We discussed a violent encounter that was documented in a news story out of Minnesota, focusing primarily on the how and the why of the criminal activity.
If you haven't already, you should read that first by clicking HERE
This post will focus on what can be done about it.
The difference between a fighter and a tactician is a fighter, no matter how skilled is reactionary and influenced by emotion, where as a tactician can plan and adapt as necessary.
In order to do that it is helpful to have a rough strategy in place that is easily adaptable to the circumstances.
Conflict Strategy - Choosing the least bad option left available to you.
It is better to AVOID than to run
It is better to RUN than de-escalate
It is better to DE-ESCALATE than fight
It is better to FIGHT than die
- Rory Miller
Lets look at the incident from the last blog using the conflict strategy framework.
AVOID:
Violence happens at places. Generally places where crowds, especially crowds of men gather to have their minds altered. If you don't have to be there, don't be there.
The the elderly female could not avoid this location. From what could be seen on the video, she had to be there. Either because the train is her means of transportation, or she is dependent on the train station for shelter, or both.
It is entirely possible she is homeless, which puts her at increased risk. She fits several victim profiles, including these criminal's profile of a shocking victim for a status seeking show.
Places that individuals on specific victim profiles can't avoid provide "hunting ground" for criminals seeking that demographic.
If you can't avoid, or chose to be there, you must approach with a higher level of awareness.
There are places in your life you have to go, that is just life. Also if you want to go where crowds, especially crowds of men gather to have their minds altered, that is fine, that is your choice. Those places are a lot of fun. That is why people gather there. No one is saying you have to live you life isolated from the public like some sort of monk.
Just understand, that if you have to be somewhere, or chose to be somewhere your first line of defense is now gone so you have to be more alert and you have to be prepared to use you other lines of defense.
RUN / ESCAPE :
Like the song says - "If you don't like what you see here get the funk out"
If you have to be, or chose to be somewhere, and things are going south - GET OUT!
This is the preclusion portion of self defense. If the physical altercation occurred because you refused to leave a situation where you had no necessity to stay, making the argument that force was justified becomes much more difficult.
If you leave and the threat attempts to stop you or follows you, the need to use force for self defense becomes much easier to articulate.
The the elderly female from the news story tried to escape. You can see on the video that she got up and was walking out when the criminal grabbed her jacket, used that jacket to whip her down on the concrete floor, then began to fondle her breasts.
There are legitimate reasons to stay. The threat may prevent you from leaving.
If that is the situation you find yourself in , now your first and second lines of defense are gone. You are in it. This is a confrontation. You have to be prepared to use the lines of defense remaining to you.
COMMUNICATE / DE-ESCALATE:
You can't de-escalate the threat unless you de-escalate yourself first.
Recognize the symptoms of emotion / adrenalization.
Breath
Talk
This is another reason why violence dynamics is so important. Recognizing the type of violence you are facing. Verbal skills that work for one type of violence will escalate other types of violence.
You can't de-escalate a status seeking show. Anything you say will be used as a hook to justify further violence.
You can see that to some extent on the video with the taunts of blue eyed devil, European, and Caucasoid.
If de-escalation is not a viable option, what communication skills are useful.
Yell, scream, bring attention to the situation. Predatory violence requires privacy, so generate witnesses.
The the elderly female from the news story yelled for help.
Unfortunately, her assailants wanted witnesses. The criminals chose a hunting ground where yells for help are largely ignored and the people that may notice are unable or unwilling to do anything about it. "Cowardly and superstitious" - the risk of being stopped or damaged is low.
One brave man stepped up, others were pulling the elderly woman's clothing off and taking her belongings.
Well shit, your first three lines of defense failed. You are being assaulted. There aren't many remaining choices available to you.
FIGHT / PHYSICAL SKILLS:
When things go physical there are really only four things you can do.
Escape
This is a priority self defense option. Even after things have gone physical, fighting your way to safety has the highest probability for success.
Control
Really only makes sense if you are professional paid to restrain, or if you are in a situation where you have to physically control someone you care for and don't want to damage them.
Disable
Inflict enough damage that the threat can no longer hurt you. Stop the brain from sending signals to the body (impact / strangulation / cervical dislocation).
It may be necessary to disable in order to achieve the other legitimate uses of force (escape / control)
Lastly...
Accept
Sometimes the only way out is through and you just have to accept what is happening and do what you can to survive
In a status seeking show situation some sort of "shock and awe" high level of force (disabling) to at least cause the threat to pause and create an opportunity for escape is required.
What is an untrained elderly female supposed to do? What is she capable of doing?
In this case acceptance was the only option left to her.
Are you pissed off? Are you scared? It is an infuriating and scary situation.
What can be done about it?
I purposely did not use the term victim to describe the woman that was attacked.
She did the best she could do with the resources she had. I just wish she had greater resources.
The reward can never be lowered enough. No one is too poor to rob, no one is too repulsive to be assaulted.
You can't lower the reward far enough. There is no too low.
That leaves one option...The risk has to be raised.
The term victim, especially when used in women's self defense limits affordances down to basically two options.
Women who have been victims and women that will be victims.
What if a different approach was taken? What if instead of being viewed as victims, women embraced their inheirent strengths and powers? What if they were viewed as dangerous?
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What if the risk of not only being caught, but of being damaged, of getting your ass kicked was high enough that the criminals from the news story would have to find a different way to gain status in their group?
You can't lower the reward far enough. There is no too low.
The risk has to be raised.
Can the risk be raised? If so, how?
No one can do that by themselves. We are going to need an army...
The Budo Blog will return next week with "Raise an Army - Raise the Risk"
Train hard, train smart, be safe...be dangerous
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