Self Defense Tip: Heighten Your Awareness
Dr. John Woods 01.15.18
The first shortfall for personal defense is not knowing what is going on around you. Sure, you may feel secure in your house, your bug out camp, or even in your vehicle, but do you really know what can happen to you in the flash of a minute? Awareness is a keen skill that has to be developed, practiced, and utilized at all times.
Ultimately the bottom line is this. We are all totally responsible for ourselves all the time. Whether we are at home, out in the yard, about town or travel, we as individuals are the front line of defense and indeed offense. How many times on the news have you noticed others injured as collateral damage during active shooter events or other disasters of all kinds.
Unfortunately many times those on the sidelines are simply not aware of what is happening around them and/or their response time to avoid or escape the event is negligible. We not only need to learn to be much more keenly aware of our circumstances at all times, but teach our families as well. Also there are just places in this world we have no business going.
My wife as a case in point used to stop at a gas station in an area downtown in the state capitol that is well documented as a high crime area. I mean, so what if gas is five cents cheaper per gallon. If you stand out in the neighborhood as somebody that obviously does not belong there, then you most likely don’t. Every city, town, and community has crime areas that should be avoided at all costs. Why invite the potential for trouble? Don’t! As I read recently, “Just stay out of Detroit.”
If you come across a threat or you visualize something ahead of you that might look like trouble, the trick is to keep moving, whether in a vehicle or walking. If you stop, or stall, then you become more noticeable and an easier target to prey upon. Keep rotating your head to view everything going on to see what plan of action you might need to exercise next.
What this also means is to always leave yourself a way out. Stay away from blind alleys or dead end streets that might not be safe. If you enter a store and some incident occurs, then know your options for a way out of the place. Don’t get boxed into a corner without a way out.
As they say, “Keep your head in the game” and you’ll likely avoid trouble. Even if it happens to find you, be alert and look for ways out.
