Power walking drill so you don’t look like a victim.
If you want to avoid looking like a victim then this video and article are for you.
How Criminals Choose Victims
Sure you could argue that part of it is just chance but there is a lot more that goes into it.
Remember that criminals generally want to avoid 2 primary things:
- Getting caught
- Getting hurt
Once we understand that we can figure out how to prevent you from looking like a victim.
There have been numerous studies conducted on how victims are chosen and it typically boils down to the following:
- The victim was in an isolated place – so the attacker is less likely to be caught
- The victim was either distracted or wasn’t paying attention to their surroundings – giving the attacker the surprise creating a deer in the headlights response
- The victim’s body language looked like they wouldn’t fight back – thus an easier day for the attacker
Avoiding Isolated Places
This may seem obvious but… well… I guess it isn’t.
Whenever you can you should avoid dark isolated places where if you were attacked there would be no witnesses. While it is highly unlikely that any hero will come save the day, most people would rather avoid trouble themselves, the attacker is worried about being identified.
I understand this is the real world and you can’t always avoid that dark parking lot late at night but whenever possible go with a group or choose to park in a more lit and busy area.
Eyes and Ears Open
Awareness is your first line in self-defense. Since you can’t always plan to avoid danger you definitely want to be able to see it coming so you can get prepared.
Keeping your head up on a swivel and earbuds out when in riskier areas is always a best practice. After all if someone was running up behind you wouldn’t you want to hear it so you had time to react?
Keeping your back against a wall decreases your danger zone to only the forward 180° so that is another best practice. Great at restaurants or anytime you are waiting around in public.
Look around, notice people. You don’t need to stare just look for anything out of the ordinary that seems like trouble. Now you have time to leave just in case it really is trouble.
Body Language
This one is going to be easy for some and difficult for others. Body language can tell everyone an instant story about who you are and how you feel about yourself. It is the primary indicator of whether you will avoid looking like a victim or be chosen as one.
Insecurity, nervousness, confidence, ego / pride, anger, etc. all beam out through body language.
You don’t even need to be an expert to read body language.
Look at the below image of some insecure children.
Victim body language or “meekness” shows through via the following:
- Taking up very little space – don’t want to offend anyone
- Grasping fingers
- Slumped shoulders and spine / posture
- Knees buckling in
- Narrow stance
- Downward head and eyes
- Avoiding eye contact
- When walking meek people don’t swing their arms much
Confident body language has the opposite look as seen below:
- A wider stance
- Taking up space
- Hands either out of pockets or 4 fingers in pockets with thumbs out of pockets as seen in the image
- Shoulders back and chest out
- Head and eyes up
- Making eye contact for a moment and not quickly shifting away
Now we could take things too far and posture up and puff our chests, stare people in the eyes and do all of that peacocking but that is likely to wind up looking like a challenge and attracting social violence.
Younger guys in their late teens and early twenties are the most likely to be targetted for social (challenging others) violence by other younger guys so if you aren’t in that age / gender range then it probably won’t be an issue anyway.
Regardless of who you are avoid the peacocking and stick to the confident body language.
Subconscious Body Language Expression
Or Why You Might NOT Be Able to Avoid Looking Like a Victim
Your body language is an expression of how you feel about yourself on the inside. In other words if you aren’t confident you won’t have confident body language.
While you can temporarily “act” and use fake body language you can only keep up that charade so long. And quite frankly you will still have micro-expressions leak out and reveal your inner truth.
Ok that sucks! Now what?
Well frankly if you want true confident body language, the type that makes a criminal decide to let you pass by and look for an easier target, then you need to change the way you actually feel about yourself.
Yes that means you need to become confident and powerful.
I won’t lie, it is a journey and won’t happen overnight. But if you commit to making the change you will never regret it. All of life will get easier plus you probably won’t ever be targeted as a victim.
Power Walking Drill
There are lots of things you can do to work on confidence and there are lots of areas in life to practice becoming more confident and powerful in. Having said that we need a place to start that specifically works with people.
Enter the Power Waking Drill.
The purpose of the power walking drill is to learn not to be submissive to others and even to get others to yield to your power charisma.
Sound daunting? Cool, that means you need this drill.
Protocol:
- Go to a safe place like a grocery store in a good neighborhood. That way if anything goes wrong you won’t have to fight.
- Now it is generally understood that in an aisle it is polite to be to one side of the aisle so others can pass by.
- You will get to your own side and walk.
- If anyone is in the middle of the aisle you will keep walking in your area and you will not stop.
- You will make them get out of the way.
- You won’t do this with your words, mean looking eyes, or anything. You will do this with your confident powerful and justified-to-be-in-your-lane walk.
- You will be amazed at how people will get out of your way and apologize to you.
- Now if someone is looking the other way don’t ram into them of course.
- If it is an old lady barely able to walk please don’t barrel over her.
- You still are a good person for crying out loud.
- If someone is in the middle of the aisle don’t lean your shoulder out of the way for them, make them get over by simply walking. You don’t need anything else, no emotions, anger, nada. Just walk.
Accidental Bump
If you bump into someone it will likely be because they weren’t paying attention… Sounds like the kind of person an attacker is looking for unfortunately for them.
If you do have a bump this is another great time for you to practice power with warmth charisma.
Simply look at them, smile, and ask if they are alright? When they say “yes” simply reply, “great, have a nice day.” Smile and walk away.
Expect for this to feel unnatural at first. It is ok, really it is. On your deathbed you will never look back and wish you didn’t feel awkward at the grocery store that one time. But if you develop power and confidence your life will be immeasurably better.
Easier Version
If you aren’t quite ready for this drill I understand. Start by doing it as a visualization drill from the comfort of your home.
Just visualize being at your grocery and seeing people move. Also visualize bumping into people and using the script from above or something similar.
As soon as you have the courage start doing it for real.
Get In and Train
At the end of the day if you want confidence in self-defense then get in a gym and start training self-defense.
Not much more to say about that. Make sure it is realistic, safe, healthy environment with good people in it and a quality instructor who cares about your progress not their own ego.
Final Thoughts
Do the Power Walking Drill and become proficient in realistic self-defense and a year from now you won’t recognize yourself. You will be tall, confident, have less anxiety, and criminals will let you pass by… because frankly you look like too much trouble. You won’t look like a victim but instead you will look dangerous.
Put in your reps and you will avoid looking like a victim.
Until next time,
Brian
