#MANDELADAY’s 67mins Self-Defence Workshop

“Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was South Africa's first black chief executive, and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election.

…

Mandela was a controversial figure for much of his life. Denounced as a communist terrorist by critics, he nevertheless gained international acclaim for his activism, having received more than 250 honours, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Soviet Order of Lenin. He is held in deep respect within South Africa, where he is often referred to by his Xhosa clan name, Madiba, or as Tata ("Father"); he is often described as the "Father of the Nation"” 

-  Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela

On the 18 July, 2015, on what has now been known worldwide as “MandelaDay”, I will be doing a 67 mins Self-Defence Workshop for the local Chinese community, in spirit of what Mandela Day represents. The message behind Mandela Day is simple – each individual has the ability and the responsibility to change the world for the better. If each one of us heeded the call to simply do good every day, we would be living Nelson Mandela’s legacy and helping to build a country of our dreams. To me, this is a very heart-felt message as I deeply love my country of birth, South Africa. I had decided many years ago to not immigrate to the likes of Australia, Canada or the UK; as so many other South Africans have.  Furthermore, it encouraged me to take action against some of the problems we face in our society. Defence Unlimited was the embodiment of that love and desire to make a difference.

After coming across my advert on Facebook to promote the 67 mins Self-Defence Workshop, I was asked by a journalist from an international new agency the following questions:

1.         Why did you decide to celebrate Mandela Day that way?

WH: Nelson Mandela is one of my personal heroes whom I look up to for guidance and inspiration.  For me, he was a man of integrity, peace and understanding and is the embodiment of a true leader. I believe his ideals for humanity was truly inspirational, especially in his words, “umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu”, or “you must serve your fellow man”. It is only through this caring and serving each other will we be able to overcome all the adversity that we, as South Africans, currently face. Furthermore, his words of “It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it” really inspired me to step forward and take action to address some of the issues our country and my Chinese community faces, one of which is crime and the fear of crime. Being in the business that I am, I felt that my company, Defence Unlimited and I, could do this free workshop to the Chinese community, as well as make a small contribution to the Hong Ning Chinese Old Age Home.

2.         How have you celebrated the day in the previous years?

WH: Last year was the first initiative that Defence Unlimited offered free 67mins public self-defence presentation to the public.  It was held at the Rivonia Sports Club on a cold winter’s evening. Attendance was small, but respectable!  Read about the experience here: http://defence-unlimited.blogspot.com/2014/07/mandela-day-2014-67mins-of-self-defence.html

In previous years, I had been with a few corporate initiatives, including food packing and distribution for various communities.

3.         Do you think is still relevant and will continue to be relevant to the world?

WH: If you referring to Mandela Day, yes, absolutely! If anything, I think the spirit of Mandela Day is more relevant now than ever! In light of all the global turbulence and chaos, we need more positive ideals and action such as the ones that Mandela day encourages.  There is a saying from the Bible that says, “If good men do not act, evil will prevail”.  Therefore, it is the interest for everyone to do their bit, no matter how small it may be, in combating this evil around the world.

4.         What does Mandela mean to you?

WH: Well, as mentioned, he is a personal hero of mine. I’ve read a few books about his life and his leadership styles, as well as researched some of his public appearances and speeches. By doing so, I got to know what his ideals and aspirations were for ALL South Africans, and actually for humanity as a whole. It is these aspirations that really touched me and made me want to be a better person both for myself, my family and for society.  I should mention that I also got to meet him briefly right after his release from prison in 1990. It was at the Park Lane hospital and he was going for a check-up. I was quite young at the time, and didn’t know who this tall, African man was who was flanked by even two bigger African men (his body guards). There was a moment that he stopped, waved and smiled at my sister and I. All I can remember was how genuine and sincere his smile was, as how happy that made me feel - I could not help but smile back!

