Video: How to Manage a Stranger’s Approach and Maintain Self-Defense

You’re walking from your car in a parking lot or standing on a downtown sidewalk and you observe a stranger coming your way who appears determined to talk with you. Not knowing if his intentions are malicious or innocent, what should you do to protect yourself as he closes distance with you? Is he preparing to spring an attack on you? Does he have an accomplice coming up behind you?

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Why 21 Feet Is Not a ‘Safe’ Distance ]

In the TriggerTimeTV.com video below, self-defense trainer Craig Douglas of Shivworks offers a combination of three techniques to always use to properly and safely “manage unknown contacts” who encroach into your personal space when in public.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, A Simple Chart for Situational Awareness ]

The three skills encompass what, how, and where:

Components of a Strong Mindset for the Legally Armed Citizen

Components of a Strong Mindset for the Armed Citizen by ConcealedCarry.comThe website ConcealedCarry.com is a rich resource of information that helps guide legally armed people in the responsible practice of carrying concealed a defensive firearm.

One example is the article, Developing and Understanding A Strong Defensive Mindset, by Jacob Paulsen, president of ConcealedCarry.com, and its accompanying “mindset” chart.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, How Does Your Character Measure Up? ]

Mindset is defined as the established set of attitudes each of us hold; the general frame of reference through which we observe life, interpret it, and make trivial and serious decisions in response to what we encounter every day.

Click the chart to enlarge it, scan the key points of it below, read the entire article at ConcealedCarry.com, and be sure to read the SemperVerus articles below.

Lessons in Situational Awareness from Columbo

The painting by Jaroslav Gebr of Peter Falk as Columbo from Season 9, Episode 1: Murder, A Self PortraitColumbo was an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. The show aired on NBC from 1971 to 1978 and on ABC from 1989 to 2003.

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the subject of Situational Awareness ]

In the series, Columbo is a seemingly every-day homicide detective who wears a rumpled beige raincoat and projects a casual, polite, warm, charming, respectful, humble, deferential, patient, soft-spoken, and unassuming demeanor, all of which are a disguise for extremely shrewd and intelligent situational awareness. He often leaves a room only to return with the catchphrase, “Just one more thing” to ask a critical question.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Gentle Response De-Escalation Training for Church Security Teams ]

Along with another keenly observant detective—Sherlock Holmes—Columbo embodies an innate, probing, and continuous curiosity about his surroundings. He is an excellent model for us to emulate in how to be unceasingly alert when we are in public.

Nebraska Is Now the 27th USA State That Allows Permitless Carrying of Concealed Firearms

A second state has now been added to the majority of states in the USA which allow the concealed carry of firearms without the need for a permit or license from the government.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen signed Bill LB 77 into law April 25, 2023, enacting permitless carry in the Cornhusker State making Nebraska the 27th state to enact such legislation. The new law provides for carrying of concealed handguns without a permit, changes provisions relating to concealed weapons, and prohibits certain regulation of weapons by cities, villages, and counties.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Florida Is Now the 26th USA State That Allows Permitless Carrying of Concealed Firearms ]

Under the new law, which will take effect 3 months after the legislative session ends, Nebraskans and non-residents 21 and older will no longer need a license to carry concealed, though individuals must still be legally eligible to possess handguns. Carry licenses will still be available to eligible individuals who wish to acquire one for various purposes, such as compliance with federal law prohibiting firearm possession in school zones (see the US Code of Federal Gun Laws 18 U.S.C. § 922(q)(2)) and reciprocity with other states.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, USA State Constitutions Providing for Armed Self-Defense ]

The 27 Constitutional Carry states now are

  1. Alabama
  2. Alaska
  3. Arkansas
  4. Arizona
  5. Florida
  6. Georgia
  7. Idaho
  8. Indiana
  9. Iowa
  10. Kansas
  11. Kentucky
  12. Maine
  13. Mississippi
  14. Missouri
  15. Montana
  16. Nebraska
  17. New Hampshire
  18. North Dakota
  19. Ohio
  20. Oklahoma
  21. South Dakota
  22. Tennessee
  23. Texas
  24. Utah
  25. Vermont
  26. West Virginia
  27. Wyoming.

[ Read articles in the SemperVerus category of the 2nd Amendment ]



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