Tactical considerations in self defense

[Gerry Seymour]

When in a crowded bar, I would always walk through the throngs of drunken people with one hand on my chest, as if I were constantly scratching it. This is because I did not want my hands to be both pinned to my sides if some alpha male approached me to start something. It might sound silly, but there was actually a time where I deflected someone's attempt to give me a one-handed shove. By the time the deflection was over, I had my other hand up...and they reconsidered taking it any further.

I have some similar habits. I also always choose a seat in a restaurant that gives me the best tactical view I can get from that table. I prefer if I can see the door and the cashier - the two places I judge most likely for something to happen in most restaurants. I also prefer the aisle seat on a airplane, because I'd have some reasonable access to anyone causing trouble.

 

[drop bear]

When in a crowded bar, I would always walk through the throngs of drunken people with one hand on my chest, as if I were constantly scratching it. This is because I did not want my hands to be both pinned to my sides if some alpha male approached me to start something. It might sound silly, but there was actually a time where I deflected someone's attempt to give me a one-handed shove. By the time the deflection was over, I had my other hand up...and they reconsidered taking it any further.

You also just get that gumby who wants to lalk with their hands. And wind up dodging slaps to the face that way.

 

[RTKDCMB]

And just last night I barked at a half dozen different folks who were crossing the street (against a green light) pulling their suitcases, heads down reading things on their phones as cars just missed them. There was no beeping of horns, though, the drivers were too preoccupied either looking for the passengers they were supposed to pick up, reading posted signs to see where they were supposed to go - or looking at their phones.

Just the other day I saw a young girl with her head down looking at her phone walk straight into a banner in the middle of a shopping center. She was not hurt so it was still funny.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

You also just get that gumby who wants to lalk with their hands. And wind up dodging slaps to the face that way.

I, unfortunately, am that gumby.

 

[Brian King]

From a forum post I wrote a number of years ago.

This seat or that one over there?

Being mindful is a skill that can and in my opinion should be trained. For instance, when driving a vehicle watch the traffic flow ahead of you and watch your rearview mirror for activity coming up behind you, this will allow you more time to avoid or deal with situations before or as they occur. Most I think would agree that this is not paranoia this is commonsense. Habit would be watching the traffic patterns and flow, skill/art would be not only watching them as they develop but being able to accurately predict them before they occur. How do you get to this level....by being aware and practicing. You can easily make a sort of game of it. Watch the traffic in front of you and out loud predict when that vehicle three or ten cars ahead is going to switch lanes, see someone rapidly approaching from behind, move over and predict how many seconds until they pass, see someone tailgating a slower moving obstacle make a mental bet on how long before they will pass the obstacle or the slower vehicle moves over, if they will get around it legally, and if there will be retaliation by either driver.

When arriving at an unfamiliar destination (like a restaurant) take an extra minute to work on your patience. Do not take the very first parking stall you see but drive around the building first. Notice things. How many exterior doors are there? Can you drive completely around the building or is it blocked off? Get a feel for the immediate neighborhood i.e. a bunch of youths hanging out on this side, lights out over here, camera’s on this side etc. Awareness must be practiced to be developed and maintained. After unobtrusively ‘peeking’ around the building go ahead and park, but, first take a moment to figure out where you should park. Do you want to be able to observe your vehicle from inside the building (if the building has windows)? If there are windows or they mirrored or frosted? If it is night can you see into the building while those in the building cannot see out? Can you park in a manner that allows you to more easily exit the area when your business is finished (this can mean backing in to the parking spot, closer to the end of the parking row, closer to the exit (but further from the building) from the parking lot)?

