Front Strike Self-Defense and Survival

09/11/2026

I have not, nor will I ever forget.

09/08/2026

Vocalization. It’s an important and often overlooked part of a successful self-defense platform. Should you ever find yourself in a situation where you have to present a tool, such as a fi***rm, to defend yourself against an immediate threat, you need to be vocalizing. You need to be yelling phrases such as “Stop”, “Get back”, “Drop the gun (knife, etc.).”

There are a couple of reasons we want to be doing this:
1. Yelling allows us to fill our lungs with fresh oxygen, helping our bodies get ready to fight. It also allows us to create power internally, as well as perceived power by our opponent. This is one of the reasons why you hear people involved in martial arts yell during certain techniques.

2. During the decision-making process, the brain is taking in a lot of external information. If you can provide a large amount of stimulus, such as pain or a loud noise (yelling), especially at a close range, it can interrupt the decision-making process of your opponent. When you yell and scream, your body produces energy in the form of sound (decibels); that energy can have a disorienting effect on an attacker if they are in close proximity, especially if they are not expecting it or are not prepared for it.

3. Probably the most important reason is that we want to draw attention to what is happening. When the dust settles, and the Police are asking potential witnesses if they heard anything, you want people to be able to say, “No, Officer, I didn’t see it, but I heard this person yelling Stop, get back, don’t hurt me! And then I heard the gunfire.”

Now, having said all of this, you need to keep in mind that self-defense situations are often very fluid and fast-moving. If you are faced with making the choice of vocalizing or stopping the attack, stop the attack! A reasonable person would not expect you to sacrifice yourself in an effort to yell stop.

It’s important to always remember that just because we can do a thing does not always mean that we should. As a responsible armed adult acting within your local laws and regulations, you are not out to hurt or kill anyone; that would make you a criminal. If you have the opportunity to give them the chance to surrender or change their minds about hurting you or a loved one, it is always best to do so. Do not go forth with the intention of creating the situation. Go forth with the intention, knowledge, skill sets, and mental preparation to resolve a situation that someone else has decided to put you in. Be smart, be alert, be responsible, and be safe. REFUSE TO BE A VICTIM!

09/08/2026

Hands down, the most important survival resource we need to have (next to our ability to stay calm and work through problems) is water. Without sufficient water intake, you will be dead in a matter of days. It is with that thought in mind that the idea of water storage takes on a whole new meaning. To help drive the point home, all you have to do is look at news reports of municipalities putting a boil order in place because the water that’s coming out of the tap is dangerous to drink. Here’s the kicker: when I talk about boil orders, I’m not talking about some third-world or developing country; I am talking about locations right here in the United States.

So, what would you do if your local emergency manager came on the news tonight and said that the water is not safe to drink? Most people would get in line for bottled water, while others would ignore the warnings and drink the water and risk serious illness. We all know that we need water to live, and in our modern society, we have all become reliant on the fact that we can turn a k**b and all the fresh, drinkable water we can handle will come out of the tap. What if you turned the k**b and nothing came out? What then?

If this were to happen, there would be an immediate run on water, bottled and otherwise, at the local grocery store. Within less than a day, the supplies would be gone, so you will be forced to seek other options. There are places within your home where you can get water when the tap is turned off. The tank of your toilet is a good spot. No, the water in the tank is not “Toilet water.” It comes in from the water line to your home. If your house has a water heater, you can drain the water from it. In a real survival situation, you can crack open some pipes and access residual water inside.

Storage of water is the best way to provide yourself and your family with a nice cushion should a situation like this arise. You can begin your water storage adventure very easily. The next time you go to the store, buy an extra case of bottled water. You can augment the cases of bottled water by picking up some water containers. They can be found in any sporting goods store and usually range in size from 5-15 gallons and up, depending on what you’re looking for. The recommended daily intake of water for an average adult male is approximately 64 ounces (1/2 gallon). It should be noted that this amount goes up when factors like stress, exertion, environment, and so on are taken into account. If you store 30 gallons (three 10-gallon cans) of drinkable water, you now have, at the baseline, enough water for one adult male to survive for 60 days.

