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The Cascading Effect of Vulnerability In Self Defense

Murphy’s Law

I’m sure most of you have heard of this before, but for those of you who haven’t, Murphy’s Law states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. This is especially true when it comes to self-defense and survival. In this article I want to explore what I am calling the “cascading effect of vulnerability”, why it should matter to you, and what Murphy’s Law has to do with it. But to do that we must first discuss how the typical self-defense situation unfolds on the street and why it occurs in the first place.

It All Starts With A Criminal

The criminal by definition initiates the self-defense situation. In order for an attack to happen you need at least two people, an attacker and a target. The target is chosen based on a number of factors.

Here are the typical reasons for “random” criminal attacks (this is different from a predator/stalker situation or a home invasion):

  1. Gain: The criminal is looking for something. It’s usually a financial gain. They want something of yours that they can take and pawn for cash so they can get high. It could also be to get respect from their peers by proving they are tough. Then there’s sexual assault. In all cases, the criminal wants something and to get it the victim needs to be overpowered. For the typical financial gain attack there is little we can do. Nearly all “average” Americans are going to have something valuable on their person at all times. Flaunting expensive purses or a Rolex watch only sweetens the pot. It would be prudent to leave those items at home in certain instances.
  2. Ease of Acquisition: Criminals pick easy targets. Of all the people who’ve walked down the street that day, why is one person chosen over the others? Of course there is some amount randomness involved, but at the end of the day the person who gets attacked looked like an easier target than the previous potential targets.
  3. Opportunity: You could simply say that sometimes you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Isolation is key here. If you are in an empty area, with nobody else at your side, the criminal only has to overtake you, clean and simple. There are no bystanders to intervene on your behalf and you’re probably on his home turf. He knows this secluded location better than you. It could also be a really densely populated area where the criminal knows the chaos and confusion will make his get-away possible.

Those 3 pretty much sum it up. If you have something the criminal wants (hard to avoid), look like an easy target (partially in our control), and happened to wind up in the wrong place at the wrong time (also partially in our control), you are really in for it like a fresh piece of meat dangling over the shark tank.

The Harsh Truth

You’re probably thinking, “No person in their right mind would put themselves in that kind of danger on purpose,” and you’re right, but people find themselves in these kinds of situations every day. Some people are robbed and walk home with injured pride and anxiety they will deal with for a long time. Some are murdered in cold blood for 50 bucks or a nice looking watch. Others are sexually assaulted and carry physical and emotional scars for the rest of their lives.

The truth is, many of these situations can be prevented. There is usually a small mistake in judgement made or an accidental situation that spirals out of control.

The Cascade of Vulnerability

That’s where the cascade comes in. One small error leads to another. One problem turns into two. The simplest example of this would be running out of gas in a very bad area of town. Most people would never make this mistake, but it does a great job of illustrating the point.

So there you are, engine sputtering, looking for a place to pull off and park. It’s night time, you are out of town, and maybe you didn’t even know this was a bad area until you arrived. Any potential criminal watching you silently coast into a parking lot is already frothing at the mouth. An easy mark. You are vulnerable and he knows it. He is eyeing your vehicle and your clothing, already counting his winnings.

Why Are You Vulnerable?

You have lost your transportation. He’s going to watch very closely to see what you do next. Cars are great protection. Lock the doors and roll up the windows and a criminal really has to make a scene to hurt you, which makes you the opposite of the quick and easy target he’s looking for.

While sitting in your car, you start to call Auto Club for roadside assistance. One ring and then silence. Sh*t your phone just died. Better plug it into the charger. You dig around the console, but it’s not there. Your teenager must have snagged it. Now you’ve lost your transportation and your only method of communication. This is where things really start to snowball.

Pause For A Moment

Three small, completely unrelated mistakes were made.

  1. You let your car run out of gas (lack of planning).
  2. Your phone died (lack of planning).
  3. You don’t have your charger (lack of planning).