Walking into a unfamiliar building, before you open the door, pause and take a moment. Clear your head of distractions and take note of the current state of your psyche and if needed return it to neutral. Note if the entrance door pulls or pushes to open? Pause once inside (some like to step to the side a bit which can be a good habit depending on local customs and situations) and let your eyes and ears and ‘gut’ adjust to the incoming information. Take note of the feel of the establishment and the patrons. Look around briefly but see as you do so. Remember those exterior doors, match them up to exits that you can see. Many restaurants and bars have kitchen doors that lead to the outside and many stores have docks and back hallways that open to the outside, but these are kept from view from the general population and clients but can be handy to know about. Are there choke points inside the building for example stairs or those narrow doorways leading from one large room to another? When walking into a bar/club that has a bouncer I generally make some eye contact, shake their hand and subtly give them a cash tip then I ask them where the restrooms are and where the back exit is and thank them for the information. I often do the same thing with a hostess at a restaurant. When walking thru or observing a place take note of the people in and around. For example, that big fat guy in seat 12 C (aisle seat) might make a good bullet shield if terrorists (or the law taking back) decide to storm the plane while that little skinny guy 13 D would make a good bludgeoning tool if thrown just right....

Where to sit. The location of where to sit is a series of compromises, decisions and priorities, Bad guys and good guys both, often try to sit with their backs to the walls, this can be good or bad depending on the context. Walls do a surprisingly poor job stoping bombs and bullets but they can keep someone from approaching unseen. Sitting near the restrooms is convenient but high traffic and low mood setting, sitting near the kitchen is also convenient but can be loud and high traffic as well. Is that perfect booth on a far side of a choke point between it and an exit? That table by the window allows a view of the parking lot but windows can be a danger during an earthquake or bomb blast. Is there lots of glass wear on the tables, how heavy are the tables and chairs? Are there fire sprinklers in the ceiling?

The compromises, decisions and priorities are easy to live and deal with if just few minutes of prior thought goes into them. Take an inventory of what kind of emergencies might be faced, which again depends on lifestyle, customs, and circumstances and give a little thought to how to deal with each. You will soon notice that many of the emergencies have similar responses. Fires and bomb blasts, active shooters or nutty ex’s, just joking...but not really. Need fire extinguishers, they are often located one behind the bar or the little room behind (under) it, a couple in the kitchen area and one by the lavatories. Need first aid kit, again kitchen area is a good place to look and behind the bar will have a lot of ‘bar rags’...yes they might look and smell gross but they are alcohol soaked. Crowd stampeding to the main exit then the one behind the bar or in back of the kitchen might be a quicker safer way out of the building. Someone pepper spraying the room and fires can produce the same emergency reactions re- the toxic and blinding fumes, knowing in advance not only where the nearest exit is but how to get there ‘blinded’ is easiest if you first ‘looked’. Lights out. the light switches or often near the open end of the bar, in the restroom they are near the door (your phone makes a good flashlight if needed)

Depending on life style, local customs and individual circumstances most will never face an emergency while out in public yet some reading this will. Having a plan with forethought responses makes sense and contributes to success. Make your responses more efficient by making habit your mindfulness and awareness and making playful your training them. If with another person, bet them on how many fire extinguishers or first aid kits are in the immediate area and ask the waitress, waiter or stewardess for confirmation.

If you have never experienced a crowd in panic/rage and how contagious and powerful that arousal can be I recommend strongly that some exposure training be sought out and applied. Hint Systema

One last be definitely not least thought. There is strength in numbers, if in an emergency situation, find somebody weaker than yourself, someone injured, someone needing help and help them. At best we can save another and set the example for others to follow and at worst selfishly putting someone under our own care forces a sense of calmness and gives added strength and awareness and adds to our own chances of survival. Panic, calmness and courage are all contagious.

Regards
Brian King

 

[Buka]

I have some similar habits. I also always choose a seat in a restaurant that gives me the best tactical view I can get from that table. I prefer if I can see the door and the cashier - the two places I judge most likely for something to happen in most restaurants. I also prefer the aisle seat on a airplane, because I'd have some reasonable access to anyone causing trouble.

Back to a wall with a view of the door, always. No exceptions, ever. Or I'll just leave and eat somewhere else, reservations be damned. Over the the top? No more than a seat belt in a car. Just a given.

