www.dkselfdefense.com Avoiding Trouble This E-Book has been compiled by Dave Keech based on his training and experience. It is designed to raise awareness of Self Defense and Personal Protection. See website for more details.
Legal Advisement Let me start with some Legal stuff... The information contained here is for reference only and is not intended to replace instruction from a professional teacher, and make sure you consult a medical professional before engaging in any physical exercise. If you decide to act on any of the information given here you assume all responsibility for the outcome, good or bad. The moment you get physically involved with another person you open yourself up for possible criminal and legal action, and the chance of getting seriously hurt if things don't go in your favor. You have to weigh up the 'Pros & Cons' of your action, or non-action. Self Defense is all about using 'reasonable force', every location is different regarding who can defend who and what is considered reasonable, so some research is needed on your behalf. In some cases it allows you to protect an innocent third party, others allow you to defend against the realistic threat of an attack; others allow property, where to pets fit in here? Generally a reasonable amount of force is the force needed to stop the attacker.
Learning from Nature I find that many things in life can be related back to nature, whether it s our behavior when confronted with a stressful situation, or the way some people act around the opposite sex. Women looking for strong men with good genes for their offspring, or good providers. The men trying to impress the ladies with their dominance over other men or with their possessions. In the old days being a good hunter and bringing home the kill was a man s roll, now the providing is done through the job you have and sports have replaced the skills of hunting. I know I m sounding sexist in today s modern society, but I m talking about basic humans now, society has changed this, but we still have many of those basic instincts that our ancestors did. Let s face it we are animals and very similar to those around us in local wildlife, and far off countries. You see these animal instincts in some of our societies less civilized occupants. Their animal style behavior is what causes panic within normal people, as they are trying to get away from their animal ancestors. Colonel Grossman talks about Wolves, Sheep and Sheepdogs in his analogy of society, where the Wolves are the bad guys; Sheep are normal people and Sheep Dogs being the police and military. He s using nature, the Wolves hunt the Sheep and the Sheep Dogs protect the sheep. Although being protectors of the Sheep, the Sheep Dogs are evolved from the Wolf. A Sheep could not fight against a Wolf and probably doesn t trust the Sheep Dog too much either. The Sheep need them to protect them, as a Dog stands a better chance fighting another Dog. The moral here I believe is that if you want to beat / catch the Wolf, you have to think like a Wolf.
The bad guys that want to hurt you can also be grouped by their animal style behavior. CHEETAHS They will watch their prey from a distance, select an easy target such as a young, old or sick animal then sneak up and pounce. Many cats use this same technique, even toying with their prey to sharpen their skills. Much like your mugger who will select his easy target, then approach and attack. 'Easy pickers' an element that is purely looking for easy targets with minimal risk of injury to them. SHARKS Their fins promote fear for us thanks to Jaws, the movie but for sea creatures too, the Shark has two methods of approach, either sneak up from underneath and strike without being seen or by circling around their prey, as if intimidating them before they pounce. Much like the school bully, or local tough guy, that rules the roost through his reputation and intimidation. He s not normally alone either like a Shark there are normally little hangers on following him around. He is after 'Dominance', like earning badges of honor. CROCODILES Lying in wait by the river bank, with only their eyes and nostrils breaking the surface, motionless ready to strike when that unsuspecting meal comes down to the water for a drink. Then it s snap with those jaws and into the water they go for the death roll. Remind you of the rapist who sits watching from the shadows as the ladies walk by, just waiting for one to get too close and they re dragged off into the bushes. Thankfully this style of rapist is a small majority of sex offenders; women are actually more likely to be sexually assaulted by someone they know, either a family member or friend, or someone that has groomed them and their family to gain their trust. HYENAS The ultimate pack scavengers, they move in large numbers looking for other predators they can steal from or may hunt their own easy prey. There sheer numbers mean even a Lion with its fresh kill can t win against the constant snapping from their jaws.
You ve seen the gangs of kids swarming around shopping centers or leisure parks, striking terror into old ladies and even confronting grown men. Individually they are nothing, but together their sheer numbers mean they can out battle one or two individuals. I ve seen kids as young as 12 taking on a 30 yr old man, and actually having to jump so they can punch him in the face. Even a 12 yr old with 4-5 buddies raining punches down on you can be a battle, especially when society tells you not to hit kids or women. These are 'Pack-hounds' that look to overcome their target with their numbers, either for the pure pleasure of it or for group pride. Stay away from Trouble You can do things to make you safer at home, when in your car or visiting the bank, but you also need to keep yourself safe in the normal course of your day, or night. This is not being paranoid; this is being Aware, Avoiding Problems and Assessing Situations. Here s an exercise before we start; when you re out and about, sitting in a café or even at work, watch the people around you Now chose which ones you would attack or rob, if you were a bad guy and which you would not. You ll see confident vs timid, strong vs weak, aware vs distracted and more. Jot down the reasons why and why not, this will help you decide how you should act.
BEING AWARE Confident people are less likely to be chosen as targets, as most attackers want an easy opponent. So hold your head up and walk with a purpose. This doesn t mean a cocky strut either. Scan the area around you constantly looking for potential problems, but avoid lingering eye contact as is can be seen by as aggressive behavior. Use all your senses; listen for raised voices and breaking glass. Use reflections in mirrors and windows to see behind you. Observe what people are doing, their body language can show their intention, who is watching as if they were hunting prey? You may notice people doing the same thing as you. Location is important as there are escape routes, hiding places and ambush points you may need to take advantage of if a situation occurs. Instinct is a basic function that can keep you alive, trust it but don t be deceived by stereotypes. Bad guys don t always look mean and good guys don t always ride white horses. AVOIDING PROBLEMS The Best Defense is not to be where the trouble is, so avoid going to places known to be trouble spots like rough bars and bad parts of town and unknown areas. Plan ahead when traveling so you know what route you are taking, have correct change ready for public transport and have your keys ready before you get to your car or front door. Your Scanners should be set on long range so you can see or hear trouble far enough ahead to allow you to change direction, leave the area or just be prepared for trouble if you have no other option. Hiding yourself out of the view of potential threats is a way of avoiding trouble. Stepping into shops, losing yourself in crowds, standing behind columns or even dropping behind walls are all ways of avoiding trouble. Escape is the next best thing to avoiding trouble, even during combat an opportunity to escape may present itself. It may only be the ability to gain more distance between you and the threat, but take it. This is especially important if you are facing multiple threats.
ASSESSING SITUATIONS Body language gives away many clues to the threats intention. Does the threat seem calm, do they show any signs of training, can you detect signs of alcohol or drug use. All these dictate how you will have to deal with the threat. The Distance between you and the threat allows you to avoid, hide or prepare for combat. Closer distances dictate whether you are in kicking, punching or grappling range. Prepare yourself for the worst case scenario, then things can only get better. Assume there are multiple threats and that they have weapons available. Also do not expect any bystanders to step in and help you, they re probably too scared to help or just watching the action. Verbal communication is an option for diffusing the situation, but only if the threat is able to comprehend what you are saying. Alcohol and drugs can affect the threats ability to communicate with you, he may be passed the point of comprehension due to his anger or he may not even speak your language. Weapons can win a fight for the side that has them; can you see any weapons on or near the threat? Does the threat seem to be hiding something under his clothing? What weapons are available to you, either improvised or real, within your reach or on your person?