One way to increase your water storage, if you have the space, is to purchase 50-gallon heavy-gauge plastic garbage cans. Fill the can from your garden hose, and then, to prevent bacterial and other growths from occurring, treat it with household Chlorine Bleach (5-6% Sodium Hypochlorite). You will want to use approximately two teaspoons for every 7 gallons of water. DO NOT USE SCENTED OR BLEACH SUBSTITUTE!

One of the neat things about storing water is that you don’t have to throw it out when it expires. That’s because water does not expire; it may evaporate, but it doesn’t have an expiration date. If the time comes and you feel that you want to re-purify your stored water, simply bring it to a boil. Once the water reaches a hard boil, any microorganisms that may have been in it will be dead (please note boiling water DOES NOT remove chemical toxins, only microorganisms). If your water has a “stale” taste to it, simply pour it between two containers a couple of times. This will re-oxygenate the water and revive its taste.

There are a lot of things in our world that we can skimp on and get away with. Water is not one of them. You need it to survive during day-to-day operations. In the event of a survival situation or other emergency event, your need for water will become even more acute, simply because it may not be as readily available as it was just a few hours ago. Plan now! Take the time to think about this, talk to your family about it, and make your preparations now before a disaster or other event darkens your door. Once it happens, it will be too late to start preparing. Be smart, be alert, be responsible in your actions, and be safe.

08/31/2026

A self-defense technique that’s often overlooked is the art of de-escalation. What’s the best way to win a fight? Don’t get into one; that is what de-escalation is all about. It’s the action of recognizing an escalating issue that has the potential to evolve into a threat (violent encounter), and through the use of verbiage and body language, walking the issue back so the threat does not have a chance to manifest itself.

Emotion breeds and compounds emotion; this is a fact of life. Take anger, for example: this is one of our most powerful emotions, and as such, one that has the potential to get away from us in a hurry. Think of it like this: you have two people facing each other. In between them is a bucket; each time one of them says something in anger, the other responds in kind. With each angry exchange, that emotion is dumped into the bucket; it doesn’t take long, and the bucket will fill up and overflow. Anger presented will generate anger in response. Left unchecked, this will result in emotions feeding and growing off each other until they reach critical mass and a physical reaction is manifested. The bucket will overflow, and violence will ensue.

The key to de-escalation is to keep your emotions in check. By doing this, you do not contribute to the escalation of anger and allow yourself the opportunity to try to calm the event down. Talking to people who are angry can be very difficult. Probably the most important thing to remember is that you do not want to trivialize, minimize, or dismiss their anger, even if the topic of their angst seems petty to you. Give them the opportunity to express what it is they are bent out of shape about; it may be an issue or event completely separate from your contact. However, the instant that you minimize or dismiss as childish (even if it is) their emotions, you will become the catalyst of all their woes.

When talking to someone whose emotions have taken hold of them, it’s important to make them feel like they are part of a solution. Use phrases like, “I understand that you're upset,” “How can we (you and I) fix this,” “I absolutely see your point in this.” If a person feels isolated in their issue, the resulting anger will only escalate. It’s important to note that when engaging with a person under these circumstances, your voice tone and inflection will play a big role. A calm, professional, sympathetic tone that is not condescending and not overbearing in nature is best.

If you do attempt to de-escalate a contact, always have a plan in place for addressing a sudden surge of anger and accompanying violence by the other person. Anger will impede a person’s ability to make rational decisions and can cause them to lash out. This is especially true if the person is dealing with a mental health issue or crisis or is working through a trauma.

One of the dangers of de-escalation is the idea that it should be used in every contact. THIS IS NOT THE CASE! There are times when the event has already escalated beyond your ability to walk it back. If possible, de-escalation is always preferred to the application of force. However, you should never feel, nor should you ever let anyone tell you, that you must open yourself to attack or allow yourself to become a victim of violence, just to feed some misguided notion that all contacts can be resolved peacefully. This is not the case! Nowhere does it say that you must become a victim just so someone else can express their anger.

