Tips From Tim Larkin, The Plan, The Action and Going Through The Motions
The Plan, The Action, And Going Through the Motions
Is it possible to learn how to swim by watching a video? Maybe, but I think we'd all feel a lot better learning in the pool.
Life-or-death self-defense is admittedly unpleasant business. It's all the stuff you'd really rather not think about; and so most of us don't, hoping instead that it simply never becomes an issue for us. Statistics favor this approach much in the same way that the vast majority of people will never need to swim to keep from drowning.
Until they get dumped in the water.
That single freak occurrence could end their life. If they haven't prepared for that moment there's not much they can do for themselves. They're going to have to rely on the expertise of those around them to save their life. And if they're caught out alone, the outcome might be a bad one.
Similarly, life-or-death self-defense is something that needs to be learned, practiced, and prepared. Having a plan, and then going through the motions of that plan not only grant you peace of mind, but also greatly improve your chances for survival.
The Plan
When faced with a life-or-death self-defense situation, most people draw a blank on what to do next. Their going to be stuck with whatever raw instinct tells them to do. Chances are good that the other guy does have a plan, and has walked through it, at least mentally, before initiating his attack. Instinct vs. plan is not the way you want to go. A shooter wants people to clump up and try to get away, giving him a target-rich environment and room to work, for example. If you're going to have any chance, you need a plan yourself: a list of things to do once your realize it's on. Something other than reacting like an animal and hoping for the best.
The Action
Once you have that plan, you want to walk through it until it's second nature and you have the confidence to execute it. For those who know how to swim, getting in the water is a fun leisure activity. We forget that people drown every day and this form of recreational play or exercise is really an essential life skill. It is possible to get to the same place with hand-to-hand self-defense skills, where hurting someone who wants to kill you is as obvious and straightforward as the doggie paddle. All it takes is going through the motions.
This is why our self-defense seminars are so focused on physical application. The less we talk and the more you do the better prepared you are.
Like a fire drill or getting in the pool, going through the motions means you're ready for the real thing.
And that can be the difference between life and death.