We are pleased to announce that that due to popular demand, our book, Negative Space: A Guide To Personal Security, is now available as an audio book on Audible and iTunes.
After receiving many messages and emails asking for an audio book version, we took the leap and had the audio book produced to make it even more accessible. It is available as a download from us directly, through Amazon/Audible and iTunes as well (links below).
Oftentimes, having a security camera system at your residence (whether you are an owner, renter, or traveller) can be beneficial in supporting your security posture as well as your general situational awareness.
Check out this video on our YouTube channel where I talk about how to set-up a quick, simple, inexpensive and effective security camera system.
When you add some solar-powered motion-activated lights, proper placement and some thought and effort, you can really leverage a few dollars and have something which will get the job done.
Very excited to have my work featured in Tactical Solutions Magazine, the official publication of the International Tactical Training Association (ITTA) based in Chicago, IL.
The International Tactical Training Association (ITTA) is always on Mission to provide members with advanced tactical and technical programs of instruction formulated and directed by a core council who possess extensive Law Enforcement and Military experience. We seek to transform, keep you ahead of the curve, and one step ahead. Semper in ViaITTA retains a broad spectrum of instructors with Special Operations backgrounds and current post 9-11 operational and instructional experience. We are here to transform, keep you inside the loop and one step ahead with best practices, hard learned lessons, and disruptive technologies.
You can go directly to the issue and article here. Be sure to check out their entire website and read their other publications for fantastic content.
A while ago I heard about a book which chronicled the history and evolution of skills and tips for the Prisoners of War (POWs) or captives in a foreign land. After much digging, I contacted the author, Mr. Joseph A. Laydon Jr., and arranged to purchase a copy to be shipped to Canada.
Mr. Laydon was very kind and forthcoming in his communications with me and I received my copy (and a bunch of other goodies) from him shortly afterward.
Mr. Laydon’s compendium is a ~350-page tome of well researched historical material. He has dug deep into the world of POWs (in an American context, specifically) from the US Civil War to Cold War-era and their methods of survival, escape and reunification through simple tips as well as in-depth case studies.
American POWs in Hanoi, North Vietnam.
As the nature of warfare has changed with the introduction of ever-advancing technologies, the realities of captivity remain. Allied soldiers have been held captive in more recent conflicts such as the Gulf Wars, The Balkans/Former Yugoslavia and in the Middle East. And though one never knows in advance the circumstances of one’s possible captivity, a study of historical methods (both by captors and captives) is beneficial. It gives scope and depth of knowledge which may be adapted in given circumstances. In some current theatres of conflict, one’s adversaries may tend to be on the less-technologically advanced side. If one is to be effective in combating such foes, a study into their “low-tech” methods will yield insight into their weaknesses. To that end, studying past historical methods of captivity and restraint allows for the operator or agent to understand the weaknesses in those methods and train to exploit those weaknesses to one’s advantage.
Captured “enemy combatants” in Ukraine.
As an example, “high tech” security features, such as locks and handcuffs, may be in use by one’s own forces, but in some areas in the world, technology may be 50-80 years behind the times, often using outdated and “low tech” restraints and locking mechanisms. Awareness and training in the exploitation of these are crucial to one’s survival.
You never know where you’ll end up. Prepare now.
I would also argue that even by reading through it in a non-military or operational context, if one were to find themselves kidnapped or held in unlawful confinement, some of the points discussed in this book may be of help, again depending on the circumstances. But the more you know, the more options you may have.
To bring this around full circle, Mr. Laydon does an excellent job of providing a thoroughly researched historical account of survival methods used by POWs and also the captivity methods of their captors and aggressors over a very long period of time across a wide range of theatres. Even more useful are his personal notes from his time in the Military and through various survival schools. All very useful information. There are many practical and informative (and genuinely interesting) tips and tricks covered. It is not an instructional manual, per se, but rather an in-depth reference highlighting many historical and contemporary methods and ideas for use in such environments. The author has augmented historical methods with personal anecdotes and experiences to bring context. There are no pictures or diagrams to see (though there are a few exercises to learn some of the tricks shown) however the sheer multitude of referenced tips and tricks leaves one much to internalize and think about. I would recommend this publication to anyone looking to expand their knowledge of this subject matter. Sometimes, the saying “what’s old is new again” may come to pass. You never know, it may come in handy some day.
