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How To Be Your Own Bodyguard
MASTER THE SKILLS OF A BODYGUARD AND REDUCE YOUR RISK OF EVER BEING A CRIME VICTIMNow you don't have to be rich enough to hire your own bodyguard. You can learn the skills in this book and take care of yourself the way the pros do.
WHO IS THIS BOOK FOR?
“How To Be Your Own Bodyguard” is an invaluable reference
• Anybody who wants to significantly reduce their risk of ever being a victim of a crime.• People smart enough to figure out there’s more to self-defense than learning how to fight• Anyone who travels for business or pleasure.• Professional Close Protection Agents• People who want to try and avoid trouble rather than fight their way out of it.• Teens going off to college.• Martial artists• Law Enforcement Officers
Not only does the book explain how to keep you and your loved ones safe from criminals it also covers mindset training, which martial arts to pick, resources used by professional bodyguards and more. There are chapters on where you should stay in a hotel, the safest places on an aircraft, how to conduct a threat analysis like a pro, staying safe in your car, and dealing with blue light bandits.
THIS BOOK WILL TEACH
• That your car windows are actually stronger if they’re down quarter of an inch if a mob is trying to break them.• Why riots and contact lenses don’t mix• The four unconscious things that bad guys do before they attack you• Why RUN HIDE FIGHT during an Active Killer Event is wrong,and what works better.• How criminals select their victims• Why “Soft Skills” constitute 75% of self-protection and exactly what they are• A less than $10 security kit that will keep you safe in sketchy hotels
WHY THIS BOOK?
Because it’s been written by a former professional protection agent who, for over 25 years, used the contents to keep his clients safe in hostile environments around the world. As one Amazon reviewer said “I am a regional disaster preparedness officer for a multi-national corporation. This is the best book on personal security and disaster preparedness I have ever read…and I have a library of such books.”
Critically acclaimed by security experts around the world this is the only book you’ll need on the subject.Take advantage of Amazon’s “Look Inside” feature and check out the table of contents for all the things you’re going to learn. There’s even a bonus home security check list for you that the author uses when looking after high risk clients.
WHY MOST OTHER BOOKS GET IT WRONG
They all begin with you being attacked. In reality the attack began a long time before the assault began. Non consensual violence begins with SELECTION of the victim. Next comes ISOLATION. The book will teach you how to run counter-surveillance and develop your situational awareness so you’ll know in advance you’re being set up. After the bad guy isolates his intended victim there will be a distraction phase consisting of some VERBAL patter. Verbal aggression is also always present in attacks in bars.
WHO IS THIS BOOK FOR?
“How To Be Your Own Bodyguard” is an invaluable reference
• Anybody who wants to significantly reduce their risk of ever being a victim of a crime.• People smart enough to figure out there’s more to self-defense than learning how to fight• Anyone who travels for business or pleasure.• Professional Close Protection Agents• People who want to try and avoid trouble rather than fight their way out of it.• Teens going off to college.• Martial artists• Law Enforcement Officers
Not only does the book explain how to keep you and your loved ones safe from criminals it also covers mindset training, which martial arts to pick, resources used by professional bodyguards and more. There are chapters on where you should stay in a hotel, the safest places on an aircraft, how to conduct a threat analysis like a pro, staying safe in your car, and dealing with blue light bandits.
THIS BOOK WILL TEACH
• That your car windows are actually stronger if they’re down quarter of an inch if a mob is trying to break them.• Why riots and contact lenses don’t mix• The four unconscious things that bad guys do before they attack you• Why RUN HIDE FIGHT during an Active Killer Event is wrong,and what works better.• How criminals select their victims• Why “Soft Skills” constitute 75% of self-protection and exactly what they are• A less than $10 security kit that will keep you safe in sketchy hotels
WHY THIS BOOK?
Because it’s been written by a former professional protection agent who, for over 25 years, used the contents to keep his clients safe in hostile environments around the world. As one Amazon reviewer said “I am a regional disaster preparedness officer for a multi-national corporation. This is the best book on personal security and disaster preparedness I have ever read…and I have a library of such books.”
Critically acclaimed by security experts around the world this is the only book you’ll need on the subject.Take advantage of Amazon’s “Look Inside” feature and check out the table of contents for all the things you’re going to learn. There’s even a bonus home security check list for you that the author uses when looking after high risk clients.
