Don’t be the Right Victim

Don’t be the Right Victim

In a previous blog, I wrote about the Bad Guy Pyramid, and in this one I want to show it from a different angle.

A few years ago, I got a message from a friend and student. His daughter, who had trained with me from the time she was a child until she had grown up was now a psychiatric nurse at a hospital.

One night exhausted from pulling an 18 hour shift she was leaving the secured floor for the night. The lights were low, she was about to swipe the access panel with her key card when she was ambushed. She was hit and slammed from the hall into a small dark room with only the one door and no windows. Her key card had been knocked from her hand and, unfortunately, her panic button was also attached to her card.

She began to scream for help and at the same time she spun him around swept his feet and dropped his face into a table. When help arrived, they had to pull her off of him. She was shaken, had a very sore neck and chin but he went to the emergency with broken bones and multiple lacerations. She told her dad to tell “Sensei” I still have it – thanks.

I was exceptionally proud of her as was her Dad. I sent story out to a few people including my friend Rory Miller who many will know from his books and seminars.

Rory’s response was: “The bad guy had everything he needed to create a very bad day except for the right victim. “

That has stuck with me, as much of what Rory says does.

Don’t be the right victim.

We can have every intention of being diligent and aware but life is life and how many of us are on our toes after an 18-hour shift? How many of us are on our toes doing routine things like swiping out?

The fact is we should be aware as much as possible but we just won’t be.

We should always be at our physical best but we just won’t be.

We should keep to well lit and well populated areas but we just can’t all the time.

There will be times we will not be at our best. We will not be as aware as we should be. We will be in a bad place for us but good for someone with ill intent.

All the factors in that totality of circumstances can line up against us and all that is left is us and our training. All we can hope for is that what we have trained will be effective and efficient and enough.

And that brings us back to that Bad Guy Pyramid because the other factor in those circumstances is the Bad Guy. Unfortunately, he has picked the spot and the time and when he is at his best.

So, we cannot be any less. We must be more.

So, train hard, train real, think about what and how you train. Be critical. I don’t mean that in a negative sense but in an analytical one. Know what you are training and why.

Don’t be the right victim.