Situational Awareness (NAD)

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

Similar to MM’s remark you will read below, visit this link and read it and its associated links at the end of the article. In my mind, to understand SA you have to have a foundation of knowledge and understanding on which to utilize in every day awareness. There is a ton to read so to get started, go here: https://tinyurl.com/y4tdhxpo


Welcome back, that took some time so before continuing with your research take some time to absorb all that was written then come back and find out the additions I am passing along from a violence professional by the name of Marc MacYoung. Go on, take some time…


Mr. MacYoung’s word on the acronym N.A.D. or Normal, Abnormal, Dangerous. The normal and abnormal parts should be familiar by now because those terms were also used in the referenced book in my articles/posts. 


NAD’s (Normal, Abnormal, Dangerous)


Let's talk 'situational awareness' and why I have problems with how most people use the term.


At best situational awareness is a single wall of a larger building. You need to have a foundation for it to stand on, other walls and a roof. Without those, it falls down.


Too many people assume they have those when they don't. Worse, too many teachers try to teach situational awareness without having those other elements themselves. Without establishing some kind of clearly articulated base line 'situational awareness' floats off into la-la land.


What do I mean by a baseline? In our book "What You Don't Know Can Kill You: How most self-defense training will put you into prison or the ground" Jenna Meek and I introduce the concept of NAD (Normal, Abnormal, Dangerous)


What is 'normal' behavior for an environment? (Until you know this you CAN'T spot Abnormal, much less Dangerous, behavior.)


What is 'abnormal' behavior for an environment? (Hint, most abnormal behavior is 'known' and not dangerous.)


'Dangerous' behavior has unique traits. Traits that only combine when there is danger. (This includes when the predator is trying to hide them.)


NAD a foundational concept for situational awareness that most people either

  1. don't know
  2. may know, but don't articulate.

Instead they focus on collecting skills and tacti-kool terms. Terms they deem 'situation awareness.' Here's a question, can you 'defend' those terms? Believe me when I tell you that any term you use you'll have to defend against questions like "How did you know he wasn't...?"


Can you do that? If you have NADs under your belt you can. - posted on https://tinyurl.com/y2axvtez by Marc MacYoung


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Awareness, with specificity toward threats that pose a danger of grave harm and/or death. This is a primary goal of our training for self-protection. There are a few factors that one must understand and have the ability to apply efficiently to achieve situational awareness:

  • An understanding of the concept of the OODA, the loop created to achieve faster actions and reactions in stressful situations. (Observation, Orientation, Decisions and Actions)
  • An understanding of the principles of observation, i.e., kinesics, biometrics, proxemics, geographic’s, iconography, and atmospherics
    • these six principles if taken properly to their full measure in understanding and applying will give the most weight to understanding true situational awareness. 
    • I quote, “These six observational skills capture the most significant aspects of human behavior in simple terms that aid practitioners in establishing solid situational awareness useful in almost all situations and environments. 
    • Van Horne, Patrick. "Left of Bang: How the Marine Corps Combat Hunter Program." Black Irish Entertainment LLC. June 13, 2014. 
  • Comprehensive understanding of criminals, criminal activity and the threat these pose as well as the understanding of social violence, that which most face even on a daily basis because that is how our species expresses conflicts and violence compared to the more predatory asocial types of violence. 
    • used in a decision making process…
  • Comprehensive understanding of the legal system and the social ramifications and effects on conflict and violence as addendums to all other aspects of situational awareness because that brings to totality of knowledge and understanding to the practitioner that supports and feeds situational awareness. 
    • used in a decision making process…
  • Understanding as to how emotions are involved and effect situations (see observational principles above).
    • reading the overall mood of a situation as well as the emotional moods of the people and the individual who may be involved in the overall threat detected. 
    • moods and emotions are contagious especially the negative emotions, etc.

NOTES - About SW


Situational awareness + proactive identification of threats, the ability to read the mood of a situation is a part of that situational awareness. The ability to pick up on the atmospherics of a situation can be a life saver, like the customer who strolls into a convenience story and while shopping detects an anomaly that turns out to be a robbery in progress. Backs out of the store entrance, uses the cell and informs 911 of events as they unfold. 


Moods and emotions are first experienced subconsciously, in any given situation, where we have that "spidey sense" that something is amiss and that is our emotional signals telling us that something is an anomaly to our normal lives so being attuned to our own emotional responses in any given situation will increase the speed of our cognitive understanding as to what is actually going on.


MORE on SA:


Introduction to Situational Awareness 

The Totality of Awareness

Informed and Situational Awareness

Situational Awareness

Another Perspective on Situational Awareness


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

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