WHY MOST OTHER BOOKS GET IT WRONG
They all begin with you being attacked. In reality the attack began a long time before the assault began. Non consensual violence begins with SELECTION of the victim. Next comes ISOLATION. The book will teach you how to run counter-surveillance and develop your situational awareness so you’ll know in advance you’re being set up. After the bad guy isolates his intended victim there will be a distraction phase consisting of some VERBAL patter. Verbal aggression is also always present in attacks in bars.
291 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2011
161 people are currently reading
273 people want to read
About the author
Nick Hughes
15 books6 followersNick Hughes started his martial arts training in 1969 and in that time has achieved black belt status in everything you can get a black belt in. He's boxed professionally, taught unarmed combat in the French Foreign Legion and Krav Maga to civilians.
His extensive practical experience has come from a career as a bouncer around the world beginning at age 16 in the roughest clubs he could find, as security and crowd control for a slew of concert venues, a military police officer in the French Foreign Legion, and a bodyguard to the worlds rich and famous.
He speaks several languages, is a member of Toastmasters International, was a member of Mensa and is a tattoo artist of note.
Most recently he was contacted by the producers of Spike TV's hit show Deadliest Warrior to represent the French Foreign Legion in a showdown against the Gurkhas in an episode which aired on Wed the 14th of September, 2011.
When not writing, training, instructing, tattooing, painting, developing apps, reading or riding his motorbike he's usually eating or asleep.
His extensive practical experience has come from a career as a bouncer around the world beginning at age 16 in the roughest clubs he could find, as security and crowd control for a slew of concert venues, a military police officer in the French Foreign Legion, and a bodyguard to the worlds rich and famous.
He speaks several languages, is a member of Toastmasters International, was a member of Mensa and is a tattoo artist of note.
Most recently he was contacted by the producers of Spike TV's hit show Deadliest Warrior to represent the French Foreign Legion in a showdown against the Gurkhas in an episode which aired on Wed the 14th of September, 2011.
When not writing, training, instructing, tattooing, painting, developing apps, reading or riding his motorbike he's usually eating or asleep.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 3, 2011
The best thing about Nick Hughes’s book is not the wealth of sound advice or the real-world experience, it’s Nick himself and the way he writes.
His style is so vivid that you feel you’re standing shoulder to shoulder with him (or maybe head to shoulder, since he’s 6’6!) as Nick deals with a never-ending horde of thugs, bad-guys, clowns and ne’er-do-wells in his own inimitable style.
For most of us violence is a thing we contemplate from a distance, a potential threat we may encounter rarely or never. Nick writes about it as a daily occurrence, which for him, it often was. His life read like a modern-day swashbuckling adventure from Australia to Europe and America, living as a karate-man and bouncer… a paratrooper in the Foreign Legion… a bodyguard to rock bands and oil sheiks… a combat instructor to special forces… and most recently a star in Spike TV’s Deadliest Warrior.
Nick draws on the experiences of his many and varied altercations to advise on personal security in the street, in your car, and at home, not just against violence but also against more general threats like fire, motor-breakdown and natural disasters – all the things you never see coming until they hit you.
Nick also references other expert sources to create a concise but complete self-protection manual. And in true Nick style he pulls no punches and explodes a few myths along the way, for example about what is and isn’t a useful art, a useful tool, and a useful weapon.
If I were a rock star, I’d want Nick Hughes at my back. But I’m not, so I’ll have the next best thing: I’ll keep him on my kindle.
His style is so vivid that you feel you’re standing shoulder to shoulder with him (or maybe head to shoulder, since he’s 6’6!) as Nick deals with a never-ending horde of thugs, bad-guys, clowns and ne’er-do-wells in his own inimitable style.
For most of us violence is a thing we contemplate from a distance, a potential threat we may encounter rarely or never. Nick writes about it as a daily occurrence, which for him, it often was. His life read like a modern-day swashbuckling adventure from Australia to Europe and America, living as a karate-man and bouncer… a paratrooper in the Foreign Legion… a bodyguard to rock bands and oil sheiks… a combat instructor to special forces… and most recently a star in Spike TV’s Deadliest Warrior.
Nick draws on the experiences of his many and varied altercations to advise on personal security in the street, in your car, and at home, not just against violence but also against more general threats like fire, motor-breakdown and natural disasters – all the things you never see coming until they hit you.
