Self-Help

Reimagining Women’s Self-Defense is where self-defense meets common sense, where self-awareness, situational awareness, strategy, and problem solving intersect.

Two-thousand-years ago, when the martial arts were evolving, women’s empowerment and freedom of movement weren’t high on the agenda. Yet women are still learning ancient self-defense concepts originally designed by and for men.

Reimagining Women’s Self-Defense is a daring reexamination of protective training for instructors, safety professionals, and seasoned martial artists looking to broaden their understanding of self-defense for women and vulnerable populations. The book discusses how to break down the criminal process; recognize tells and tricks of emotionally abusive people and violent criminals; and respond early if engaged by multiple assailants. It considers weapons–how they are used and how to use them-and covers important legal ramifications of protecting yourself physically. You will learn to vet a litany of self-defense techniques taking into account size, strength, skills, and lifestyle; include specific considerations of parenthood in your self-defense practice; and heal intelligently after a violent assault. Finally, you will come away with teaching tools and resources to help you pass the knowledge on to your students and loved ones.

Tèja VanWicklen navigates the unpredictable terrain of predators and their unsuspecting targets in the presence of perplexing, unanswered questions: 

• What is self-defense really? 
• Are some techniques better than others? 
• Should I rely on pepper spray? 
• What if my kids are with me when I’m attacked?

Reimagining Women’s Self-Defense rebrands self-defense as protective offense, addressing the shortcomings of a purely defensive mindset during a violent encounter and including others the "self" in "self-defense" leaves out. Protective offense is context-based and personal. It empowers women to discover their own answers and even their own questions. 

Among other things expect to learn to:

• Break down the process of violent crime
• Stay off the criminal radar
• Recognize signs, tells, and tricks of emotionally abusive people and violent criminals
• Respond as early as possible to a confrontation by multiple attackers
• Understand how weapons are used and what your options are if confronted by one
• Learn ways to navigate confusion and shock
• Vet a litany of self-defense techniques taking into account size, strength, skills, and lifestyle
• Know which physical techniques to count on in a fight for your life and which NOT to
• Grasp some of the most important legal ramifications of physically protecting yourself against violence
• Heal intelligently after a violent encounter
• Include specific considerations of parenthood in your self-defense practice
• Evaluate self-defense courses and instructors so you can make educated decisions for your family
• Come away with teaching tools and resources to help you pass the knowledge on to your students and loved ones
• Help engage and encourage others to reimagine women's self-defense training so it benefits us all

Rethink Self-Defense: From Awareness to Recovery, A Modern Perspective

Discover the comprehensive guide to self-defense that empowers you with the skills and mindset needed to protect yourself and your loved ones. Using a self-defense timeline (Before, During, After), this book delivers a clear, accessible roadmap to personal safety that empowers everyday people to prevent, navigate, and recover from violence.

Written by Randy King, a seasoned self-defense instructor with over 25 years of experience, this book goes beyond physical techniques to explore the mental and emotional aspects of self-protection. Learn how to navigate potential threats with confidence and clarity, using a proactive approach that emphasizes awareness, boundary setting, and community support.

Key features of the book include:

• Comprehensive coverage of self-defense strategies for all skill levels, from beginners to advanced practitioners.
• Practical techniques for avoiding, evading, escaping, and vanishing from dangerous situations.
• Insights into the psychological and emotional aspects of self-defense, including managing stress and fear.
• Guidance on setting and maintaining healthy boundaries to protect yourself from potential threats.
• Strategies for de-escalating conflicts and managing encounters with multiple attackers.
• Real-world case studies and scenarios to help you apply self-defense principles effectively.
• Tips for choosing the right training environment and coach to enhance your skills.

With engaging storytelling and actionable advice, The Timeline of Self-Defense equips you with the tools to live confidently and safely in an unpredictable world. With a strong focus on critical thinking, situational awareness, and personal growth, this book will help you build a safety strategy that fits your unique life.

Rethink Self-Defense: From Awareness to Recovery, A Modern Perspective

Discover the comprehensive guide to self-defense that empowers you with the skills and mindset needed to protect yourself and your loved ones. Using a self-defense timeline (Before, During, After), this book delivers a clear, accessible roadmap to personal safety that empowers everyday people to prevent, navigate, and recover from violence.

Written by Randy King, a seasoned self-defense instructor with over 25 years of experience, this book goes beyond physical techniques to explore the mental and emotional aspects of self-protection. Learn how to navigate potential threats with confidence and clarity, using a proactive approach that emphasizes awareness, boundary setting, and community support.

Key features of the book include:

• Comprehensive coverage of self-defense strategies for all skill levels, from beginners to advanced practitioners.
• Practical techniques for avoiding, evading, escaping, and vanishing from dangerous situations.
• Insights into the psychological and emotional aspects of self-defense, including managing stress and fear.
• Guidance on setting and maintaining healthy boundaries to protect yourself from potential threats.
• Strategies for de-escalating conflicts and managing encounters with multiple attackers.
• Real-world case studies and scenarios to help you apply self-defense principles effectively.
• Tips for choosing the right training environment and coach to enhance your skills.

