Ep13: Situational Awareness - Mental & Physical Toughness

By now you have an understanding of how situational awareness can help you avoid threats.

Beth and Kevin will share some more simple tips that can save likes, such as:

• Always live in “Condition Yellow”

• Carry and use your flashlight when it is dark

• Avoid being a silent victim by verbalizing commands

• Protect your information on social media

• Keep phones and money out of your purse

Remember, if you look like you would be difficult to attack or make a scene, criminals tend to avoid you.

You have the right to not be nice to everyone, especially when you’re in an uncomfortable situation.

Any place that isolates you and makes it hard to escape should be considered with caution. Places like stairwells and elevators can be easily turned into traps.

What would you do if you were waiting to get on an elevator with someone who makes you uncomfortable? Do you often find yourself taking isolated stairwells just because it saves you time?

Your gut is not lying when it feels like something is wrong. You have to learn to listen to it and find the best way to avoid danger whenever possible.

Parking lots are common scenes in horror movies for a reason. They are often dark and isolated.

People in parking lots tend to make themselves easy targets for lurking predators. Their hands are filled with groceries or they are distracted by their children. In parking lots, people are often staring at cellphones or fumbling with keys. Use your gut and avoid becoming that easy target.

This video will teach you how to improve your safety by:

• Understanding the best and worst places to park

• Recognizing signs of potential attackers

• Knowing what to do with your children if you are attacked

• Creating a plan to escape

It is one thing to know about situational awareness and conflict avoidance. But many people are not initially comfortable applying these skills to daily life. We are all taught to be polite and not judge people. Criminals love that.

Learn how criminals use the “shark bump” to size up prey. We will then practice applying situational awareness and conflict avoidance in various situations to demonstrate how these principles work in the real world.

We will also discuss how to educate your children about situational awareness and what kids should do if you have to leave “Condition Yellow” and prepare to respond to an active threat.

The Cooper Color Codes are about your mindset and your ability to shift that mindset when dangers arise. It is an excellent tool for people trying to make themselves harder targets for criminals.

Many people spend life in “Condition White” (distracted and unaware). This is exactly what criminals want in a victim. We will show you how to make yourself an unappealing target by living in “Condition Yellow” (active and alert).

This video will also run through scenarios where you can test using the SAFE system:

• Scream

• Ask for Help

• Fight

• Escape

Your mindset is critical. You have to choose not to be a victim. This video will teach you how criminals choose victims based on non-verbal communication and awareness levels.

Using this information, you can build strategies to avoid, escape and defend yourself from threats.

Learn how the small choices you make every day can ultimately make the difference between surviving a threat and becoming easy prey. Don’t go places with your gun that you wouldn’t go without your gun. Pay attention to your surroundings and identify escape routes before you ever need them.

Would you buy running shoes before testing them out on your feet? Just like the gun you choose for self-defense, you need to do some research before you buy the holster you are going to wear every single day.

We will test drive the most popular women’s holster types and highlight some of the outstanding examples available today, including:

• Waistband, bra and underarm holsters

• Belly bands and purse holsters

• Flash Bang Bra Holster

• Lethal Lace Holster

• Well Armed Woman Deep Concealment Pouch

• Can Can Concealment Belly Band — Big SheBang

• OWB magnet-based holster

Time to dive into the women’s holsters. Many holsters that work well for men just do not fit the needs of most women.

Following the acronym FACTS (Functionality, Accessibility, Comfort, Toughness, Safety) we will review the wide array of holsters

• Corset holster

• Shapewear holster

• Kydex and leather holsters

• Bellyband holster

• Inside and outside the waistband holsters (IWB and OWB)

• Off-body purse holster

• Belt holster that utilizes magnets

Finding a good holster is about more than being comfortable. It has to be effective in a self-defense situation. Every holster needs to properly retain your firearm and protect the trigger to ensure the gun remains safe as you carry it.

This panel discussion with Beth and Kevin will review the different ways you can carry your firearm. Inside the waistband (IWB) is by far the most popular method for concealed carry today. But even IWB carry comes with a lot of different options.

We will discuss how to find the right carry position for you. This can be a unique challenge for women. Clothing options and daily lifestyle needs all impact what types of holster will work best. Some outfits simply do not work well with certain holsters.

For many women, this makes off-body carry options like purses and bags appealing. But this choice also comes with significant advantages and disadvantages.

This video will take you to the range with a group of other women who will test-fire various different handguns. They will share what they are looking for in their preferred firearm — trigger pull, weight, size, capacity — and give honest feedback.

Our shooters will test revolvers and semi-automatic handguns. They will also test double-action and single-action triggers. This will give you a better understanding of what key features you might want in your personal firearm.

We will also review the firearms safety rules and how to properly handle your firearm at the range.

Time to review a few more firearms essentials before we hit the range and actually test some guns. Kevin and Beth will walk through some of the key points about picking the right pistol caliber for your gun and the importance of magazine capacity in a self-defense firearm.

They will also review how to properly grip and fire various firearms. The proper grip will vary depending on the firearm you choose, but there are definitely right and wrong ways to hold a gun. Gripping a revolver is just not the same as a semi-automatic pistol.

We will also review how to determine if the trigger in your firearm is right for you. Some people prefer heavier triggers. Some people prefer lighter trigger pulls for accuracy or hand strength concerns. No matter the choice, the gun you pick needs to be one you are comfortable and confident carrying.

Are you a revolver person, or do you prefer autoloading pistols? Is weight more of a concern or magazine capacity? Choosing the right firearm is not a mathematical equation. The grip that fits your hand may be entirely wrong for your best friend. Some people swear by a trusty revolver. Others prefer more ammunition in a larger autoloading pistol.

It is easy for the person behind the counter to look at you and assume what type of gun you should buy. But only you will really know what works best in the end. Make the wrong pick and you can end up with a useless paperweight. (After all, a gun you do not carry is worthless when you need it.) Plus, you have to be capable of shooting the firearm effectively. Does it fit your hands? Does it have a good trigger pull? Is it too light to shoot comfortably?

This video will run through the different advantages and disadvantages of various guns ranging from double-action revolvers and semi-automatic handguns. We will review how these firearms function, how you can customize your firearm and what you can do to ensure you are ready to make the right choice for you.