5.         What lessons can be learnt from Mandela's life?

WH: Just too many to mention! Just off the top of my head: Have integrity at all times; Be courageous; Be compassionate; Be a good leader; Have core principles that you abide to; listen intensely before making a response; don’t hurry – think, analyse then act;  and my personal favourite, “never let fear defeat you”.

I hope that Mandela Day inspires you to go out and make a difference in this world.

Till next time.

Get EDUCATED. Feel EMPOWERED. Live a FULLY-ENGAGED life. 

For more information on the workshop, please go to:

Website: http://www.defence-unlimited.com/get-engaged/mandela-day/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/326248007545473/

For more infomation on Mandela Day, please  go to:

http://www.mandeladay.com/

Looking For Kinks In My Self-Defence Armour

In the past few months, I had a number of occasions to discover some of the kinks in my self-defence armour that made me question just how vulnerable I am to an attack.

My most recent revelation was at the Intensive Krav Maga Instructor’s course that I attended with KMSA for 10 solid days (refer to http://defence-unlimited.blogspot.com/2015/07/krav-maga-explosive-aggressive.html ). During the 10 days, I was physically, mentally and emotionally challenged in a variety of ways!  There was kicking, punching, falling, grappling and intensive exercising for 8 hrs solid EVERY day. My body was tired, sore, and stiff in places I couldn’t even imagine. For instance, I had to take a risk the one day and not wear my groin protector as the skin on my inner thighs got so  chaffed from the cumulative days of training, that it resembled a gravel road in the hot, Kalahari desert. Murphy ’s Law dictates that it would be on those days I would be stuck multiple times in the groin by my training partners! On another occasion, one of my contact lenses got damaged and was irritating me so much that I had to remove it midway through training. Considering the contact lens was to compensate for my -8.0 vision in that one eye, I was pretty much blind. For those who do not wear contacts, having vision in one and non in the other can be very disorientating and nauseating. Worst still, I had to brave a 45 min drive back home, along which I would have to travel on one strip of road was notorious for being a hi-jacking hot spot. Keeping in mind that I do also live in one of the most crime-ridden countries in the world (as per the global stats), I knew I had to be extra vigilant and be ready for whatever action was necessary to preserve my life. I therefore took the decision to put the damaged contact lens back into my eye. As painful as it was to have it in, it was the only choice in my eyes (pun intended), considering the alternative - die in an accident trying to get home or die in a possible hi-jacking attempt because I was unable to see the danger around me. The best way to describe the pain was as if someone was poking my eye every 10 seconds with a fountain pen! For a 45 min journey, that was a lot of pokes! It was during these painful moments of my body and my weakened mental and emotional fortitude, that I realised that these were kinks in my self-defence armour - my moments of vulnerability and opportunities that the common criminal will look out for so as to take advantage of my pitiful state.

This brings me to self-defence 101, being self-aware. By understanding what I was or was not capably of in that state of body and mind, I could put a plan together to make myself a "hard target", or making it APPEAR that I am a hard target. The theory of being a "hard target" is to make it appear as if I am a person who is capable of handling myself in a situation, or to create sufficient barriers around me that will discourage a potential attacker from harming me. This may be as simple as the way I walk, or the way I observe (or not observe) the environment around me; to having an injury, illness or disability that may weaken my perceived defensive fortress, and having the ability to mask or subdue it. Then, there is also an understanding what "social-conditioning" has hampered my ability to defend myself, should I need to (more on social conditioning in a later blog).This is what I teach when referring to SELF-AWARENESS.

Secondly, being a hard target is also being aware of my immediate environment or the activities I undertake within this environment that may make me appear to have a "disadvantages" of any kind. For example, do I have a child with me, in which case I will be distracted or more concerned of their safety should something happen; am I being distracted by my phone and if so, I am leaving myself open to a possible surprise attacks); am I carrying too many groceries or paraphernalia that could hamper my getaway; am I showing a bit too much skin or bling in a not too savvy neighbourhood? This is what I refer to MICRO-AWARENESS and is the EASIEST of all three awareness to control and exact immediate changes to reduce these vulnerabilities in my micro-environment.