Seeing a pattern? Now your only choice is to leave your car and walk somewhere to ask for help. The criminal who has been watching this whole scene unfold is now ready for action. You’ve just opened your door, and he’s going to play the part of the savior.

He starts walking over, “Hey man, you need some help?”

You are a little bit wary as he approaches, but you don’t ask him to keep his distance. You’re hoping he’s going to help you out and let you use his phone. The look on your face is relief.

Pause Again

If you had confidently ordered the approaching man to stay back and maintained control of your personal space, you would have planted the seed in the attacker’s mind that you weren’t going to go down without a fight and he would’ve started thinking twice.

But you didn’t stop him and both your posture and facial expressions are exuding vulnerability. Pretty soon he’s standing right in front of you and you are in serious danger…

Okay, okay… Enough of the overly dramatic story. You know all the very bad possibilities from that point on.

The Take Away

Here’s the take away- There were numerous mistakes made by the victim in this scenario. None of them are that big of a deal on their own, but when compounded they could become deadly. With each mistake the victim became more and more vulnerable, and once the bad situation occurred, the victim was more concerned with ending the predicament than worrying about their security.

They were overly hopeful that a kind stranger would help, and 9 times out of 10 they’d probably be right. It’s the easy thing to do. Wouldn’t it be great if we could rely on the kindness of strangers? You can if you have to, but do so cautiously and strategically, and avoid it whenever possible.

So how do your prevent the cascade of vulnerability?

First off, be prepared, especially when you are outside your daily routine or not on your home turf. If your car broke down on your way to work you’d know exactly where the next reputable business was because you’ve driven that route hundreds of times.

Take extra care to make sure you are prepared when you go to new places. Get a lay of the land. Ask about the bad areas of town. Charge your phone at every available opportunity. Never let your gas tank get down below ¼ tank. Always control your personal space, it’s your last line of defense.

The list goes on. We all know what we should do, and we’re all guilty of not doing it all the time. It’s laziness, running late, or lack of discipline that leads to these small mistakes. Most are avoidable and ultimately paying attention to all the details will probably save you time and effort in the long run. Not to mention it could save your life.

Hindsight may be 20/20, but foresight is priceless. It’s a habit anyone can develop. Quickly think of all the things that could go wrong and take the steps needed to avoid them when possible. Not all bad situations are avoidable, but most are.

You can still go to new places and do adventurous, out-of-the-ordinary things, just be prepared. Don’t be the sucker who gets targeted.

A lot of the signals that make someone a target are given off inadvertently and unknowingly by the victim. Victims never deserve to be attacked. Victim blaming is wrong and counterproductive, so don’t mistake this post as being in favor of it. But at the end of the day we are all responsible for our own security. There are bad people in every society and learning to think like a criminal allows us to avoid falling prey to their nefarious ways.

Let me know if you’ve ever experienced a “cascade of vulnerability.” How did it turn out for you? What steps did you take to make it out successfully? If it ended badly, what could you have done differently?

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198 thoughts on “The Cascading Effect of Vulnerability In Self Defense”

  2. in almost every case situational awareness is the key to not coming out on the short end of the stick. at home know who’s at the door before you even crack it open a tiny bit, unknown caller does not get in know your states castle laws. be armed, know how to use it effectively and appropriately. I’m a strong proponent of the trigger finger is mightier than the thug.

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  3. Good advice. More so, be aware! Never be unarmed. My car – two knives, baton & peper spray. Always carry some kind of knife. Even a credit card edge is a “cutter”.

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  4. I have a tendency to be cautious at all times i.e. when in a restaurant, I will take a seat facing the door & I have alredy made a quick look to see where the escape door is. I do not like to be at a disanvantage and if I am confronted by a situation which requires self defense, I have already decided before how things will roll….1) I will not be a victim 2) I will react right away like a machine 3) Hit first, hit hard and hit fast.