Nick also references other expert sources to create a concise but complete self-protection manual. And in true Nick style he pulls no punches and explodes a few myths along the way, for example about what is and isn’t a useful art, a useful tool, and a useful weapon.
If I were a rock star, I’d want Nick Hughes at my back. But I’m not, so I’ll have the next best thing: I’ll keep him on my kindle.
February 14, 2018
I have to say that it is one of the best books available on the topic of general personal protection.
Nick is incredibly well qualified to write such a book. He's a veteran of the French Foreign Legion, has worked as a bouncer/doorman at some of the roughest clubs in Australia, and has made a career traveling the globe as a celebrity bodyguard. In addition to all this, he has earned black belts in more martial arts than I can count. Nick is a legit force in the world of combatives instruction.
The book is a masterclass on how criminals select their victims and what you (the potential victim) can do to avoid such a selection. This isn't academic research, it is knowledge learned the hard way on the streets. I guarantee you have never considered many of Nick's innovative tips and tricks. I also promise that you will find a handful of his suggestions to be truly life saving.
Lots of books cover the physical aspect of fighting. What I like about this book is that the author also covers the "soft skills" and verbal techniques necessary to stop a potential attack in its tracks. My favorite parts of the book are:
- My male readers have seen numerous fights in bars and clubs start with a drunken patron yelling "Hey! What are you staring at?" or "Are you looking at my girl?" Nick talks about a phenomenal strategy to verbally diffuse this situation without violence.
- Nick describes a couple great verbal ruses that a single person can use to make it seem like he or she is with other people who may dissuade an attack.
- Nick's description of pre-attack indicators is the best I've seen anywhere. It is simple, but amazingly useful. Reading his advice on what to look out for before an attack caused me to completely revise the chapter I'm writing on pre-attack indicators and threat cues in my upcoming third world travel book.
How to Be Your Own Bodyguard is without a doubt one of the most useful and complete books available on the topic of personal protection. Nick covers everything from avoiding an attack, to verbally diffusing potential attackers, to physically fighting them off, to the legal aftermath. It's truly a graduate-level education in the art of self protection.
Nick is incredibly well qualified to write such a book. He's a veteran of the French Foreign Legion, has worked as a bouncer/doorman at some of the roughest clubs in Australia, and has made a career traveling the globe as a celebrity bodyguard. In addition to all this, he has earned black belts in more martial arts than I can count. Nick is a legit force in the world of combatives instruction.
The book is a masterclass on how criminals select their victims and what you (the potential victim) can do to avoid such a selection. This isn't academic research, it is knowledge learned the hard way on the streets. I guarantee you have never considered many of Nick's innovative tips and tricks. I also promise that you will find a handful of his suggestions to be truly life saving.
Lots of books cover the physical aspect of fighting. What I like about this book is that the author also covers the "soft skills" and verbal techniques necessary to stop a potential attack in its tracks. My favorite parts of the book are:
- My male readers have seen numerous fights in bars and clubs start with a drunken patron yelling "Hey! What are you staring at?" or "Are you looking at my girl?" Nick talks about a phenomenal strategy to verbally diffuse this situation without violence.
- Nick describes a couple great verbal ruses that a single person can use to make it seem like he or she is with other people who may dissuade an attack.
- Nick's description of pre-attack indicators is the best I've seen anywhere. It is simple, but amazingly useful. Reading his advice on what to look out for before an attack caused me to completely revise the chapter I'm writing on pre-attack indicators and threat cues in my upcoming third world travel book.
How to Be Your Own Bodyguard is without a doubt one of the most useful and complete books available on the topic of personal protection. Nick covers everything from avoiding an attack, to verbally diffusing potential attackers, to physically fighting them off, to the legal aftermath. It's truly a graduate-level education in the art of self protection.
June 26, 2020
Estaba buscando un libro sobre alerta situacional y este fue el que encontré. No es un libro sobre defensa personal, sino prevención de situaciones de riesgo en la calle, el hogar, el trabajo y otros entornos lo que implica un alcance mucho mayor al saber tirar golpes y usar un arma.
