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The Cascading Effect of Vulnerability In Self Defense

Murphy’s Law

I’m sure most of you have heard of this before, but for those of you who haven’t, Murphy’s Law states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. This is especially true when it comes to self-defense and survival. In this article I want to explore what I am calling the “cascading effect of vulnerability”, why it should matter to you, and what Murphy’s Law has to do with it. But to do that we must first discuss how the typical self-defense situation unfolds on the street and why it occurs in the first place.

It All Starts With A Criminal

The criminal by definition initiates the self-defense situation. In order for an attack to happen you need at least two people, an attacker and a target. The target is chosen based on a number of factors.

Here are the typical reasons for “random” criminal attacks (this is different from a predator/stalker situation or a home invasion):

  1. Gain: The criminal is looking for something. It’s usually a financial gain. They want something of yours that they can take and pawn for cash so they can get high. It could also be to get respect from their peers by proving they are tough. Then there’s sexual assault. In all cases, the criminal wants something and to get it the victim needs to be overpowered. For the typical financial gain attack there is little we can do. Nearly all “average” Americans are going to have something valuable on their person at all times. Flaunting expensive purses or a Rolex watch only sweetens the pot. It would be prudent to leave those items at home in certain instances.
  2. Ease of Acquisition: Criminals pick easy targets. Of all the people who’ve walked down the street that day, why is one person chosen over the others? Of course there is some amount randomness involved, but at the end of the day the person who gets attacked looked like an easier target than the previous potential targets.
  3. Opportunity: You could simply say that sometimes you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Isolation is key here. If you are in an empty area, with nobody else at your side, the criminal only has to overtake you, clean and simple. There are no bystanders to intervene on your behalf and you’re probably on his home turf. He knows this secluded location better than you. It could also be a really densely populated area where the criminal knows the chaos and confusion will make his get-away possible.

Those 3 pretty much sum it up. If you have something the criminal wants (hard to avoid), look like an easy target (partially in our control), and happened to wind up in the wrong place at the wrong time (also partially in our control), you are really in for it like a fresh piece of meat dangling over the shark tank.

How To Pick Locks. (Who Needs Keys?)

You may find this shocking, but picking open a standard "tumbler" lock, (like the one on your front door), is pretty damn easy when you know how it's done.

And in a "meltdown" survival situation, (once the smash-n-grab crowd has stolen everything not tied-down), the food and water and secure shelter will all be behind locked doors, (which explains why Special Forces are often trained in lock picking... and why they carry a set of lock pics with them).

It's a lot of fun learning this skill, (it doesn't take long)... and kinda nice to help out that buddy locked out of his house after the wife discovered what really happened on that "no money down" real estate seminar in Vegas.

>> Check Out "Lock Picking Kit" Here. <<

The Harsh Truth

You’re probably thinking, “No person in their right mind would put themselves in that kind of danger on purpose,” and you’re right, but people find themselves in these kinds of situations every day. Some people are robbed and walk home with injured pride and anxiety they will deal with for a long time. Some are murdered in cold blood for 50 bucks or a nice looking watch. Others are sexually assaulted and carry physical and emotional scars for the rest of their lives.

The truth is, many of these situations can be prevented. There is usually a small mistake in judgement made or an accidental situation that spirals out of control.

The Cascade of Vulnerability

That’s where the cascade comes in. One small error leads to another. One problem turns into two. The simplest example of this would be running out of gas in a very bad area of town. Most people would never make this mistake, but it does a great job of illustrating the point.

So there you are, engine sputtering, looking for a place to pull off and park. It’s night time, you are out of town, and maybe you didn’t even know this was a bad area until you arrived. Any potential criminal watching you silently coast into a parking lot is already frothing at the mouth. An easy mark. You are vulnerable and he knows it. He is eyeing your vehicle and your clothing, already counting his winnings.

Why Are You Vulnerable?

You have lost your transportation. He’s going to watch very closely to see what you do next. Cars are great protection. Lock the doors and roll up the windows and a criminal really has to make a scene to hurt you, which makes you the opposite of the quick and easy target he’s looking for.

While sitting in your car, you start to call Auto Club for roadside assistance. One ring and then silence. Sh*t your phone just died. Better plug it into the charger. You dig around the console, but it’s not there. Your teenager must have snagged it. Now you’ve lost your transportation and your only method of communication. This is where things really start to snowball.