    Could’nt care less about the outcome….if he gets hurt ….all the better….I minded my own business and never asked to be attacked !

    Thats it….

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  5. To be unrepaired for phone and gas. Well thank you for the info. I always make sure my car has a full tank, I carry a spare phone charger cord in my purse. So I have also a portable charger in my purse a portable charger that holds up to 2 hours of power.
    I make sure that my granddaughters also have the same.

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  6. good article. i live in flint michigan. have been here for a few yrs now. i talk to almost anybody walking by my house. i know my neighbors and im not afraid to get loud or break up a fight on my street. because of these things i have amassed great respect with the people living around me. i do a lot of yard work and try to never put my back to the street. always carry wasp spray in my cargo shorts along with a blade or two and a pistol close by. wasp spray with a 20+foot range will blind an attacker instantly and deter stray animals effectively. flint is not as bad as people may think but those who make themselves vulnerable will undoubtedly suffer some form of avoidable circumstances before to long. stay safe all. stay smart and always be prepared.

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  7. Hello
    I was driving home from the airport, about to take a left turn at night, right after passing under a bridge (which was not lit up), and started getting in the left lane to do my left turn (makes sense right?).

    However, as I was under the bridge for a brief moment, there was a high sharp curb I could not see, because it was quite dark. A assumed that once I passed the sign (next left to get onto the highway), would let me ease over into the left lane, to make that turn.

    That sharp curb slit both my left tires at once, which caused a “tire explosion” and I it knocked me off course. The first thing I did, was to keep going as straight as I possibly could, in order not to hit any other cars.

    Then with the last bit of momentum I had, while driving on the rims and casting sparks, I pulled over to the right hand curb side to get off the road and out of harms way from other traffic. It was 11pm at night.

    At the time, I didn’t even own a cell phone!! This happened about 8 years ago. I was completely vulnerable:
    – By myself, a woman
    – 11pm at night
    – Clearly visible 2 busted tires
    – Car laying on its rims
    – Just yards passed a dark bridge
    – This is a bad situation!!!

    I stayed in the car, doors locked. I good Samaritan did stop, which turned out to be a tall black man (really intimidating)! I showed no fear!!! The good news is that this gentlemen was dressed very nicely (business suit), which allowed me to open my car door window a crack. I kindly called a road side service company. They said that they could make it to that location in about one hour and a half… (GREAT!)

    Now I’m dealing with a potentially dangerous time delay…

    I thanked the gentlemen. He asked if I’ll be OK waiting here. I said: “Yes, no problem, thanks for calling”.

    With locked car doors I went to the back seat row of my van and lay all the way down to the ground, covering myself with blankets and other stuff to make it look like nobody is there! Then, when the towing company finally arrived around 12:30 am, I was relieved from this situation. This all happened because of the road sign that was placed too soon to make that left turn, and the unlit bridge.

    After this happened, I bought a cell phone right away, realizing my huge vulnerability that night!

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  9. Great info! Simple common sense is often taken for granted and, consequently, overlooked. The only thing to add- get a gun, learn how to use it and carry it!

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  10. These are true facts. I just had a group of guys get on a bus in Las Vegas with the intention of either trying to pick pocket or snatches our shopping bags. The encounter didn’t go as they planned because they assumed we were on the bus alone. So as they tried to isolate us on the back of the bus the other t guys moved in and put a serious hurting on these boys and with they held for the police and arrested.

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  11. Be difficult to obtain help if you challenge everybody. Those 9 out of 10 could and would walk away thinking unkind thoughts and leaving you stranded.

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    1. This is where intuition comes in. You don’t have to be an AH to everyone or be paranoid. But you should never let your intuition be clouded by your desire for help. The simplest thing to do is ask yourself, does this guy look like he could kick my a**? If so proceed with extreme caution.

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  12. Very nice reminder about the power of Murphy’s Law. With a lot of the focus on marksmanship, hand-to-hand martial arts, it is important to remember the basics in order to avoid the situations if at all possible.

