Nature has ingrained in us what is known as the ‘fight or flight’ response. When confronted with danger, we choose to fight our way out of the situation, or we decide to flee from the situation. This response is the product of evolution and ensured our survival as a species, and when faced with danger, we will choose one or both of these physical responses.

However, if you avoid the situation in the first place, you won’t have to deal with it. By analysing and avoiding potentially confrontational situations, we needn’t depend on either fight or flight responses.

Thus, self-defence is primarily a mental challenge.

This doesn’t mean that you need to constantly think that you are going to be attacked to practice effective conflict avoidance. However, to make these avoidance behaviours effective, you do have to make them part of your daily life – and initially this takes a bit of effort.

Being alert is the first part of avoidance.

Alertness

A popular method within the self-defence industry is the ‘Traffic Light System’. However, it is not universally popular, as it is somewhat too complex for some instructors, and for others it’s just stating the ‘bleedin obvious’.

Whatever your opinion, the result is that you are alert to danger or you are not.

The Traffic Light System

Initially developed by Jeff Cooper, a U.S. firearm instructor, the TL system is an awareness scale that allows for the assessment of one’s environment on an almost unconscious level. It is similar to ‘commentary driving’ taught in advanced driving, where you have to mention out loud every feature, vehicle, sign, etc. that will affect your driving. The idea is to ensure that every aspect of your environment is documented. Developing a mental running commentary is the first big step in practising avoidance.

Code White – Completely Unaware

This is a complete lack of awareness. In code white, no attention is being paid to your surroundings; you are not looking further ahead than a few metres or only looking at things directly in front of you, not listening (or listening to music), talking on your mobile or using Social media, texting, thinking about many things at once, etc. This is the state that most people are in – ‘victim state’

Is this you? Be honest.

If approached by a threat while in code white, the ‘victim^‘ will be taken by surprise and almost certainly freeze and panic, moving immediately to code Black.

Code Yellow – Environmental Awareness

Code yellow should be your default state of awareness. In yellow, you are doing your commentary, checking possible hazards, e.g. groups of people heading your way, doorways, vehicles, corners. You must keep your concentration open but not concentrated. Be aware of what is going on to either side of you and, as much as possible, behind you. If you see something that you think contains risk, move up to code orange.

Code Orange – Threat Assessment

In orange, you are trying to evaluate the threat posed by a person, object or place. During orange, you can work out whether or not you can evade a situation (because you have the luxury of prior awareness). At this stage, you will begin to feel butterflies in your stomach, and your heart will race; this is a pre-release of adrenaline, just in case.

Code Red – Threat Management

On entering code red, you will experience an adrenal dump. Because you assessed the situation, you will be expecting this and can use it for fight or flight.

Code Black – Blind Panic

If you have been taken by surprise, you will be unprepared for the adrenal dump, and the physical effects will cause a ‘freeze’. This is where your body doesn’t recognise the adrenaline as something to help you escape, and you feel overwhelming fear. Your legs go, you stammer, you shake.

This is the reaction most attackers hope to get. When in code black, you have little or no control over yourself or the situation. Escape will be made only through desperate and lucky action.