Situational Awareness and Solutions Orientated Thinking The Fundamentals of Self Defense

Hi everyone,


Today I would like to talk to you about situational awareness and solutions orientated thinking.

These two concepts are the fundamentals of any self defense program, if you are lacking in one then are going to be lacking in the other and you’re doomed for failure.


Here’s a scenario…


Let’s say its 11pm and you’re sitting in a subway car heading home from a hard day at the office.


You notice (situational awareness) at the next stop a large intimating man entering your train he has a missing tooth, rough knuckles and a scar on his right cheek he also has a bent nose. He is wearing a jacket on a hot summer’s night and one side of his jacket seems to have something heavy in it.


The train has already started to move so you can’t get off and catch the next one. You know this guy is a fighter and you know by his mannerisms that he is looking for a fight with someone on the train.


There are only four passengers on the train:

1. The thug
2. You
3. An old man with a cane
4. A woman who is 45 years of age with a medium sized canvas bag.


The next thing you notice is that the thug gets up eye’s you, pulls out a knife and walks aggressively towards you yelling.


Notice you have assessed a threat and are not caught off guard thanks to having situational awareness.


How you think now comes into play, you’re thought processes will either turn you into a victim or the victimizer in this situation.


Thought Process #1

Are you going to think “This guy has a knife he looks mean and huge. What’s he going to do?” This type of thinking leads to “flight or freeze response” and is” problem orientated thinking” and does you no good. You’re leaving your fate in the hands of the thug.

Thought Process #2

Or are you going to be think there is an old guy sitting near me, grab his cane and I will use it as a baton to strike the knife out of the thug’s hand. The middle aged woman has a bag I can grab that with my other hand and use it as a shield from the knife slashes/strikes. This is what is called “fight response” and is solutions orientated controlling your destiny in this situation.


By focusing on the solutions to your self defense issues lets you feel more empowered and in control of a threatening situation, reduces fear of the given situation and increases your survivability rate tenfold.


This type of thinking not only works in self defense situations but in the real world as well.


Realistic Self Defense Through Research

Norm Bettencourt