About
Michael Edward Loftus, Sr.
Lessons I learned that help you stay S.A.F.E.
My earliest memories are of me hugging my mother’s legs to shield her from my drunken father’s attacks. 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 for the neighbors to call the police, and they'd take him away in handcuffs or a straight-jacket for another over-nighter in jail. He was gone by my fifth birthday, but the lessons stayed with me. See Women's Safety - Domestic Violence.
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 I luckily used an empty gun to scare off two predators. And I luckily faced-down four menacing, razor-wielding thugs suddenly surrounding me. And I luckily bluffed an armed robber in a gym. And I identified my brother-in-law in the morgue after he'd been ambushed. All the details are below in the P.S.
That's some of how I learned to always try to be more 'situationally aware' and listen to my intuition (inner radar) trying to warn me of danger. Not paranoid - just wary. You can learn 'situational awareness' at Spotting Danger.
Flipping From Fear to Fury
I boxed for eight years altogether, at first just occasionally at the nearby houing project gym, and the last three-and-a-half years seriously at Detroit’s legendary Kronk Gym as a sparring partner (or human punching bag) for world-class professional fighters. Though chronic injuries ended my dream of going pro, I learned to flip from fear to fury and fight to survive. You, too, can learn how at Stress Control - Overview.
Simple Survival/Escape Tactics for You
By 1990, I was working in Massachusetts as a therapist for muscular pain and dysfunction as well as coaching boxing for various black-belt martial artists, when nurses at a hospital in a high-crime neighborhood asked me to teach them rape and kidnapping escape.
My martial arts students guided me in devising 88 self-defense moves for women. I eventually learned that martial arts are often too complicated to instantly recall during a sudden real-life emergency - even after extensive practice and many classes - all while most people have neither the time nor the money to spend for all that training.
I wanted to simplify yet empower survival/escape tactics while minimizing the practice needed. In the meantime, I taught one-time classes - with students receiving my video and book for home practice.
Over the years, while teaching hundreds of classes, I reduced the 88 overall moves to 7 simple offensive moves so drastic they were banned in ancient Greek wrestling – and are still banned in today's UFC and MMA martial arts contests. And they need only minimal training - 1 minute/day (by yoursel) to build your "reflexive memory" to survive/escape from an (unarmed) attacker. See Rape-Escape-Options-Ultimate (in the middle of that page).
In that 1 minute/day, you'll also learn to flip from fear to fury and fight to survive - see Acting - to strike an (unarmed) attacker’s most vulnerable targets with a furious Stun & Run. See how at Facing Danger (near the end of that page).
Now it's all here for free - and fits your schedule.
Though my site has many lessons on avoiding danger altogether, it's still wise to learn the simple yet ultimate survival/escape lessons - just in case.
Survivors of a past violent crime will likely learn it all AND keep pepper spray and a personal alarm within easy reach. (Physically impaired folks may want only the spray and alarm.)
My Background
►Teaching self-defense to thousands of women in the general public, and at colleges, corporations, hospitals, and to individual rape survivors with acute PTSD at rape crisis centers. See Women's Safety - Overview.
►Teaching police officers how to teach crime prevention through the federal COPS program (Community Oriented Policing Strategy) at Detroit’s Wayne County Regional Police Training Center as well as teaching police officers at the Crime Prevention Association of Michigan.
►Helping the Michigan State Police by teaching electronic security in post-9/11 anti-terrorism classes to security guards for hospitals, casinos, shopping malls, and government agencies, as well as corporate bodyguards (former CIA, FBI, and Secret Service agents).
2026 Update: I am updating Cyber Stalking FAQ and also Kidnapping Escape – Lifelong Skills for Kids, Teens, and Adults - which includes Human Trafficking, and how social media lures can lead to physical dangers.
My S.A.F.E. 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:
►Explosive with Stun & Run tactics to fight for your life – see fighting options - strategies and self defense techniques.
I hope my site's lessons help you and yours stay S.A.F.E.
Michael Edward Loftus, Sr.
P.S. Some biographical anecdotes mentioned above:
► 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.
