training Archives - Page 21 of 26

Chart: The Spectrum of Potential Threat Personas in Self-Defense and Church Security

[ Read articles in the SemperVerus category of Church Security ]

Among the ways of being prepared for unexpected self-defense or church security situations is to intentionally engage your mind to think about possible dangerous scenarios you could encounter and the ways in which you’d respond to them.

[ Read articles in the SemperVerus category of Situational Awareness ]

To help you conduct these mental exercises in a “gaming” fashion, SemperVerus has created the chart below listing at least 36 character personas that could be motivating factors in threatening crises. They represent the spectrum from seemingly minor incidents to major violent acts perpetrated by either males or females: from a “lone wolf” (a single bad actor) to a “wolf pack” (a gang with malevolent intentions); from rational to irrational behavior; from opportunistic to premeditated; from vandalism to synchronized active killers.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Gentle Response De-Escalation Training for Church Security Teams ]

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Components of a Strong Mindset for the Legally Armed Citizen ]

Regularly think through each persona and plan for your own actions in meeting them head-on. For example, what would be your first move if a lone and crazed person accosted you on the street? What would you do if, during your volunteer shift on church security, a coordinated attack of active killers (high on the synthetic stimulant Captagon like these terrorists) simultaneously entered your church through two wings of the building? Plan now to be prepared!

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Concealed Carry Daily Prayer ]

Situational Awareness: 14 Ways to Walk Like You Drive

How to Improve Your Situational Awareness.

You’ve heard the admonition to “Drive Defensively.” It means to always be ready for the possibility of encountering any dangerous occurrence while driving your vehicle. Be prepared. Think ahead. Anticipate hazards.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Self-Defense Tactical Driving Tips ]

The scene doesn’t even have to be treacherous. For example, when you’re about to turn a street corner, it merely involves thinking through several sets in succession in what should be an automatic reflex:

Most of your braking should be done in a straight line, before the corner.
Trail off the brake smoothly as you turn in and enter the corner.
Look through the corner for the exit.
Apply throttle as you straighten the wheel back out at the exit.
Choose your speed and driving lines based on the next corner, not just the one you’re in.*

Take the lessons you’ve learned in defensive driving and apply them as situational awareness techniques to your walking environment. Blogger Chris Bird says, “The goal is to be able to use your awareness to detect, assess, avoid, evade, counter, and prevail in the encounter.” These precautions may seem overwhelming at first in your everyday life, but remember, they’ve become second-nature to you when driving and they can be the same when walking.

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the subject of Situational Awareness ]

Prepare and Know Your Route

Just as you type your destination into an online map to determine your most efficient trip from point A to point B, think through the avenues, streets, sidewalks, and paths, as well as time of day and other factors before you set out walking to avoid sketchy parts of town and to have the confidence of knowing where you’re going and how to get there.

Video: How to Manage a Stranger’s Approach and Maintain Self-Defense

You’re walking from your car in a parking lot or standing on a downtown sidewalk and you observe a stranger coming your way who appears determined to talk with you. Not knowing if his intentions are malicious or innocent, what should you do to protect yourself as he closes distance with you? Is he preparing to spring an attack on you? Does he have an accomplice coming up behind you?

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Why 21 Feet Is Not a ‘Safe’ Distance ]

In the TriggerTimeTV.com video below, self-defense trainer Craig Douglas of Shivworks offers a combination of three techniques to always use to properly and safely “manage unknown contacts” who encroach into your personal space when in public.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, A Simple Chart for Situational Awareness ]

The three skills encompass what, how, and where:

Components of a Strong Mindset for the Legally Armed Citizen

The website ConcealedCarry.com is a rich resource of information that helps guide legally armed people in the responsible practice of carrying concealed a defensive firearm.

One example is the article, Developing and Understanding A Strong Defensive Mindset, by Jacob Paulsen, president of ConcealedCarry.com, and its accompanying “mindset” chart.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, How Does Your Character Measure Up? ]

Mindset is defined as the established set of attitudes each of us hold; the general frame of reference through which we observe life, interpret it, and make trivial and serious decisions in response to what we encounter every day.

Click the chart to enlarge it, scan the key points of it below, read the entire article at ConcealedCarry.com, and be sure to read the SemperVerus articles below.

Lessons in Situational Awareness from Columbo

Columbo was an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. The show aired on NBC from 1971 to 1978 and on ABC from 1989 to 2003.

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the subject of Situational Awareness ]

In the series, Columbo is a seemingly every-day homicide detective who wears a rumpled beige raincoat and projects a casual, polite, warm, charming, respectful, humble, deferential, patient, soft-spoken, and unassuming demeanor, all of which are a disguise for extremely shrewd and intelligent situational awareness. He often leaves a room only to return with the catchphrase, “Just one more thing” to ask a critical question.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Gentle Response De-Escalation Training for Church Security Teams ]

Along with another keenly observant detective—Sherlock Holmes—Columbo embodies an innate, probing, and continuous curiosity about his surroundings. He is an excellent model for us to emulate in how to be unceasingly alert when we are in public.