Page 11 - Pat O'Keeffe Combat Kick Boxing

Chapter One
Awareness – The Beginning and the End

When man was a hunter-gatherer, he was in tune with the world in which he
lived. He knew that danger lurked in many forms and he used his intelligence
and wits to devise skills that would keep him alive.
Modern man has constantly sought to bring that wild environment under
control to the extent that there is little true wilderness left. With the rise of cities
and law and order, people have passed on the responsibility for their safety to a
variety of civil servants and institutions: policemen, soldiers, doctors, nurses and
safety experts. People live in various artificial environments where danger in any
form is reduced to a minimum.
As a result, most people feel more or less safe and spend their lives ‘switched
off’, reacting to circumstances rather than anticipating them. Such people are
potential victims.
There are many examples in everyday life: traffic accident victims who did not
look or listen before crossing the road; sailors and hikers who ventured out without
reading a weather forecast or having emergency equipment; fire victims who did
not extinguish cigarettes or who overloaded electrical sockets; customers who
used hole-in-the-wall cashpoints without being aware of what was going on around
them. The list is endless, but there is a common thread – they failed to be aware.
In terms of self-defence man did not realise that when he created his safe
environment he brought with him the most dangerous animal in the wilderness
– himself.
Martial artists do not generally see themselves as victims, yet that very attitude
can blinker them. It must be remembered that physical skills cannot be used
unless the threat is perceived early, its potential danger is assessed, and evasion,
whenever possible, is employed.
In the ring, fighters are brought to the middle, touch gloves and are instructed
to come out fighting. In the street, you can be attacked from all sides simultaneously
with no prior warning.
Awareness is the first rule of self-defence; without it physical skill is redundant.
Awareness, like any other skill, must be practised and maintained. To assist with
developing awareness, practising the colour coding system is recommended. Be
aware of your state of mind.

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