With engaging storytelling and actionable advice, The Timeline of Self-Defense equips you with the tools to live confidently and safely in an unpredictable world. With a strong focus on critical thinking, situational awareness, and personal growth, this book will help you build a safety strategy that fits your unique life.

Reimagining Women’s Self-Defense is where self-defense meets common sense, where self-awareness, situational awareness, strategy, and problem solving intersect.

Two-thousand-years ago, when the martial arts were evolving, women’s empowerment and freedom of movement weren’t high on the agenda. Yet women are still learning ancient self-defense concepts originally designed by and for men.

Reimagining Women’s Self-Defense is a daring reexamination of protective training for instructors, safety professionals, and seasoned martial artists looking to broaden their understanding of self-defense for women and vulnerable populations. The book discusses how to break down the criminal process; recognize tells and tricks of emotionally abusive people and violent criminals; and respond early if engaged by multiple assailants. It considers weapons–how they are used and how to use them-and covers important legal ramifications of protecting yourself physically. You will learn to vet a litany of self-defense techniques taking into account size, strength, skills, and lifestyle; include specific considerations of parenthood in your self-defense practice; and heal intelligently after a violent assault. Finally, you will come away with teaching tools and resources to help you pass the knowledge on to your students and loved ones.

Tèja VanWicklen navigates the unpredictable terrain of predators and their unsuspecting targets in the presence of perplexing, unanswered questions: 

• What is self-defense really? 
• Are some techniques better than others? 
• Should I rely on pepper spray? 
• What if my kids are with me when I’m attacked?

Reimagining Women’s Self-Defense rebrands self-defense as protective offense, addressing the shortcomings of a purely defensive mindset during a violent encounter and including others the "self" in "self-defense" leaves out. Protective offense is context-based and personal. It empowers women to discover their own answers and even their own questions. 

Among other things expect to learn to:

• Break down the process of violent crime
• Stay off the criminal radar
• Recognize signs, tells, and tricks of emotionally abusive people and violent criminals
• Respond as early as possible to a confrontation by multiple attackers
• Understand how weapons are used and what your options are if confronted by one
• Learn ways to navigate confusion and shock
• Vet a litany of self-defense techniques taking into account size, strength, skills, and lifestyle
• Know which physical techniques to count on in a fight for your life and which NOT to
• Grasp some of the most important legal ramifications of physically protecting yourself against violence
• Heal intelligently after a violent encounter
• Include specific considerations of parenthood in your self-defense practice
• Evaluate self-defense courses and instructors so you can make educated decisions for your family
• Come away with teaching tools and resources to help you pass the knowledge on to your students and loved ones
• Help engage and encourage others to reimagine women's self-defense training so it benefits us all

Spotting danger before it happens is a skill that can be developed and may even save your life.

A mother dropping her teenager off at the mall, a young man leaving home for college, a family about to head out on their first trip overseas. What do all of these people have in common? They all have a vested interest in their personal security and the wellbeing of those they love. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, there were an estimated 1.25 million violent crimes committed in the United States in 2018.

Make no mistake; in a world filled with crime and violence, you are your own last line of defense.

Continuing on the path of The Gift of Fear (Gavin deBecker), Spotting Danger Before It Spots You, author Gary Quesenberry breaks down the basic techniques necessary to help you develop good situational awareness and increase your levels of personal safety. Gary calls upon his extensive background as a Federal Air Marshal and defensive tactics instructor to explain these methods in simple terms that will greatly improve your general understanding of how, when and where violence occurs. He will then take the next critical step—providing you with the tools you need to properly identify and evade danger before it ever has a chance to materialize.

You will learn

• The common traits of predatory behavior
• How to conduct a personal “safety check”
• How to develop strong awareness skills
• What to do when you spot potential trouble
• Staying safe and living life free of worry and fear

“Today more than ever, it is imperative that we pay close attention to our surroundings and learn how to interpret what’s happening around us. Tragic events can often be both predictable and preventable.” — Federal Air Marshal Gary Quesenberry

Things change, and as the world becomes more challenging, we need to take the time to prepare our children. Not in a threatening or scary way, but in a way that is fun, engaging, and will give them the best possible chance of ensuring their own wellbeing.

Spotting Danger Before It Spots Your KIDS is a book about presenting the concepts of situational awareness to children (ages 5 - 12) in a way that will keep them engaged and help them take an active role in their own personal security.

This book will show you how to use fun, interactive games to build situational awareness skills such as:

• How children can identify and understand normal environmental behaviors.
• How children can spot abnormal behaviors within their given environment.
• How to give children a plan and a means of avoidance or escape should a dangerous situation present itself.

Whether you're a parent, relative, or work in the childcare industry, the things you impart upon children will have a lasting impact on the way they live their lives. Nowhere is this more important than in the area of personal safety. As caregivers, we have a great responsibility for the security and wellbeing of our children, and to guide them along the path to independence.

Your child’s future success will depend on their ability to interact with their surroundings and make sound decisions based on what they see. That’s the foundation of situational awareness.

Author Gary Quesenberry has spent nearly two decades working as a federal air marshal. The training methods outlined in this book are based on the lessons learned not only as a counter-terror agent but also as a father of three.