Pause For A Moment

Three small, completely unrelated mistakes were made.

  1. You let your car run out of gas (lack of planning).
  2. Your phone died (lack of planning).
  3. You don’t have your charger (lack of planning).

Seeing a pattern? Now your only choice is to leave your car and walk somewhere to ask for help. The criminal who has been watching this whole scene unfold is now ready for action. You’ve just opened your door, and he’s going to play the part of the savior.

He starts walking over, “Hey man, you need some help?”

You are a little bit wary as he approaches, but you don’t ask him to keep his distance. You’re hoping he’s going to help you out and let you use his phone. The look on your face is relief.

Pause Again

If you had confidently ordered the approaching man to stay back and maintained control of your personal space, you would have planted the seed in the attacker’s mind that you weren’t going to go down without a fight and he would’ve started thinking twice.

But you didn’t stop him and both your posture and facial expressions are exuding vulnerability. Pretty soon he’s standing right in front of you and you are in serious danger…

Okay, okay… Enough of the overly dramatic story. You know all the very bad possibilities from that point on.

The Take Away

Here’s the take away- There were numerous mistakes made by the victim in this scenario. None of them are that big of a deal on their own, but when compounded they could become deadly. With each mistake the victim became more and more vulnerable, and once the bad situation occurred, the victim was more concerned with ending the predicament than worrying about their security.

They were overly hopeful that a kind stranger would help, and 9 times out of 10 they’d probably be right. It’s the easy thing to do. Wouldn’t it be great if we could rely on the kindness of strangers? You can if you have to, but do so cautiously and strategically, and avoid it whenever possible.

So how do your prevent the cascade of vulnerability?

First off, be prepared, especially when you are outside your daily routine or not on your home turf. If your car broke down on your way to work you’d know exactly where the next reputable business was because you’ve driven that route hundreds of times.

Take extra care to make sure you are prepared when you go to new places. Get a lay of the land. Ask about the bad areas of town. Charge your phone at every available opportunity. Never let your gas tank get down below ¼ tank. Always control your personal space, it’s your last line of defense.

The list goes on. We all know what we should do, and we’re all guilty of not doing it all the time. It’s laziness, running late, or lack of discipline that leads to these small mistakes. Most are avoidable and ultimately paying attention to all the details will probably save you time and effort in the long run. Not to mention it could save your life.

Hindsight may be 20/20, but foresight is priceless. It’s a habit anyone can develop. Quickly think of all the things that could go wrong and take the steps needed to avoid them when possible. Not all bad situations are avoidable, but most are.

You can still go to new places and do adventurous, out-of-the-ordinary things, just be prepared. Don’t be the sucker who gets targeted.

A lot of the signals that make someone a target are given off inadvertently and unknowingly by the victim. Victims never deserve to be attacked. Victim blaming is wrong and counterproductive, so don’t mistake this post as being in favor of it. But at the end of the day we are all responsible for our own security. There are bad people in every society and learning to think like a criminal allows us to avoid falling prey to their nefarious ways.

Let me know if you’ve ever experienced a “cascade of vulnerability.” How did it turn out for you? What steps did you take to make it out successfully? If it ended badly, what could you have done differently?

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198 thoughts on “The Cascading Effect of Vulnerability In Self Defense”

  1. Had a flat tire in the wrong part of town, deserted area, at night. But I was prepared. I had a flashlight and a weapon. My wife held the light and weapon while I changed the tire. We did have a stranger approach us. The wife was keeping an eye out while I worked on the tire. When she spotted him, I stopped working, stood up, held the weapon behind me, shined the light at him, and told him to stay back. He said, I was just seeing if you needed any help. I told him we have it under control and did not need any help. He walked away. When he was out of sight, I finished changing the tire. Praise the Lord, nothing bad came of it.

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  2. I am a Disabled Vietnam Vet, a retired Gun Dealer, and a long time Cop wannabe(my Dad was a Cop and my Son is a Cop). I have tried(however successfully?) to teach my wife to always be aware of her surroundings. Being in a wheelchair most of the time when I am out, I know that I am always a prime target so I am always armed in some way having a Concealed Permit. But I totally agree with your premise, it always goes back to the Boy Scout motto that we learned back then,”Be Prepared”.

