situation awareness.


bellyfat

New member
does anyone know of a good situation awareness book?
im talking about a street smart,possibly written by ex criminal or cop book.
i consider my self somewhat street smart. but would like to improve on that.
i try to scope out the parking lots of places i go. but i may be missing some give away signs.
 

This might be a good place to share various tips and techniques that we all use. Maybe things people have seen and learned that may or may not be in those books... For example:

A teacher I had in a combat pistol skills class advocated parking at the pump at a gas station, even if you aren't getting gas. That way you have a little longer of a walk, thereby offering more time to survey the situation inside. Things like that.
 
Situational Awareness or Positional Awareness depending on your background is one of the fundamental components of a solid foundation when it comes to self-defense. Please don’t think of self-defense as all fighting, it’s more being able to “see” what is around, not just around you, but the more than that.
We teach it in every class we have, from basic CCW to Rape Prevention and through our advance level classes. From basic visual cues to the natural instincts, as Mr. Miyagi once said “best defense is not be there”…..be aware and trust your gut.
JOHN
 
This is from my book: "I Am NOT A Victim" I'll be glad to share a copy of the whole book with anyone who wishes to send me an email and request it. mamaliberty - at - rtconnect.net Just replace the -at- with the @ and no spaces between.

Chapter 3 The Basic Requirements for Self Defense

The best gun skills in the world wouldn’t do you a bit of good in a violent attack unless you had the time and mental preparation to bring your gun into action - or take other evasive, defensive steps. Being aware of your surroundings at all times, and paying attention to your gut feelings and instincts, is just as important as the ability to hit what you shoot at - and maybe more.

This topic is covered in detail during the Personal Protection series classes and you are urged to read/re-read the course materials or, if you have not taken these classes, register promptly to do so. These exercises are part of those classes and designed to help you optimize both your formal training and your skills for survival.

Review the levels of awareness.

Unaware
Only appropriate at home, doors locked
Sleeping (Need alarms, dog, locked doors, etc. as protection)
In the shower
Watching TV or otherwise absorbed in an activity
Walk or jog with stereo earphones on (very bad idea!)
Driving, especially long distance (not good)
Can you think of other times YOU are unaware of your surroundings?
Make a list.

Aware - best if practiced everywhere - when no threat is perceived
You see who is near you (including behind you) and any movements they make.
You are immediately aware of strangers and observe their actions, what they have in their hands, facial expression, etc.
You are aware of the source of potential danger, such as cars in the street, loose dog, litter on the ground or increased traffic ahead of you on the road.
You are thinking of ways to avoid potential dangers you observe
You have a definite plan for what you are doing, where you are going. This plan may be very simple, and eventually will be subconscious. The important thing is not to appear lost, confused, timid.
Look for something that could serve as cover in an attack each place you go. Remember where your car is parked so you don’t have to search for it. These plans are often informal and almost unconscious, but it is very different than just drifting along with no clear idea what you are doing.
Make a list of other things you should be aware of, especially when out of your home.

Alert - Serious potential danger identified
Stranger walking toward you quickly, hands out of sight
Loose dog who is growling and showing teeth, coming toward you
Loud sound outside your home or car, out of the ordinary
Many others
Think about what you would understand to be an alert of potential danger and write them down. What would you do to avoid the possible danger? Make a list.

Alarm - Immediate Serious threat, danger.
Stranger coming toward you pulls a knife or gun, making threats or demands
Dog jumps at you, obviously attacking
Sound of window or door being smashed
Someone trying to forcefully open your car door at an intersection or parking lot
Car coming through intersection against the light and headed for your car
Write down other situations you would consider an immediate threat and the response you think would be appropriate.

When could you, WOULD you use lethal force? What is the legal criteria for the use of deadly force where you live? (Please refer to text book or attend class with this lecture. It is outside the scope of this book to cover in detail.)