Lastly, which is the hardest to control, is the macro-environment, which is the environment or situation that falls outside my sphere of control or influence, or require a great effort to influence some kind of change. This could be your neighbourhood, city or country that I live in; the treacherous strip of road that is notorious for hijackings that I need to travel on as it is the ONLY road to get to and from work and home; specific rules or laws that prohibit me from carrying a weapon (and is strictly enforced). As mentioned, this is very difficult to control, however, just by being aware of what elements are in these environment that will get me to look at some creative ways to reduce some of these risks. (MACRO-AWARENESS)

To conclude, here are “10 Vulnerability Factors” to consider when evaluating what your chances of becoming a victim of crime is:

1. Injuries / Illnesses / Handicap

2. Gender

3. Age

4. General Health (Cardio, Strength, Stamina, Flexibility)  

5. Specific self-defence and safety mind-set

6. Social conditioning

7. Martial arts or combative training experience

8. Are the current activities I am undertaking making me vulnerable? (Micro-environment)

9. Overall macro-environmental risks (job, home, laws & rules, city, country)

10. My self-defence attitude!

Hopefully with this knowledge, you will take a closer look at where your kinks in your self-defence armour are and take the necessary actions to fill the gaps. Whether it's educating yourself with more knowledge of the topic of personal safety, or empowering yourself by taking up a self-defence or martial arts class or getting  fitter by going to the gym or taking up some other fitness activity, the ultimate objective is to live a good life of your choice, a FULLY-ENGAGED life.

Till next time.

Get EDUCATED. Feel EMPOWERED. Live a FULLY-ENGAGED life. 

Krav Maga… Explosive, Aggressive, Effective… My Thoughts & Views

Before I begin, I must state that I am by no means pro- or anti- Israel and am merely reporting on my experience of this combative system. I am looking at the product rather than the history and process by which this system came to be.

Well, what can I say other that I was thoroughly impressed with this course! Not only was it professionally conducted by Sensei Brett Clarke (Director of Krav Maga South Africa (KMSA), the only institution affiliated to the Wingate Institute in Israel), but the material was actually very good too! What impressed me most was its structured approach that covered a wide array of armed and unarmed threat neutralization. 

As for Krav Maga itself, it is ALMOST the epitome of what my self-defence journey has been leading me to and the philosophy that I had adapted a long time ago that started me on this path of self-defence discovery, namely “to devise/develop/discover a self-defence system that will be relevant and effective for anyone and everyone." Krav Maga meets 2 of the 3 criteria – relevant and effective. I will discuss its “perceived shortcomings” in the 3^rd category a bit later. However, let me elaborate a bit more on the 1^st 2 criteria – relevant and effective. Krav Maga is a self-defence system that was developed by the Israeli Military in the 1900’s and has become a global system that anyone can now use as an effective means of protecting themselves.  Krav Maga encourages students to avoid confrontation; however, if it is not possible or unsafe to do so, it promotes finishing a fight as quickly as possible. Its focus is on real-world situations and is extremely efficient due to its aggressive and explosive techniques. With that said, the 3^rd criteria of it being able to be used by “anyone and everyone” may only be one of its few shortcomings. The techniques require a certain amount of fitness, strength and speed to be able to be performed effectively. Therefore, this might exclude those who are physically weaker, sickly or disadvantaged in any other way. However, with that said, Krav Maga might be the activity for those who wish to both increase their fitness prowess as well as their self-defence skills – Something that I am a strong supporter of!