Though the information in this book is good to know, Would highly recommend finding training in these skillsets in-person. Nothing beats hands-on instruction and personal first-hand experience.
Joseph A. Laydon Jr. can be reached through www.survivalexpertbooks.com or at wwwsurvivalexpert@yahoo.com and this book can be found on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca . He has written many other books on various other survival-related topics, similarly sized and deeply researched.
Training Review: IRETC with 4TAC5, Chicago, IL, May 2018
In May of this year (2018), I travelled to Chicago to expand my skills in the field of Counter-custody and counter-kidnapping but attending the IRETC Instructor Certification with Karl from 4TAC5.
For the longest time I had been working towards attending the counter-custody instructor certification course with 4TAC5 – IRETC (International Restraint Escape Training Course). I had tried for months to connect with them and was planning to travel to their training base in England to attend it when I was referred to Aaron Cunningham of the ITTA (International Tactical Training Association) as they were going to be hosing IRETC in Chicago. As luck would have it this made things much more convenient and less expensive.
Upon arrival I made contact with Aaron and he picked me up from the airport. I treated him to breakfast for the courtesy. As I had only had communications with him through e-mail to that point it was good to finally put a face to the name and get to know him. After breakfast, Aaron and I took a little tour around Chicago (he showed me some of the sights and gave me some background to the respective history and current situations with specific neighbourhoods we were traversing) and then we did two more circles to the airport to pick up other attendees and finally to pick up our instructor, Karl, and make our way to the training facility and our lodgings.
There were 4 of us with Karl and Aaron. A small but diverse group of LEO/MIL personnel.
***I will not speak to the identities of the others in the training as they are currently operational with their respective security services, nor will I get into specifics of the training due to it’s nature. ***
Over that first evening we all had a chance to get to know one another and discuss the upcoming week of training. Admittedly, I was very excited to get the training started and build upon my existing skills.
The next day training started and we covered a LOT of ground. The content for day 1 was vaguely as follows:
Overview of material, counter-custody principles, kidnapping & hostage survival;
Detailed review of improvised restraints and manufactured restraints;
Improvised tools against restraints;
Mindset and tactics
I felt as if I’d been overloaded with information and it took me a while to process what I was learning. So much amazing stuff was coming to me – efficient and effective techniques and principles to put to use immediately. My hands and wrists were smashed and raw by the end of the day but it was well worth the pain to gain the knowledge and hands-on experience in a controlled environment where mistakes can be made and learning can occur. Very helpful when you get yourself in a pickle and need someone to cut you out so you can try again.
Day 2 was much the same in so far as having a firehose of info shot my way. After a great breakfast, we got fuelled up on coffee and a recap of the previous day’s material and dove right in.
Recap Day 1;
Tools, carry, concealment and deployment;
Handcuffs (various, identify, function, features)
More mindset and tactics;
Special tools (contents, function, use)
Anatomy of abduction and custody (phases, counter-intelligence, immediate actions)
Captivity & custody Exercise
Day 2 was a long day filled with more work, soreness and trial and error. However, the more exhaustively we practiced, the more confident I was with the little curve balls that were thrown our way and, with patience and focus, they could be overcome.
Day 2 dinner was another great time gelling with the group and expanding on the day’s lessons.
***BTW the food in Chicago was AWESOME!***
Day 3 was the Big Cahuna. Exercise after exercise after exercise, more scenarios and practice. Very involved to test our newly acquired skills and assure we’d assimilated the little tricks and remained focused on the task regardless of the negative stimulus applied. I found this culmination was a thorough test of my skills and my ability to apply them under stress and in unknown conditions.
