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| Kurt F. Suss |
If you experienced a schoolyard fight at a young age, and it was a good one, you likely can remember certain elements of that day whether you were triumphant or not. Having such experiences is not common for most young kids today, and that’s a good thing. However, such experiences help us later in life when dealing with the possibility of adversity.
My first fight was in Grade 4, with Johnny Johnson. It was all about disputing a game of marbles. I can’t remember anything about the game, but the fight is still in my mind. What I didn’t know was that Johnny had been regularly attending judo classes with his dad. The fight was over in seconds: he promptly flipped me over his back, and I landed face-down on an asphalt basketball court. I still have facial marks from that day.
There is very little in our children’s upbringing to help them prepare for the possibility of society’s lurking dangers, and certainly nothing to teach them to defend themselves. The days of the old-school
Oksana Sazhnieva: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
Johnny was prepared, pre-planned and well practised at age 7.
Being aware and situational awareness will give you a great advantage to prevent uncomfortable encounters with danger.
Many courtroom tussles have prepared me for anything, at any time, while in uniform handling federal incarcerated people. I am constantly scanning the room, the incarcerated individuals, checking my stance and mental preparedness.
The Law Society of Alberta has acknowledged violence in the legal profession, publishing a guide for lawyers: How to Manage Threats and Physical Violence Risks in the Legal Profession. This publication takes it beyond the courtroom, suggesting lawyers always practise safety and vigilance, inside and outside the office.
Pre-planning
Our minds and brains are working nonstop, even while we sleep. We are planning and preparing all the time, whether we know it or not. Most people have planned their next day the night before, what they are going to eat for lunch and what they are going to wear. We plan our day with pre-planned routines: shower, dress, brush teeth, check windows and lock doors before bedtime.
Most people take precautions when they are at home. However, personal safety and security for many falls to the wayside during repetitive and redundant daily activities away from home. We become busily consumed with everyday functions. Subsequently, we become less situationally aware and unaware of personal safety and the signs of danger. We become too complacent and comfortable.
Niccolò Machiavelli said, “It is a common fault of men not to reckon on storms in fair weather” — that is, we forget about danger when we are comfortable!
Preparing for personal safety
Three feet is our measurement to be able to quickly assess, respond, retreat or defend. This is not initially about self-defence tactics or techniques; it’s not about the karate chop, left hook or pepper spray. Preparing the brain is the first step. Preparing for what you may encounter, visualizing what it will look and feel like. At three feet, you are not likely going to see an edged weapon, unless you have practised; even throwing a punch is difficult unless you know what you are doing.
The three-foot space is your space. This is your world — this is the space you must develop the mindset and skills to overcome. You need to focus within your immediate control.
Picture yourself doing what you do every day and include a three-foot scenario. Perhaps it's sitting on a bus with a person behind you, or you are sitting at a desk with a client after an unfavourable court decision. The street person who wants some change but takes your wallet or snatches your purse. Visualize three-foot scenarios.
The what-if game
Preparing the brain is cognitive exercises and techniques such as visualization to recognize and interpret threats in your environment, before the onset of threat or danger escalation. In our everyday life, the occasional “what if game” is a great way to prepare the brain. This simple exercise will develop a proactive brain that will scan for dangers and subsequently develop a picture of what is normal and what is sketchy. With this you will become more aware of your environment, what is normal and what’s not. Having pre-planned responses in your head will greatly assist you to manage threats and uncomfortable situations and recover from unfortunate circumstances. The final stage is practising scenario-based drills. Everything I am saying here is already being practised by most people, every day.
Driving your car
If you are driving a car, you are vigilant, constantly scanning, preparing. You’re looking in side mirrors, the rearview mirror — you’re playing the “what if game.” Suppose someone grabs your arm while you are driving — you will probably say, “Stop it, get back. I don’t like that.” Your driving skills, planning and reflexes are extremely transferable to your personal three-foot safety. Driving through storms, traffic jams and torrential rain prepares the brain to push through adversity and develops resiliency.
Part three will discuss physical preparedness and what you need to do to ensure the least amount of physical distress.
Until then be aware, be safe and check that three-foot space!
This is part two of a three-part series: Part one: A veteran correctional officer’s take on personal self defence: The Kurt Suss three-foot rule.
Kurt F. Suss is a corrections officer with Correctional Service of Canada and a retired dog handler and trainer consultant. He is the author of Dogman: The Trials and Tribulations. He is currently at work on his second book Why Dogs Bite. He can be reached at isiscanine@hotmail.com.
The opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author’s firm, its clients, Law360 Canada, LexisNexis Canada or any of its or their respective affiliates. This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal advice.
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