To give a little more insight into the course, I was exposed to 10 days of being punched, kicked, elbowed, kneed, thrown, grappled, stabbed, slashed and threatened by gunpoint at! The system covers the full array of threats that a normal civilian could be subjected to, and how to neutralise those threats.  Again, the emphasis was on an effective and aggressive response to those threats. Although their techniques may seem haphazard and messy to a bystander, there is a lot of logic that goes behind each move. The key is being able to apply that logic to each move when under pressure and with accuracy, speed and strength. By day 10, my group of fellow instructors had to undergo such pressure-testing and all I can say was that it was challenging! Although I have done a few short Krav Maga courses in the past, never had I been subjected to 10 days of continually high-intensity training such as this course! It was both exhausting and exhilarating!

Fortunately, my skills in Krav Maga were relatively easy to acquire due to the many black belts that I had already accomplished in the past. It was just a matter of tweaking a few skills and a change in mind-set. However, a bigger revelation was that because I had not practised my arts every day, those past skill and attributes that collectively make up that skill, had diminish over time.  My body felt the effects of these diminished skills by day 4 with all the kicks and break-falls that we had to do over and over again - so much for being a 4^th dan In Taekwondo and a 2^nd dan in Hapkido. The way I was kicking, one could have mistaken me for a pirate with wooden stumps for legs trying to play English premier league football!

A passing comment made by a long-time Krav Maga practitioner left me with quite a positive impression of this system. Basically he said was that some techniques had changed since the time he first started doing Krav Maga. What this indicates to me is that the system is willing to change and adapt its techniques to be more efficient and relevant for modern society’s threats – something that some of the traditional martial arts would frown upon.

On a more personal note - after 10 days of sharing blood, sweat and injuries with a group of strangers, one cannot but form a bond that can best be described as a brotherhood with them. There is a certain type of character that gets attracted to such sadistic activities and it is through this shared experience that I can honestly say, I know and trust these people more than I would some blood relatives. A wise man once said, “Blood doesn’t make family – loyalty does.” Thank you my fellow brothers and sister for sharing this journey with me.

Krav Maga definitely ranks up there with my list of effective self-defence systems. Improving on this system would be hard, but not impossible, as I definitely think there are some areas that I would like to elaborate on or explore further. My journey in Krav Maga may have just started, but will by no means be solely defined by it. My self-defence journey continues.

To conclude, what did I learn? Besides the obvious self-defence skills, I also learned how to be a better teacher.  As a teacher, one is always striving to find better ways in which to impart the skills and knowledge to a student. As a student, it's all about personal development and being able to accept and apply the instructions of his/her teacher. It's a constant cycle of duality and is one that I hope to continue being on for a very long time.

Till next time.

Get EDUCATED. Feel EMPOWERED. Live a FULLY-ENGAGED life. 

"Some action pics from one of the days!"

For more information on Defence Unlimited's Krav Maga Classes, please refer to the www.defence-unlimited.com website.

HARD vs SOFT SELF-DEFENCE

In a workshop recently, I had to make a distinction as to when I would hit someone versus using a joint-lock or pressure point against a person, or what I called hard self-defence and soft self-defence.

I boiled it down to what the immediate situation called for.

I would employ hard self-defence techniques when I am physically attacked by one or more aggressors. The tools I would use will include kicking and punching and any other bodily tools that I have trained to use, as well as "unattached" weapons such as firearms, knives, batons and improvised weapons.

However, there are some scenarios where a broken bone or two, may not necessarily be the most  ideal way to deal with an harasser.  It may be “too much force” that could result in me being liable for his/her injuries. This is when I would employ a more subtle form of "soft" self-defence such as joint-locks and pressure points, which may be enough to subdue or deter a harasser.

Note also that I have used different terms, aggressor and harasser, to describe the “bad guy” when I use either hard or soft self-defence. I have done this deliberately so as to act as a trigger as to when I should employ the appropriate techniques.

Which is better? 

My suggestion would be to combine both these 'forms' of self-defence and use what is appropriate at the time.  

For example in the case of suddenly being physically attacked by an aggressor, the immediate response would be to deal with that situation with some "hard' self-defence techniques (block the aggressor's strike; counter strike; create distance and access own weapons (if any); move in to attack aggressor again). Only once the aggressor is subdued and has not fled, would I employ some "soft" self-defence to either restrain the aggressor with a joint-lock, or cause him to become unconscious while I get help or restrain him.

