Managing Violence Podcast with Joe Saunders

In this episode I'm joined by good friend and Candian self-defence expert extraordinaire, Randy King, to discuss his upcoming book and Australian tour.

In this episode I'm joined by the mastermind of the Ultimate Self-Defense Championship on YouTube, and the founder of Western Combatives, Mr Jeff Phillips.

James Hamilton, former FBI and executive protection pro and founder of Hamilton Security Group, explains practical safety for everyday people. He covers realistic threat awareness, prepping without paranoia, spotting pre-attack behavior, transit and vehicle risks, family training tactics, and simple mitigations to reduce danger during political unrest.

In this episode we go back to our routes and talk about martial arts and combat sports training. I get to explore one of my favourite grappling arts, Catch-as-Catch-Can wrestling with one of the foremost historians and coaches on the subject, Mr Jake Shannon. Got value of out of this episode? Feel free to buy me a coffee over at www.buymeacoffee.com/joemvp

Dr Nathan Brooks, forensic psychologist and senior lecturer who advises police and government on threat and risk, talks about lone-actor grievance-fuelled violence. He explains pathways to violence, differences between cause-based and person-focused attacks, the role of ideology and online recruitment, warning behaviours, suicidality as a risk factor, and prevention through care-first threat management.

Matt Thornton, researcher, coach and martial arts instructor known for evidence-based self-protection, discusses his book The Gift of Violence. He digs into surprising crime data patterns and misconceptions about police shootings. He explains spotting predatory behavior, honoring others' threat perceptions, and how combat sports and mentorship build real-world skills and resilience.

So you want to help women feel safer by teaching them some sweet self-defence moves or personal safety strategies? Chances are, if you're not part of the group you're looking to train, you might have overlooked a few things. In this cracking interview, I sit down with Mary Stevens of 500 Rising and FairFight to discuss what ALL instructors MUST know before teaching women's self-defence. Got value of out of this episode? Feel free to buy me a coffee over at www.buymeacoffee.com/joemvp Want to discuss this episode? Head over to our discussion forum at www.reddit.com/r/vpam

We're back! In Episode 110 of the Managing Violence Podcast, I interview Jack Leskovar, a 30+ year veteran of the United States Secret Service about the attempted assassination on former President Donald Trump. Jack shares his informed insights into what went wrong and what lessons the USSS must take to prevent it from happening again. Want to discuss this episode? Head over to our discussion forum at www.reddit.com/r/vpam Want to support our content? Go to www.buymeacoffee.com/joemvp

Amanda Ripley, investigative journalist and bestselling author, explores why polarized battles spiral out of control. She explains the four tripwires that escalate conflict and how online platforms and state actors fuel division. Conversations cover humiliation’s power, why people pick proxy fights, and reforms and habits that can make systems and daily life more conflict-resilient.

Melissa Muir, an experienced HR executive focused on workplace violence prevention and the security–HR interface. She talks about bridging HR and security cultures. She highlights behavioral red flags, smarter hiring and vetting, and why integrity should beat quick fixes. She outlines safer, dignified separations and how policies and culture signal risk.