Learning situational awareness – the experts teach us

I’ve written often in these pages about the need for situational awareness – to be aware of one’s surroundings, the people in them, potential threats, potential avenues of escape, and so on.  It’s something that becomes second nature to those who’ve learned – whether through instruction, or the hard way – the need to be constantly aware of what’s going on around us.  However, for those who haven’t been exposed to that sort of conditioning, it’s not so easy.

Here are three short videos that encapsulate the main lessons of situational awareness.  Yes, it’ll take time for you to watch them;  but I think you’ll learn a lot more from the visual environment than you will by reading words on their own.  If you need such training, these videos are a very good place to start.  (I’d say, if you live in any urban area these days, you need situational awareness all day, every day, because the threats are there all the time!)

These videos are from a “tactical” perspective, because they’re aimed at security professionals and civilians who understand their need for self-defense.  They may appear a bit over-the-top to those who’ve never thought much about the subject, but believe me, they’re not.  Ask anyone who’s been attacked by criminals, and how their attitudes changed afterwards.  If you’re ever unfortunate enough to experience that, yours will too!

Let’s start with an on-the-street introduction to situational awareness by Tim Kennedy of Sheepdog Response.

Next, here’s a two-video series by John Lovell of Warrior Poet Society.

There’s lots more that can be said, but the videos above will give you most of the fundamentals.  You can do your own Internet and YouTube searches for “situational awareness” to find more materials.

Peter