for sources of water. Before the rain comes, you should be thinking about how to stay dry. With sufficient foresight, getting lost in the wilderness for a few extra days should be nothing more than an inconvenience. Don’t let it become an emergency.

7. Always Have Fire Starters

Anytime you will be in the wilderness overnight or longer, have at least two ways to start a fire. These can be matches and amagnesium fire starter, or a lighter and the magnifying glass on your compass. Being able to start a fire can save you from the biggest killer in the wilds – hypothermia. A fire also provides comfort and better sleep, both of which can keep you motivated to do the right things.

8. Learn What Is Edible

Food is not usually a priority in a wilderness survival situation. Water, shelter and getting found are more important. Psychologically, however, you will be less stressed and more willing to face the situation if you know a few plants and animals that you can eat. Try eating some cattails or wild rose hips on your next hike.

9. Learn How To Navigate

Even if you have lost your backpack, with the maps and compass, you should know how to determine the cardinal directions. That way, if you know that there is a road to the north, for example, you will know which way to go. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, of course, but there are other ways to determine direction. Why not learn a couple of them?

10. Know How To Stay Warm

Learning a few tricks about staying warm can save you life. Since hypothermia is the number one killer of people in wilderness survival situations, this may be the most important of these survival tips. Stay dry and think of ways to insulate yourself when it is cold. Stuffing a jacket full of dry grass or leaves or cattail fluff could save your life.

Martial arts are not some trendy type of workout designed to impress the ladies as you tell them about the tournaments or trophies you’ve won.  While it certainly is an awesome total-body workout and a great way to get in shape many students really give little thought to its ultimate purpose; survival.

Let’s talk self-defense. I was one of the co-founders of the United Karate Institute of Self-Defense, Inc. in Alexandria, Virginia. Three other instructors, my wife (also a black belt) and I decided that we had met way too many highly ranked black belts who had earned numerous
trophies in sport karate competition. They were champions and winners and knew all the tricks in the ring to be able to score points and come home with the large gleaming plastic and marble trophies.  Sounds great doesn’t it. Except for one small problem, virtually every one of these black belt “champions”  did not possess even the most basic skills or knowledge of how to defend themselves against even a single assailant, much less multiple assailants. What’s up with that?

They’re black belts. They should be able to leap over tall buildings, outrun bullets, stop a speeding train and run between the raindrops! Right? No, but it certainly seems to the average person that a black belt must be nearly indestructible and probably possesses some almost mystical power and knowledge. Wrong again. If you are not trained properly with a real emphasis on self-defense and street application of martial arts techniques then you are merely mimicking movements from your instructor.

If you’re a black belt and you can’t even defend your way out of a wet paper bag then what have you spent all of those years doing?  Let me say it again, martial arts are about survival. It’s not about phony point-sparring competition where the only techniques you can use in the ring are things you would never dream of using on the street and where the most effective techniques from the street are not allowed in the ring.

When you study martial arts it’s not all just punching and kicking, you must learn about many qualities of humanity, both positive and negative because your brain is your ultimate survival tool. Ultimately, at its core, is the need to survive; be it on the streets of New York City, the jungles of Asia, the deserts of the Middle East or even a hostile business climate. To survive combat and harsh environments, you the martial artist must have many skills and have developed many physical and character qualities. In order to survive, you must improve yourself beyond your current abilities. However, remember the best warrior is not warlike, but is able to summon the warrior spirit within when it is required.

Preparing to Survive: Adaptability and Versatility

Survival requires adaptability, which is the ability to respond rapidly, effectively and without confusion to changing stimuli. These stimuli can be different training conditions. They can be new techniques, styles of martial arts, weapons or changes in lighting, temperature, speed, distance, surface, or any other attribute of your environment.

To survive, welcome change by varying your training. The more you do this, the better equipped you are to adapt effectively, because you are always doing it. Many martial arts systems have training sessions where their students practice their martial arts in the rain, snow, mud, swamps and other rough and difficult terrain. In this manner students learn to be aware of environmental factors, but also filter out distractions and focus on defeating their opponent.

Do not become frustrated as circumstances change or vary. Welcome this. Anything else would be boring. Variety improves and maintains your survival skills. You cannot possibly adapt if you are not first aware of what is around you to which you can learn to adapt. If you can adapt, you may just survive.

