Screening Self Defence

Screening Self Defence indicates a series of procedures and strategies to obtain an instant study of a series of elements necessary to anticipate, identify and prevent an aggression.

It involves doing a series of analyses to identify:

• the psychological profile of an attacker or attacker
• the physical profile of an attacker or multiple attackers
• altered state of the aggressor with drugs or alcohol
• any weapons of the aggressor
• analyze the context and the environment
• carrying their own or improper weapons, self-defense tools
• or identify improvised weapons
• Etc.

You need Self Defence Screening to be able to assess in the shortest possible time the degree of danger of the situation and act immediately to adopt the most effective strategies to neutralize it.

Attention I did not talk about techniques to be adopted because what is fundamental are the principles behind the technique, no condition allows the ideal technique in the real world, it is like shooting at the shooting range at a stationary target or shooting a person in a different environment, who moves, is not in line and shoots him too.

Much of the strategy suggested by Screening Self Defence techniques emerges:

• experience and experience
• statistical analysis of the various types of aggression.
• training
• personal skills

This branch of self-defense science can divide aggression into several categories:

• Aggression by habitual thugs
• Aggression by thugs
• Aggression resulting from quarrels
• Aggression by persons in a mental impaired state

In a situation of divergence that can lead to a violent reaction, the main difference between a person experienced in self-defense (I’m not talking about combat, they are two different things, if you fight they are other skills but it means that you have failed or it was not possible to do otherwise) and a “common” person, is that the latter will immediately yield to violence instinctively, or almost.

The self-defense expert is ready for violence as the first option, but keeps it as a last choice if necessary.

In some contexts you have to run away or attack but we will see the various cases in different contexts.

Self Defence Screening can give you a great advantage in a critical situation.

If you look at most of the fights that are going on between two people, it’s easy to break down the current events into several stages:

• Trigger
• Escalation
• Conclusion

The trigger is the stage in which the dispute changes into a situation that does not allow the two individuals to interrupt the current event.

It immediately follows the escalation,more than a matter of ego conflicts between the contenders.

At this stage an expert and / or the wise person verbally manages to quell the situation and block the outlet to violence, which is a more than desirable conclusion, always.

Otherwise the other conclusion is, of course, the use of violence.

The first to shoot the two individuals is the one who feels the impulse to prove that “he is right”.

He must prove to his ego and to any people who attend the quarrel that he must “win”.

Usually the non-expert gives in to the option of violence for one or more of the following reasons:

• does not assess the consequences that violent reaction can bring that are physical and/or moral, legal.
• it’s certain he won’t get hurt in the clash
• then he is convinced that it is the best way to give a “lesson” to someone
• and is prey to the effects of drugs and/or psychic alterations

On the other hand, the expert usually knows how to recognize the warning signs of a confrontation in time and, once involved, must react as quickly and definitively as possible;

but it does not do it so much to apply the logic of “winning” and “proving” something to someone, but to limit the damage of the clash as much as possible or better still avoid it with a win to win.

The rituals of attacking an assault have common elements.

In general, the Self-defense screening suggests that when we are in full escalation the individual not experienced in violence from the one accustomed to beating himself because before shooting the attack increases the respiratory rhythm and has a shiver, a tremble, more or less wide all over the body, or limited to limbs.

To this category of signals belong people who are not used to violence, but are venting a great anger on this wrong day but it is not their habit.

By telegraphing their intentions so conspicuously, they are the relatively easiest individuals to manage or anticipate and also to make de escalation techniques work.

A slightly more difficult situation can create those who they are used to the violence option, and even if they are not professional fighters, as they have learned the concept of not “transmitting” their intentions, but rather, before attacking, they tend to flatten their emotions or take positions before an attack.

In any case, the chemical reaction of adrenaline in the body of those who have decided to attack is often evident: increased breathing, sudden change in color of the face, and the aforementioned body tremor.

The expert will be able to effectively mask one or more of these signals in order to make the most of the surprise.

The advance

The most effective reaction is when, having correctly interpreted the body language, you manage to perform an advance response, running away or attacking before the attacker makes his first move.

