The basic principles of self-protection
Basic concepts of self-protection and personal defense
There has been a lot of hype and hyperbole of late about the “one hit can kill” campaign, and there should be. No one has the right to shed the veneer of civilization and randomly attack another citizen and potentially take their life!
As an individual, I can do very little to stop the flow of random, senseless and unnecessary incidents of alcohol and drug fueled acts of violence that we face on a daily basis. However, what I am doing is offering you the opportunity to learn the strategies and skills that will make it safer for you to venture out on the streets.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be writing about some of those strategies and highlighting that it’s possible to be safe on our streets. The first topic is:
situational awareness:
Self-defense, or self-protection, is the study of reality and the reality is that for it to work, it has to be SIMPLE. Always be aware of your time and space. Observe the entire environment around you, including other people, potential hazards, and possible escape routes. For example, if you take the elevator down to the parking lot, pause for a second when the doors open so you can look around to make sure it’s safe. We can’t see around corners, so use building or car windows as mirrors. If you have any questions, wait or try putting yourself in a group. Simple habits like parking in well-lit areas, walking confidently, walking with company, and being assertive, not aggressive, are key factors.
What about the “killer punch”? For all intents and purposes, that blow was unexpected. But could it have been expected? Absolutely! Observation is a skill we learn as children and then unlearn as adults. Train yourself to observe people, their actions, reactions, and most importantly, their behavior. If you come across someone who is acting aggressive, loud, and/or showing signs of intoxication, stay away. If necessary, call the police. They won’t mind checking things out if it means no one gets hurt or killed. The so-called “Killing Blow” is usually thrown by not the most obvious person. You would be wrong to think that the large, muscular and aggressive “Alpha” male is the most likely offender, in fact it is usually the smallest and most untrusting member of the group who will sneak up behind his victim and land the king blow.
One frightening trend is the number of young people who are aggressive and violent due to the cocktail of partying drugs, alcohol and, sadly, steroid use. These potentially violent characters can be spotted quite easily; they will be male in their late teens or early twenties and will be excessively muscular. Physically, it is almost impossible to develop large muscles naturally, before the age of twenty. Those young men who are built like Olympic lifters have almost certainly done so on steroids and/or testosterone boosters and will be more susceptible to violent outbursts when alcohol and party drugs are added to the mix.
If you see someone who fits that profile, walk away, go somewhere else if you must, but don’t get paranoid, just be careful, use distance as your friend and your risk level will drop significantly.
There is one very important caveat: legally, you can only use reasonable force to stop an attack. Even if you do it accidentally, using unreasonable force to injure, maim, or kill your abuser could land you in jail.
Stay tuned for the next installment in this series, where I introduce you to the first principle of effective self-defense.