Adaptability can also refer to using your environment. For example, you may use your environment by grabbing a handful of sand to throw in your opponent’s eyes. You may grab a branch lying on the ground to strike your opponent or shove them headfirst into a vertical pole
support inside a subway car or city bus. These are examples of using features of the terrain or surrounding environment to your advantage to augment your martial techniques. Typically, these are weapons of opportunity.

Versatility is having a broad range of skills; you can kick well, punch well, move well, think well etc. Versatility is the quality of having many skills; adaptability is the ability to acquire new skills readily. As you become more versatile, you will gradually become more adaptable. Do not confuse these two and train appropriately.

Realism and Diversity in Training

The more realistic the training experience… the less shocking reality will seem. Part of varying your training is practicing for realism. Take your training seriously. If it is a joke or becomes too much of a social gathering, you will be easily surprised or overwhelmed in a real
situation. As I described earlier, some schools of martial arts practice in swamps, rain, and all types of terrain and environments. Martial arts are a war fighting skill where realism is a key ingredient.

Part of the reason for the diversity and variation in training is to introduce different realistic elements. A curious thing happens when you make a training drill very realistic, you become uncomfortable. Reality isn’t always pleasant, but reality is what you are training for.  Being
uncomfortable is a good thing.  Get used to it in training so that you will not be surprised if it happens for real.

In a real fight, try not to ever let your opponent see that you are injured. Play off your injury if possible. Even if your injury is visible or noticeable, let your opponent think that it is not affecting you. This will make him stop and think that maybe his techniques are ineffective. In
other situations, depending upon the opponent and the circumstances you may want to pretend that you are injured worse than you are. Pretending a more serious injury can give your opponent a false sense of security thinking that he is close to defeating you. Then you will have him. This is deception at its best.  It also helps not to focus on yourself. Keep your eyes and your mind on your opponent in a real fight. Injuries can be dealt with later; a real opponent must be dealt with immediately.

Probing: Preparing to Attacking

Whether your opponent is an army of one-hundred-thousand men or a single man, you must probe to find weaknesses and collect information about your opponent’s strength, position, mobility, reactions and skill.

Attack your enemy where they are weak, but first know this by probing. Test for weaknesses. Watch closely and observe potential weakness, signs of inexperience or disorganization. If you feint an attack and your enemy does not respond in a way that is adequate for his own
defense, then you have discovered a potential weakness or area where you may be able to make an opening.

When you probe your opponent in a particular way, not only make a note of what their response was, but how fast, precise and strong their response was. These factors will be important in determining how to attack and how to construct and time your attack.

Deception: The Key to Victory

Sun Tzu said that deception is the key to victory in all warfare, but what is deception? If I am to apply it, I must know what it is and how to apply it. What constitutes deception? Creativity is the key to deception. Think of ways to draw your opponent off their guard. When they are
expecting one thing, give them something else. Draw their attention away from your true intentions so that when your true intentions are realized, your opponent will be caught unprepared and surprised. Do not be predictable.

The components of deception are these:

• Creativity
• Feinting or Faking
• Distraction
• Opposites

These components combined intelligently give you the basis of a strategy. You must practice your creativity. Creativity means developing new and different ways of feinting and methods of distraction or the use of opposites.

You must always create or switch to new means of deception because once your opponent recognizes a deceptive tactic, no matter how elusive or cunning, he will be better prepared to counter it. Always give him something new to deal with. This will give you the advantage.

Distraction is not the same as faking. When you fake, you make your opponent think one thing is happening when it is not. Distraction gives your opponent something to focus on or deal with while you follow up with your true intentions. The idea is that by the time you follow up with your true intentions, your opponent is still too busy dealing with what preceded them.

The difference between a distraction and a fake is that with a distraction you actually are doing something; with a fake, you are only making your opponent think that you are doing something. This applies to combat, self-defense and many things.

Distractions are not necessarily always physical movements. They may be psychological also. You may distract an attacker who is intent upon doing you harm by talking to him. You may use psychology to distract him and engage him in a conversation, which is actually buying you time to size up the situation better or to maneuver to a more advantageous position.

If you are able to engage your opponent’s mind and distract him that way, then you may not have to rely upon physical skill and posturing. Consider the possibilities. This is how hostage negotiators prevent unwanted physical harm from occurring.

