• Cope with the stresses and demands that everyday life places us under.
• Be more consistent in being determined, focused, confident and resilient and in control under pressure

Sounds easy right? Well yes and no. The concepts of developing Mental Toughness are not difficult to grasp or put into practice. What is difficult is training our minds to believe that we can survive almost any situation and come out the other side both mentally and physically intact. There are 4 keys to developing Mental Toughness that if practiced consistently can substantially improve your life, feelings of self-worth and assist you in realizing all of your goals, ambitions and dreams.

 Focus

Developing focus is not an easy thing to do. It requires a great deal of time, effort and practice in order to assimilate it into our psyche. Learning to focus involves learning how to not become adversely affected by the actions or perceptions of others. It also involves learning how to ignore our own internal preoccupations and distractions. We are constantly engaged in an internal dialogue with ourselves. Some of the time this dialogue is positive, but much of the time we are awash in our own insecurities, self-doubt, fears and worries. Part of the problem is that even under the best of circumstances we go through much of our lives feeling weak, insignificant, unworthy and fearful. Our brains are a vast organic computer completing billions of calculations every second of our lives. Like any computer the brain can only process the data that is inputted into the mainframe. Think back to your childhood, school, your social life and work. How many times have we heard “that’s impossible”, “it’ll never work”, “that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” Sound familiar? For most of us we’ve heard these negative self-depreciating statements for years, and across all environments. Guess what; when you hear something enough times you start to believe it and act on it.

This is Neurolinguistic Programming in action. This is a big word that basically means that what we input into our brains is what we are going to feel, think and act upon. Let me give you a perfect example. I work in a maximum security prison on an Emergency Response Team. We work with some of the most dangerous and violent members of our society and are outnumbered by an average of 10/1. I work amongst the inmates in an open unit, and they have access to me and my partner a great deal of the time. Did I mention that my partner is a 110 pound woman? I’m not being sexist here. I have the greatest respect and admiration for my partner, and I know when something bad happens, she’ll always have my back. Pretty much everyone I work with is what I would consider a “normal” person if such a thing exists. Not one of us is superman, yet we go to work everyday and willingly place ourselves amongst the wolves of society. These are the predators that would not hesitate for a second to harm one of us if they feel they can do so with minimal cost to themselves. So what keeps us safe? It’s not guns, because we don’t carry weapons of any kind. It’s also not fear, because I can guarantee a person who rapes, robs and murders for a living is not afraid of being sent to segregation (the hole) for violent or aggressive behavior. So what is it then? Training and focus.

 When I respond to a “code” (an emergency call) my mind is running through the steps I need to take to deal with the situation in the quickest and most expeditious manner possible. There is no room for self-doubt or hesitation because that’s what gets people hurt or killed. If I responded thinking “I can’t take him down, he’s too big and strong”, or “I’m scared; that guy stabbed two people to death” then I’d probably be injured or ineffective in bringing the situation to a quick and safe conclusion. It’s not my 30+ years of martial arts training that keeps me safe (although it’s trained my body to react almost instantaneously to threats), and it’s not my size (I’m 180 pounds soaking wet). I believe and know that no matter what is waiting for me on the other side of the door I’m going through I can and will deal with it and go on with my life. My focus is on the job at hand and what I need to do to control the situation. There is no time for my own personal insecurities to intrude because it’s a distraction I can’t afford. In my world you only get one mistake.

 Self Belief

Self belief is an unshakable belief in our ability to succeed. In part it is the unique qualities that make us who we are. We’re going to talk a lot about Neurolinguistic Programming, because it’s a big part of training our minds to become Mentally Tough. If I told you one thousand times a day that you are dumb, ugly and worthless would it matter? It might if you don’t believe in your own skills and abilities. Now on the other hand; if you tell yourself one thousand times a day that you are smart, capable and a beautiful person you will begin to feel and act this way. You see perception is 90% of reality. I can’t just believe that I’m rich and make it happen, but if I believe strongly enough in myself my confidence and willingness to overcome obstacles will go along way to achieving this goal. Think of the most successful person you know. Are they any smarter, luckier or more deserving of success than you? Likely they’re not; what they’ve got is the ability to pick themselves up off the floor every time they fail and keep moving forward until they reach their goal. A very wise person once told me “Sometimes you’ve got to fake it until you make it.”

 Composure

Composure is the ability to retain psychological control following unexpected events and problems. It is the ability to recognize that some anxiety is inevitable, and having confidence in your ability to cope with it and triumph. Developing composure is a learned skill. It comes with experience and the knowledge that you have the skills, training and knowledge to deal with whatever life throws at you.

 Motivation

Motivation is part of what allows us to recover from setbacks and screw ups. It is the internal desire and drive to succeed. Everyone has a motive for everything they do. Money, power, sex, it doesn’t matter what the motive is what is important is how we achieve it. It’s vitally important to understand what motivates you. If you want to achieve your goals you’ve got to have a very clear understanding of why it’s a goal in the first place. Many times what we think is our goal is not what truly motivates us. Often we become embroiled in what others tell us our motivations should be. I know people who work 7 days a week, 16 hours a day to have the big house, big car and three weeks in Mexico every year. These are the same people who are miserable because they never see their wives and children, suffer health related concerns from stress and fatigue. They operate under the assumption that these “things” are what’s important in life. I’m not here to tell you they’re not. If money and possessions are important to you and what motivates you to succeed; then more power to you. Pursue them with your heart, mind and soul. What I am saying is be honest with yourself. Don’t confuse desire with motivation. Our motives are always intrinsic and cannot be affected or predicted by others.

 Developing Mental Toughness

So, how do we develop Mental Toughness? It starts with having the right attitude and state of mind. We need to be confident that no matter what setbacks and roadblocks are thrown up in our path, that we have adequately prepared ourselves and will achieve our goals. We also have to possess the courage to “lay it on the line” and to live our lives with 100% focus and determination. We need to begin to program the computer in our head to succeed with positive thinking and affirmations. I’m not talking about the pseudo-psychological bullshit that you see printed on motivational posters either. I’m referring to a lot of serious self examination and focusing on what you really want and think is important. We need to start expecting only the best from ourselves and affirm what we are going to do to realize our potential and be successful. Visualization is a big part of the equation. Athletes have used visualization for years to perfect their technique and improve their performance. We’ve all got a script that plays out in our heads every day. The script may change dependent upon the circumstances and the people surrounding us but it exists none the less. Start seeing yourself as a strong person, one who performs at peak function regardless of what you are engaging in. Visualize yourself being strong, confident and fully focused and you will begin to act accordingly.

Developing a routine that focuses on the desired emotional and mental state of mind is important to success. If we are constantly trying the latest fad or using a shotgun approach to preparing ourselves to succeed then we won’t. Now here’s the hard part; practice. We all want the fast and easy way out. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but there is no easy way to success. You need to practice the skills you acquire and execute them with full focus and attention if you truly want to achieve your goals. You’ve got to develop a “bulldog” mentality and once committed to a course of action remain persistent and never give up. You’ve also got accept the fact that “shit happens” and learn to let go of mistakes if things don’t go the way you’ve planned. The trick to training yourself to be Mentally Tough is the ability to adjust, compensate and possess the ability to go to plan B or C or Z if things don’t go your way. Keep reframing things to help you focus on the task at hand. Be persistent and never allow failure or frustration to stand in your way. Take control over your negative thoughts, self-talk and the “I can’t” attitude. We all run into situations and circumstances that make us intimidated, frustrated and lose focus. Start re-framing these negative thoughts into positive Mentally Tough thoughts and actions. Mark Twain probably stated it best when he said. “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.” Indulge me and try a social experiment. Buy a pack of sticky notes and write self affirming Mentally Tough statements on them, such as “I can do anything I put my mind to” and “I can and will be successful, because I’m worthy and have the skills and talents to succeed.” The specifics of the affirmation should be directed to what personally motivates you and will lead you towards achieving your goals. Take these notes and stick them everywhere. On your fridge, your mirror, your desk etc. Every time you see one of them, read it aloud for a period of two weeks and see if your attitude and focus improves. Yoda had the right idea when he said “There is no think, only do.” Good luck and train hard and you to can develop the Warrior Mind.

