With this year’s opening of the world’s biggest annual athletic event comes a whole new discussion about security concerns.  These concerns always exist where there is a crowded venue with international attention.  In this particular case however the concerns are much more poignant given the location is South Africa which is known not only for its rugged beauty and wildlife, but also for its street crime and well organized ethnic violence.  Combined with the ever-present threat of terrorist action, this year’s World Cup has given many travelers a reason to examine their own personal security measures and emergency preparedness.

The most important advice that I can give anyone concerned about any security problem is to remember that security is not something that you buy; rather it is something that you live.  Or, as security expert Bruce Schneier puts it, “Security is a process, not a product.”

An approach to protection that I have found to be very effective and universally applicable is the protective model of Avoidance through Planning, Deterrence through Planning, Detection through Situational Awareness, Active Avoidance, Active Deterrence, Defense and Mitigation.  This process is the equivalent of what the military calls a “detect to engage sequence” for security.  In layman’s terms, it is an outline of an effective process to keep something safe.

The most important piece of any security, particularly when relating to protecting yourself and your family, is avoidance.  No matter how effective your kung-fu might be, I personally guarantee that it is much better for all concerned for you to never get attacked in the first place than it is to successfully fight off a criminal.  Avoiding attacks is usually as simple as paying attention to what is going on around you.  Learn to see and evaluate characteristics of people and situations so that you can make informed decisions and proactively keep yourself and your family away from danger.

The next phase of the protective model is deterrence.  It is unfortunate (but true) that some dangerous people actually go out and look for victims (you).  I call these people predators.  They make their living feeding off of others and therefore are always looking for their next target.  Because many of these people make their living this way, they are familiar with what to look for in a victim and therefore can sometimes be dissuaded from conducting an attack simply by displaying something different.  Predators look for the easy target.  They seek out the low hanging fruit of unaware, meek and timid people who show signs of possessing something worth taking.  If you show yourself to be aware of your environment and assertive in your demeanor, as well as avoid displaying items that would be extremely valuable for a criminal to take, then your chances of becoming a target go down significantly.

One of the products of the situational awareness necessary to deter the predators is the ability to detect them, particularly if you know what to look for.  In the event that avoidance and deterrence fail, early detection is one of the keys to survival because, as self-defense guru Jeff Cooper put it, “If you don’t know you’re in trouble, no amount of ability on your part will save you.”

In the event that avoiding and deterring a threat isn’t possible, even after seeing the threat coming and trying yet again to avoid and deter, then it is finally time to take action for self-defense.  This action can be as simple as putting a hand on your wallet to stop a pick pocket, or as drastic as fighting for your life in an armed confrontation.  Regardless, the key to success in any action is to actually take the action.  Too many people freeze in their moment of need, ultimately “choosing” to do nothing through a long and confused process of sputtering indecision.  I cannot stress it enough.  If you know that something is wrong; TAKE ACTION.  It may not prove to be the perfect action, but certainly any action is better than no action.  Do not hesitate out of denial while thinking “this can’t be happening to me.”  Instead, act, and act early.  The faster you make a decision and take action, the more likely that it will be successful.

Finally, in any security situation you should plan to fail.  I call this piece of the process mitigation and it is every bit as important as the others because, let’s face it, stuff happens.  If something can go wrong, don’t dwell on the possibility, but consider it and plan for it as a contingency.  If all else fails, then there is at least a pre-set series of measures in place to deal with the aftermath of everything from a lost passport to a kidnapping to a plane crash.  Nobody wants these things to happen, but sometimes they do; despite the best efforts to prevent them.  Plan ahead and set yourself and your family up for success in the unlikely event of the worst-case scenario.

For more information on how to plan to keep your family safe while traveling, contact the Sealed Mindset team: info@sealedmindset.com.

In light of the Chelsea King and Amber Dubois tragedies, Sealed Mindset reached out into the community to form important relationships with two training companies who strive to bring the best knowledge to young men and women in San Diego.

Poway Samurai Martial Arts, owned by Tony Whetstine (“The Bushido Guy”), is one of the only self-defense studios we have worked with that provides realistic personal safety tools to empower a woman’s confidence in the field of self-defense.

When Tony Whetstine and his family met our team, it seemed a natural fit because we both spoke the same language: we both believe that there is a distinct difference between the self defense skill of learning a martial art and practicing it regularly and the integration of awareness tools into your life. The women’s self defense course that PSMA and Sealed Mindset championed focused on personal safety tools so that each woman could leave with a better understanding of the personal safety options that are available.

While some martial artists are quick to show you a trick to fight back, Tony’s background as a US Marine Corps veteran of the Persian Gulf War allows him to see martial arts in a more complete perspective and thus offer a more complete solution. It is this complete perspective that Sealed Mindset values because it allows him to make a true difference in the lives of young men and women every day in his Dojo.

Velocity Sports Performance, located in San Diego, is the ultimate training facility that offers each athlete a chance to be instructed by world-class performance coaches. While these coaches are elite and professional athletes, they are also caring parents, and as parents, they heard the call to provide personal safety training to the families who attend their classes.

