Survive In Place Sample Lesson
The Ultimate Step-By-Step guide to creating your Urban Survival Plan
Welcome to another Sample SurviveInPlace™ lesson!
How To Increase Your Awareness By Becoming The Hunter!
I believe it’s important to develop your armed and unarmed skills, but when it comes to violence, luck can play a significant role. As a former no-holds-barred fighter (before MMA was regulated,) I saw and experienced how quickly a fighter with superior skills could be defeated by a newbie who got lucky.
If they’d fight 100 times, the superior fighter would probably win 90 times or more, but the newbie still has a chance.
With violent encounters, there is no referee or rules and a lucky cut, stab, or shot can kill you, even if you eventually stop the threat.
Although it sounds overly simplistic, one of the best ways to survive a violent encounter is to avoid violent encounters all-together.
One of the best ways to avoid violent encounters is to train your mind to recognize criminals, and the quickest way to do this is to start thinking like one.
For the next several days pretend that you are a mugger. As you go about your daily business, picture how you would ambush someone in the various places in which you find yourself.
Pay particular attention to which people you would feel comfortable ambushing and which ones wouldn’t be worth the risk. What common actions do you have with potential victims that you can change? What actions make others not worth attacking that you can begin to mimic? Try to ignore physical attributes–they only camouflage the bunny or beast inside. There are people in wheelchairs that I wouldn’t mess with and 300 pound muscle-heads that I’d be willing to fight with only one arm.
If you live in an apartment, where in the building or parking facilities would you hide if you were going to attack someone? With a little practice, you’ll be amazed at how many spots in which you might be able to hide.
Start at home and then move your attention to your place of employment. Pay attention to those areas where you would normally be by yourself. The parking lot. Even the restroom. Pay attention to which stalls are the most vulnerable.
Start watching how you open doors. In particular, note where you’re looking, which arm you use, and how that helps/hinders your ability to react to someone on the other side.
Most crimes occur outside of where you live and work. Elevators, garages, building entrances and exits offer criminals opportunities to take you by surprise.
After you’ve learned to spot the ideal physical settings for a crime, you need to spot potential criminals.
You need to pay attention to the physical mannerism of potential bad guys.
When you see a person approaching you, ask yourself “is he dressed appropriately for the circumstances?” Is he wearing baggy clothing to hide a weapon? Do his shoes match his clothing? If he’s wearing running shoes with nice slacks and shirt, be careful. Is he wearing a hat and sunglasses that go out of their way to hide his face?
Don’t be afraid to look people straight in the eye. You want to know if they’re checking you out as a possible victim. Does the potential bad guy have his hands in his pockets, perhaps holding a weapon? Does he appear nervous, sweating or breathing heavily?
Most attacks come from behind, so learn to expand your field of vision.
Most of us tend to stare when we look at something. Here’s a simple exercise you can use to break this habit and expand your field a vision.
Look at an object in the room you’re in. Now, without moving your eyes or head, what do you see out of the sides of your eyes? How about top and bottom?
It’s amazing how much more you see when you pay attention to your peripheral vision. Imagine a hose nozzle that can be adjusted back and forth from a wide spray to a concentrated stream. When you need to focus on something, tighten the nozzle and then quickly adjust your vision back to a wide spray.
As you develop your vision, with a little twist of your head you will be able to scan almost 360 degrees around you.
No one will ever be able to sneak up on you again. Try it and see for yourself.
Most people have never seen a real criminal in person. So as part of your training you’ve got to get out and see the bad guys, learn how they think and act.
When Rick Jones joined the L.A. County Sheriffs Department he was being groomed for undercover work with L.A.’s most notorious gangs. To prepare him for that assignment, he was assigned to work in one of California’s toughest prisons. Why?
Because you get to see the worst that society has to offer in terms of vicious criminals — and they’re all in one place.
Dep. Jones was able to observe and study the behavior of killers, rapists, muggers, robbers, and a special group of violence prone people referred to as EDP’s (emotionally disturbed people).
In time Jones became an expert in spotting criminals and categorizing them according to their specialty and propensity for violence.