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  14. that is great advise,people should not take it lightly. using your head and being prepared could absolutely save a life.

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  15. Most Civilians don’t have the security conscious mind that they should have. If they had spent time in the military that would have been well developed by the time their tour of service was completed. That being said, having some sense of real world applicable warrior arts training, whether in Kung Fu, or in Abir Qesheth Hebrew Warrior Arts, comes in very handy in extricating yourself from such situations, when and/or if you find yourself in such a situation.

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  16. that is great advise,people should not take it lightly.being prepared could save your life without a doubt.

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  17. Street thugs are predators and they size up victims in much the same way that an arctic wolf selects the most vulnerable caribou in a herd of 10,000. With black belts in a couple of martial arts and work experience as both a bouncer and a cop, I never worried about giving off “victim” cues until I sustained an injury that had me hobbling around. Much of that hobbling was in dicey areas, because I’m a photographer. Five thousand dollars worth of camera gear hanging around someone’s neck is a temptation. When I saw three teen-agers quietly eyeing me and spreading out to approach me from different directions, I figured I had a problem. I walked up to the ringleader and commented a bit drily that I got the impression they were interested in photography. I smiled. The smile never reached my eyes. They melted away. Now I always slip my .22 mag mini-revolver into the smallest pocket in my photographer’s equipment vest. Yeah, I could carry my .380 PPK or my Sig P239, but the camera gear is already pretty heavy for my 73-year-old back.

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  18. Great info!!! And oh so very true. ALWAYS keep your tank with gas, ALWAYS have your phone charged and ALWAYS ALWAYS watch your 6 !!! Additionally buy a litium charger…charges phones,laptops and jump your car as well

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  19. I agree with the premise,do support the organization. A trained citizen is far better than citizens unaware. Alerting families, individuals and even communities at large is a yeoman’s job of a “Riding Paul Revere.” Sounding the alarm, alerting for dangers then seeking methodologies individuals, families and even communities can adopt and employ is A PATRIOTS duty and responsibility. Myself, I try to “interpret” every “environment” I ever am in, enter or exit. Always, have a defensive plan worked out BEFORE occupying any “environment.”

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  20. I always treat my vehicle as if it were still near “new”. I do the recommeded maintenace as required. You take care of your vehicle and it will take care of you.
    I keep a car charger in my vehicle at all times for my cell phone.
    My cell phone has saved numbers for “AAA”, roadside towing, ect.
    I always have at least two or thre knives on my person and/or in my car.
    Always, be prepared for what could happen. Keep extra oil, jumper cables, tools and blanket, and food in the car.
    I also, have an LED light in the car. Military grade LED light.

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  21. Bob, add #4 to the first three reasons why people are attacked. Not paying attention to where they are & people around them.
    When I leave my home I have 2 folding knives I carry, leatherman, a self defense pen & pepper spray pen, all in easy access. They don’t do me any good if I’m walking down the sidewalk on my cellphone not paying attention to what’s going on around me. Situational awareness is an on going security defense !!!!

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  22. This blog is awesome!!!! Since I’ve joined this wonderful informative group, my knowledge and ability to handle myself has increased dramatically. When I was young, I got into a bar fight, fought more than one dude and had a bottle broken over me which almost killed me. I tried fighting Mano e Mano style like a proper gent. Big mistake. First 2 seconds of the fight they cracked a bottle over my skull cutting a major vein and I almost bled to death. Knowing tactics, and how to think is super important. Because of your wonderful research and information, it has been a tremendous gift that I can utilize if need be.

