With kind permission of my friend Eric Taimanglo, I'm reposting his article here.
Mobile phones and self defense
by Eric Taimanglo
To clarify, this is not an article on how to use your mobile phone
as an improvised weapon (although it is entirely possible). No, we
will be discussing the use of mobile phones in everyday life and how
they impact our ability to protect ourselves.
Mobile phones are great. At the turn of the millennium, perhaps even a few years before that, people were dumping landlines in favor of the mobile phone. And why not? Convenience is the mantra of the modern consumer. And what is more convenient than these pieces of plastic, metal wafers and microprocessors? It's easier to keep in touch with family, with friends, with bosses, co-workers. In the span of a few seconds, we can glimpse at our favorite social network, read breaking news, check the weather, and pay a bill.
It also takes a few seconds for a potential predator to see that you are completely and utterly oblivious to your surroundings.
Try walking down a busy street while writing a comment about this article, and see how many people you bump into, or how many obstacles such as a street lamp post or fire hydrant seem to magically materialize and get in your way.
Now imagine a criminal who is following you, on the hunt. In the moment that you are engrossed in your mobile phone, how easy would it be for him (or her, or even worse and more likely, them) to assault you?
Criminals need several things to be successful in assaulting you. They need to ensure that you are a suitable choice for victimizing, they need to conduct the "transaction" in private, and they need surprise to be on their side. Put yourself in their shoes. Who would you prefer to target: someone who walks with head held erect, eyes taking in the scenery, who is obviously aware? Or would you prefer someone walking with tiny steps so as to facilitate better typing to text someone, head down, complete attention focused on a 2 x 5 screen?
Even a well trained and experienced martial artist or concealed carry citizen would be hard pressed to efficiently deal with moving their attention from Facebook to dealing with a sudden, goal oriented assault from a criminal bent on taking something from you, be it your dignity, your money, your life, or worse.
A simple solution is to stop walking, put your back to a wall or something similar to ensure that assaults from behind are much more difficult to pull off, THEN use your phone. Better yet, try stepping into a store or office building and do the same thing. THEN use your phone. These two tactics make you a harder target, the most significant reason for this being that you are no longer experiencing task overload.
This is not hard to do. Stay aware, stay safe, and don't let that mobile phone make it easier for criminals to hunt you.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Eric Taimanglo and www.examiner.com are not responsible for any harm that may befall you or anyone else should you be viewing this article on your mobile or cell phone.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Eric Taimanglo has 20 years of martial arts experience, specializing in Southeast Asian systems. He has recently returned from overseas where he led one of two Dogbrother Martial Arts training groups, instructing US Military, State Department, and Private Security personnel in stick, knife, and...
Mobile phones are great. At the turn of the millennium, perhaps even a few years before that, people were dumping landlines in favor of the mobile phone. And why not? Convenience is the mantra of the modern consumer. And what is more convenient than these pieces of plastic, metal wafers and microprocessors? It's easier to keep in touch with family, with friends, with bosses, co-workers. In the span of a few seconds, we can glimpse at our favorite social network, read breaking news, check the weather, and pay a bill.
It also takes a few seconds for a potential predator to see that you are completely and utterly oblivious to your surroundings.
Try walking down a busy street while writing a comment about this article, and see how many people you bump into, or how many obstacles such as a street lamp post or fire hydrant seem to magically materialize and get in your way.
Now imagine a criminal who is following you, on the hunt. In the moment that you are engrossed in your mobile phone, how easy would it be for him (or her, or even worse and more likely, them) to assault you?
Criminals need several things to be successful in assaulting you. They need to ensure that you are a suitable choice for victimizing, they need to conduct the "transaction" in private, and they need surprise to be on their side. Put yourself in their shoes. Who would you prefer to target: someone who walks with head held erect, eyes taking in the scenery, who is obviously aware? Or would you prefer someone walking with tiny steps so as to facilitate better typing to text someone, head down, complete attention focused on a 2 x 5 screen?
Even a well trained and experienced martial artist or concealed carry citizen would be hard pressed to efficiently deal with moving their attention from Facebook to dealing with a sudden, goal oriented assault from a criminal bent on taking something from you, be it your dignity, your money, your life, or worse.
A simple solution is to stop walking, put your back to a wall or something similar to ensure that assaults from behind are much more difficult to pull off, THEN use your phone. Better yet, try stepping into a store or office building and do the same thing. THEN use your phone. These two tactics make you a harder target, the most significant reason for this being that you are no longer experiencing task overload.
This is not hard to do. Stay aware, stay safe, and don't let that mobile phone make it easier for criminals to hunt you.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Eric Taimanglo and www.examiner.com are not responsible for any harm that may befall you or anyone else should you be viewing this article on your mobile or cell phone.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Eric Taimanglo has 20 years of martial arts experience, specializing in Southeast Asian systems. He has recently returned from overseas where he led one of two Dogbrother Martial Arts training groups, instructing US Military, State Department, and Private Security personnel in stick, knife, and...
Here is Eric Taimanglo's contact info:
Location Monument
Valley Park, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903
Hours Sun: 7:00 am -
10:00 am
Phone (719) 304-6764
Email rmkg@consultant.com
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