In another example, if I was a female employee and was getting some unwanted attention from a male colleague at work, I would employ some "soft" self-defence techniques such as a finger-lock or pain-inducing pressure point technique so as to deter the harasser from proceeding any further. It should be noted that in this situation, I would also have to re-enforce my position of not wanting any of the harasser’s attention by using strong verbal commands and posturing - more tools and techniques that fall in the "soft" self-defence category. If however, my attempts are not successful and the harasser decides to use more force against me (making him now an aggressor) , I would revert back to "hard' self-defence and strike him hard.

It is important to note that a person's heart-rate and ability to control his or her fine motor skills under a high-pressure scenario is also key as to whether they should employ hard or soft self-defence. Fine motor skills are vital when trying to employ joint-locks or pressure-point techniques (soft self-defence) and will deteriorate as one's heart rate increases.

A person is able to condition themselves to better operate their fine-motor skills under hear-rate increasing scenarios, with the correct training. 

With the correct training, both hard and soft self-defence techniques should be employed to potentially hazardous incidents. Furthermore, one’s ability to be able to distinguish between these types of incidents become important too, as the age old saying of "one size fits all" would not work in a court of law if you are found to be using excessive force in an incident.

To conclude, as your journey in becoming a safety-conscious member of society who studies practical self-defence techniques to empower yourself, you must always keep in mind that as you become more proficient in self-defence, you need to exercise greater self-control when handling an incident and never abuse your skills and knowledge. If you do, you become no better than the criminals we wish to weed out of society.

Till next time.

Get EDUCATED. Feel EMPOWERED. Live a FULLY-ENGAGED life. 

IMPROVISED WEAPONS FOR SELF-DEFENCE

In an interview recently, I was asked what my opinion on what improvised weapons should be used in a self-defence situation. As a broad guideline, an improvised weapon is an every-day item that can create a greater impact by being swung, thrust or thrown/projected at an aggressor.

As with any self-defence training, there are 3 aspects in using any improvised weapons:

1. Know what tool to use

2. Know what target to strike at

3. Know how to use the tools to strike at the target.

In this post, I will only focus on point 1, "know what tools to use".

When selecting a tool, anything that is around you that fits one or more of the following criteria is a valid improvised weapon:

• Items that are hard and will allow you to use at a distance (an arms-length or greater) against an aggressor. This implies you also need to be able to either lift it up or be able to move it around.

• Items that are small, but hard enough to allow you to apply pressure on it against an aggressor without breaking on impact in close-range (within an arms-length).

• Items that are easily accessible under a high-pressured situation.

Here are also some general guild lines on things to avoid using as an improvised weapon:

• Items that you will need immediately after the incident has occurred.

• Items that you do not want damaged, stolen or lost.

• Items that are hard to reach when the incident occurs.

Car key, for instance, is not an ideal choice for an improvised weapon. If you are in a remote area and get attacked whist in or walking to your car, you do not want to risk losing or damaging your car keys during the struggle with an aggressor.

Cell phones are other items to avoid. If you get injured or have to call the police or a loved one to tell them of the incident, your injuries and/or your whereabouts, you want to ensure that you have a working cell phone handy.

Of course, in the heat of the moment, you may reach for the closest items that are available to you, which may be the car keys or cell phone. If this is the case, you just need to do what is necessary to deal with the immediate threat with whatever means possible. This will mean that you may be without your car keys or phone after the situation, which may on its own be another problem. One way to mitigate this risk is to carry suitable "weapons" that can be used in a self-defence situation. It should be items that you have consciously decided that you will use on an aggressor, should the need arise. Furthermore, it should be items that you have practiced accessing and using under a pressurised situation.