Fakes must look real or they will not work. A bad fake is worse than no fake because you leave yourself vulnerable. The advantage of a believable fake is that if the opponent does not react in time you may just use the fake for real. To make a fake look real, you must believe
that you are actually going to do whatever it is. Then at the last instant, do not do it, pull the technique short and instantly follow it up with the technique you really intended.

The purpose of a fake is to make your opponent react to it, generally to create an opening that you can take advantage of with a different technique. For example, a fake kick toward the head might make your opponent raise both arms to guard their face and head. This exposes
their torso where you may actually be planning to land a punch.

Whatever technique you choose to fake, the two key elements of an effective fake are that the fake technique must look completely real – especially against an experienced martial artist – and the follow up after the fake must be fast and decisive in order to take advantage of the
opening or opportunity that you have created.

Attacking

As I have said, attack your opponent’s weaknesses. Of course, you must first discover his weaknesses by probing. Once you have found these, attack them relentlessly. Do no attack him when he is strong or ready, hold off on this or you will be wasting effort.

Attacks can take a variety of forms. They may be like pecking away occasionally to annoy your opponent and gradually wear him down. It could be that his biggest weakness is simply endurance or stamina. You may simply float around him pecking occasionally until he cannot continue. Then either finish him off or leave.

An attack can be a short concentrated burst and then it is over. You can use a short burst to distract and disorient your opponent, putting them at a disadvantage, then follow up with the main body of the attack and finish with the grand finale to secure a final victory.

Another critical concept for you to grasp is that in a self-defense situation your survival may depend upon striking first. At the corps of this concept is a philosophy espoused by Bruce Lee. If you feel that an assault or attack is imminent when you find yourself in a perilous situation and you are convinced that your safety or life is in grave danger – strike first. The pre-emptive strike may give you edge you need to survive. On the street and in combat, there are no extra courtesy points for allowing your assailant to throw the first strike.

Decisiveness

Do not hesitate. Wait, be prepared, time your technique and strike, but do not hesitate. Take the advantage before your opponent seizes it. Decisiveness is essential in survival situations so that you may pre-empt your opponent. Pre-emption is necessary when you sense or read your opponent and determine that they are about to strike or position themselves in some way that increases the threat they pose to you. Be decisive on a course of action to prevent your opponent from realizing his plans.

Recycling Your Weapons

Do not allow an opponent to use a weapon (gun/knife/arm/leg) again after you have disarmed them. Stepping on the weapon, tossing, or kicking it away prevents recycling.  However, you do want to recycle your own weapons and reuse them as often as is appropriate – circular strikes can be easily repeated, modified and used repeatedly and combined with hip rotation for added power.  If you grab an arm or wrist or foot – do not let go. These are weapons. If you have one, damage it or control it so that your opponent cannot use it against you again.

Damaging their Weapons

Punch the arm or block the arm that is punching to hurt the arm or wrist. Damage the knee, foot, or leg so that it cannot be used to kick again. If the situation is serious, break the wrist, shoulder, elbow, or fingers so that they cannot be used again to hurt you! You must decide what is appropriate based on the level of threat.

Environment and Terrain as Strategy

The things around you make up your environment. This includes the terrain, the surfaces covering the terrain, objects, artifacts, obstructions, structures and people around you.

Your environment can be used to your advantage. It can also be used to your opponent’s advantage. Beware of this. The ways in which environment can be used are many. You may be able to hide or escape from an opponent in the dark or fog. You may be able to use
everyday objects around you as weapons to add to your empty-handed defense.

You can use a wall or a railing to push off or as a support for throwing a kick to make you more stable and less vulnerable. You can throw objects in the path or the face of your attacker to distract him and buy you time to maneuver or escape.

You can use nearly any object around you to throw, swing, tip, spray or move rapidly and easily to put time or distance between you and your opponent. Consider the possibilities often and you will be surprised what you find that you had never noticed. However, do not get too
caught up in a desperate self-defense situation trying to find too many objects or obstructions that may actually slow you down more than they do your opponent.

Whenever using weapons of opportunity or aspects of your environment they must be readily accessible and useable, only requiring a split second to grab or put to use to aid your defense or to provide some momentary advantage. Anything more will actually put you at a disadvantage.

You can train, study and prepare, but if when you are in a self-defense situation or any other form of combat, you do not have a grasp of the terrain and its surfaces, then you may be surprised and defeated.

