Be Safe.

Be Safe, with some practical and modern advice.

The following ideas have been drawn from several sources and my observations during my time involved in supplying security equipment and advice over the last few years.
We are constantly being told that crime is down, and we are safer than ever before, and yet it’s the fear of crime that causes us the most issues. Here I hope to pass on some practical and up to date advice that will help you and your families to remain safe whilst making it much harder for opportunist criminals to thrive within our 
communities.

We are all very used to hearing the standard advice of, keep to well lit areas, carry an alarm, never walk alone late at night or take short cuts. While these are all very sound pieces of advice they only go so far. All three muggings in West Bridgford recently happened in well lit areas, and at least one incident involved two men walking together being robbed. Simply sticking to well lit areas or standing near a CCTV camera might not be enough.

With some sensible precautions and a clear understanding of how criminals will select their victims you should hopefully never need to learn how to actually defend yourself physically.
So what can we do?

Talk to the local police, read the local newspaper, develop an interest in what happens in the places you regularly frequent. Understand the dangers as they apply to you and the places you find yourself.

Attacks never ‘come from nowhere.’ Attacks are always the end of a chain of events and coincidence that you always have some control over. You have to learn to recognise the danger signals that precede an attack by becoming more aware of your surroundings and who is watching you.

Learn to appear confident and alert.

Avoid being under the influence of drink or drugs when out in public.

Avoid getting lost or appearing pre-occupied, or being overly tired, or upset whilst out in public.

Make the opportunist look elsewhere, most opportunists do not need much to be dissuaded.
Put yourself in the position of the criminal.

 
Opportunist criminals are constantly on the look out for victims. They are experts at selecting those who will give them the least trouble, at a time when they are at their most vulnerable. It is not a game to these people, there are no rules and fair play does not enter into it. Think like an attacker.

If you were going to mug someone, where would you do it? Who would you select and why?

The Lee Sansum Life Saving Colours©
Taken from Lee Sansum Family Awareness Training
Lee Sansum is former body guard for Diana, Princess of Wales. He has developed a ‘traffic light system’ for your personal safety. As the attack develops you will find yourself with a different light on the scale.

White - safe
White is used to describe any situation that is safe, for example at home or driving under normal conditions with the doors locked.

Green - location
Green is used to describe any situation you find yourself in a location that is public or contains strangers. The potential threats and level of danger will vary depending on all sorts of variable factors but you are aware that the potential for danger exists and you have relaxed and aware state of mind.

Amber - selection
Before you can be attacked the opportunist must first select you as a victim. But how do you know this has happened before the actual attack?

Warning signs include-
Seeing someone several times in a short space of time-attackers often pass their potential victim several times, what are the chances that the other person is visiting the same shops as you in exactly the same order? Or the chances of the other person following you through town and being parked next to your car in the car park? Also watch out for people’s movements matching yours. What are the chances of someone walking and stopping at exactly the same time as you?

A person looking at you for an uncomfortable length of time, or someone who seems to be looking at you every time you look in their direction, or someone who appears nervous or agitated.

Red - approach
Before someone can attack you, they have to come close to you, or you have to approach them. If the person who has been watching you starts to walk towards you, or put themselves in a position where you have to pass close to them then you have a red light situation.
Turn around and walk in the opposite direction, cross the road, stop, nip into a shop, drive around the block, if you see a red light situation you should force the criminal into making a decision. Make him look obviously suspicious by confirming your doubts that you have been selected or pick on someone else.

Very often the opportunist will realise that the game is up, and kick themselves for targeting the wrong person. They do not want their victim to know they are being attacked until the actual attack. Red is the time to hold your StoppaRed spray or attack alarm in your hand, ready for use.

Black - interaction
If the victim has not been paying attention and the selection and approach have been successful this will lead to the final phase - the actual physical attack.

It might start with a verbal interaction- something to distract you, or perhaps something reassuring just in case you are on your guard.

An aggressive exchange, or a question you cannot answer without upsetting the attacker or a series of unreasonable demands. Many attackers have to build themselves up to a fight.
Then will come the physical interaction.

Ideally you want to always be in Green, if you ever find yourself in Amber or Red you need to act positively to remove yourself from the potential danger and in doing so make it clear to the opportunist that you are not an easy victim.

If you are caught out
Make a noise, opportunists do not like noise and the attention it might bring, use your attack alarm.

Spray your StoppaRed marker spray to deter and confuse your attacker whilst making a noise and running away. The red dye and invisible UV dyes will increase the chances of the police catching the offender, and he will know that being covered in red dye is going to make it impossible to escape unseen.

Make your way to a place of safety after the incident, do not hang about or give your attacker the chance to ‘re-group’ and come after you, this time with a score to settle!

You are safer now
Be confident because you have taken the time to understand the threats. The thought of suddenly being attacked ‘from nowhere’ does not apply to you because you understand the different phases of an attack.

Remember
Location
Selection
Approach
Interaction

Because you know the sequence of events, you know the routine and you have a better understanding of what the criminal is looking for and you can therefore develop ways of safely de-escalating the situation and making yourself a less likely victim.

If you sense that ‘something’ is wrong, it often is and sooner you spot it the less likely you be attacked.

For more information please contact your local Crime Prevention Officer, StoppaRed, or 
Lee Sansum Family Awareness Training Ltd.
© Matthew Wilkinson & Lee Sansum Awareness Training Ltd. All rights reserved 2008

For further information please contact StoppaRed.com

Family Awareness Safety Training

Man murdered in night bus attack

A man has died after being stabbed during a row on a night bus.
Police said the victim, aged 21, was attacked by two men on bus number N159 as it travelled through Croydon, south London, in the early hours of Saturday.

Officers were called to Gravel Hill at the junction with Selsdon Park Road where they found a man suffering from stab wounds. He died later in hospital.

