How much sloppy is acceptable?

[championmarius]

Alright, we're a bunch of really "with it" folks. We cover our stuffing and chide others who don't. Ya know, basic precautions like parking under lights near the door etc. Just good sense "self protection" ideas. I won't really get into a great discourse at length over them, but the question is:

At what point do we (hip, cool, erudite geniuses, us) just let ourselves get sloppy? Knowing deep down that if the stuffing ever hits the fan we've got something to fall back on? And is that momentary lapse of judgement (or moment of apathy) in any way acceptable?

I caught myself out really bad last Friday. I got to the kitchen early and was waiting for my boss to show up. It was grotesquely hot for WNY in May on Friday, with little breeze, so I had my car door propped open with my foot, listening to music and sorta spacing out, thinking about dinner service. A guy comes up to me and startles me out of my reverie to ask a few questions about the restaurant. I chided myself and rousingly rebated myself for the rest of the evening over my errors. I am thoroughly glad I did not have to "fall back" on my fall back plan...


Just curious about you folks is all.

 

[Empty Hands]

Sloppy is pretty much my default state when it comes to self-defense. I've never been attacked, even when I worked in downtown Baltimore where I was the wealthiest and whitest person in sight. That makes my lack of precautions at least somewhat understandable, if not laudable. I try to keep some awareness in situations where things could go bad, but I still don't try too hard. It just doesn't seem that necessary to me.

YMMV, of course.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Champ,

We are human. We cannot be on condition RED or even ORANGE 7/24. It's impossible. Everyone gets a bit, well I would not call it sloppy, but relaxed.

The last time I used any self defense technique for real was in the Virgin Islands on my honneymoon. Purse snacher. Two of us chased him down and we held him for the cops. But that was 20 years ago! I cannot every second of ever day scope out danger all around me. Just being human.

As long as the guy you talked to didn't show a bunch if indicators that something was going down, I'd just talk to him like anyone else.

Deaf

 

[Jai]

I'm generally a very relaxed and laid back person but I am still aware of what's going on around me. With your situation as long as there where not any "red flags" coming from the guy and he was just chatting I wouldn't worry about it to much.

 

[chinto]

I always try to be aware of what is going on around me... but we all have lapses at times.
but in the dark with the door of the car open is not one I tend to do. if any thing its things like walking out of church and being in condition white instead of yellow till I am at the car. I try to keep condition white ( total relaxed not paying attention to people and things) is for at home with door shut and locked... but we all do just not pay attention at times .. and Murphy's law says that that is when it will all hit the fan on us.

 

[Drac]

Champ,

We are human. We cannot be on condition RED or even ORANGE 7/24. It's impossible. Everyone gets a bit, well I would not call it sloppy, but relaxed.Deaf

Yep..Happens to EVERYONE..Sometimes on duty I find myself getting sloppy or relaxed and that is not a good thing..

 

[geezer]

.. is that momentary lapse of judgement (or moment of apathy) in any way acceptable? ...I caught myself out really bad last Friday, ...listening to music and sorta spacing out... I chided myself and rousingly rebated myself for the rest of the evening...

We've got to maintain a balance, adjusted according to our environment, between being naively relaxed , "spacey", and "out of it", or being paranoid to the point of messing up your life or someone else's. Too relaxed in the wrong place=bad. Too paranoid=worse. I'd say that the fact that you are analyzing and correcting your behavior is a sign that you've got it right.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Alright, we're a bunch of really "with it" folks. We cover our stuffing and chide others who don't. Ya know, basic precautions like parking under lights near the door etc. Just good sense "self protection" ideas. I won't really get into a great discourse at length over them, but the question is:

At what point do we (hip, cool, erudite geniuses, us) just let ourselves get sloppy? Knowing deep down that if the stuffing ever hits the fan we've got something to fall back on? And is that momentary lapse of judgement (or moment of apathy) in any way acceptable?

I caught myself out really bad last Friday. I got to the kitchen early and was waiting for my boss to show up. It was grotesquely hot for WNY in May on Friday, with little breeze, so I had my car door propped open with my foot, listening to music and sorta spacing out, thinking about dinner service. A guy comes up to me and startles me out of my reverie to ask a few questions about the restaurant. I chided myself and rousingly rebated myself for the rest of the evening over my errors. I am thoroughly glad I did not have to "fall back" on my fall back plan...


Just curious about you folks is all.

There are laws against people victimizing you; so, I would say that slop is when you allow yourself to believe those laws will protect you in any given situation. The military is when I first became aware of regulations that stated you were in the wrong for not securing your property or self. It seems wrong to do that to soldiers whom have just been robbed, but in the larger picture, it is the only logical thing to do.
Sean

 

[championmarius]

Thank you all.

How much latitude do you give yourselves, given your training and positive mindset, over those lacking those assets?

Thats the question I would put before this austere audience.

Do you find that, in spite of your above average (sometimes greatly above) knowledge and common sense, you find yourselves willfully breaking those sacred rules of 1*...?

And if so, to what degree do you go "It's OK, I got it covered."?

 

[championmarius]

On the Flip Side....When is enough, enough?

How far would you go before you think, "Gee, might I be being a bit paranoid"?

Does your sense of self preservation ever interfere with or hamper your desire to kick back and relax with friends? If so, do you or your mates call you on it? or is it assumed that you're just a taciturn creature who can't relax and have fun?

 

[KenpoDave]

Alright, we're a bunch of really "with it" folks. We cover our stuffing and chide others who don't. Ya know, basic precautions like parking under lights near the door etc. Just good sense "self protection" ideas. I won't really get into a great discourse at length over them, but the question is:

At what point do we (hip, cool, erudite geniuses, us) just let ourselves get sloppy? Knowing deep down that if the stuffing ever hits the fan we've got something to fall back on? And is that momentary lapse of judgement (or moment of apathy) in any way acceptable?

I caught myself out really bad last Friday. I got to the kitchen early and was waiting for my boss to show up. It was grotesquely hot for WNY in May on Friday, with little breeze, so I had my car door propped open with my foot, listening to music and sorta spacing out, thinking about dinner service. A guy comes up to me and startles me out of my reverie to ask a few questions about the restaurant. I chided myself and rousingly rebated myself for the rest of the evening over my errors. I am thoroughly glad I did not have to "fall back" on my fall back plan...


Just curious about you folks is all.

If we are occasionally sloppy enough to get a wake up call like this without any harm being done, then that is just the right amount of sloppy.

 

[Omar B]

I'm all about proper form. From proper form comes power and also saftey (on your muscles, joints, etc). I was once attacked as a 12 year old by 2 guys behind a mall (my shortcut home) who wanted my watch. I was a tiny kid and these were grown men but I triumphed and left both bleeding behind there. It was not because I was strong, but because my Master Errol Lyn (West Indes Seido Karate) instilled proper form and movment so I was able to throw pnches and kicks like a freight train. Oh yeah, I'm that guy who fights and it looks like kata.

As for developing awarness, I think it comes from paying attention to your envieronment while practising. Listen, look, smell, use all your senses, meditate outside in the park and pick out all sensory information comming at you. You hear something, what is is, how far away is it and in what direction, how is it moving? But I will say that I am a musician so I am used to using my ears in a more active manner than most.