Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
The home invasion is one of the greatest dangers after a major disaster. You've probably thought about what you're going to eat and drink after the SHTF and what other supplies you still need to acquire, but none of it will matter if someone invades your home, steals your stuff and possibly murders you and your family. That's why it's so important to think about home invasion defense.
Ideally, you want to be living in a home that is less likely to be invaded in the first place. You can achieve this by installing motion detector lights, putting up signs and stickers that indicating a security system (even if you don't have one), reinforcing your doors, and so forth. This topic is covered in more detail in the article, Home Security After The SHTF.
But when times are tough and people are desperate, even secure looking homes will be at risk. Just in case a criminal gets around your security and breaks into your home, here a few suggestions:
Have an escape plan. Everyone in your family needs to know the fastest way out of the house, whichever room they're in. For example, make sure your kids can open their bedroom windows and scale the backyard fence. Designate a meeting place for everyone.
Pick a code word – This is a word that, when you yell it, will let everyone in the house know that someone has broken in and they need to escape immediately. In fact, the word “escape” would be good.
Have a weapon in every room – You should definitely have a good gun (check out this article for recommendations). But if you can't keep a gun in every room, at least make sure there is something you can jump up and grab at a moment's notice. It could be a baseball bat, a two-by-four, a butcher knife, or anything else that can put someone out of commission. Speaking of that…
Put intruders out of commission – If someone breaks into your home, your goal is not to hurt them a little so they'll leave. You have to disable them long enough so that you can get away. That's why I recommend a firearm that does enough damage so that one shot is all you need to take them down.
Go for the head – If you don't have a firearm, use your weapon to attack their head. A strong man can shrug off a blow to his body, especially if the adrenaline is pumping, but a blow to head can knock him unconscious or at least daze him for several seconds.
Fight dirty – If you don't have a weapon, then you'll have to fight dirty. Jab his eyes, yank his ears, punch his nose, strike his throat, grab his groin, kick his knees, etc. Remember, if he's broken into your home, then he's not going to “fight fair” either.
For additional information, I recommend reading The Urban Survival Handbook. The first section of the book explains in detail how to defend yourself and fight back no matter who you are or what the situation. It includes step by step instructions with full color pictures. Better yet, check out Russell Stutely's Hardcore Fighting Secrets. It's a program that focuses on hand-to-hand combat with criminals.
As much as you might worry about hurricanes, earthquakes, solar flares, or an EMP, if you survive those, then the thing next most likely to kill you is a desperate criminal. That's why home invasion defense is so important.
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