I was setting up for an early afternoon session of my Speak Up Self Defence: Safety for Indigenous Communities of Canada program when the room went quiet. A man about my age got a phone call, paused for a moment, and said softly, “They found Samuel.” That sentence changed everything.

The man was ...

Hey everyone, Randy King here. Today, we’re talking about manipulation—the subtle and not-so-subtle ways people steer you into situations where they benefit and you lose. These tactics don’t always come with raised voices or balled fists. In fact, some of the most dangerous manipulation happens with...

Community is a forgotten part of our self-protection strategy. If you've been following our work at 80:20, you know we look at the whole picture of self-defense—not just the physical part. One of our most important proactive training concepts is threat assessment. This includes situational awareness...

If you want to understand self-defense, you have to understand the people you're defending against. Predators don’t attack at random. They watch. They test. They select. And they do it with terrifying precision.

In Before, During, After: The Timeline of Self-Defense, we break this down in depth: ho...

Victims of crime often feel helpless and alone. They may search for any possible way to protect themselves in the future. Some may even turn to martial arts thinking it will give them an edge if they are ever attacked again. Unfortunately, evidence does not support this idea.

There have been multip...

Hey folks, Randy King here. Let's dive into a crucial aspect of self-defense that's often overlooked: reading body language. Understanding non-verbal cues is a game-changer, allowing you to anticipate and navigate potential threats before they escalate. This concept aligns with the principles outlin...

Self-defense isn’t just about reacting when danger explodes in front of you. It’s about understanding the entire arc of a conflict—from the subtle cues before anything kicks off, to the critical decisions during, and the often-overlooked aftermath. Every stage shapes the outcome. And unless you unde...

In self-defense and conflict management, physical techniques often get all the attention—but the ability to de-escalate a tense situation before it turns physical? That’s the real magic. And the foundation of that magic is emotional regulation.

Emotional regulation is your ability to keep your cool...

Self-defense doesn’t start when someone throws a punch. If it gets to that point, you’ve already missed multiple opportunities to steer clear of the problem entirely. One of the most overlooked—and most valuable—self-defense tools is your ability to pay attention: to the people, the energy, the envi...

Welcome to the final post in our Most Common Self-Defense Myths series. Over the last four blogs, we’ve broken down some of the biggest misconceptions in the self-defense world—from the myth that your attacker will be a stranger to the belief that violence is completely random. Now we’re finishing s...

Welcome back to Most Common Self-Defense Myths, where we cut through the clichés and half-truths that hold people back from real safety. If you've been following the series, you know we’ve already tackled:

• Myth #1: You won’t know your attacker

• Myth #2: Fighting back always makes it worse

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Welcome back to our blog series Most Common Self-Defense Myths, where we peel back the layers of hype, fear, and fantasy that often cloud real conversations about safety. Myth #1 tackled the false belief that your attacker will be a stranger. Myth #2 challenged the idea that fighting back always mak...