Kerry Sauve

The Internet is a goldmine of intelligence, but if you can find information on almost any subject almost instantaneously; then others can access personal and often confidential information about you. Firewalls, routers and passwords are great security features and we use them to keep unwanted intrusion into the personal information on our computers. All of these high tech security features mean nothing when we freely put our information in places where anyone can access it at will without the need to breach all of these security protocols. So what’s the solution? Never accessing the net is generally not an option. Living “off the grid” is not only impractical; it’s also immaterial in that somewhere; somehow there is information about you in someone’s database. A picture tagged on someone’s wall; a mention of your name in a paper or published newsletter. Any reference, mention or sniff of you will be searchable. Don’t believe me; feel free to Google yourself. The very fact that you know what I’m talking about has just proved my point. So even if you’ve never been online, you could still become victimized by your information being there.

A lot of how I approach teaching people how to increase their online safety is based on our Personal Safety Triangle concept. The first point on the triangle is; 1. Situational Awareness. Just like the real world there are places online that are inherently more risky or dangerous to visit. Part of Situational Awareness when it comes to internet safety is Education. Take the time to do some research and learn how computers and the Internet work. Also learn about Spyware, Malware, Phishing, Phreaking, Hacking, Cracking and other tools used to gain access to you or your information. Knowledge is not power, it is the ability to apply knowledge that makes a person powerful. Keep this in mind when it comes to your online safety.

2. Target Hardening is the second point on the triangle, and is accomplished by the use of Threat Analysis to determine where you could be vulnerable, how access would be initiated and what information they would want access to. It is a series of step by step tactical decisions that examines all potential safety/security risks/deficits and takes pro-active measures to resolve them. It is important to understand that both security and the methods to bypass it are always evolving. What works today, may not tomorrow. Target Hardening is a dynamic and fluid process must take these ever changing variables into account.

3. Emergency Response & Mitigation is the last point of the triangle. In terms of your safety and security online this is the action and implementation of everything you’ve learned and done previously. There are many levels of response for threats. Some are automated; such as when you’re antivirus software detects and quarantines a suspected file. Others are as simple as blocking and unwanted individual on Social Networking or chat sites or as complex as involving international law enforcement. It is important that your response be commensurate with the threat. It is equally important that one is not hyper-vigilant or too lax in how they perceive and respond to potential threats online.

Internet Safety Tips

* In families with children; keep computers in common living areas where adult monitoring and supervision can occur.
* Use filtering and monitoring software to block unwanted sites or content. *There are a lot of easy ways to bypass these functions
* Parents should check the “Chat logs” that accompany online chat sessions as well as have access to all passwords/accounts for any young people in the house.
* Educate your children on Internet safety protocols and responsibility.
* Educate yourself on issues ranging from Internet safety and security and how criminals utilize the internet to stalk, lure or recruit potential victims.
* Utilize a router to increase the security of your home network. If you use a wireless router ensure that the security features are locked so that your network is less vulnerable.
* Utilize the firewall that comes with your operating system or on your anti-virus software. It is another layer of protection between your information and the Internet.
* Antivirus/Spyware protection should be kept updated and always on. Scan your system periodically for threats.
* Be aware of the limitations of security features on Social Networking sites. There is no such thing as a completely secure server. If security was that tight it would not be practical to connect and network.
* Keep in mind when tagging photos, videos or other media that they become material for search engines. Always keep in mind that you have no control over who views this material or how its Metadata will be used once it is placed online.
* Be wary when banking or giving personal information such as credit card numbers, PIN numbers etc online. There are many ways for identity theft to occur; it is a multi-billion dollar criminal enterprise. *Never give your SIN or other personal identification numbers as a requirement to join a site or group.
* Be aware when utilizing online dating services or classifieds. There is limited security screening involved to become a member of these sites. Paying to join by credit card is not the same thing as a security check. These can only be accomplished through law enforcement. I’m sure even Ted Bundy had a credit card or two.
* Run a periodic check of your credit history. Equifax and Trans Union are a couple of the larger companies. The small fee that you pay is worth the peace of mind that no one is accessing your credit.
* When on Social Networking sites or chat rooms, immediately block or report anyone that attempts to engage you in conversation or conduct that makes you uncomfortable or frightened. There are laws in place to deter this type of behavior. Report serious threats or incidents to the police or cyber tip lines.
Be extremely careful when responding to “official” email. There are a lot of Phishing and Internet scams out there. If it sounds too good to be true then it is. Kerry Sauve
http://www.streetsensesafety.ca

Each of these components is essential in the creation of a Personal Safety Plan and reducing your risk of becoming a victim of violence or crime. Let’s face the facts in most major cities you have about a 5% chance in any given year of becoming a victim of a property crime, and about a 1 in 850 chance of becoming a victim of violence. These are not very promising odds. Now on the surface 1 in 850 doesn’t sound too bad until you put it into perspective. Let me put this another way; if you had a 1 in 850 chance of bursting into flames every time you used a cell phone, would there would be a lot more roll over minute’s at the end of every month?

· Confidence

· Control

· Contact

· Combat

1. “Confidence is the feeling you have before you understand the situation”. This is one of my favorite quotes and very appropriate for our purposes. What this means is don’t confuse confident with cocky. One will keep you safe; the other can get your killed. Confidence is an often overlooked component to every well designed Personal Safety Plan. Self Confidence is a mindset that is developed through the acquisition of enough skills and experience to trust or act upon ones instincts/experiences during any situation. If you are not confident in yourself and your abilities to recognize, assess, and avoid or deal with any potential threats you encounter, then you should ensure that you educate yourself and receive professional training in any areas that your are deficit.

Self confidence can be developed through Mental Toughness Training. The concept of Mental Toughness is to re-program the mind to a desired set of thought/actions for specific sets of criteria. Is that about as clear as mud? What this means is that our minds are a vast organic computer and we can “program” it to a desired series of thought/actions by the input of the correct programming.

The concept of Neurolingusitic Programming is not new. In a nutshell the concept is that if you say or read something numerous times it becomes ingrained in your subconscious and we begin to think and act on this subliminal thought. Much in the same way as your body would respond to a combat situation after you have trained yourself in Self Defense. Mental Toughness Training involves changing your mindset to a more positive/productive outlook. Like all training it also involves repetition. We always tell our students to take one thousand sticky notes and write self affirming statements all over them like “I will not quit”, “I am powerful”, “I am capable” etc. place them on every available surface and for the next 10 days read them aloud each time you see them. A big part of learning to be “Mentally Tough” is learning to let go of mistakes if things don’t go your way. Move on to plan B when plan A doesn’t work. Expect the best from yourself and use positive affirmations to overcome the “I can’t” attitude.

2. Control is a simple concept when it pertains to Personal Safety and Self Defense. Control yourself and your environment and you will significantly reduce your chances of being the target of crime or happenstance. As with many things in life however, simple does not necessarily mean easy. Always start with the easiest area to affect an immediate and lasting change; “you”.
One of my first martial arts instructors used the old axiom “If you want to learn to control others, then you must first learn to master yourself”. Control means many things; it means control your thoughts, words, actions, decisions and reactions. When we apply this concept to Personal Safety it refers to areas in which you can directly affect a conscious decision to reduce or eliminate risk. It is achieved through knowledge, planning, preparation and practice. Control is not just a physical concept it applies to other areas of your life as well, such as information security. Control of your environment is the second part of the equation. It involves making tactical decisions based on your level of knowledge, training and experience for any given set of circumstances. You can’t control a criminal’s motive, but you can control opportunity and access to you as a potential victim. The only way to have control is to exercise it; and also involves a lot of repetition to achieve the desired results.

3. Contact is essential for any criminal act to occur. Whether it is a violent sexual assault or an online internet scam there will always be contact. There has to be in order for there to be a victim. We can reduce the opportunity for contact through proactive static and dynamic security. Simply put; static security is the fixed layers of security that surround us at all times. Locking doors and windows, security passwords for computers, biometrics, fences, security cameras and alarms, all of these are a part of static security and if used consistently will lower your risk of becoming a target. Dynamic security on the other hand is the thoughts and actions of the individual that keep them safe; i.e. looking both ways before crossing the street, wearing less “bling”, big dog in home, not giving personal information over the Internet, learning basic Self Defense, remembering to lock the door and set the alarm system. Developing better dynamic security involves educating/training yourself in the areas where you may be vulnerable and addressing it in a Personal Safety Plan.