As for air planes - anybody, at least anybody who's in a protective business of any kind what-so-ever, who doesn't have an aisle seat - is an idiot. A complete, unprepared and utter idiot.

 

[Steve]

From a forum post I wrote a number of years ago.

This seat or that one over there?

Being mindful is a skill that can and in my opinion should be trained. For instance, when driving a vehicle watch the traffic flow ahead of you and watch your rearview mirror for activity coming up behind you, this will allow you more time to avoid or deal with situations before or as they occur. Most I think would agree that this is not paranoia this is commonsense. Habit would be watching the traffic patterns and flow, skill/art would be not only watching them as they develop but being able to accurately predict them before they occur. How do you get to this level....by being aware and practicing. You can easily make a sort of game of it. Watch the traffic in front of you and out loud predict when that vehicle three or ten cars ahead is going to switch lanes, see someone rapidly approaching from behind, move over and predict how many seconds until they pass, see someone tailgating a slower moving obstacle make a mental bet on how long before they will pass the obstacle or the slower vehicle moves over, if they will get around it legally, and if there will be retaliation by either driver.

When arriving at an unfamiliar destination (like a restaurant) take an extra minute to work on your patience. Do not take the very first parking stall you see but drive around the building first. Notice things. How many exterior doors are there? Can you drive completely around the building or is it blocked off? Get a feel for the immediate neighborhood i.e. a bunch of youths hanging out on this side, lights out over here, camera’s on this side etc. Awareness must be practiced to be developed and maintained. After unobtrusively ‘peeking’ around the building go ahead and park, but, first take a moment to figure out where you should park. Do you want to be able to observe your vehicle from inside the building (if the building has windows)? If there are windows or they mirrored or frosted? If it is night can you see into the building while those in the building cannot see out? Can you park in a manner that allows you to more easily exit the area when your business is finished (this can mean backing in to the parking spot, closer to the end of the parking row, closer to the exit (but further from the building) from the parking lot)?

Walking into a unfamiliar building, before you open the door, pause and take a moment. Clear your head of distractions and take note of the current state of your psyche and if needed return it to neutral. Note if the entrance door pulls or pushes to open? Pause once inside (some like to step to the side a bit which can be a good habit depending on local customs and situations) and let your eyes and ears and ‘gut’ adjust to the incoming information. Take note of the feel of the establishment and the patrons. Look around briefly but see as you do so. Remember those exterior doors, match them up to exits that you can see. Many restaurants and bars have kitchen doors that lead to the outside and many stores have docks and back hallways that open to the outside, but these are kept from view from the general population and clients but can be handy to know about. Are there choke points inside the building for example stairs or those narrow doorways leading from one large room to another? When walking into a bar/club that has a bouncer I generally make some eye contact, shake their hand and subtly give them a cash tip then I ask them where the restrooms are and where the back exit is and thank them for the information. I often do the same thing with a hostess at a restaurant. When walking thru or observing a place take note of the people in and around. For example, that big fat guy in seat 12 C (aisle seat) might make a good bullet shield if terrorists (or the law taking back) decide to storm the plane while that little skinny guy 13 D would make a good bludgeoning tool if thrown just right....

Where to sit. The location of where to sit is a series of compromises, decisions and priorities, Bad guys and good guys both, often try to sit with their backs to the walls, this can be good or bad depending on the context. Walls do a surprisingly poor job stoping bombs and bullets but they can keep someone from approaching unseen. Sitting near the restrooms is convenient but high traffic and low mood setting, sitting near the kitchen is also convenient but can be loud and high traffic as well. Is that perfect booth on a far side of a choke point between it and an exit? That table by the window allows a view of the parking lot but windows can be a danger during an earthquake or bomb blast. Is there lots of glass wear on the tables, how heavy are the tables and chairs? Are there fire sprinklers in the ceiling?