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  3. If the “stuffing hits the fan”, remember, you have about 2 1/2 minutes in close quarters combat before you run out of gas. Don’t do the standard 1,2,3 punch…keep punching, face , nuts, eyes. Have a goal…the criminal does. In short, there is a great treatise on ” Be prepared to kill everyone you meet”. Anyway, stay safe.

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  4. Unfortunately, many people, particularly women, have been left vulnerable after a car breakdown of one sort or other in places they would not normally frequent, often resulting in tragic consequences. The introduction of run flat tyres was a major saviour allowing anyone caught with a puncture to exit the area safely without requiring to expose themselves to potential danger on leaving the car to change a tyre or summon help. The details listed in the article are spot on and help to form a checklist of items to be considered necessary when travelling, particularly alone, in unfamiliar areas. Following the advice closely could be the difference between life and death. Many thanks.

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  5. I used to dress in an androgynous way when I had to go out very late or early by myself, thinking that I would be less of a target. Other than a very confused policeman, it had worked pretty well until one night I was walking to meet friends at a local restaurant, and a bunch of guys in a truck decided I was a guy, but I walked like a girl (i was wearing heeled boots), so I must be a GAY guy. So, they started cruising right behind me, yelling insults, and I started to pull my waist-length blonde hair from under my coat, but then I thought, “if they would beat up a guy, what would they do to a woman who made them look stupid?”. Fortunately, it was about 5 steps to the restaurant at that point, so as I went through the doorway, I DID pull my hair from under my coat, and I heard them groaning in embarrassment and laughing at each other. I didn’t think it was all that funny, myself.

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  6. Nothing yet but because of your input it helps to be prepared.
    I have some background in self defense, but am always willing to learn more.
    thank you for your insight.
    dainealj

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  7. I’m teaching a class in self defense. If you are not in the class, you might find Bob’s work interesting.

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  9. True scenario. It has happened to one degree or another more than once in my lifes experience. Being armed for self defense and exuding friendly but serious authority and self confidence ( backed by more than one means of defense) can make the “joker” decide he would be better off….. truly helping you out for a $10 tip……than taking the risk of dealing with someone who is calmly and quietly exuding a position of equal or better authority……. prepared to stand his ground…..if necessary. A rat can “smell” a trap.

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  10. My wife was aporoched at red light by man reaching for car door handle. Her first traction was to clench her teeth and point her finger while telling her would be attacker no. He hesitated then walked away. This after reading some of your other posts. Thank You for caring. Wife says she passes information on every chance she gets. Better in Tenn

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  11. Situational awareness is the most important thing you can teach almost anyone(liberals have their head to far up their ass-that’s a good thing; need more of them gone).
    Been carrying a gun since 19-now 68. I have had to pull it 4 times; stopped hammer on way down 2 times. I believe in exposed hammers-less paper work,court,jail time.
    Worked in major cities in the worst parts of town, Oakland- Fruitvale dist.L.A. Watts,Denver-east side,S.F. all areas,Phoenix-very bad areas. Long list of places to be with out situational awareness and a gun. I would not be alive today if it were not for those 2 things!

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  12. This is a great list of of mistakes most of us make lots of time and how to avoid them by using common sense.

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  13. Certain random situations are hard to plan for, but you have to take every precaution even if it is a helpful person who does want to help you. Human nature is a very hard thing to trust in these days.

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  15. Nope. I’m a survivor from way back in the day. 😉 A thinking person is a “threat” to a would be criminal. A prepared person is ready to defend. Some call it “hypervigilance” but if you’ve lived long enough to have a few gray hairs like I have there’s a good reason for it. I was a Brownie and a Girl Scout. I’m a Mother which makes me a “Mama Bear” and you all should already know “how that goes!”

    Great teaching. Thanks Bunches! JB

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  16. Have escaped consequences of my mistakes and, hopefully, learned from them……so far (lack of awareness can be a killer).

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  17. Murphy’s law can more often be overcome by applying the seven P’s. Proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance. You fighting skills reflect on how you train. Train for every day scenarios. It’s the mental errors that screw most people.

