Many posts on this subreddit are questions about defense tools. These questions seem to be reactions to people without formal security/defense training suddenly being exposed to dangerous situations (new home, new job, sudden social change, etc.) and seeking a way to bridge the gap. Defense tools will certainly help to bridge that gap, but tools are a last resort and offer the lowest level of protection. The ultimate goal of defense is to be able to effectively manage risk, so it’s critical that you understand the effectiveness the various components of defense.
Defense strategies offer the highest level of protection. Broadly speaking, defense strategies are behaviors which allow you to avoid being targeted in the first place and/or place you in a position of advantage before a defensive encounter begins. Avoiding certain areas, knowing the locations of entrances and exits, not allowing your attention to be distracted, being aware of who is around you, knowing how to recognize pre-attack indicators - all of this knowledge can help you avoid a confrontation altogether. For more on this topic, Craig Douglas has a block of instruction available online called Managing Unknown Contacts.
Defensive skills help discourage the encounter from progressing and help reduce the risk of harm to you should the encounter progress. Skills include fitness, verbal defusion, and hand to hand skills. If you can talk yourself out of the situation, then that is the best outcome. If you can disengage and run, that’s a good outcome, too. If it progresses to a physical altercation, then you must be able to defend yourself, retain any tools you may have so they can’t be used against you, and be able to deploy tools in a manner that does not allow the attacker to access it. Developing striking and grappling skills is an excellent idea, but be aware that it takes a weekly commitment and at least a few months to begin to develop some level of proficiency. Boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling, BJJ, judo, sambo - these are all great ways to develop your fitness and empty-handed skills.
Finally, tools will help complement strategies and skills. Deploying pepper spray or mace can end an encounter; but be aware you can accidentally hit yourself, so it’s a good idea to learn how to grapple and fight blind if you carry sprays. The simple presence of a weapon might be enough to discourage an attacker, but on the chance that the encounter progresses, you need to back up the threat of a weapon with proficiency with that weapon. There is plenty of security camera footage of people getting killed with their own weapon. If you are going to carry an edged weapon or a gun, you must know how to deploy and retain it or risk having it used against you. ShivWorks offers advanced grappling classes which focus on weapon retention and deployment.
Tools without skills runs the risk of it having then tools used against you. Skills without strategies can get you blindsided or pulled into encounters you could have easily avoided. Strategies can help you avoid encounters altogether, but the practiced deployment of skills and tools will help minimize the risk to you should an encounter prove unavoidable.
By all means, carry a tool to bridge any gap you feel exists in your defense - but understand that carrying a tool without committing to developing your skills brings a risk of escalating an encounter without the ability to deal with that escalation.
Submitted March 24, 2021 at 10:34AM by Vjornaxx https://ift.tt/31dZcO5
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