CG
11-19-07, - 03:28 PM
In the 1980s I used to offer a lecture on avoiding crime. They were well attended. I am thinking about starting them up again.
You maybe asking what qualifies me to give such advice? Over forty years of study in the Marshal arts. A veteran of fourteen fights - all of which I won but more importantly, I was able to avoid countless more and the best fight is the one that never happened.
The important thing to remember is avoid trouble before it sees you. We all to often walk right into trouble with our eyes open!
I am posting these notes as a public service.(Many of them come from the bad guy's themselves.) I am not asking you to fight, unless that is your last option. I am trying to get across the idea that trouble can been "seen" and often avoided.
These notes have been edited a bit as those parts need more explanation and I don't want you doing them without instruction. But the stuff that is left is still worth reading.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
WHAT DOES "DANGER" LOOK LIKE? What does joy, sadness, or anger look like? You know it when you see it - you "read" it in the expressions of the voice, the body, the face and particularly in the eyes. READ the body language! Watch out for "smiles" that do not involve the eyes. Watch the hands - where are they - is one behind his back or in a pocket? Watch the eyes, look for hate - even sadness or regret. Surprisingly, look for uncontrolled joy, even anticipation!
ALARM BREATH. When frightened count (aloud, or under your breath) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Why? Because we tend to stop breathing in times of surprise or fear. This is a scavenger's reflex. However, this puts us at a disadvantage in modern life. It is the "hiding" reflex that works in the wild but not in the modern world. Also, look in the direction of the "noise." BREATH - SEE! Be ready for whatever comes.
************
WHAT WILL I DO TO AVOID AN ATTACK? I will constantly be aware of my surroundings. I will not be so absorbed in my own actions that everything else is excluded. I will make eye contact with anyone I think is questionable. (Don't smile at him! That could be misinterpreted as a "come on"' if you are a lady, or a "put down" if you are a man.) I will trust my "gut feeling." I will not be or will stop being, a paranoid "nut." - the bad guy can sense this. I will let no one destroy my peace.
Act strong you will be strong. Be strong you will act strong. Bad guys don't like it.
HOW DO I SURVIVE IF ATTACKED? I will not allow anyone to take me to a secondary crime location. NEVER GET INTO THE CAR.
I'll do what I have to do. I'll give them the money. I'll lie. I'll run away. If I have to I'll fight - I'll bite, kick, punch, even spit. I'll do what I have to do to survive. If I am alive at the end of the encounter, I will have been 100% successful. I will be alive - I may be hurt but I will mend.
***********
HOW THE BAD GUY THINKS AND WORKS:
He is a predator, a very cautious predator. He will watch you. He will check you out. He may even bump into you or violate your space (just to see if you react with fear, confusion or hesitation - he is looking for these things.) He does not want to get hurt any more than you do. He looks for the weak, the ill, the person not paying attention to his surroundings. He "loves" the intoxicated - drunks are always so careless! He looks for valuable jewels, or an expensive watch or the person who flashes money around. He also looks for the woman who is careless with her hand bag. He looks for women who are alone!
He is the lion, the shark, the leopard. He uses many of the techniques of these predators. We, on the other hand are too often, the careless zebra, the slow, vulnerable fish, the weak and wounded deer.
He works with fear, intimidation, slight of hand, confusion, and raw physical strength. (Often, supplemented with guns or knives.)
We work with our senses We know he is out there, looking for a target. We will not be targets.
************
NOTICE HOW TO NOTICE:
If the police were to ask you, could you identify your attacker? Notice his height, weight, skin complexion, colour of eyes, colour and type of clothing, shoes, hat? Crooks often put on layers of clothes so they can cast off the top layer and avoid detection. Notice if his clothing seems "bulky." That could be a sign that he has on more than one layer. Notice any other distinctive marks like scars, tattoos, missing fingers? Is there even a strange smell about him? The more you notice the better the chances of his capture.
************
GENERAL HINTS: Be watchful and careful but don't be a "nut" about it. Be as comfortable as you can.
IN THE CAR:
Keep your "intervals." (The space between you and the car in front.) Don't get too close to the car in front. Leave yourself room to escape.
Put your hand bag or briefcase out of sight - under your legs.
Keep your arms inside the car.
Keep your doors locked.
Look ahead, see danger before you run up to it.
When you arrive home always look all around you before you get out of the car.
NEVER pickup hitchhikers!!!!!!!!
