Situational Awareness

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Situational awareness is the most important tool in self defense. No matter what style you practice or how much or how little you know about martial arts/self defense, situational awareness can often help you avoid danger before it begins. Being aware of your location has the obvious advantage of preventing you from becoming lost, which could land you in an unfamilar part of town with no idea where to go. It can also be useful if you need to call the police, EMS, or a friend or relative to tell them where you are. And, police will have an easier time finding an attacker if you can tell them where the altercation took place. Being aware of your environment can also help you identify alternative routes and possible exit strategies in case you need to use them to avoid trouble. Going with the example of driving, it can help you recognize potentially dangerous vehicle maneuvers, cars trying to box you in, cut you off, hit you, tail you, or so on. This is why police vehicles keep a "cushion" area around them at all times--so they can maneuever at a moment's notice if necessary. Being aware of people around you can help you pick on on body language and postering that might indicate an imminent attack. People suddenly becoming too quiet, watching you too closely, following you, acting in an aggressive manner, and so on. Recognizing this can often help you avoid such situations entirely, or if you can't avoid it for some reason, it can help you prepare to respond appropriately to the situation as it presents itself, and in a more proactive manner. QUESTIONS: Do you practice situational awareness? What other examples of situational awareness can you think of, and/or how else might situational awareness be useful? Stay safe! ~Awen