Southwest PA Self-defense Network Blog

  I have voiced my thoughts on how cultural and religious beliefs can be oppressive and harmful to the self-determination of women and that even your own culture can be a threat.  One of those principles of self-determination is that you have a god-given right to self-defense and that right is inherent to you as a human being.  We say that de-clawing a cat leaves them defenseless so staying in an environment that leaves you defenseless by taking away your self-determination is a threat.  I'm not going to post the whole article here but the link is below. Here are some snippets to add some backdrop. " However, many Muslim women do not regard Sharia as being incompatible with their rights. My  research  shows how women – typically small activist groups in many countries – are using Sharia to fight against oppressive practices. : " Women activists I met saw an inherent feminism in Sharia. Muslims “can find support for almost everything” in Sharia, a Somali act...

The Life and Death of Sensei by Loren Christensen  c2021, 200pages This is a fictional work by one of my favorite authors who weaves a tale of a beloved karate instructor. The story opens with a student of Sensei's who is a writer being contact and requested to write his bio, the good, the bad and the ugly.  Shortly after the sensei dies.  The writer begins to interview several important people around Senei, either senior students or those who knew him outside of the studio.  The writer gets bits and pieces of sensei's story and begins to weave them together. The result is a portrait of a deeply flawed and damaged individual.  In the story, sensei, is a vietnam vet who saw some really bad combat and comes home with PTSD. He looks for thrills for a couple of years and eventually settles down with a few dark times here and there. During one of those dark times, in the throes of a flashback / PTSD episode he ends up killing two Vietnamese who strongly resemble some...

  It has been a slow but incremental path to where we are today. We are forbidden or hampered from taking meaningful steps to protect themselves yet the ruling powers do not take adequate steps in keeping us safe.  We find ourselves in an impossible situation.  School systems have a zero tolerance policy for violence and bullying so when the victim fights back, that person can get into as much trouble as the bully.  Yet, the school system cannot expel or exceedingly punish the bully or even tell the victim's parent who the bully is or what is being done to them.  California has some of the strictest gun control policies in the country yet recently announced releasing 76000 inmates, with 20,000 in for LIFE SENTENCES.  (https://www.foxnews.com/us/california-plans-early-release-for-76000-prison-inmates-including-violent-felons ) Cities and gun-free enclaves enact unforgiving rules about gun ownership so an honest mistake can jam you up for the rest of your lif...

 Why is it that neighborhoods that have a high rate of violent crime and shootings don't march in the streets every day for a change ? How can people honestly promote the defund the police mantra without thought to the consequences ? Why is there a call and some action taken on freeing those in jail, despite whatever crime they are accused of.  (https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-jails-release/ ). (https://www.foxnews.com/us/california-plans-early-release-for-76000-prison-inmates-including-violent-felons ) I believe the answer is two fold. 1. There is a higher level of acceptance of crime, in all its forms, locally and nationally. We start with personal law breaking where the individual has broken some law - speeding, drug use, not reporting all incomes, putting things in garbage for pickup that shouldn't go there - and we accept and justify it. Then we extend that courtesy to those around us, our friends, relatives and neighbors. We overlook our sister st...