I’ll discuss how to develop a Personal Safety Plan in another article, but my benchmark for their use is the three “R’s” rule (Real, Relevant, Rehearsed) If it fails to meet these criteria you won’t use it and it is therefore useless. For most people a good Personal Safety Plan could fit on a couple of sheets of paper. You really only need to address four areas;

A. Security Audit: This is a systematic inventory of all of the security (both static and dynamic) that is currently in place and what areas are deficit. *This is what you know
B. Vulnerability Assessment: A list of areas of concern or gaps in your Personal Safety Plan or training. These are areas that could potentially place you or your family at risk. Areas identified would be addressed in the Action Plan. *This is what you don’t know
C. Action Plan: A list of training, education and research that has to occur in order to correct any deficits in your Personal Safety Plan. Don’t rush through this process; it takes patience and practice to gain the experience and training you need to reduce risk in your life. The sooner your start, the more quickly you’ll feel confident in your ability to protect yourself. Remember the best Self Defense is never being in a bad situation in the first place.

D. Implementation: When all is said and done your plan is only as good as its implementation. If you don’t follow it consistently, then the best plan in the world is only good for starting fires when you’re camping. You must implement the plan, adapt to any changes and react appropriately to potential threats. If you follow a well written plan you can reduce your risk of becoming the victim of certain types of crimes by up to 90%.

4. Combat is what occurs when all of the above no longer applies. The reality of the world is such that regardless of planning, training or experience at some point in your life you may still find yourself in a situation where you need to defend yourself. How do we prepare ourselves for something we hope to never experience? At StreetSense we’ve always believed the old military axioms “The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat”, and “You fight like you train.”

For us this means Reality Based training. We have found that this is the quickest and most effective way to teach people practical, effective Self Defense in the shortest amount of time. Our students trust us to provide them with the training that will potentially save their lives in a violent encounter. That is a pretty big responsibility and we take it seriously. What we’ve discovered through over fifty years combined experience in the combat arts and two decades in maximum security facilities is this fact; “There is a huge difference between Self Defense and Martial Arts.”

If you are searching for Self Defense training, make sure you do your research. Self Defense courses need to address several criteria in order to be effective in teaching students combat ready skills in a short period of time.

* It should teach simple and effective Self Defense and Personal Safety techniques that only rely on “Gross Motor Skills”.
* It should be professional, safe, and make sense.
* It must take the “Adrenaline Response” into account and teach students how to overcome its debilitating effects.
* Instructors must be well educated and trained in the psychological and emotional impact of training on students and that they are not damaging their students during training. They must also ensure that the techniques they are teaching are simple and proven in combat.

* Courses must address the realities of how attacks actually occur. Instructors must be trained to “play” “bad-guy” and allow students to practice their Self Defense full force against a determined attacker. This imprints combat ready skills into the student’s Neuro-pathways and gives almost immediate access to the skills under stress.
Training should also address Personal Safety issues and how to reduce risk without the need for Self Defense. Remember, 90% of Personal Safety is learning how to avoid danger and reduce risk, the other 10% is learning the physical skills that can save your life in a violent encounter.
* Training should also be realistic. We have found Reality Based Padded Attacker Training the most effective tool for quickly imparting combat ready skills to our students. Padded Attacker training has the added advantage of the student receiving immediate feedback from their technique. It will be quickly apparent if it is working or not.Kerry Sauve
http://www.streetsensesafety.ca

Our police forces are undermanned and under funded and in most cases responding to the aftermath of a crime, not preventing it’s occurrence. It is our responsibility to protect ourselves and our families from the wolves of society. We have the right to use force to protect ourselves and others from harm. The Canadian Criminal Code explains your rights and responsibilities in detail. It also grants citizens a great deal of leeway regarding your legal rights to defend yourself and your property.

I want to talk about the importance of Reality Based Training methods for teaching Self Defense. There is a lot of hype and misunderstanding surrounding the use of Reality Based Training, and unfortunately, there is not a standardized, quantitative definition or training standard for the use of this term in the Self Defense industry. I would like to discuss what we feel is important to the design and delivery of a program that will give student’s access to practical training that will work in combat situations.

1. The first element that affects the design of a quality Personal Safety and Self Defense course should be safety; safety for the student and safety for the instructors. It is imperative that course design and instructor training includes a detailed safety plan to ensure the physical and psychological well being of those participating in courses and the ability for instructors to be able to push their students to 100% effort. Instructors must be mindful that dangerous teaching practices and the uncontrolled use of experimentation cannot be condoned or utilized. Equipment must be kept in good working order and checked before and after each training session for any sharp edges or wear and tear that could cause injury to a student or instructor. Instructors should discuss the Safety Guidelines that will be followed during the course. This should not be rushed through and all questions should be addressed in detail. Instructors should maintain control of the course at all times and ensure that students are not engaging in dangerous practices such as experimenting with new techniques, uneducated practice and unsupervised role play. This type of activity can lead to injury and is counterproductive.

2. It is important for both students and instructors to understand both the physical and psychological dynamics behind Reality Based Training. Uneducated instruction during this type of training can damage a student physically and psychologically. Instructors must know the fine line between“playing bad guy” and “killing students”. Instructors often forget that it is their roll to safely simulate an actual attack and let the student learn how to apply the Self Defense concept being taught under full adrenal stress against a determined attacker. The goal of the attacker is to lose every encounter. The student must always be pushed for 100% effort, but they must never lose.

To understand why Reality Based Training works so well one need only look at why it was developed. It was originally designed to allow police and military personnel to learn how to survive violent situations and practice in a manner that closely simulates the physical, emotional and psychological realities of combat. This type of training places students under the same mental and physical stress they would experience in an actual attack. Learning to function effectively under adrenal stress allows  for the development of combat ready skills that will translate to survival in an actual attack. It also allows students to develop the “Mental Toughness” that is imperative to surviving an attack. What this means in English is that “You fight like you train!”

3. Training must be facilitated in an environment that utilizes realistic props, settings and situations. This provides the student with experience in dealing with all aspects of a violent assault, not just the physical attack. A properly facilitated Reality Based Self Defense program places students under an enormous amount of psychological and emotional stress. In previous articles I discussed the four reactions to the Adrenal Stress Response (Fight, Flight, Submit, and Posture). It is imperative that students be placed in Adrenal Stress during training. The Adrenaline Response plays an important role in Self Defense situations. Students typically experience the “Freeze” response the first time they are faced with the Padded Attacker. Fear causes a rapid increase in heartbeat and breathing. It also causes dry mouth, tunneling, distorted perception of time, and a massive release of hormones into the bloodstream. Tunneling is a distortion of ones perception of the world around them and complete focus on the object of fear. It is important for instructors to be well educated in teaching students how to minimize the Adrenal Stress Response and overcome their natural dominant response to fear.

Courses should be set up to capitalize on the student’s success and build on their knowledge base.  Instructors sometimes forget that there is a difference between “simple” and “easy” when it comes to teaching students to defend themselves. Techniques taught should be “simple”. By this I mean a lack of complexity to the technique. One of the primary side effects of the Adrenal Stress Response is a loss of fine motor control. Self Defense training should focus on techniques that require a Gross Motor response. The loss of fine motor coordination due to the Adrenaline Response negates the ability to utilize complex techniques effectively in combat without realistic training. Through repeated exposure to Adrenal Stress and practicing those same techniques full contact and at full speed and power; those techniques would become accessible during an actual attack. Most of the time unfortunately you can’t train full contact, or full speed and power in the dojo due to the risk of harm to your training partners and yourself.

Teaching complicated techniques and expecting pinpoint accuracy sets students up to fail. We have had veteran martial artists attend our courses and they are surprised to find that much of what they have spent years developing in the dojo does not work during an attack. This has nothing to do with the effectiveness of their techniques. As a practicing martial artist for over 25 years I can tell you that these techniques do work when used in the proper circumstances.  “BUT”… an attacker would have to be a complete idiot to attempt an attack in a manner which would allow the intended victim to a) see the attack coming, and b) respond from an optimum distance and a state of readiness.

As a Peace Officer with close to two decades working on an Emergency Response Team I can tell you a couple of things about how assaults actually occur; a) Criminals don’t fight fair. Imagine that ; cheap shots, eye gouging, 3 on 1 and weapons are all OK in the criminal mindset. You are a goal, a commodity not an adversary. The concepts of budo or fairness do not apply here. b) Never forget rule number one.

4. Instructors must be sensitive to the emotional and psychological stress their students are being placed under. They must be trained and experienced in dealing with the psychological and emotional meltdowns that will occur in students as they learn to work through the emotions and fears surrounding an attack. Instructors should also be trained in dealing with Sexual Assault Trauma Syndrome, as a portion of their students will have been victimized in the past. Instructors with no training in these areas can damage a survivor psychologically and emotionally, rather than providing them with the self confidence and skills to keep themselves safe.