Group discussion or solo written drill - excellent part of practicing family defensive plans
Compare lists and discuss a few items in each category above.
Discuss the difference between an alert and an alarm. What are the distinguishing characteristics?
How would you know? How would you plan to meet each of these situations?
Do you have a plan for the most common ones? What do you think you would do if you don’t have a plan?
Honestly assess your usual level of awareness, at home and when out. Do you think you need to change that? If not, why not?

Daily exercise - solo drill - most important drill you can do!
Practice looking at your surroundings at all times when out of your home, getting into or out of your car.
Be aware at all times of the people around you, coming from (or around) cars or buildings.
The usual “personal space” is between one to five feet diameter around you. This is the zone most people are aware of, if at all. It is important to extend that aware zone out to at least 20 feet. Measure off a 20 foot diameter circle and practice looking out to that distance frequently. Then, when you are out, practice being AWARE of who and what is inside that circle.
Notice their HANDS and faces. Both will tell you a great deal about their intentions and capacity to threaten you. Do not ignore women or older children! They can be criminals too. Listen to your guts.
Know exactly where you are going, how you plan to get there. Learn how to use a map or GPS.
Don't pick up hitch hikers! If you see a road hazard or people in trouble, call for help, but don't stop if you are unarmed and/or alone.
Move your head as well as your eyes. Scan your surroundings frequently. (Scan beyond normal area to get “the big picture” just as you should when driving.)
Walk with a brisk stride, head up and strong posture. Avoid looking lost or confused, even if you are!! If you look like a victim, you may well be one. If you look like you are aware and in control, you will probably be left alone. Remember that criminals want HELPLESS, frightened victims.
Make a definite plan of action for each potential danger you identify. Most will be very simple, but without a plan you will be far less apt to react quickly enough to avoid trouble.
Describe people and things to yourself to build the habit of really seeing your surroundings
If you are out with children, you will need to divide your attention. Don’t forget to be aware of what is going on around you as well as what the kids are doing. Anticipating danger is even MORE important when children are present, of course.
Always lock your doors and car. It’s a small price to pay for increased security.
Always keep your strong hand free as much as possible when out of the house – especially if you carry a gun.

If you are usually totally or mostly unaware, this may be a difficult habit to break, but persistence and determination will eventually prevail.

(sorry that the copy/paste to the forum has screwed up some of the formatting.)
 
The Color Code of Mental Awareness

This is by far the most important information that we can give you in this course. The reason why it's the most important information is because you can be the most accurate shooter on the range. You can be the fastest out of the holster. You can know all of the high-speed, low-drag tactics that there are to know ... but if you're not aware enough of your environment to see the fight coming, a common street punk can have your car keys, your wallet or your life before you even know what's happening.

This information is also the most important information we can share with you because if you adopt this as your own, you're less likely to ever have to use the deadly skills that we're teaching you this weekend because criminals will see that you're aware of your environment and they'll let you walk right on by and attack someone else— who's less aware.

This is also the most important information we can give you because the decision to shoot another human being, even when your life is on the line, is a difficult decision to make. It takes a definite mental "ramping up" to do that. If you don't follow this Color Code System of Awareness and mentally ramp up to press that trigger when you should be pressing it, you may be talking to yourself and saying, “I can't believe this is happening to me.” instead of shooting to save your life or the lives of your loved ones.

So for all of these reasons this lecture is the most important information that we can share with you this weekend.

The Color Code of Mental Awareness has Five Levels: Condition White; Condition Yellow; Condition Orange; Condition Red; and Condition Black.

Condition White is that level of mental awareness that we'd all like to live in if this were a perfect world. That is: unaware and unprepared. In Condition White you're an easy victim. An easy mark. Criminals look for people in Condition White because they can catch them by surprise. They can overwhelm them.

Examples of people in Condition White:

A person walking down the street, hands in his pockets, head in the clouds, whistling the last song he heard on the radio. Completely oblivious to everything going on around him.

A person sitting on a park bench on a beautiful spring day engrossed in a good novel or immersed in the newspaper, completely oblivious to everything going on around him.

