I have previously given an overview of Principles of Personal Defense by Jeff Cooper. Now, I'd like to give you my critical review of the first chapter, "Alertness".
Of improving alertness he says, “Two rules are immediately evident: Know what is behind you, and pay particular attention to any thing out of place.” (p. 7)
Then he presents a way to enhance your situational awareness: “Make it a game. Keep a chart. Any time anyone is able to approach you from behind without your knowledge, mark an X. Every time you see anyone you know before he sees you, mark down an O.” (p. 8)
This works even better if you can recruit a buddy to play the game with you. He gets a point every time he approaches you unnoticed, and you get a point when you sneak up on him.
As you progress, introduce the game into your daily activity. In a restaurant or public library, do you sit with your back against the wall so that no one can approach you from behind? If you cannot sit back-to-wall, perhaps you can deliberately choose a spot where you can observe anyone approaching you. Here, you might use a reflective surface to increase your field of vision.
You can also get in the habit of looking around as you pump gas, so that no one can come up on your back without you knowing.
For myself, I find grocery shopping the perfect opportunity to work on an alert mindset. It’s easy to get so involved at looking for the right can of beans or figuring the best deal on tuna that you don’t notice you’re blocking the aisle. Which also means you don’t know who’s behind you. In any crowded place, you can practice alertness by navigating the crowds with awareness and purpose.
Cooper addresses rule #2 when he says, “Anything out of place can be a danger signal.” (p. 8) He treats this big topic only briefly. I will not elaborate here, but direct you to my review of Gavin DeBecker’s The Gift of Fear.
I will end this segment with a few recommendations by the Colonel.
“On the street, let no stranger take your hand.”
“Use your eyes. Do not enter unfamiliar areas that you cannot observe first.”
“Make it a practice to swing wide around corners." (p.9)
Doing these things could prevent a surprise attack, or at the very least, take the surprise out of the attack.
Alertness
If you stay alert, you will most readily escape or evade an attack. In an unavoidable assault, alertness keeps you from being taken by surprise. Cooper says that, although some people possess a greater inborn capacity for alertness, the rest can increase theirs.Of improving alertness he says, “Two rules are immediately evident: Know what is behind you, and pay particular attention to any thing out of place.” (p. 7)
Then he presents a way to enhance your situational awareness: “Make it a game. Keep a chart. Any time anyone is able to approach you from behind without your knowledge, mark an X. Every time you see anyone you know before he sees you, mark down an O.” (p. 8)
This works even better if you can recruit a buddy to play the game with you. He gets a point every time he approaches you unnoticed, and you get a point when you sneak up on him.
As you progress, introduce the game into your daily activity. In a restaurant or public library, do you sit with your back against the wall so that no one can approach you from behind? If you cannot sit back-to-wall, perhaps you can deliberately choose a spot where you can observe anyone approaching you. Here, you might use a reflective surface to increase your field of vision.
You can also get in the habit of looking around as you pump gas, so that no one can come up on your back without you knowing.
For myself, I find grocery shopping the perfect opportunity to work on an alert mindset. It’s easy to get so involved at looking for the right can of beans or figuring the best deal on tuna that you don’t notice you’re blocking the aisle. Which also means you don’t know who’s behind you. In any crowded place, you can practice alertness by navigating the crowds with awareness and purpose.
Cooper addresses rule #2 when he says, “Anything out of place can be a danger signal.” (p. 8) He treats this big topic only briefly. I will not elaborate here, but direct you to my review of Gavin DeBecker’s The Gift of Fear.
I will end this segment with a few recommendations by the Colonel.
“On the street, let no stranger take your hand.”
“Use your eyes. Do not enter unfamiliar areas that you cannot observe first.”
“Make it a practice to swing wide around corners." (p.9)
Doing these things could prevent a surprise attack, or at the very least, take the surprise out of the attack.
No comments:
Post a Comment