FAQ
Based on common perceptions of self defence, the answer is an emphatic NO. When people learn self defence, they usually learn to defend themselves against one unarmed attacker. By contrast, we focus our training on violent attacks by one or more armed attackers, which is a more reality-based context for life today.
No. The Personal Safety presentations and workshops are not based on art by any stretch of the imagination. Rather, they are based on strategy.
The training is usually presented as a once-off session but quite a few of our groups like to do a refresher course after a few months. Some groups follow up with an advanced workshop once they have processed the material covered in the first session, or take a workshop on hijack safety or one of the other specialised workshops.
Fitness is irrelevant in our workshops. The emphasis is on interaction and explanation, so strength and fitness are not essential requirements. People from all walks of life should be able to keep themselves safe, not just people who are fit.
Our talks are tailored to suit the occasion and specific context, but most run from one to five hours. We deliver talks for groups ranging from small to large organisations and some of our talks contain physical elements which are both fun and practical.
Safety is an excellent team building subject because crime and violence remain one of the very few things we all experience in a similar way. Almost every other experience in our lives is filtered by culture, gender and other factors, but we all feel fear in a similar way.
We are not teaching a system at all. We believe that you live with the consequences of your decisions and your actions and that each person thinks and acts differently. Some of our presentations cover various possible weapon options, including every day handy items. The most important thing when considering the use of weapons to defend yourself is that your actions are congruent with your values and belief system.
Consistency is the Key
Creating simple safety habits, things that make you think about your safety regularly is an important key to keeping yourself safe. How many times a day do you think about your safety? Most people talk about the negative aspects – crime! Other than re-posting “5 ways to prevent a hijacking” (replace with whatever crime is the flavour of the month), they don’t actually THINK about THEIR safety. In other words, “How am I going to keep myself safer today?” or “What can I change to make myself safer today?”
Create safety habits, little things that you do daily. For example, when you get into your car, before you even put on your seatbelt, lock your car doors, all of them! Don’t wait for the doors to lock automatically when you drive off; that may be too late to prevent a hijacking. It is quite easy for a hijacker/s to simply climb into the seat next to you and stick a gun in your face
Take responsibility for your safety
No-one is coming to save you. Criminals don’t wait until armed response or the police are visible before they attack, they wait until you are a) alone, b)unaware or c) distracted before they strike. Crime is either planned or opportunistic but in both cases there has to be the opportunity for the crime to take place. The bottom line is that no-one is going to save you – you need to learn to save yourself. Remeber that by practicing awareness you reduce the opportunity for the criminal.