    An example of being prepared is one time I was in the wrong part of town. Before I left my car, I made sure my shoes were tied properly, double knotted, I knew where exit points were, and I knew where weapons were just in case it got really bad like life and death bad. Being prepared is extremely important because when dealing with imposter savage like lions of the jungle, you gotta make sure you have your elephant gun, Gatling gun, bazooka, and machete always ready for those opportunists. They rarely give you a second chance to be prepared! It’s your responsibility to be prepared. Think about this for a moment, would a caveman go into the jungle without his club, stick, or knife knowing that vicious predators are lurking about or would he bring his come get some attitude as he walked for glory. Food for thought. Thanks again fight fast. Much love.

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  25. great common sense directions, I test my wife all the time to make sure she is aware of her surroundings and where she parks, how she walks to have not only her keys at the ready but her pepper spray also! I tell her to look around and know who is near so she is not surprised. My sister and friend were in a mall garage and two guys started moving toward them, my sister has a CCW and she reached into her purse and just stared at the guys and they knew she wasn’t going to be a victim! Her friend never even knew what was going on!
    thank you for your constant e-mails and tools and information to keep us aware and safe out there!

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  27. Great info but one thing I have noticed over the years is don’t look vulnerable, If approached with aggression stand up and let them know your not going down with out a fight, Doesn’t matter if you can fight or not but 95% of the time the aggressor will walk away, I’m a short guy and been in a few fights in my younger years and been picked on by bigger guys thinking I was an easy target, I found get in there face and let them know they don’t scare you works almost always.

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  28. Thank you so very much for speaking so plainly from what appears to be a rather large pool of experience. I have minimal experience in this
    particular arena, but I have had it happen to me and 8 of my friends once.
    It happened in Southern Laos in 1969. We decided to take an evening of respite across the Mekong. We made the trip across the river with no
    concerns at all. We walked through the village to a “casino” owned by the local warlord.
    To make a long story short, we gambled for awhile and then cashed out. The warlord did not like that development at all. He called out a platoon of his men. We changed our direction in the casino and one by one exited out a window in the men’s room. That exit bought us about a five
    minute head start.
    The platoon started a firefight. Even though we were armed, discretion claimed the better part of valor. Running as fast we could we made it
    to the river bank just as our boat arrived. We emptied a mag in the general direction of the top of the river bank.
    Yes we all survived.

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  29. Hey there brother, I have to say that knowledge is power and I want to thank you for the dedication. I know that we stand against the unknown and the unknowing are usually the victims but with the past 6 months of training tips and stories of men who laid the path for our freedom I just want you to know that not only myself but my family thanks you …

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  30. Thank you for the lesson repeated. I am a contractor employee with Dept. of Homeland Security transporting illegal aliens. I search their persons and belongings. Occasionally, they attempt to get too close, a verbal command to stop their approach is usually enough for compliance on their part, otherwise I’m prepared to deliver a sharp blow to their sternum with the end of my thumb works.

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  31. Whenever I walk into a place I’ve never been ( especially out of town ) and I’m going to be there a while, I go to the bathroom, whether I need to go or not. I want to know where the back door is. And I never sit with my back to a door.

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  32. I’m 63, and walk with a cane. However, I’m skilled in the self-defense use of my cane. I also carry 3 pocketknives, one of which is an assisted-opening folder. I can’t stop them from choosing me as a victim, but I can sure make them regret it.

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  33. I was a correctional officer for 16 years and a police officer for 4.5 years; during that time I was involved in 468 fights, and won them all. Criminals attack for more reasons than I care to speculate. All the fights I was involved in one thing was common, they all underestimated my degree of commitment to win. Hence they wore the whipping and I did not.

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  34. Everything you covered in the way of poor planning on the “victims” behalf is dead-on. I think that we could cover some of the variables by keeping a “tactical pen” or “pepper spray” in the car at all times, just to even the odds a bit. By all means, whenever escape offers itself, take it.

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  35. I let my self get into a bad situation on vacation. I always thought that I watched out for myself but this night I just didn’t think. I was on the beach with my wife and sister around 1:00 am and my wife had told me about these boys that had been starting fights with people earlier. I was looking at the water and people walking by when six teenage boys walked up behind me. And I got a good beat down the only thing that I could do was choke one of them. They never touched my wife or sister . They ran for help but the teens we’re gone by the time help came. People want to tell you what they would have done. But until it happens to you you don’t know. You have to watch out for your self and your family. My wife has never been the same and I haven’t either.

