04/07/2020
They came out of nowhere? No! You weren't paying attention. Do you remember the first time someone cut in front of you on the highway? He came out of nowhere! Well, that how it seemed at the time. Actually, he was there all the time, you just didn't notice him. Over the years I have honed my recognition skills and just like most of you, when I am on the highway and the person in the next car glances in their rear-view mirror, I have a pretty good idea that they are about to change lanes. These recognition skills have saved me on numerous occasions and I am sure you have experienced the same thing.
People who have been in violent confrontations often say exactly the same thing, "They came out of nowhere." Well, the fact is that "they" are not fairy godmothers and can't just appear out of nowhere - they are there, watching you and by the time you see "them", they know you and have chosen you to be their next volunteer.
Recognition skills are not just reserved for driving. Recognition skills and awareness are actually the best forms of self-defence. Just by making them a habit, you can take away the bad guy's biggest ally - the element of surprise.
But where to start?
1. Get off your cell phone! Put your cell phone in your pocket and look around at how many people have no clue what is going on around them. They are constantly distracted by their phones and that’s exactly what the bad guys love to see.
2. A good way to build up those skills are to regularly give yourself little tests to see how observant you are. Glance in your rear-view mirror and see if you can at least remember some of the numbers form the number-plate on the car behind you. Next time you are in a restaurant, look behind you for a second and then see if you can describe the people sitting behind you: How many? what are they wearing? What are they doing? Walk into a room full of people and quickly count how many of them are wearing a blue item of clothing. Then take another look and count how many of them are on their cell phones, either talking or messaging. Think about how easy it would be to walk right up to them and take them by complete surprise.