Your Best Defense: Smart Strategies for Staying Safe

OUR BEST DEFENSE: Smart Strategies for Staying Safe provides practical advice and tips for people of any age. Written by Wes Manko, founder of DEFENSEWORKS and a leading personal safety and self-defense expert, this book combines valuable advice with hands-on actions to keep you, your family, your co-workers, and others from falling victim to bullying, gun violence, assault, or other attacks. This book addresses every phase of your life in which you might encounter violence and provides strategic solutions. · One in 5 women will be raped at some point in her life. · One in 71 men will also be raped during his life. · One in 5 women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college. · Nearly 2 million American workers report being victims of workplace violence each year.

Wes Manko is one of America’s foremost experts in self-defense and violence prevention. He is the owner and chief instructor of DEFENSE-WORKS, a company specializing in conducting violence prevention, personal safety, and self-defense workshops to non-profits organizations,, businesses, law enforcement, military, civilians, and individuals.

He began studying martial arts over thirty years ago. His journey has led him to obtain experience in police defensive tactics, aikido, tae kwon do, fencing, boxing, chin na, tai chi chuan, aiki-jitsu, Chinese kempo, ryukyu kempo, kyusho jitsu, combat hapkido, and Systema Russian martial art.

He has been certified to teach Systema Russian Martial Art by Vladimir Vasiliev, the co-founder, director, and chief instructor for Systema and a ten-year veteran of the special operations unit of the SPETSNAZ (Russian special forces).

Wes combines this knowledge with an academic background that includes an Associate Degree in Police Science, a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration to produce a solid, reality-based approach to speaking and training in self-defense. In other words, he only teaches the stuff that works.

Additionally, Mr. Manko has been published nationally in Black Belt magazine, Self-Defense for Women magazine, and @LAW, a publication for legal professionals.