It is important for instructors to watch their students for signs of emotional and mental stress and help them overcome these barriers to succeed. The focus of training should be teaching students to conquer their fears and insecurities and learn that they can effectively defend themselves from attack and reduce their risk of becoming victims of crime. Nothing breeds success like success. The goal of all Reality Based Training is to have the student succeed. In a real Self Defense situation success translates to survival. There is a great deal of trust placed on the instructor and the material you are presenting. After all people are entrusting you with their most valuable possession; their lives. It is important to build on existing skills and successes. Teach from the simple to the complex to ensure that students have a firm grasp on the basics. I generally find that once your provide the basics, most people discover their own natural flow and rhythm quite naturally.

Although Reality Based Training is a simple way to provide students with combat ready skills and teach them how to survive a violent attack, it is not easy. There is a lot of education, preparation, training and experience required to provide students with the skills they will rely on in a potentially life threatening situation. My bench test has always been to ask “Can you rely on what you know to keep you safe during a violent assault?” We do every day, do you? Until next month stay safe.

Kerry Sauve
http://www.streetsensesafety.ca

“Anger is like picking up a hot coal with the intent of throwing at someone else. You are always the one who gets burned.”

Buddha

Anger and violence are endemic in our society today. It is estimated that the rate of violent crimes and assaults is four times higher than it was in the 1960′s. What would account for this four fold increase? The counter argument is that murder rates have steadily been dropping over the last 10 years. Don’t kid yourself, this has nothing to do with a decrease in violent crime. It has everything to do with the increased ability of health care professionals to utilize modern technology to save many who would have died only a decade ago.

As somone who works in the correctional system, I see anger and violence at work every day. It is the stock and trade of those members of society who have chosen the path of the predator, however all of us are affected by it at one time or another. We need to understand what anger and violence do to us on the cellular level if we hope to be able to influence them on a personal one. It’s important to understand that in most cases violence is not about necessity. Most of the time people are not engaging in violence to protect themselves or their families, procure food etc. People engage in violence because of the issues and emotions that come to the surface when there is a loss of face or some perceived slight. Sometimes it appears to surface from nowhere, but in most cases there are a lot of indicators and signs that it’s imminent.

Situational Awareness and profiling can reduce a great deal of risk when dealing with angry or potentially violent individuals. It is vitally important to always have a “Plan B”, Always leave a way out of the situation for you and the angry person. You’d better also have the means to defend yourself if everything goes sideways. It’s important to remember that not all angry or potentially violent people are going to de-escalate regardless of your intentions or training. Remember those rising violent crime rates? Train yourself from the beginning to take an appropriate (non-threatening) interview stance. This is simply standing at a 45 degree angle to the other individual with one leg forward and the other back. The hands are up near the face palms outward. It is a non-aggressive posture (85% of communiction is non-verbal) and allows you a great deal of mobility should you need to retreat or defend yourself.

You also must understand the way the human brain is hardwired when it comes to anger and violence. For the purpose of our discussion we’ll say that we have three brains. Our outer Neocortex (Human), the Limbic System (Animal), and the Brainstem (Lizard). Each of these segments are resposible for different parts of our reasoning and functioning. The Neocortex is our grey matter. The part of our brain responsible for reasoning and higher functioning. Our Limbic system is somewhat more primative and may override the Neocortex when it believes that we are in danger. The Neocortex and the Limbic system are hardwired together and can communicate. The Brainstem on the other hand talks to no one. It is the part of our brain responsible for our more base urges, the part that shouts Run/Kill/Fight when we are extremely angry or in the grip of the Adrenaline Response. Trying to reason with the Lizard Brain is futile and potentially dangerous. So how do we deal with angry people? There are some very good and very bad ways to go with. I think it’s important to look at a few of both because at some point in time, we’ve all used the bad ones and convinced ourselves that it was the right way to go.

1. Telling them to chill the %#!@ out is not the way to go. Telling an angry and potentially violent person to calm down is dumb. Their heart rate is accelerated, in many cases they are in Adrenal Stress Response and could experience auditory exclusion (they can’t hear you) . Likely this approach will only further enrage them and can place you in a dangerous position.
2. Apologize when you are wrong. Don’t let pride get in the way of good sense. Sometimes this is all that is needed to drop an angry person’s heart rate to a level where their neocortex has regained control and you can work the problem out without the risk of violence.
3. Cooperate. This doesn’t mean that you agree with them. Show empathy for their feelings and understanding of their perceptions of the event. Don’t disagree with an angry person openly. Your goal here is to bring them back down to a level where you can calmly discuss the issues.
4. Be respectful. Use non-aggressive body language and voice tone to communicate with angry people. Remember that 85% of communication is non-verbal. Acknowledge their concerns; it doesn’t mean that you agree with them. Avoid using judgemental language or voice tone. Nothing gets peoples back up more quickly than judgemental statements.
5. Listen. Being an effective listener can go a long way to de-fusing an angry person. Many times people just want to be heard. They are not looking for you to provide a solution to their problem (unless you are the problem) and simply want some understanding and validation. Don’t interupt or try to correct an angry person, what you consider being rational may just provoke them further. Instead use reflective listening techniques and open ended questions to get more information and help them process the situation.
6. Reframe the context. This is a great method to establish some common ground. It allows both parties to be on the same side of the issue without necessarily agreeing on the outcome.
7. Be assertive. It’s ok to set clear boundaries for expectations and behavior. Always assess/evaluate the situation for signs that things are not going according to plan.

*In a high threat environment assertiveness may be the wrong approach. In this case cooperation would take precedence.

 
8. Disengage. It’s important to know when nothing positive is going to come from a situation and to remove yourself before things go sideways. Always have a way out. Request assistance when needed. Always debrief with someone you trust.
So now you’ve got a few tools you can start to employ when dealing with angry people. If you are anything like me, you’d prefer not to have to deal with the angry individual. Most of us would prefer to handle the situation before the screaming, yelling and threatening start. When you see that someone is going to lose it there are a few things we can do to de-fuse the anger bomb before it is armed.
9. Be proactive. If you know someone is getting angry and worked up. Deal with it early, before it becomes a problematic situation.
10. Stay calm. The more in control of your thoughts and emotions you are, the more likely you will be to de-escalate the individuals anger. Speak slowly and firmly. Being self confident and non-confrontational can go a long way towards keeping situations from getting out of control. Never make threats. It’s ok to let them know that there are consequences for inappropriate behavior. Don’t get caught up in the escalation game. This inevitably leads to violence.

11. Always have an escape route. Here’s where all of those Personal Safety skills come in so handy. Good Situational Awareness, Target Hardening and a solid Personal Safety Plan really stack the odds in your favor. Seek safety. As I’ve said many times in the past. Run towards safety, not away from danger. Prior planning and training makes this goal much easier to accomplish. Don’t assume you can wing it when the incident occurs. It could be a very big miscalculation on your part.

Kerry Sauve
http://www.streetsensesafety.ca

Crime

Each of these factors plays an important role in how and why crimes occur. Two of these factors are within your control to influence. Motive is what drives the criminal to commit the crime. Motives are as individual as the criminal and beyond your ability to effectively control. Some common themes are drugs, money, sex, violence, power, domination etc. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t attempt to understand some of the social issues surrounding the psychology of crime. It just means that knowing your attacker is a crack addict with an addiction to feed is the last thing you are worrying about when he is stealing your purse at knifepoint.

Opportunity and access are necessary for the criminal to commit an offence. Crime is like a business. To succeed it must have timing, location, read the market correctly and have access to potential customers. Having a good foundation in Personal Safety removes much of the potential for criminals to have access to you. Both timing and location are within your realm of control. Ensure that you always maintain good Situational Awareness. Being able to spot, assess and proactively respond to potentially dangerous situations is much simpler than having to resort to Self Defense or submission when a crime actually occurs.

Victims are the most important piece to the puzzle. Without a victim there is no crime. By removing yourself from the equation or at least substantially reducing your profile as a potential victim you will have the greatest impact on how crime will affect your life. This puts a lot of power and responsibility in your hands. Taking steps to reduce your desirability as a potential victim is not difficult. It does demand some education, effort and practice on your part though. You must educate yourself on what you don’t know. Contrary to popular belief, what you don’t know can hurt you. Take a course in Personal Safety and Self Defense. Learn how to develop and implement a Personal Safety Plan, then practice, practice, practice.