Take some time and think about de-escalation and how you would go about using it. Explore the idea of how best to talk to people who are presenting high levels of emotion. Educate yourself; the more tools you have in your toolbox, the better equipped you become to address issues and keep them from becoming a threat.

08/27/2026

We all know that we should be stockpiling food, water, medical supplies, but have you ever thought about “barter” items? If we ever experience a significant disruption or collapse currency will crash. Sin tax items like alcohol, to***co, etc will become worth their weight in gold. Things like ci******es, chewing to***co, alcohol (not b**r), am******on, etc. will all become, at some level, a new currency.

If you choose to store these items, or any preps for that matter, everybody and their brother doesn’t need to know about it. The term “Op-Sec” (Operational Security) should become a concept that you and your family embrace. Uncertainty causes fear, fear will cause people to become and do very unpredictable things.

Think about what you have to do before you have to do it. Prepare now to survive later.

08/15/2026

Front Strike Self-Defense & Survival
Presents
Women’s Self-Defense & Victim Prevention Seminar

Date: 12 September 2026 (Saturday) 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Location: 1355 Highway 64 NE, New Salisbury, Indiana
Cougar Archery (the old cabinet factory) behind Dollar General

Cost: FREE

Registration: Front-Strike.com

This is a free three-hour training seminar presented by Front Strike Self-Defense & Survival. This course is designed to empower attendees with tools they can use when confronted with immediate and violent encounters occurring at close range and in varying environments. Training topics will include, but are not limited to:

Survival mindset / refusing to be a victim
Warning signs of an imminent attack
Situational awareness
Defending against grabbing-style attacks
Defending against close-range & confined space attacks
Striking, kicking & basic joint manipulation
Use of improvised weapons
Use of defensive spray

This course is taught by Tom Clarke, CEO and lead instructor for Front Strike Self-Defense & Survival. Tom, who was born and raised in interior Alaska, is a 20-year Police Officer (retired) with a background as a survival instructor, certified fi***rms/concealed carry instructor, and law enforcement instructor. Tom holds black belts in the martial arts of Taekwondo and White Tiger’s Den (Montana) close-combat system, as well as ranked belts and additional training in Tang Soo Do Karate, Escrima, Kenpo, Systema, traditional boxing, and more. Tom has taught specialized investigative, tactical, and confined space combat (armed and unarmed) to law enforcement officers, citizens, and military personnel across the United States, as well as self-defense & crime prevention seminars for private companies, citizens, and civic organizations. He’s the author of Refuse to be a Victim: Self-Defense Concepts for Everyday Life, GUNFIGHT: Self-Defense Handgun for New Shooters, and Breaking the Machine: Tools and Techniques for Stopping an Attacker.

This course will include classroom and “hands-on” training. Seating is limited to 15 attendees. To reserve your seat, visit www.Front-Strike.com or email us at [email protected]. You will receive a confirmation email with additional course information.

08/15/2026

Front Strike
Self-Defense & Survival
Active Shooter / Violent Incident Response Training

Active shooter(s) and other violent incidents seem to be becoming increasingly prevalent within our society, especially at places of work, school, and worship. These are scary events. Scary to think about, scary to talk about, and terrifying to be involved in. It’s that terror that, when confronted with such an event, will push the unprepared and untrained mind into panic. The brain cannot accept what’s happening and just shuts down, often resulting in a tragedy. How do we beat fear and avoid the debilitating impacts of panic? The answer is surprisingly simple: training.

Front Strike Self-Defense & Survival ACTIVE SHOOTER/VIOLENT INCIDENT RESPONSE TRAINING is a 4-hour course comprised of classroom instruction complemented with hands-on, team-based scenario training. The objective of this course is to reduce fear by understanding the mechanics of a violent incident and creating response options through the development of skill sets. Training topics include, but are not limited to:

•Understanding how the mind and body react to a violent encounter
•Situational awareness
•Understanding the mindset of a violent offender
•Evaluating and utilizing your environment
•Evacuation / Barricading in place / Defensive tactics
•Manipulating the mind of your attacker
•Much more

