About
Michael Edward Loftus, Sr.
Helping You Stay Out of Harm's Way
My earliest childhood memories are of me hugging my mother’s legs to shield her from my alcoholic father’s violence. He'd backhand me out of the way and I'd run for help. If my adult brother was home they'd have a furious fistfight. Other times I'd run to the neighbors to call the police, and he'd be taken away for another over-nighter in jail. By my fifth birthday, he was gone, but the lessons stayed with me.
I grew up on Detroit's streets among juvenile delinquents, but was often blind to the "situational awareness" of my surroundings. Yet I luckily survived when I was mob-attacked by a notorious street gang, and when I had to use an empty gun to scare off two predators, and when I faced-off four razor-wielding thugs surrounding me, and when I bluffed an armed robber in a gym. (The details are below in the P.S.)
Those incidents taught me to always be "situationally aware," and always honor my intuition warning me of traps and attacks.
From Chaos to Discipline
I traded the chaos of the streets for the discipline of the ring, spending eight years boxing - the last three-and-a-half at Detroit’s legendary Kronk Gym as a sparring partner for world-class professionals. Though chronic injuries ended my dream of going pro, boxing taught me self-discipline, fear management, and an attitude of determination to survive.
My Life Changed Again
By 1990, I was working as a therapist for muscular pain and dysfunction as well as coaching boxing for martial artists, when nurses at the troubled local hospital asked me to teach them rape and kidnapping prevention. I discovered that most advice for women and children relied mainly on outdated and vague clichés. I decided to improve upon that.
My black-belt students helped me develop self-defense tailored for smaller people facing larger threats - simple techniques so drastically effective that they're banned in UFC/MMA martial arts competitions. Learn the best Sucker Punch (surprise attack) toward the end of that page.
Over time, I further simplified those tactics – with minimal training needed (one minute per day) – because most people have little time to spare. I also teach how to avoid danger altogether (taught throughout this site).
My Background Includes
►Teaching hundreds of self-defense classes to thousands of women and children, and for rape crisis centers. See Women's Safety - Overview.
►Teaching veteran police officers how to teach crime prevention through the federal COPS program at Detroit’s Wayne County Regional Police Training Center as well as the Crime Prevention Association of Michigan.
►Teaching post-9/11 anti-terrorism classes with the Michigan State Police, teaching access control to hospitals, casinos, malls, government agencies, and corporate executive protection professionals (bodyguards - including former CIA, FBI, and Secret Service agents).
2026 Update: I am updating Cyber Stalking FAQ and Kidnapping Escape – Lifelong Skills for Kids, Teens, and Adults - which includes Human Trafficking, and social media lures that can lead to physical dangers.
My SAFE Advice
You don’t need a bulletproof vest or to sleep with one eye open; you just need to be:
►Skeptical of anyone trying to isolate you - at home or anywhere - see a wolf in sheep's clothing, friendly predators, and scam-in;
►Aware of escape routes – see spotting danger and facing danger;
►Flexible - using verbal defense to outsmart a predator – see victim’s options - outsmarting and verbal self defense – and if necessary:
►Exploding with "stun and run" tactics to fight for your life – see fighting options - strategies and self defense techniques.
May my site help you and yours stay SAFE.
Michael Edward Loftus, Sr.
P.S. Some biographical anecdotes:
► Posturing > “Subway Encounter” & “Not All Threats Are Obvious”
► Surviving the Worst > “Gang Attack”
► Outsmarting > “No-No's”
► Punched > absorbing and overcoming pain.
► Crime Survivors Overview > "Victim's Family and Loved Ones"
P.P.S. My thanks to...
NOTICE: This non-profit website is for informational purposes only and is drawn from the bibliography and USDOJ. Use the information at your own risk. See disclaimers.
