awareness training

[jiuelie]

A couple of friends and me have been rehearsing some mugging or street attack scenarios, and the biggest disadvantage we found was being caught unaware.
So we've been thinking about getting some training in that, like recognizing potential threats and dangerous situations. One even cam up with the idea of trying to sneak up on one another randomly in the streets!
Does someone know another way? (not just for me, i'm training my girlfriend because she got mugged once and was too afraid to leave the house, this is mainly for her, i can teach her how to fight, but not in this)

[darrianation]

There are many ways of doing this but experience is the best (if not harshest) teacher. When I was in the field I learned to watch the mannerisms, positioning, and how folks were paying attention to me and the quality of that attention. It wasn’t something someone taught in class it was learned through being inoculated to violence and being surrounded by hostiles, wolves who walk in sheep’s clothing.

Anyway roll playing is great but be careful not to use irrelevant stimuli otherwise it is just a game that won’t necessarily carry over into the streets.

Here are a couple of my favorite exercises:

Go to a bad neighborhood in any metropolitan area and observe folks especially the hoodlums (don’t interact with them and observe from safety). See how they dress, act, talk, position themselves, and how they observe their surroundings.

Another favorite of mine is to play the roll of the badguy. Try this as you go about your daily routine…even better go to the mall after dark find a location that allows you anonymity and a good place to observe people as they come and go. Ask yourself “Who would I choose as a victim (and why) and how could I get close enough to rob or attack him or her without setting off any alarms. Think about environment, think about subterfuge and artifice, think about how you are dressed, think about witnesses, and think about how you can get what you want without getting hurt.

The things you do (at least mentally) to be successful in getting close and taking and maintaining charge of the situation will be what a real badguy will do (although the real badguy may be better at it because he may have done this hundreds of times and actually carried out many crimes successfully).

[jiuelie]

hmm, nice ideas. Thanks!