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The layers of safety (This article has been edited from the original written by Marc Mac Young and Dianna Gordon Mac Young) Please refer here for the full article "self-defence is not about fighting, it's about not being hurt by violence."
Once knowledge of the nature of crime is learned, one no longer needs to live in fear. All that is needed are reasonable precautions. It is unlikely in your lifetime that any social process, even one you actively engage in, will alter society so radically that it dissuades thousands of criminals from being criminals and committing crimes, however you can make certain that their choice of victim is not you. Learn to view your safety as multilayered. The greater the number of layers of defence that a would-be criminal has to make their way through, the more difficult it is to target you. This leads to a rapidly increasing likelihood that they will abort and choose someone else less aware. Time and attention are major deterrents, and this process of working through your layers of defence increases the likelihood of them being spotted, due to the duration of time in which they are observed. Imagine someone taking an hour to remove your hubcaps - it's not a viable proposition is it? Each layer builds upon the next, creating a consistent whole. This eliminates "do this for that situation, and that for another", or a 30 point checklist that you forget at point 3. The approach works simultaneously on several fronts. The diagram below illustrates this concept, and it fits into the framework of your lifestyle.
Your first layer is knowledge and awareness . Knowing what constitutes risk you will be forewarned and forearmed, and act in a manner that reduces unnecessary risk. You know how criminals and violent people think, and thus, what they need to succeed - which you will deny them. The once-off measures are deterrents and safeguards that you utilise in a place of business, your home or community, things that foil and discourage break-ins. These could be burglar bars, a dog (which is shown to be the greatest deterrent to house break-ins in this country) or a community watch program. These may be visible deterrents, warning a perpetrator to steer clear, or hidden traps that cause him to abort. Habits range from remembering to lock doors, windows and closing your curtains when you leave, to not leaving valuables in plain sight in your car, looking around when you enter a fringe area or before you reach your car. (Most personal crimes happen on the way to or from your car). Such habits are easily learned and understood, and within a week or two become automatic. These actions either remove items of value from sight, deny easy access or complicate things for a criminal. Moreover, they give you early warning that something is wrong. This is essential for foiling the criminal's attempt to develop his plans unnoticed. Awareness is a blend of habits and knowledge. This entails knowing where a mugger would lurk in a parking garage in order not to be seen by security personnel or potential victims, and the habit of looking around and seeing if anyone is loitering in that spot when you enter the parking structure. If you see known danger signs, turn around and go back - don't walk into a trap. Awareness without knowledge is just paranoia. The blending of knowledge of what is really involved in a crime, what certain things mean and the forewarning that your good habits will give you instil within you a calm confidence. It's like driving a car, if you pay attention and remember to do what you know about driving, you can easily avoid most accidents and problems. It is however, when you forget to do those things that your car gets smashed and you get hurt Positioning is knowing where you don't want to be. There are positions from where an assailant can (and probably will) successfully attack you. If he (and his cohorts) can achieve these positions, your chances of effectively defending yourself are minimal to non-existent. The violence will be swift, intense and aimed at your weak points. Unless you are willing to commit extreme physical violence in self-defence do not allow this situation to develop. Positioning is a strategy game. It is the criminal trying to put you where he wants you and you moving so he can't. This game is very real and very dangerous, it is however, not apparent on the surface. Often it means that something is going on that everybody knows is occurring, but nobody talks about it openly. We overlook it deliberately, as if awaiting some bold neon sign to alert us before we respect our intuition. Criminals trying to set you up for a robbery are most often engaged in this sort of ritual. If they blatantly display their intentions too early their "prey" will either elude them or successfully defend themselves. Therefore the criminal most often tries to hide his intent until it is too late. This need for subterfuge can be turned against them however. As they quietly try to jockey you into position, you just as quietly slip away. What are they going to say, "Hold still so I can rob you?" Criminals most often rely on their victims not knowing the "game is afoot" long before a weapon is displayed (by then it is too late). But, by you knowing what the criminal needs and not letting him develop it you non-violently protect yourself from crime and violence. Boundaries and self-worth is essential to not becoming the victim of crime and violence. It is important to realise that no matter what your decision about using physical self-defence to protect yourself that you have come to a crossroads. When we use the terms knowledge of self-worth and boundaries, we also are including knowing how you think and how you are coming across. Self-worth is a commitment to yourself. It is the knowledge that neither you nor your loved ones can afford you to be victimised. It is also knowing when you are justified to tell someone to "back off" and just as importantly when you should stop, which brings us into the boundaries issue. When you are dealing with a potential assailant, you must remember you are being confronted by a self-absorbed individual who is not afraid to use violence to get his way. The last thing you want to do is insult him or invade his space. If you do he is more likely to become violent. If you don't know where to stop, you can provoke a situation that could have ended without violence. In the same vein, you cannot hide behind avowed pacifism while still being verbally violent. Verbal boundary enforcement is communication. It is letting a would-be assailant know that you are aware of what is occurring and that you are committed to doing whatever it takes to protect yourself. This is neither about threatening nor blustering; it is a clear cut message for him to cease and desist, and that failure to do so will have unpleasant results. This is being assertive, not aggressive. You are doing what it takes to get him out of your boundaries, not chasing him down the street. Before you vocalise: Know how far you are willing to go. Physical techniques is the last ditch effort. If it gets to this point through all the other levels, it has been forced here. You are justified to do what it takes to stop him, being aware that we mean legally sanctioned use of force. While some people choose not to participate in violence in order to defend themselves, others have no such qualms. Either choice carries responsibilities. Physical self-defence is not about fighting, it's about not being hurt by violence . It is not about being fearless. It is not about studying martial arts nor buying a gun, it is doing what you have to do to keep from being hurt, raped, robbed or killed. |
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