Primal Krav Maga & Self-Defence

Personal Security Tip #7

Don’t Let Politeness Override Security

Most decent people are conditioned to be polite. Criminals know this.

Many offenders deliberately exploit social expectations. They may approach with a smile, ask for help, invade your personal space, or make a request that feels just reasonable enough to make saying “no” uncomfortable.

Your instincts may tell you something isn’t right, but many people ignore that feeling because they don’t want to appear rude, suspicious, or confrontational.

Security must always take precedence over politeness.

You are under no obligation to stop for a stranger, engage in unwanted conversation, allow someone into your personal space, or open your door simply because someone asks. You don’t owe anyone your time, your attention, or an explanation for protecting yourself.

How to React

* Step back. Create distance immediately. A simple step backwards establishes a boundary while giving you more time to assess the situation.
* Use barriers. Position a desk, shopping trolley, vehicle, bench or other object between yourself and the other person whenever possible. Barriers slow movement and buy you valuable reaction time.
* Speak up. If someone continues to close the distance, say clearly and confidently, “Could you please give me a little more room?” or “Please stay there.”
* Keep an exit. Avoid becoming trapped against a wall, inside a doorway, or between parked vehicles. Always maintain a path to move away.
* Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, leave. You don’t need to justify protecting yourself.

A genuine person who needs assistance will usually respect your boundaries. Someone with malicious intent often won’t.

Criminals rely on hesitation. They rely on your desire to avoid appearing rude. Don’t give them that advantage.

Remember: It is better to be thought of as rude for a few moments than to become the victim of someone who exploited your politeness.

Stay present. Stay aware. Stay harder to target.

Personal Security Tip #6

Don’t walk directly to your vehicle.

Observe your vehicle and the surrounding area during your approach.

As you approach your vehicle, keep your attention on the environment rather than simply getting to the driver’s door. Continuously scan the area around your vehicle and the vehicles nearby, looking for anything or anyone that appears out of place.

Have your keys ready before you reach your vehicle so you don’t need to look down or search through a bag or pocket. Keep your head up, maintain awareness, and continue observing as you close the distance.

If something doesn’t look or feel right, trust that instinct. Don’t continue your approach simply because you’re almost there. Change direction, return to a populated area, or seek assistance if necessary.

Your awareness is your first layer of personal security.

Stay present. Stay aware. Stay harder to target.

Personal Security Tip #5

Get off your phone during transitions.

Criminals look for distracted people.

Car parks, service stations, and the walk to or from your vehicle are poor places to surrender your awareness. Looking at your phone narrows your focus, reduces your ability to recognise potential threats, and makes you an easier target.

Keep your head up, scan your surroundings, and use your phone once you’re safely inside your vehicle with the doors locked, or when you’ve reached a safe location.

Stay present. Stay aware. Stay harder to target.

PERSONAL SECURITY TIP #4
WATCH THE HANDS

When assessing a potential threat, watch the hands.

A person’s face may show anger. Their words may make threats. But it is their hands that will usually cause you harm.

Hands reach for weapons. Hands conceal weapons. Hands strike, grab and restrain.

Pay particular attention to hands kept in pockets, repeatedly reaching into pockets, concealed under clothing, or held behind the back, especially when someone is approaching you or engaging you in conversation.

Don’t assume a calm approach means a safe approach. A person may appear relaxed, ask you a simple question or engage you politely while deliberately keeping their hands hidden.

What they are saying may be the distraction. Watch what their hands are doing.

If you cannot clearly see a person’s hands, your level of awareness should immediately increase.

Observe the whole person, but watch the hands.

The face may deceive you. The hands reveal intent.

Personal Security Tip #3
Don’t stop behind a vehicle without leaving yourself an escape route.

When you stop in traffic, always leave enough space between your vehicle and the one in front so you can see where its rear tyres meet the road. That gap gives you room to steer around the vehicle if a threat develops.

It may be a carjacking, an aggressive driver, a vehicle breakdown, debris, or simply the need to get out of the way of an emergency. If you’re bumper-to-bumper, you’ve surrendered your mobility, which is the single greatest advantage your vehicle provides.

Your vehicle is not just transport. It is your primary means of escape.

Leave yourself options. Mobility is security.

Personal Security Tip #2 – Increase Your Field of View

One of the simplest ways to improve your personal security is to avoid hugging the wall as you approach a blind corner.

By stepping away from the wall, you widen your field of view and can see around the corner much earlier. That extra distance may only be a metre or two, but it can give you the time needed to identify a potential threat before you walk straight into it.

The closer you are to the wall, the less you can see. The further you are from it, the more information you gain.

Threat recognition is about seeing danger before you become part of it. Give yourself every opportunity to observe, assess and, if necessary, change your direction before contact is forced upon you.

Distance from the wall equals information. Information gives you options.

Personal Security Tip #1

Don’t wear headphones in public spaces.

I’m often asked what the single biggest thing a person can do to improve their personal security.

My answer is simple: take the headphones off.

When you wear headphones, you voluntarily give up one of your most important early warning systems, your hearing.

You won’t hear someone approaching from behind. You won’t hear an argument escalating nearby. You won’t hear a vehicle travelling at speed, people calling for help, falling debris, or the countless subtle sounds that alert us that something isn’t right.

Personal safety begins with awareness.

It isn’t just about criminals. It’s about recognising danger before it reaches you, whatever form that danger takes.

The situation becomes even worse when headphones are combined with looking down at a smartphone. Vision and hearing are both diverted away from your surroundings, leaving you almost completely disconnected from what’s happening around you.

If your attention is going to be somewhere else, make sure you’re in a genuinely safe place first.

No public space should ever be assumed to be a safe place. Awareness is your first line of defence.