I was a teenager in the early 1970’s and I remember, not so much the deep recession the U.S. fell into, but the way life seemed to change all of a sudden when the broader effects of the downturn settled into my quiet suburban town.

When I was a boy in the 1960s we lived in a peaceful suburb north of Seattle. It was common then to leave the keys in the ignition of the family car and the neighbors didn’t bother to lock the doors to their homes. In the 1970’s that all changed. Our car was stolen and we woke up to strangers in the house on more than one occasion. Drugs made an appearance in my neighborhood with the crime that often accompanies it. The world had changed and no one I knew seemed to be prepared to cope with it.

The local community center offered Karate classes, but by the time I convinced my dad it was a good idea that I learned to defend myself, the classes were booked to capacity and I never did make it in. It had suddenly become a very popular activity. The best alternate form of self defense then was a billy-club, but they were awkward to carry and not always effective. There were precious few alternatives in those days.

As we come off of this last great economic boom we have enjoyed for most of the last decade, it seems we are about to repeat history, the 1970’s are coming back around but this time on steroids. We may not be able to halt that process but we can prepare, and plan not to be victims of the inevitable crime wave that is sure to follow the massive unemployment that we see increasing with each passing month. Whether you buy self defense products from me or a local brick and mortar dealer or study hand to hand combat… do something, have a plan, don’t be a victim. Every criminal stopped is one less embolden to act again, and one that failed to make you their victim.