Terrorist acts and times of war are highly unpredictable events. They are volatile and there is a myriad of different factors that must be taken into consideration before acting.
Coming up with a ‘one size fits all’ approach will never work because violent scenarios are fluid and ever-changing. The astute survivalist will look at several things first and factor them into his or her decision before acting – and usually they’ll only have seconds to do this.
In this article, we’ll look at a few questions to ask yourself before you decide if you should fight or flee.
- Are you trained?
This one question almost always favors the fleeing option because most people are not combat trained. To fight back requires combat and self-defense skills that have been repeatedly practiced to the point where they’re instinctive.
If you’re a trained fighter, you could easily take down one or two terrorists. If you’re firearm trained and an accurate shooter, you could easily take down 3 or 4 terrorists if you catch them by surprise.
But what if you don’t have these skills? You must run… and run as fast as you can.
- Is there an escape route?
If you know that there’s a safe route that will allow you to escape, always escape. It doesn’t matter if you’re trained and can fight. Even if you have a firearm, your best option is to flee. Always avoid confrontation whenever possible.
Combat is highly unpredictable. Your firearm may jam. The terrorist may have friends who run to his rescue. You’re always better off sneaking away before anyone notices you.
- How many targets?
If you can’t escape, do you know how many threats there are? If it’s just one gunman, you might be able to take him down with a makeshift weapon if you catch him by surprise.
If there are two or more targets, are you armed? Could you confidently take them both out in a second or two, because that’s all the time you will have?
Unlike the movies, in real life even bringing down one attacker is difficult. If there are 2 or more, you’ll need to be highly skilled and fast. Most survivalists just don’t have the experience and have not gone through training simulations that allows them to practice executing strategies in the field.
Your best bet will be to hide and be as silent as a corpse. Turn off your cell phone.
- Soldiers or terrorists?
There are two types of enemies. If you live in a place that’s occupied by foreign forces, the soldiers will need to follow rules of engagement. They can’t go around haphazardly killing civilians because they’ll have to report to their superiors.
That said, not all soldiers are disciplined. However, if you live in an area patrolled by enemy soldiers, you’re better off running away without being seen, or talking your way out of any possible problems.
Show your ID if you need to. Be polite and don’t show any signs of defiance. Soldiers always work in groups and will have better weapons than you.
Taking on soldiers will require a concerted effort by a group of people. One person can rarely do it on his own. You’re not Chuck Norris.
However, if the area is controlled by terrorists, do NOT try talking your way out. The people in these groups will not be disciplined soldiers. You may be executed just for the fun of it… or you may be taken as a hostage and tortured and killed.
Always try to escape. If you have friends around, you may wish to collaborate with them and launch guerrilla attacks on the terrorist elements in your area as you try to escape the high-risk areas and get to a place that’s away from the conflict.
These are the general rules of engagement.
Always get firearms training and own a few guns if you can. That’s your best form of self-defense. It’s also recommended that you get trained in an effective martial art like Krav Maga, Kali or Systema.
These are very powerful close combat systems that will serve you well in a fight. Stay fit and train often so that when your back is against the wall, your hands and feet will be deadly weapons and can save your life.