May I Have Your Attention Please?

  Like many Self Protection (types of) Blogs, I tend to focus upon techniques, and what's involved with their application. Knowing full well that those techniques can only be utilized after having (first) established that there's a threat.

    

  This is not done by accident, nor oversight (on my part). The fact is, I hate teaching those types of classes. From my own perspective, it's the equivalent to teaching people to look both ways before crossing the street. If your not doing so already, then maybe your displaying suicidal tendency's to begin with?

    

  I teach (only) adult Life-Protection Courses. Not that I have anything against that age-deprived group of individuals, I just don't specialize in their instruction. There's plenty of instructor's that Do (and seeing that the greatest financial gain is to be had from that group, I'm sure there will always be instructor's that do work with them. I'll be available when they become older, LOL).

    

  To me, the act of being consciously aware of my surroundings, is one which I've had to have with many of my prior jobs (in one way or another). Not all of the threats which I have had to be aware of were human (and no, Zombie killer wasn't one of those job titles).

    

  The threats that I (most often) needed to be aware of were (often) accidental in origin. Much of my employment was in industrial construction (a fairly dangerous field). I was a Union Electrician, much of the work I did involved Medium (380v+) and Higher (13,200v+) Electrical equipment.

    

  During my tenure, “I” never lost anyone that was under my supervision, but I did see several men lose their lives through accidents (none of which, were pleasant to see, nor even recall).

    

  Knowing that awareness of your surroundings, and observing the changing events that occur (on a regular basis) around us, can and will help in keeping you alive/safe, and should be an instinctual habit.

   

  As an adult, if you are oblivious to the possibility of the threats that surround you at a (any) given location, then maybe you shouldn't be in those places to begin with.

    

  There are numerous sites and groups (as well as blogs) that provide those (many) “lists” of do's and don'ts, haves and don't haves as well as plenty of psychiatrist’s and psychologist’s to help you understand that you shouldn't hang around people who kill puppies and like to smack around women.

    

  If you actually need that much guidance in your life, then maybe you shouldn't leave the house. There needs to be some level of personal responsibility for the consequences resulting from self imposed acts of stupidity.

   

  That being stated, there's also the (unfortunately) semi-common occurrence, of being in the wrong place, at the wrong time, through no wrong doing on our part,...at all (thereby justifying the saying “Shituff Happen's”).

    

  What I teach, is How to deal with those situations. It isn't the most easily learned method of doing so either. Numerous systems teach different ways to react to those same or similar situations that may be more easily learned, but in my opinion, provide a less effective response (as a result).

   

 The majority of the instruction provided by these types of classes, amounts to “Pay Attention”. Figure out why people are doing the things that they're doing (around you). It may, or may not have anything (intentionally) to do with you at all. But that doesn't mean that it couldn't.
    

 It would be a bad (enough) thing to be the target of an unfortunate event (intentional or accidental). It would really suck to be listed as collateral damage to that event. 

  Pay attention.