This course is taught by Front Strike Self-Defense & Survival CEO and lead instructor Tom Clarke, who is a retired Police Officer with 30-plus years of law enforcement and private security experience. Tom is the author of REFUSE TO BE A VICTIM: Self-Defense Concepts for Everyday Life, GUNFIGHT: Self-Defense Handgun for New Shooters, and BREAKING THE MACHINE: Tools and Techniques for Stopping an Attacker. Tom holds black belts in the martial arts of traditional Taekwondo and a Wing Chun-based close combat system. He has had additional training over the years in Tang-Su-Do Karate, Kenpo Karate, Krav Maga, Systema, Escrima, and traditional boxing. Tom developed and instructed a Confined Space/Close Combat System to municipal, county, state, and federal law enforcement officers across the United States, as well as law enforcement agents from the RCMP-Canada and the United States Military. Tom is the recipient of the Police Medal for Valor, along with numerous individual and unit commendations. For the past two years, Tom has been instructing Active Shooter/Violent Incident Response to staff at area healthcare facilities.

Cost: $110 per person

All training equipment and course handouts are provided by Front Strike Self-Defense & Survival. All we need is a classroom setting and an area to conduct the scenario training. All attendees must sign a liability waiver to participate. This course is open to persons 18 years of age and up. Those 16 to 18 years of age require a parent's or guardian's signature. Those under 16 years of age require parental attendance.

To set up a training course or to request additional information, visit our website: www.Front-Strike.com and use the CONTACT US page.

At Front Strike Self-Defense & Survival we believe in your right to defend yourself and survive through preperation and training.

08/14/2026

I had the opportunity to speak with some folks the other day about self-defense and incorporating a concealed handgun into their overall self-defense platform. During this discussion, I was asked if I carried a weapon. My response was no; I carry a tool (handgun), one of many in my toolbox.

When we talk about self-defense and the carrying of a concealed handgun, we need to understand that just because you have a handgun attached to your body does not automatically make you safe. The handgun is a tool, a conglomeration of moving metal and plastic/polymer parts held together by a few pins that does some pretty amazing things when subjected to a specific chemical reaction. Yet, if you do not know how to use it properly, all you have is an expensive paperweight.

To be truly effective, you need to embrace the idea that the handgun is a part of a greater self-defense continuum. One way to picture it is a series of circular barriers surrounding a final point, which is our application of force to prevent or stop a violent attack upon ourselves. The rings can be labeled as follows:

Situational awareness: The outermost ring. We need to see what is happening around us and take an active role in our environment. The best way to win a fight is not to get into one.

Discouragement: Next is discouraging the actions of a potential threat. You do not need to wait for someone to put their hands on you before you announce to the world, “Stay away from me! Get back!” Draw attention to your situation and discourage any additional or potential action by the threat.

Application of force: The application of force, be it armed or unarmed techniques, to stop or prevent a violent attack upon ourselves or loved ones.

These ideas need to be grouped together under the umbrella of maturity and responsibility. It is okay to defend yourself; anyone who tells you otherwise has lost their grip on reality. Don’t muddle your way through life fearing a confrontation, but don’t go looking for one either. Stride through life with the understanding that you have the skill sets and mental preparation to address a threat should one present itself. Get trained, talk to your loved ones about it, be smart, and be safe. Everything else is just a tool; YOU are the weapon. Refuse to be a victim!

08/08/2026

A wound may end a shift, change a career, or alter a life. It does not erase the courage that built the officer behind the badge.

BE INSPIRED by strength that survives the injury.

08/07/2026

FEAR. Fear is one of our most powerful emotions. It can bring the strongest to their knees and drive hard into condition black (panic, as defined by Jeff Cooper). So, how do we defeat fear? The answer is surprisingly simple; training. Here’s a little tactical math to chew on: Training=Skill Sets/Skill Sets=Confidence(Confidence breeds SUCCESS). Regardless of what you may have been told you have the right to defend yourself & your loved ones. Accept fear, and then start training. remember, everything else is just a tool, YOU are the weapon! REFUSE TO BE A VICTIM.