Thanks. Before I tell you the story of a lady called Lola, I want to make sure you fully understand this lesson. You see it’s a common misconception that knowing how to deal with violent behavior somehow means you accept it.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Violence in any form is unacceptable… but hiding your head in the sand and pretending it doesn’t happen or won’t happen to you is dangerous.
The transformation I’m about to describe isn’t just a physical change. It is a mindset change. Because once you understand the power of developing the mental fortitude to handle a situation you realize that…
Knowing this doesn’t make you more fearful. It frees you from fear
And that’s exactly what happened with this story of a lady named Lola.
During one of my counter terrorist training workshops for United Airlines, I first met Lola. In fact, I remembered so vividly the moment I saw her tiny, unassuming frame shuffle through the door into the training room.
You see, Lola was one of United's most experienced cabin crew. She was 70 years old and an old-school customer service pro. Her whole career was dedicated to serving others and making her customers feel safe and comfortable. This was way out of her comfort zone.
I had a few hours to add a more muscular side to her. I had to show her how to identify and disable a possible terrorist threat.
A concerned manager took me aside just before we started and whispered under his breath: “Er… Mike, is this stuff you're teaching safe? Is it safe for our people to train in this way?"
He said this, one eye clearly on sweet little Lola.
I smiled at him, knowing what was going to happen next.
Less than an hour later, I experienced something special...
Lola was bringing the thunder.
She had pinned a 25 year-old woman on the floor and needed to be stopped.
If Lola, a gentle, caring lady and grandma could learn to defend herself and more, in less than an hour, so can you.
What makes Lola’s story even more powerful is something else that she brought. You see, there were others in that room who were younger, or bigger, or more physically capable… but I knew right away they didn’t have the same fight as Lola.
And that’s because Lola WANTED IT. If you want to learn how to bring thunder of your own, you have to ask yourself…
How much do you really want to be THAT guy or girl who EVERYONE looks up to?
You see everyone says they want to learn to protect themselves.
Everyone says they want to do what it takes to protect their family and loved ones.
But when it gets down to it... you have to commit.
I can teach you how to become that person you want to be. The guy or girl who instinctively knows what to do when the going gets tough. The one person in the room who is cool, calm and collected when everyone else is losing it.
If you want to be that person, I can show you how.
But if you can’t commit - and I mean commit RIGHT NOW - you're probably not ready.
As I've demonstrated knowing how to deal with an attacker has two parts: a physical side and mental side. Your success has the same two parts. Before we deal with the physical side, you have to be there mentally.
Is that you? Are you that person? Because if you are, let's do this. I believe in you... and I want to give you all the skills you need.