Things change, and as the world becomes more challenging, we need to take the time to prepare our children. Not in a threatening or scary way, but in a way that is fun, engaging, and will give them the best possible chance of ensuring their own wellbeing.

Spotting Danger Before It Spots Your KIDS is a book about presenting the concepts of situational awareness to children (ages 5 - 12) in a way that will keep them engaged and help them take an active role in their own personal security.

This book will show you how to use fun, interactive games to build situational awareness skills such as:

• How children can identify and understand normal environmental behaviors.
• How children can spot abnormal behaviors within their given environment.
• How to give children a plan and a means of avoidance or escape should a dangerous situation present itself.

Whether you're a parent, relative, or work in the childcare industry, the things you impart upon children will have a lasting impact on the way they live their lives. Nowhere is this more important than in the area of personal safety. As caregivers, we have a great responsibility for the security and wellbeing of our children, and to guide them along the path to independence.

Your child’s future success will depend on their ability to interact with their surroundings and make sound decisions based on what they see. That’s the foundation of situational awareness.

Author Gary Quesenberry has spent nearly two decades working as a federal air marshal. The training methods outlined in this book are based on the lessons learned not only as a counter-terror agent but also as a father of three.

Spotting danger before it happens is a skill that can be developed and may even save your life.

A mother dropping her teenager off at the mall, a young man leaving home for college, a family about to head out on their first trip overseas. What do all of these people have in common? They all have a vested interest in their personal security and the wellbeing of those they love. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, there were an estimated 1.25 million violent crimes committed in the United States in 2018.

Make no mistake; in a world filled with crime and violence, you are your own last line of defense.

Continuing on the path of The Gift of Fear (Gavin deBecker), Spotting Danger Before It Spots You, author Gary Quesenberry breaks down the basic techniques necessary to help you develop good situational awareness and increase your levels of personal safety. Gary calls upon his extensive background as a Federal Air Marshal and defensive tactics instructor to explain these methods in simple terms that will greatly improve your general understanding of how, when and where violence occurs. He will then take the next critical step—providing you with the tools you need to properly identify and evade danger before it ever has a chance to materialize.

You will learn

• The common traits of predatory behavior
• How to conduct a personal “safety check”
• How to develop strong awareness skills
• What to do when you spot potential trouble
• Staying safe and living life free of worry and fear

“Today more than ever, it is imperative that we pay close attention to our surroundings and learn how to interpret what’s happening around us. Tragic events can often be both predictable and preventable.” — Federal Air Marshal Gary Quesenberry

This book is designed to help readers understand depression and make positive changes to overcome it.

Dr. Aihan Kuhn teaches a unique tai chi form that combines elements of Chen and Yang styles as well as qigong and meditation. The form is easy to learn, easy to remember, and easy to practice. Dr. Kuhn’s multidisciplinary approach to mental health also focuses on positive thought, a healthy diet, and self-confidence.

Perfect for beginners and experienced practitioners alike. The circular movements create better energy flow in the body. The martial character empowers the mind, strengthens the body, improves stamina, and increases self-esteem. Slow, symmetrical movements promote balance and calm.

This book features:

• Detailed instructions and photos describing Dr. Kuhn’s 16-step tai chi form
• Personal reflections on using tai chi to overcome depression
• A 10-week plan to help readers begin their journey to wellness

With this book you will:

• Learn about the clinical features of depression
• Learn Dr. Kuhn’s 16-step tai chi form
• Discover the psychological, emotional, and physical benefits of tai chi
• Begin a holistic approach to managing mental health

“When I was just starting out as a doctor, my focus was mainly on treating disease,” Dr. Kuhn writes. “Now my focus is on teaching people how to prevent disease and treating patients in the early stages of their illness so they can avoid additional problems.”

This book is designed to help readers understand depression and make positive changes to overcome it. Dr. Aihan Kuhn teaches a unique tai chi form that combines elements of Chen and Yang styles as well as qigong and meditation. The form is easy to learn, easy to remember, and easy to practice. Dr. Kuhn’s multidisciplinary approach to mental health also focuses on positive thought, a healthy diet, and self-confidence.

Dr. Kuhn instructs readers on a unique tai chi form that is perfect for beginners and experienced practitioners alike. The circular movements create better energy flow in the body. The martial character empowers the mind, strengthens the body, improves stamina, and increases self-esteem. Slow, symmetrical movements promote balance and calm.

This book features:

• Detailed instructions and photos describing Dr. Kuhn’s 16-step tai chi form
• Personal reflections on using tai chi to overcome depression
• A 10-week plan to help readers begin their journey to wellness

With this book you will:

• Learn about the clinical features of depression
• Learn Dr. Kuhn’s 16-step tai chi form
• Discover the psychological, emotional, and spiritual benefits of tai chi
• Begin a holistic approach to mental health

“When I was just starting out as a doctor, my focus was mainly on treating disease,” Dr. Kuhn writes. “Now my focus is on teaching people how to prevent disease and treating patients in the early stages of their illness so they can avoid additional problems.”

In many ways, Tai Chi for Depression represents the culmination of her life’s work.