One of the favourite "improvised weapons" that I have often heard and read about for women, are her high-heel shoes. Unless you are comfortable wearing and using high-heel shoes in a situation that will require you to move and kick in these shoes, I personally would not recommend removing them as an improvised weapon to strike an aggressor. Why? Well for starters, most high-heel shoes that I have seen on women have a strap on them to secure the shoes to the feet. This could take some time to remove and hence, goes against the principle of, "must be easily accessible". Furthermore, it compromises her balance as she would have to have to balance on one leg whilst trying to fend off an aggressor or even just to try and get away from the threat! Besides being prone to ankle injuries or losing her own balance and failing (which is definitely not ideal when being attacked), being off-balanced would seriously reduce her chances of being able to handle a self-defence incident.

Let’s look now at a few suggested improvised weapons that one could use in various environments. This list is by no means exhaustive, but, they do follow the guidelines above for selecting a suitable weapon:

At home:  Broom stick, umbrella, dog leash + chain, books, hard files, electric tooth brush, furniture, pot plants, dustbin, ash tray, ornaments, kettle cords, boiling water, rolled up magazine/newspaper, pepper/curry powder, pots & pans, knives, flasks, torch, garden tool, scissors, screw drivers, insecticide, etc..

While traveling in own vehicle: CD's, CD covers, fire extinguisher, cigarette lighter, traffic triangle, car jack, spanner, car tool set, steering lock, first aid kit, water bottles, etc...

Walking about in a shopping mall, to your vehicle, or using public transport: water bottle, walking stick, umbrella, jacket, belt, comb, cigarette lighter, deodorant, groceries, baby pram (minus the baby), etc.. 

An underlying theme in all of this is to have a self-defence ATTITUDE, which is basically, having the mental and emotional capabilities of using the correct tools to strike effectively at the correct targets, when the need arise.

Feel free to look around your environment and scrutinize what you carry and use every day and determine whether or not it would be a suitable tool for self-defence or not.  Furthermore, be sure also to practice accessing and using those items you find suitable - you never know when and where you might need an improvised weapon! If you are serious about your safety, I would suggest seeking out a suitable self-defence instructor that can explain the principles of self-defence to you, as well as empower you with the knowledge and skills relevant for your circumstances.

Till next time, be safe!

Get EDUCATED. Feel EMPOWERED. Live a FULLY-ENGAGED life!

FOOD FOR CRIMINALS - SURPRISE, FEAR, DOUBT, HESITATION

In Kendo (the Japanese art of swordmanship), there is a term called "shikai", or the four illnesses of the heart. These are: "kyo-ku-gi-waku", or "surprise, fear, doubt, hesitation".

In a brief analysis, I will attempt to explain the kendo concepts together with my understanding of self-defence:

SURPRISE will happen when someone breaks the other's mental or physical composure and is able to strike at them while off-guard. In self-defence, this is particularly true for people who are not aware of their surroundings and walk around with pink-tinted glasses. Criminals look for these type of potential victims, who, inevitable giving a statement to police such as, "He just appeared out of nowhere", or "It all happened so fast! I never saw what hit me!"

FEAR is when the one feels threatened by an opponent’s perceived skill or superiority. In a self-defence context, criminals will use fear to intimidate their victims in order to gain compliance. Criminals use a number of methods to induce fear, including verbal threats, physical violence, weapons such as firearms or knives or multiple attackers.

DOUBT is when one is unsure of their own ability and/or effectiveness of their technique. This can be the result of firstly, not even being aware of what to do in a self-defence situation, or secondly, from a lack of effective self-defence training. Irrespective, the outcome is that doubting ones capabilities or abilities leads to ineffective skills to be able to protect one’s self and one’s loved ones.

HESITATION is about the lack of commitment of an attack when an opportunity is presented or created. In self-defence, there sometimes might be a very small window of opportunity to be able to avoid, escape or strike a potential threat. A more proactive approach is to create these opportunities (which will be discussed in a later post). Hesitation in either case could mean one either lives or dies.

