Practical Awareness
I recently attended a meeting for a Community Watch group. When it came out that I am a self defense instructor, several people expressed an interest in the subject. What was interesting to me was how people’s comments reflect the public perception of personal safety. One spoke of how it might be good to learn some “moves” whereas another opined on what the real threats were faced by this community. There was a tendency for several people to talk at once, excitedly putting forth their opinions.
These are all good, conscientious people. This scenario is one I’ve seen many times before. The subject of personal safety is one upon which everyone seems to have an opinion. In reality, their statements reflect both their personal concerns, and what they’ve been lead to believe from assorted sources. While it isn’t my intention to criticize these people, their comments showed a flaw in the way most people think about personal safety. They tend to think about specific responses to hypothetical threats, rather than a holistic approach to protecting themselves.
Above all else, I strive to show people how to increase their awareness skills. Every other tool you have at your disposal for personal protection becomes more useful if you cultivate awareness.
I’ve come to this conclusion after years of training and watching others train. There is a glut of information on different fighting styles, weapons, and self defense systems. Too often, the idea of awareness is tossed out as an afterthought. There are plenty of resources for increasing one’s awareness as well, but they are rarely given the credit they deserve in the area of personal protection. It is worth noting that mindfulness based practices such as yoga, meditation, and t’ai chi have been used to good effect in other areas of health and wellness, to the point that physicians actually prescribe such practices as part of treatment plans.
We have entered an age when most people are familiar with the idea of using meditation as a means of reducing stress, even if their perception of this practice isn’t entirely accurate. We have also entered an age when the average person is familiar with elements of hand to hand combat, both through fictional portayals and the popularity of combat sports. (I can assure you that these perceptions aren’t accurate, but that’s another blog.) Despite this, we have somehow overlooked the importance of awareness skills in avoiding violence.
I suspect this is the net result of many factors. We live in a culture filled with technology that diverts our attention to a focused point, and away from our surroundings. We also interact in remote ways that reduce our need to read body language, and most of us aren’t hunting and gathering to stay alive. Our inherent survival skills have been dulled through disuse. The good news is that we still have them, physically, genetically. We just need to pay attention to them. This is a very broad subject, but I’ll hit on a few key points that I always share with students:
1. Please think before you use your cell phone. Cell phones are a blessing and a curse in my opinion. They can be a lifesaver, but so many of us have grown to use them out of habit, and at great risk to ourselves. No matter how good you are at multitasking, if you are talking on the phone, you aren’t paying full attention to your surroundings.
2. Practice using your peripheral vision. This is of tremendous importance. In my classes, I have students practice several drills to demonstrate how powerful peripheral vision is. In one, I have students approach one another from behind, and the person being approached raises their hand when they detect movement. In some cases, the student will see movement at an angle greater than 90 degrees from where they are looking. That means they can perceive movement slightly behind them, without moving their eyes. Think about that.
A great way to practice this skill is to go to a place such as a shopping mall, and practice as you walk. Be careful, and as you walk, let your eyes rest on a distant object. As you move, keep your eyes up and ahead, but watch the people passing by you. I guarantee that you will notice two things. :
1. You can see more than one person at a time, and
2. You will notice when people are looking at you.
Body language becomes much more visible with peripheral vision. Movement, in general, is much more noticeable. Details will be fuzzy, and you can’t read or do math with your periphery. You may find yourself getting aggravated because of this, and continually turn to focus on things at first. Be patient, and relax. This is a type of meditation in it’s own right. You have your whole life to get better.
As a final thought, consider this…your eyes are already doing this every day. However, your mind has decided to focus on other things, and probably with good reason. You have a job, things to read, and so on. You were born with a remarkable innate ability to protect yourself, and the tools to do so are at your disposal as soon as you choose to notice them. You already have this skill within you, go get reacquainted with it!
I’ll see you at the mall.