As a finale to the week, Aaron arranged a tour of the Chicago Police Marine Unit (with associated boat ride and waterfront tour) and topped it off with a ride-along with the Chicago Police Aviation Unit aboard a CPD helicopter above downtown Chicago. And, as it was Tuesday, what better dinner to have than tacos? I guess you really haven’t lived till you’ve watch a White Sox game at Wrigley Field from a police helicopter. Karl and I had a blast. What a great night.
The following day included a debrief, discussions, clean-up and certification presentations. My trip to the airport was bitter-sweet. I had made some new friends, learned and experienced some top-tier training and was leaving a very Toronto-like city (minus the 14 people who were shot while I was there).
I extend my sincerest thanks to Aaron Cunningham and the ITTA for hosting the training and for their wonderful hospitality. True professionals doing a great job.
To Karl of 4TAC5, thank you for your knowledge, patience and great sense of humour during the week.
To the Chicago Police Marine and Aviation units – thank you for your hospitality and for the amazing ride-alongs. Stay safe out there!
And to my fellow attendees, thank you for the laughs and lessons. Stay safe in your respective areas of operation and keep in touch.
For those of you who are in Canada looking for counter-custody and hostage survival training, keep your eyes peeled for our offerings for both civilians and military/law enforcement (restricted content) or contact us directly for private training solutions for your group.
For more information on mentioned training and entities, see below and feel free to contact us.
Welcome to Part Two in our Travel Security Series: Keeping your home safe while you’re away.
Sadly, this isn’t part of the trip planning process for many people (though it should be). Most either assume their home is “secure” enough, therefore they don’t need to do anything, or they just lock the door and leave, hoping for the best. Either way, here are some tips to better prepare your home to maintain its integrity while you’re away.
Make sure your home stays safe while you’re away.
Maintain OPSEC. Don’t Talk about your impending trip! As exciting as it is, keep the details of your trip on the down-low leading up to it. If you must give details for the purposes of booking vacation time or scheduling, be vague with the times and dates of you absence and also with your itinerary. Instead of saying exactly where you’re going, be vague, like “down south” or “out-of-town for a couple of days”, instead of “I’m going to *** in *** and we leave on *** and return on ***.” This makes it less predictable when your home will be unoccupied.
Maintain OPSEC (OPerational SECurity)
Establish a monitoring presence.
If possible, enlist the help of a relative or trusted friend to check in on your house while you’re away. Give them a key and have them bring in the mail, turn lights on/off through the house. If you’re lucky they may even agree to put out the garbage and replace the bins when collected. They can also feed your pets, open and close blinds, water your plants and even move your car around. This creates the illusion that the house is occupied and monitored. Just ensure to bring back a nice souvenir for your caretakers from your trip…it’s the least you can do. If you’re unable to secure such a caretaker, put a hold on your mail and scheduled deliveries and arrange to have your yard maintained while you’re away. Maybe even get your windows washed and gutters cleaned all on different days, prepaid. This will, again, deter burglars from targeting your house, especially in the day. If possible, have a trusted friend or family member move in while you’re gone. Sell it to them like a mini-vacation. And of course, you’ll bring them a souvenir. (FYI – there are also other options, such as hiring a house-sitter or even renting out your home through Air BnB or similar sites and maintain the occupancy. This is, however, your choice.)
Make your house look like you’re home.
Plug your table lamps into timers.
Program them to turn on and off at various times and various rooms as if people are moving about in the evenings. They don’t cost a lot but can help a great deal in establishing a more randomized presence. In the same vein, unplug all non-essential electronics to reduce risk of fire and to save on the constant trickle of electricity they use.
Updated digital
Old school analog
If you haven’t yet,
consider installing both a security system and motion lights
around your home. They will deter people attempting to access your home as well as create a video log of all who approach, day or night. In addition to this, ensure your doors and windows have effective working locks and that they are ALL engaged prior to you leaving. Even the upper floors.