When we teach our courses, participants are always surprised to find out that when we talk about the “Adrenal Stress Response” that there is more to adrenaline than just “Fight of Flight”. This is not incorrect, just incomplete. During times of stress or danger the human body generally has 4 available options when adrenaline kicks in. These are; Fight, Flight, Posture, Submitt.

Each of these responses is common when a person is placed in a stressful or potentially dangerous situation. The fact is that everyone is affected by the “Adrenal Stress Response”. The difference is in how individuals deal with it. Each of us fits into one or more of these response types dependent upon a variety of environmental and personal factors. Adrenaline is an amazing hormone, it lets our bodies become supercharged and incredibly strong. Unfortunately it also has a dark side. Adrenaline also causes the “Freeze” response, dry mouth, rapid breathing, and extreme fatigue. Asymmetric Saturation Training is one method to reduce the effects of the Adrenal Stress Response. This is accomplished by systematically placing students in an adrenal stress state during full contact Padded Attacker scenarios. Repeated exposure to the Adrenal Stress Response imprints Self Defense techniques into the student’s neural pathways and teaches them how to survive a violent attack. This is the same method used by Peace Officers and the Military to train for the realities of combat.

Fight is always the first option listed when this sequence is discussed. It is however probably the least used in these situations. The human body is hardwired against harming others of our species. It is what allows us to live in large communities without random violence and murder. The ability to use violent and sometimes lethal force to protect ourselves from harm is easy to discuss and much harder to actually do. It is important to remember though that there is a portion of the populace that doesn’t share your feelings of kindness and lack of aggression towards your fellow man. In my business we call them “Wolves”. For the terms of our discussion “Wolf” refers to criminals and other predators.

Flight is the next most discussed option and in my opinion the least used or considered. It is also the most prudent and least likely to produce violent results. My philosophy has always been to run if you can and fight if you can’t. I’ve seen countless situations that have deteriorated into violence that you could have seen coming from a block away. Conversely I’ve also seen people stand back and posture when doing so was so obviously not going to go well for them.

Posturing is a very successful strategy for dealing with potential violence. Many species posture to make themselves look larger and more aggressive to potential adversaries. Often posturing works as the response cost for the criminal is just too high. It is too risky to take the chance that the individual posturing is just as tough and bad as they are trying to tell you they are. If you misjudge your career as a criminal will be brief and the resultant miscalculation painful.

Submitting is the fourth way that our bodies can react in a stressful or violent situation. In some cases submission has saved lives. Submission as a response to crime often has negative effects on it’s victims for years after the crime. It is important for survivors of violence to understand that no matter the circumstances that led to their attack the responsibility always lies with the perpetrator.

In my world there are three types of people; Wolves, Sheep and Sheepdogs. Wolves are predators and are not afraid to harm you. It is important to know that wolves don’t play by societies rules, so expecting them to behave as anything other than large, dangerous carnivores is foolhardy. The best way to deal with a wolf is never to run across his path in the first place. Learning practical Self Defense and Personal Safety skills will go a long way to keeping you off of a wolfs radar.

Sheep unfortunately represent the vast majority of society. I use this Tag because Sheep are prey. To the wolves of the world, sheep are there to be eaten. For you that means whatever personal motive that drives them to commit their crimes. Many times Sheep take the “It won’t happen to me, I live in a nice neighborhood” approach. Most times they are shocked when crime does happen in their neighborhood or affects them or someone they know in a very personal way.

Sheepdogs are the last category and that is what every one of us should aspire to be. Sheepdogs are not intimidated by Wolves and will actively protect the Sheep. Wolves don’t want to mess with a Sheepdog due to the high probability of severe risk and damage to them personally. We can become Sheepdogs by educating ourselves on the societal causes of crime and learning the skill sets necessary to protect ourselves and our families from the wolves at the door. And like a good Sheepdog we also need to learn the skills to deal with the Wolf when no other option presents itself.

Kerry Sauve

http://www.streetsensesafety.ca

When we hear the term “Gang” it conjures images of drugs, bullet ridden bodies, money and fear. The reality is; gangs are not new. In fact there is documented evidence of gang related activity going back as far as 1400-1500 AD. What is changing is the increased communications and cooperation on joint criminal ventures between gangs that would traditionally be at war or in competition for the same drug territory. Expertise and even technology are shared in an attempt to evade law enforcement and increase the bottom line. If it’s beginning to make gangs sound more than just a little like a business, it’s because they are. The only difference is that their products are crime, fear and death.

When you take a close look at how many gangs operate, patterns begin to emerge. Gangs want the same thing as any corporation. They want to grow and expand in their territory/target niche. Profit is the bottom line and ruthless business tactics are often employed in the name of gaining a competitive edge. To further the corporate analogy, gangs also use brand recognition and targeted advertising to reach their target demographic. Every gang member I’ve ever known describes himself as a “businessman”.

We won’t be discussing the different types of gangs in this article. That’s a big topic and best left for another time. Nor will we examine the complex social problems that allow gangs to flourish. These issues are far too large to explore in one article and are best digested in small doses. Instead in this article we will examine some risk factors for young people being targeted for recruitment or victimization by gang members and the some of the myths and misconceptions that abound with this topic in general.

Young people become involved in gangs for a lot of different reasons; a sense of belonging, family/friends involved in gang lifestyle, money, protection, etc. The point is; everyone is potentially vulnerable to or affected by gangs on some level. As parents we need to recognize the potential warning signs of attempted recruitment and acknowledge that while we can’t reduce all of the risk factors in our children’s lives, but we can give them enough resiliencies to deal with the problems when/if the time comes.

Parents always ask how they will know if their children are becoming involved with gangs. You will notice changes in their behavior and interactions with family, authority and society in general. Some of the changes that parents would notice immediately would include;

* Sudden changes in friends
* Change in appearance
* Disrespect for authority
* Withdraws from family activity
* Desire for excessive privacy
* Staying out all night
* Extravagant spending beyond explainable income
* Having unusually large amounts of cash
* Begins using gang related slang, graffiti, hand signs
* Unexplained cell phones or pagers
* Drugs or weapons found in their rooms/bags

I think it’s important to note that these indicators are not definitive. I know a lot of teens who display several of these identifiers and are no more affiliated to criminal gang activity than I am. What these warning flags should do however is alert parents/teachers and anyone working with youth that there is a potential for recruitment/association if early intervention does not occur. There are other risk factors that cannot be controlled such as;

* Living in a “High Risk” neighborhood
* Socially isolated
* Living in poverty
* Recent immigrant
* Sex (most gang members are male, however female membership is on the rise)
* Early exposure to violence or substance abuse
* Limited opportunities for training or employment
* Limited education

For every risk there are also resiliency factors. Resiliency is the product of a set of influences and circumstances that would pre-dispose youth away from negative lifestyle choices. Strong family ties, involvement in organized activities and strong adult role models and community involvement can go a long way to helping young people keep from becoming involved in gangs and other negative activities. It’s important for parents and educators to realize that in many ways they are the ones on the front lines in the war on gang/criminal activity.

There are a great number of myths and misconceptions around gang culture. Some of them are loosely based in reality, but utilized by gangs to increase recruitment and perpetuate the fear/respect and “silence through intimidation” they need to operate. One of the biggest myths is;

1. Gangs will protect me from my enemies. The facts would indicate otherwise. It is physically impossible for any gang to protect their members 24/7. The United States Secret Service spends billions of dollars and has tens of thousands of agents to protect a very small number of individuals. Gangs, no matter how much money they are making from the sales of drugs and other criminal acts have neither the financial resources, the training, nor will to protect a lowly foot soldier on the street. Replacing them when they are killed or incarcerated is easy. Finding and training a new foot soldier is a much more cost effective business decision than paying lawyers. Secondly your risk of death increases dramatically when compared with actuarial tables of youth not involved in gangs. A police officer well known for his expertise in these matters summed it up beautifully. He said; “The moment you join a gang, you automatically gain one hundred new enemies you never even knew you had.”  Gangs also rule by fear and intimidation of their own members. This means that in addition to the risk of being kidnapped, assaulted or killed by rival gangs; gang members often face the same risks from their own group.

