I am writing this to address a subject that I think is largely misunderstood by the average human being.  And I would like to specifically address a mentality that I believe is dangerous.

I will address the public’s misunderstanding of its common predators.  And the public’s naive attempts when dealing with these predators should they decide to attack an innocent.

This came to mind while watching a Television show that centered on female police officers.  The females in this show were surprisingly careless in how they handled and approached suspects.  Now these lady police officers would likely tell me otherwise and explain that they are trained and expert in what they do if I were to approach them with my concerns.

I believe that most self defense classes are delivering a false sense of confidence to their students.  I also believe that the thought processes and methods of teaching self defense have been popularized and reached a socially accepted standard.  This is to say that the ideas and methods being taught are not routinely tested against real life scenarios or made to simulate as closely as possible a real life attack.

Please consider the “predator”.   Statistically this individual will be a male who attacks a female.  Also when entering the mindset and attitudes of the common real life predator it is found that he chooses effectively individuals that fit his criteria.  One of these criteria is a belief of the ease of subjugation of his victim.  Rather than giving references for these conclusions I would hope that if this reading peaks your interest you would confirm my own findings through your own research.

Have you ever witnessed a really nasty dog fight?  I was at a park when a dog attacked another dog and a prolonged fight ensued.  It was shockingly violent and the emotion surrounding it literally made me ill to the point that I felt light headed.  I mention this to speak specifically to the self defense training I see happening across this nation and others such as in Canada.

I believe it is lost on most individuals just how violent and instantaneous and attack will be if a predator chooses you.  Imagine the mind that has no qualms with the immorality of the decisions its making.  Combine this psychosis with chemical and hormonal elements involved in the addiction obsession and “hunt” that takes place prior to an attack.

The drives humans experience are powerful, most of us can attest to that.  Take hunger for example, when the body experiences hunger it can be a powerful driving force that restricts the minds ability to focus on other things.  Most of us associate hunger with food.  A predator may be hungry for something else.  The body and minds reactions chemically and hormonally are very similar though the end goal of “appeasement” of this hunger is different.

We have all heard or have our own stories of the effects of adrenaline on the body.  Increased strength among other things can be an effect of this hormone.  Adrenaline can be used via injection to start a heart that has ceased to function, in essence restoring life to a body that is dying.

The common predator has a number of things going on in his mind and body at the time he contemplates and perpetrates an attack.  Any training designed to protect against an attack of this nature must asses itself competent against the worst case scenario.  In other words it must be designed to nullify the most extreme predatory action.

I have heard first hand many women explain to me what they would do if confronted by an attacker.  I have never heard any of them espouse what I would consider to be an effective countermeasure to an attack.  In every instance this is directly linked to overconfidence based upon an underestimation of the attacker’s potential.

Rather than talk methodology or debate effective techniques in one of these instances, I will simply describe the possibilities behind Mr. Predator.  He will be bigger and stronger than you.  He will believe this is true even if it is not and will not consider the possibility of losing the confrontation.  He will attempt to overwhelm you in one way or another.  It is highly likely he will be naturally chemically and hormonally “high”.  This can result in him being less susceptible to pain, having increased reflexive ability and increased strength to name a few things.  Combine this with an intense need to satisfy his addiction or hunger.  And he will most likely surprise you and attack at a time he perceives you to be vulnerable.

Now please also consider that simply causing him pain will not deter him.  Consider that stabbing him may not deter him.  Consider that your ability to improvise a weapon or reach and arm yourself with a carried weapon is highly unlikely.  Consider that you are only one in a long line of individuals he has victimized and that he knows what he is doing.  Consider that your fighting him only increases the intensity of his chemical and hormonal “high”.

Now ask yourself if your training could effectively give you options in a scenario like this one.  If it cannot I suggest searching out other options because they are out there.  Self defense is an art not a 14 week course.

Thank you and happy hunting.