clip is used. In a fast and furious encounter, you may not have enough time to free, orient, and deploy the weapon before it is too late.
Weapons can also be palmed, hidden behind an arm or leg, or held out of sight beneath a covering object such as a folded jacket or newspaper. These systems facilitate rapid access but can be easier to spot than other methods and preclude the use of the hand that carries the weapon for anything other than deploying the device in combat. If the weapon is already drawn and held in a concealed position, you will be in extremely serious trouble if you do not spot your adversary’s intent. He has already decided to attack and is maneuvering into position to do so.
Weapons, can also be “hidden” in plain sight too. A hot cup of coffee tossed into a bad guy’s face can make an effective deterrent. A solidly built pen can operate much like a martial arts
Pay particular attention to a person’s hands and midsection, looking for unusual bumps, bulges, out-of-place items of clothing, or odd movements. Look for clips that indicate a knife, heavy belts that may indicate a holster, and other visible signs of something hidden from plain view. Watch for subtle touches or patting movements as someone validates that his weapon is still in place or adjusts its position. Even when a holster is used, without a sufficiently sturdy belt to go along with it the weapon may still slide around and need to be repositioned.
Most people wear their watch on their weak-hand side. That means that if the watch is on the left hand, odds are good that he’s right-handed. It does not always work out that way, but can be a good indicator. Regardless, people tend to carry their primary weapon on their strong side, so if you think that someone is right- handed look there first.
Also, look for concealing clothing that may be covering a weapon. Examples include a jacket worn in hot weather, a vest that covers the waistline (especially the hips/lower back), or a loose shirt that is only buttoned high. Anyone who wears his or her outdoor wear indoors may well be concealing a weapon under it. If the weapon is carried in a pocket or secured using a specially designed piece of concealment clothing, it might cause the garment to appear off-balanced, hanging lower on the side where the weapon is carried.
Pay special attention to the person’s hands. After all, that’s what deploys the weapon. Hands buried in pockets, hidden under a jacket or shirt, or simply held out of sight may be holding a weapon. Or the person could simply have cold fingers. It never hurts to be prudent yet can hurt an awful lot if you are not cautious. Be wary of stiff fingers, clenched fists, and other odd hand movements as they could be used to conceal a lethal device or indicate a general precursor of violence.
Armed assaults are 3.5 times as likely as unarmed encounters to result in serious injuries. Worse yet, some 96 percent of all homicides involve a weapon.
An estimated 70 percent of adult males in the U.S. carry some type of knife or multi-tool on a regular basis.
Just because a weapon is not in use at the beginning of a fight doesn’t necessarily mean that it won’t be by the end, particularly if the other guy thinks he’s in danger of losing. Before, during, and even after a fight, watch for the upward or sideways motion of withdrawing a weapon from its sheath, holster, or hiding place; a weapon cannot be used until it is deployed. While you will frequently rely on your eyes to spot a concealed weapon, you can use your ears too. Listen for the sound of a weapon being drawn or readied for action, especially when you cannot clearly see a potential adversary such as when you are in a crowd, where someone is behind you, or when it is very dark. Audible indicators can include
• Click (such as releasing mechanical safety on a handgun, racking the slide to chamber a round, or locking open a folding knife blade).
• Snap (such as unlocking a retention device such as a holster safety strap).
• Rustle (such as moving clothing aside to facilitate drawing the weapon).
• Velcro[15] (such as opening a pouch or removing a retention device such as a holster safety strap).
Armed assaults are about three-and-a-half times more likely to result in serious injuries for the victim than unarmed ones. In fact, some 96 percent of all homicides involve a weapon. Consequently, it is really important to be able to spot hidden weapons before they can be used against you. The vast majority of weapon concealment strategies have one thing in common—accessibility. After all, a weapon does you no good if you cannot get to it rapidly when you need it. Blades, handguns, batons, and other concealable weapons tend to be hidden in similar ways, most of which are centered on or around the waist. Weapons can also be palmed, hidden behind an arm or leg, held out of sight beneath a covering object, or even “hidden” in plain sight. Know how to detect when he’s armed and practice your skills regularly; you’ll live longer that way.
Most law-abiding civilians who own a gun use a holster to carry their weapon. Criminals, on the other hand, rarely use one. Either way, the most common carry positions are centered on or around the waistline.
Don’t worry about being confused by cell phones, pagers, PDAs, MP3 players, or other harmless devices. It is far better to be overly cautious than injured or dead through ignoring warning signs. Just because you believe that someone is armed does not necessarily imply that you will take immediate action, but you should be prepared to do so as necessary. Trust your instincts.
Feeling is important too, both psychologically and physiologically. Pay attention to your intuition. Though we are often conditioned to ignore it, everyone has a biologically built-in danger sense. Use it.
Weapon awareness is relatively easy to practice. Take an outdoor seat at a restaurant in a high foot-traffic area, hang out in a mall, or take a walk through a public place and carefully watch passersby. Count how many knives, guns, and other weapons you can spot. Who is carrying them? How are they concealed? What subtle clues did you notice that helped you spot the weapon? Once you get good at consciously finding these devices, you can begin to pick them up subconsciously as well. Honing your intuition in this manner builds solid survival skills.
Gangs Are Not Your Friend
The skillful tactician may be likened to the shuai-jan. Now the shuai-jan is a snake…He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks.
In large-scale strategy, if you have a strong army and are relying on strength to win, but the enemy also has a strong army, the battle will be fierce. This is the same for both sides.
Pay particular attention to a person’s hands and midsection to spot a weapon, looking for unusual bumps, bulges, out-of-place items of clothing, or odd movements. Note the tip of the holster peaking out from under this guy’s jacket.
Gangs are groups of people who share a group name and identity, interact among themselves to the exclusion of others, claim a territory, create a climate of fear and intimidation within their domain, communicate in
