How Safe are You?

For information purposes only. Exercise and diet at your own risk


So, how safe are you from the likelihood of facing violence in your everyday life? Well obviously this will depend on a number of factors.

One could be your job. If you work as a policeman or in the security business then the likelihood could be reasonably high. If you are a business person that has to travel to foreign countries then you could be high risk.

Some jobs that don't seem dangerous by nature can have it's share of violent or aggressive moments, i.e. A&E worker, paramedic, traffic warden, DSS employee, tax office worker, job centre employee. In the line of work these people can certainly find themselves facing danger through aggressive, unhappy and disgruntled individuals.

How does your job stand up to a safety check? What risks do you take in a day? When do you feel vulnerable or uneasy? I'm sure every job carries some element of risk and it may be judged on a scale of 1 to 10. If you are unhappy with a situation at work where you feel at risk, then don't hesitate to bring it to the management's attention. Don't just let it carry on or accept it.

Both the employer and employee have a responsibility for safety in the workplace. If your job is high risk then try to do everything possible to be well prepared using good pro-active tactics.

If you live in a high crime inner city area, the chances of being a victim of a robbery, mugging or assault may be considerably higher than if you live in the leafy suburbs. Living in bedsit land, hostels or rented accommodation can also bring problems of burglary, strangers wondering around and poor security.

Lifestyle has a lot to do with the chances of running into violence or not. Of course as mentioned elsewhere in this book anybody, anywhere/anytime can be a victim, but the key is to try and cut down the risks and make yourself a hard target.

Obviously life consists of risks in one form or another and we can't wrap everybody up in cotton wool. Also wouldn't life be boring without risk? The key is to be well prepared and adequately trained to minimise and cope with hazard.

A parachute jump is a big risk but when you are taught to do this you are trained fully in safety procedures before you attempt it, you minimise the dangers. Throughout this book along with exploring man's violent nature, we have looked at how to minimise dangers - how to 'nip it in the bud,' and prevent escalation of a situation.

You must examine yourself and see if you are a high risk target or a walking victim.

How you carry, speak and conduct yourself speaks volumes about you and can go a long way to determining whether you will be a victim. If you are the sort of person that sees no danger anywhere, or ignores warning signals, you are going to have a problem. If you can see no wrong in anybody or are over trusting you will fall foul to the street predator. They will sniff you out from a distance and close in for 'the kill.'

Being aware of the dangers out there, being alert and perceptive of changing circumstances and having acceptance of violent crime happening to anybody, anytime, anywhere can go a long way to reducing the chances of you being a victim.

Yes you may want to take up a martial art or self protection system to give you confidence and physical skills but I would rather tell you how to avoid potentially dangerous situations as your first tactic rather than show you the mechanics of a good punch.

Real fighting as explained in my previous books, is not like TV or cinema fights, it's not like our school playground scraps, or like a rehearsed and choreographed martial arts demonstration. It is not even like the mixed martial arts and limited rules fights that are so popular at present. If you wish to learn to defend yourself in reality for street protection then contact either the British Combat Association 0113 242 9686 or the Self defense Association 01709 710 489.

These two associations will give you names and details of genuine registered self protection instructors in your area that teach the whole gamut of a good and realistic self protection programme. They will not confuse martial arts, martial sports or anything else with street defense.

You will get the 'real deal'. Remember fighting skills are no different to any other skills. You will have to invest time and effort into getting them right so they are instinctive and reactive.

There are no quick-fix systems, no killer arts, or 'five easy lesson' methods. But a little time spent in a good system can give you a lot of benefits and confidence. But let's not forget the theme of this chapter, how hard a target are you to prevent a violent crime being perpetrated on your being.

Let's take a small test and be honest with your answers to this safety questionnaire. Answer yes, no or sometimes.


RISK ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE
1. Do you regularly visit nightclubs and bars?
2. Do you walk home on your own after a night out?
3. Do you get heavily intoxicated each time you go out?
4. Do you daydream in public?
5. Do you always keep a check on your wallet/handbag?
6. Do you park your vehicle in a well lit area?
7. Do you wear expensive jewellery?
8. Do you wear offensive or provocative clothing?
9. Are you racist?
10. How often do you use cash machines?
11. Do you hitch hike?
12. Do you wear a walkman whilst jogging in the park?
13. How often do you permit strangers into your house?
14. Do you provide personal information over the phone to a stranger?
15. Do you fall asleep on public transport?
16. Do you get into verbal disputes with strangers?
17. Do you suffer from road rage?
18. Have you got a short fuse?
19. Do you fly off the deep end at an insult or put down?
20. Have you got a problem with Authoritative figures?
21. Do you voice your opinions in a loud and tactless manner?
22. Do you walk along with your hands in your pockets and head down?
23. Does your job entail handling large amounts of money?
24. Does your job entail you travelling to foreign countries?
25. Does your job entail you visiting potentially unsavory areas or entering homes of strangers?

This is by no means an exhaustive list, it is a general overview.
How did you do?
If you answered yes to the majority of questions, you may want to review your lifestyle and if you can't or won't change it beware you are in a high risk bracket.
If you were being insured against a 'violent attack' on the above questionnaire you would be paying a large premium. I know we can't go living behind closed doors all our lives or cowering at our shadows but we must work to have a subconscious awareness of things around us, so that we can certainly enjoy life to the full but cut down the chances of running into violence.

We all have a habit of looking back in hindsight, now let's make a habit out of looking in foresight, for this is the smarter option.
http://www.bristolgoshinjutsu.com/
Disclaimer: Consult your GP before changing diet. Follow any Training regime or diet on this site at your own risk