Most of us rarely think about our personal safety; muggings, abductions, and sexual assaults happen to other people, not to us. We trust in our common sense to keep us safe, believing that we would never behave or act in a way that would put us – or anyone who may be with us e.g. friends, children etc - at risk. This is the way that most people think before they themselves become the victim of a violent assault. Sometimes afterwards they console themselves with the thought, that even with the correct information and training, there would have been nothing that they could have done to prevent the attack/assault from happening - and in certain cases I’ll even agree that they may be right, however I would argue far more strongly that with the correct training and appropriate knowledge, there may well have been things that they could have and should have done, that could have prevented, lessened or dealt with the assault.

Don’t get me wrong, nobody is ever to blame for being the victim of a vicious assault, however at the same time it should be understood that personal safety is the sole responsibility (and in the domain) of the individual, and whilst we may argue all we want that the police and other law enforcement agencies have been tasked with enforcing the laws of our society, it is unlikely that those who look to attack us and cause us harm will wait for these individuals to be in attendance before they decide to assault us. I have every right to expect that other drivers who I share the road with will drive safely and in accordance with the laws, however I’ve driven long enough to know that this isn’t something I can rely upon, and that I better have good insurance coverage. That we should have to think about our personal safety, and possibly alter some of our behaviors and action, in order to stay safe may seem an inconvenience however this is the world we live in, and we have to be realistic about our understanding of it.

The Human Body is an interesting organism, it will inherently fight to survive, when challenged. If a person attempts to choke or strangle you, your hands will automatically rise to attack the attack, clawing away at your aggressor’s arms, hands etc (in Krav Maga we use these natural responses as a basis for our defense). However for most people it is only at this critical moment that they think about survival, neglecting to consider everything that could have been done before this moment to avoid reaching this point. Survival is a mindset, and one that should continually look to develop.

One of the things that impressed me greatly about those that were physically unaffected by the terrorist attack on Boston, two weeks ago, was the universal desire to help and be of assistance to those that were hurt and injured. Nobody can be blamed for not having the necessary skills, knowledge and equipment with them to help those who were suffering. Whilst the desire to help whilst still being at risk is a noble thing, in the world we may now be living in, such skills and knowledge could well be a requirement of everyday life. I am never one to spread hysteria and panic however the dangers we potentially face could mean that knowing how to apply a tourniquet is a more relevant skill to have than it was before. There are many other skills and pieces of knowledge that may be more appropriate for us to learn and develop because there are many more likely threats to our safety than acts of terrorism however events such as the attacks at the Boston Marathon serve to remind us that we are not as safe as we often think we are, and that there are times when we cannot avoid being the target of violence.

My guess is that in the light of the Boston Bombings more guns will be sold than ever, and whilst I am all for firearms being included in anyone’s personal self-defense strategy, I believe there are far more valuable survival skills for an individual to have, including first aid skills, and the preventative skills that self-protection training affords – not everybody has the time to devote to learning self-defense and fighting skills, however everybody can spare a few hours to think about avoidance and preventative measures i.e. how to avoid being caught on a predators radar, how to identify the Pre-Violence Indicators that can alert us to danger etc.

Would these have stopped anybody from becoming a victim of the terrorist bombings in Boston? Probably not, however it would have meant that there were more people able to assist and help, and less people who were mugged, raped and assaulted that day (despite the media coverage, at least one woman in Boston was raped that day, and another individual was forced to hand over a wallet or phone at knife-point – other crimes don’t stop because of Terrorism).            

The world we live in is becoming statistically safer, however the risk of becoming the victim of a serious or deadly assault is increasing.