A person driving to work— mentally already at work— completely oblivious to everything going on around him.

We've all been in Condition White. If you're caught in Condition White, you're an easy victim. It doesn't matter who you are. You can be a Four Weapons Combat Master. You can be a 7th Degree Black Belt. You can be a cop who's been on the street for 25 years and won 5 gunfights. If you're caught in Condition White, you're an easy victim. Why? Because you're caught by surprise! And when caught by surprise it is very difficult to react quickly enough to prevent injury or death in a lethal attack.

Here is what I mean by that: How many times have you walked around the corner and somebody that you know— a friend or family member— is going to pull a little joke, a little trick on you by hiding behind the corner to scare you? As you walk around the corner they jump out and yell, "Boo!" Has that happened to any of you? Sure it's happened to all of us. At that moment when they jump out and catch you by surprise, what do you feel? A little shock? A little fear?

How long does it take you to recognize that this is your friend or your family member and then how long does it take for your brain to tell your hand to push them away and then how long does it take for you to say, “Don't ever do that again!” How long does that all take? What do you think? A second, a couple of seconds, a few seconds? That amount of time in a lethal encounter is an eternity. Remember the "average gunfight" we talked about yesterday? Most gunfights are over in 3 seconds.

So it took you a second or two or longer to recover from your initial shock and fear when you recognized this person who scared you as a friend. You see, that initial feeling that you felt was a kind of a shrinking, withdraw fear that occurs because you're caught by surprise. You must mentally ramp back up into a higher level of emotion, usually a bit annoyed at this point or even angry. Right? Then and only then are you able to react and tell them, “Hey don't do that again!”

What if it's someone you don’t know? What if instead of someone saying, "Boo!" as you step around the corner, it's the knife that's coming down into your chest. Or the hands around your throat as they drive you backwards and try to knock you to the ground?

In that situation, many times the initial feeling of fear, is driven deeper into apathy or surrender. And you've all heard victims of crime say this, “I wanted to scream but ... nothing would come out. I wanted to run but ... I couldn't move.” Criminals rely on this. They try to catch you by surprise, overwhelm you and drive you down into that emotional band of apathy or surrender where you simply submit and don't fight back.

So don't get caught in Condition White because there will be a moment in time, no matter who you are, that you will not be able to respond. And it's during that time that your life is in the hands of your opponent. And that's why we say the only reason you'll survive a lethal attack if caught in Condition White is if your opponent was sloppy. Meaning he didn't finish you immediately. He gave you enough time, and it's a lot of time that he has to give you, so you could mentally ramp up, counter and take the fight to him. Don't count on that. Stay out of Condition White.

Condition Yellow is where you want to be. Condition Yellow is best described as relaxed and alert. You're aware of your environment. You are walking down the street with you hands at your sides—your head is up—you're looking around. You're using all of your senses.

This is not a state of paranoia. You are simply relaxed and alert.

You walk by a plate glass window—you see a reflection. You look behind you. There's someone walking about 15 paces behind you. You note their features and their pace.

You see a couple approaching from the opposite side of the street. They're holding hands. You're simply aware of what's going on around you.

You're driving to work. You know that there's a late model Ford truck with two 20-year-old males to the right—a late model sedan with a woman and two children to the left— a sports car is behind you and you're looking 2 or 3 car lengths ahead driving defensively.

You walk out of your home on a Sunday morning to pick up the newspaper. Before you walk out, you take a look out the window. What's happening in my neighborhood today? You walk out of the house. You look up and down the street. Is there anything that's out
of the ordinary? You pick up the newspaper. You carry it into the house before you open it up and you read the newspaper in the security and comfort of your home.

If you're in Condition Yellow, you're less likely to ever be picked to be a victim because criminals don't want to deal with you. You're aware of your surroundings! You see what's going on! They would rather look for everyone else who are in Condition White and are unaware and easy victims.

