The OODA Loop

Gershon Ben Keren

Mon 30th Sep 2019

There are certain ideas, principles, and concepts which get a lot of airtime in the reality-based self-defense world, but not a lot of actual analysis regarding how they work – or don’t work – such as the fight or flight response, and the OODA Loop. These terms are used extensively and sometimes out of context, so it warrants taking a moment to look at how and why they were developed, and for what practical purpose e.g. the fight or flight response was initially developed from observing how birds reacted to external dangers, such as other predatory animals; it didn’t look...Click To Read More

Criminal Personalities

Gershon Ben Keren

Mon 23rd Sep 2019

Criminals commit crimes in line with their personalities; and understanding this simple fact informs us as to how we should interact with them – if our paths should ever happen to cross. Although committing a crime involves a certain level of “rational” decision-making, any cost-benefit analysis that is involved will differ from criminal to criminal e.g. a burglar is going to look at the risk of being caught, compared to the potential benefits and rewards they may receive, in a different way to a mugger, etc. Equally, persistent offenders are likely to be motivated differently, and engage in different decision-making...Click To Read More

Cues And Tells

Gershon Ben Keren

Mon 16th Sep 2019

Most violence happens face-to-face and is preceded by some form of verbal exchange – this is true of both social (spontaneous) and asocial (premeditated) violence. Few attacks are initiated from the rear, which means in most cases we will have a chance to stop the attack before we feel/fully experience it. This doesn’t necessarily mean we won’t be surprised by it, even if we’re expecting it, but it does mean that we have a chance to see it take shape before it happens. Few people are experienced in disguising their movements as they try to set up a punch, and...Click To Read More

Call Me

Gershon Ben Keren

Mon 9th Sep 2019

Few people believe that they are bad judges of character, or that they are prone to making bad decisions and/or errors of judgment – it’s just how we are hard-wired. When we hear of others who behave and act in ways, or make choices, that are detrimental to their safety, we often shake our heads and pat ourselves on the back, knowing that we would have acted differently. If you look at the comments on certain social media posts, you’ll get to read all about how somebody would have handled a threat or danger in a much more effective manner,...Click To Read More

Why We Walk Down Dark Alleys

Gershon Ben Keren

Mon 2nd Sep 2019

Personal safety must be something more than a set of rules we should follow. There are two basic reasons for this: first, if those we are trying to protect ourselves against know these rules, then they will develop methods for circumventing them, and second, we aren’t good at following them – and I would go somewhat farther by saying that our brains aren’t designed to follow such rules. There are few people who haven’t walked down a dark alley, let a stranger into their house, etc., or acted against what would be their better judgment; and probably in 99% of...Click To Read More