Passengers on the bus at about 0300 GMT have been urged to contact police.

Both suspects were seen running away along Selsdon Park Road after the attack.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/london/7134386.stm

Published: 2007/12/08 14:21:18 GMT

© BBC MMVII

So we have gotten to the point where we can be murdered presumably by strangers in a public place, in full view of other people.

How senseless, how terrible it must be for the victim's family.

How does anyone avoid being the victim of so called random violence?

Well it isn't easy. For starters one has to realise that this sort of violence happens. Despite all the CCTV that follows our every move in public, despite the fact that we have strict weapons laws that the police enforce enthusiastically, despite the fact that our City centres are generally well lit and quite busy 24 hours a day.

Realise that violent criminals get let out of prison every day. Realise that their time spent inside will not make them think twice about hurting you and your family. Realise that mentally ill people are wandering around our city centres having been released in the 'community' and the authorities often loose track of them once they start to forget to take their medication.

One has to accept that certain habits can seriously increase your odds of being the victim of a violent crime. Night Buses, late night take-a-ways, late night taxi ranks and the areas just outside night clubs are relatively high risk. Put yourself in these places and add into the mix too much drink and you really are likely to see or experience some unpleasantness at some point.

Of course no one should suggest that we all stay at home and no one wants to be too quick to think it might happen to them. Wake up to the fact that violence is a part of some people's daily lives. The trick is to make sure you don't experience it at all.

Don't get so drunk that your judgement is badly affected. If you don't recognise danger as it develops, you stand a good chance of being the victim of all sorts of crime.

Young men are the most likely people to be the victims of violent crime. Drunk young men especially.

Don't rely on a crowd to keep you safe. I read somewhere that in a crowd everyone expects someone else to act first, and they all look to each other to make the first move. This means that if you feel safe just because there are a lot of people around you are deluding yourself.

What you learn about self defence and how you live your life is up to you, but the first step has got to be to realise that the Police, our strict weapons laws, CCTV and a crowd of people around you, do not keep you as safe as you might have thought.

Are you worried about being attacked by a knife?

It doesn’t matter if you are a Boxer, Kickboxer, Karate or
Kung-Fu guy, Wrestler or Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, Instructor or Novice, or simply just someone who wants to be confident they know what to do in the event of an armed threat or attack.

Ray Floro has put together an instructional two disk DVD program that is simple, effective and immediately useable in any confrontation that involves edged weapons!

Many systems of edged weapon defensive tactics involve years of training and the skills and reflexes of an elite athlete in order for the techniques to work!
Most people simply do not have the time or in some cases even the natural abilities to functionalise these tactics so that they are usable in a conflict environment.

That is why so many Military and Law Enforcement organizations choose Ray's system when it comes to edge weapon training. They simply do not have the time to spend years or even weeks to get this right, these guys simply need something they can use straight away, on that very day if need be.

The Floro fighting system approaches edged weapon training from a different direction, putting simplicity, immediate usability and effective functionality highest in its order of priorities

Ray's system is also easily integrated into these various organiations existing training methods and practices.

It’s increasingly clear that edged weapon violence in everyday society is no longer just a threat to Military and Law Enforcement personnel. It has become an issue that affects all people who are concerned with self defence and personal protection. Whether you are a Martial Arts Instructor that is looking for a useable system to integrate into your existing art or an individual who is training in some form of self defence discipline, or simply a person that lives or works in a high risk environment, the information and tactics contained on the Essential Ray Floro DVD set can benefit you!

The information on this program will give you a solid understanding of how edged weapons work and a realistic view of how to defend against being injured by an armed assailant.

Here are just some of the topics covered in this DVD instructional program.

You will learn the essential foundation moves of Floro fighting Systems.
You will learn how to take a handful of defensive moves that are easily integrated into your particular style to create a system that works for you against various methods of edged weapon attack.
You will learn concepts to maximize your range without moving your feet.
You will be taught methods and principles that have a universal tactical quality and are applicable to all manner of improvised, impact and edged weapons.
You will learn the key principles on how to develop the Floro fighting System non-telegraphic strike.
You will be shown advanced options and variations to allow more effective simple attack and defence tactics.
You’ll learn long range non-telegraphic striking methods and strategies.
You will be taught methods on how to effectively protect yourself in the crucial area of close quarter fighting.
You be shown step-by-step instructions on how to deal with an opponent who is aggressively charging and pressing a rapid piston like edged weapon attack.
You will be taught real world simple methods that are applicable to all manner of scenarios, of defending yourself unarmed against an armed attack.
You’ll be taught the principles of the Floro Fighting System deceptive combat strategy.
You will learn how to set up your opponent to ensure your attack is successful.
How to create openings through deception and drawing you assailant.
You will be shown how to use longer weapons of opportunity like magazines, walking canes and umbrellas for devastating defensive moves against an armed assailant.
You will be shown specialised combat tactics to use against a more skilled opponent.
You will learn the Floro Fighting System method of bridging the distance between you and your opponent at extreme long range.

Check out what those who have first hand knowledge of
Ray Floro's System had to say....

Ray Floro is the finest edged weapon expert that I have had the honour to train with. It is the simplicity and effectiveness of Ray’s system that has allowed the adoption of some his concepts into the current military unarmed combat program. I strongly recommend the Floro Fighting System as a no frills edged weapon system that really works.

Major Travis Faure’
Officer Commanding
Military Unarmed Combat – Australian Army
2007

Ray reminds me of a physics professor who once told me that progress comes from reducing the principles needed to explain how the world works.
Ray is like that-- he is not just non-telegraphic and really quick, he is a thoughtful man who seeks the essence.

"Crafty Dog"
Marc Denny
Dog Brothers
2007

To purchase this recommended DVD set please click here.