Six Observational Principles

Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)

I lot is out there on tells, those things that “tell” us a threat is in the vicinity and we should be aware and in observation mode to quickly determine our exposure and vulnerability. The following derived from the study of “Left of Bang” provides principles to use in training and practicing our abilities to detect - things. It is about our fostering, accepting and enhancing our natural protective “fight-or-fight” instincts, if you will, so they work in an appropriate and legal way in the chaos of modern technological times. After all, no matter how far we have come the threats of predators, conflicts and violence are still there and pretty much unchanged from our pasts.

Tells are also those indicators that an attacker is moving against you and Marc MacYoung talked about ‘hubs’ as those area’s to watch to indicate either the hands or the feet are going to move. These are the hubs you watch when you are NOT surprised and already in a lurch but when you are in the fight. These work exceptionally well in competitions and many sport professionals use them in their winning efforts. 

These tells are observational so they are meant, in my mind, to put you in a mind-set and mind-state of avoidance, i.e., if you can observe and decide using these six principles of observation then you stand a much greater chance of avoidance or giving yourself the time to escape and evade an attacker. The following are derived, as stated, from the book “Left of Bang.”

Note: This is presented to provide information only and it is best if the reader seek out professionals who are experienced in attaining these abilities and skills because there is MORE than what is provided, use these as “teasers” that inspire further research, study and understanding. 

Kinesics: involves people's conscious and subconscious body language. Humans give off signals through their postures, gestures, and expressions that communicate their current emotions and possible future intentions. The ability to pick up those signals is critical to PROACTIVELY identify threats. 

Biometric Cues: the uncontrollable and automatic biological responses of the human body to stress. The physiological responses are key to understanding a person's emotional state and changes. 

Proxemics: allows us to understand groups of people, group dynamics, by observing interpersonal distance and identify an individual's relationships and intentions based on how they use the space around them. It allows us to understand an individual's behavior as it relates to the surrounding people. It helps us understand group dynamics. 

Geographic’s: involves reading the4 relationship between people and their environment. It helps us to understand and identify who is familiar or unfamiliar with the area they are in and how people move around their surroundings. Human behavior is predictable, threat profiles help us to anticipate where people will go and what they will do in certain areas. 

Iconography: allows us to understand the SYMBOLS people use to communicate their beliefs and affiliations. Gangs, groups and individuals use iconography as a symbol of group unity, for rapid recognition of other members, and to communicate their beliefs to the larger social community. Observing these symbols, particularly the increased presence or even sudden absence of them, can be key to a threat profiler's situational awareness. 

Atmospherics: focuses on the collective attitudes, moods, and behaviors in a given situation or place. Threat profiling can read the social and emotional atmosphere of an environment and pick up on the changes or shifts in that atmosphere that often signal that something significant has changes or that something is about to occur. Understanding that collective atmosphere can key threat profiles onto those individuals whose attitude, emotions, and behavior DO NOT FIT the given situation - those individuals are anomalies. 

These six observation tells or skills capture the most significant aspects of human behavior in simple terms that aid practitioners in establishing baselines and identify anomalies. 

If you teach martial arts; if you compete; if you train for self-protection then you will want to read the book because it does speak to principles that will assist in making you fully capable in self-protection to include conflicts after using your self-defense skills, like in the legal system. With some insight and some creativity the material in the book will translate into a civilian set of concepts and skills that will help you to "avoid; escape-n-evade; articulate and be successful in self-protection." 

For reference and sources and professionals go here: Bibliography (Click the link)

Van Horne, Patrick. "Left of Bang: How the Marine Corps Combat Hunter Program." Black Irish Entertainment LLC. June 13, 2014.