Personal Protection: Why True Self-Defense Starts Long Before a Punch is Thrown
- Dave Hedges
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Slight change of topic this week.
This week we talk Self Defence or “Personal Protection”
The stimulus for this email is last week's riots in Belfast, the fact a 19year old kid I know here in Dungannon got jumped simply because he’s half South American and of a tanned complexion.
And a lady who admitted to me recently that as she works in a room on her own in a medical facility, she often feels vulnerable.
And chatting with a buddy who asked me to look over his most recent Self Defence syllabus (which is very good by the way)
All this within the last couple of weeks.
When most, and I used to do the same, teach Self Defence it is focussed on physical confrontation, How to punch, kick, escape grabs and become a bona fide Jason Bourne.
And it’s right, you would do well learning that stuff.
And if I’m honest, you’d be better going to a regular martial arts class for that. In my mind a combination of Muay Thai and Judo would prepare anyone for almost anything.
The Personal Protection Continuum
But that covers only part of the Personal Protection continuum.
A continuum I learned from a former UK Royal Marine who served as part of the NATO close protection team.
The continuum goes:
Avoid - Evade - Confront
The punchy-kicky stuff lives in the Confront stage
And there are two stages before it (and technically after it once you end the confront stage)
It’s the Avoid and Evade section where true Personal Protection really lives.
Awareness and Target Selection
And it comes down to a few very simple concepts.
The first being awareness.
Being aware that shit happens
Being aware that we do daydream, especially in familiar environments (most car crashes happen within a mile of the person's house)
Being aware of our surroundings so we can pick out changes and/or anomalies
Being aware of our, and others body language, and this a biggie.
Body Language, or “non verbal communication” has been said to carry 55% of our communication (see the work of Albert Mehrabian, which is somewhat controversial and under review, but as a model, holds water}
When criminals are interviewed over target selection, how they choose their victims, they talk about body language.
How a person walks, whether or not they are paying attention or if they’re distracted (ie Aware), how their kit is arranged, i.e. a neat and tidy person, versus a person juggling phones, bags and other peripherals.
How to Shift Your Physical Presence
So much of personal protection comes down to:
Walk tall, head up, eyes and ears open, as if curious about the world around you. Which is a good way to be in general.
Being curious and observant means you pick up on anything odd before it becomes a problem, giving you time to avoid it.
Train, strong people stand up straight, have a physicality about them that others pick up on.
Just this will very often have the bad guys looking for easier targets
And never be afraid to change your plans, alter your route, go a different direction.
It’s surprisingly simple
And quite easy, most of the time.
If you want more self defence info, let me know.
Since chatting to my buddy about his course, I have pulled out a stack of files of my own that I created over the years on the topic. and I really ought to collate it into an Online Course on www.DaveHedges.net
Who’s going to give me a kick up the arse to get that done?
Any volunteers?
Chat soon
Dave
Key Principles of Personal Protection
The Three-Part Continuum: True self-defense prioritizes Avoidance and Evasion. Confrontation is a last resort when the first two lines of defense have failed.
The Distraction Magnet: Criminals choose targets based on perceived vulnerability. Eliminating distractions (like looking down at a phone in public) significantly lowers your target profile.
Physical Posture as a Deterrent: Building physical strength doesn't just prepare you for a fight; it changes your daily posture and gait, projecting an alert presence that deters conflict naturally.
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