On target protection

Word of mouth has expanded the market base of a new self-protection technique called target focus training or TFT from the US government to corporate executives and their families elsewhere in the world.

"Understanding violence and responding to it correctly is crucial to surviving a life-threatening situation," said TFT Group president Tim Larkin, who is currently in town as part of an Asian training tour. "I encourage women, especially teenage girls, to learn how to properly respond to a possible violent situation where they have no one but themselves to depend on."

In TFT, neither strength nor size matter. Based on company studies, there are 200 vulnerable points in the attacker’s body such as the eyes, Adam’s apple, solar plexus, and the groin which the potential victim can consciously hit.

"The techniques learned should be applied only when there is a threat to a person’s life. It should not be used for ‘social encounters’ as application can be deadly," said Larkin.

A typical program lasts two-and-a-half days and costs $1,500 to $2,000 per person.

Demand

Headquartered in Las Vegas, the TFT Group was set up in 1991 although the techniques were developed a decade earlier.

"In the 1980s, there was a change in the style of military warfare as there were more hostage cases. Some of us in the US Navy, including medical doctors, researched on more effective hand-to-hand combat techniques, which we have since refined and incorporated in the TFT method," said Larkin.

With 37 instructors, 10 of whom are senior instructors, the company conducts training in other American cities. A training center in London will soon be put up. There are also plans to set up centers in Australia and in Hong Kong in the near future.

"There is continuing research in perfecting the TFT method. That is a major reason why we have five medical doctors and two research MDs in the board," said Larkin.