With violent encounters, there is no referee or rules and a lucky cut, stab, or shot can kill you, even if you eventually stop the threat. One of the best ways to avoid violent encounters is to train your mind to recognize criminals, and the quickest way to do this is to start thinking like one. Here is an exercise to help you be more aware of your surroundings. For the next several days pretend that you are a mugger. As you go about your daily business, picture how you would attack someone in the various places in which you find yourself. If you live in an apartment, where in the building or parking facilities would you hide if you were going to attack someone? By paying attention, and with a little practice, you'll be amazed at how many spots in which you might be able to hide. After you’ve done this at home, move your attention to your place of employment. Pay attention to those areas where you would normally be by yourself, like the parking lot and even the restroom. Pay attention to which stalls are the most vulnerable. Start watching how you open doors. In particular, note where you’re looking, which arm you use, and how that helps/hinders your ability to react to someone on the other side. Since most crimes occur outside of your dwelling or place of business. Elevators, garages, building entrances and exits offer criminals great opportunities to take you by surprise. After you've learned to spot the ideal physical settings for a crime, you need to spot potential criminals. You need to pay attention to the physical mannerism of potential bad guys. When you see a person approaching you, ask yourself "is he dressed appropriately for the circumstances?" Is he wearing baggy clothing to hide a weapon? Do his shoes match his clothing? If he's wearing running shoes with nice slacks and shirt, be careful. Is he wearing a hat and sunglasses that go out of their way to hide his face? Don't be afraid to look people straight in the eye. You want to know if they're checking you out as a possible victim. Does the potential bad guy have his hands in his pockets, perhaps holding a weapon? Does he appear nervous, sweating or breathing heavily? Most attacks come from behind, so learn to expand your field of vision. Most of us tend to stare when we look at something. Here's a simple exercise you can use to break this habit and expand your field a vision. Look at an object in the room you're in. Now, without moving your eyes or head, what do you see out of the sides of your eyes? How about top and bottom? It's amazing how much more you see when you pay attention to your peripheral vision. Imagine a hose nozzle that can be adjusted back and forth from a wide spray to a concentrated stream. When you need to focus on something, tighten the nozzle and then quickly adjust your vision back to a wide spray. As you develop your vision, with a little twist of your head you will be able to scan almost 360 degrees around you. No one will ever be able to sneak up on you again. Try it and see for yourself. Most criminals are petty thieves and not very dangerous. What you're looking for is a way of spotting those who are mean, sadistic or emotionally disturbed. They are the violent offenders who will rob you first and then shoot you just for the fun of it. They are the ones you want to spot early on. You want plenty of time to either avoid, evade or otherwise deal with these people. You can learn more about these and other techniques for preparing yourself at Surviveinplace
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