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  19. A long time ago, when lived in Montreal, a local fellow told me that I was unlikely to have a problem with robbers because I looked like I belonged there. After I moved to Mexico I soon looked like a gringo who had been living there for years.

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  20. I have grew up in a big city, Philadelphia and now live in the Oakalnd/Bay Area. The urban environment t taught me to be aware of my surroundings and never be caught alone. I am more aware now as I am 67 years and use public transportation. Because of how I am, I look.as if I don’t hvave anything. Sometimes safety is based on the assumptions of the criminal. The article is 100% informative. I have developed the habit of keeping a charged portable charger with me for my cell phone. I make sure my cell battery is fully charged before I leave home.

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  21. 1. I always have half or more tank of gas. Usually more. 2. I always have my phone charged at least 50 to 75 percent. 3. If I go anywhere alone I walk as briskly as possible w/my head held up & shoulders back so as not to give an air I can be easily intimidated, & 4. I try to have an object I can use as a weapon if need be. How’d I do?

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  22. I have told my children that there are beautiful things and people in this world BUT for many reasons there are many ugly and distasteful people. It is the responsibility of each and every one of us to be aware of our surroundings. That will make the odds of bad situations occuring drop dramatically.
    Smell the roses but keep your head up.

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  23. some times when i get in that mood, i will pick a bad part of town and go for a walk. i do cary weapons just in case o a gang attack
    usually its 2 they dont like to be by themselves either. i then practice, i like to keep my wrist locked and my arm fully extended and parallel at the point of contact, idont do it for entertainment i do it for practice. everyone these days should get somekind of training,, and then practice.
    i go on the offense as soon as im sure of there intent, i dont wait for them, my intent is to kill every time.

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  24. very good advice. always be prepared for any situation, better safe than sorry. I have been in simalar situations in my life time, but have always neen prepared for anything that could happen. This outfit gives excellent advice and products.

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  27. My dad taught me to “Consider myself out of Gas, at a 1/4 tank!” living by that rule has kept me from running out of gas, from then on. Yes, I did run out of 2 times, an both times were in sections of Oak Cliff (Aka = Dallas) that no-one wants to be walking by themselves, before he told me that.

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  28. I’m so anxiously waiting for all the informative vodeos to learn all self defense technicous because I have faced unwarranted situations . That you so much & I highly appreciate for sending me all videos !!

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  29. Good bit of advice always be awear in your surroundings I had both my daughters trained in marshal arts & showed them how to use a knife . One is a ER nurse & the other a teacher they were raised to the country but both now live in the city & both have fought off attackers my younger daughter was walking to her car at night & a man grabbed her by the arm she had her keys in the other hand & stabbed him in the face with a key .That was enough to make him flee & her to escape. NSW Australia

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  30. I very much like your products ,am looking forward to hearing more from you. Keep up the good work!

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  32. Hello everyone,
    This subject still comes under awareness for me, also you don’t know who could be watching, so in a breakdown situation act focused even if you are confused, I once lived in a car for weeks… Its good to know what the aim of an attackers game is so as they play it out you can mentally prepare and access your predicament (insight) which then you can use fight fast skills to turn the attacker into the victim. THANKS…

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  33. That is great advice. We live in such a fast paced world that we forget to do the basic things that keep us safe. We need to slow down a little and remember to be prepared. It may be pessimistic to always think the worst but it just might save your life. If you do this it will become habit and no longer a thought process and you will be prepared for a bad situation. This has saved me from bad situations more times than I want to admit. Be safe!!

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  35. I just want to say, that as a retired Deputy I think what you are providing for the public is super. Keep up the great work.

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  36. Criminals and Terrorists attack you or a City because when they know that you are living in a Gun-free zone they know that they will get away with a lot of Gold and Silver or they will get away with killing a lot of people. Remember A Gun Free Zone Is A Kill Zone. Believe me when I say that I am well trained by the United States Government in the Art of killing and how to evade capture.

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  37. This advice does come in handy and it will benefit anybody that’s going thru there life write know cuz at the end u never know what situation u just might be in at the end of the day and that sucks that’s why u always have to be prepared for anything and always be on alert!!!!!