Me quedo mucho con esta frase:
"Nunca ha tenido sentido para mí cuando alguien compra un arma con el pretexto de la auto defensa cuando esa misma persona tiene 100 libras de sobrepeso, fuma dos paquetes de cigarro al día y tiene una alimentación basada en comida frita, pizza y cerveza. Esa persona va a morir de un infarto antes de poder usar su alma para autodefenderse"
Me quedo mucho con esta frase:
"Nunca ha tenido sentido para mí cuando alguien compra un arma con el pretexto de la auto defensa cuando esa misma persona tiene 100 libras de sobrepeso, fuma dos paquetes de cigarro al día y tiene una alimentación basada en comida frita, pizza y cerveza. Esa persona va a morir de un infarto antes de poder usar su alma para autodefenderse"
March 6, 2019
Fantastic reference for personal protection.
I had the opportunity to train with Nick at an FCS seminar on St. Pete Florida once. He has a great no-nonsense approach to combat. This book is a perfect representation of his perspective. This book rolls up the lessons of a long career of socially responsible violence and is a must read for anyone serious about safety and security. The section on the merits of the various martial arts is particularly insightful and worth the purchase price of the book.
I had the opportunity to train with Nick at an FCS seminar on St. Pete Florida once. He has a great no-nonsense approach to combat. This book is a perfect representation of his perspective. This book rolls up the lessons of a long career of socially responsible violence and is a must read for anyone serious about safety and security. The section on the merits of the various martial arts is particularly insightful and worth the purchase price of the book.
June 26, 2019
I don't remember how I stumbled on this book, but I'm glad I did - I found it very useful, thought provoking and engaging to read.
The only thing that slowed me in reading it was that I had been in the habit of reading on my walk to and from work, but once a bit into the book I became paranoid that that task focusedness was destroying my situational awareness, and I'd better save my reading for inside a safe room!
The only thing that slowed me in reading it was that I had been in the habit of reading on my walk to and from work, but once a bit into the book I became paranoid that that task focusedness was destroying my situational awareness, and I'd better save my reading for inside a safe room!
June 12, 2019
This should be on everyone's list to read.
This book is spot on with what it teaches. I have taken years of civilian combatives training and read some very good books on the topic, but this has all the most critical information in one place. It should be mandatory reading for everyone. Great job Nick Hughes!
This book is spot on with what it teaches. I have taken years of civilian combatives training and read some very good books on the topic, but this has all the most critical information in one place. It should be mandatory reading for everyone. Great job Nick Hughes!
September 4, 2019
Great overall book that is a must read if you are serious about self protection. It mostly advocated situational awareness and some of the soft skills needed to avoid or deescilate dangerous situations. The end covers several fighting styles and the pros and cons of each as well as weapons. Also covers things such as active shooter situations.
February 9, 2018
Straight forward information you can use on a daily basis. Most everything I learned over a decade of study was condensed into this book and presented in a clear, understandable and fun to read manner. This book is going on my grandkids 'books you have to read' shelf
July 5, 2019
Real, actionable ideas
This book is full of practical, actionable ideas on “self protection.” Highly recommended for anyone, anywhere. I quickly started following some of the author’s suggestions.
This book is full of practical, actionable ideas on “self protection.” Highly recommended for anyone, anywhere. I quickly started following some of the author’s suggestions.
August 7, 2019
Helpful advice for those that haven't been exposed to the subject matter. The author was very thorough in the settings in which one should be vigilant. He does cover actual combat but the real good stuff is what to do to avoid it.
December 15, 2019
Awesome book!
This book is excellent. It stresses situational awareness and also the consequences of excessive force in self defense. It also offers great tactics to use inn all instances up to the last resort of physical self defense.
This book is excellent. It stresses situational awareness and also the consequences of excessive force in self defense. It also offers great tactics to use inn all instances up to the last resort of physical self defense.
March 27, 2019
Best book on self protection i could find on the Store.
Covers a variety of situations and even debunks some Hollywood myths.
Highly suggested option for everyone.
Covers a variety of situations and even debunks some Hollywood myths.
Highly suggested option for everyone.
October 27, 2019
Interesting
Very good book for a review of the basics and reminders to pay attention in all situations. Examples really illustrated the points made. Thank you.
Very good book for a review of the basics and reminders to pay attention in all situations. Examples really illustrated the points made. Thank you.
November 4, 2019
Good Read
this book is chock full of practical information. Good book for the off duty officer that practices self awareness and self protection.
this book is chock full of practical information. Good book for the off duty officer that practices self awareness and self protection.