Motion lights help to provide both safety and security at night.
Home security systems allow for monitoring and recording.
Stash your stuff.
It is common practice for me that prior to a trip out-of-town, I take my valuables to a safe deposit box at a bank. It’s included with my account and always available and secure. So I make use of it. If there’s anything valuable you have in your home that isn’t completely secure (like, in a fireproof vault anchored to your wall and floor) then consider leaving it in a safe deposit box for the duration of your trip. You shouldn’t be travelling with expensive stuff anyways.
Keep your valuables safe when you’re away.
As a last thought, you might want to check your smoke detectors and turn down your furnace if needed. Put a dog alarm or a sign for for “beware of dog”. This may add to the overall security picture.
Though this post is not exhaustive of all possible considerations, I hope the above tips will help you in securing your home while you’re away, protecting your possessions and giving you piece of mind.
Stay safe and stay crafty.
***Disclaimer: None of the above information is fool-proof or guaranteed but is the opinion of the author and as such, the Author suggests you use your own judgement when implementing any of the above.***
Covert Entry Concepts – Only Canadian Offering! This course will teach Law Enforcement Personnel, Special Operations Forces, and Government employees and security professionals the principles of lock bypassing and making covert entries into buildings or properties.
This class is entirely hands on. From the moment you enter the course you will have tools in your hand and are working to exploit various locking mechanisms. Students will learn to recognize the vulnerabilities in existing hardware, how they are attacked, or sometimes even bypassed entirely. You’ll walk away with the skills needed to compromise most of the locks used in North America today. Students will be much better positioned to provide service in a variety of tactical areas: check welfare calls, search and arrest warrant service, establishing sniper positions, sneak and peak operations, surveillance operations, fire safe opening, and breaking and entering investigations.
Since the techniques taught in this class are largely nondestructive, agencies will also benefit by having a decrease in civil actions due to property damage.
The cost of the course is $865 CAD with a $200 deposit required to hold your place. If taken with Safe Dial Mechanics, the cost is $1150 for both.
E-mail us at:
truenorthtradecraft@gmail.com
for more information and payment instructions.
(***See link to flyer at bottom***)
Schedule is:
Sat May 12: 0800hrs -late (dinner and a appropriately-themed movie to end the evening)
Sun July 30: 0800hrs – 1700hrs
Included Equipment:
Included in the cost of the course is a comprehensive set of high quality tools that you can use on the job or practice at home to maintain the skills you’ll build in class. • High Quality 12 Piece Pick Set • Set of covert jigglers • Set of warded picks • Bump Hammer • Bump keys • An e-z decoder • Underdoor tool
***Team dinner scheduled and provided for Saturday night.***
DISCLAIMER:*Nothing in the course offering is intended to be used for unlawful purposes. Consult with your local laws prior to employing these techniques in the field. This is intended for lawful use ONLY. True North Tradecraft and its partners do not condone or advocate illegal activities.*
I recently discovered a new self-defence product – Tactikey.
Tactikey is an upgrade on an old-school, low-tech means of self-defence. The old “punch them with your keys” technique, except with some modern upgrades.
The product itself is a small (1 x 1.75 x 0.5 in), lightweight (6.5 g) and strong (TPE 110 Composite material) designed to ergonomically accept a standard Kwikset house key and give it a platform to use as an impact weapon. This design is helpful in reducing injury to the defender’s hand while allowing the transference of force through the key point to the assailant’s soft tissues.
Tactikey in it’s packaging (front).
Tactikey packaging (back).
The combination of supporting grip and solid metal point is surprisingly effective and protects the user from injury well, unlike an un-shrouded key being used for the same thing.
Low-pro force multiplier.