The concept is expressed well in Jeet Kune Do where anticipation is a cardinal principle or what in Japanese martial arts is called by the term sen-no-sen.

Advance is an action aimed at stopping the aggressor or blocking a limb that charges to launch an attack.

Being in the loading phase the shot has not yet expressed the maximum strength, so the possibilities of immobilization and reaction are very high but it is a set of actions that are necessary to stop an aggressor made of a sequence of cooridinate actions.

The real world is not the gym and it is not easy to stop a person with a shot.

The attacker’s guard

Another detail to examine at this stage is the fact that the non-expert, in his attack (however dangerous it is), often tends not to protect certain parts of his body.

The unsasured person often does not bother to cover their primary targets with a good guard.

Here is that when the attack starts, probably if telegraphed you are able to avoid it and parry if you have kept the distance and a hidden guard (if you can not anticipate it), at least to avoid it and to perform a technique to hit it on an uncovered sector and finish it or create the time space for escape if it is possible.

Now each aggression is to itself because it depends on many personal factors and the type of aggressor you have in front of you but surely the training in combat is fundamental, these are basic tips from which to start.

Assaults by habitual thugs

Potentially they are the most dangerous attacks and they may need the strongest reaction.

They’re used to violence.

The individual in question makes use of three fundamental components to accomplish his purpose:

• Surprise
• Decision
• skills.

Usually the usual criminals act armed.

You should always consider the worst tactical hypothesis in case you are dealing with armed attackers (e.g. knife), that is, that they are experts,and that they are used to this type of action.

Always evaluate whether the demands of the criminal are such as to justify a violent reaction.

For example, if it is a robbery it is not appropriate to risk permanent injuries for a few cash and a smartphone.

Most often, in the event of a robbery, the attacker does not seek and reject the physical confrontation, even if you always think that he is able to support it.

In the event that the aggression is aimed at affecting our safety as in the case of a rape, we just have to wait for the right moment to make a reaction as decisive and definitive as possible.

Always flee after a fight with a criminal to seek help and alert the police.

Attacks by hooligans

This is the case of two or more individuals who attack a person for trivial reasons such as a look too much, a shoulder, a “lack of respect”, more than anything else to prove something.

It is a threat of high danger.

A verbal approach can be attempted, with the same rules applied to the potential quarrel with strangers, but as soon as it is assessed that this has no effect immediately move away and / or attract attention for help.

Be careful not to get encircled.

In case of lack of options react with the purpose of permanently injuring, as if the group is large.

You can’t afford to waste time controlling an assailant when others attack.

If you have a weapon take it out, if you see an improvised weapon take it and use it to injure or create space for escape.

Aggression resulting from quarrels

They are divided into two categories:

• quarrels between acquaintances and
• between strangers.

The first case hardly arises because usually between acquaintances (family and friends) the discussions can be sedated by showing to compromise and to demonstrate their willingness not to want to degenerate the situation and often there are friends and relatives who tend to quell the degeneration of the quarrel by intervening to appease the discussion.

To stop the quarrels between acquaintances, simply come to terms with your pride.

In the case of disagreements with strangers, the situation is more dangerous.

In this case, usually, we are faced with psychic attacks, a frustrated, one who has his own morals and ethics that always asks for respect, as if he is always entitled to others.

The reaction

If the attacker feels struck and offended, he may react not consistently but by doing the situation bigger and more important than it is.

Responding in tone, with screams and offenses makes you lose your temper and immediately makes you pass into the head of the aggressor on the side of the wrong, which justifies the possible violent reaction of the aggressor.

It is important in these contexts and type of aggressor to build responses to patterns already made to make a de escalation and or not react and move away.

So never give in to these behaviors to respond aggressively because:

1. You don’t know who we’re dealing with
2. You do not know in advance the real intentions of the interlocutor towards us

The only way is a dialogue that demonstrates your determination, but not our willingness to resort to violence.

In these cases you should not raise your vocand not speed up the rhythm of the words,both symptoms of weakness that could be exploited by the unknown to trigger a struggle.

The more time passes, the more the chances of triggering the fight decrease, if the issue at stake is irrelevant.

Remember that in this context and in these cases, violence only recalls violence, so you need calm if you don’t want to get to the physical confrontation.