The compromises, decisions and priorities are easy to live and deal with if just few minutes of prior thought goes into them. Take an inventory of what kind of emergencies might be faced, which again depends on lifestyle, customs, and circumstances and give a little thought to how to deal with each. You will soon notice that many of the emergencies have similar responses. Fires and bomb blasts, active shooters or nutty ex’s, just joking...but not really. Need fire extinguishers, they are often located one behind the bar or the little room behind (under) it, a couple in the kitchen area and one by the lavatories. Need first aid kit, again kitchen area is a good place to look and behind the bar will have a lot of ‘bar rags’...yes they might look and smell gross but they are alcohol soaked. Crowd stampeding to the main exit then the one behind the bar or in back of the kitchen might be a quicker safer way out of the building. Someone pepper spraying the room and fires can produce the same emergency reactions re- the toxic and blinding fumes, knowing in advance not only where the nearest exit is but how to get there ‘blinded’ is easiest if you first ‘looked’. Lights out. the light switches or often near the open end of the bar, in the restroom they are near the door (your phone makes a good flashlight if needed)

Depending on life style, local customs and individual circumstances most will never face an emergency while out in public yet some reading this will. Having a plan with forethought responses makes sense and contributes to success. Make your responses more efficient by making habit your mindfulness and awareness and making playful your training them. If with another person, bet them on how many fire extinguishers or first aid kits are in the immediate area and ask the waitress, waiter or stewardess for confirmation.

If you have never experienced a crowd in panic/rage and how contagious and powerful that arousal can be I recommend strongly that some exposure training be sought out and applied. Hint Systema

One last be definitely not least thought. There is strength in numbers, if in an emergency situation, find somebody weaker than yourself, someone injured, someone needing help and help them. At best we can save another and set the example for others to follow and at worst selfishly putting someone under our own care forces a sense of calmness and gives added strength and awareness and adds to our own chances of survival. Panic, calmness and courage are all contagious.

Regards
Brian King

just a point of trivia, exterior entrance doors in commercial space or any door that is along the path of an emergency egress should always push (i.e., swing out) when exiting a building so that there is a clear and unobstructed escape path. This is an OSHA standard, and also has implications under ADA. The ADA guidelines are more about clearance requirements, but commercial space built or remodeled within the last 30 or so years should comply.

This is the opposite of most houses and apartments, where the outside doors almost always swing in.

While it may or may not be something anyone's ever thought about overtly, when a building doesn't conform to this norm, you end up with a lot of folks running into the door when leaving because they expect it to push and it doesn't.

 

[Brian King]

just a point of trivia, exterior entrance doors in commercial space or any door that is along the path of an emergency egress should always push (i.e., swing out) when exiting a building so that there is a clear and unobstructed escape path. This is an OSHA standard, and also has implications under ADA. The ADA guidelines are more about clearance requirements, but commercial space built or remodeled within the last 30 or so years should comply.

This is the opposite of most houses and apartments, where the outside doors almost always swing in.

While it may or may not be something anyone's ever thought about overtly, when a building doesn't conform to this norm, you end up with a lot of folks running into the door when leaving because they expect it to push and it doesn't.

This is a good point, Steve. There are ways to open a door for example when the crowd behind you is not giving you room to open the door but it is not easy. Some doors can get blocked by debris or explosions, heck even heat and ice can block an exit. Just working a door knob or push latch can fluster folks in distress or in the dark. Opening the door in 'uncooperative' crowd should be practiced and experienced at least once.

Regards
Brian King

 

[drop bear]

Dont run into a fight by climbing a barrier. Your hands are occupied and you can get punched. Run around instead.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Back to a wall with a view of the door, always. No exceptions, ever. Or I'll just leave and eat somewhere else, reservations be damned. Over the the top? No more than a seat belt in a car. Just a given.

As for air planes - anybody, at least anybody who's in a protective business of any kind what-so-ever, who doesn't have an aisle seat - is an idiot. A complete, unprepared and utter idiot.