Just like every parent, you want the best for your child and your family. Sealed Mindset’s team has formed these winning relationships with Velocity and Poway Samurai to give your family access to the best insurance available in the athletic, martial arts, and personal safety realms. Take advantage of all that these trusted programs offer by signing up for a free trial at Velocity, or by visiting Tony’s Dojo!

We are very proud to be working with both of you!

For more information on Velocity Sports:  http://www.velocitysp.com/free_trial or sandiego@velocitysp.com

For more information on Poway Samurai Martial Arts:

http://www.powaymartialartsschool.com

When I heard the news today about Chelsea King, my heart broke. I was in the middle of speaking to my mother about the fact that I had reached out to the King family on Facebook after being asked to do so by a classmate of Chelsea’s at Poway. This classmate was also a student of our Sealed Mindset “15 Seconds to Safety” awareness program, and she believed that our knowledge could make a difference to families and volunteers who were looking for Chelsea.

I reached out to Chelsea’s family to offer the only true value I have, which is the safety and awareness expertise compiled and developed by my husband and our team.  As I told my mother how much it meant to me that there were people in the world who recognized the value of the information to help keep our children safer, she mentioned that the police believed they had found Chelsea.

At many times in my life, and in all our lives, each one of us could have been Chelsea. I played an instrument, I jogged alone, and I excelled in school. I could have been Chelsea. For any student who did well in school and played an instrument or a sport, you could have been Chelsea. For any woman who goes jogging, you could have been Chelsea. All of us can identify with some aspect of her life because we have all been 17 with the world at our fingertips.

I am not preying on fears with this blog post. Nor am I writing these words to scare anyone. I am writing these words for two reasons: (1) to inspire action, (2) to tell you that there is a solution to our shared nagging safety fears that we haven’t been able to address yet. My husband and I have created an educational solution that is based on awareness, and we know this solution can make American families safer.

Awareness is the most important aspect of self-defense. It is the most talked about, but the least taught. We are working every day to change this: we are partnering with self-defense programs to make certain each woman who takes a self-defense workshop can receive a more complete safety solution. We are working with corporations who have proactively decided they want to offer the education to their employees. We are doing everything we can, but we need your help to spread the word and to let people know there is a knowledge-based solution out there, accessible to any family.

As Chelsea’s classmate at Poway states, “In light of what has recently happened to Chelsea, the efficacy and importance of my Sealed Mindset training has become especially obvious to me. Volunteering with the Chelsea King search efforts has reminded me of all the ways in which Sealed Mindset has changed my life and, more importantly, my behavior. Small habits, like checking around cars before I approach parking lots, have become routine. Furthermore, Sealed Mindset helped me to develop a sense of self-value: I am important. I deserve to protect myself. The wealth of practical knowledge that Sealed Mindset has provided me is invaluable, and something every parent and child should be made well aware of.”

Please reach out to us as we are here to help any community. For more information, please email anne@sealedmindset.com. To see how we teach, please take our free lesson: http://www.sealedmindset.com/

For the price of a pair of shoes, you can learn the knowledge you need to keep yourself safe. Fear is based on a lack of knowledge, and we are here to provide knowledge that your mind and heart know you seek. Please take advantage of our experiences and lessons from some of the world’s most difficult locations to bring this knowledge to your family.

Larry Yatch the CEO of Sealed Mindset was interviewed on Blog Talk Radio today to discuss personal safety and self defense training.

Below is a description of the interview.

Join us as I interview couterterrorsim expert and retired combat veteran Navy SEAL, Larry Yatch. Larry is of www.sealedmindset.com, a personal safety and awareness training company. Larry has taken his vast knowledge and applied it to educating the average civilian via the comprehensive e-learning course “15 Seconds to Safety” that I too have benefited greatly from. Larry is featured in author Dick Couch’s book, “Down Range” as Sean Yarrow. This book recounts SEAL operations pre and post 9/11. Larry is also an industry leader in specialized technical surveillance training, which I also look forward discussing with him.

What’s missing from Concealed Handgun Classes?

All but two of the fifty states currently have some measure of legal weapons carry for private citizens.  Every state has its own rules, but many require some sort of training program before they will issue a weapons permit to private citizens.

http://www.carryconcealed.net/

The requirements for these classes vary, but typically the primary topics of instruction include gun safety, basic shooting mechanics and legal requirements specific to the state.

These topics are all critical for any citizen who intends to carry a weapon for self-defense.

BUT, what is usually missing, or brushed over in these courses, is the fundamental knowledge and skill necessary to avoid situations where use of a firearm could become necessary.

The use of deadly force is always considered an option of last resort, yet the skills and knowledge required for using a firearm are the bulk of available training for men and women.

What is missing from most firearms and self-defense training is in-depth instruction on a systematic approach to avoiding and deterring potential threats before physical force becomes necessary.

