THE REALITY OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS

The term Self-defense typically invokes thoughts of physical reactions to threats to personal safety. The ability to react physically to any potential threat is indeed a crucial skill; however, the foremost and most important skill is awareness. A majority of threats can be avoided simply by fully interacting with your surroundings when engaged in any activity. Many of us will go on “Autopilot” when taking a routine trip (be it on foot or by vehicle). There are times when you end up at your destination and have little or no recollection of the trip! The good news is that you can train yourself to overcome this type of behavior. Some basic techniques are as follows:

• Alternate travel routes to routine destinations
• Make it a habit to look for changes (e.g. buildings, shrubbery, etc.) in the routes that you take
• Denote the time differences (length of the trips) between the alternate routes that you have taken

Another specific component to awareness is the level of comfort that an individual feels in a given location. No one should walk around in a constant state of paranoia, but you should always be cognizant of what’s going on beyond the 2 to 3 feet that most people notice. This type of awareness is analogous to how we “should” be driving or controlling any type of vehicle. Your perimeter should be at least 10-15 feet in diameter. Scan more with your eyes as opposed to constantly turning your head.

These types of skills should be applied everywhere you travel. Contrary to popular belief, there are NO such things as “good” or bad neighborhoods. While many neighborhoods have much higher incidents of criminal activity, just as one can be victimized an indigent community, one can easily become a victim in a wealthy gated community. Ks3 will regularly add more content about Self-defense. That will be in the form of original content and links to sites with valid information.

http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/watch/out/street_smart.html

http://www.ncptforce.com/seminars/street_smart.html

http://www.streetselfdefense.com/

http://www.rapeescape.com/

Ks3 (Keep safe, smart, strong)!