The attached is very much on topic (though far more polysyllabic than the OP 8^), and comes from Skip Gochenour by way of John Farnam, both often quoted here. For those unfamiliar with the initialism, VCA = violent criminal actor in ATSA-speak.
Personal appearance, attidute, conduct, level of attention- and many more factors too subtle to try and list here- constitute the observations a VCA makes of prospective victims, while said VCA conducts the victim selection process. It should be our goal to fail the VCA's victim selection process by evidencing awareness, ability and willingness to do lethal damage to attackers if necessary. And should we somehow 'pass' the VCA's 'victim selection test' despite all this, then we must be ready, willing and able to make it clear to the VCA that he made a serious mistake in the victim selection process.
lpl
=========================
http://www.defense-training.com/quips/28July08.html
28 July 08
Incisive analyses, as always, from Skip Gochenour and the ATSA Crew:
"While all ten of the points you enumerate are valid and germane, these two are, by far, the most important:
>Face facts! Don't con yourself. Don't delude yourself into thinking you're not really seeing what is in front of you.
>Lose your fear of dying! There are no guarantees in this life, and, end the end, we're all dead anyway. Who look for 'fairness'in the way the world is ordered, do so in vain!
In four decades of studying violent encounters, and in discussions with hundreds of VCAs, I have become convinced that decisions on the part of VCAs with regard to victim selection and engagement are governed almost entirely by their perception of the potential victim's understanding of, and personal commitment to, the foregoing.
VCAs understand that the willful reluctance of the target/victim to accept the reality and urgency of the situation, catalyzes the victim's inclination to engage in fantasy- delusion sufficient to persuade the victim to suspend reality just long enough for the victimization to take place.
In the VCA's convergence upon an engagement decision, he will accept all the other points you made, so long as the two enumerated above are in his favor. He will thus be heavily influenced by his perception (correct or incorrect) that the target/victim is willing to wager his life on the outcome of the next few moments. When the target/victim is obviously unwilling to make that irrevocable wager, and instead submerges himself in aboulic fantasy, the VCA has a green light, no matter what other factors figure into the equation!
Since the success, and continued good health, of the VCA turns on his ability to correctly perceive this willingness, or its absence, he is well-advised to hone that perceptive skill. His first wrong call may well be his last, as it nearly was in the incident you cited."
Comment: Fear, like all other emotions, needs to be managed and contained. Fear is normal, even beneficial in some circumstances. But, when out of control, fear leads, by a short route, to delusion and paralysis, as Skip noted above. Fear will drive you to inaction, and maybe crazy to boot! Its paralyzing grip must be broken by personal courage, resolve, and icy determination, which you either have or you don't!
In the words of Sitting Bull, "Brothers! Test your armor, but only test the front!"
/John
============
-and the Success Story as mentioned above:
http://www.defense-training.com/quips/27July08.html
Success Story!
27 July 08
Success story, from a female student:
"Last week, I had just returned home from shopping . My house is set back from the street and up forty stairs. Shrubs on both sides of the stairway obscure the view and severely restrict any exit except down the stairs. When I arrived home, I parked my car in the driveway, carried a load of groceries up to the house, then returned to the car to bring up the last load.
As I got my arms full again, I heard a man's voice saying, 'Hey lady! I have something to sell you.' I turned to see a strange man, scrubby, dirty, and poorly dressed, advancing on me from the street. I replied, 'I'm not interested,' and started walking quickly toward the stairs.
The man followed. I turned toward him and said sternly, 'I'm not interested. Get off my property!' He replied, 'Let me come in and show you what I have for sale.' He continued to advance on me. I abruptly dropped my packages, got my hand on my snubby revolver, and ran up the stairs to my front door, entered my house, and locked the door behind me.
Once inside, I called 911 and reported an 'assault-in-progress.' I took a breath, thinking the man had probably left.
No such luck!
The man appeared at my doorway and started pounding and kicking the locked door, yelling, "Let me in! Let me in!" Still on the line,the 911 operator, hearing the pounding, said, 'What is that?' I replied, 'Operator, send the police now! A violent felon is breaking into my house!'
Having only marginal faith in the stoutness of my front door, I retreated up the stairs to a landing. I used a support post for cover as I pointed my revolver at the door. I calculated I would be shooting down (safe backstop), plus the attacker would not see me right away. Fortunately, I had thought about, and rehearsed, all this before, so there was no hesitation on my part.
I shouted, 'Go away! I've called the police, and they on the way. I have a gun, and I will shoot!
The pounding abruptly stopped, and I could hear him running back down the stairs. From an upstairs window, I saw a faded van drive up, pick the man up, and drive away. Never saw him again!
Police were there minutes afterward. They indicated that what I had experienced fit the MO of a gang of grubs that had spread out over the neighborhood lately.
The moral of this story for me is the confirmation of the value of my professional defensive handgun training and my ongoing practice with my Training Group. My pistol was loaded, as always, with high-performance ammunition, and I entertained no uncertainty with regard to my ability to stop this felon with gunfire, and I was fully prepared to do so, without hesitation.
Happily, it was not necessary, this time!"
Lessons:
(1) Be alert! Pay attention. Keep your head up. Have a well-tuned ability to detect trouble in the making. The more time you have to prepare yourself and refine your Plan accordingly, the better the outcome.
(2) Face facts! Don't con yourself. Don't delude yourself into thinking you're not really seeing what is in front of you.
(3) Have a Plan! Know your Plan. Rehearse your Plan. But, don't fall in love with your Plan! Those without a plan will predictably dither and die!
(4) Stern, clear, uncluttered verbal challenges will often prevent the necessity of using deadly force. Verbal challenges need to be short, to the point, one-way, and unequivocal. Don't bluff, and don't engage in a conversation!
(5) Be armed! Like wearing seatbelts when in a car, you can't know when they will be necessary, so you wear them all the time!
(6) Stay in motion! Get your feet out of cement. A moving target is a difficult target.
(7) There is no substitute for competent firearms training and continuous practice. When you've never taken lessons, it is unlikely you'll be able to suddenly sit down in front of a piano and make music, no matter how nice a piano it is!
(8) Be prepared to go it alone. Don't wait to be rescued! Even a relatively fast response [by] police is still far too slow to make any difference in the outcome of most life-threatening situations. When you are not prepared to handle it yourself, right now, without assistance from anyone, you probably won't live through it.
(9) Do whatever is necessary, at the critical moment, without hesitation. Don't worry about being perfect, and don't look back!
(10) Lose your fear of dying! There are no guarantees in this life, and, end the end, we're all dead anyway. [Those] Who look for "fairness" in the way the world is ordered, do so in [vain]!
/John
