When we are in a self-defense situation, it’s pretty much not of our own choosing. We don’t get to pick the environment we’re in, we don’t get to change our clothes, and we don’t get to pick our favorite tools for self-defense, unless we happen to have them with us.
Do you remember the three questions that GM Manley posed? Sometimes I add a fourth question: Who or what are my allies?
The “who” part can be fairly obvious; someone in your trusted group, someone in a law-enforcement role, etc. The “what” part is more subtle. What objects are around that can help me? What are their properties? Figuring out what objects can be an ally requires a flexibility of thinking – see my recent blog post on reality and perception. In that post, I highlight ways that the martial arts star, Jackie Chan, uses ordinary objects in innovative ways.
So today, look around your environment and do your own “what if” exercise. What objects could I use in a self-defense situation? What properties do they have that could be used in a surprising way?
I’d love to hear what you come up with!
Debby