2. Joining a gang will give me respect. This is one of the most common misconceptions in gang culture. When gangs talk about respect what they really mean is fear; “Respect is earned and always there. Fear is generally present only when the object of the fear is nearby. Fear often coincides with hate. It is the power of illusion.”  We need to understand and convey to our young people that fear and respect are not the same things. Gangs must rule by fear in order to maintain their control over a very competitive drug market and other crime related activity. If their enemies don’t respect/fear them, then their drug markets will be taken over and their runners “jacked” and assaulted. If their members don’t respect/fear them, then they could potentially rip off the gang by running independent operations and skimming profits. Let’s face it; one of the best ways to control a violent criminal is to be a bigger and more violent criminal yourself.

3. Gang members are my friends. Over the years I’ve come to know a lot of young people involved in gangs. Many of them had friends and family involved in the gang lifestyle. Unfortunately many of them are also dead, or doing a lot of time in prison. Although there is the perceived loyalty to the gang and its members it is always interesting to note that the loyalty only goes one way. An average gang member who is working as a runner/soldier for any gang is not making a lot of money. Don’t let all of the cash you see them being arrested with confuse you. That money is the proceeds of crime and the property of the gang’s hierarchy. Foot soldiers no more get to keep the proceeds of their criminal activities than the salesman at car dealership gets to keep the money for the sale of a new BMW. In fact those arrested are likely on the hook and fined by the gang for the loss of the drugs (food) and money. Gang members are paid a salary like any other employee; they just get the added privilege of needing to wear body armor to work and going to jail and/or being shot at as a condition of their employment. Secondly if gangs are so loyal to their members, how come they never seem to use any of the millions that they are making on drug sales to get incarcerated members the best lawyers possible?

4. I will be at the top someday. Realistically there is next to no possibility of this happening. An average foot soldier would likely have no opportunity to become the leader of a large gang. In order for this to happen it would involve surviving; the street, jail, internal dissent, rival gangs, etc. Then potential leader would actually require some business acumen and organizational talent, because as mentioned previously gangs are in the business of making money period. They are just involved in a huge array of criminal offences and operations to fulfill this goal. The facts are that sometimes gangs are controlled by larger criminal organizations much as a subsidiary company would be controlled by a large multi-national corporation. They have the ability to engage in independent action, but the overall organizational vision is determined by the more powerful entity (Organized Crime).

5. I can’t get out now that I’m in. Not all gang members are created equal. Don’t get me wrong, gangs are a huge problem and need to be dealt with. We can’t treat every gang member like they are the head of a Triad and spend inordinate amounts of money protecting society from them after they have caused untold damage to people’s lives. It is counterproductive, costly and mostly ineffective. Most gang members are not members of the leadership or upper food-chain; whose knowledge of the groups operations and intelligence would make them a liability to the gang should they attempt to leave. Most gang members are foot soldiers who are involved in the day to day operation of a small part of the organization as a whole and likely not in possession of any knowledge that could seriously damage the gang’s leadership or operations. Many times gang members simply walk away with no repercussions whatsoever.

In other articles we will explore the world of gangs and gang culture and look at topics such as;

* Types of gangs/gangsters from wanna-be to made men, and hate groups to crime syndicates.
* The gang/money connection.
* Graffiti vs. gang graffiti and how to tell the difference.
* Colors and tattoos what do they mean?
* Gang initiations and exiting.
* Rising through the ranks.
* Gangs and the internet.
* Girls in gangs.
* Community mobilization and education.
* Intelligence lead policing.
* Why tougher anti-gang laws are not working.
* What we can do to help lessen the risk and take back our communities.

In the meantime, take the initiative to find out what resources are available in your community and avail yourself of their time and experience in educating yourself on this issue. Believe it or not what you don’t know can hurt you. There is a lot of excellent free literature available online to give you an overview of general information on this subject. Talk to you children about the dangers of gangs and know their friends. Know who/where they are hanging out and any potentially dangerous areas to avoid. Educate yourself and your children on Personal Safety and basic Self Defense and teach them how to reduce as much risk in their lives as possible. The best you can do is provide them with as much Resiliency as possible and hope that it can outweigh the risk.

Kerry Sauve

http://www.streetsensesafety.ca

During hostage situations, the emotions of both parties (the hostage and hostage taker) will run the gamut between despair and euphoria. Understanding the fragile emotional dynamics that take place in these situations can increase your chances of survival. There are four stages in every hostage taking regardless of length or outcome, alarm, crisis, accommodation and resolution. Each affects the way in which hostage takers and hostages interact. Knowing which stage you are in can make the difference between life and death. 

Alarm

The alarm stage is the most traumatic and potentially dangerous time in any hostage situation. It is generally short lived (about an hour in length) and the potential for violence is high. Everyone’s emotions are running high and the hostages and hostage takers are likely in the grip of the adrenaline response. This point in the crisis is often chaotic. Hostage takers are hyper-vigilant and may react aggressively towards any perceived threat.

This is a critical time for hostages. It is during this stage of the crisis that captors are most likely to harass, abuse or kill hostages in order to consolidate their position and demonstrate their control of the situation. At this stage of the crisis hostages should try to remain calm and not antagonize their captors.

Crisis

This stage in the situation often marks the beginning of the hostage takers attempts to consolidate their positions. It is also generally the starting point for the negotiators that will be brought in to attempt to resolve the situation peacefully. It is a high energy time emotionally and sometimes physically. Hostages may be separated and moved to different locations. Hostage takers may be fearful of assault by police/military tactical teams.

This is the point in the crisis (often popularized in the media) that hostage takers will often make demands and/or give impassioned speeches. For hostages this is the most critical stage of the event and will set the tone for all future interactions with their captors. Like it or not hostage/captor interactions at this juncture can either enhance or reduce the hostage’s chances for survival. Hostages should take the opportunity to rest and eat if food is offered. They should assume a position of calm compliance and in no way challenge their captor’s authority or control of the situation.

Accommodation

Generally this is the longest stage in a hostage crisis. It can be marked with the sense that time is dragging on, punctuated with moments of sheer terror. It is during the accommodation phase that Stockholm syndrome becomes manifest. Hostages begin to feel forgotten, or that the hostage takers would leave if the police would just pack up and go home.

During this stage, negotiators are hard at work trying to bring the crisis to a peaceful resolution. Meanwhile tactical units plan and deploy in the event they need to assault the building. Emotionally and psychologically this is the most difficult time for hostages. The loss of freedom of movement and communication coupled with the fear and stress of the situation can take a huge emotional toll on hostages. They should try to conserve as much energy as possible and do everything they can to follow their captor’s instructions.

Resolution

In the end both hostages and their captors may be emotionally and physically exhausted as the hours or days/months go by and begin to take their toll. This is the second most dangerous time in any hostage situation. Hostage takers realize that they’ve lost most of their bargaining chips and may become desperate. How things play out from this point on is largely determined by the ability of the negotiator to bring the crisis to a peaceable conclusion.

How to survive if you become a hostage

Don’t be a hero. Resign yourself to the situation and wait patiently. Under no circumstances should you attempt to physically control an armed hostage taker. Life is not a movie. Underestimating the physical skills of the hostage taker (especially if armed) could be a fatal mistake. You are not always the only person there. Your actions can impact others.

Follow Instruction. Regardless of who you were before this all began you now have zero authority or control of the situation. Listen to what you are told to do and then comply. Don’t give your captors a reason to need to harm one of their hostages as a means to demonstrate their control of the situation. Remember the hostage takers are under a great deal of stress and may not be thinking rationally.

Speak when spoken to. This is a case of S2 (sit down, shut up). Any attempt to initiate conversation may be interpreted as testing the hostage takers control of the situation. Unless it is an emergency, it is best to say nothing at all. It will avoid drawing attention to you.

