Matt Weik - Fit for Survival

Introduction

T he world is a scary place. There is evil among us that wants to do harm to us and all of humanity. They dont like you because of your religion. They dont like you because of your nationality. They dont like you because of the color of your skin. They dont like you because of your political affiliation. While we will never understand why this hatred exists, we need to prepare ourselves to survive regardless of the circumstance.

This book will take you through real-life scenarios and events, and put you right in the middle of it all. Would you be able to do whats necessary for survival? Or will your physical and mental limitations cause you to freeze up? The chapters found in this book will help you build strengthmental and physical. They will also help you have a better understanding of how to be situationally aware of your surroundings so you have a game plan, should anything go sideways.

* This book is not intended to diagnose or treat any given illnesses or diseases. It is important to consult with your physician before beginning any exercise or diet program to ensure you are healthy enough to engage in exercise and to ensure the food examples in this book will not interfere with any medication you might be taking. This book is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. *

* In addition, this book is not intended to downplay any of the life-threatening scenarios that took place across the globe or in any way show fault to the actions taken by those who were there to witness the events first hand. We pray that the friends and families of those who lost loved ones in these tragic events find comfort and peace, and know that they are all in our thoughts and prayers. *

Chapter 1: You Are Your Own First Responder

W hen tragedy strikes , our nervous system prepares us for the fight or flight response. Which of these should be implemented is situationally dependent. If there is an opportunity to get away from danger safely, that will always be your best bet. If it is a non-life-threatening situation and it can be de-escalated, that strategy should also be executed. Fighting for no reason, or even using deadly force when not warranted, can yield legal ramifications and the possibility of jail time. Your life will forever be changed.

But, what happens when the worst-case scenario is your current reality? Do you have the knowledge, training, and tools to handle the situation at hand? If that answer is no, I highly recommend you find training in your area (or even travel if you must) to give yourself the information and application to handle various situations.

For the sake of this book, it is not training. The information found in this book is enough to get you started, but nothing will ever replace medical, self-defense, and firearms training from a professional. I have worked with and spoken to many firearms and self-defense professionals in the industry and many of them gave me insight as to what theyd like to see in this book as well as bestowing me some knowledge that they have learned and apply in their respective classes and courses.

T he FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) released their 2016 crime statistics and they are a real eye-opener. In 2016 alone, there were an estimated 1,248,185 violent crimes in the United Statesthis is an increase of 4.1 percent from the previous year. Aggravated assaults accounted for 64.3 percent of the violent crimes reported. Robberies accounted for 26.6 percent of the violent crimes. Rape accounted for 7.7 percent. And murder accounted for 1.4 percent.

When looking at a five-year trend from 2012 through 2016, we actually had a decline from 2012 to 2014. However, just as quickly as the decline came, it jumped right back up just as fast by 2016.

L ets break down the numbers a little bit. From the violent crimes mentioned above, if we simply divided that number by 365 days in the year, we would roughly see on average around 3,420 violent crimes happening every day. Thats 143 violent crimes each hour, 57 every minute, and roughly one every second of every day. These numbers arent meant to scare you, theyre simply there to make you realize the reality of what goes on around us.

We cannot live in fear and think that at every turn someone is out to do you harm. Rather, use these numbers to prepare yourself for in the event you need to protect yourself. These numbers are meant to show you the importance of medical and self-defense training. People think it wont happen to me and its that very thought process that causes them to freeze when an event takes place. Be proactive. You have a smoke detector in your home in case of a fire, right? Youre not paranoid that somethings going to happen, but you feel better knowing you have it and might not need it, than not have it and need it.

O ne thing many of the professionals that I spoke with mentioned was how quickly your world can change around you. When caught in a fight, you have around 45 seconds of maximal strength output. If you cannot take control of the situation within that timeframe, you should look for an exit strategyquickly. Preservation of life should always come before attempting to play a superhero where bodily harm or death could occur.

At the end of the day, you are your own first responder. While police do their best to get to a scene as quickly as possible, there is a real possibility that it will not be fast enough. According to Secure Pacific Corp., the average response time (nationwide) for police officers is around seven minutes. In a life or death situation, seven minutes is a lifetime. If you live out in the middle of the country, the response time will almost certainly be longer. Unfortunately, this response time could not be fast enough to save a persons life that has been involved in some sort of attack such as a stabbing or shooting. So, do you have the necessary tools to stop bleeding and preserve your life or the life of someone around you?