We’ve been led to believe that if we learn to fight we’ll be able to stop an attacker dead in his tracks.
The problem is, this thinking is missing the big picture understanding of violence. Let me explain…
Martial arts movies paint a picture of what a fight looks like.
The two combatants face off. Remarks are exchanged. Weapons are drawn.
And…
Wait for it…
The fight begins.
Each fighter uses his training and skills to overcome his enemy. Through a combination of skill, training, and determination, the hero wins the day.
Sort of like this:
And then there’s reality.
In the real world, a violent incident is made of different component parts sort of like links in a chain. Each point of the chain requires a specific set of responses that are often missing from self-defense training.
There is not just “the fight”, but four phases of survival within a confrontation:
- Survival of the pre-incident event.
- Survival of the physical confrontation.
- Survival of the law.
- Survival of the psycho-medical effects of the confrontation.
Most martial arts training is focused on point #2, survival of the physical confrontation.
There are three fundamental problems with this approach:
- Many attacks are preceded by warning signs that go unnoticed
- The vast majority of attacks happen by surprise
- More often than not the attacker has a size advantage or there is more than one attacker
The outcome could be disastrous even for the best martial artist.
And that brings me to my point.
In order to truly defend yourself, you must learn pre-incident skills. Skills that will help you to sense danger before it’s too late.
This will give you a chance to act and not just react.
What I’m talking about is situational awareness.
Situational awareness is a skill that can potentially get you out of a dangerous situation without the need to fight. What’s more, in my 20 years of experience in the security industry I can safely say it’s one of the most important self-defense skills to have.
The great news is it’s a skill that can be learned and honed.
What’s more, it doesn’t take years to master. With a small investment of time, you can take control of your personal safety.
Sounds intriguing?
To help you get started, I’ve put together a little situational awareness email guide. The guide presents an overview of situational awareness and finishes off with an exercise that you can start practicing literally today.
By reading it, you’ll understand why most people are unaware of the danger around them until it’s too late. Also, you’ll discover a simple exercise that when practiced for a few minutes daily will unlock a new level of awareness.
Take control of your life. Sign up here and get the email guide free.