If you think you are being followed, go to a gas station or better yet, a police station.
Keep to the left. Let the speeding fools overtake you.
Keep your car in good running order.
Make sure you know how to open the trunk of your car from the inside.
If you get a flat tire in a bad area, keep going. You will destroy your tire but it is worth it.
Ladies! When driving alone at night. Keep a man's hat and a pipe or cigar in the glove box. Stuff your hair under the cap. Put the cigar or pipe in your mouth (you don't have to light it!) In the darkness you will look like a man in profile! This will fool some folks.
IN THE HOME:
Keep your doors locked.
Each night check that your doors and windows are locked (You would be surprised how many people don't!)
If you don't own a dog, buy a big dog food bowl, half fill it with water, and put it by your front door.
Keep the bushes and trees trimmed around your house. Ask yourself, "Where would I hide?"
Make sure there is adequate lighting outside your home.
Install a "peep hole" and USE it.
NEVER open your door until you are sure who it is out there. If in doubt don't open the door!
Plan what your family will do if there is a break-in or the alarms go off.
If you own a gun make sure you know how to use it. Use it sparingly. Is that shadow a burglar or your mate going for a midnight snack? Once the gun is fired, the shot cannot be called back. Keep your gun locked up. NEVER TOUCH IT IF YOU HAVE BEEN DRINKING - you will do more damage than a boatload of burglars.
If you hear a noise outside, never turn on the inside lights and look out. You become a perfectly silhouetted target - BANG! You are dead. (It has happened.)
IN PUBLIC:
Walk with your head up.
Keep an eye on your surroundings.
Even if you don't know where you are going, at least look as if you do.
Never flash your money about.
Don't be paranoid, but watch people. Is there a danger?
Keep some money in a money clip. This is "throw away" money that might save your life.
Don't be too "flashy" with your jewels or watch.
Keep your hand bag or briefcase close to you at all times.
If you are a man and use a wallet, put a rubber band around it. It makes it harder to "pick."
When in danger never yell HELP! People don't want to get involved. Yell, FIRE! FIRE! Everyone worries about fire. They come out to make sure their stuff does not burn up!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I hope these notes help someone. They will if you take them to heart.
You might want to print these notes out. They are copy-written but I give you the OK to use them for your personal use.
You maybe asking what qualifies me to give such advice? Over forty years of study in the Marshal arts. A veteran of fourteen fights - all of which I won but more importantly, I was able to avoid countless more and the best fight is the one that never happened.
The important thing to remember is avoid trouble before it sees you. We all to often walk right into trouble with our eyes open!
I am posting these notes as a public service.(Many of them come from the bad guy's themselves.) I am not asking you to fight, unless that is your last option. I am trying to get across the idea that trouble can been "seen" and often avoided.
These notes have been edited a bit as those parts need more explanation and I don't want you doing them without instruction. But the stuff that is left is still worth reading.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
WHAT DOES "DANGER" LOOK LIKE? What does joy, sadness, or anger look like? You know it when you see it - you "read" it in the expressions of the voice, the body, the face and particularly in the eyes. READ the body language! Watch out for "smiles" that do not involve the eyes. Watch the hands - where are they - is one behind his back or in a pocket? Watch the eyes, look for hate - even sadness or regret. Surprisingly, look for uncontrolled joy, even anticipation!
ALARM BREATH. When frightened count (aloud, or under your breath) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Why? Because we tend to stop breathing in times of surprise or fear. This is a scavenger's reflex. However, this puts us at a disadvantage in modern life. It is the "hiding" reflex that works in the wild but not in the modern world. Also, look in the direction of the "noise." BREATH - SEE! Be ready for whatever comes.
************
WHAT WILL I DO TO AVOID AN ATTACK? I will constantly be aware of my surroundings. I will not be so absorbed in my own actions that everything else is excluded. I will make eye contact with anyone I think is questionable. (Don't smile at him! That could be misinterpreted as a "come on"' if you are a lady, or a "put down" if you are a man.) I will trust my "gut feeling." I will not be or will stop being, a paranoid "nut." - the bad guy can sense this. I will let no one destroy my peace.
Act strong you will be strong. Be strong you will act strong. Bad guys don't like it.
HOW DO I SURVIVE IF ATTACKED? I will not allow anyone to take me to a secondary crime location. NEVER GET INTO THE CAR.