When I received my package of a few Tactikeys and was caught by several positive things:
VERY light
VERY small
VERY easy to add to your key ring
Usable in non-permissive environments and will likely not raise any red flags if inspected by authorities
Allow the key to be used for it’s intended function AND as a self-defence implement and;
Comes in your choice of Blaze Orange, Hot Pink or Carbon Black.
Along with the personalized note from them, I immediately equipped my Tactikey and went to work playing around with it.
I found that holding it was comfortable. The finish on the grip was soft and smooth but didn’t slip.
Ergonomic and secure grip.
Fits well into the hand.
It intuitively holds well between the fingers and stays solid when striking.
Pointy, ouchy and very solidly held.
I had access to a building site where walls were being replaced and took a few jabs at drywall and lathe & plaster. The results were good (see below).
Drywall – before.
I was able to make holes in both mediums without pain or injury to my hand. The regular (un-sharpened key) penetrated both types of walls with relative ease making me feel confident that it could cause trauma to soft tissue on a hostile human target.
Through drywall with first strike.
Repeated strikes had no issue with penetration.
As it is a simple piece of plastic, Tactikey can go anywhere a set of keys can go and will always be ready as an added force multiplier if you should need it. I have added this to my Every Day Carry (EDC) as it is useful, lightweight, practical and effective. Along with the other items I carry, I feel it is a wise investment and doesn’t add bulk of weight to your setup.
Although I haven’t had the opportunity to hit a person with it at this point, I’ll be sure to update this post with those results, should they occur. That said, punching holes in drywall happened very easily and I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of a hit with one of these.
Tactikey also has a fantastic return policy on it’s product (from their website):
“30 Day 110% Return Policy – Purchase with Confidence. We at Tactikey work tirelessly to develop the world’s most unique and efficient EDC products that will help you achieve well-being and safety. We believe in our products so much that we stand behind them with a no hassle, no questions asked, satisfaction guarantee 110% return policy. If you purchase any Tactikey product on our website Tactikey.com and you are not satisfied, return it within 30 days for a 110% refund. The guarantee is applicable to all purchases made from Tacktikey.com only and does not cover Tacktikey retailers. Retail purchases will be handled by the particular retail store’s return policy. That is our commitment at Tactikey to you our customers.”
Instructions on the use of Tactikey can also be found on their website here.
The one and only downside with Tactikey is that it is only compatible with Kwikset key blanks at the moment. If your house key or other keys on your ring are not of this kind, they may not fit properly. That said, Tactikey is working on different formats for several other major key manufacturers (like Schlage and Yale) and customers will be able to choose which works for them. In the grand scheme, this isn’t a big deal. They will come out with others soon and, really, I’d sooner have a dedicated defensive key (a blank, sharpened) than my primary house key. If you do hit something or someone and bend it, you may have issues using your key after. Not to mention if you lose it in a fight, buddy will have your house key. I’d sooner have a non-key. I used an old, out of commission Kwikset key I had laying around for my test & carry key to ensure that doesn’t happen. I will pick up a Kwikset blank and sharpen it with a file for primary EDC use in the coming days to ensure I have it the way I want it. You can pick up a Kwikset blank from anywhere that cuts keys (Home Depot, local hardware stores, shoe repair places, etc) and just ask them for one. Again, not a big deal right now as you’re best off to go with a dedicated key or key blank for this particular use.
Have a look at their website, check them out on social media and feel free to pick one up for yourself and maybe some family members. For the money, I thinks it’s a great deal and you get something solid and useful. I really like it and I bet you will too.
Recently I completed the Behavioural Profiling and Situational Awareness online course produced by Emergence LLC and presented by Yousef Badou.
Mr. Badou is a US Marine veteran (with 3 tours in Iraq) who contributed to the development of the behavioural profiling programme used by the USMC.
As an introduction, I thought it was a concise overview of the principles of behavioural profiling and situational awareness.
Developing awareness of the Baseline.
