Personal Safety
It ’ s all About Positioning
By Mark Grobbelaar
There are many things we can do to keep ourselves safe , in terms of layers of safety , and when it comes to positioning , this simply means do not go where you know you should not be !
Let ’ s be honest , in South Africa , telling somebody don ’ t go where you shouldn ’ t , if you want to guarantee your personal safety , pretty much means locking yourself in a concrete bunker and hoping for the best . However , there are positions and places from where an assailant can and probably will more successfully attack you ... and the obvious , best bet is avoid them .
If you find yourself in such places , like a deserted alley where there are no safetyin-numbers crowds and there ’ s nobody nearby to help you , your chances of effectively defending yourself are minimal to non-existent . The violence will be swift , intense and aimed at your weak points . That ’ s why positioning is a strategy game . It is the criminal trying to put you where he wants you , and you moving so he can ’ t – but the best advice remains to just avoid these places or situations entirely .
This ‘ game ’ is very real , and very dangerous . It is , however , not apparent on the surface . Often it means that something is going on that you do not know about – as if we can await a bold neon sign to alert us before we respect our intuition . No , you know where you should not be , so do not go there !
Asking for Trouble
I often hear people say things like , “ You ’ re asking for trouble if you go there .” Let ’ s be clear about something . I understand that no-one ever asks to be attacked , raped or robbed , but so often these incidents can be avoided by just avoiding certain situations . And when someone says you should not have been there , they are not victim-blaming , because the truth is that you probably should not have been there .
Ask yourself this question : Do you go home and leave your front door and gate open ? Of course not ! Because that would be stupid , and you are eventually going to find someone in your house , looking to either rob or hurt you . Why is it , then , that when people do stupid things and don ’ t respect their safety , that when these mistakes are pointed out , we are victim-blaming ?
For example , during my INpowered sessions , I offer the following example : “ Just this once I ’ m going to draw money at four in the morning in my pyjamas … just this once .” Or similarly put , “ I often draw money at four in the morning and nothing has happened .” You do not want to be doing this , or walking down dark alleys , or walking across an open veld late at night . I accept it is a free country and you should be able to go anywhere and do what you want , but you cannot if you want to remain safe and unharmed .
Just Don ’ t Go There
I have often heard it asked : Why should we have to learn “ self-defence ” or personal protection ? There simply should not be rape and violence and crime . But come on , are we really that naive ? It may improve , but it is never going to go away . It ’ s like saying I won ’ t buy a car with all the new fancy safety precautions because everyone else should just drive safely and respect the rules of the road .
If you go out alone to the wrong places , looking like a hundred dollars , or get drunk and do not take the necessary safety precautions , you are “ inviting trouble ,” and may one day find yourself in a situation that could and should have been avoided . Even if hearing this offends you , your safety is more important that your feelings . The point is that you know where you should not be , so do not go there .
Mark Grobbelaar is the founder of INpowered , incorporating WIP ( Woman INpowered ) and GRIP ( Guy Responsibly INpowered ), an organisation dedicated to giving people the essential tools to protect themselves . Mark holds a sixth dan in karate , and is also an avid runner and cyclist . He hosts INpowered programmes for corporates , schools and small groups . More info at www . inpowered . co . za .
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