For example, most firearms courses teach you exactly what to do if you are confronted with a threat to your life. What they are lacking is a clear definition of what exactly a threat looks like. They also do not address or clarify exactly what other levels there are except for threats that require use of a firearm. Most of us walk around our worlds surrounded by people that are not threats to our lives.

We teach that all people that you come in contact with can be classified into one of five categories:

Non-threat – is not physically able and shows no intent to harm you.

Neutral – may be physically able to harm you, but shows no intent.

Possible Threat-poses significant physical ability, or is “out of place”.

Threat – physical ability does not matter, shows intent to harm you or someone near you.

Help – has the physical ability and personal or professional obligation to help you.

These classifications are just the beginning. The next step is to learn what distinguishes each category, and where to look for these distinguishing characteristics.

Now, for the first time ever, you can find this systematic approach and many others in Sealed Mindset’s online course, 15 Seconds to Safety.  This Sealed Mindset course will help you make the most out of your concealed handgun carry class, no matter what state you reside in.

For more information on gaining this fundamental knowledge and skill, visit www.sealedmindset.com today!

With the holidays upon us, and recent news headlines reporting an increase in violent crime on our military bases and in our workplaces, our concern for safety is at an all time high. You may notice many companies putting out safety tips aimed at preventing you from becoming the victim of a crime this holiday season.

Many of these safety tip lists are short, vague and do not address your real concerns, specifically “What do I do, if. . .?”

We’ve taken the typical list of tips and we’ve added the Sealed Mindset spin to give you practical, concrete examples of how to keep yourself safer over the holidays. You will read the first 5 points today, and we will post the next five later in the week.

The first portion of each tip is the “typical” advice. The second portion of each tip in italics is the knowledge from the Sealed Mindset Team. This revised list will give you real knowledge to help yourself take control of your personal safety.

1. Be aware. It is essential to be aware of your surroundings at all times. By being alert, you may be able to stop an attack before it occurs.

In order to be aware, you need a systematic method of opening your vision. Most people have been trained in school to stare straight ahead, whether at a chalkboard, a computer monitor or even another person while in a one-on-one conversation. Many people never use their peripheral vision.

To open up your peripheral vision and to train yourself to use it each day so that you can truly “be aware,” you can practice using your peripheral vision. For example, when you stand in a line at the supermarket, see if you can tell what is to your right and left without looking in those directions. See if you can tell what the person beside you is doing with his or her hands. If you practice connecting to your peripheral vision each day, soon you will be able to see more than ever before.

2. Trust your instincts. Listen to what your intuition tells you. This will allow you to avoid a situation that does not feel safe.

Your instinct is your mind’s ability to process more information sub-consciously than consciously. Your instinct is the word we use to refer to the feelings associated to the facts that your unconscious mind brings to your attention.

You can harness your instinct and sharpen it by associating your instinctive “feelings” with a touch. For example, when you get a feeling in the pit of your stomach that something is wrong, or when you feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, you can at the same time touch your inner wrist. This associative gesture allows you to train your instinct to work for you whenever you touch your inner wrist.

3. Keep your cell phone handy. It is critical to have a cell phone at all times, but do not keep it glued to your ear. Talking on the phone causes people to be less aware of their surroundings.

Plug in your cell phone to charge it each evening, so that when you leave home with your cell phone you know the battery is charged should you need it. Buy and place inexpensive disposable cell phone batteries, like the ones below in your car and purse:

Disposable Cell Phone Batteries

Memorize your closest friend, spouse, or family’s phone numbers so that you can call them from another phone, if you do not have your phone with you.

4. Avoid presenting a victim profile. When out in public look people in the eye, keep your head up, and walk with a confident stride. This could prevent an attack.

If you do not know what to look for in people around you, you will not be able to prevent an attack, even if you do walk with a more confident stride. True confidence does not come from looking people in the eye. In some instances, looking a person who is a threat in the eye can call their attention to you. Instead, look briefly at each person around you to identify if that person could be considered a threat, non-threat or source of help. Categorizing people is the first step to keeping yourself safer – for the complete list of characteristics to look for, check out Lesson 5 of Sealed Mindset’s 15 Seconds to Safety.

5. Lock car doors and leave. Many people have the tendency to get into their car and sit. This gives an attacker the ability to break into the vehicle and cause bodily harm, or allow them to steal the car.

Remember that your car is not only a means of escape, but it can also be a weapon. Think about the type of car you drive most often. Ask yourself questions about the feasibility of using your car as a weapon, for example: what type of clearance does your car have? Do you feel comfortable pushing the speed of your vehicle, if you needed to? What other types of drivable terrain are available for you to use other than the road directly in front of you should you need to find an alternate route? You can avoid becoming a victim by recognizing the driving rules that limit your ability to use your vehicle to escape harm, and then you can actively visualize yourself disregarding these rules in the safest manner possible to use your vehicle to your own advantage.

If you like what you read, check out www.sealedmindset.com for more real personal safety knowledge. The rest of the list will be posted shortly.