Author: Sifu/Guro Dave Sparks
Sifu/Guro Dave Sparks provides an amusing but educational crash course on Steet Sense 101: Awareness.
What differentiates JKD exponents from other martial arts practioners? Is it the on-going evaluation of combat effective methods? The conceptual approach to the principles of combat? Or is it the various training methods limited only by ones experience and research?
If you knew the answer to all of the above, congratulations, you’ve taken a step toward the process of self discovery. Now that doesn’t make you the next Bruce Lee or Dan Inosanto, but it’s a start. Now that you’re expecting another article discussing the five ways of attack, or the four ranges of combat, or what methods work best at a given range, I’d like to force you to shift gears by telling you that regardless of the speed of your eye jab, or the power of your straight blast, you may find yourself at the mercy of the “beast” if you don’t cultivate your awareness and develop street sense.
Street sense, when developed, gives you a powerful ally that just might enable you to emerge victorious without having to fire a shot. You see, when I first began studying martial arts, about 26 years ago, I thought if only I could learn those exotic death dealing techniques from the East. Then I could smugly walk around protected from any attack. Well I don’t think I need to tell you that I quicky found out that I was no Kato. Yet even with my “rites de passage” secure I soon discovered that I had a lot to learn. Many times as martial artists we spend too much time or emphasis on art and not on martial. I’m not saying that you don’t need to refine technique, but you should do so never mistaking any part of the process as being combat. There is a world of difference between sparring and fighting. We do one to help prepare us for the other. Unfortunately, (or is that fortunately?) most of us do not experience real combat. Most people who do are either in military, involved with law enforcement, or are in jail.
I started my law enforcement career in 1974 at the tender young age of twenty one. I was a black belt in karate and was not a seasoned fighter by any means. I remeber in the police academy my instructors talking about having “street sense” and the importance of being a good “street cop”. I equated my martial arts ability to “street sense”. I was about to find out otherwise.
My first street encounter was not exavtly anything that martial arts movies are made of, but boy, did it make an impression. Afterwards, one of the veteran officers remarked that I did “okay” but I needed to quit being so “nervous”. Which was easier for him to say than for me to do. Anyway, I survived the baptism of fire and after repeated exposure, some luck, and a little bit of guidance. I learned to “see the elephant”. Some of the most remarkable things that worked so well were so simple (please don’t mistake simple with easy).
The following is a basic primer on “street sense” 101. All combat/survival skills begin with AWARENESS. Without it, all the technique or ability in the world may not be enough. You need to survive not just win! You must learn to be aware of what’s going on around you (this includes that which is beside you and behind you). AWARENESS, like most other skills is developed by practice, practice and more practice.
You can begin by conciously observing people while walking or driving down the street. A little game you can play when with someone else is to take turns quizzing one another about a person or thing you have just passed. Start with large easily noticed things such as a vehicle. What was the make, model, color, etc? After practicing on such large objects, (don’t laugh you’ll be surprised how much you’ve been looking at but you weren’t “seeing”) start “seeing” people, not just the females but everyone. Ok Sherlock, you’ve passed the first test now let’s focus more on survival.
I think it’s true that most of us notice when a beautiful woman enters the room, but how many of us ever really “see” her. Would you notice the guy that’s muscle-bound? Especially if he dresses to accentuate his mascularity? All kidding aside, most people can be read in “survival” terms beginning with how they dress. Let’s look at a couple of examples. It’s a warm summer day, perfect for going to the beach. You and your buddy decide to cruise to the turf and surf. On the way, you stop by a convenience store for some cool liquid refreshment. As you park your ride, you notice a fellow patron approaching the front door. Odd, he’s dressed in a 3/4 length leather coat and he seems to be growing a large tumor along his right side, which he appears to be cradling with his right arm. In fact, you notice how much this poor uncouth chap seems to be sweating. By now alarms should be going off in your brain telling you that you need to slow down and watch to see if your suspicions are correct. Just as you stop and begin you “fade away,” you see Mr. Patron standing at the cash register removing his sawed-off shotgun from underneath his coat! Yep, he doesn’t believe in ATM’s. He prefers that his cash come form someone else. More importantly you may have just saved yourself from looking down the wrong end of a shotgun! While you may not get to be on the 5 o’clock news as the unarmed hero that took on a shotgun wielding thug, you also won’t end up at the coroner’s office or be remembered as the martial artist that wasn’t as good at firearm disarms as he thought.
Next, you and your lonesome are motoring down the highway when ‘El Stupido’ cuts you off and nearly dents your chariot. As you look over and mouth a few choice words to your fellow road warrior, you notice that he’s driving an ‘83 Olds tricked out with gangster wheels. You also notice that “road warrior” and his pals are all decked out in blue! Gee, discourteous Dodger fans, or maybe some of your local Crips out for a Sunday drive? Being able to count (3 against 1) and realizing that most of these folks carry firearms, you allow “road warrior” to proceed without further delay. Now that might not be as much fun as forcing “road warrior” and his legions to the side of the road so you can teach them a lesson in roadway etiquette, but on the other hand you didn’t get your paint job or yourself riddled with bullet holes!
The above examples are a little, excuse the pun, over kill right? Wrong. People in very similar circumstances find themselves on the wrong end of the food-chain almost every day.. Developing your “street sense” will help you avoid costly battles and will help ensure that you survive the ones you must fight.
Now let me digress more on the nuts and bolts of developing street awareness. We started with cars and miscelleneous people, right? Good. Then we turned our attention to the beautiful females and Mr. Muscles (more about him later). We learned about the clothing “tip off” as in concealed weapons and gang colors. Here are more details with a simple break down.
Be aware of your surroundings at all times. That means the people, the types of peole and your environment. Environment means both man made (e.g. buildings, streets, alleyways) and natural (e.g. lighting or thereof, weather conditions, and terrain), escape routes, and cover (as in aiding yo in evading or escaping from the bad guys).
Your awareness should be like a 360 degree radar. You should learn to use all of your five natural senses. It is easier for most people to begin with their sense of sight, but do not neglect the others. You must be particularly aware of people behind you or ones that are in a flanking position. Many attacks in the street are not frontal and many will have no verbal cues. In most muggings the victims, like prey in the jungle, are attacked from behind with little or no warning, Watch a National Geographic special regarding predators. Predators human or otherwise share a lot more traits than most people realize.