Preparation is the KEY to your self defense

What do you do if you live near a zip code that is known for its violence, while reading reports of rape or muggings in the local newspapers, and sirens wailing through the night? Fortunately, you may live on the fringes of “Gotham” City and never experience an attack in your own neighborhood; But those violent hoods, muggers, and rapists don’t require your consent to enter your peaceful, prosperous street, and when an incident occurs, there’s sadly little the law can do to help. There are no more police officers on the beat, and the police are slow to react to your call, by which time it may be too late; another article in the newspapers, but this time it’s your neighborhood, your exact zip code, and a picture of you and your family on the front page.

It is very likely that you will become a target of violence in the future. Urban and city statistics overwhelmingly support this; the question is whether it has reached your neighborhood yet, and the next reported victim will be you walking down that peaceful road tonight. Visitors to the wild side look for opportunity and a potential victim. It is worth noting that the victims they choose are not young, beautiful, sexy or famous people: their main strategy is surprise. They would look for a young or old person fumbling for keys, engrossed in her iPhone as she walks down the street, or a single mother living alone in a deserted part of town. Each one is a potential victim.

Self defense is not just about waiting for it to happen, and if it does happen, being prepared to defend yourself and possibly your home. Would that couple of afternoons you spent at the gym and those DVDs you bought be enough? Have you taken precautions on how to make your home and family safe?

“The prudent man anticipates the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the fool advances blindly and suffers the consequences.” Proverbs 22:3

So, just as it’s wise to wear a seatbelt while driving, it makes sense to know how best to respond to a potential violent incident in your neighborhood. If you are away from home frequently, it would be wise to take a few precautions to protect your house and home. Some of the precautions you might take – are –

If you plan to go abroad for a reasonable period, contact the community police officer at the nearest police station and ask if they can visit your home and make safety and security recommendations.

If you have a young family and are often in and out of the house, get a dog. A dog is your best deterrent or alarm against anyone trying to enter your home. And you should also get the dog involved in a family protection training program.

Never let anyone freely enter your home. If there is an emergency outside, tell them you will call Emergency Services.

For your physical self defense Preparation –

We know that Self-Defense does not exist for all situations, because there are too many different forms and levels of violence. So to avoid and survive the unexpected, walk away from a potential problem, turn around a possible looming threat, or walk away from that person you just met; all this is driven by your instinct, that inner voice that says. “Hey, this doesn’t feel right” or “That person is getting too close to me.” Avoidance and awareness based on your instinct is your most valuable strategy to avoid being hurt or killed.

So if you are suddenly faced with an attacker and your only means of survival is a physical response to their attack, at some point you failed. Remember, your first principle of self-defense is avoidance and awareness: you are now in a fight. to save your skin because you may have unknowingly walked on their “turf,” their “patch,” which is something you might have been able to avoid. Effective self-defense begins and ends with your way of thinking, your thoughts, your conscience and your instinct, which at this point says. “Arrest!” “This place doesn’t feel right, oops, and that angry hooded guy coming over is definitely not okay.”

“Part of the happiness of life consists not in fighting battles, but in avoiding them. A masterful retreat is itself a victory.”

norman vincent peale