It is necessary to have a precise self-awareness of oneself and of one’s rights and of the concept of self-respect and of others.

Aggression by persons in a state of mental alteration

It is a situation of extreme danger.

The individual subject to the influence of drugs and/or alcohol is to be considered extremely violent and does not respond to the techniques of dialogue that have been illustrated above.

In addition, his perception of pain is distorted by the substances he has taken, so normal self-defense techniques aimed at the opponent’s control alone may not be effective.

The only thing that could benefit those who defend themselves is the possible lack of coordination and balance of the aggressor, if he has abused certain substances much but it is not always so.

In the case of psycholatable persons, and therefore with the full possession of their motor skills, it is always necessary to evaluate the escape, or in the absence of other options of a defense by all possible means.

As you can see, the use of violence when escape is not possible must always be carried out with decision, to stop the aggressor.

The 4 types of violence

All the various violent behaviors that lead to a physical confrontation are and can be collected in four main categories:

Violence from Fear

Violence unleashed by the person who feels threatened by a situation, by a group of people and/or individuals.

It is usually a reaction to neurochemical stimuli that send the person into a panic and violently try to remove himself from the threat.

People in this state will always react with the utmost violence.

How to deal with the situation?

The technique to handle this situation is to mimic the panic of the person in question, convincing him that we are exactly as scared as he is, so we are not a threat.

It is counterproductive to be authoritarian, you simply have to put yourself on the same emotional level as the panicked person and calm them down.

Violence from Delirium

Violence of those who do not perceive limits of any kind (physical, moral, social…).

This section includes people who are under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.

How do you deal with this?

The way to deal with this case is to give the person stimuli that by-pass their internal process of self-exaltation.

To bring him back to reality, he must focus his attention on anything other than himself.

A convinced and authoritarian voice and an impossibility to give options of choice to the subject.

Often a verbal approach is enough to make drunk people desist from violent intentions, perhaps supporting them as much as possible in their reasoning.

Unreasonable violence

Violence based on unreasonable self-feeding behavior (possible psychotic syndrome of chronic anger to manifest outside), sociopathic, psychopath, but also an altered state with drugs or alcohol.

How do you deal with this?

The subject in this case intentionally wants to provoke violence to vent something.

It’s the complex situation to manage and if you have the chance escape.

You have to deal with the situation with two simultaneous actions:

• Remove the “emotional trigger” from the person (for example by not giving importance to his requests) and,
• Let him know that his behavior/requests will not be tolerated and met.

Often these people seem at all costs to seek confrontation (more than verbal), but they hardly accept the risk of actual physical confrontation.

However, pay attention to the posture and distance that can identify that an attack may be imminent.

Never underestimate any situation!

Criminal Violence

It is a coercive violence for a purpose, a violence used to get something from someone (money, benefits, power, etc…).

How do you deal with this situation?

The answer can be incredibly simple.

The criminal wants something from us, anything but a challenge with a person ready to fight to defend himself.

A physical confrontation, if done in public attracts too much attention.

If he chose you it’s because he feels sure he’s a predator and you’re preying

The criminal subject is based on the binomial “Predator / Prey“, and for him it is unknown territory when there are chances that the situation will be turned upside down.

You have to prove, depending on the circumstances of course, example:

• Are you unarmed against an armed person?,
• Are you facing a crime professional?,
• Is it a criminal organization?,
• Can’t you defend yourself for some reason?

but if you can you absolutely have to convey to the attacker the following message:

“Ifyou attack me, I will react with the utmost violence to hurt you.”

Conclusions

Screening Self Defence helps you understand who you are dealing with is very important to adapt your action/reaction strategy.

Proper analysis and identification through Self Defence Screening puts you in a position not to be surprised but instead of anticipating your attacker’s actions.

When you can run!

If you can’t try to use de escalation techniques but if it is not possible attack with maximum violence.

It may not seem nice, but if escape is not possible and the dangerous situation increases, maximum violence is what you need to express to survive.

This action is not so obvious because mentally you are not ready without proper training and society has educated us not to hurt other people.

Stay Tuned and Screening Self Defence!

Street Fight Mentality

Andrea