The Kendo method of countering "shikai" is by training to have "heijoshin", or "normal mind", which is a "calm, constant or unfettered mind". 

From a self-defence perspective, this "normal mind" can be cultivated through relevant education on crime-related topics, appropriate self-defence training so that one will feel empowered, and lastly, positively engaging in those activities that not only bring joy to your life, but also benefit society as a whole.

In summary, these 4 traits are among many others that a criminals looks for in a victim. The good news is that, through relevant training, one can reduce, and even eliminate these traits, thereby creating a self-defence barrier around them that will be off-putting for most criminals.

A lot can be learnt from the traditional martial arts, but the context will set the relevance of it for this modern day and age.

Get EDUCATED. Feel EMPOWERED. Live a FULLY-ENGAGED life.

Reference article: https://kendoinfo.wordpress.com/2015/04/13/the-four-sicknesses-shikai-is-there-a-cure/

For more info on Kendo in South Africa, please go to www.sakf.co.za.

Dealing With Surprise Attacks

So what is the one thing that most people find shocking when then are suddenly attacked? It's the fact that they, at that moment in time, they let their fear get out of control and that they do not know what to do!

Firstly, when the emotion of fear is felt, the body's natural defence mechanism kicks in, which is to flood your blood system with adrenaline. In prehistoric times, the flooding of this energy-boosting hormone is meant to trigger a flight or fight response. However, in this this modern age, because they may not necessarily be able to fight or flight, they just freeze. This “freeze” can also be considered as a manifestation of their fear.  This “freeze” is a build-up of the adrenaline in the system that has no outlet to go. Eventually it manifests itself as either frustration or anxiety. Why is this so? Well, back in the day when we weren't at the top of the food-chain, we had to be constantly of the lookout for potential threats. This meant us having to be in control of our fears and to be able to respond accordingly when actual danger arose. However, as we evolved and began to manipulate the environment around us, we also began to become soft and complacent, and had FORGOTTEN how to manage that primal emotion of fear in the correct way. Gone were the days when we were the potential main course for a predator. Now we had to deal with the corporate or social beasts.  This relied on a whole new set of skills that weren't physical. Suddenly, the height of our fears became presenting a big speech in front of the whole school, or a huge sales pitch for a multi-million dollar contact.  We had traded our spears for a microphone and a Mont Blanc ball-point pen! Trying to physically fight ones way out of a speech, or running away from a sales pitch, may not be viewed as the most ‘socially accepted” responses in this modern age.  Our response of fight or flight has been stunted, and what we are left with is the “freeze” syndrome. We are unaccustomed to the fight or flight responses and hence, when a physical threat is upon us, we fail to execute the most effective solution at the moment.  We have forgotten how take control of our fears.

Second, is the know-how of what to do in a physical altercation. Not KNOWING what to do when one is suddenly attacked is also a major factor that increases your risk of becoming a victim of crime. I have spoken to so many people that have said to me that the will "just know" what to do if someone were to attack them! It's a ridiculous statement that quite frankly, could get them killed out there! For instance, the one man I spoke to said he was a pretty decent boxer and would smash the aggressor's face in once he was in range. I asked him what he would do if the aggressor's pulled out a knife or a gun? Or what about if he came with a half-dozen other mates? He froze and I was waiting for a reply like, "I'd punch him before he could stab me or shoot me". The reply never came as I think I made him realise that there are limitations as to what can do if one is attacked with a weapon or by multiple-opponents.  I have a saying that goes like this: “Confidence comes with competence. Competence comes with practise”.  Therefore, to “just know” what to do when you need to is a myth. Practise… that is the only way!

To conclude, dealing with surprise attacks is not impossible, but it is difficult without the relevant training. Understanding how to control that emotion of fear when (and yes, it will) it kicks in is the first step, and the second is knowing what appropriate actions to take in that situation.

Be safe out there.  Till next time.

Get EDUCATED. Feel EMPOWERED. Live a FULLY-ENGAGED life.