Kris Wilder - The Little Black Book of Violence

Cornering or trapping is another common approach, one that is a bit more strategic than simple closing. The bad guy angles his approach in a manner that traps you between him and a solid object such as the wall of a building or a parked vehicle if you are outside on the street. A variation you might find indoors is to block the only doorway into a room so that you need to go through him in order to escape.

A common cornering method is to approach a person when he’s getting into his car, particularly in store parking lots where you are also carrying encumbering purchases and valuables such as cash and credit cards. Think about how long it takes to pull your keys out of your pocket, insert them into the lock, turn the lock, open the door, slip inside, close and lock the door, start up the vehicle, and drive away. You are vulnerable during most of those steps, trapped between the bad guy and your vehicle or stuck in the vehicle with the door open before you can get it closed and drive away. It takes even longer if you need to drop a bunch of packages into the trunk or back seat first.

Cornering behavior should always be a concern, particularly in fringe areas where attacks are more likely to occur. When traveling in these areas pay close attention to alternate routes you might take in order to effect an escape. If your awareness is sufficient, you should be able to spot this behavior and move in an alternate direction before you can become effectively trapped.

Surprising requires a source of concealment from which the bad guy might spring when he chooses to attack. This can include trees, bushes, doorways, parked vehicles, garbage bins, or any other barriers behind which he can hide yet track your movements and step out to attack. Even pools of darkness between streetlights can be used for surprise if you are inattentive.

Pay careful attention to your environment, particularly in areas you frequent such as the sidewalk near your home, office, school, and so on. Look at these areas through the lens of a mugger. What are the sources of cover or concealment? If you were the bad guy, where would you hide? Once you know these locations, you can give them a quick once-over before you pass by, thwarting most surprise attacks.

Don’t forget that he needs free access to be able to move out and attack you quickly, so he won’t be in something like a garbage bin but rather hiding alongside it. Doors, on the other hand, facilitate rapid egress so he could be sitting in a vehicle or standing behind the entrance to a building.

Bad guys often work together. If you wind up running across two adversaries working in tandem, they have additional tricks to get you into position for attack. The most common of these is a pincer movement where one guy distracts you so that the other can sneak up on you from behind. The bad guys might split up as they approach you or spread out so that you pass one before being accosted by the other. That way one is already behind you since you have walked past him on your own accord.

Be wary of individuals who ping your radar as you approach. Don’t worry about embarrassing yourself by overreacting; just turn around and walk away. Similarly, if one or more individuals who were together split up as they approach you, angle off in another direction. If they start to follow, their intent will be clear. More often than not, your awareness marks you as a difficult target and they will find someone else to pick on.

Groups of bad guys working together have a bigger bag of tricks with which to maneuver you into position for attack. Another method that can be performed by two or more thugs working together is called herding. This is similar to what carnivores do in the wild. An individual makes his presence known in a manner that causes you enough concern to want to move to a safer location. As you attempt to flee, the bad guys control available routes along which you can travel in order to herd you toward a choke point where one or more members are waiting and planning to act. If you fail to take the hint and move, the assault takes place where you first made contact with the individual or group.

It is important to pay attention to your environment at all times. Your best defense, particularly in areas that you are familiar with, is to know a variety of available escape routes for wherever you plan to travel. Of course, travel during daylight when you can and avoid choke points to the extent practicable, particularly in fringe areas at night. If you begin to feel uncomfortable with a developing situation, move toward highly populated, well-lit areas. This denies the bad guys the privacy necessary to attack you without being observed and increases their chances of getting caught, hence encourages them to target someone else.

If you think you have thwarted this type of trap, it’s a good idea to dial 9-1-1 or your local emergency number to report the suspicious activities. Just because you were able to avoid the ambush doesn’t mean that the next guy who happens along will too. As a good citizen, you can help others avoid becoming victims by drawing police attention to the area.

It gets even tougher when three or more bad guys work in concert. Again, one will often try to distract you while the others move to surround you and cut off all avenues for escape. Typically, they will casually drift apart as you approach. Like the pincer movement, the group might also spread out so that you pass alongside them before being accosted. When you reach the midpoint of the group, the wings fold in to trap you.

Once again, be wary of individuals who ping your radar as you approach. If it is a large group, turn around and walk away. Listen for signs of pursuit and calmly check back over your shoulder after fifteen feet or so to see if they are starting to follow you. Do your best to show no fear but rather resolute preparedness. Similarly, if one or more individuals who were together split up as they approach you, angle off in another direction. If they start to follow, their intent will be clear. Fighting a large group is a losing proposition. Your best defense is good situational awareness. Never get close enough to the bad guys to be in danger.

Don’t forget that fringe areas adjacent to heavily traveled public places are where the majority of violent crimes occur. Do your best to avoid such areas late at night. Maintain a higher level of awareness whenever you must travel through or visit areas like parking lots, bathrooms, bus terminals, subways, train stations, stairwells, laundry rooms, or phone booths. Assaults can occur at any time of the day or night.

Be extra vigilant if you ran afoul of someone in a sporting venue, party, or drinking establishment, even if it never came to blows. He may be lurking, hoping to cut you off as you travel through a fringe area to get to your vehicle, catch a cab or a bus, or walk home. Similarly, be cautious around banks, pawnshops, check cashing establishments, casinos, and ATM kiosks where predators may be looking to separate you from your money.

In all of these situations, the bad guy must close distance or control your movement in order to get into range to attack you. Don’t let him do it.