January 19, 2020
Good info
Lots of common sense ideas in one place. Nothing fancy, just looks of things to get a person thinking. In this case simple is good.
Lots of common sense ideas in one place. Nothing fancy, just looks of things to get a person thinking. In this case simple is good.
December 19, 2019
What can you do to protect yourself in the event of a natural disaster, a home invasion, or an active shooting? Nick Hughes served in the French Foreign Legion prior to putting his security skills to use as a professional bodyguard for celebrities and other prominent personalities. In How to Be Your Own Bodyguard, he urges readers to look beyond self-defense: from the perspective of a bodyguard, the best way to prepare for conflict is to avoid them when unnecessary. To that end, most of this book consists of ‘soft skills’, advice on conflict deescalation, reading rooms and personalities for signs of trouble, and general preparation. Only at the very end does he review weapons, tactics, and melee training.
From the outset, Hughes divides conflicts into those that develop — the kind that erupt from arguments between people in bars or traffic or wherever — and those that are preplanned, like ambushes. After separate sections on each, he examines special situations, like travel, or active shooting instances — before moving on. Time and again Hughes stresses the importance of avoiding conflict: ego is the enemy, whether in a baroom or during a traffic jam. Hughes urges concerned readers to strive to be the ‘little grey man’ who is never noticed, avoiding wearing clothing that would cause offense or gather too much attention. He also advises readers to maintain a state of background alertness, being aware of people in their room, moving in and out — keeping an eye out for anything abnormal. In addition to this background awareness, Hughes stresses preparation in general, giving suggestions for what to keep in one’s car in case of an emergency. The book’s hard-skills section reviews weapons and their best uses (hand guns are recommended over shotguns in home defense scenarios, for instance, and knives are surprisingly ineffective at stopping adrenaline-charge attackers) before advising readers on what areas of the body are the most vulnerable to specific kinds of attacks.
Although the cover doesn’t do the book any favors — I would have ignored it had I not encountered the author being interviewed, and been impressed by the author’s specific approach and his background — How to Be Your Own Bodyguard is most helpful to anyone — though, moreso for those who live or work in areas where crime is common. I was most impressed by the variety of content here, from interpersonal conflict to home security to disaster preparedness.
From the outset, Hughes divides conflicts into those that develop — the kind that erupt from arguments between people in bars or traffic or wherever — and those that are preplanned, like ambushes. After separate sections on each, he examines special situations, like travel, or active shooting instances — before moving on. Time and again Hughes stresses the importance of avoiding conflict: ego is the enemy, whether in a baroom or during a traffic jam. Hughes urges concerned readers to strive to be the ‘little grey man’ who is never noticed, avoiding wearing clothing that would cause offense or gather too much attention. He also advises readers to maintain a state of background alertness, being aware of people in their room, moving in and out — keeping an eye out for anything abnormal. In addition to this background awareness, Hughes stresses preparation in general, giving suggestions for what to keep in one’s car in case of an emergency. The book’s hard-skills section reviews weapons and their best uses (hand guns are recommended over shotguns in home defense scenarios, for instance, and knives are surprisingly ineffective at stopping adrenaline-charge attackers) before advising readers on what areas of the body are the most vulnerable to specific kinds of attacks.
Although the cover doesn’t do the book any favors — I would have ignored it had I not encountered the author being interviewed, and been impressed by the author’s specific approach and his background — How to Be Your Own Bodyguard is most helpful to anyone — though, moreso for those who live or work in areas where crime is common. I was most impressed by the variety of content here, from interpersonal conflict to home security to disaster preparedness.
November 2, 2011
Something you should always question when reading something like this is the credentials of the person writing it. In this case, you need have no worries because there can be few men better qualified than Nick Hughes to write this book. Nick has approached combat from many different perspectives - street, dojo, door, military - and all of that hard-won knowledge has gone into the creation of this book. This is not simply a book for those involved in self-protection, martial arts, or security work; this is literally a book for everyone. Ignore it at your peril...
Want to read
July 30, 2020AoM podcast # 513
Discussion of situational awareness, how to avoid making yourself a target, avoid confrontation in the first place.
Discussion of situational awareness, how to avoid making yourself a target, avoid confrontation in the first place.
Want to read
February 20, 2024Crime prevention or stopping attack. On the Active Response Training's recommended reading list.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews