A. One can expect miracles! The teaching methodology used in FAST allows students to literally control and focus the powerful adrenal rush that occurs in any sort of attack, be it verbal or physical. Just as a person can be conditioned to be a victim for their entire life by a single assault where they failed to react, we can train people very quickly to be successful and use the adrenal fear rush as their ally. FAST uses state of the art training methods to take the students through a simple but very potent step by step process where they learn to control the adrenal rush that gets so many people into trouble in even low level altercations. Fear will never again be the enemy after taking even a single FAST class.

Q. What should someone who buys The Missing Link expect to take away with it?

A. The Missing Link encapsulates the most important self-defense skills of all; How to diffuse or de-escalate a situation before it becomes violent by staying cool and looking for other creative nonviolent solutions. In this day and age, physical defense should be the absolute last resort, only when all else has failed. Yet historically, physical defense is all that is taught in most self-defense courses. The Missing Link provides the means to handle the vast majority of assaults effectively and safely using techniques that can be learned from a video. Not only can the Missing Link video literally save your life, it provides skills that make life’s daily confrontations much easier to deal with. Students invariably walk away with greater confidence and ability to handle altercations at work, home, and play!

Q. How does The Missing Link Video differ from one of your courses, or does it follow a similar format?

A. The video covers 2 of the three crucial modules that must be included in any comprehensive self-defense course. These modules are addressed in a similar fashion as an actual FAST course and encompass Awareness and Verbal skills to avoid, de-escalate, or deter most incidents before they become physical. The final module, combat skills are beyond the scope of this initial video and will be addressed in future projects. Of course the skills included in this video will be greatly enhanced by also attending a live FAST course at one of our many training centers where you can experience the combat phase firsthand!

Q. Have you experienced any resistance to the adrenal response concept from traditional martial artists or schools with the attitude that their physical skills are sufficient to handle confrontations?

A. The Martial Arts world has changed a lot over the years with the new push for reality-based training. Although there still exists pods of resistance among martial artists, most are now seeing that this technology really is the missing link to traditional MA training and not a threat to it. This is because we are working off a much different training paradigm that focuses on the concepts of avoidance and verbal measures, and the use of adrenaline with very simple martial arts techniques for the combat phases. The martial arts are technique-based paradigms and filled with a rich variety of techniques to cover the myriad of different situations that might arise. The schools that are combining both paradigms are producing Black Belts that can perform equally well in the dojo and in the street. Although some Martial Artists still choose to criticize the FAST teaching methodology, I have yet to see even one person not be totally sold on the concept after experiencing it!

Q. What traditional art(s), if any, have a tangible presence in the courses you teach?

A. The physical techniques in FAST are extremely simple and can be found in just about any martial art. The real trick is in how we teach these techniques. I have found the fluidity and rhythm of the Filipino Arts to be powerful teaching tools. Also, since people tend to move too fast, too short, and too choppy under duress, tai chi style practice is used in the initial phases of training to help people find maximum power when the adrenal rush hits. This can be confusing to those who haven’t experienced the training because certainly one doesn’t actually fight in slow motion like Tai chi. But having fought literally thousands of martial artists in my Bulletman suit, the #1 problem they (we) have is slowing down enough to use the hips and body for maximum power. With just a short amount of training using our step-by-step process with rhythm and fluidity, students learn to hit incredibly hard with amazing timing in the heat of battle.

Q. Beyond the adrenal rush conditioning, how would you best describe the specific self-defense techniques you teach your students?

A. I explain our techniques as “Martial Arts 101” When the adrenal rush hits and we switch from high brain (cognitive) to low brain (survival), research has shown that humans can process a maximum of 5 bits of information. In self-defense this translates to a maximum of only 5 techniques can be employed under duress. Due to loss of fine motor control, these techniques should be kept to simple, gross motor skills. FAST Defense is self-defense for the masses. We are not training UFC fighters who train for years to master complex combat technique. The techniques we use are designed for a smaller person to apply against vulnerable areas on a potentially larger and stronger attacker. The best technique of all is the will to survive, and spirit that says: “Im not going to fight unless I really have to, and if I must, I’m going to fight until 5 minutes after I’m dead!” The physical techniques are merely an expression of that spirit, and with this mindset, chances are you’ll prevail against even a very determined assailant.

Q. How does FAST differ from Model Mugging?

A. Model Mugging was designed as self-defense for women taught in intensive 25-30 hour formats. FAST uses a similar pedagogical method with some powerful new innovations to teach self-defense in a much shorter time that is as or more effective than the original format. The main difference I would say is that Model Mugging focused more on the emotional dynamics of assault, and FAST focuses more on the adrenal stress components. FAST Defense also teaches courses for men, teens and children, where the original Model Mugging was only taught to women.

