Awareness

[Kami_no_ken]

Whats the best way to get a better awareness of your surroundings/ possible threats (best defence is to not be there in the first place) In your opinions? I'm aware of potential attackers but it always seems to be the one i dont suspect until theyre right in front of me talking.

Thanks in advance

[tellner]

One good one is to have a trigger, some little habitual movement that means "I'm aware and looking around." For instance if you always brush the back of one hand against your thigh before you spar you will be more aware in other circumstances when you do it.

[Rebel Wado]

Whats the best way to get a better awareness of your surroundings/ possible threats (best defence is to not be there in the first place) In your opinions? I'm aware of potential attackers but it always seems to be the one i dont suspect until theyre right in front of me talking.

Thanks in advance

Education and experience. Do your homework and walk the walk.

This includes just hanging out with knowledgable and experienced people and keeping an open mind. Everyone has a story to tell... are you listening?

[firecoins]

keep your eyes out for people up to no good.

I give a story here of how being aware is important. The girls from this story lived in a nearby gang ridden housing project. Being aware prevented my involvment in anything but sombody who was not so aware ended up calling the police.

http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40931

[shadowlin]

listen.

[Kami_no_ken]

thanks everyone, this is really helpful

[Checkhands]

Working on your peripheral vision helps quite a bit in being able to asses and keep track of what's going on in a room/area. There's quite a few exercises for that which you can find very easily through the 'net.
That said, unless you can sense intentions, I'd say honing your intuition is probably the best way to go.

[El Tejon]

kami, here's a drill we used to do decades ago. When you are out and about doing your daily thing, give yourself an "X" when you spot someone before they see you, give yourself an "O" when someone sees you before you see them. In a few months the Xs will far outnumber the Os.

Play the "I am losing game". Many play "what if"; play "I am losing." What if 3 thugs came in through that door? What would I do? What if that did not work? Whatever I do will not work, what do I do?

Most of all--stop looking at girls! :D

[firecoins]

paying attention to body language is helpful.

[Checkhands]

Great exercise El Tejon, I'm gonna' start using that one.

[firecoins]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inattentional_blindness

inattentional blindness or not noticing visible things because your focusing on certain things but not others. I learned about this as I took up sleight of hand.

[Munen Mushin]

I really don't know what to think of this post. I can only go by personal experience. An example: probably about a decade ago my buddies(also training partners) would go to this bar just tounwind and hang out. It usually was packed w/ no moving space, but around my crowd there was always a good 4ft. of space around us. If youget anything from this: If you wanna talk the talk, ya gotta walk the walk. Confidence goes a very long way( notice confidence not cockieness) if you have what it takes ppl will not fool w/ ya.

well that's enough typing 4 me now, later.

[firecoins]

I am sure the confidence was instilled by getting through the Army Ranger Program. Were you still a Ranger at the time?

[TheCount]

The best way I have found for awareness is taking a quick mental note of everything to the point you dont realise your doing it but the notes are all there. Military training isgreat for it, patrolling when you could be ambushed etc is great for your awareness and so on