>>>I just checked out that site and ordered the audio cassettes. Thanks!
>>
>>Great! Doug Haig usually teaches our course. He's very animated and was a cop for about 20 years prior to joining the VJI. Just remember, for it to be effective, you have to live it. You can't turn it off and on. I use to use a deflection technique that I developed on my own. I found out later that I was already doing verbal judo. When someone would start cursing me for whatever, usually because they didn't want to go to jail, I'd say, "what are you trying to say?" They would look at me funny and restate the string of obscenities. I would then counter with "I hear the words, but what's the deeper meaning? I'm trying to help you here!" After a few rounds of that, they would just give up and go peacefully. Other than those who have shot at me, I've have very few fights in my 25 years because I am a verbal jedi!< G >
>
>I also parctice verbal judo. (Any serious martial artist does!) But I am far from perfection. Afterall, perfection is a never ending goal. I seem to have a problem with defensiveness. I don't like critisism, even if it is warranted and positive. On a professional level, this is unacceptable because critisism is part of my job.

True, true.