Awareness: The Cornerstone of Self Defense

5 min readNov 18, 2020

Woman looking sideways to see what’s happening. Threat Awareness. Personal Defense Connection.

[Updated 9/30/2023]

Defensive Awareness. Threat Awareness. Situational Awareness.

Whatever you call it, Awareness is the Cornerstone of Self Defense.

Predators want easy victims. They want to get what they want and get away. They don’t want to get hurt or caught. To that end, they prefer to target inattentive, distracted and preoccupied people.

Why? Because they have more success when they target unaware people. So, the first line of self defense is to be aware of your surroundings.

If you can see danger coming toward you, you have a much better chance at avoiding it and of getting yourself to safety before anything bad happens.

It’s better to avoid a dangerous situation than to have to defend yourself after you are attacked.

Situational awareness is not sexy. It doesn’t hold the satisfaction of choosing a new gun or shooting figure targets, bowling pins, or steel plates on the range. It is boring and it is hard work mentally. Some of your friends will call you paranoid. They live in the fantasy world where they believe that bad things won’t happen to them and that the police will protect them. However, being constantly aware of what is going on around you is the single most important factor in staying safe whether you are armed or unarmed. — Chris Bird Situational Awareness

Making Eye Contact

Predators sometimes “test” potential victims through eye contact. When they make eye contact with someone who responds by quickly looking down or to the side, that person may become their next victim.

Predators prefer people who appear intimidated and who won’t look them in the eye.

Making eye contact with a predator makes you a less desirable target because when you make eye contact, you not only show them that you are aware of them, you also give the impression that you are not intimidated.

Just make sure you don’t stare them. They might mistake your stare as a challenge and act on it. Simply let them know that you see them. That you are paying attention.

Awareness While Walking in Public

Walk with someone else whenever possible. And avoid walking at night if you can.

Be aware of your body language when you’re walking in public. Keep your head up, your shoulders back and your hands out of your pockets. It makes you look confident. Most predators aren’t looking for a confrontation so they tend to avoid confident looking people.

So when you’re out walking in public, be alert. Look around. And actually notice what’s going on around you. This way, you’ll see any signs of potential danger. And you’ll have time to react.

Personal Space

If a stranger is getting too close to you physically, the first thing to do is to move away from them. If that doesn’t work, make eye contact and tell them to stay away. And be firm about it.

Seek help from Police, Security or someone else that you trust. Hey… if it turns out you misunderstood the situation, you could end up being embarrassed. But so what? That’s so much easier to recover from than an assault!

If the stranger chooses to ignore your verbal commands and you don’t have time to get away, you’ll have to defend yourself physically. Learn how to defend yourself, just in case.

Awareness and Your Phone

When you are on your phone in public you are easy prey.

Think about it. When you are talking on your phone, you are devoting your attention to the conversation instead of your environment. You can’t possibly have 100% awareness of your surroundings if you’re carrying on a conversation.

Remember, predators like having the element of surprise. It makes their job easier.

Avoid posting, texting or talking on your phone when you’re in public. Unless it’s an emergency, of course.

Where are the Exits?

When you enter a shopping center, a classroom, a parking garage, a theater, or any other place, look around.

Where are the exits? Where are your potential paths of escape? Are there barriers you can hide behind if escape is impossible?

Think about windows as escape exits as well. First Responders tell horror stories of people dying in fires or violent attacks because they couldn’t get to a door and didn’t think to break a window to get out (you’ll probably need something to smash the window, so be aware of what is available to do so).

Violence can break out wherever you are and you need to be able to respond quickly. Plan ahead and know where the exits and escape paths are. It could save your life.

And, no, you aren’t being paranoid. You’re being smart.

Awareness in the Parking Lot

Parking Lots are what we call “transitional areas.” They’re areas where you are in transition from one place to another. From your car to the parking lot and from the parking lot to where ever you’re going.

When you’re transitioning, it’s easy to loose your awareness because there are other things to be thinking about (“Which entrance is the office I’m looking for?” “Where did I put my shopping list?” “I’m late for my appointment!” “Did I forget my briefcase?” etc.)

Remember to remain aware of your surroundings in these areas.

Aware Today… Alive Tomorrow

“Surprise, intimidation, and fear are the key elements of a robbery. Awareness, preparedness, and avoidance are your best defenses. Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to leave an area in which you are not comfortable. Keep your valuables hidden and purse closed, especially when you are in an unfamiliar area. Keep a sharp eye out for anything that doesn’t seem right to you. Be ready to run.” ~Cathy Steinberg, The Fabulous Girl’s Guide to being Fearless

You can decrease your chances of being targeted by being aware of your surroundings.

Situational awareness is not sexy. It doesn’t hold the satisfaction of choosing a new gun or shooting figure targets, bowling pins, or steel plates on the range. It is boring and it is hard work mentally. Some of your friends will call you paranoid. They live in the fantasy world where they believe that bad things won’t happen to them and that the police will protect them. However, being constantly aware of what is going on around you is the single most important factor in staying safe whether you are armed or unarmed.

~Shereen

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