Q. How does FAST differ from RMCAT?

A. RMCAT started as a reality based course taught by Peyton Quinn and a mix of padded assailant trainers including myself. Although the techniques were proven, the teaching methodology needed polishing. Over the years as various instructors joined the instructor team, it improved dramatically. When Peyton created his new RMCAT training facility in the Colorado Mountains, he asked me to design and teach the new RMCAT Basics and weapons defense courses using the same teaching methods that have made FAST Defense so effective. In a nutshell, the two use very much the same concepts and techniques. RMCAT does so in an intensive immersion into the process and FAST Defense in shorter more refined modules. If RMCAT is considered the “Cadillac” of adrenal stress conditioning, then FAST Defense could be considered the “Porsche” of self-defens

Q. How are weapons addressed in a FAST course?

A. Weapons are addressed in the level 3 course, after the Level 1 Basics and Level 2 groundfighting courses. The FAST stand on weapons defense is to:

1 – Comply and give up your possessions if it’s a robbery. You can always replace material objects, but you cannot replace you!

2 – In the case of a physical attack with a weapon, keep the techniques very simple. The tactic used in FAST is to feign compliance, get control of the weapon, and fight like hell with everything else you have. Expect to get injured but keep on fighting until you can escape. I do not recommend attempting disarms until the attacker is greatly disabled. With proper training, it is very possible to defend against an armed attacker.

Q. Share a story or two with us about students who’ve taken your training and have gone on to use it to de-escalate and avoid potentially violent confrontations?

A. I have literally hundreds of stories where FAST Defense students have thwarted attacks with good verbal defense skills alone. Just recently a female black belt graduate of FAST stopped a potential attack where she and 2 other males, both multiple Black Belt martial artists, got into it with a hostile drunk in San Francisco. Both of the males got hooked by the verbal taunts of the drunk and literally froze, so she stepped right between them to de-escalate the drunk. When the drunk continued his taunting, she assertively commanded him to “Back Off Now!” He stood shocked for a moment and then turned around and left them alone without another word.

In another, a woman who had been abused for years by a battering husband backed him right out of the house when he began his well-versed tirade. This occurred just a day after she attended a single FAST Defense course. One guy who got verbally abused by another guy that thought he took his parking space, (just like the scenario in this video) de-escalated the situation and the abusive guy ended up apologizing. This is how most altercations go with our graduates, who usually require no physical defense at all after employing good awareness and verbal defense skills.

Q. Have you heard from students who have been unable to avoid a violent confrontation but were able to utilize the FAST training to defend themselves against an inevitable attack?

A. The FAST awareness and verbal techniques work like magic to avoid violence altogether. Still, there are times when violence is unavoidable. Dozens of FAST Defense graduates have reported successfully using their physical defense skills. One such woman was a 68-year-old grandmother who jabbed an attacker in the eyes and dropped him with a knee to his groin, allowing her to escape virtually unharmed. Another was a teenage boy who was being badly bullied by small gang at school. Two weeks after attending FAST he was accosted and broke the nose of the gang leader with a palm heel strike to his face. Because the administration had been made aware of the situation beforehand, he was exonerated without a hitch. We have also had 3 abduction attempts successfully thwarted by graduates of our Children’s program.

Q. Are the FAST courses co-ed, or are they specifically for men or women?

A. Unless a group requests a private gender specific class, FAST courses are co-ed. Obviously there are distinct differences between attacks on men versus women. But the process of adrenal stress conditioning is the same regardless of sex and we can easily customize each scenario accordingly to meet each persons needs. Typically the male students appreciate having women as classmates and vice versa.

Q. Do you teach the same exact techniques to women and men? How about children?

A. Many of the techniques work for people of all ages and gender. But we do teach variations that have proven to work better for each specific group. We also customize the scenarios to accommodate for any differences. The most important thing that we do teach across the board is indomitable will and spirit. When it comes right down to it, the person who can transform their adrenaline, fear, and emotion into full “go for it” power will usually prevail. Any student of this training will definitely be a force to be reckoned with if ever put to the test!

Q. How can people get more involved with FAST Defense?

A. To experience a FAST class, contact the training location nearest you for upcoming courses. To become a certified instructor, contact me directly at Billkipp@aol.com for details. FAST Defense is the wave of the future and is growing everyday!

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