I'll do what I have to do. I'll give them the money. I'll lie. I'll run away. If I have to I'll fight - I'll bite, kick, punch, even spit. I'll do what I have to do to survive. If I am alive at the end of the encounter, I will have been 100% successful. I will be alive - I may be hurt but I will mend.
***********
HOW THE BAD GUY THINKS AND WORKS:
He is a predator, a very cautious predator. He will watch you. He will check you out. He may even bump into you or violate your space (just to see if you react with fear, confusion or hesitation - he is looking for these things.) He does not want to get hurt any more than you do. He looks for the weak, the ill, the person not paying attention to his surroundings. He "loves" the intoxicated - drunks are always so careless! He looks for valuable jewels, or an expensive watch or the person who flashes money around. He also looks for the woman who is careless with her hand bag. He looks for women who are alone!
He is the lion, the shark, the leopard. He uses many of the techniques of these predators. We, on the other hand are too often, the careless zebra, the slow, vulnerable fish, the weak and wounded deer.
He works with fear, intimidation, slight of hand, confusion, and raw physical strength. (Often, supplemented with guns or knives.)
We work with our senses We know he is out there, looking for a target. We will not be targets.
************
NOTICE HOW TO NOTICE:
If the police were to ask you, could you identify your attacker? Notice his height, weight, skin complexion, colour of eyes, colour and type of clothing, shoes, hat? Crooks often put on layers of clothes so they can cast off the top layer and avoid detection. Notice if his clothing seems "bulky." That could be a sign that he has on more than one layer. Notice any other distinctive marks like scars, tattoos, missing fingers? Is there even a strange smell about him? The more you notice the better the chances of his capture.
************
GENERAL HINTS: Be watchful and careful but don't be a "nut" about it. Be as comfortable as you can.
IN THE CAR:
Keep your "intervals." (The space between you and the car in front.) Don't get too close to the car in front. Leave yourself room to escape.
Put your hand bag or briefcase out of sight - under your legs.
Keep your arms inside the car.
Keep your doors locked.
Look ahead, see danger before you run up to it.
When you arrive home always look all around you before you get out of the car.
NEVER pickup hitchhikers!!!!!!!!
If you think you are being followed, go to a gas station or better yet, a police station.
Keep to the left. Let the speeding fools overtake you.
Keep your car in good running order.
Make sure you know how to open the trunk of your car from the inside.
If you get a flat tire in a bad area, keep going. You will destroy your tire but it is worth it.
Ladies! When driving alone at night. Keep a man's hat and a pipe or cigar in the glove box. Stuff your hair under the cap. Put the cigar or pipe in your mouth (you don't have to light it!) In the darkness you will look like a man in profile! This will fool some folks.
IN THE HOME:
Keep your doors locked.
Each night check that your doors and windows are locked (You would be surprised how many people don't!)
If you don't own a dog, buy a big dog food bowl, half fill it with water, and put it by your front door.
Keep the bushes and trees trimmed around your house. Ask yourself, "Where would I hide?"
Make sure there is adequate lighting outside your home.
Install a "peep hole" and USE it.
NEVER open your door until you are sure who it is out there. If in doubt don't open the door!
Plan what your family will do if there is a break-in or the alarms go off.
If you own a gun make sure you know how to use it. Use it sparingly. Is that shadow a burglar or your mate going for a midnight snack? Once the gun is fired, the shot cannot be called back. Keep your gun locked up. NEVER TOUCH IT IF YOU HAVE BEEN DRINKING - you will do more damage than a boatload of burglars.
If you hear a noise outside, never turn on the inside lights and look out. You become a perfectly silhouetted target - BANG! You are dead. (It has happened.)
IN PUBLIC:
Walk with your head up.
Keep an eye on your surroundings.
Even if you don't know where you are going, at least look as if you do.
Never flash your money about.
Don't be paranoid, but watch people. Is there a danger?
Keep some money in a money clip. This is "throw away" money that might save your life.
Don't be too "flashy" with your jewels or watch.
Keep your hand bag or briefcase close to you at all times.
If you are a man and use a wallet, put a rubber band around it. It makes it harder to "pick."
When in danger never yell HELP! People don't want to get involved. Yell, FIRE! FIRE! Everyone worries about fire. They come out to make sure their stuff does not burn up!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I hope these notes help someone. They will if you take them to heart.
You might want to print these notes out. They are copy-written but I give you the OK to use them for your personal use.