Today, whether Rick Jones walks into a restaurant, bar or other place of business or simply walks down the street, he quickly sizes up people he meets. If he senses trouble he knows what to expect and he’s ready for it.
Here’s the next best thing you can do to learn the same kind of lessons Rick Jones did.
Call your local police office (or a friend who’s in law enforcement) and ask if you can do a “ride-along” with them. Try to find someone who is a “beat cop” and who regularly runs into bad situations. It won’t do much good to ride with a detective or an officer doing traffic stops.
You can also spend some time in the local criminal court. Spending a few hours a day, or night, over several days will give you a great education when it comes to knowing who the bad guys are and understanding their behavior.
By watching these people you get a feel for what they’re like, the way they move, act and THE WAY THEY WATCH OTHER PEOPLE.
Most criminals are petty thieves and not very dangerous. What you’re looking for is a way of spotting those who are mean, sadistic or emotionally disturbed. They are the violent offenders who will rob you first and then shoot you just for the fun of it. They are the ones you want to spot early on. You want plenty of time to either avoid, evade or otherwise deal with these people.
After a little practice in criminal court, it’s time to go to your favorite mall or even a busy street corner. Find a spot from which you can watch people. Then repeat the exercise, only this time your picking out the bad guys from the general population. See how easy it gets to “BE ALERT” once you know what to look for.
I hope you enjoyed this sample lesson, and look forward to you signing up for the course at www.SurviveInPlace.com
I have received several responses about the course and how much people got out of going through the exercises.
Remember, it’s a self-paced course, so you can complete it in 12 weeks or stretch it out longer once you’ve received the lessons.
You can go to www.SurviveInPlace.com to sign up for the complete course right now.
God Bless,
David Morris
P.S. Please coment on this…anything to let me know you’re alive and I should keep sending you urban survival information. Love it? Hate it? Let me know!
great stuff keep it coming
THANKS FOR THE RESPONSE, I LOVE THIS INFO AS I AM AN INVENTOR FOR PERSONAL SAFETY AND HOME SECURITY DEVICES. JOE
I signed up yesterday for the 12 week of Survive in Place. Great stuff.I can hardly wait for next lesson.Thanks for doing this.
great information. mirrors what i learned when i took a 4 day defensive handgun course at ‘frontsight’ in pahrump, nevada.
thank you and i do look forward to more insight from you, i have had to defend myself on several occasions and have been in a gun fight with some youths that thought they could shoot at me with out getting shot back at.
thanks again,
nick
This is great! Thank you for insight.
i love reading all your lessons. i am a single mother with boys living in the city in south florida. moving out next month to the country. my 75 year old father was mugged in his own driveway.they hid in the bushes, one jumped him and the other took his watch. my father was not going down with out a fight. the mugger was cutting off my fathers air, so my dad reached down and grabed the guys nuts to get him off. yea dad.i give eye contact to say i am not afraid. but what do i teach my boys. to look the trouble n the eye or look away.is 16 to young to take your lessons?
David, this was a great lesson. I try to think this way but am too easily distracted and could let ‘him’ slip up on me. Please keep it coming.
As someone who has never been trained to protect myself, I find these lessens to be common sense once it is explained like this. Thank you and I cant wait to read more.
we realy like the ideas that you have sent thks
I have had training in Marshall Arts, Hope I never have to use it.
I’m 70 now and rely on a pistil, but would still like to know more.
Thanks. sanman
I have really enjoyed reading these, it’s time we had someone update our survival thinking. I’ve used the peripheral view(wide angle vision) for years when hunting. It’s amazing how much better you hear also, when practicing ‘wide angle’ viewing!
thanks
Thom.
Great info, learned alot just on that one article. Thanks
hey yea this article is pretty cool. Back when, when I used to do “bad stuff” I honestly thought about how I could attack somebody, and I never knew I could use that “skill” to keep myself from violent encounters. This website rocks. Thx man
Yes, This exercise in awareness is very important. Furthermore I’d like to add that by crossing ones eyes slightly a state of wide vision is achieved. Which is the opposite of concentration. And will prevent some degree of distraction.
