Courtesy of the Sheepdog Foundation
Editor’s note: This is the first in a new series on personal safety by Michael and Alicia Myrie of the Sheepdog Foundation.
Personal safety and preparedness have always been at the forefront of our mission here at the Sheepdog Foundation Inc. For over a decade, the Foundation has been serving southeastern North Carolina, and we have always stressed the importance of proactive awareness and preparation over a complacent mindset.
The absence of violence in your immediate environment is not an indication of the impossibility of its occurrence ever affecting you directly or indirectly at some point in this ever-changing world.
We pride ourselves on keeping our coaching and training as “real-world” as possible to address the realistic challenges we may face daily. Pattern recognition is a vital skill set for staying prepared, as well as for adapting to pattern shifts and changes. This all may sound exhausting, trying to process it all at once. If you make it part of your daily practice, it becomes second nature before you realize you have developed a new and vital skillset.
In light of recent violent incidents which are very out of character for this small community, many citizens are voicing concerns about their safety, and some are taking additional steps to protect themselves. These steps include paying closer attention to their surroundings, taking extra steps to secure their home and vehicle, and, for the first time, purchasing tools for self-defense, including firearms.
The famous military general and author Sun Tzu said, “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” This quote highlights that success lies in balancing long-term vision with immediate, purposeful execution. Simply put, proper training and consistency.
Many are now acting reactively, reaching for tools and trending ideas they hope will be a fix-all that will protect them from the same fate as the unfortunate victims. For example, I hear this phrase constantly: “situational awareness.”
When I ask them what that looks like, they always say paying attention to my surroundings. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple and is not limited to just paying attention. It’s about developing a mindset. It’s an interpretation of your environment in “real-time”. Learning to identify potential threats before they become imminent threats. Knowing when to act rather than react.
The signals of a potential threat are not always readily visible or very clear. They are, at times, very subtle and disguised in what we think is normal behavior. Knowing what and how to look for, and identifying the signals and patterns, is what matters. They are intentionally hidden, but you can learn what to look for.
Some examples (but not limited to these) are pacing, types of scanning, certain posturing, and types of engagement or the lack of them. There are many behavioral and environmental pre-attack indicators and anomalies.
We tend to ignore certain patterns and behaviors that we are accustomed to. Many of those little behaviors don’t fit the context, but we ignore them. Potential threats rarely appear without some sort of a clue. Individually, they may be insignificant; however, when they occur frequently or together, they create a pattern and begin to form a clearer picture.
Your discomfort is not just an annoyance; it is a cue to pay closer attention to things such as body language, timing, external influences, or isolated behavior.
Enough of these will help identify a pattern that will require appropriate action on your part. Your action of creating distance, identifying avenues of escape, beginning execution of egress, or simply leaving immediately. Proaction is often better than reaction for maintaining your tactical advantage.
Situational awareness can be improved with training. Practice can be part of your daily routine and done without anyone even knowing you are training. You can even make it a fun practice with the younger members of your family.
Secluding yourself to feel safe is not recommended for many reasons. We recommend getting out and having fun, and familiarizing yourself with your environment. Familiarity will help you recognize patterns and changes, and help you know what to look for. It will also help you learn to trust your gut, act, and protect.
The Sheepdog Foundation Inc. concentrates its training on practical, real-world responses to real-world stimuli. Our mission is to empower responsible, prepared, and prudent members of the community wanting to build and preserve a productive, peaceful, and safe environment for everyone. We have but one goal: To pass on the lessons we have learned.
~Founders. Sheepdog Foundation Inc.
