Each in his own opinion
exceedingly stiff and strong,
though each was partly in the right,
and all were in the wrong!
John Godfrey Saxe, an American poet known for his re-telling of the Indian parable “The Blind Men and the Elephant.” A story of a of 6 blind men, who wanted to know what an elephant looks like. Each man could only touch a different part of the elephant.
The blind man who touched a leg said the elephant is a pillar; the one who felt the tail said the elephant is a rope; the one who felt the trunk said the elephant is a tree branch; the one who felt the ear said the elephant is a hand fan; the one who felt the belly said the elephant is a wall, and the one who felt the tusk said the elephant is a pipe.
They then compared notes and learned they were in complete disagreement and nearly came to blows. When a sighted man walked by, he explained that they all were correct – the reason everyone came to different conclusions is because each one of them touched a different part of the elephant.
The moral of the parable is that people tend to claim absolute truth based on their limited, subjective experience as they ignore other people’s limited, subjective experiences which may be equally true. And so it goes with self-defense… everyone thinks they know the answer…
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6 Competencies You Need to Survive a Street Attack
The 6 Sides of Self-Defense
1. Awareness and Avoidance
2. Be the Gray Man
3. Dealing with the Startle Response
4. Fight Skills training
5. Knowing the Law
6. Combat Fitness and Conditioning
1. Awareness and Avoidance + The Proper Mindset
90% of violent street attacks can be avoided by understanding situational & environmental awareness. In the last 3.5 years there has been a tsunami of violence around the world. Understand that every time you enter a public space you are at risk of being randomly attacked.
Situational Awareness is the ability to perceive, understand, and effectively respond to one’s situation. It involves comprehending a given circumstance, gathering relevant information, analyzing it, and making informed decisions to successfully address any potential risks, hazards, or events that might occur.
Environmental awareness is an understanding of the environment and how it can affect your self-defense. Being aware of the physical environment, weather, and hazards that will help you identify potential risks and take preemptive measures.
*More to come in a future Article…
2. Be the Gray Man
The term ‘gray man’ describes someone who looks unassuming and doesn’t stand out from the crowd but is in fact well equipped for an emergency situation. In crisis situations, there are benefits to being unnoticed and blending in. However it’s more than that, it’s also about projecting your presence, your demeanor to criminals – that you are not considered an easy target. There have been numerous studies with ex-cons who clearly defined who would be an easy target when shown videos of people walking on the street.
*More to come in a future Article…
3. Dealing With the Startle Response
The startle response, also known as the startle effect or Moro
reflex, is an instantaneous and involuntary reaction to a sudden, intense stimulus. It is an unconscious physiological and neurological response that occurs in all mammals. It produces a series of fast muscle contractions, usually around the shoulders, neck and face. The purpose of the startle response is to protect the body from injury and reduce the time it takes to escape.
You will be dealing with the “freeze, flight, fight, fawn response,” the adrenaline rush can cause extreme physiological changes such as rapid heart rate, trembling, chills, nausea, sudden sweating and shallow breathing. Add to that Tachypsychia which can include: Tunnel vision, auditory exclusion or sensitivity, increased pain tolerance, loss of color vision, short term memory loss, fatigue, decreased fine motor skills, and lack of coordination.
There are ways to neutralize the startle response and it will be covered in an upcoming article.
*More to come in a future Article…
4. Fight Skills Training
You don’t need to become a pro-fighter or train for years in martial sports or arts. Your goal is to recognize the threat, deescalate the confrontation (if you can) neutralize the attack, and escape. If however the attack is sudden and unprovoked and you feel there is an imminent threat of danger, you have the right to defend your life.
Since a majority of violent attacks almost always uses some type of weapon, or include multiple attackers – your first line of defense should always be with a weapon (if it’s an imminent threat) It doesn’t matter if you are the best fighter on the planet, without a weapon you are at a serious disadvantage. In fact, there have been many individuals from the military, as well as top sport fighters who have been seriously injured or even died from violent urban encounters. The best place to start is Reality-Based programs or Combatives. In addition, a basic course in first-aid should be mandatory.
*More to come in a future Article…
5. Knowing the Law
Most people assume that defending themselves from a violent attack is a cut and dry case of self-defense – however there are literally thousands of innocent people in prison who thought so as well. Prosecutors want to put you away especially in this political environment. One mistake can put you in prison for years (or life) and ruin you forever. Knowing and understanding the law should be done now, or asap – long before you are ever involved in any street attacks.
*More to come in a future Article…
6. Combat Fitness and Conditioning
Having taught self-defense internationally to hundreds of students over the years, I noticed that many of them wouldn’t be able to fend off a full-on violent attack if it took more than 40-50 seconds.
In addition, many defenders have never been hit, that could certainly knock the wind out of your sails. As Mike Tyson said, everyone has a plan until they get hit. If you are lucky and skilled and can end the fight quickly, great – but, you never know what you will be up against.
*More to come in a future Article…
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* Coming Soon
An In-Depth Look at Combat Fitness and Conditioning…