• Don’t offer suggestions. Attempting to be helpful will generally only antagonize your captors and make things worse for everyone. Leave the negotiations to the professionals and let the police do their jobs.
• Stay Calm. I know it would be incredibly difficult to do under the stress of being held hostage but it must be done. There is absolutely nothing to be gained by panic. Hostages should rest and eat if possible. You have no idea how long the situation will take to resolve itself and the emotional ups and downs can be debilitating.
• Evaluate whether you can safely escape. The opportunity for escape must be carefully weighed against the chances of success vs. the chance of being caught or that harm may be done to the remaining hostages in retaliation. As I said earlier, life is not a movie and you’ll only get one chance to do it right.
• Ask for help when you need it. After the crisis stage it may be appropriate to request aid such as medication if you require it. Your life is a bargaining chip to the hostage takers and there is no percentage in them allowing you to become ill or die.
• Never argue hostage takers. Arguing with your captors will only make you stand out in their minds and focus their attention on you. If you are perceived as a threat you could be harmed as a message to the other hostages.
• Avoid drawing attention to yourself. Try to blend in and be as unobtrusive as possible. You absolutely do not want to stand out in your captor’s memory.
• Treat your captors with respect. This along with not challenging their authority or attempting to embarrass them will go a long way towards ensuring that hostages are not mistreated. Don’t downplay the seriousness of the situation.
• Never attempt to trick your captors. Attempting to manipulate the situation for your advantage is a dangerous game. If you are found to be lying, the hostage takers may make an example of one of the hostages to demonstrate their control.
• Be patient. Hostage situations are often long, drawn out events. Police are hard at work trying to bring the situation to a peaceful resolution. The longer the situation goes on, the higher your chances are for survival.
• Be a good witness. Pay attention (Situational Awareness) to the hostage takers. Who is in charge? How many of them are there? What kind of weapons do they have? What is the disposition of the hostages? Have they been harmed? If you are released before the other hostages these and many more questions will be important for the police tactical units and hostage negotiators to know.

Kerry Sauve

http://www.streetsensesafety.ca

There are some alarming statistics surrounding the crime of sexual assault that we all seem to be conveniently ignoring. 

Sun Tzu said “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”  These words apply to your personal safety as well as armies, in order to understand and defeat a predator you must first understand how they think, operate and select their victims.  

The psychology of violence and criminal behavior has long been debated and postulated about. For our purposes we only really care about how predators choose their victims and the techniques they employ to perpetrate their crimes. For a predator to be able to harm you several things have to happen;  

- Something has put you on his radar. Some things are controllable; such as whether you choose to sleep with your windows open at night or whether you lock your garage door when you go out. Other things are not such as your looks, age and sex. Keep in mind that the majority of sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the victim.  

- He perceives you as potential prey. Predators utilize a lot of Social Engineering and grooming techniques to determine if a potential victim is someone he can manipulate and control. We call this the interview. It works much the same way any good salesman works and is designed to gather as much information as possible, test for compliance and control. The easy way to deal with this is to short circuit the interview process. Know that these types of techniques are always trying to sell you something. What is important is not so much the message, but the context.  

- He has access to you. Sexual assault does not just happen in back alleys, jogging paths and remote locations. Sexual assault can happen anywhere there is an opportunity. A great deal of our lives can be controlled through our behavior and actions. Ensuring that you maintain good personal security practices with respect to our person, premises and information reduces potential access for a predator. (Remember 85% of sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the victim)

- He has opportunity. In order to harm you a predator must have the opportunity to do so. Both opportunity and access are generally within our sphere of control. Once again it is the context of a situation that must be examined. Understanding this allows you to prevent yourself from becoming a target of opportunity.  

I approach teaching Personal Safety and Self Defence from a reverse engineering perspective and have learned a great deal from working with predators for the past seventeen years in a maximum security prison. I teach women how to recognize assess and reduce risk in all areas of their lives and avoid being placed in a potentially vulnerable position in the first place.  

I view these types of criminals as you would any large carnivore. You know they are dangerous so treat them with caution when they can’t be avoided. Predators are like wolves and actively hunt for potential victims. What is clear and common with all predators is that they are looking for easy victims that they perceive as non-threatening and controllable. How do you make yourself less attractive as a potential target? First and foremost make yourself less visible and potentially vulnerable to predators. There are some very simple changes women can make in their lives to reduce their risk of becoming the victim of sexual assault.  

- Educate yourself. Take the time to take courses on basic self defence and personal safety. Attend an in-service at your local hardware store to learn how to properly secure your home and belongings. Read as much information as you can find on “Social Engineering” and other methods used by people to control others.

- Ensure that your home is secure and that any security deficits are corrected. (i.e. window bars, dead bolts, security screws, alarm system)
Maintain good security practices. Keep the shades drawn at night or if you live in a ground floor or basement suite. Doors and windows are always locked. Always keep a charged cell phone close at hand.  

- Maintain information security. Don’t list your first and last name in the phone book or on mailboxes if you are a single woman. Use your initials instead. Don’t provide any personal information online or over the phone without first verifying who will have access to it and how it will be used). Believe it or not Social Networking sites are one of the easiest ways for predators to gain access to you. It may surprise you to know that it is relatively easy to access your Facebook page without your password or being your friend. Don’t assume the security features on these sites will protect your identity. In about five minutes I can find every bit of information that you’ve provided your Internet Service Provider, including your name, address and credit card number.  

- Maintain Situational Awareness. Staying alert and confident goes along way to keeping you safe. It means paying attention to your environment, the verbal and non-verbal cues being given off by others and to the context of our interactions.  

- Have a plan. 90% of all security is planning, preparation and practice; the other 10% is action and implementation. Why is so much time and effort put into planning? Because if it is done properly it will substantially reduce your level of risk (up to 75%). Planning for your security doesn’t have to be overly onerous or restrictive to your lifestyle. A good Personal Security Plan is one that you will use everyday. If it is too complex and restrictive, then you won’t use it.  

- Listen to your instincts. If you get that funny feeling when you are in a certain situation or with someone you viscerally don’t like, listen to what it is telling you. I call it the “Creep Meter”. Believe it or not you are an expert at reading human behavior. Your system is hardwired to pick up the subtle verbal and non-verbal behavioral cues all social primates display. Remember that sometimes wolves will disguise themselves as sheep, but underneath they still act like a wolf. It’s all about the context of the situation and interaction.

- Act fast. If you think you are in potential danger quickly move towards safety. Don’t wait or second guess yourself. The longer you wait the less options that you have available. If you have to defend yourself, end the conflict as soon as you can. Fight dirty and like your life depends on it, speed and aggression are usually the best way to go in situations such as this. This is where a well structured self defence strategy is invaluable.  

While I know that it is unlikely that we will ever completely eradicate this crime, we can still take steps to reduce the number of victims and ensure that our wives, daughters and loved ones can live their lives knowing they have done everything possible to keep themselves safe.  
Kerry Sauve  

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jgZzbDlzjc

Let me begin by stating THEY DID NOTHING WRONG. The very fact they survived their ordeal means these young women did everything right. This month I wanted to talk to you about predators and some strategies for identifying and avoiding/escaping them. I refer to predators generically as wolves. However there are different types of wolves; each with their own modus operandi. As a peace officer I have the opportunity to work with all types of predators and observe them in action. It’s a unique opportunity to learn why/how these types of individuals choose certain types of victims over others and our options for avoidance, escape or defense. Let’s just say there is a great deal of controversy in the field as to how this goal can be best accomplished. I’d like to provide you with my perspective.

Predator Dynamics 

It’s important to understand that there is one common element to all predatory attacks, and that is they all require a victim; aka you. If you remove yourself from the equation as a potential victim, then the crime cannot occur. This is over simplified and is not always possible, the point being possessing strong Personal Safety skills does a great deal to reduce your risk of becoming targeted as a potential victim in the first place.

It’s also important to note that predators see you as a commodity, a means to an end (sex, money, property, drugs, status, and power) and nothing more. Working on an Emergency Response Team, I’ve witnessed and responded to hundreds of assaults, attacks and ambushes. Witnessing and dealing with these incidents as made a few things quite clear.

• Predators don’t fight fair. They use ambush, deception, surprise; shock and sudden violence too quickly overpower their victims and get what they need. They also use a variety of social engineering techniques to size up or gain access to potential victims.
• Not all predators are the same. There are some generalities that we can make about predators, but to say all predators are the same is dangerous and incorrect. There is a huge difference between how a group of gang members coordinate an assault on a rival and how a predatory rapist or child molester stalks, selects and acquires their victims. It’s vitally important to tailor your training and education and Personal Safety Plan to include the predator types that are relevant to you.
• Predators use terrain, tactics and surprise to their advantage. It only makes sense. A predator is looking for a resource (you) and to procure it in a means that places him/her at the least amount of risk.
• Predators are adept at recognizing those that are less confident, alone and unaware and taking advantage of their situation. Like their wild counterparts, predators always try to select the weak, unsure, unaware or those with no self-confidence. For the predator this greatly lowers their risk of retaliation, being caught or escape of the intended prey and increases their chances of success.  
• In most cases the predator will have the advantage. Sorry; but it’s true. You can train and prepare for how to reduce your risk of being put on their radar in the first place and how to survive if you are targeted. You can’t however always predict who, what, where, when, and why a specific target will be chosen. Action is always quicker than reaction, so prepare yourself for the reality that if you are attacked it will likely be from the direction/angle you least expect and places your attacker at the greatest advantage. You may need to defend yourself hurt, stunned or badly positioned. Your attacker will already be in a highly adrenalized state and you will be at condition normal. Never assume that you will quickly or easily deal with an angry adrenalized predator. It’s a dangerous assumption and one that can cost you your life.
• Predators sometimes hunt in packs. Always be aware of the possibility that there may be more than one individual involved. Group dynamics are complex and fluid and can change rapidly.

