Learning tactical awareness

[dshimm]

One of the most important things about self defense (with or without firearms) is proper situational awareness. With empty handed or armed self defense, technique is important, but will only get you 10-20% of the way. The remainder is attitude and awareness, and while I at least know how to train technique, I am not entirely sure how to train proper attitude and awareness. Let me give two examples.

About a year ago, my wife and I were waiting in a line. There was a young woman in front of us. I noticed that she had a particular rash on the back of her neck, pointed it out to my wife, and told her what it represented (I am a physician). She hadn't noticed the rash, but she had noticed the style and color of the girl's dress, which I couldn't recall. Clearly, we notice and focus on the things we're trained and accustomed to notice. I've been examiniing people's bodies for over 30 years, while my wife has been appraising other women's clothing for even longer. Yet I was disappointed that I was unable to recall what the girl was wearing.

So clearly, a first cut at becoming more observant is to become more aware and observant. However, a second example. I've done some advanced firearms training involving airsoft/simunition type firearms, in various shoot/no shoot scenarios, like the NTI. In the training setting, everything is adrenaline charged, and I regard all role players as potential threats. Generally our group goes out to a restaurant at the end of the day's training, and it's almost amusing to notice how edgy each of us has become, scrutinizing all the other patrons in the restaurant closely, watching exits, etc. While this probably represents good tactical awareness, it is very tiring, and difficult to keep up for more than a week or so.

So what to do? Clearly obliviousness is not a (viable) option, while being on alert all the time is too taxing. One thought I had is that learning tactical awareness is like learning to drive - recall how overwhelming it was to keep an eye on the traffic ahead, the mirrors, and the speedometer, while working the turn signal, dimmer switch, gear shift, and clutch when first learning to drive, and how it has now become second nature. Perhaps the same is true of tactical awareness. Or are there other ways to train oneself in good habits? Any exercises, shortcuts, heuristics?

 

[22lr]

I always find an exit, scan who's around, and keep the trusty S&W near by.

Exits:
The kitchen always has one so just hop the counter if need be.

Scanning:
You can almost always discount any couple/group and just look for single people who arnt reading the paper, IMHO they are the prime suspects to keep an eye on (rarely do single people eat out by themselves without doing something).

Thats what I do but im not a pro.

 

[Jeff White]

What you have to do is learn the normal rhythms and patterns of the environment around you. You probably already have but you just are focusing more on searching for a threat then just observing the things around you. The old cliche from the western movies that "It's too quiet something is up." isn't really such a cliche. If you are familiar with normal ebb and flow of things in your normal environment any change will stand out to you. You need to train your mind to key in on anything that is out of the ordinary and check it out.

The same holds true when you are looking at the people around you in that environment. Train yourself to look for indicators that someone may be a VCA and act accordingly. Most people you can dismiss with a glance. Others who show certain mannerisms common to someone who is about to attack should immediately pop up on your minds radar.

We can't possibly examine everyone we see in detail to determine if they are a threat or not. We have to train our minds to recognize the indicators and focus on that person.

You probably already know what these threat indicators are if you think about it. What are some of the indicators you look for when you and your group are out to lunch after a training session?

 

[Mike2]

Over the years, I've found myself in a couple of tight spots. The most important part of the equation is not getting yourself into that tight spot to begin with ( I know, sometimes theres no choice). Situational awareness from a tactival view point can be as simple as a short recon of the restraunt you just walked into or as complicated as mapping the hospital that your loved one is being housed in for escape routes needed from a fire or other disaster. People are relatively easy to judge as long as you know what to look for, now, that being said, there are folks among us who can and do hide there intentions very well so each situation must be handled differently. The most important part is awareness. Eyes open, ears perked establish a normal rythm for the particular flow thru whatever situation you are in (if possible) and monitor changes in that flow. If you are a clerk at a store, you know the flow of the traffic thru the store and have a very good understanding of the people who frequent the store. Look for signs such as nervousness, increased respirations, sweating, body language (gut instinct is right most of the time) learn to watch people and you will be told a story thru watching there actions, the way they carry themselves, the way they interact with other, the way there eyes react to yours when you make eye contact. Little things like these can go a long way in situational / tactical awareness, most importantly, teach yourself to analyze all situations and pretty soon it becomes habit. Everytime I go anywhere, first thought is "Ok, wheres another exit, second thought how many folks in the room and what are there intentions, third thought who doesn't fit, fourth thought .......and so on and so forth. Develope your own program to fit your needs and then practice.