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  40. I really appreciated this article. It confirms that my vigilance in being prepared is warranted- most of my friends think I concentrate on preparedness too much. One thing I’ve learned when I have been in either unfamiliar territory or something unexpected happens is to listen to and follow my gut instincts. There have been several times that I worked late not following my gut, then felt that quiver in my stomach just as I was about to leave in the dark. Instead of dismissing it, I called my husband to meet me instead of going to my car alone. It was better to feel silly about asking for help than create the cascade effect you’re talking about. Being one of those kind strangers you mentioned, we have also passed by a stranger in need because of that intuition, calling for help instead of being the helper when something just didn’t feel right. The combination of preparedness and intuition has been invaluable to our security.

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  42. I took my 1 yr old granddaughter grocery shopping with me in my part of town which was starting to get a lot of ‘bad’ elements in that area. It was my home turf though for many years so I felt fairly safe. I had a car that I spotted that had circled the parking lot and then came around again as I was loading my groceries into the back of my van. When he stopped by my vehicle, one got out and approached me. In Spanish he told me to give him my purse which was on my shoulder and the baby was sitting in the cart. I was so surprised that I said ‘what?” He again told me in Spanish. I told him I didn’t understand Spanish. He then told me in perfect English ‘give me your purse’. By this time I was thinking about all of my “LIFE” that purse held. I threw my purse deep into the back of the van and told him, ‘I’m not giving you my purse!?’ He looked very confused and I started talking to him, knowing that I had seen those type of looks before on someone who was very insecure in what he was doing. I told him “does your mom or grandma know you do this?” Someone talked to him from the car, and he showed me the gun tucked into his pant waist. So now I was scared, so I moved in front of the baby who was being very good and just smiling at everyone. Then he tells me “give me the purse or I shoot the little girl” I told him ” ok, ok, move back and I’ll give you the purse” I grabbed the purse and slung it over my back like I was going to throw it, I put my hand on his chest and walked and pushed him backwards into the parking lot. He LET me do this because I am sure now he does not know what else to do. Now I am shouting because I am scared and people are beginning to notice. He sees this too, so he backs up towards the car. I tell him “get in and I will throw you the purse” He does this and I scream bloody murder! The driver’s eyes bugged out and he tells him ‘get in! get in!’ I continue to scream and some young men come running. They take off through the parking lot and each time they slow down I scream again. I am panicked now and can’t STOP screaming. Hysterical really because they have such a burst of speed each time I scream, that I begin to laugh and cry and scream all at the same time. I run and grab the baby and I tell everyone who approaches to stay back. Someone called 911 and the policemen have come and scold me for not giving them my purse. I know they are right and I know I made many mistakes. God’s Angels were with me and the baby that day,. She was fine and flirting and smiling with the policemen! It could have been so much worse. I have no idea why I did what I did. I followed my instincts and protected what was mine until the baby was threatened. It should have never gone that way, but no one wants to be a victim of these thugs and now I am so careful and I learn everything I can to protect myself and my family. I am not a gun carrier, because that gun scared me…but I know self defense and I am not afraid to speak up for the people being bullied. This young man was a victim as well. I could see it in his eyes and I think he may have had second thought about doing what he was doing at some point. I hope so.

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  43. You always have such great info and items to obtain and for free .Your site is the only one I know like this. You truly help people to take notice of real life situations and give them the means to handle the situation in most cases. It shows you really care about helping people. Congrats to you.

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  44. I was walking back to my vehicle in a dark parking lot in a shady place in town. We all know that “Wally-World” is car break-in, steal all that you can park at your own risk type of parking lot.
    I walk with a cane, so I know this makes me appear an easy mark. I had noticed 2 men hanging about when I entered the store. When I came out, one was about 3 parking spaces away from my vehicle. The other started sauntering towards the other guy with me in the middle. I gave a wide birth to trees and other vehicles and did not go directly to mine. I could see the one guy getting closer to my vehicle and watching the other guy behind me. I had my cane and my Styker torchlight in the same hand, I turned the switch on for the voltage and remained cautious. I turned the light onto my vehicle and gave it a good look with the light. I had my keys in my hand as well.
    One of them ran up to grab my hat of all things and I whacked his arm with my cane. The other one started towards me and I hit the voltage, they saw that and they took off. Thank goodness for all your survival tips and my Stryker.

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  46. You should publish this article in a Pdf form so it can be downloaded and studied over and over. Good Job well done.

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