Mental preparation has got to be the most difficult to learn yet it could make all the difference. Your mental attitude when faced with a violent encounter has as much--if not the most--effect on the outcome as any other factor...
The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. -Alice Walker
Mental preparation has got to be the most difficult to learn yet it could make all the difference. Your mental attitude when faced with a violent encounter has as much--if not the most--effect on the outcome as any other factor. A properly conditioned mind and a proper fighting attitude will go far in this department.
A good way to think of this mental preparation is possible versus probable. Law enforcement officers are trained to think in this manner. For instance, during a traffic stop; the officer knows it’s probable the woman he’s pulled over does not have a weapon under her seat but it’s possible she does. It’s probable the man in the parking lot headed your way is harmless but it’s also possible that he isn’t and if things go bad, which scenario do you want to prepare for the most?
Perfecting your brain training starts with developing an escalating state of alertness, an awareness of the environment in which you currently live. This heightened state of environmental awareness will enable you to avoid a violent confrontation altogether or when absolutely unavoidable, to respond without hesitation.
LEVELS OF AWARENESS
WHITE (Unaware)
In this condition, all of your focus is within yourself, on your private thoughts and problems, and you are completely oblivious to your surroundings. You may be out shopping, driving down the street, at home watching the football game, or any number of day-to-day activities. Criminals love to come across people in condition white, they make such easy prey. YELLOW (Aware) A person in condition yellow is mentally relaxed but aware of her surroundings. You know what is behind you, as well as anything that appears unusual or out of place. All of your senses are at work. The main difference between a person in condition White and a person in condition Yellow is paying attention to your immediate surroundings.
ORANGE (Alert)
A person in condition Orange has noticed one of those pre-fight clues and is specifically alert to its source. Depending upon your attacker’s actions, you may have to shift between evasive and defensive modes of action. You are developing a plan of action and are in the process of acting on that plan.
RED (Alarm) A person in condition Red knows that a fight is now quite likely. The determining factor in your response is the personal establishment of a “mental trigger”. This is simply your perception of the subject’s intent based on his actions. This may include perception of a weapon of any kind or an aggressive move toward you, or in some extreme cases, an actual shot fired at you. The mental trigger that you establish is limited only by your legal and moral rules of engagement. You must establish your mental trigger long before the fight so that when the event unfolds, you will not require a personal debate about what to do or when to do it. BLACK (Action) This level is where you implement or modify the plan you have already formulated in practice. In times of urgency, plans may not unfold the way you have prepared, so make sure
you have a second, third, and even fourth course of action you are ready and willing to take.
Acting takes less time and thought than reacting, so try in any way you can to get yourself out of the situation as soon as possible.
There are times when you must go to "White", I totally get that. However, don't stay in the white zone, learn to live in "Yellow" at minimum. Over time this heightened state will become automatic to you.
Possible vs Probable, ask this often.
Keep your head on a swivel and think one step ahead...
In Gratitude,
-Vicki