 

[anythingshiny]

My wife, I kid you not, can remember what anyone was wearing the first time she met you...she records clothes in her head...years later she can tell me what I was wearing at an event...and I cant tell you what i wore yesterday...but she does not see the homeless dude walking up in a parking lot until he is there...she does not see that one dude in the crowd who is just out of place enough for a second look...

Her mindset is looking at her environment from a different perspective. I'm doing the puffy chested, big dog on a leash routine while out and about and she is seeing the same thing as I am, but processing it differently.

Awareness is a learned behavior and a function of mindset.

 

[Stirling XD]

A few years back I read the book "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin DeBecker. He discusses situational awareness, threat assessment and our instinctual fear. He points out that we often pick up on cues that tell us something isn't right and that we should react in a certain manner. The people that follow their "gut" are often called "survivors".

Then there are those that rationalize away their fears. "This is a safe neighborhood." "That doesn't happen during the daytime." "I'm just letting my imagination get the better of me." They often become victims.

From what I've been told, Debecker is anti-gun, but I still got a lot out of the book and recommend it to anyone concerned with personal safety.

 

[WTBguns10kOK]

I think one of the most important things is your peripheral vision. Maybe you understand it better if you hunt, I don't know, but you get to a point where you can pretty much sense what's going on around you. You don't need to stop and check out everything out, just maybe the guy you can "feel" watching you or whatever.

I suppose you can practice it by trying to figure out what you're not yet looking at, and then checking to see how close you really were. Maybe it just comes naturally from all the years of checking out girls without ever making eye contact...I dunno.

Anyway, if you never do, just try going to a place where people are, look at a fixed point, and then see what you can find out about people. 99.99% will assume you're just daydreaming. If you're not looking at them, no one ever thinks you know.

 

[bikerdoc]

GOOd stuff by all that needs to be applied by everyone daily.
See my thread in strategy and tactics
called Personal strategy it may nelp
You cant be condition red all the time but you can be interested and aware of your environment, With practice it is fun, as most people are amusingly harmless , the rest need some scrutiny and thought.
On the subject of wives I agree, mine looks at clothes but also has adopted my system to looked for threats. being 10 years younger than me and having had some good training, she has my back. As I tell my friends I am only afraid of two things, snakes. and my wife when she is mad. (laugh,snicker,wink)

 

[James T Thomas]

circumspect

Thanks for this post, "Dshimm;" the topic is a good one.

I find that I am alert and observant enough, but that after I see things flowing as usual, I become absorbed in something of interest, like men in particular do, and so much so, that there goes my focus, completely onto what is on my mind.

So, my effort has been, not to remain in any heightened state like yellow, orange, etc., but not to submerge into the "white" state either.
-So intent on what I'm involved with that all else gets excluded.

To the credit of women, they handle the "mulititasking" far better than men do, but then as "anyythingshiny" states, women process the infomation differently.

Preliminary to all this I try to approach my activity with the three principles of warfare that are: the ability to move, communicate and shoot.
I place myself with freedom to come and go, and with cover or concealment available.
I avoid loud spots where conversation does not require shouting, or distances for that matter.
And I watch to see that I do not have "others" before or behind any "fields of fire" that I might have to take.

These things are not always obtainable, so if I must, I can settle to go about my business without having them absolutely, but I do try to have it so.
Then I can relax and enjoy myself and forget. Oops, there I go.
I shouldn't do that.