Self-Defense and Safety Tips: Awareness Part 1 - April 2002
Self-Defense Tips by Alain Burrese
Awareness Part 1
The first and foremost goal of self-defense is to keep yourself from harm.
Self-defense is not being able to fight or beat someone else up.
Self-Defense is keeping yourself safe! The single most important principle
to increase your ability to remain safe is AWARENESS. By being aware, you
can avoid most threatening situations. By being aware, you will also see
many great things that you may have missed by not being observant and aware of
what is going on around you. To make the levels of awareness easier, a
color code system can be used.
White: Totally unaware. Oblivious to what is going on around you.
The
only time you should be at level white is at home with the doors locked or some
other similar safe place.
Yellow: Aware of what is going on. Not paranoid, but paying
attention to things. Knowing where you are and what is going on around
you. Recognizing others and what they are doing around you.
Orange: Something is amiss. By being at level yellow, you recognize
something might not be right. The guy across the parking lot is looking at
you funny and starting to walk your way.
Red: You were paying closer attention in orange, and now you KNOW
something is wrong. This person is after you. Red is time to act!
Fight or flight. Your best option is to escape to a safe place. Don't
just run, run toward safety.
These levels of awareness can help you avoid becoming a victim of violent
crime, just as they can help you avoid an accident while driving. Yellow:
paying attention.