Predators

As I stated earlier, not all predators are created equal. The con is the predator that most of us would likely encounter at some point in time during our lives. This is the individual that has learned that it is easy to get what they want through bullying, threats and intimidation. Sociologists may disagree, but I feel most criminals fall into this category. They see taking what they want from others as their right and are not above using violence to get it if they have to. A crack addict with a knife is just as potentially lethal as an apex predator like a serial killer. If you take nothing else away from this article take this; Never make assumptions. Cons generally get to spend some time incarcerated and learn to fine tune their predations while in jail. Jails are an interesting place. Put a bunch of people who victimize others into a confined environment and what do they do? The answer is they continue to victimize others. Predators are not above preying on other weaker criminals.

Apex predators are top of the food chain. These are a different animal all together. These predators are different because they’re motivation is different. They are still looking at you as a means to an end, but they are motivated by an internal drive or compulsion (fantasy) to commit the act. Serial killers, serial rapists, sociopaths would fall into this category. Often when I read reports of what these people have done it is difficult to link the act to the individual. Many of them appear normal, are reasonably intelligent and charming. Not the slavering monsters their crimes would indicate. Once again, Never make assumptions. Appearing non-threatening was likely what got some of these killers close enough to their victims to strike. Do your research there are some excellent publications that will cover the predatory criminal mindset in detail. You can’t protect yourself from something you fear and don’t understand.

Dealing with Predators

The best way to deal with a predator is never being viewed as potential prey in the first place. Easier said than done right? Yes and No. There are risks and resiliencies in all of our lives that increase or decrease the chances that we will be targeted by a predator. There are some excellent Personal Safety and Self Defense programs that can vastly increase your chances of avoiding, escaping or surviving an encounter with a predator and as a potential victim of crime in general. Everyone should receive training and education in basic Personal Safety and Self Defense. As I tell my children; it’s better to have something and not need it than to need something and not have it. Saying you’ll never be in this situation is not the same as the reality that someday you might be.

You must do some personal research. Pick up a copy of Gavin DeBecker’s “The Gift of Fear”. This incredible book discusses the importance of “Listening to your Gut” when it comes to meeting and interacting with people. It should be on everyone’s must read list. I have always been impressed with Mr. DeBecker’s work as it is practical, realistic and makes sense. It’s a great starting point in your education about predators and crime in general.

Understand that predatory attacks do not occur in a vacuum. They are dynamic and the situations and motives are as varied as the predator. There are some general guidelines that will help you begin to understand the continuum of events that occurs prior to and after the attack. What I’ve observed is that in many predatory attacks there is a pattern that repeats itself time and time again. If you understand this and are able to disrupt the cycle, then you are removed from the pool of potential victims.

• The Approach. In order to be successful in securing a victim, contact must be made. Unlike what the media has led us to believe, real predatory violence is different. The way to deal with the approach is to switch gears. When dealing with predators it’s a good general rule to always be ready to “throw the switch” because the quick blitzkrieg type of attack is the predator’s stock in trade. I have always found that when confronted with a potential predator maintaining a relaxed/I’m not a good target demeanor is the best policy. It’s easier for them to find another target than to deal with the painful result of a miscalculation in their choice of prey. Maintain Situational Awareness and consider your options. Always have a plan B and an escape route in case it all goes sideways.
• Predator Interview. This is how the predator initiates contact with the potential victim. Contact can take a myriad of forms and not all of them are obvious. We know that up to 85% of communications is non-verbal. Predators will use these non-verbal messages when conducting their cost/benefit analysis of the situation to determine who is and who is not a viable target. Self confident, aware, assertive people are far less likely to be targeted as potential victims by predators due to the personal risk involved in making the wrong choice of victim. Shutting down the interview is as simple as not playing the game. Don’t be afraid to be perceived as rude. Be direct and assertive (loud). Drawing attention to yourself is a good thing, predators generally don’t want witnesses. Eye contact and posture are excellent indicators of self-confidence, use them to communicate non-verbally that you are a bad choice as a victim. Keep your hands out of your pockets and ready in case you need to defend yourself.
• I’m a big believer in the; run if you can, de-escalate if you can’t, and fight if you have to philosophy. In order to harm you a predator must always have one thing; Contact. Keep this in mind, if they can’t touch you, they can’t hurt you. Always know where you are, where you are going, where you can find safety, or where you can safely run if you need to escape and evade. Directly and assertively redirect any attempt to initiate contact with you at times or places that are inappropriate or at which you are potentially vulnerable. This doesn’t just mean physical contact, be aware of other media such as the Internet where you could also be placed at risk. This all comes down to planning. You must think about how you will handle these situations before you are scared, adrenalized and possibly injured.
• Attack. When a predator attacks it will generally be brutal, swift and efficient. You must be prepared for the reality of how quickly and painfully violence occurs. You must also realistically train for how you are going to deal with it. If your training and education do not realistically address these realities you are being placed in a dangerously overconfident state of mind. Never make assumptions about how you will be attacked. I can tell you from personal experience, in all my years working with violent offenders; I’ve never seen a predatory attack occur in a manner that would be deemed fair or equitable to the victim. It’s usually from behind, when they can’t defend themselves or when it’s 5 on 1. Account for these factors when you are planning and training.

Taking yourself out of the potential victim pool is about becoming more self-confident, mentally tough, better educated and prepared. As I mentioned earlier, predators are looking for victims they perceive as easy, weak or controllable. As they look at you they are conducting their own risk/reward assessment and are making choices based on your reactions to their interview, past experiences and their level of arousal.  If you are perceived to be too big a risk/threat, then they will likely bypass you as a potential victim. Self-confidence and mental toughness are skills that can be acquired through education, training, and practice.

The other side of the coin is learning the Urban Survival and Self Defense skills that will allow you to survive if you can’t avoid or escape a predator. It’s vitally important to understand the difference between Self Defense and the Martial Arts. Both have enormous value, but they are not the same things. Once again you must do your research. It is your life and your responsibility.

Training should be realistic, simple and make sense. There is no sense in spending time learning skills designed for the ring or sport and expect them to transfer to a real situation. They won’t. Let me give you an example. You know how to ride a bicycle right? Does that mean you know how to ride a high powered drag motorcycle, or a dirt bike on a track? The reality is that most “Self Defense” does not account for someone who is trying to repeatedly stab you with a knife or has already knocked you onto your belly on the floor with a strike from behind. 

Training must incorporate the Adrenal Stress Response that both the predator and prey will be experiencing. Training should take into account the fact that the predator could be under the influence of drugs and alcohol and immune to a good deal of pain and damage. This severely impacts how you would need to neutralize them as a threat and what techniques are likely to accomplish the goal with as little damage to yourself as possible. You need to be realistic here. A wrist lock/nerve strike isn’t going to do anything to an angry, irrational man who is high on methamphetamine. Don’t believe me? Well, I work with a great group of guys on an ERT Team; we have a lot of years/variety of experience in the combat arts. We train regularly, we are in good shape, and we are experienced and motivated. Here’s the thing, with all of those things behind us, I’ve seen psychotics getting up off the floor with 500 lbs of peace officer on their back, arms and legs. The point is; be prepared. If you find yourself dealing with this type of individual, you’d better be ready to do them some serious damage or better yet run, because if they get their hands on you it could be very, very bad.

Lastly you must implement what you’ve learned and maintain your training. The best laid plan in the world is completely useless if you don’t use it. Proper training will go a long way to keeping you safe but you’ve got to practice to make it work. Continue to educate yourself on how predators and other types of criminals operate and why they are successful so much of the time. Learn everything you can about social engineering and how it’s used to gain access to potential victims. Learn from people who have real experience working with these types of individuals, because their insights could save your life. Keep in mind what I said earlier about assumptions. Not all predators are the same, nor are they looking for the same victim type. Everything is fluid and you must be able to roll with the punches. Always have a plan “B.

Kerry Sauve

http://www.streetsensesafety.ca