It is essential to vary your training. This includes varying the type of terrain or surfaces upon which you train. Your training should give you the opportunity to train on grass, dirt, gravel, in the water or mud and on smooth surfaces such as ice or tiles. All of these surfaces require you to adapt and select different techniques and strategies from your library.

Terrain is not merely the surfaces of the ground upon which you stand, but the contours of the ground beneath these surfaces. As Sun Tzu said, terrain can have many characteristics, which can give the advantage or take away an advantage.

Terrain can provide an escape route such as in wide-open areas. Another escape route may be a wooded area or a maze of alleys where you may give your opponent the slip. You can use terrain as a vantage point, such as at higher elevations. You can use it to encircle or otherwise entrap an opponent. You can use terrain to conceal and protect. This may be good for you or bad for you depending upon whether you are the one concealing yourself or whether your enemy is concealing himself.

Any surface or terrain where your footing or balance is compromised or put at a disadvantage will require you to either grab hold of some handle or railing to stay upright or you will have to lower your center of gravity and your stance to keep from falling.

Use the terrain or objects around you to your advantage. Rocks and boulders offer a shield, concealment or protection. You can kick up loose dirt or throw it in your opponent’s face. You may also do this with water or other liquids.

If some other surface is so unpredictable or disadvantageous that you cannot maintain balance and control, you may even consider drawing your opponent to the ground and taking the conflict lower, providing that you have trained and studied ground fighting. Then you will have an advantage even on disadvantageous terrain.

You can use icy, snowy surfaces for a ground fight, and then you will not be so concerned with maintaining your balance or footing because you are already down.  If you choose to stay upright, then you must widen your stance to be more flat-footed to maintain traction. Kicks and sweeps are more risky because they reduce your stable base. In these cases, hand techniques may be more appropriate. Your techniques and strategy will vary with the terrain and the surfaces. Find advantages where there appear to be none. This is the essence of victory!

Also, be aware the same advantages you may find, your enemy can use. Do not assume that your opponent will not use the terrain or surfaces to the same advantage that you would. You must train on different terrains, flat, uneven, hilly, rocks, wooded, cluttered with debris or rubble, in narrow confines such as alleys or elevators, in wide-open places and in streams or inside automobiles or moving trains.

Terrain is a large component of the environment, as I have discussed. The more often you train in different terrains and environments, the more versatile and adaptable you can become.

It’s About Survival

I started out by saying that martial arts are about survival.  The topics I have covered in this article only provide a brief glimpse into a few key concepts that for most commercially educated martial artists are completely foreign.  I encourage you to study combat techniques and tactics for urban combat and street assaults and to incorporate what you learn into your training.  Check out books and videos to gain a better understanding of these tactics and study how techniques you have learned in your martial arts training can be incorporated or adapted for practical use in a real situation rather than just as a form of demonstration for your next belt test.

We had a saying at United Karate: “If you can’t defend yourself, nothing else matters.”

About the Author

Kevin Brett is a certified martial arts instructor with twenty years of martial arts training and teaching experience. He and wife Lana Kaye Brett were two of the five co-founders of the United Karate Institute of Self-Defense, Incorporated in Alexandria, Virginia. He has taught martial arts and street self-defense to local law enforcement, military and federal officers focusing on realistic and practical application of martial arts techniques.

He is the President/CEO of Kevin Brett Studios, Inc., and the author of The Way of the Martial Artist: Achieving Success in Martial Arts and in Life! Information and samples from this comprehensive martial artists guidebook can be viewed at his website.

There’s actually a sale going on over at ebladestore.com with 10% off any combat and military knives which will save you a couple bucks. They have a pretty good selection of various throwing knives if you’re interested in picking up a pair to learn this throwing technique.

The best way to prepare yourself is to have the necessary equipment and supplies to ensure you and your family are provided with the necessities of life.

Survival equipment is really a form of life insurance. You never know when a disaster will strike and you need to be prepared before not after such an event. You should also try to ensure your neighbors; family and friends are prepared with their own survival gear otherwise be prepared to share yours. If others won’t take their survival needs seriously then buy them kits for Christmas, birthdays and even wedding presents.