Unfortunately, most of my flights are booked by client companies. They will try to book an aisle seat, but won't seek a different flight if no aisle is available. I fly enough that I can usually move myself to "premium" seating after the flight is booked to remedy the situation.

 

[Buka]

just a point of trivia, exterior entrance doors in commercial space or any door that is along the path of an emergency egress should always push (i.e., swing out) when exiting a building so that there is a clear and unobstructed escape path. This is an OSHA standard, and also has implications under ADA. The ADA guidelines are more about clearance requirements, but commercial space built or remodeled within the last 30 or so years should comply.

This is the opposite of most houses and apartments, where the outside doors almost always swing in.

While it may or may not be something anyone's ever thought about overtly, when a building doesn't conform to this norm, you end up with a lot of folks running into the door when leaving because they expect it to push and it doesn't.

Good points And playing off of this -

If you are in a large crowd - that panics and stampedes. (concert, ballgame etc) if you find yourself running with crowd, do so with your hands up in a high guard. Should the crowd reach a door that will not, for whatever reason, open, the crowd in back will keep coming. You don't want your arms by your side, you'll get crushed. You'll want them free to push yourself up over everyone else (pushing down on shoulders and heads). If you have a small child with you, or two kids, pick them up and hold them high so you can push them over the top of a crushing crowd as well.

Same holds true for someone in front falling - and the domino effect takes place, you don't want your arms pinned to the side then, either.

While the likelihood of this taking place is minimal at best, it works well and doesn't even need to be practiced (we have) just filed away in the memory.

 

[drop bear]

If you are in a decent sized gang fight don't go runing off on your own after someone. If you get caught outnumbered then you are going to have a bad day.

Also if your friend gets dropped then you need to be standing over him. If he presents a free shot then someone will probably take it.

 

[Juany118]

A combo of tactical considerations + style. Every fighting system or Martial Arts I have studied has a few Laws that can't be broken. They have A LOT of Rules however. Rules, unlike laws, can be bent. Do not treat the Rules of your chosen methods as Laws. I have a co-worker who was a great high school and college wrestler, even coached High School teams until time became a premium. He gave himself concussions because he insisted, on tarmac, doing a picture perfect takedown that he did on the mat. Train so that the reality of self-defense outside the school is accounted for.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

 

[Gerry Seymour]

A combo of tactical considerations + style. Every fighting system or Martial Arts I have studied has a few Laws that can't be broken. They have A LOT of Rules however. Rules, unlike laws, can be bent. Do not treat the Rules of your chosen methods as Laws. I have a co-worker who was a great high school and college wrestler, even coached High School teams until time became a premium. He gave himself concussions because he insisted, on tarmac, doing a picture perfect takedown that he did on the mat. Train so that the reality of self-defense outside the school is accounted for.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

This is a good idea, even outside self-defense considerations. Any Rule that practitioners elevate to Law immediately restricts what's possible within the style. This can be resolved two ways: 1) "In X style, there is no such thing as Y. That's the principle, and anything Y is not part of X style. During (a fight/sparring/training/etc.) we occasionally do things that are not actually X style, so if Y is the right answer, we might use that." 2) "In X style, there's a general rule that Y doesn't fit with what we do. Let me show you an exception where Y is entirely appropriate within X style, because we need something beyond the core principles."

 

[MaxRob]

Indeed the tactical considerations are very situational, and varied, even in one's best training there will be a new situation to face
Practice tequniques in every possible situational setting, self defense is a live event it needs to be taken with absolute seriousness, after all it can save your life.
One's training can be challenged by every variation of attack
Strength,speed ,technique,weapons,etc etc,
Awareness of one's position and how to act swiftly, often to evade all and get out without confrontation balanced against the position of being pinned and forced to defend.
Some of us have high to v high pain thesholds, these are an ace in the hole as it were in physical confrontations, as I have mention before in these forums, but overconfidence in this can be an undoing.
Selfe defense is also about keeping ones mouth shut,not talking about what you are doing , keep it a secret with yourself, let your oponent(s) find out the hard way!