Alexander Pichushkin “The Chessboard Killer”
Serial killer. Born April 9th, 1974 in Mytishchi, Moscow. Known as the Chessboard Killer, Alexander Pichushkin was convicted of murdering 48 people in Moscow in 2007. He appeared to be in competition with one of Russia’s most well-known serial killers, Andrei Chikatilo, who was convicted of 52 murders in 1992. Little is known of Pichushkin’s [...]
Somatization Disorder
What Is It? A person with somatization disorder is chronically preoccupied with numerous “somatic” (physical) symptoms over many years. These symptoms, however, cannot be explained fully by a non-psychiatric diagnosis. Nonetheless, the symptoms cause significant distress or impair the person’s ability to function. The person is not “faking.” Somatization disorder is a medical problem. The [...]
One Test is Worth a Thousand Expert Opinions
This quote is an axiom that we in the self-protection field should aspire to time and time again. There are too many experts in the traditional and RBSD field who are spouting off “opinions” that when acid tested both empirically and scientifically hold no weight. Some will also cloak their flawed opinions in scientific language [...]
Self-injury/cutting
Definition Self-injury is the act of deliberately harming your own body, such as cutting or burning yourself. It’s not meant as a suicide attempt. Rather, self-injury is an unhealthy way to cope with emotional pain, intense anger and frustration. While self-injury may bring a momentary sense of calm and a release of tension, it’s usually [...]
Passive Stance
Most of us who instruct in the area of combatives/RBSD teach that during the pre-contact phase, if through awareness you pick up a threat and cannot evade or escape and are confronted, to adopt a non-threatening posture, where appropriate and reasonable to do so (Passive Stance, Neutral Stance, De-escalation Stance, The Fence). Although known by [...]
The Zodiac Killer
Serial killer. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, an unknown assailant terrorized the San Francisco area. The Zodiac Killer is believed to be responsible for at least five killings between 1968 and 1969. While the police have had several suspects over the years, the killer has never been apprehended. It is believed that his [...]
Munchausen syndrome
Definition Munchausen (MOON-chou-zun) syndrome is a serious mental disorder in which someone with a deep need for attention pretends to be sick or gets sick or injured on purpose. People with Munchausen syndrome may make up symptoms, push for risky operations, or try to rig laboratory test results in their effort to win sympathy and [...]
Perfection vs Functionality
It is interesting to see that those who are highly “skilled” in “technique” (all of the kung fu guys were high level practitioners) have great difficulty in making such “technique” transition to an open environment external to their style of fighting, usually because their techniques were learned via rote, and never pressure tested outside of [...]
Arthur Shawcross Serial Killer
Serial killer. Born Arthur Shawcross on June 6, 1945, and died on November 10, 2008 while serving a life sentence for the murder of 11 women. From his birthplace of Kittery, Maine, his family moved to Watertown, a small town near Lake Ontario in New York State, when he was still a child. Shawcross claims [...]