Yes, this is good material. As long as you keep sending it, I’ll keep reading it. Cash is in short supply, which I’m sure you can appreciate. Also, I know a fair amount already about the topics you address — not that I don’t think I could learn from you. Nonetheless, with all the informational competition that’s out there, I acknowledge that your offerings stand up well, being competently done, intelligent and on the mark in terms of what I’m thinking about these days. I will indeed continue reading them as long as you keep them coming. Thanks!
David
I want to sincerely thank you very much for simply caring enough
to do this for the people. I do appreciate you for taking time
to help!
I grew up in hard environments and quickly developed the sense of hearing
and detecting movements in the dark. Older now I still tend to be more alert
than a lot of people I observe. BUT I am always….READY to LEARN.
Preparedness to me is vital and these lessens are valuable!
Thank You!
‘
LA
I’m into this!! Thanks very much.
I love the information you are sharing, it is insightfull and straight to the point.
Thank you most sincerely for all your intense and hard work that you
share with us. Many lives will be saved for your kind gift of
knowledge.
Please keep things coming, and I will sign up very soon.
Sha
Thank you,
Keep it coming please.
God Bless,
Ian
Good Stuff very valuable
This Lesson covers what used to be called “Street Smarts”
which city kids learned at an ealy age
Good stuff. I’m always looking for an edge.
Great information….great job
Mr Morris,
I am interested in what you have to say in all of the free lessons. Please continue sending all of them to me. Thank You.
I spent 25 years in law enforcement and 10 years in SWAT. I’m looking for a non runaway type tactic to survive when the Schumer hits the fan.
Have just signed up on your web site and am looking
forward for worthwhile information.
I’m a 57-year-old single grandmother who has seen the writing on the wall for quite a few years. Just two winters ago, the neighborhood within a 12-block radius of my home in a small college town in rural Oregon lost power for eight days after a particularly destructive winter storm. I was amazed at how many neighbors had no supplies on hand. I gave out candles, water, food, batteries, and fuel canisters … and after the third day, emptied my fully-stocked defrosting freezer for a neighborhood bar-b-que. Of course, doing so depleted my long-term supply of all those items (not countering the frozen stuff that would have gone to waste anyway). To my surprise, not a single one of my neighbors returned what they “borrowed” … and living on a very limited fixed income, it was a huge sacrifice to replace these things. But I believe this is typical behavior of people in neighborhoods everywhere — survival is the furthest thing from their minds. When things get really tight, I know I’ll need to be prepared to defend myself with fire arms. I find that sad. But I digress … thank you so much for the very helpful information you share. When I am able, I would like to subscribe to your website. I need all the good info and ideas I can get! Bless you!
Warm blessings, Linda Quest
Most informative. I haven’t had time to sign up for the survival course as of yet, because things have been a bit hectic; however, hope to do so soon. I had already started stocking up on items in preparation for high inflation. I made a list of items to stock up on (batteries, TP, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, water, food items that store long term, etc.) and whenever I go to the grocery store, I stock up on these items as they go on sale. We are in the process of getting a generator for emergencies as well as a freezer to stock certain items to keep them fresh longer (i.e., flour, rice, spices, etc.) even if you lose the power these items don’t spoil, it just allows them a longer shelf life. FYI, potato chips never get stale in the freezer. They’re always crispy! We have also prepared flu kits. Years ago, I took kickboxing; the gentleman that owned the studio had been a Navy Seal. Much like yourself, he gave excellent tips on training yourself to be more aware of your surroundings; never walking to your car without something in your hand that could be used as a weapon (keys, hairbrush)….just about anything can be used as a weapon if aimed at the right spot. He also suggested never allowing your gas tank to get below the 1/2 mark, because you never want to make yourself vulnerable by running out of gas. Your comments are well-taken. It’s a matter of training ourselves to think ahead; we may not know what the future holds, but we can at least prepare for the worst case scenario. Keep up the good work.
Great stuff. looking forward to more.when this mini course is over you will see my order for the full meal deal. thank you; Rick the Driller
I’m new, I like what I see so far and will keep up with these mini courses. I’ve been in law enforcement, served 12 yrs. in the U.S. Army as a Grunt, am presently an Realtor in California. Thanks for the news !!!!
i think this is great!