Your survival kit should contain at the very least matches, fish hooks, fishing line, a string saw, a small knife, bouillon cube type
dehydrated soup stock, sugar, salt, antibiotics, antiseptics, aspirin, bandages, aluminum foil, a magnetic compass, a small mirror, a magnifying glass, and antihistamine. In a larger kit, you will need food and fresh water to survive at least for two weeks. Avoid foods that have to be cooked unless you have a portable cooker or barbecue.

In the case of floods or earthquakes your home may be destroyed or unsafe to live in so you will need shelter and warmth. Waterproof backpacking tarps can be tied to trees with rope and used as a shelter. For clothing, remember that wool insulates when wet and comfortable waterproof footwear is worth its weight in gold.

You need to know how to use your survival equipment, experience in the use of emergency survival gear will help you to choose what to include in your emergency survival gear kit. You should know some first aid basics and have a copy of a first aid manual.

As well as knowing how to use your survival gear everyone in your house must know where it is. You should keep an inventory along with use by dates and replace items as they become aged or pass their use by date. Store and record the date on items to indicate when it should be replaced or buy extra food when you can and rotate items.

You need to take a survival kit everywhere you go. In your car you should have a portable kit that contains some high energy foods, Sports bars, hard candy, MREs (meals ready to eat), tropical chocolate bars, beef jerky, and nuts all work well. Basic first aid items, a flashlight and spare batteries as well as a map of the area. A couple bottles of fresh drinking water are must have items.

In some countries it is law to have a survival kit. Even in those countries where it isn’t you still need to be prepared. A good
survival kit will only set you back a few hundred dollars and this is a cost you’ll be happy you paid if one day that disaster strikes and you kit saves the life of a loved family member.

Learning to survive doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. In fact it can be an interesting family activity that all can participate in.
Even very young members of the family need to be survival aware because if anything happens to their caregivers they may be left to fend for themselves. Don’t leave it till its too late get prepared to survive now.

When I first began learning survival strategies in the early 90’s, it was for recreational use in the event I was stuck in the woods on a hunting trip. As a result, the few books I had were focused on the basics; building shelter, staying warm, finding your way out the woods, etc… Basic as my skills were, I’ve had to implement them on more than one occasion.

Now almost two decades later, I’m no longer studying survival tactics for finding my way out of the woods; I’m looking at possible long-term survival scenarios. As a result the basic survival books of the past are not comprehensive enough in their scope for long-term survival. Other types of books must be studied to make a modern survivalist. Below is a list of subjects, with a brief description, that any serious survivalist should become acquainted with.

Edible and Medicinal Plants

One of the greatest assets available to modern survivalists is the growing list of books and articles written about edible and medicinal plants in your local ecosystem. When my wife and I began collecting books on this subject, I was astonished at not only the variety but also the availability of dozens of healthy plants and fruits within our area. Now on our trips to the woods, we now have fun with our children seeking out new sources of food that were previously unknown to us. Should we ever be forced to survive in the woods, whether short or long term, I am confident we would have a well balanced diet available.

Local Wildlife and Their Habits

Everybody takes for granted that virtually every wild place in America has the same basic host of animals; deer, rabbits, squirrels, coyote and a variety of birds. Despite this rudimentary knowledge, few people take the time to better understand the habits or diet of these animals. Aside from this, some areas of this country have poisonous and or dangerous animals that can pose a serious threat to the your survival strategies. Therefore, I highly recommend finding books that will acquaint you with the variety of animals and their habits in your local area.

An example I give my children is this. If you were limited on your supply of ammo and trying to eke it out in the woods, what would you do in a show down with a large predator, such as a cougar? Instead of wasting precious ammo, it would pay to know how to thwart the predator from attacking and scare it away for good.

Hunting and Fishing Skills

Coupled with learning about the animals within your local area, is the idea of how to capture or kill any of these animals for food. By this I don’t mean just sitting in a tree and waiting for a deer to pass by. A well rounded hunting or fishing book, should teach you the essentials of trapping small animals, making fish traps, spear fishing, taking large animals and last but not least how to properly prepare a meal in the field.

Stories About Mountain Men of the Past

Many would be surprised to learn that mountain men of the past lived primarily on small animals, from squirrel to the occasional weasel. They realized that having to much meat can go to waste, and draw unwanted scavengers to their campsite. Aside from this, the toughness of these men of lore gave root to many a tall tale. I’ve admired many of these old timers having to survive on limited food, cold coffee, often in the least favorable weather conditions imaginable.

