The 3A's of Personal Security

Buying a gun and/or taking a few martial arts lessons is what many think of as good individualized safety measures. They can be, assuming certain conditions are met and followed. However, most of the time they aren’t, which is a topic for another discussion. Likewise, the use of these tools involves direct physical action and most likely contact with the less desirable elements of society, something to be steered clear of at all costs. Engagement should be considered the last option and it’s necessity generally means you screwed up.

Folks love to talk about weapons and training and such, but barely pay lip service to, what I consider to be, the most important facets of security. The practices that actually keep you out of trouble, that will help you regardless of your age or health. Remember, you, your home, and your vehicle, only have to be a slightly more difficult and less desirable target than everyone else. Lock things up, don’t leave anything in open view, have good lighting, a basic security system, perhaps a dog, don’t blindly answer your phone or open the door, think, and so forth and so on. Predators like easy prey. Even if you have someone specifically targeting you, i.e. a stalker, all the basic precautions still count, you’ll most likely want to layer more at that point.

The most important step towards individual safety anyone can take, in my personal experience, is to start practicing, what I call, the 3A's of personal security; alertness, awareness, and avoidance. If you’re paying attention to what’s going on around you, cognizant of any possible or potential threats, you can not be there when and if they occur. That is the best form of security there is, absolutely no combat involved. A 90-year old woman can do it. Nothing to buy, the 3A's are free. Were I an instructor I certainly would devote a class period to these vital topics.

I feel the following defines each of the 3A's nicely for our purposes:

Alertness is the state of paying close and continuous attention, being watchful and prompt to meet danger or emergency, or being quick to perceive and act. It is related to psychology as well as to physiology.

Awareness is the state or ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of events, objects, or sensory patterns. In this level of consciousness, sense data can be confirmed by an observer without necessarily implying understanding. More broadly, it is the state or quality of being aware of something.

Avoidance is the act or practice of evading or withdrawing from something; preventing something from existing or occurring; not doing something, not being there.

Once you start practicing the 3A's, they become habitual, you may only realize you doing it when a warning goes off. Oh, and just because a warning goes doesn’t necessarily mean trouble is imminent; it may mean, simply, that something doesn’t seem right. Be aware of it, nonetheless, do not become completely fixated upon it, as there may other dangers to be concerned with as well.

At this point I should mention that this is not paranoia. A good definition of paranoia, which is actually a mental illness, is for our concerns; a fear or suspicion of other people when there is no evidence or logical reason for this said fear. What the 3A's are is good, old fashioned, common sense. We use them daily when we drive, for instance. They’re the procedures our primeval ancestors used, instinctively, to survive...or we wouldn’t be here.

Let’s look at an example of the 3A’s in use.

As you leave your home for work in the morning, you scan the area immediately outside your door. Then, as you step out, but before turning to lock up, you scan slightly farther out and again even farther. You are ALERT to your surroundings.

You notice, at the street, an unfamiliar, newer model, vehicle with a person sitting behind the wheel. The vehicle, which is clean and appears to be well kept, is not running and the person seems to be relaxed and reading something. No other strangers are insight. You are AWARE that there is something different, possibly threatening, in your surroundings.

Normally, you’d walk down the street, past where the strange vehicle is parked, and catch the bus for work. Knowing that your neighbor across the street normally leaves for work at this time also, you casually step back inside and wait for a few minutes, watching, unobserved, through a window as well as listening intently for any abnormal sound(s) inside your home. Your cell phone is in your hand should you need to call the police immediately. You have AVOIDED a possible danger and, in the process, secured yourself and your home.

Two minutes later, your neighbor appears, hurriedly enters the strange vehicle, and they drive off. It turns out his car broke down and he was getting a lift from a coworker. Even so, it could’ve turned out much differently, for you or someone else. Therefore, you did the right thing and erred on the margin of safety. You traded a few minutes of your time for your security, that of your home, and, actually, that of your neighbors as well.

I think the concept of the 3A’s is fairly clear.

Here’s another something to think about. Have you ever seen how a knife attack takes place in prison? (If not, there’s videos on-line). It’s instantaneous, explosive, violence, and it doesn’t stop until the victim’s down. Most of the time, that's how it is on the street...a black belt and/or a .45 are useless at this point. This is where the 3A's of personal security; alertness, awareness, and avoidance, come into play. Seeing the attack (potentially) coming buys you precious time. In a second or three, you can either prepare to defend yourself or, better yet, get outta Dodge. Remember, not being there, is THE best defense. Believe me, the predators amongst us practice the 3A’s instinctively, you should as well.

Also reference these threads: The 3A's of Personal Security on ICCF, Awareness for the Regular Guy (or Gal) By “Guantes”, and Awareness or Alertness? There IS a Difference...