I am so glad that I learned about you on the Dr. Prepper Radio on 4/12/10. I signed up for your survival course and am amazed at all the wonderful information I am receiving. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.
Thanks for the email, these are tough times and we need to be prepared for anything.
Yes! I like the website. It has a helpful “tone” to it, and I am recommending it to others. It really helps my psychological preparations. With your help, I am changing the name of my game in life. Thank you!
Hi David
Thanks for the info. I am looking forward to more. This is what I have been looking for to have a plan in place for my family.
Bob
Great info! Thank you for sharing!
Good stuff, Keep it comming!
Thanks for the insight!
thanks david for the insight you offer i do really believe i could learn a lot from your course i am disabled and rely on a handgun for protection for my wife and kids but as times being what they are and money so tight i have to rely on whatever i can find on the internet for free . i will keep reading everything you send as samples as your insight to today’s world is right on and believe myself that one day we will need to do whatever it takes to survive . again thank you and hope you continue to send out sample e-mails
Great—- keep it coming !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I too believe this ~~~~~thanks david for the insight you offer i do really believe i could learn a lot from your course i am disabled and rely on a handgun for protection for my wife and kids but as times being what they are and money so tight i have to rely on whatever i can find on the internet for free . i will keep reading everything you send as samples as your insight to today’s world is right on and believe myself that one day we will need to do whatever it takes to survive . again thank you and hope you continue to send out sample e-mails
Thanks for the reminder, my father taught me these skills when I was a child, since, I had to walk to and fro school everyday. He was in the air force. In fact, I have come to develope an extra sense. There was a doctor who at one time liked me (so he claimed)had people spying on me. To me they stood out like sore thumbs.
The number one option for personal security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation “Joe B. Fricks”.
I love the information you are sharing, and I will sign up very soon!!
Thanks for the info, keep it coming, I teach my kids always be prepared in any situation.This will help, Thanks again.
Thanks Dave! I too am enjoying the mini courses. They are packed with so much great info. Years ago, a teenager came from behind me and tried to yank my purse off my shoulder. My hands were in my pocket so he did not get it. However, it scared the heck out of me. After that incidence, I trust NO ONE. I find that no matter where I am now, I have a very defensive attitude. I don’t think I look like a victim but I watch everything around me now. Don’t take anything for granted and follow that “gut” feeling if something does not seem right. Keep the great stuff coming!
I am learning so much from your info, and also am realising that all my life I have been very aware of things going on around me. I am a very cautious person,and no violence [from strangers] has ever happened,but I am older now and feel much more vulnerable. Would you reccomend pepper spray? My husband, at least at this time, is hesitant about a firearm. I have gone thru all the different scenarios involving breakins etc. but am not sure how to defend myself in my home. I know from experiece that what you decide to do in your mind, your plan, is what you will do when the thing happens. I was a charge nurse, and had to make life & death decisions. Thank you for sharing this info. Andrea
I preach situational awareness to everyone I talk to, especially my family. The ability to know what’s going on around you, can keep you out of trouble or at least prepare for it.
It’s not “rocket surgery”. It can be somethind simple like a car idling behind you as you walk, or heavy breathing behind you and getting closer, or not putting yourself in a place where there is only one exit. If you don’t pay attention to yourself, there is a good chance that someone with bad intentions will do it for you.
I’m enjoying the articles. Looking forward for more.
excellent advice on being aware of your surroundings
Great information! keep it comming…..
The lesson on learing to identify and obsreve the bad guys along with possible hiding/attack locations is great. I already do this but take it a little further. When I see a “bad” guy in a market for example, someone that has the tatoos, looks and dresses the part, I become the one observing him for a little bit. I mentally imagine having to fight him and as he moves about, turning his head, etc, I look for vulnerable targets that he exposes as he moves about and imagine striking those targets that open up. Sometimes I will lock eyes with the bad guy while doing this and almost always he looks startled. I wonder what my face must look like as I imagine destroying him….lol