Food and Seed Storage

One of the subjects I’ve recently begin researching is storage for food and seed. Within this arena is the idea of dry food bunkers, root cellars, keeping your seeds dry and keeping animals out of your food. While this subject requires more resources than many survivalists may have access to in times of emergency, pre-planned preparation is the rule of thumb for this subject.

Homesteading

The idea of homesteading almost died soon after people began leaving the farm last century. However, homesteading began increasing in popularity in the 70’s, with it slowly building steam until now it is a popular subject again, as more and more people desire to leave the confines of the city and live a rural agrarian lifestyle. In the event of long-term survival scenarios, the information gleaned from the many wonderful resources on this subject is invaluable. Most of the popular books have information about various cabin building techniques, electricity production, drilling water wells, gardening, animal husbandry, making clothes and a plethora of other homesteading subjects.

Health and Well Being

While this subject alone is one of the most complex to wrestle, it is essential for survivalists in mid to long-term situations. Occasionally this subject is tackled in the books about wild food gathering, but often time’s additional resources are necessary. A sampling of topics that should be considered is; daily nutritional needs, how to ward off illness, how to treat sickness, how to treat wounds and what foods are highest in vitamins.

While there are undoubtedly more topics that could be added to any survivalist’s library, this list is a good start. The next question is where to find such resources? I have purchased some books online or at bookstores brand new. However much of my library has been found at garage sales, library book sales, used book stores and thrift stores. It is a joyful experience to find a handful of great survival resources for only a few dollars.

My suggestion is to start of simple, get only a few basic books pertaining to each of these subjects, then from there dive in deeper with more complex resources as time and finances permit. Your time in educating yourself in these subjects will not be in vain; you’ll be surprised at how often you will find yourself applying what you’ve learned to your life.

By Justin Cottrell

A design collaboration between Ethan Becker of BK&T and John Benner of TDI, the Tac Tool ($80) smashes, bashes, prys, hammers and cuts. It is equally powerful at lifting stubborn hinge pins, prying open doors or windows, and hammering out glass as it is efficient at cutting 550 cord.

We’re quite used to seeing tons of tools crammed into a pocket knife-sized package, but it’s not everyday you see the same thing done to an axe. The Brook & Hunter Mo-Tool Axe ($40) brings the handyman heat with a capable axe blade and hand-crafted red oak wood inlay handle, plus a hammer head, screwdrivers, knives, a can opener, wire cutter, file, pliers, and a wrench.

GERBER Prodigy Serrated Edge Designed ($44) cues for the new Prodigy were inspired by the award-winning LMF II another knife engineered by Gerber’s Jeff Freeman. The Prodigy is much smaller (9.75″ overall length) but it certainly packs as much punch as its predecessor. The full tang high-carbon stainless steel blade is beefy and coated with black oxide for improved corrosion resistance and reduced visual signature.

• Sandvick 12C27 Stainless Steel Blade with Black Oxide Finish
• Serrated Edge Only Full Tang Fixed Blade
• Textured Soft-Grip Overmolded Ensures a Secure Grip
• Window Punch/Pommel
• Molle Compatible Hard Sheath with Ballistic Nylon Belt Loop and Straps

The Swedish FireSteel with MayaDust ($24) is a flash of genius. Its 3,000°C spark makes fire building easy in any weather, at any altitude. Used by a number of armies around the world, Swedish FireSteel’s dependability has already made it a favorite of survival experts, hunters, fishermen and campers.

Fire building made easy, the pure and natural way. Don’t build your fire with noxious fumes or harmful chemicals. Use the time-honored, organic method. A technique that resembles the centuries-old art of the native fire-builder. From the heart of the ancient Mayan Empire comes the remarkable product known as MayaDust. MayaDust is made from Pino de Ocote, a fatwood pine cultivated in the highlands of Guatemala and Mexico. With 80% resin content, MayaDust is easy to light, even when wet and produces an extremely hot flame. Use a pinch to quickly light your campfire. MayaDust is shavings from MayaSticks packed in a convenient waterproof “snuff box” that is easy to carry in your pocket or backpack (weighs about an ounce). Gives maximum heat energy for minimal weight. Use MayaDust together with Swedish FireSteel to light your campfire with ease.