Sounds poetically beautiful, no? Like a spring rain? But all have a very functional use with regards to anticipating violence before it arrives. Since these are relatively simple and take a very short period to hardwire into the system, I\u2019ll (try and) make this entry brief.<\/p>\n
SILHOUETTES: When it\u2019s dark, have you ever had trouble in the middle of the night making out images, for obvious reasons? Especially when the lights first go off, if you look right at the object\/person it\u2019s almost impossible to see anything. A trick I use is to \u201ctune out\u201d my vision and look at the whole \u00a0broad picture instead of trying hard to focus on the one image. Just by looking a couple of feet to the left or right, the image in the center comes more clearly into focus. Not clear, mind you, but clear enough that you can make it out and perceive enough about space\/distance between, limbs and potential targets\u2026if needed. It\u2019s a neat drill to do and enhances one\u2019s sensory perception.<\/p>\n
In ancient Japan, apparently it was\u00a0often taught that, when fighting an opponent in the dark, you should always lower your body so as to see the silhouette of the opponent against the night sky or moon. This is another example of changing your perception to give yourself a chance at staying safe in difficult circumstances and not being caught off-guard.<\/p>\n
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REFLECTIONS: When in public places especially, I often take a glance at passing storefront windows, mirrors in restrooms, security mirrors in convenience stores and reflections of people in objects such as hand-dryers, sunglasses, television sets and my cellphone just as a quick drill to enhance my sitatutional awareness. To be aware of my surroundings and the people within it. To see if anyone is potentially singling me out. Once again, it\u2019s never within the context of active paranoia; it\u2019s just a precaution and takes literally a second or two before moving on.<\/p>\n
Often in sudden violent situations, attacks or kidnappings the people may have had a better chance to prepare for something potentially coming around the corner if they had paid a little attention to those around them. Who\u2019s watching you? Who\u2019s following you? Has that car been on your tail for many blocks now and even turns when I turn (rearview and side mirrors\/reflections)? Is it something to be concerned with? Or is it just coincidence? More often than not it is indeed coincidence but I find it\u2019s good practice for me to get into. Making yourself a hard target. Projecting awareness. Creating a non-victim mentality.<\/p>\n
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THE SUN: Sun Tzu, in his treatise \u201cThe Art of War\u201d, stated that an army should always face the sun when higher up or on higher ground than the opponent. By doing this they\u2019re in the light, thus preventing them from falling prey to a surprise attack and putting them in a position of advantage, both through this strategy and having the advantage of greater position. Great tactics! While this is true in various terrains (brush, forest, mountains) for greater tactical position and the prevention of an ambush attack from hidden foe during times of war, it\u2019s not always applicable for modern individual self-defence.<\/p>\n
When approached by a stranger, while it\u2019s sometimes difficult to acknowledge or think of sporadically, I, for one, like to have the sun at my back. It\u2019s bright, distracting and hard on the eyes and I\u2019d far sooner have it in a potential attacker\u2019s face than my own. It gives off glare and causes one to squint when they\u2019re looking at a potential attack point or vulnerability. It\u2019s a small but sometimes brilliant (intentional witty sun reference) tactic that may only give a couple of seconds respite or reaction time, as we say: sometimes a couple of seconds are all that\u2019s needed to make the difference, even if that difference is escaping or calling out for help.<\/p>\n
![\"Image](\"http:\/\/exchange.aaa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Sun-Glare-Cars-on-Road.jpg\")
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Just some areas to think about that have nothing yet everything to do with modern self-defence. Another tact to improve your non-violent conflict resolution and situational awareness. Remember, fighting isn\u2019t a daily regular occurance. Staying safe is.<\/p>\n
\u00a9copyright, all rights reserved 2013 Mandirigma FMA Academy<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sounds poetically beautiful, no? Like a spring rain? But all have a very functional use with regards to anticipating violence before it arrives. Since these are relatively simple and take a very short period to hardwire into the system, I\u2019ll (try and) make this entry brief. SILHOUETTES: When it\u2019s dark, have you ever had trouble … Continue reading SILHOUETTES, REFLECTIONS & THE SUN<\/span>