A lot is covered in the ~1 hour online course (especially for the cost, at $9 USD). For someone new to it, it really opens up a window into the world that your senses disregard if you’re not in tune to your environment. For the practitioner, it is a good review from the ground up of basics, reframed from another perspective. He states that if he can, through imparting his knowledge, give you even an extra second (or more) of advantage to act, he will have given you an edge in surviving an event. This is all predicated upon becoming in-tune with the environment around you and feeling the baseline.
Seeing what stands out even when it’s not obvious can give you that extra second to act and increase your chances of survival.
Mr. Badou’s examples and delivery are engaging and spot-on. Such as the recognition of “pre-incident indicators” are all learnable and actionable. Though a large portion of the material he covered was a review to me, I did like the way he explained some things I hadn’t heard before – the concept of “File Folders”, for instance and how they affect one’s decision making processes.
Seeing the threat early is like seeing in the future.
The entire overview hit the salient points while providing easily understandable context for each. Broad topics covered are:
Introduction to Behavioural Profiling (with physiology and psychology backgrounders)
File Folders and Denial (as well as anomalies and perception)
Fear and Brain Errors (including the Limbic system), and;
Final Thoughts
Mr. Badou references a few different additional sources for further reading in the form of Patrick Van Horne’s Left of Bang, Gavin De Becker’s The Gift of Fear and Dave Grossman’s On Combat – all excellent primary sources for this type of material.
I recommend giving Emergence LLC a look and trying out their introductory offering. I am also looking forward to further modules they will be putting out – such as Observable Behaviours and Behavioural Indicators.
Till next time, stay warm, stay safe and stay crafty.
A little while ago I received a mail call containing a sample of the Accent Series from Delta2Alpha Design. To read my review of the previous generation of tools, go here.
Happiness in a parcel!
The Accent Series is their newest offering of upgraded versions of The MARK, The LOLLY and The MiK.
The MARK, in colours…
The new tools are delivered in three colours (crimson, blaze orange or day-glow green), clad in a robust carbon fibre skin.
Durable polymer clad in carbon fibre.
They are all incredibly versatile and even more durable than their previous versions. I found the carbon fibre skin to be more resistant to scratches and abrasions than the earlier version of polymer tools.
The Lolly – polymer last-ditch tool. Earlier version.
Accent version of the Lolly.
I have used the Lolly for opening paint cans when I find myself without a screwdriver. It’s handy to carry in my 5th jeans pocket.
On a recent visit to Ottawa, I found myself in a Tim Hortons for a morning coffee. The floor was covered in melt and slushy runoff from the recent snow. Thankfully, I had my Accent Series MARK in my bag (perfect for non-permissive environments like government buildings) and ensured my bag and its contents were well out of he muck.
No dirty, wet Tim Hortons floor for me and my stuff!
The MiK can be used as the MARK can, but with smaller applications. I do like how it can hold up your phone, hang your bag (or purse) or coat – perfect for bathrooms. It can also easily fit into the fifth pocket of your jeans for concealment and easy access.
TheMARK: Offers a convenient way to keep your jacket or bag off of the floor bathrooms when traveling (or everyday life) when there isn’t a hook. It can also be used as a tablet stand.TheMiK: Fits conveniently on your keys, and is used a hands free way to prop up your phone. This comes in handy whether you are trying to do a video chat, or just kill sometime watching cat videos (No Judgement).TheLolly: Can go right next to TheMiK on your keychain. TheLolly is a light duty pocket scraper, and prybar. It has be referred to as a “Fingernail Saver”. It also offers a ¼” bit driver and the key ring slot can be used to drive the Leatherman multi-tool brand bits.*Each package includes one (1) of TheMARK, TheMiK, and TheLolly; They are sold as matched sets*
All things considered, I feel that Delta 2 Alpha scored a big win with improving an already-sturdy and reliable design with their Accent Series of polymer tools. I’m very happy with them and equip myself with at least one on a daily basis as they are lightweight, practical and come in handy in a variety of ways.
