Personal Security Precautions

© COPYRIGHT 2009 BY BRADLEY J. STEINER - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Sword and Pen – February 2009 Issue
28

[Reproduced with Permission]


IF you are ever attacked it will, to a certain degree, be astonishing. After all, any sane person who believes that ―if he went to such-and-such a place at three o‘clock on Tuesday, he would be attacked would not go to that place!
Appointments cannot be made for emergencies.

Proper preparation for self-defense demands that mental conditioning no less than physical; technical and tactical training be such that astonishment is minimized in any actual situation. (It cannot be completely eliminated, by the way).

Many people train in the martial arts as though that which they expect to prepare them for in a combat emergency will parallel that which they do in their studio — and they do this with classical/traditional or with sporting/competitive methods.

The former are most often antiquated and ritualized, and provide but marginal preparation (if any) for that which will ―really happen in an attack or that which will even be possible for them to do when an attack actually occurs. The latter are sporting actions, which assume factors that will not be present in combat, and which advocate winning skills for competition that are exceedingly impractical for hand-to-hand combat.

Two core things must be stressed in training for the real world:
1. Situational awareness. The maintenance of an alert mind, and a personal commitment to mastering and incessantly applying excellent precautions that reflect serious concern, at all times.
This comes about primarily once a person genuinely accepts and ―feels that, indeed it can happen to him.

2. Combatively functional techniques.
These are skills that make use of the ―fear response (or the ―fight or flight response). They are decisive, no-nonsense and destructive skills that one can rely upon reflexively in those instances when one is in fact taken off-guard or in the throes of the psycho-physical phenomena that manifest when awareness of impending danger is present.

Leaving #2, above, for the time being . . . let‘s talk about #1.
Since real attacks take place in the real world, it is in and for the real world that security and protective habits must be cultivated. We suggest the following as a starter:

• Cultivate the habit of stepping wide around corners.

• Always lock your vehicle door first thing, upon entering.

• If you suspect that you are being followed in your vehicle, do not stop. Instead, drive to a local police or fire station and keep your hand pressing the horn while you drive. This might attract the police — which is exactly what you‘d want — but it will certainly cause some alarm, and it might make your pursuer flee.

• Always check for the exit(s) whenever you enter a new place or area. In case you have to get the hell out of there, you‘ll want to know which way to go.

• Sit facing the door whenever you go to a restaurant. Or, at the very least, have your companion (if you can trust him) sit facing the door.

• If you are waiting in a public place for someone, stand with your back to a brick wall or other solid barrier; never with your back unguarded, or with your back to a store window. Do not read or permit yourself to be distracted. Remain aware of who or what is in your vicinity.

• If you see odd or unusual people approaching from a distance while you‘re out and about, cross the street. Avoid coming into closer contact if possible.

• Always trust your gut! Humans have a primitive, built-in intuitive defense mechanism. The human mind operates at all times on two levels: conscious and subconscious. It is entirely possible that, while your conscious perception of someone reveals no overt suspiciousness or cause for alarm, your subconscious has detected something wrong — or something that might be wrong. When in doubt, there is no doubt! Better to be cautious and ―wrong‖, than to be careless and ―right.

• Should you notice the same face in your vicinity TWICE, for no apparent and logical reason, assume that the individual may be surveilling you. (Note: The British and the American secret intelligence services teach trainees to assume that they are being followed if they see the same person three times. We like to err on the side of greater caution!).

• Never let a stranger approach within arm‘s reach if at all possible. Distancing is critical! If a would-be assailant must take a step in order to make physical contact, then his chance of launching a genuine surprise attack is almost non-existent.

• Pay attention to anything ―out of place. This applies whether you are at home, at work, at school, traveling, etc. If something just doesn‘t seem to be right, it probably isn‘t!

• Do not get a non-published telephone number. These are (sorry to let you know) easily discovered when you know how (and some bad guys do know how). Anyone trying to reach you by calling information will be advised by the operator that ―The party you are trying to reach has a non-published number. This confirms that you indeed live in the area! Instead, have your telephone listed under a fictitious name. Tell the phone company that you‘d like your phone listed under your ―uncle Charlie‘s name, since he lives with you, and that would be convenient for you. Be creative. List under ―USA, Ret., ―Sgt. . . . ―, or use an American name (if you‘re Asian), an Hispanic name (if you‘re Caucasian) and ALWAYS a man‘s name, if you‘re a female. (Not a bad idea to use a female‘s name, if you‘re male!)

• Never forget that a stranger is a stranger is a stranger is a stranger! In other words, you must be in a state of alert (―condition yellow) at the very least whenever anyone whom you do not know personally, approaches you. But you also must not relinquish that alerted and ready state simply because, after making contact, the stranger appears friendly, ―normal, and non-threatening. The most dangerous human predators are experts at this game! After appearing to be innocent, they pounce. That stranger may be exactly what he appears to be : ie a friendly, normal human being with not the slightest intention of doing you or anyone else any harm. BUT DON‘T BET YOUR LIFE ON IT.

• Should you arrive home and see that your door is ajar and that it appears that someone has unlawfully entered your dwelling, do NOT go inside. Go to a pay phone if you do not have a cell phone, and call the police. Let them approach and enter. Note: If you went to some ―shooting school that taught you to draw your weapon and ―clear the house, you were ripped off. That sort of thing is known by professionals as S U I C I D E. It takes a trained and heavily armed team of body-armored SWAT professionals to ―clear a house.

• Never let a threat go without reporting it to the police. Insist on obtaining the officer‘s badge number and name, and note the time of your 911 call and the Case Number (very important) whenever you handle this over the phone.

• Vary your routes to and from work, school, etc. Be unpredictable. Compartmentalize your activities, intersts, and even dissemination of information regarding your knowledge and your abilities. Utilize the proven intelligence policy of never allowing others to know anything about yourself or your activities unless they have a specific NEED TO KNOW this information. (Note: Obviously, we are not speaking now of family members, or of close and trusted friends. We mean co-workers, employers, neighbors, and others whom you know merely as acquaintances, and who may be counted upon to blab and not respect your safety or privacy).

No one‘s forcing you to go to the ―bother of adopting such security measures and precautions — but they will certainly assist you in protecting yourself, if you do so.
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