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  36. Oops, The last part of the comment was supposed to read, … my thumb, that trick works.
    Situational awareness prevents vulnerability. Look at the eyes, the face, the set of the shoulders.
    One individual, in an attempt to intimidate, put on a mean face and got into a fight stance. A calm stare into his eyes made him turn away.
    I learned long ago weakness will provoke attack. Learn not be vulnerable. This site is a good place to learn or to relearn.

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  37. Good advice. Always be prepared – be prepared to “kill or be killed”. A seasoned criminal or a junkie looking for his next “fix” won’t hesitate for an instant to take what they want – your life is of no consequence.

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  38. I live in Newark, NJ. I don’t drive and I walk 6 blocks to the local train station 5AM to get to work. My “radar” is always on (situation awareness) and I have the strut that says “I’m not victim material”. I never have a problem walking the “gauntlet” of pan handlers and other street scum and I think body language plays a big part. If you project self confidence trouble usually passes you by. I’m 6 foot and weight 175, not exactly intimidating, but being a Vietnam vet taught me how to overcome most situations. Your Web site is “must see” and very informative. Thanks!

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  40. All this is good, solid advice. The best addition I can make to is to try and not let that initial panic take over. If you do you’re beat before you’ve started. It’ll get you every time.

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  42. Good advice giving my age and the way I have had to live I do practice looking out and prepared to defend myself.
    As a matter of fact people that know me think I am too careful.
    Actually in this day and age I don’t trust anybody.
    Sad but true.

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  44. Situational awareness and preparedness.

    The novice (and the most experienced) MUST think these two elements through and fully understand what each one means. You must roll play assault scenarios in your mind and have a plan already roll-played for each.

    Comparing today’s threats to those when I was a young man is absolutely frightening. There are 10 times more opportunities to have you and your loved ones assaulted today than 50 years ago.

    Situational awareness and preparedness. Some day or night, your life will depend on them.

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  45. Thank you very much to Sir Bob and his staff for sharing practical lessons such as these.
    We surely agree that we should be prepared for travel and have situational awareness
    wherever we are.

    Respectfully yours,
    John Roger

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  47. Good scenario but i am always aware of my surroundings and who is there i never underestimate anyone i always know where i am going and what the best rout is

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  49. Always be on your guard. Never trust anyone until you are sure they are Ok.
    Be prepared. Do not rely upon someone else to put things back where you keep them.
    Do not blame others for your mistakes. Learn basic self defence from this site.
    Keep your eyes open & your mouth shut. Smile & try to say something funny, if you must talk.
    Stay calm & upright. Do not show fear to a person or a dog.
    If you are a woman being threatened & can not get away, remember all the tender parts of a man.
    Place 3 middle fingers together, & strike to the eyes, throat, neck, temple,etc.
    Plus the usual man spots. Kick shins, ankles, knees front & back. Use your heel to stamp down very hard on his toes. Plus many simple ways to break away from them.

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  50. your articles are always very informative and right on target, ive been in many different cities and situations in my life, and one thing i’ve noticed is no matter how big or small you are male or female,young or old if you walk with your head up shoulders back, and look people in the eye they will keep on walking most attackers are looking for people that look down or away, that tellagraphs to the assailant, your weak and don’t want confrontation, when i’m out and about I always look people in the eye and say high or hows it going anything to make first contact, this tends to disarm the would be attacker because now he or she has been noticed and recognized, in their mind you now know what they look like.your off their list. it’s all the simple little things like this that make a big difference, so when your out there WALK TALL AND SHOW YOUR CONFIDENCE well I hope this helps enjoy life be cool have fun. GOD BLESS

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