In Condition Yellow the amount of time it takes for you to mount a response is literally the amount of time it takes you to present your weapon or better yet, evade the problem entirely. Why so quick to act? Because you see the problem coming. You are not caught by surprise.

Here's an example: Let's take a high-powered business executive. The profile on this guy is he's graduated from an Ivy League college at the top of his class, was the captain of the water polo team and the lacrosse team. He gets accepted into a major law school, and graduates at the top of his class. He is picked up by a major law firm. By the 5th year he's offered a partnership. You get the idea? He commands 200 attorneys and a support staff underneath him and everybody does exactly what he says. He is in total control of his destiny ... or so he thinks.

As he walks down the street in the financial district…has his Presidential Rolex watch on, and he is holding his $1000 briefcase…he’s glancing at the stock report in the Wall Street Journal. Down the street in a dark alley there is a criminal, a drug addict who needs a fix real bad.

This drug addict has a knife and he's waiting for someone to walk by who he can rob. How easy is it for this criminal to slither out of his hole as this businessman walks by with his head in the Journal, and his mind on his stock values? How easy is it for this criminal to slither out of his hole, walk up behind that businessman, cup his mouth to prevent the scream, put a knife to his neck and say in the foulest language with the foulest breath, "Drop that briefcase, give me that watch or I'll cut your f---ing throat." How easy is it for this criminal to make this high powered business executive fear for his life? Very easy, isn't it?

And what is that high-powered executive, who's been in control of his life do at this moment? What is he going to feel besides that warm liquid running down his leg? Can he resist at this point? Yes, but he will get cut or killed and he knows it. He's going to drop that briefcase. He's going to give up the watch and he's going to beg this criminal—this drug addict, “Just don't hurt me. Take whatever you want. Just don't hurt me.” And that criminal may cut his throat anyway because he despises the wealthy, or he hates attorneys or whatever reason that criminal needs to justify slitting another throat.

Now this same businessman AFTER receiving this lecture is a different person. He's walking down the same street. He's got the Wall Street Journal in the briefcase or rolled up under his arm. He's got the briefcase in his support hand to keep his firing hand free. And as he walks by the corner, he remembers from our tactical lecture “Keep away from corners. Distance is your friend.” He takes a couple of steps to avoid the corner and he just takes a quick look down the alley way as he walks by. And he sees the criminal standing in the shadows. He doesn't stop and confront this criminal, he simply continues on but he's going to take another look over his shoulder and maybe another one after that to make sure that the drug addict stayed put. Is that criminal going to attack him? No way.

In fact, what normally happens is the criminal is waiting for an easy victim but as the businessman moves by that corner and takes a look, the criminal is going to dive further back into the shadows and hope that he wasn't seen. He's not going to take the chance of further exposing himself. And he may then leave, find another place to hide because the business man may call the police!

So you being in Condition Yellow will actually save a number of people that are in Condition White who follow in your footsteps!

Condition Yellow, is where you want to be. It's not difficult. It's not a state of paranoia. You don't think everyone is out to get you. You're simply aware of what's going on and you're ready to respond at a moment's notice because you see things happen that others do not.

I hope you have enjoyed reading the First Two Levels of my Color Code of Mental Awareness Lecture. I also hope you will begin adopting Condition Yellow as your own level of mental awareness so criminals will see that you are aware of your environment and will leave you alone. I will share with you Condition Orange, Condition Red, and Condition Black in my next report so look for it in a couple of days.

Only the most dedicated, hardened criminal will attack you, knowing that you are aware and prepared. If that were to happen and you have already attended a four day course with us at Front Sight you will come out on top, standing tall with your life and dignity intact. I am sure of it. In fact, Front Sight will more than satisfy your expectations or I will pay for your training. You have my personal guarantee.

But again, don’t take my word for it, To watch a 25-year veteran detective of the San Francisco Police Department, who is the father of two young Marines share why he sent his sons to Front Sight before they deployed to Iraq click on: Father Knows Best
 

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